Top 10 Australian Logos

Desktop Magazine is running a survey on their reader’s favourite Australian logos. This got me thinking about what my favourite brand logos are. Hang on, apart from the obvious Australian brands (Vegemite, Qantas, Four ‘n’ Twenty) what other brands are Australian owned?

Did a quick Wiki search and found a list of a few. Looking at the list I realised I was more fond of logos which brand I had a strong connection with (Bubble O Bill, Clag and Tiny Teddy). The Bubble O Bill logo is perfect in attracting its target market, although it still catches my attention 15 years later. Pink! Blue! Cartoon Cowboy! What more could you want?!

Unfortunately I don’t have time to analyse every logo on the list. I can however, spend time on two markets I consider myself an expert; fashion and beer. Analysing the big players in the Australian brewery game, I think some of them have been left behind through the simplicity and old style lettering.
While Fosters and Carlton United breweries logos leave much to be desired in terms of their imagination, Coopers and XXXX are a bit more exciting and Cascade and James Boags scream ‘Australia!’ through their use of the bush landscape and the Tasmanian tiger.

I find the branding of Crown Lager particularly interesting. The branding and packaging of the product is gold and it distinguishes itself from others with its unique shaped bottle. Far from the most expensive or exclusive slab on the shelf the ‘Crownie’ gives itself an unusual personality through the font, imagery and colouring of the product and advertising.

I looked down the list and noticed a number of Australian clothing brands are of the surf brand variety (makes sense). Arguably the oldest and biggest players in the industry are Billabong, Rip Curl and Quicksilver.

Over the years these three companies have updated their logo over and over again. All three logos include waves, but in my opinion Quicksilver does it best. Their logo incorporates the surfing wave and the mountain (all three brands produce ski wear). Back in the 90s when Roxy (the girl’s version of Quicksilver) was launched, all they did was slap together two halves of the logo to create a cute and interesting heart while obviously retaining the link to the original brand. Genius!

But one brand which smashes these competitors is the cheeky Mambo. Who can get the image of a dog farting a musical note out of their head easily?

What’s your favourite Aussie logo and why do you love it? Don’t forget to vote!

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/823364/Top-10-Australian-logos

Posted by Bridget

Presentation is the key

My role at DGM Advertising as Salvos Stores Marketing Coordinator involves me spending much time visiting Salvos Stores. A keen vintage shopper myself, this expands to not only at work but on the weekends as well.

Last year, Salvos Stores decided to close down their old store in Chapel Street, after 15 years at that location. The store has been very successful due to wonderful staff and volunteers as well as being the ideal location for vintage shoppers. Salvos Stores wanted to open up a bigger space and was able to get the lease to the old Patterson Cake Shop site. Regional Manager Kim wanted to ensure the new store was different to anything that had previously been done at Salvos Stores.

DGM Advertising has been heavily involved in the design and planning of the new Windsor Salvos Stores. DGM Principal Daniel provided initial floor plans and ideas for the shop fit-out including scaffolding clothing racks and a vintage TV wall.

Seeing the store finally open in December has been exciting to see the finished product of everyone’s hard work. While the store was opening in Melbourne, I was holidaying in New York. While I was there I stumbled across two different Salvation Army stores – one in Brooklyn and one in Soho.

Not being able to resist I went inside the stores to have a look around. The stores were nightmarish. They were unorganised, run down and the clothing there would have no way measured up to Salvos Stores standards.

It was a nice feeling being able to compare these stores to the ones I frequently visit and feel really impressed and proud of the standards Salvos Stores strives to achieve in their stores every day. It is frequently mentioned how the organisation has transformed over the last five years. I now realise how true that statement is.

I can’t wait to officially launch Windsor Salvos Stores on March the 2nd. According to a young teenage girl who walked into the store last week it is ‘the best op shop ever!’

Keep an eye on the Salvos Stores Facebook page for more information on the Windsor Salvos Stores Launch.

Posted by Bridget

Salvation Army Store in New York

Salvation Army Store in New York

Windsor Salvos Stores, Chapel Street, Melbourne

Windsor Salvos Stores, Chapel Street, Melbourne

Share a Coke campaign – Hitting the mark this Summer

Coca Cola has to be one of the most recognisable brands on the market, however over the last couple of months they have replaced their well known label with people’s names for the Share a Coke’ summer campaign.

Coke has tried to represent a cross section of the Australia’s multicultural population by choosing 150 of the most popular names.

However, someone in the office had asked the question… having your name on a coke can, does that make you special or does that just mean you have an incredibly generic Christian name? Well as someone who never sees her name on anything, I would feel special.

Even before the more recent fad of spelling names ‘creatively’ like Kristoefer, Ju-Leigh, Sk8er, Aliczandar & Emmaleig (yes I have actually seen this spelling before), my parents were a little ahead of the game when they decided on the spelling of my name. So as a kid standing in a store searching through personalised keys rings, bedroom door signs, notepads or for anything with my name on it… I had no chance. It’s hard enough finding a Simone let alone a Simmone with a double M.

