The Trinidad Shelter is a safe haven for women and children who suffer from domestic abuse. It was established in 1987 in response to a growing awareness on the sensitive topic of domestic violence and a greater need for support of victims. Managed by a committee of volunteers, The Shelter is supported by members and entities of both the public and private sector. This year, Abovegroup Ogilvy, gave a little cheer by donating an assortment of food, clothing and household items to them as a part of our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
Their mission is to transform victims into survivors and survivors into success stories by offering refuge and support. They also have an Outreach Programme for non-residents, both those who stayed formerly and also those who never stayed before, in The Shelter. Through accommodation, counseling, provisions of food and clothing as well as medical aid, The Shelter, aims to make Trinidad and Tobago a better place. Those interested in spreading the spirit of giving, please visit The Shelter’s website for more information. Interested volunteers can gather information here.
Abovegroup Ogilvy’s Hazel-Ann John-Watson and Anna-Lisa Henriques present a gift hamper to Housemother, Ria Bernard.
More images can be seen at Abovegroup Ogilvy’s Facebook page!
Leading brand engineers and full-service communications company, Abovegroup Ogilvy, will be releasing a comprehensive report on Youth Identity, documenting the impact of the media on the 8-15 year-old demographic in Trinidad and Tobago. The report will be published online later this month as the company strives to understand the younger mindset of the nation.
The detailed analysis shares insight into this ‘tween’ segment of the population, which has been often overlooked, as part of AGO’s attempt to understand the reception of information by ‘tweens’ as they forge a cultural path and societal identity into that of independent adults. The recently developed AGO Insights Unit carried out behavior studies from June 2011 to February 2012, which focused on the trends, brand preferences and spending habits of this demographic to garner the relevant data.
Director, Alex Smailes, indicated on the initiative, “In our spirit of sharing knowledge, we (AGO) decided to periodically create insightful reports on pertinent issues we’re all facing today. For people who market or communicate with Trinidad’s youth - as anyone who has children of their own can testify - it’s a dizzying and rapid world they operate in.” He emphasized the importance of the youth perspective and its tangible impact in the modern era as the study embarked to understand the critical implications for the future adult population.
Representing nearly a quarter of the country’s population, Smailes professed that understanding the impact of these ‘tweens’ would be felt not only on a domestic level, but also on the regional landscape. Research was done on how this group interacts on digital and traditional levels, as well as how influencers and stimuli that they encounter on a daily basis, form their development in today’s reality. Social media, music and technology were key components that factored into considering the potential future stance of these youngsters.
To understand this group of early adopters and tech savvy consumers, a mapping of the shared ‘tween’ existence; inclusive of socio-economic status, race, geographic location and personal experiences; helped the Insights team craft a realistic picture of the local ‘tween’ lifestyle. Through extensive surveying techniques, focus group work and interviews with preeminent members of the youth population, such as Nebula868, Nick Salloum and members of Kromatiq Dance Crew, the results were qualified.
Some major findings included observance that an overwhelming majority of these ‘tweens’ are digitally literate and even more advanced than adult consumers of digital media. It was also discovered that many local organizations that included ‘tweens’ in their target groups, surprisingly rarely interact with them on a captivating level. The latter, was seen to contribute to the ‘tweens’ preference for foreign-based media, entertainment and products. The slow adoption of global trends by local and regional entities also proved poignant as to the disconnection of ‘tweens’ from such entities.
“How we utilise and communicate to our consumer base of tomorrow, will dictate how successful we’ll be as a region in the future,” contended Smailes as he elaborated how impacting it is to understand the thought processes of ‘tweens’ in the current nurturing phase. With further research and analysis to be commissioned, he affirmed that AGO would remain dedicated via its range of rigorous services, such as branding, advertising, digital, traditional and guerilla marketing to continue pursuing this study as it evolves. Smailes believes the digital launch of the report in December would be the first step to achieving such understandings with the ‘future consumers and leaders of tomorrow’.
AGO Insights is the newest precision research tool of the Abovegroup Ogilvy family. The unit will work to identify and gauge the constantly evolving factors under which we operate in this part of the world. It provides focused research and analysis on strategically chosen segments of the population and can be commissioned by individuals and organizations to help business leaders and the wider public make informed decisions about local and regional industry, culture and society.
