There was a time when we enjoyed watching TV ads, because they were often more fun than the shows they interrupted. For one reason or another, that’s changed and advertising is seen as an irritation more often than not (we are over-sold to, the ads aren't as good any more). So the buzz in adland has for some time been to make branding become content. That is to say that the ad replaces the programme you turn on to watch. Micorsites like Lynx's do just that, supplying free video games, webchat and a blog, all of which is 'on message' to the brand, but still a darn sight more fun to watch than an average night's entertainment on ITV1. Once TV's converge with computers, it'll be Coca-Cola and Pepsi that provide a night in front of the box, not Channel Four and Sky, so the thinking goes.
Advertising as entertainment isn't a new thing though; the lines between the two mediums has been blurring for years, as anyone who's found themselves inside a brand-themed tent in a festival will know. But how about an entire festival built around the message of one brand? All the entertainment/ food/ drink supplied and themed around one product? That’s a bit spooky; only weirdo fanatics would go to such a thing. Well, this weekend just gone, over 100,000 people in London did just that. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Fruitstock, the mini festival from the people that bring you Innocent
Smoothies.
From the Fruitstock website…
Fruitstock is a free festival which we at innocent put on to say thank you to all of you for drinking our drinks. There's lots of live music, posh food and drink stalls, a farmers' market, a kids' area and all sorts of other things to see and do. It's completely free, it's happening in Regent's Park, London, on the 5th and 6th of August, and we hope to raise loads of money for our chosen charity, WellChild. Keep the weekend free, and your fingers crossed for good weather – we hope to see you there.
Love from innocent
Call me cynical, but alarm bells start to ring when I see this sort of thing; the cuddly, emotional language, the pseudo-ethical posturing, ughh, its disgusting. A normally sane friend of mine phoned up from the festival on Saturday and asked me if I wanted to come. To do what, eat bananas in field while the MD of Innocent introduces has-been professional hippy rappers Arrested Development on stage? Or watch children being lobotomised in the storytelling and reading workshop? Or practice the lotus in the yoga tent while blueberry smoothies are mainlined through a tube to your backside? Err, thanks, but no thanks.
Am I so bitter and twisted that I cannot accept a wholesome bit of fun when it comes my way? Or am I right in thinking that we abandon our rational selves whenever a free concert, a backrub and some fruit juice is on offer?
An interesting fact: more people attended Fruitstock on Saturday than Stop The War Coalition's Israel ceasefire march round the corner. Well, with a free cake stand and designated flirting area, who can blame them?
Disclaimer: I went to neither, choosing instead to do a spot of light window shopping on Marylebone High Street.
21 Comments:
You miserable git! Yes, it is a branded event, but I brought a picnic and met up with a group of friends. Had a nice catch up in the sun enjoying the music for free. Surely I'm less of a sucker than someone who pays £100 to go to a festival and do the same thing? (And no, I didn't buy any Innocent smoothies!)
With out branding or advertising, Festivals like Glastonbury can't make large donations to charity. I think you need to chill out!
Why were window shopping, hows that going to help addiction??
I think your not that innocent yourself!
okay i am the one who went.. but i went not because i wanted to revel in the wondfulness of a smoothie brand but because i wanted to hang out with a bunch of my friends that weekend.
innocent is an interesting company. their 'hey everyone we're just like you come on lets have a good time' schtick can REALLY grate when you've had it pushed in your face non stop at a festival full of half hour queues for everything. anyone who biked there had a tag put on it saying 'hey there buddy thanks for saving the planet a bit today'. and when, desperate for a drink, you find one stall with some tasters on only to be told they're for 'kids only'. If Ned Flanders was a bit hipper and ran a festival this would be it.
So many things about the event pissed me off. BUT it did provide a free festival with my mates, which otherwise would have cost a bomb. I do not have any greater allegiance to Innocent as a result (but that's cos i'm a cynical old fuck) but i reckon lots will. I really DO NOT want to like Innocent but at the moment they're not really doing anything wrong. I would much rather them be forking out for my 'good' time (slightly debatable - it was a bit of a mare) than attend essentially one big branded advert (Carling/Virgin festivals) AND pay through the nose for the privilge. At the moment they're still an independant company who, i have read in the business pages, are one of the best people to work for. They do all sorts of lame arse stuff at work like drum circles and knitting clubs that make you get even more annoyed but then i guess that's more fun than just continual 9 to 5 desk jockeying.
However it all seems blindingly obvious they are building themselves up for the moment when they sell out to a giant multinational a la Ben + Jerrys, Green + Blacks.. I would save getting your knives out till then.. right now they're ok. Ish. As long as i dont read anything they write on leaflets or the sides of their bottles.