However, in an effort not to leave anyone out, Coke have set up stations around Westfields Shopping Centres where people like me can finally have your name immortalised on a can. I don’t have a Westfield anywhere close to me, but I have to admit I have actually thought about making the 40 minute drive just to get it done. But I guess I’m not the only one who has wanted to go out of their way. Apparently, 126,000 cans were printed within five weeks of launch.

Besides personalised bottles, cans, billboards and adverts their Facebook page has been highly interactive. You can now, share a virtual coke can with a friend or download one of the 150 individual songs written about each name. Their Facebook page is covered with people sharing their opinion on who you should ‘share a coke with…’ But this campaign goes well pass the Coke Facebook page. My own personal Facebook wall is flooded with profile pictures of Coke cans and friends posting pictures of cans and bottles to each other.

This campaign has managed to seamlessly integrate itself into everyday conversation, social media and people’s psyche. I can’t tell you how many stories I have heard about someone seeing a Coke can with a friend’s name on it or someone reaching into an esky and pulling out a name of someone who is significant to the moment.

Not only has this campaign gone viral but it has to have translated into direct sales. I can’t be the only one who has been guilty of walking into a store and coming out with a Coke, even though I had no intention of buying one, simply because it has a friend or family members name on it. I also can’t be the only one guilty of standing in the Supermarket isle for way too long trying to decide which names I want to take home.

So if you too have been guilty of telling a ‘share a coke’ story or posted something about it on your Facebook page, then you too have inadvertently become a Coke Brand Advocate just like thousands of other Aussies. Well done to Coke for an innovative and clever marketing campaign

Posted by Simmone (with a double m)

Qantas – breeds great discussion

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of months, you will be more than familiar with the issues poor old Qantas have been having recently. The unions, the controversial grounding, the Twitter debacle, and the amorous pilot! These disasters, issues or whatever you want to call them, happening in such a short time frame to one of Australia’s most (if not the most) iconic brands is quite remarkable.

Dinner time conversation, social media banter, and becoming the butt of many a joke is never a good thing. This is the one case where the old adage, ‘Any publicity is good publicity’ does not ring true. Really I am sure all Qantas wants is firstly – a resolution with the unions and secondly – a bit of quiet time.

I am not writing this blog however to discuss their recent activities, reactions and dissect the brand. I want to discuss how enjoyable and intriguing it is to have these discussions in general. Aside from the comments from your Mum, “Make sure you don’t fly Qantas at the moment, you might not get there”, I think there is some thoughtful and intelligent discussion amongst people in our industry about the brand, its recovery and where it goes to from here.

Australian’s like nothing more than dissecting what has happened, expressing their opinion and finding a solution (or sometimes just sticking the old boots in), particularly to anything public. I have been doing some reading in some of our industries most respected publications and have really enjoyed the pro and con opinions by fellow marketers. I suppose it is easy for all of us to sit back and say how we would have handled it, but in the heat of the moment, the pressure of the public eye and the media – who knows?

But this is the beauty of not working for the marketing, social media or public relations team at Qantas. We can sit back subjectively and give our opinion. Here at DGM we have had some hectic weeks in the past couple of months, all great because there is nothing like being busy, however when feeling the pressure I have on more than one occasion commented to the team “At least we are not working in the Qantas PR Department”. The standard response is usually a chuckle and nod of agreement.

So where to from here for Qantas? I have no idea, if it was me, I would hope for 1-2 months of quiet, a non eventful Christmas period, and then a big regroup in 2012. Brand loyalty, Australian icon, public opinion, faith and trust all needs to be addressed in the New Year, but for the next 3 weeks, I hope they get a little peace, if just for the sanity of the PR team.

Posted by LJ.

Melbourne – It’s begining to look a lot like Christmas

I was in the Melbourne last night wandering around the city. And it never ceases to amaze me how incredible the City of Melbourne is.

I walked passed a crowed Federation Square and all the primary school kids with their parents heading into the St Paul’s for end of year celebrations.

Further along in City Square aptly named “Christmas Square.” This was a set up garden, with giant pine trees coming out of gift boxes and such, but it didn’t really inspire me (maybe because I know how much the City of Melbourne spent on it), but it was a nice touch anyway. There were people (tourists and cynical Melbournians alike) taking photos getting into the spirit of Christmas.

A little further on, next to the giant chess set (yes people who don’t live in Melbourne, we have a giant chess set in the middle of town), there was a 75 year old gentleman putting on a performance, which included dancing and grooving to Michael Jackson’s “Beat it.”

As I continued down Swanston street, I got to marvel at all the Christmas decorations everywhere from giant Nutcracker men statues and huge Christmas wreaths, not to mention an extra large post box, with no standing except for reindeers.

I stopped for some sushi (a must for me when in the city) and then headed down Bourke Street. Bourke Street will always be a wonder. I had to walk past horses and carriages to get to the main shopping area and from there in the middle of Bourke Street there was a live donkey. Go figure.

