12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road and Beyond

May 8, 2009 • • 2 comments

As part of my family’s recent driving holiday from Melbourne to Adelaide, we coasted along the Great Ocean Road from the 12 Apostles to the Limestone Coast areas (like Robe, Beachport and Kingston where our hotel was). It was quite a monumental drive in more ways than one, peppered with lots of beautiful sights, sounds (of seagulls calling and waves lapping against the shore), scents (especially of the sea), and tastes (sandwiches and burgers!). The drive was long but fortunately not too difficult as the route was pretty straightforward.

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you would recall that this is the second time we took the GOR. The first time in September 2007 was from Geelong to Bells Beach, Lorne all the way to Apollo Bay. In a way, this second trip was a continuation of sorts from our previous journey.

Here’s a photographic record of our journey for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Extreme Outdoor Advertising

May 7, 2009 • Blog • 4 comments

Courtesy of hojimoto

Came across this series of 15 of the most creative outdoor advertisements seen in the world from this fascinating compilation of superlatives called oddee. The above advertisement was apparently one from Nationwide Insurance which specialises in automobile insurance services. Well, it has certainly proved a point with this amazing visual spectacle.

I wonder if it got the approval of the authorities in doing that? Hmmm…..

Employing Nostalgia in Marketing

May 5, 2009 • Business and Management • 2 comments

We have all been victims at one point or other. Apparently, the older one gets, the more one suffers from it.

This syndrome is manifested in a periodic penchant for the past. Life was more carefree then, unfettered by the stresses and strains of modernity and technology.

Outdoor Advertising in Melbourne

May 4, 2009 • • 3 comments

In a city like Melbourne where the streets are often chock full of people, it is important for brands to invest in outdoor marketing to gain visibility, awareness and affinity, especially those targeting end consumers. Depending on the objective of the advertiser, these can be highly brand-oriented without any calls for action or be tactical and hard-selling if they are focused on specific groups.

Due to the limited amount of time which one has to glance at them, outdoor advertising creatives and messages must be immediately impactful and to capture one’s attention in the blink of an eye. They should be easy to digest and readily appreciate by the (literally) man-in-the-street. Creatives that are too visually cluttered or that contain too clever messages tend to get lost in the sea of images, failing to resonate with one’s potential target audience in a highly competitive market.

Here are some advertisements that I came across recently while taking a walk through the city. Do feel free to give me your views on whether they work or don’t work for you.

Play a Part in Dennis Kweh’s Mission

May 2, 2009 • Blog • 1 comment

Courtesy of Sebastian Song

By now, you would have probably read, listened or viewed about Dennis Kweh, a Singapore librarian who suffers from the rare genetic disorder called Morquio Brailsford Disease, Spinal Sclerosis and is blinded in one eye due to Glaucoma. Because of his condition, Dennis has to get around in a motorised wheelchair, which can be hazardous if you consider the high vehicular and human traffic in practically every corner of our city.

At 47 years of age, Dennis decided to do something meaningful and ventured on a journey of 200 km around Singapore – aptly named Adventure 200 – on a motorised wheelchair. His intention is to raise a total of $200,000 for the Spastic Children’s Association of Singapore (SCAS), and the math works like this = a dollar each for every metre traveled, ie $200,000 for 200,000 metres covered (which is 200 km). Management of the fundraising effort comes from the Start Centre Pte Ltd, and support was provided by various sponsors including the NLB, NParks, and several companies.

Rural Delights @ Collingwood Children’s Farm

April 27, 2009 • Blog • 1 comment

On the 3rd day of our Easter holiday, my family and I went to the Collingwood Children’s Farm at the recommendation of Tim Richards, to experience its pastoral pleasures just minutes away from the Melbourne CBD. Apparently, it has a farmer’s market every second Saturday which offered fresh farm grown produce (many organic) from participating farms in the greater Victoria region which surrounded the city of Melbourne. What this meant was that the farms could sell directly to end consumers (many of them were small family-owned establishments) without having to pay middle-men like retailers and distributors their share of the pie.

For a flat fee of just $2 for adults (free for kids), you can visit both the animal farm itself and the farmer’s market too. That’s pretty cheap considering that normal admission prices are about $16 for adults and $8 for kids. Certainly, a delightful way to spend a Saturday morning!

Our Easter Holiday @ Melbourne City

April 19, 2009 • Blog • 5 comments

Last week, my family came over to Melbourne during the Easter vacation period and we had a great time discovering different parts of the colourful city together.

We opted for a slightly different itinerary this time around (its the second trip for my family), exploring neighbourhoods that were slightly off the beaten tourist track and enjoying what typical Melburnians would like.

Night Festival @ University of Melbourne

April 7, 2009 • Blog • 3 comments

One of the things which truly impressed me about the University of Melbourne was how active its various student organisations are. I do receive daily emails and notices in my student email about various causes to support, talks to attend, concerts to participate in, and groups to join in. Some of the student ECA groups even have job descriptions inked on their websites, complete with the mandatory hours and duties that you need to fulfill.

Whenever I walk around the campus – either en route to the library for studying or the cafeteria for lunch – I notice that there is a constant hive of activity generated by various student clubs, societies and associations. Apparently, there never is a dull moment here. Having gone out of the education system for quite a while, it was interesting to see how various causes were so actively and passionately lobbied by these idealistic youths.

Last Friday, a couple of us decided to walk to campus to check out the night market organised by various student groups. Apparently, this was an annual activity pitched at raising funds for the various societies and clubs.

Graffiti and Street Art – Vandalism or Marketing?

March 15, 2009 • Blog • 4 comments

Street art along a wall in North Richmond

Being an avid runner, I often jog around the Parkville and Carlton areas near my university campus and chance upon street art along various walls, pavements and fences. Some of the air-brushed displays are aesthetically beautifully and probably the result of considerable and painstaking effort to create enduring works of art. Surprisingly, I don’t see that many acts of graffiti which are overtly anti-establishment or vandalistic in nature (or perhaps I haven’t been to those neighbourhoods yet).

While musing on this phenomenon, I chanced upon this interesting article by Mark Holsworth who reported on how several merchants in the Brunswick suburb of Melbourne (just a stone’s throw away from where I am putting up at Carlton) have engaged street artists to decorate their shopfronts. Holsworth highlighted two examples of this could be done tastefully. The first is a convenience store located at the Lygon/Brunswick area: