Atlanta based editorial music photographer, Zack Arias.

Brilliance In Advertising :: 2 Commercials From Thailand
Thu , July 22nd, 2010
Posted by zack
under Just Stuff

Sitting in the coffee shop today with Meg and Dan. Dan and I are doing some research on agencies. Meg is compiling tax forms. I think Dan and I are having more fun than Meg.

Everyone is talking about the Old Spice commercials and how they are currently a tour de force in advertising and culture at the moment.

I love the first commercial the most because it takes a bizarre and disgusting twist on a fairly conservative brand and makes it awesome. I would buy my eyeglasses from that company. I love “the flip”. I always have. Anything that involves juxtaposition. Contrast. Competing forces. Mash-ups. Oil and water. Well, except for BP. That oil and water isn’t anything to get excited about yet someone has taken a massive disaster, mixed in over the top humor, has raised awareness and cold hard cash for a good cause. That’s why I love BP Global PR.

It just takes an idea. A spark. But more importantly it takes execution on that idea. Got an idea? Are you taking action on it? I have tons of ideas. I lack the execution of them. I don’t know which one to start on. I need to take my own advice to others and just pick one and run with it. Ideas don’t change anything. Ideas are worthless without action.

I sure do love the Internet.

Cheers,
Zack

Comments 43

43 Responses to “Brilliance In Advertising :: 2 Commercials From Thailand”

  1. KnucKle, on July 22nd, 2010 at 1:07 pm Said:

    Hi Zack~!! Good That u like these ads!!

  2. Amy, on July 22nd, 2010 at 1:39 pm Said:

    It’s funny you blogged about this as my instructor just went over this a couple days ago. (Is someone trying to tell me something here?!?!) I am full of ideas, which is something people tell me is a good thing. I guess there are people out there with only a couple ideas? (Ha.) My thing is, my ideas tend to build on each other. I might be headed in one direction, but then my ideas tend to multiply during the process. It’s all about honing it down and choosing the focal point, for me. And like my instructor (and you) it doesn’t really matter if you have 1,000 ideas, if there is no visible proof that you can execute them.

  3. Jordan, on July 22nd, 2010 at 1:39 pm Said:

    I remember you uttering the words “Just start somewhere” on occasion.. Seems like pretty apt advice in this case too.

    In practice it’s a little more complicated though isn’t it? Find the time, find the money, find the space. Seems daunting when viewing from a whole-project perspective.

  4. Erik Dixon, on July 22nd, 2010 at 1:48 pm Said:

    Take the time to watch “Art & Copy” on the ole’ Netflix watch instant section. Initially a great doc, secondly its a great insight on incredible ad campaigns and the folks behind them.

  5. Niels and Everlien, on July 22nd, 2010 at 2:45 pm Said:

    LOL that first commercial was very funny ;-)

    Good to see you back on the blog.

  6. Chris Bergstrom, on July 22nd, 2010 at 2:45 pm Said:

    Zack, are you sniffin’ my light meter?

  7. Tom Varden, on July 22nd, 2010 at 2:46 pm Said:

    I guess the trick is picking which ideas. Thanks for the great post.

  8. Bruce, on July 22nd, 2010 at 3:10 pm Said:

    Zack have you seen this one?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGbwUrZ9eDk

  9. William Beem, on July 22nd, 2010 at 3:12 pm Said:

    Every idea I had just fell out of my mouth as I watched those videos.

    Also, I just threw out all of my yogurt.

  10. Justin C, on July 22nd, 2010 at 3:12 pm Said:

    Zack, after meeting you and taking your workshop. I have come up with so many new good ideas, and I am acting on them! I am almost done with a current project i’m working on and you gave me the confidence boost I needed to go for my dreams. Thanks a ton bro! I owe you many beers one day.

  11. Huggs, on July 22nd, 2010 at 3:15 pm Said:

    Great! I won’t be eating the vanilla yogurt I just bought.

  12. Seshu, on July 22nd, 2010 at 3:25 pm Said:

    A book I just started reading called “Making Ideas Happen” by Scott Belsky hits home the idea that we have TOO many ideas and TOO little execution. I recommend that book to all my creative sisters and brothers.

  13. Stephen Milano, on July 22nd, 2010 at 4:17 pm Said:

    Zack
    uncanny how you nail it every time. very timely ( as usual for me) in posting about execution. appreciate the consistency of your message-here and in your workshops ( a pleasure to have taken both). still remember your post “sitting on the dock”. arrived in my reader the day I was struggling with a go/no go decision re following my dream. you ‘da man–thanks for all the inspiration

  14. bryan karl lathrop, on July 22nd, 2010 at 6:13 pm Said:

    ahhhhhh….exactly the little pick me up I needed this afternoon. Nice work Zack and Dan. I love the twist of the first spot, but that second one had me laughing a lot harder….watchin all the grip guys get their pelvic thrusts one. Glad you’re back from tour and bloggifying again.

  15. Scott Scully, on July 22nd, 2010 at 6:51 pm Said:

    I have hundreds of ideas swarming around my head Zack.I draw inspiration from everything around me. Today I got an idea for a shot from my 7 year olds drawing! But real life (holding down a mundane day job and having no cash or time to invest in gear or photography) stops me from excecuting them most of the time! I admire those that have the time and money to turn their ideas into shots because if it were down to inclination and self motivation alone there would be no stoppig me! Thanks for continuing to educate and inspire me. http://flickriver.com/photos/21066685@N03/

  16. Nat Thompson, on July 22nd, 2010 at 9:27 pm Said:

    i love thailand. i live here. its good.

  17. zack, on July 22nd, 2010 at 9:28 pm Said:

    Scott… If time and money kept everyone from doing what they want to do then nobody would do anything at all.

    In fact, I would submit to you that many people who do have time and money got there because they executed a lot of smaller ideas to build up to the bigger ones.

    Time and money… Time is the only real excuse but you can find time if you really try. And camera gear… that’s never an excuse. You just have to figure out how to creatively use flash lights from kmart. Not that I know what that’s all about. ;)

    Cheers,
    Zack

  18. Matthew Carter, on July 22nd, 2010 at 11:14 pm Said:

    I couldn’t agree more on this post. I’m forcing myself to at cast and start two projects in the next couple of months and I probably need to risk something or they might not get finished.

    here’s a set of ads from North Carolina that I thought were brilliant. Good stuff. Can’t you see on my popcorn break?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGJdNPiWZzQ

  19. Phat Photographer, on July 23rd, 2010 at 1:30 am Said:

    I was dancing in front of my computer.

  20. Tim Skipper, on July 23rd, 2010 at 5:33 am Said:

    I will never look at a yogurt the same way again.

  21. Bill Pierson, on July 23rd, 2010 at 10:55 am Said:

    RE: Advertising – This is one of my all time favorites – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmSCh5ZkMqk

    I guarantee that you will laugh your ass off. And you’ll watch it again. And what’s left of your ass will fall off, too. Great marketing. I’m not much of a gambler – in Canada no less – but if I was, this would be my choice.

    I appreciate your Zack-isms. Here are a few of my most recent favorites, of which I remind myself of almost daily…

    “Just start somewhere”

    “Ideas don’t change anything. Ideas are worthless without action.”

    “… hear the stories of people who came out of nothing and into something.”

    “He’s living his story. Are you? Are you aware that you’re walking out your story? Are you keeping your eyes far out ahead and busting your ass to get there or are you sitting around on said ass looking backwards? How’s that working for you?”

    “How do you come to this intimate knowledge of your gear, your light, and your exposure? How? By shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting, and shooting some more.”

    Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts. I look forward to more of your Zack-isms.

  22. Gary Martin, on July 23rd, 2010 at 4:19 pm Said:

    LOL! My wife is Thai..I must show here these later on..Thai adds are hilarious for us westerners.. When we go to Thailand each year i am always laughing at the comercials on TV,They really are madness some of them.. Love it!

  23. -g, on July 23rd, 2010 at 4:31 pm Said:

    Like the man said, ideas are like brain crack.

    http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2006/07/071106.html

    Don’t get addicted.

  24. Scott Scully, on July 23rd, 2010 at 6:19 pm Said:

    Thanks Zack! You inspired me to go out today with my crappy gear and one light and shoot this portrait of my nephew http://flickriver.com/photos/21066685@N03/ I will press onwards by making time and finding the money to persue my goal.

  25. Howard Haby, on July 23rd, 2010 at 11:05 pm Said:

    Thanks for those videos, Zack. I’m gonna share them like crazy. Excellent stuff. Glad you’re back from your road trip. And good advice about finding time. I know people working full-time, part-time, trying to start a photography business on the side, and doing a 365 at the same time. And they’ve got a limited amount of crappy gear. Either you want to, or you don’t. And until you get everything you think you need, come up with ideas of what you can do with what you got. You’ll only be better for it.

  26. Morgana, on July 24th, 2010 at 4:33 am Said:

    Definitely take you own advice. :)

    Put all your ideas into a hat and see which one you pull out first. :)

  27. Prayoon P., on July 24th, 2010 at 9:58 am Said:

    Here is a promotion Buy one get one free

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYJbKMZXNdo

    Top Charoun – The Lens And Glasses store have a series of commercials of these concept. Most of them are really funny and after these series of commercial. They have become more recognized as a store to go too for glasses. I think it may be done by BBDO Thailand who have won a few Canne Festival award for advertising.

  28. Þórir, on July 25th, 2010 at 6:00 pm Said:

    That first one just made my day :D

  29. Randall Douglas, on July 25th, 2010 at 10:42 pm Said:

    I almost never laugh out loud at commercials. They are bad by design.

    I think I saw the main original tv spot once and though it was different, and kind of interesting, but the you tube Q&A/shout outs are comedy genious. I laughed at least once during almost every one and watched them all. I don’t know whether it will sell Old Spice, but it put the product back on the map as far as I’m concerned.

  30. Randall Douglas, on July 25th, 2010 at 10:46 pm Said:

    Sorry, in case it isn’t obvious, my comment was about the old spice Q&As. I guess I’m catching up to everyone else on that since, I tune out commercials sort of like the factory worker that notices how loud it is at his workplace only when an outsider mentions it.

  31. Vertigo Treatment, on July 27th, 2010 at 5:05 am Said:

    Well, It seems totally different ad W R TO the conventional.

  32. Liquid Rhino, on July 27th, 2010 at 4:03 pm Said:

    Big Z, You should check out Directv’s commercial “Opulence, I Has It” it’s got some serious flavor..

  33. Songvut, on July 28th, 2010 at 2:17 pm Said:

    Wanna see more? Come to Thailand. A lot of TV Ads is so funny.

    Greetings from Thailand. ;-)

  34. Nathan Rennard, on July 29th, 2010 at 1:07 am Said:

    Hahahahaha! The first one made me gag. The second one, I just couldn’t contain myself it was hilarious!

  35. sacha, on July 29th, 2010 at 9:34 am Said:

    hahaha…WERRWRY FUNNY

  36. hifive, on July 29th, 2010 at 3:20 pm Said:

    Consume, consume, consume.

    I guess that is what it’s all about now eh?

  37. Brian Perkins, on July 30th, 2010 at 1:17 pm Said:

    Hehe, good stuff!
    What is it specifically about the second video?

  38. Angela, on July 30th, 2010 at 8:09 pm Said:

    Wow Zack, the first one was like naaasssty. LOL but the second one…..what was that? LOL

  39. Jason V, on August 2nd, 2010 at 10:22 am Said:

    How do you get your ideas? Do they just “come to you”, or do you do “Brainstorming Sessions” and actively seek out new ideas?

    Sounds like you were trolling for ideas on youtube and Ad sites?

    Do you write them down in a notebook or just keep them in your head?
    Do you sit down and sketch them, or just visualize them in your head???

  40. Jimmi Larsen, on August 3rd, 2010 at 3:04 am Said:

    This is so f…. funny!

  41. Prayoon P., on August 3rd, 2010 at 10:10 am Said:

    Hi Zack, here is the photographic work by Anuchai Secharunputong Anuchai who has been promoted by Archive magazine to be one of 200 world best photographers. His work are very subtle with message and interesting.

    http://crephoto.com/creative-photography-by-anuchai-secharunputong/

  42. zack, on August 4th, 2010 at 12:27 am Said:

    Jason – Ideas are difficult for me to form. For this post I was really just looking at different ad agencies and Dan pulled these up from an agency he knows in Thailand.

    Ideas are usually just floating in my head.

  43. Dan, on August 5th, 2010 at 5:31 pm Said:

    K.Prayoon, Anuchai’s advertising work is wonderful. I’m a biig fan.

Leave a Reply
© I've moved the blog –> zackarias.com/blog Design by Flosites