This post is one I'd like to share with all the budding designers who intend to make a switch to copywriting but aren't too sure if they should make that jump just yet.
It's a story of my journey towards becoming a writer.
This is one of the articles that I contribute to 95% Advertising Academy's blog - 95% More on a monthly basis. There are other writers as well - and they have all got pretty enriching stories to tell. So do click on! :)
I don't usually have much against people who sell counterfeit products online - but when the brand in question is one that champions a really good cause... well, I find that a little hard to swallow.
TOMS is more than just a brand. It has a cause, and I urge all of you to support it. For each pair of TOMS shoes that you purchase, TOMS will donate a pair of new shoes to a child in need. It's that simple, really.
That's because many children in developing countries grow up barefoot.
Without shoes, they must walk barefoot for miles to reach school, clean water or medical aid. (I struggle to even cover a mile with sneakers on - forget walking to the clinic barefoot!) This puts them at risk for a plethora of injuries and soil-transmitted diseases. Heck, some of them can't even attend school as shoes are a required part of their uniform!
True, it's quite pricey (depending on the design, a pair may cost you approximately RM130 or more). But remember - you're buying for two. And you're not wrong about imitation being the best form of flattery there is. However, if you're going to be all brand conscious about it - at least know what owning a pair of TOMS shoes really is about.
And trust me, the original TOMS are worth every cent. I can dance in them, walk miles and miles in them, and I do it all knowing that a child in need is enjoying the same (or potentially bigger) benefits that I am. It's a win-win situation!
Want to get yourself a pair of TOMS? They aren't available in Malaysia just yet, but you may get them online or from a neighbouring country! (I got mine from the Philippines.)
UPDATE: Here's a video for those who'd like to know more about the shoe giving movement!
PS, dear blogshops - I am so sorry for putting a dent in your business. Everyone's got a part to play in this world, and I choose this.
Just the other day, I was stuck a good three hours ahead of a football game at the national stadium. And like any starving Malaysian would, I got myself a Ramly burger from the many stalls set up.
I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into a juicy and succulent patty, wedged in between two lightly buttered and toasted buns, with a good crunch of shredded lettuce and onions, topped with a generous dose of chili and mayo (oh, the product romance!).
And so, I hastily unwrapped it from its trademark wrapper, and took a good bite out of it.
This is only a short excerpt from my latest article for The Bullet, inspired by my very first encounter with nasty stadium food. Read the full write-up here!
I'm however glad to report the finding of a genuine Ramly burger stall on a more recent trip to Bukit Jalil. Hip-hip hooray to little discoveries!
"The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time." - Henry Ford
Someone who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. Clueless as to the way things really work. So lost - and will certainly find himself falling behind the times.
A man who thinks that a one-off advertising, or in this case - branding exercise will do the job, only to be disappointed time and again.
Everyone loves a good battle. A showdown between two prodigious names, locked in an intense battle for supremacy.
Take the Champions League final that took place last weekend, for example. Watched by a worldwide audience of approximately 300 million people, the stage was all set for what many deemed to be an epic clash between two of the biggest and snazziest teams in the whole of Europe.
The final score after 90 excruciatingly long minutes?
Barcelona 3 –1 Manchester United
And it was clear why the formidable Spanish outfit emerged victorious.
This is only a short excerpt from an old article I wrote for The Bullet. To get the full branding lesson from Barcelona, read the entire write-up here!
He was a legendary advertising executive whose creativity and original thinking brought tremendous transformation to Madison Avenue in the 1960s’ and 1970s’.
The son of a classics scholar and a financial broker, who powered the belief that an ad man should be the product of many influences. (He was a chef, a researcher, a farmer and a door-to-door salesman who sold cooking stoves!)
An extraordinary individual who, during a time when visual and artistry flair took precedence, had the balls to introduce science into his craft.
A man whose first advertising effort depicted a naked woman. And as embarrassed as he was with the attempt, still acknowledged that such non-traditional approaches do have their place in advertising.
The very man who introduced the concept of brand image to advertising.
