The most reproduced image in the history of photography.

“Shot from below against a light background, the portrait has a raised, Godlike quality. The angle of the shot is particularly crucial, as profiles have little impact and full frontals tend to flatten the features. The direction and intensity of the subject’s gaze is also key. Che is looking past the camera, out to his vision. His line of vision has been much tinkered with by various artists, but it retains its passion even on a table mat or a screensaver.”

– Alison Jackson, photographer and film-maker.

It’s March 5th, 1960, President Fidel Castro has called a memorial service and mass demonstration at Havana’s Colón Cemetery, to honour more than 100 Cubans killed in the suspicious La Coubre explosion the day before.
In attendance is photographer Alberto Korda. Armed with his Leica M2 with 90 mm lens and loaded with Kodak Plus-X pan film, Korda busies himself taking pictures of Cuban dignitaries and famous French existentialist philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.

Korda's roll of film negatives. Guerrillero Heroico appears on the fourth row down, third picture over (shot horizontally).

At 11:20 am, a major figure of the Cuban Revolution, Ernesto “Che” Guevara surprises everyone by attending the service and, for just a few fleeting seconds, Korda snaps two frames from a distance of about 25–30 feet before the guerrilla leader disappears into the crowd. The first shot has Guevara framed with an anonymous silhouette and a palm tree; the second has someone’s head appearing above his shoulder. But it’s the first picture that is destined to be Guevara’s most famous portrait and the most reproduced image in the history of photography.
Weeks and months later, Korda’s shot is passed out to friends and published by a few small Cuban publications. Then in 1967, Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick uses Korda’s image as a basis for creating his own stylised posters.

To create the image that pop artist Sir Peter Blake would later refer to as “one of the great icons of the 20th century”, Fitzpatrick made a paper negative on a piece of equipment called a grant enlarger. Printed in black, red, and yellow, Fitzpatrick “wanted the image to breed like rabbits” and gave away thousands of posters, often hundreds of copies at a time.
Because of Fitzpatrick’s desire for the photo to reflect something of himself, he raised Che’s eyes more and added his initial, an “F” on the shoulder. It was not until the 40th anniversary of Che’s death, that Fitzpatrick admitted to this fact stating “I’m a bit mischievous, so I never told anyone.” At this time Fitzpatrick said that “I love the picture and wherever I am in the world, if I see it, I take a photo of it. I always have a chuckle when I see that little “F”. I know that it’s mine.”
The image today remains as popular as ever. In his book ‘Che’s Afterlife: The legacy of an Image’, author Michael Casey believes it still taps into a deep well of emotion; “The randomness of the creation of the Korda image, the magic of a chance encounter, partly explains its power. This moment of beauty was as fleeting as any, yet in capturing it the photographer made it immortal. And immortality, we are told, is the stuff of art.”
Next week – the story behind the symbol for peace.

Alberto Korda

Jim Fitzpatrick 

Article by John Fountain senior writer at Avvio

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Whatever happened to the brilliant strapline?

A great article that needs to be shared by Magnus Shaw - blogger and copywriter

‘Let your fingers do the walking’, ‘Put a tiger in your tank’,

‘Don’t leave home without it’.
Just where did those fantastic company straplines go?
When I set out as green but keen junior copywriter, the briefs I most looked forward to were those requiring a strapline. You know, a string of words whose intention is to capture the essence of a brand, product or service and attach itself to the consumer’s perception. A sort of catch-all selling point that was probably once known as a slogan.


There’s something very pure about the creative challenge in strapline building. It forces the copywriter to be concise – you have no more than about six words with which to play, preferably fewer, so every syllable must count. But this short phrase must be informative, persuasive and memorable. In many ways, it’s the true test of a copywriter’s abilities.

