Here are some social media videos showcasing the #corpcorp vibe.
We all know that these days, videos garner much more engagement than static images and visuals. That’s because they emit a sort of energy, which transmits directly to the viewer, influencing their experience with the content and helping them to make decisions that impact the brand’s ability to connect, sway, and sell.
In my opinion, a good short video pays special attention to the interaction between sound and movement – this in itself moves your audience along, can build anticipation, as well as excitement. Realistically, you have about 3 seconds to make an impression, so it’s critical to ensure the beginning of your video starts off with a bang.
I’m looking forward to creating more content like this! What’s your take on video creation to support brand identity?
When the magic happens, You’re making change happen.
Identity stamped to perfection.
Understanding:
style, thinking, love, goals and aspirations.
There are always ways to re-imagine.
Be who you are. Strive to be better.
*This is a new day, a new era. My new personal brand stamp marks each letter as if to say, “Hi there!” We need to have a conversation about creativity and art and art and creativity and that relationship specifically.
Somehow, it’s an arduous undertaking that I would prefer to leave to my more inclined husband. But tonight, I took it on with confidence.
Lo and behold! I opened her bathroom drawer to reveal not one but three containers of toothpicks. I could smell the faint glimmer of mint, and as I observed the labelling on the bottles, I discovered three different flavours altogether – mint, cinnamon, and KOKESHI.
Now, I presumed that the flavour on the label would match the scent of the toothpicks. So began the exercise. My daughter and I smelled each bottle. Mint, yup mint. Cinnamon, oooh that’s cinnamon. Kokeshi? My daughter inquisitively smelled the toothpicks in the distinct red-orange packaging. Smells like flowers, Mom! I took a whiff and debated, no no, I don’t think so.
I peered through the cheap plastic receptacle and saw that the toothpicks were a different shape. I uttered to my daughter, must be because of this. I pointedly placed the bottle in front of her eyes. We weren’t satisfied. They did look different from the others, looking fancy for picking up appetizers. So, my daughter proclaimed, check Google! Check Google! And with the swipe of a finger, the answer arose –
Kokeshi
Kokeshi are simple wooden Japanese dolls with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy for children.
They are symbols of hopes for bountiful harvests, wishes for good luck and fortune and embody an appreciation for craftsmanship and culture.
Now, this would have been a great answer, but in our case, it was REVELATORY.
I looked in front of me.
Standing peacefully erect on my daughter’s bathroom counter for as long as I can remember was…a…KOKESHI.
Not any kokeshi. A doll I lovingly received from my mom’s very close Japanese girlfriend, Misuko, back in 1985.
My daughter and I squealed with delight. The happenstance was nothing short of extraordinary! And to think, it only took 38 years or five times the length of my daughter’s life to discover it.
Sometimes, life throws you curveballs. Most of the time, you catch the ball like any other ball, on any other day, with the same approach and sentiment. But other times, life passes you inexplicable gifts—gifts that bring light and love into every inch of your being.
As marketers, throw and catch balls. But once in a while, BE the ball and notice the infinite bubbles of gratitude that permeate your life.
(A poem about AI or conversely celebrating My New Job)
As cryptic as it may be, the time has arrived.
“Surprise!” it squeals with utter delight.
After all that hard work, you’ve finally made it here.
I’m ready. She’s ready. She’s finally prepared!
“Where are you going?” it asks quizzically.
Well, I am headed toward reality.
It’s bursting at the seam from being grappled for so long.
I’ve been waiting, hankering, perfecting my song.
“Do you know where you’re going?” it asks once again.
Well, I certainly have an idea. The spot is a delight. Filled with smiling faces, happy circumstances and scenarios of hard work.
“Well, welcome home then, I suppose!” it pats my back congratulatorily.
Why, thank you, my friend! Now, let’s pencil this in!
A little explanation:
On Monday, March 14th, 2022, I had a wicked phone interview that started with a compliment about the same content you’ve been passionately reading here on ChonaBLOX. Swiftly, I was scheduled super bright and early the next day, Tuesday, March 15th, 2022, to meet the CEO and Operations Manager of Clearbridge Business Solutions. I walked away from that interview, thinking I had done horribly. And as I arrived at work, I furiously texted my husband, saying, “Man, I’m worried. I don’t think I did that well.” But it turns out I did because I received a phone call within minutes saying they wanted to offer me the job! So, it’s done. I’m starting a new journey with my new company, Clearbridge. So excited! This is going to be a lifetime experience. Can’t wait to get started!
Day to day, I think of ways to express the importance of change. How it can help guide us toward growth. How by honouring and trusting in it, we can start to thrive.
Still, we have such a hard time adjusting our habits. They are formed and a part of who we are, though not always good for us.
What happens when you start the process of change and go backwards, reverting to previous habits, undeciding that you’re brave enough to follow through and succeed?
These are the questions I am constantly asking myself. What will be the conclusion? How come we’re not there yet? Will we ever arrive?
And so, as change is constant, we can only continue on our quest, taking the small steps to bring us closer toward our goals.
As you search, tell yourself you’re alright. Then, document your actions and take time to examine how you got to each stage. As Deepak Chopra says, “All great changes are preceded by chaos.” Chaos being –
We all wonder about things, everyday things, that lead us to research and ponder.
For example, are you starting a new diet? Curious about trying fresh, healthy food? Just nosy about the history of something? Well, these graphics will satiate you.
The #AllAbout campaign explores a variety of fresh, local, and healthy products, giving customers the chance to learn something new in a colourful and digestible way. As part of an ongoing strategy to define the tagline #TrulyFarmtoTable, I explicitly position an image at the bottom of a newsletter, like my brother Alan would say when we were kids eating dinner at the dinner table –
“The Ultimate” a.k.a. the last bite.