Daryl Fielding, internationally renowned brand strategist and communications expert, exclaimed, “Sometimes consensus is the enemy of brilliance,” while addressing her audience at a mini-symposium, held last Tuesday at Kapok Hotel, St. Clair. The interactive session, set up by Abovegroup Ogilvy in November 2012 at Kapok Hotel, Port-of-Spain, acted as a platform for Fielding, regarded by aficionados in her profession as a visionary extraordinaire, to shed insight, not only on credible branding and marketing, but into one of the most crucial aspects of advertising – consumer empathy.
She meant to inspire listeners, ranging from marketing and advertising personnel to social media and digital analysts, to persevere with their ideas once they believe in their genuine reach, moral validity, economic justification and creative feasibility. Fielding enthralled the audience with one particular back-story – Dove’s 2004 ‘Real Beauty’ campaign – which exemplified the craving of consumers to be related to and also, to show how essential it was to appeal to their ‘human’ side. The campaign came to fruition under the invigorative stead of agencies - Ogilvy and Mather, Edelman Public Relations, Harbinger Communications (Canada) and prolific British photographer, Rankin.
She offered sage advice throughout and conveyed how poignant it was not to alienate the market while keeping potential buyers steeped in a realm of reality. “We wanted the Dove brand to grow and gain loyalty but we really wanted to relate to the everyday woman, not the supermodels everyone else showed in their ads. We didn’t want to target women’s insecurities or make them feel inferior but we wanted to show their true beauty and let them know they were all gorgeous. We needed to make them positive about themselves again,” she stated on the initiative’s scale and scope.
Fielding addressed concerns over the superficial aspects of female-geared campaigns and stipulated that she needed to catalyze and sustain a timeless and ‘beautifully uncomplicated’ campaign. The Bournemouth native, whose decorated career is glittered as former Vice-President, Marketing at Kraft Foods Europe (2010-2012) and former Commercial Director at The Independent newspaper in Britain (2008-2009), elaborated that they toiled for months before settling on final outcomes and directions, which engrained realism, pragmatism and relatability as cornerstones into their foundation.
She mentioned the trials and tribulations over the fundamentals of a campaign that could stand out yet adorn women with the idea to embrace themselves without need for cosmetic alterations. They gunned for a down-to-earth structure that left no room for interpretation, as she wanted the campaign to hold weight as a realistic portrayal of women worldwide. Fielding, now running an esteemed consultancy service in London, indicated that Dove, originally a medical wash in the 1950s for WWII victims, was cautious in the tactical approach at the turn of the new millennium as they branched out from shampoos into deodorants, face-creams and shower gels.
“The beauty industry targeted women’s self-esteem, from ads to magazines, so we wanted to use women you see at the supermarket or at work. We still needed to stand out as Dove moved from a cleansing product into a beauty product. Such a campaign would not be penetrative into all markets as some countries are hinged on that aesthetic aspect a bit too much. One country refused to air our campaign for a while but eventually came around,” she shared.
“I never wanted to help focus on women’s inadequacies or shortcomings to goad them into products. We didn’t want anyone to feel ugly so we focused on grooming. We wanted to inspire women to take better care of themselves rather than to aspire to be some air-brushed supermodel that’s been touched up by computers,” she earnestly discussed.
With opposition, as expected, garnered to their vision, Fielding confessed that the parallel strands of tension led to severe exhaustive strains but her drive never deterred. She convinced her male counterparts on backing the project by using testimonials from their wives and daughters to etch into their minds how the average female felt less-than-perfect.
Fielding divulged that they literally plucked their models, arbitrarily off the streets, who never imagined of making an impact. “That’s the beauty of it. We got women who were exactly relatable to the target audience. This plan didn’t flow seamlessly the entire way but we showed care over cosmetics and an idea like that – so novel, altruistic and virtuous – really helped propel the campaign on its own,” revealed Fielding.