Either those skills are rapidly vanishing or strong straps are no longer regarded as having much currency – because the overwhelming majority of new straplines are simply dismal.
Take for instance, the case of a well-known, door-to-door cosmetics company. The scope for a stylishly sharp company moto, perhaps hinging on the notion of glamour at home or convenient beauty is huge. But somehow, somewhere a copywriter pitched the strapline ‘Want It? Get It!’ and managed to sell it to the client. I’d venture that a room of sleepy ten year olds watching non-stop Rastamouse would have conjured something more witty, warm and winning in about an hour without charge.
When it launched, I blasted Sky’s ‘Believe In Better’ for its meaninglessness. It is still running and indeed appears to have inspired a whole new raft of dreadfulness.  Filling the gap created by Comet’s insipid, clumsy and ditched ‘We Deal In Your Ideal’ is Curry’s ‘We Can Help’. Now, I am all for simplicity – far too many brands and campaigns collapse under the weight of their own complexity – but ‘We Can Help’ has the appearance of a strapline that was sold to the first client who happened to pass by, whether that was Dunstable Social Services, The RAC, Dignitas or Curry’s. It’s meaning and message are so generic, so lacking in commitment, as to be utterly vacuous. Equally, if I mention the strapline ‘That Was Easy’, I am sure you would struggle to even guess the type of business being promoted, let alone the company’s name. Go on, have a guess. The answer is at the foot of the page*.
Perhaps we shouldn’t expect any better from high street retailers, maybe they’re losing out to their online cousins so badly, they can only afford the intern writer or – frighteningly – they’re writing their own branding material. But what excuse do Guinness have?
For crying out loud, there was a time when the Guinness campaigns were the high benchmark for creative advertising. From ‘Guinness Is Good For You’ to ‘Good Things Come To Those Who Wait’, here was a unique brand that really knew how to communicate its selling points and character. That’s all over and now we must suffer the nonsense that is ‘You Don’t Pour It, You Bring It To Life’.
Of course you don’t. And that’s why it’s so poor (ho, ho). A great strapline has truth running through it like a stick of rock. If doesn’t, it fails. I recall a meeting with a branding agency who were launching a new range of in-line skates. They were pushing the strap ‘We Invented The Wheel’. I argued it was a weak line because, although it was melodramatic, it simply wasn’t true. I offered the re-written ‘Re-inventing The Wheel’ and it received a far better response in market testing. Not because it was particularly brilliant, but because it was at least vaguely believable.

More recently I worked with a company gearing up for the launch of a new brand style and the replacement of their positioning strapline. I dearly wish I could to tell you who it is, but the most I can say is that the new line was glaringly and grammatically incorrect. Unfortunately, I had neither the remit nor the clout to have it withdrawn and must now watch the work roll-out with this carbuncle attached. Such is the lot of the copywriter who once loved straplines enough to be saddened by one whose construction is simply wrong.

So, if you’re a writer and you’re fortunate enough to be tasked with creating a strapline for a client, try not to see it as a minor part of a bigger brief or an afterthought. Give it a bit of care and considered attention, see if there’s a real gem lurking in the brief and test yourself. Who knows? You may just come up with something to match these beauties:
‘Every Little Helps’
‘No FT. No Comment’
‘Reassuringly Expensive.’
‘The appliance of science.’
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


*It was Staples. (But could just as easily have been Super-Noodles).

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REAL OR CGI

 

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Art & Copy

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A Great Film About Advertising!

SYNOPSIS

ART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time -- people who've profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising's "creative revolution" of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in ART & COPY were responsible for "Just Do It," "I Love NY," "Where's the Beef?," "Got Milk," "Think Different," and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.

Market research and the primitive mind of the consumer

"The trouble with market research is that people don't think how they feel, they don't say what they think and they don't do what they say."

David Ogilvy


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12581446


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Advertising 101- Lesson 6 - Consistency Is Key

Research shows that most people need to be exposed to a product or service six or seven times before they make a buying decision. It becomes a lot more difficult for people to make that decision if your message is not consistent.
Consistency doesn't have to mean monotony though. The best example of this would be televisions Oxo family. The advertisements, staring Linda Bellingham, gave a consistent message of family, togetherness, warmth and great food, all the while changing and growing with the trends of the time.
You may not be launching a million pound TV ad campaign but the principles remain the same.

1. Define your message – know what it is you're trying to say.
2. Communicate clearly – don't confuse the issue with too much information, less is more.
3. Stick to your guns – whatever medium you use, keep a clear concise representation on your message, ethos or goal running through all your advertising.
The more often people see your message the more often you'll come to mind when they're looking for your product or service.

At Blue Crayon we believe Consistency is the key

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Hermes Fingerskate

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Advertising 101- Lesson 5 - The Press Release

What is a press release?

A press release is pseudo-news story, written in third person, that seeks to demonstrate to an editor or
reporter the newsworthiness of a particular person, event, service or product.


How is a press release used?