It satisfies and perfectly wraps up the meal (conversely idea) (metaphorically conversation).
Are you munching on words or proverbial nuggets or just vegan nuggets?
Well, these images will work in the same way! Once again, satisfying and perfectly wrapping up your dinner.
Another analogy – who didn’t chew Bazooka bubble gum only to unwrap the tiny comic folded neatly on the inside? Take it apart. Pop the pink gum. Immediately unravel the humorous reward.
It’s a ritual in a sense, and these graphics were indeed a ritual to create. So, I hope you enjoy them and that they will entice you to…Munsch!
Daisy was always looking for inspiration, the appearance of cursive writing or the look of a padded, bulky knit sweater featuring crimson and indigo animal characters like Filburt. Anything creative, really, would do.
The day she noticed something, she quizzically peered into a bathroom mirror, hoping because she was in the large stall, her sweater would reverse.
Utterly distracted, Daisy made a note never to do it again.
“My progress has become insuperable from all the months of writing exact-sized phrases and headlines with five words or less.” Daisy thought fast while twiddling her phone in her hand.
“Have things changed in A Day? What were things like when I first started anyhow?” she thought. “Well, I was definitely more satisfied. Had a bounce to my step, could care less about the matchy-ness of my outfits. I also felt more powerful, like people were listening to me, learning from me, and so on.”
Stroking her phone, Daisy continued, “However, today, everything is an exercise—an exercise in recalling (all types included).” Distracted, she goes on, “I have great hair, and my skin is young, it seems. On that note, ageing has not necessarily imparted more wisdom or money in my purse.”
She was always digressing.
Back home, Chona grabbed her fire orange Frank & Oak bucket bag and booked it out the door. She was late, again. Always leaving the house ten minutes post-shower. She hopped into her 2008 white Rogue and took off toward the light.
The road was slick, and rain dripped down hard, like her binary code pleated skirt that streamed neon pink zeros and ones from her waist down to her thighs.
She hated driving, though. It was dangerous in Elevententeen, and she knew one day it would kill her. Still, she cranked the radio and listened to old 90s songs like The Cranberries’ Linger. She hummed this tune imagining it more regal played on the baby grand piano at her dad’s house.
When she sat back to play, his gigantic TV wouldn’t let her use the old music books, so she had to carefully balance grade 8 Royal Conservatory in volumes six, seven, eight and ten. The chords? They prevented her from falling.
Daisy’s next big project was sitting in her bag. She put it in there to prevent its glorious shimmer from stirring the Outsiders’ eyes. It could kill, and she didn’t want to be a murderer tonight.
Finally arriving, she stepped out of her car. There were Dreams everywhere! She blinked. Then, blinked again. Her eyes started to roll back into her head, and she could feel the surge streaming now from her crown down to her feet, hiding neatly inside her red rain boots.
In her room.
Someone painted her Brooklyn studio apartment bright orange-red! So, she knew the test had begun.
Should she attack? Chona could barely hold her head up, let alone break out into dance and song. She would just have to sleep it off, her phone continually buzzing that darn song. Then, like all the other times, she passed out. What remained Wide Awake in complete consciousness (forget Artha today) was her supple orange bucket bag. And within it, her project, slipping away…
The stack of magazines was impressive. Elle, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Bon Appetit and People. As a 13-year old, I just wanted to fixate and rip, fixate and rip, fixate and rip. Slowly, I was adding to my expanding wall collection, and I was proud. How were the ‘best’ images selected, and what made them ‘iconic’? What mattered to me at the time—creativity, originality, colour, composition—made it onto my closet doors, locker and school binder clear insert. If I could think of these images in my sleep, they became iconic. I will never forget one in particular. The triangular red and white logo juxtaposed against a black and white photograph of a girl pouting while a man anticipates…
What intrigues us about this image? Almost instantly, we find ourselves peering in, linked to the experience. We sense she is in the wrong place; however, we do not feel that she does not belong or would rather be elsewhere. Time and space are interrupted. We ask ourselves, “Will it occur?” But the chain of events does not matter. What matters is that we are suspended in a rare and captivating moment. And because the image is black and white, we are transported to the exact scene where the ‘film’ unravels. Then the bold red of the typeface and the logo bring us back to life, and we are suddenly alive; the advertisement has won us over…without a guess!
If we know that people can impact an ad’s efficacy, should we consider using people on food packaging? Could we use the interaction between a man and a woman on a coffee bag, for example? In my opinion, yes. Imagine this. A tired corporate executive finds herself standing in a Whole Foods Market. There is no one around. Soft music flutters in and out of her ears. She is standing in the coffee aisle, looking at bags and bags and bags. There’s so much unique packaging, she’s not sure what to choose. But then she sees it—a couple set in black and white. The photograph is beautiful; the packaging seems bound by eternal love as the image wraps fully around the product. It portrays something the executive longs for on a deeper level. “I’ll go for this,” she thinks, grabbing it to pay.
Using people in ad imagery is not a new concept, but could potentially be an innovative idea in the food and beverage domain. We know that ads are geared to make us think and feel. And there’s a whole range of themes emotional ads can trigger, from love to empathy to excitement. I don’t think I’ve ever spent valuable time and money on a product that didn’t trigger an emotion somehow. Even if it may go unrecognized—the power and influence of an emotional experience are unforgettable.
Should packaging portray a feeling using images of people? And if so, what are the most effective ways this can be executed?
Blox. is a Creative & Technical Marketer 