Advertising

Press for effect

As the recession continues to impact, NNI talks to some of Ireland's most high-profile advertisers to find out how companies are working their way through the crisis, and how advertising - in particular newspaper advertising - fits into a business strategy during turbulent times.

Click here to read the published articles:

'Keep sending out the signals' (Chorus Ntl, Irish Daily Mirror 5/10/2009)

'Finding that X-factor when times are tough' (Xtra-vision, Sunday World 11/10/2009)

'Car makers dig in as wheels turn slowly' (Ford, Irish Independent 30/09/2009)

'V is for value as mobile customers seek best deals' (Vodafone, Irish Examiner 20/10/2009)

'Faring well through good value - and strong messages' (Ryanair, Sunday Tribune 8/11/2009)

Pressing Ahead – Article from Marketing Age September 2009

Newspaper readership remains strong in Ireland, but publishers have plenty to do to best leverage their natural assets, writes Peter McPartlin in the September / October issue of Marketing Age

Click here to view the article

NNI reminds advertisers of 'limitations' of other media

National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) has launched its latest high-profile ad campaign, reminding advertisers of the 'engaging' power of newspapers compared with other media.

The campaign - entitled 'Limitations' - cheekily highlights the lack of attention often paid to radio, television and outdoor advertising compared with the concentration required to read a newspaper. The ads points out that:

• 44% of viewers go channel-hopping when a TV ad comes on, only returning to their programme when the ads are over
• it takes multiple exposures (at least four) for a radio message to sink in
• three seconds, is the maximum amount of time spent looking at an outdoor ad (and even then, the audience or message is usually in motion)

By contract, the active engagement required to read a newspaper means that press ads have a much better chance of being absorbed and retained by readers.

NNI's Frank Cullen says the 'Limitations' campaign is designed to show advertisers that, in the current economic crisis, newspapers give them the best opportunity to make their mark.

'The time to stand up and shout is when things have gone a little quiet,' he said 'That's when you have the best chance to be heard and to get your message across.

'The recession is an opportunity for serious brand-builders to establish a long term competitive advantage,' Mr Cullen went on. 'Because of its reach, targeting ability as well as the unique bond between reader and newspaper, press advertising is the smart choice for those companies.'

Click on the links below to see the ads from the campaign

NNI ad 1
NNI ad 2
NNI ad 3
NNI ad 4
NNI ad 5
NNI ad 6

Pressing the right buttons

As part of NNI’s ongoing commitment to promote the newspaper advertising medium, a special advertorial feature was commissioned, targeting advertisers and the advertising community with ‘the case for press’. The special one-page feature – which was published across all 18 NNI titles – included an article by Dave Harland of the Omnicom Media Group, one of Ireland’s most respected media specialists. A number of other advertorials on newspapers and newspaper advertising are in the pipeline.

Click here to view the full advertorial

The Power of Print - Article from Marketing Age, 1st November 2008

While reports of the demise of newspapers have been widely exaggerated, Peter McPartlin finds that the medium needs to assert its credentials as a brand-building channel

Click here to read the full article

2007 Grand Prix shared by Gospel™ and McConnells

The Irish ad industry turned out in force on Wednesday night, as National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) hosted a glittering awards ceremony in the Mansion House. The event marked the climax of NNI’s 2007 creative advertising competition, ‘The essential pleasure of my newspaper’.

The big winners on the night were agencies Gospel™ and McConnells. ‘NNI Exclusive’ by Gospel™ won ‘Best Copywriting’ and was also nominated for ‘Best Art Direction’, while McConnells’ campaign ‘Newspaper Kama Sutra’ won ‘Best Art Direction’ and had a nomination in the ‘Best Copywriting’ category.

The 'Best Art Direction' category was jointly won by Publicis QMP for their campaign ‘Ears, Arm and Eyes’, while the Student award went to Darragh Carey and Peggy O’Neill of DIT Aungier Street for their campaign ‘Disgruntled’.

‘NNI Exclusive’ by Gospel™ and McConnells’ ‘Newspaper Kama Sutra’ were also jointly awarded the overall Grand Prix – worth €20,000 – by the judge, renowned South African creative director Graham Warsop. Both Grand Prix-winning campaigns will be published throughout the range of NNI newspapers.

Click here to see pictures of the winners

Click here to see the winning ads

Winners show "hallmarks of great creativity"

Graham Warsop, one of the most highly respected figures in global advertising, said: “Both Grand Prix winning campaigns tackled the brief in an unexpected yet relevant way, one of the hallmarks of great creativity.”

He went on: "The Gospel campaign, which was developed to look like editorial in a tabloid newspaper, is a fresh approach in that it does not look like advertising – there's not even a visible logo – and is really well-written. The 'Paisley/Adams' execution has the makings of an excellent campaign in its own right".

Of the other joint Grand Prix winner, Mr Warsop said: "McConnells took a lateral approach to the brief. It communicates the intimate relationship we have with our newspaper in a memorable but lighthearted manner, giving Kama Sutra type descriptions to the different positions people adopt when reading their newspapers".

"NNI right to refocus creative minds" – Graham Warsop

Mr Warsop went on to say: "NNI should be congratulated on an initiative aimed at refocusing creative minds on the newspaper medium specifically.

"For many creatives around the world, glossy and highly visual magazine advertising has become the preferred print medium, and this is unfortunate," he said. "It’s time agencies rose to the challenge of using the newspaper medium to its best advantage – for copy rich, persuasive advertising.

"Initiatives such as this will hopefully awaken creatives to the unique opportunities afforded by the newspaper medium and encourage them to harness it for the benefit of their clients," said Mr Warsop.

'Engaging with ad-land'

The main purpose of the NNI challege is to forge closer links between the newspaper and advertising communities. NNI director Frank Cullen said the newspaper industry was very happy with the response from ad agencies. "This year we received 105 entries amounting to almost 400 individual ads," he said. "Every leading agency in the country took part, which is great.

"This is part of an ongoing effort by NNI to make sure that the ad industry keeps thinking and talking about newspapers," Mr Cullen went on. "More than three million Irish adults now regularly read a newspaper so in terms of reaching our target audience, the industry has never been in better health.

"By hosting a creative competition like this, we get a chance to find out what the ad world thinks of our product and how they see us generally," said Mr Cullen. "Creatively it's a lot of fun and commercially it's of great interest to all our member titles. We're really pleased with the outcome of this year's challenge."

NNI WINNERS 2007

Grand Prix (joint winners)

'NNI Exclusive'
Agency: Gospel™
Copywriting: Richard Ryan / Jocelyn Cleary
Art Direction: Walter MacLachlan / Martin Wright

'Newspaper Kama Sutra'

Agency: McConnells Advertising
Copywriter: Laurence Keogh
Art Director: Paul Barrass

Grand Prix runners-up

'Protect Your Assets' by Publicis QMP
'Ears, Arm and Eyes' by Publicis QMP
'Words' by McConnells
'Headlines' by Publicis QMP

Best Art Direction (joint winners)

'Newspaper Kama Sutra' by McConnells Advertising
'Ears, Arm and Eyes'
Agency: Publicis QMP
Copywriter Eugene Ruane & Ger Roe
Art Director Ger Roe

Finalists in Best Art Direction

'Your Guilty But Essential Pleasure' and 'Your Essential Pleasure' by Javelin Young & Rubicam
'NNI Exclusive' by Gospel™
'Moments' by Javelin Young & Rubicam

Best Copywriting

'NNI Exclusive' by Gospel™

Finalists in Best Copywriting

'Strong Silent Type' by Language
'Paper and Ink' by Chemistry
'NNI & I' by Gospel TM
'Words' by McConnells
'Headlines' by Publicis QMP
'Hard World' by Cawley Nea TBWA
'Where do they get it from?' by Owens DDB

Student Award

'Disgruntled'

Copywriter: Darragh Carey
Art Director: Peggy O'Neill
College: D.I.T. Aungier Street

Press Build Brands: The big time beckons

In 1985, a little known company named Ballygowan won the NNI Power of Press advertising award, along with a budget of £100,000 (on which company founder Geoff Read instantly asked for commission!) to spend throughout the range of NNI titles.

The winning campaign was produced by McConnells, its stellar creative team including advertising names like Catherine Donnelly and John Walsh. Even 20 years on, the winning ad – 'table water for two' – has a freshness and a sparkle (!) that would stand out in the pages of any contemporary newspaper.

Of course, everyone knows what happened to Ballygowan. They hit the big time, big time. Today Ballygowan commands almost half the entire Irish bottled water market, distributing more than 60 million litres of natural H20 from its plant every year.

As this incredible success story unfolded, 'table water for two' became the ultimate case study; a press campaign that utterly transformed the destiny of a small company that had only introduced its product in test outlets the previous year.

Ballygowan was built on solid foundations, that's for sure, but newspaper advertising is what propelled it through the roof.

That's what 'Press Builds Brands' is about. We have selected 20 indigenous food/drinks companies from the Bord Bia range, and assigned each one to a top Irish advertising agency. Each agency's task is to create a press advertising campaign for that company’s product.

The campaign judged most likely to revolutionise the fortunes of the client in question will win our Grand Prix and, with it, an advertising budget equivalent to that of a top 5 Irish food brand. Two runners-up will each receive a press budget equivalent to a top 20 Irish food brand.

If your agency's work is chosen, you'll be winning more than just a new client. You'll be developing a successful case history, supported by the full weight of the NNI, and generating some really great PR for your agency in the process.

Food for thought.

Gavin O'Reilly - Chairman, National Newspapers of Ireland

Click here to download the Press Builds Brands Brochure

Download the Press Builds Brands Case Study 2006: Glenisk
Download the Press Builds Brands Case Study 2006: Life Fibre Company
Download the Press Builds Brands Case Study 2006: Brady Family Ham