2010′s Most Memorable

In case you missed any of these fantastic campaigns, here is a recap of some of the most innovative and memorable campaigns of the past year. Enjoy!

Digital Death

In 2010, in a campaign by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga ‘killed’ all of their social networking platforms including Twitter and Facebook in support of World Aids Day. The celebrities would only be ‘brought back to life’ when $1 million was raised for the charity. Of course, the celebrities could quite easily have donated $1 million of their own fortunes, but then we wouldn’t have been able to look at this campaign and think ‘I wish I’d thought of that’.

Volkswagen Fast Lane

Following on from its Fun Theory campaign, the Fast Lane seemed more relevant to the brand and gave viewers the same feel good feeling which they immediately wanted to share with their friends. Would love to see them try this in the UK, I’m sure it would be a ‘Health and Safety’ risk.

Coca Cola Happiness Machine

One of my personal favourites. This viral is best the first time you watch it, another feel good viral and its the ‘unexpectedness’ that makes this a great campaign. Completely in keeping with the brand’s ‘good times’ philosophy, and had students everywhere wishing the Happiness Machine would visit their college.

Salvation Army Within Reach

Repetitive, guilt-provoking TV ads are losing their effect as we become ever more skilled at tuning out their messages, so I thought this US campaign was a great way of getting the message heard, and making people stop and take notice.

Old Spice Responses

And of course, one ‘ridiculously handsome man’ that needs no introduction. This man showed us the power of social media, and had thousands of Twitter followers clamouring for an Old Spice response video.

Jimmy Choo Foursquare

Jimmy Choo organized a treasure hunt in London via Foursquare- apparently its Jimmy Choo trainers were the first object to check into Foursquare. A great way to get people involved offline aswell as online, and although probably only a small minority took part in the treasure hunt the campaign got people talking about the brand.

The Year of the Flashmob

Love it or hate it, T-Mobile’s ‘Life’s for Sharing’ campaign got us talking, and has shifted perceptions of the brand. One thing’s for sure: no-one’s safe from T-Mobile’s Flashmobs

The Year of the John Lewis ads

I’ve made no secret of the fact that for me, music can make or break an ad. When I think back to my favourite adverts, the one thing they have in common is emotive music. For me, John Lewis stole the show this year when it came to TV ads. After seeing the ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ ad I applied for work experience at Adam and Eve London, where I was lucky enough to have a chance to intern whilst the team were working on ‘John Lewis Christmas 2010′. Adam and Eve have a fantastic knack for A) Basing campaigns on an emotive insight and B) picking fantastic songs for their ads. If you haven’t already, watch the ads below to see what I mean.

5 Tips for Bagging an Advertising Internship

As I was lucky enough to spend my Summer interning at a number of fantastic agencies, I thought I’d share some tips on bagging yourself your dream internship.

Firstly,  I would like to say to anyone who is considering applying for an advertising internship: go for it! I have been lucky enough to intern at a variety of amazing agencies this Summer, including Adam and Eve London and McCann Erickson Bristol, and it has been a fantastic experience. Although my internships were short, I met a lot of interesting people who I will be keeping in contact with, and have had some brilliant experiences. Most importantly I’ve learnt an incredible amount over a really short space of time, and now feel like I’m ready to hit the ground running when I graduate.

For anybody looking to gain some work experience in advertising, I advise you to consider these 5 tips.

1. Think Outside The Box

Don’t just go for the obvious. Applying  for advertised internship schemes is great but try to do your own research. Find agencies whose work you really love, and make the first move. This can take longer but trust me it will be worth it. The fact that you have used your initiative gives a great first impression and you will come across as genuinely interested in the agency, which counts for a lot!

2. Persistence is Key

Advertising is a competitive industry, so try not to get disheartened if you don’t get replies straight away. Staff are often very busy, and your application is unlikely to be at the top of their priority list so it’s up to you to ensure that your application gets read by the correct person. A good tip is always to follow up an application letter or email with a phone call, as this shows your keen.

3. Go Regional

For those who can’t afford to live in/commute to London, don’t despair as there are a lot of regional ad agencies which produce some fantastic work! McCann Erickson, Golley Slater and TBWA all have offices outside London, as do many other agencies, so its worth seeing if there are any agencies in your local area.

4. Think Small

It’s worth spending time at both large and small agencies to get a feel for what suits you best. I know classmates who have interned at both large and small agencies, and had a much more hands on experience at the smaller agencies, learning much more as a result.

5. Milk It!

If you are lucky enough to get an internship my last piece of advice would be to make sure you learn as much as possible from the experience. Jump at every opportunity, learn as much as possible from your peers and ask for advice on getting into the industry. They’ve given you the chance to learn firsthand about the industry, but how much you learn from the experience  is entirely up to you!

I hope these tips are helpful! If anyone has any tips to add please comment below.

All change in adland

2009 saw much change in adland, with very few agencies retaining their 2008 positions in Campaign’s top 100 agencies league. Whilst Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and McCann Erickson retain 1st and 2nd positions respectively, BBH dropped from 3rd to 9th to be replaced by Fallon which has risen by 9 places. Rapier rose 9 places to 24th whilst both Public and Kamerama rose by 6 places, securing their positions in the top 30.

Adam and Eve & Brave are agencies to watch, rising 105 and 133 places respectively. Thus whilst some of the bigger agencies have floundered during the recession smaller agencies appear to have flourished.

For more information on Campaign’s top 100 visit: http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/factsandfigures/rankings/886782/Top-100-advertising-agencies-league/