I think the best way to view them is by comparing them to Ned Flanders as opposed to Mr Burns. Very annoying but meaning well. Would the world be better with more Ned Flanders' in it? I have no idea.
Adios.
P.s. Neil why are you moaning about Arrested Development? You used to love them - i heard you dropping 'Mr Wendel' every weekend at 333 for a good few months.
oh yeah what kind of windows were you shopping for?
As a man so influenced by brands and adverts i would assume you were going for some 'EVEREST - FIT THE BEST' double glazing numbers
holly
maybe you're right, i probably should chill out... this project is turning me into a conspiratorial moaner. for good reasons, i might add.
Anonymous
hope you don't mind if i pick holes in that argument...
1. festivals don't engage with sponsors so they can give money to charity. they do it to cover costs and make money, which is fair enough. with the exception of glastonbury, the donations that festival promoters make to charity are often to appease the local authorities, ethical bribes as such.
2. fruitstock is not the same as glasto and cannot be compared. glasto is a music festival that enlists brand partners. fruitstock is essentially a marketing operation for one brand.
3. i agree, I'm not so innocent.
Daniel
who couldn't resist the Everest adverst from back in the day.. if youre goona fit the best fit Everest.
I think sane friend has the right idea - Innocent are really quite harmless and more annoying than anything else. I guess its a nice thing to do if you have kids but to be honest no one is going for the music. The real problem is people like V and Carling.
On another note has anyone ever stayed in a Malmaison hotel - they're right up there with Innocent for over the top schticky marketing speak - fucking rediculous
I'm not sure how I feel about branded festivals but Innocent smoothies get on my nerves for two reasons:
1) That smirking ad-man chap who founded the co. is in too many magazines.
2) They're smoothies for goodness sake! Anybody can make a smoothie. Blender. Favourite fruits. Whizz. Done. Why does anyone need to pay a bomb for a tiny quantity in a plastic container that get's slung in the nearest landfill ten seconds later?
I'm going to get some organic loaves sliced up, get em pre-buttered and vaccum-packed into individual foil-wrapped slices, call my brand 'Bredhedz', stick the typical can't-be-arsed sans-serif logo on the front and clean up with funky flavours like 'mutha***in marmite', 'hun-e-trapp', 'pump up the wild sloe and rosehip jam' and make my fortune.
See, I reckon the world is crying out for pre-buttered organic bread. It's time has come.
Hi. I like the sound of your BREADHEADZ idea.. wanna get rich?
Light blue touch-paper and stand well clear....
Offf Breadhedz - you can have a bunch of spin off characters for each flavor that you can sell to kids for extra scratch - they'll be all sassy like those Bratz dolls and maybe you can have a Breadhedz cartoon where they run around catching international criminals and extolling the virtues of organic food. Gold!
personally i find the whole innocent brand really annoying, i hate the chummy speak they use, i hate the ads, and i hate the whole pretense of fruitstock.
however i still drink them. they're overpriced, yes, but they taste good and i can pretend i'm being really healthy. and even if i did have a blender i don't have enough forward planning to prepare a smoothie in the morning. if i'm out and thirsty/hungry a smoothie is a quick fill.
I bet everyone who thinks Fruitstock is really good also thinks James Morrison is really good.
Sorry, who's James Morrison? Don't take it the wrong way.. I don't get out that much these days.
He's a new gushy, super-cack singer-songwriter who makes James Blunt look like Johnny Cash
Hello Neil.
I'm a journalist and have just discovered your blog. I take quite an interest in your upcoming book, and your very clever pre-sales marketing 'tactics' - the blog and the bonfire.
Urgent question as I may pitch a story around you to a major newspaper - the first entry of your blog says the bonfire will take place 26.08.06... which means this month. However, the counter appears to be calculating it for next year. Can you please clarify ASAP and reply to youngrobb@gmail.com ? Many thanks,
R. Young
the plural of medium is media. Mediums is a groupf people who channel the dead or a stack of sweaters at the Gap
Hi Neil,
Sorry if this post has already been posted elsewhere? Was you the guy that published the Shoreditch Twat in 1992? Or had some part in it? Your name rings a bell?
Why dont you give away all your branded stuff to kids and familes that are a little less well of than yourself? You attention seeking fuckwit. Love sandra from rllmuk.
Ps Do you have any nice ladies shoes in a size 6?? ;)
Without using Sandra's rather more colourful version of our native tongue, I would like to agree with her sentiments. Can the point not be made at the same time as helping off those less fortunate than yourself who, maybe have difficulty buying ANY clothes, etc, let alone those with designer labels? Violet
Why burn it all you freak? Doing such will release toxic gases into the air and help to pollute the environment further.
Only a sick and twisted person would get rid of their stuff by burning it. Give it to charity.
If you do have a fire, I hope you burn on it
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home