Press releases are often sent alone, by e-mail, fax or snail mail. They can also be part of a full press kit,
or may be accompanied by a pitch letter.

What is the proper press release format?

Here's a sample press release template you can use to format your press release correctly:

What should I put in my press release?

Let's stick with the theme: you run an vitamin web site specializing in weight-loss products.
Through the process described in the report, you've nailed down a nice, newsworthy topic – teenagers and how they deal with issues of weight. But that's a broad topic, not a story.
In the report, we provided a number of ideas for potential stories. Let's pick the first one and craft a press release.

The story: What do kids think about a "thin is in" society?
As you sift through your message boards looking for quotes, you see a trend appearing. There are lots of messages criticizing Hollywood actresses and pop singers for being too thin. Many girls are saying that seeing these women make them feel bad about their own bodies. A number of the boys are pointing out that they don't find ultra-thin women appealing.

Now you've got your angle -- your hook that will grab a reporter's attention:
Teenagers think that a "thin is in" society pretty much stinks.
Now let's get writing.

Press Release Headline

Before you write a word, remember this:

The reporter isn't interested in helping you make money or driving visitors to your site. He's looking for a story that will be interesting to his readers and pleasing to his editor. He could care less about your great selection, super customer service and commitment to quality. He wants to know only the info that will help him craft a good story about teens and their weight.

Take your ego out of it. Take your natural inclination to sell, sell, sell out of it. Look at your story with a cold, objective eye.

OK, let's get to our press release headline.

State your most exciting news, finding or announcement in as few words as possible. Emulate the headlines you see in the newspaper every day.

Bad Press Release Headline:

NEW WEBSITE THAT OFFERS HERBAL WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS LETS TEENS SPEAK OUT ABOUT WEIGHT ISSUES

Good Press Release Headline:

TEENS: ULTRA-THIN MOVIE, POP STARS SET BAD EXAMPLE

Don't worry, you'll get to plug your website soon enough. In the meantime, you've just thrown a meaty hook at the reporter.

The Press Release Subhead

Subheads are remarkably useful tools, yet usually overlooked by press release writers. Basically, the press release subhead gives you the opportunity to flesh out your angle and further hook the reporter, without stepping on the drama of the press release headline.

Here's a headline/subhead combo I might use for this press release:
TEENS: ULTRA-THIN MOVIE, POP STARS SET BAD EXAMPLE
Website Forumgoers Weigh In: Teens Don't Find Ultra-Thin Celebs Attractive;
Girls Say Negative Self-Images Reinforced by Hollywood's Super-Skinny

The Press Release Lead

It's Journalism 101 -- the lead paragraph includes the who, what, when, where and how of the story. If the reporter were only to read the lead of a good press release, he'd have everything he needed to get started. There's no room for BS, hype or sell. Just the facts.

Bad Press Release Lead

Recently on theplace4vitamins.com, an online store dedicated to selling the best herbal products, teenagers had the chance to say what they thought about weight loss and whether a society that pressures young people to be thin is a good thing or a bad thing.

Good Press Release Lead

America's teenagers are angry at Hollywood for glamorizing ultra-thin bodies, and many girls say they feel too selfconscious about their bodies as a result of watching TV, movies and music videos. The findings are gleaned from more than six months of ongoing discussion and debate at the website theplace4vitamins.com. According to theplace4vitamins.com President John Smith, anger and resentment toward the Hollywood ultra-thin runs deep, particularly among teenage girls.

The Rest of the Press Release

The balance of the press release serves to back up whatever claims were made in the lead and headline. In this case, you'd pull some quotes from the message boards (an aside here: if you really were to pull quotes in this fashion, you should only use the poster's name or identifying information with his or her permission. Otherwise, simply say "a 14 year old boy said..." or "a 16 year old Midwestern girl added..." Also, if this technique appeals to you, be certain that a disclaimer appears on your message boards notifying posters that all posts become your property and copyright). Use enough supporting material to make your case, and to demonstrate that, whatever angle you're promoting, it wasn't something you slapped together carelessly. Next, a quote will help put in some perspective:
"I was surprised by the level of anger expressed in these messages," Smith said. "Teenagers are far more clued into this issue than most people would imagine." Or, you might ask an expert for a quote:

"This demonstrates once again the need to teach young girls and boys about how to develop a positive self-image,"said Jane Doe, author of "I Like My Body Just As It Is". "theplace4vitamins.com has done a true service by bringing these attitudes to the public's attention."

The Boilerplate

Finally, spend a sentence or two describing your company and what you do: theplace4vitamins.com was founded in 1997 to provide consumers with a wide choice of vitamins, supplements and
herbal products. The site offers a range of articles, research materials and message forums for the health conscious consumer.

This paragraph is known as the "boilerplate" -- an old newspaper term meaning a block of standard text that's used over and over again (e.g. the explanation of symbols on the stock price page). In this case, it's text that you might use at the bottom of all your releases.

Place your boilerplate right above the # # #'s.
One more trick: below the ###'s, add a line that says something like:
If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with John Smith, please call Pat Brown at 555/555-2222 or e-mail Pat at pr@theplace4vitamins.com

Some Key Things to Remember

* Stay away from hype-bloated phrases like "breakthrough", "unique", "state-of-the-art", etc.
* Always write it from a journalist's perspective. Never use "I" or "we" unless it's in a quote.
* Read lots of good newspaper writing, such as the New York Times or the Washington Post to get a feel for the style.
* Shorter is better. If you can say it in two pages, great. If you can say it in one page, better.

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Advertising 101 - Lesson 4 USP 123

Your USP is the key to your market share. It's your Unique Selling Point (or proposition). The thing that makes you different to all the rest.

There are hundreds of varnishes and wood stains but only Ronseal does exactly what it says on the tin;
there are thousands of chocolates (I know, I've tried most of them) but only M&M's melt in your mouth and not in your hand; and there are a multitude of couriers but only FedEx guarantee to absolutely, positively get it there over night.
Your USP is the thing that sets you apart from all the others. I'm sure that other couriers can deliver a
package overnight and I'm sure that Ronseal aren't the only hardware suppliers with quality products but
what they have managed to do is position themselves as leaders of their fields.

They have shown their customers that they have a unique product or service to offer that (supposedly) can't be found anywhere else.

If you can capture this spirit in your own marketing, if you can position yourself as leader in your own
particular field who can offer something that no-one else can you can increase your marketing power
exponentially and at very little cost. So what do you have to offer? What can you do that no-one else can?

What are you the best at? Know that and you're on the way.

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Advertising 101 - Lesson 3 The Power of Headlines

One of the most influential factors in any successful ad campaign is your choice of headline. Studies of
readership patterns show that 80% of people will read the headline of a piece but only 20% will go on to read the rest.

After the headline the next most viewed body of your ad will be the p.s or footer portion.
Bearing all of that in mind before you right your headline you must be sure to keep its purpose in mind:

The purpose of your headline is NOT to sell your product, the purpose of your headline is to get people to read your ad (unless your headline is your ad).

Some fatal mistakes made by many advertisers in writing their headline:

• Too much information – Your headline needs to be punchy, particularly for magazine and newspaper
   advertising where space may be limited.

• Too little information – If you want people to read on you have to give them a reason why.

• Too many superlatives – Great, Smashing, Super - are you convinced?

• Too many exclamation marks – Exclamation marks, capital letters and garish colouring are the print
  equivalent to shouting. Let your product speak for itself.

So what does work?

Research into the 100 most successful headlines of all times has revealed a high consistency of certain
key words and phrases, these include:

• How to
• Do you
• You/your
• New

- Remember to remain honest I your headlines, if you reader feels duped they will soon lose interest no
  matter how good the product.

- Appeal to a personal sense of fear. Fear of loss, cost or inconvenience and your products ability to
  eliminate that will draw greater attention.

- Mention your product in your headline. You may be using the Headline to get people to read the ad  but its important to let them know what theyre going to be reading about.

- Clever is good but cocky is not. Avoid over egging the pudding with too many clever puns as it can be extremely off putting to readers.

- Positive language sells better than negative.

- Remember you re writing your ad to appeal to a person, an individual consumer with the ability to   make their own buying decision. Try out a few headlines and ask your friends and colleagues to tell you which one appeals more.

- Always test and measure your headline responses, changing just one or two words can increase your response rate by 50-100%.



"When you are assigned to write an ad, write a lot of headlines first. Spend hours writing headlines
or days if necessary. If you happen to think of a headline while walking down the street or while
riding the bus, take out pencil and paper and write it down.”
- John Caples

"On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. It follows
that, unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money."

- David Oglivy

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