I got the chance to admire the beautiful Myer Christmas windows, whilst being serenaded by the sounds of Andean pipes and a range of singers.

As I stood taking all of this in, it made me feel very excited about Christmas and happy that I get to live in one the best cities in the world, where no two days are the same.

I’m a Melbourne local (lived in Victoria all my life), which is why I love Melbourne so much, but I’d love to hear what else is happening in other cities around Australia. Post a comment and tell us why you love your city this Christmas.

Posted by Rach

City Sqauare, AKA Christmas Square

Christmas Sqaure

Bourke Street, Melbourne

Myer Christmas Windows

Approaching the Festive Season

As we approach what is traditionally known as the “Festive Season”, I would like to stop for a moment and reflect on some of the events that have transpired in the last 11 months, making up the year that is 2011. So many wonderful, exciting and memorable moments have taken place, all of which will propel us at lightning speed into next year. Let’s take a moment to savour a few of the stand-out happenings.

Firstly, the employment of some new, young, up-and-coming people in our office. This is exciting on several levels, as the need to employ more people means that:

a) The introduction of new ideas, thoughts and contribution from these new minds brings such a fresh and interesting air into the way we go about our daily business. We are constantly being encouraged to contribute at brain-storming meetings, so more people equals greater in-put which equals more marvellous ideas.

b) It’s always great to enjoy the company of and get to know someone new, both in the work environment and on a social level. It broadens ones circle of friends (at least in our office it does) and makes for more merriment around the office.

c) The need to employ more staff means the business is growing. This in itself is another awesome event that hasn’t just taken place in 2011, but is fundamental to what we look forward to as being a steady, regular and exciting part of DGM Advertising – growth and expansion on so many levels.

With growth comes more responsibility, knowledge, challenges and diversity. These are just a few of the qualities we have all taken onboard as part of our roles here.

Responsibility – a chance to extend ourselves in our day to day activities.
Knowledge – it’s always great to learn something new, and every day we are taking in a wealth of information and applying it to our relevant jobs.
Challenges – wherever there is growth there are bound to be challenges, that just comes with the territory. Bring them on, we’re ready for them.
Diversity – this means stepping out of our comfort zone, being open to a whole new way of viewing, processing and dealing with opportunities.

Let’s not forget the office move we had in July. The excitement of moving from Preston – a place we had called home for a number of years – to Abbotsford, brought about a real sense of camaraderie as we all pulled together to organise, pack, shift, unpack, set up and finally settle in to our new offices. Even the few minor glitches along the way couldn’t dampen our spirits. We just have to look out at the magnificent view from our desks, or sit out on the balcony overlooking the Yarra, and all issues are forgotten.

And the true celebration, the culmination of all the hard yakka, was the Launch Party in October. This provided us with the opportunity to meet many of our valued clients and suppliers. For some of us they are just people we communicate with over the phone, or via email, but actually meeting them in person brought our relationships to a new level, one where all future communication would evoke a more personal, familiar tone – such a positive outcome. Yes, the Launch party was a huge success and a magnificent event on the 2011 calendar.

So it is with great pride, satisfaction and anticipation that we welcome the start of the Festive Season, and the wind down of another year. As we reflect on all that has brought us to this point – the hard work which has reaped such outstanding achievements – it is with a big smile and cheer that we count down the weeks to the end of 2011. I, for one, cannot wait to embrace all that will be in 2012!

Posted by Denise

Collaboration and Integration abroad!

I just returned from old London town a few days ago on business. What I experienced this time around was a completely different approach to agency/agency relationships, as we know it back here in Oz.

I had back-to-back meetings with a lot of different agencies ranging from digital to PR, Integrated, specialists, above the line, below the line and everything in between.

Their tenacity to foster working relationships between agencies is both fascinating and tremendous. It is part of their strategic plans. They understand that in order for everyone to succeed collaboration between agencies is a must. “The pie is big enough for all, but a bigger portion can be had if only we become less greedy”. This is a statement from a CEO of an independent agency. What the statement meant was that the less you chase to horde for yourself, the more you will get. I suppose this is true is most situations.

One must understand that in today’s diverse business landscape affected by economic downturns, globalization, cultures, geography and fast paced technologies, we can all become greater at what we do and navigate through bad times if we work together. I am not saying that we do away with competition as competition allows us to improve and evolve, what I am saying is that maybe we should compliment each other in order to win new business and ultimately provide a client focused service.

I have been an advocate for collaborative efforts between agencies for quite some time but I seem to always hit a brick wall in this geographically, population challenged tall poppy continent of ours. I think that we all believe that our market is so small that we need to rage a war on each other in order to win and keep business at the expense of the client. You may or may not agree and this is purely an opinion, an educated opinion, but an opinion nonetheless.

I love Australia for all it is, but I do have a dislike for all it isn’t. The up side to this is that we have an opportunity to be different in a saturated market.

Together we thrive, alone we disappear into obscurity!

Posted by Dan