This catapulted Dove’s campaign from planning to execution as everyone realized the honest ambition, purpose and nature of it. It accumulated momentum and evolved into one of the most critically acclaimed, selfless and successful contemporary beauty campaigns. From one extremity to the next, the campaign raised eyebrows in Europe and USA, but despite its unconventional and outlandish notions at times, there was a succinct continuity to the project Fielding hails as the ‘best work of her life.’
With her bubbly disposition and generosity to dispense advice, she admitted her pride seeing Oprah Winfrey endorse the campaign and its models on multiple occasions on her show, along with various magazine spreads, international advertising awards and plaudit headlines. The Dove Self-Esteem Fund accompanied in 2006, further cementing Dove’s stance to cherish the innate beauty of its market. That this was done without the thrust and presence of social media shows the worth of such a caring campaign and also attests to the grit and perseverance of Fielding.
“Don’t ever let your mistakes hold you back. Be bold and don’t settle. If you have a good idea, push it hard. Dove set out to get to consumers at eye-level and it was highly memorable. Tears were shed but to see the women’s faces and smiles, it was worth it. It truly was beautiful,” she concluded.
Here’s a look at the Abovegroup Ogilvy team engrossed and mesmerized at the wealth of knowledge offered that day:
This article was also published on Thursday 6 December, 2012 in the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. More images can be seen at Abovegroup Ogilvy’s Facebook page!
In a stunning brew high on top of the Synergy TV building, Frankie’s Bar claimed the Carib Brewery Limited Bar Wars title in style. The final showdown, which aired on Synergy TV on October 6th, saw Frankie’s thoroughly trounce Tanty Jane’s Bar 770 to 555.
Over the past few months Carib Brewery, partnered with the branding firm Abovegroup Ogilvy (AGO), took the initiative to create a national platform that would build and connect the local community of fiercely loyal beer sellers and consumers in a televised, popular entertainment, game show format.
The Bar Wars finale was a runaway race, as Frankie’s even managed to dominate the surprise twist ending in which a huge tub of ice was placed on the stage, and contestants given 30 seconds to dig through for extra points. There were a total of 150 bottle caps in the ice, under which had point values ranging from 5 to 100 extra points. The Frankie’s Bar and Grill team, consisting of Samarah Kabir, Ebo Jones and Marlon Mollineau managed to keep the points squarely in their court and further widen the point gap with Tanty Jane.
The Frankie’s team certainly earned their grand prize of an all expenses paid private cruise through St. Vincent and the Grenadines, complete with personal chef, skipper and five star dinners on several of the islands visited. The prize egged the contestants on further, and they all made valiant attempts at the Trivia, Pirate Soccer, Freeze Frame and other rounds.
In the first round of play, Bar Wars travelled the nation, engaging consumers at various community bars scattered in every locale imaginable. This ensured that the pool of contestants truly represented a wide cross section of the country. Patrons of twenty-four different bars were challenged to a war of wits and strength, essentially boosting relationships and building a sense of community amongst the Brewery, the people who sell and the people who consume Carib, Stag and Mackeson alike.
At the end of it all, Shane Lue Choy Producer of Bar Wars presented Frankie’s Manager Glen Diaz with the Bar Wars 2012 Trophy. Audiences can look out for the second season of Bar Wars next year, where again the best team will rise to the top without spilling over.
We’re searching for creative soul mates to help us make the world a brighter place.
Abovegroup Ogilvy is seeking a hard working, ambitious, creative and passionate design protégé in the midst of – or fresh out of school.
We want someone who knows and understands every aspect of design. You should have an outstanding knowledge of design theory, techniques, and principles involved in creation of ideas through to production-ready artwork.
We want a motivated and fun-loving team player who is constantly seeking out the latest and greatest - whether it’s in packaging, modern graphic design, typography, signage, illustration and digital.
CANNES, FRANCE, June 23, 2012 - Ogilvy & Mather was named Network of the Year at the 59th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Cannes Lions 2012 saw Ogilvy & Mather have its best ever year. It has been presented with the prestigious Network of the Year award, and has won 83 Lions across all categories, including 1 Grand Prix, 12 Gold, 20 Silver and 50 Bronze. The network has also achieved a record 305 finalists during the festival.
Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy & Mather and Film & Press Jury President at Cannes 2012 said: “We are delighted to be crowned Network of the Year in Cannes 2012 on top of winning a Grand Prix and 83 Lions. The awards are a reflection of our strong creative and management teams, our client relationships, and our agency culture that places its emphasis on creativity. It’s great to be recognised by our peers.”
Ogilvy & Mather China was crowned with a Grand Prix in the Outdoor category for its ‘#CokeHands campaign.’
Across the Network 12 Golds were awarded – across all categories – for the following campaigns:
- 3x Gold for ‘The Return of Dictator Ben Ali’, Ogilvy & Mather Tunisia (2x Promo & Activation; and Branded Content & Entertainment)
- 1x Gold for its ‘Sprite Shower,’ Ogilvy & Mather Brasil - Sao Paulo ( Promo & Activation)
- 1x Gold for its Carling Black Label ‘Be The Coach,’ Ogilvy Cape Town (Branded Content & Entertainment)
- 1x Gold for its Claro TV ‘Half of HBO for free,’ Ogilvy & Mather Guatemala (Direct)
- 1x Gold for its Claro ‘A’ ‘T’ ‘S’ ‘I’ campaign, Ogilvy & Mather Brasil (Press)
- 1x Gold for its IBM ‘THINK’ campaign, Ogilvy & Mather NY (Design)
- 1x Gold for its Hellman’s ‘Recipe Receipt’ campaign, Ogilvy & Mather Brasil (Promo & Activation)
- 1x Gold for its ‘Coke Hands’ campaign, Ogilvy & Mather, China (Outdoor)
- 1x Gold for its Forbes ‘Donald Trump’ campaign, Ogilvy & Mather Brazil (Outdoor)
- 1x Gold for its Coca-Cola ‘ Share a Coke’ campaign, Ogilvy & Mather Sydney (Outdoor)
Winning Network of the Year, and the record haul of 83 Lions across all categories in the 59th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, 2012, breaks last year’s impressive record of 61 award wins (12 Gold, 17 Silver, and 32 Bronze).
The International Festival of Creativity, also known as Cannes Lions, is the world’s leading celebration of creativity in communications. As the most prestigious international annual advertising and communications awards, over 28,800 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival. Full information about the 2012 Awards and winners can be found at: http://www.canneslions.com
Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world with 450 offices in 120 countries worldwide. It is also the number one agency in terms of global effectiveness awards.
In late 2010, Abovegroup Ogilvy was commissioned to develop and strengthen the branding efforts of a new development in Dominica called Secret Bay Resort.
The mission was to create a brand that would be internationally recognised.
The team at Abovegroup Ogilvy undertook extensive research and strategic planning – including stakeholder interviews, psychographic and demographic research, target market analysis and the development of a comprehensive brand audit and brand proposition for Secret Bay. The Creative team conceptualised and developed the brand identity, and touchpoints including all print and online collateral.
The vine-like brand property design was inspired by the many unique and organic elements that Dominica is known for – the winding roads, nature paths and hiking trails.
According to Art Director Tanya Williams, the brand property is used as a veil to add to the feeling of secrecy to the location of this eco resort.
The result?
A refined and approachable brand that efficiently communicates luxury, community, sustainability and quality in a global context. Secret Bay resort and Dominica are rapidly becoming recognised as the destination of choice among urbane travelers.
Since its doors opened in May 2011, Secret Bay has been booked solid despite the largest downturn in Caribbean travel since 1998. In addition, Secret Bay has been featured in several Regional and International travel and lifestyle press such as the New York Times, National Geographic, and more recently NBC’s Today Show as part of their annual ‘It List: Finest New Hotels in 2012’.
Kudos to the Creative, Strategy and Digital team: Directors Alex Smailes and Gareth Jenkins, Brand Strategists Adam Cooper and Cheyenne Baptiste, the Design team headed by Creative Director Marlon Darbeau and Art Director Tanya-Marie Williams, Head of Digital Tony Geer for building the website, Photographer Kibwe Brathwaite, and Copywriter Harriet Massignberd and the rest of the Abovegroup Ogilvy team for making this a branding success story.
From April 26th through April 29th 2012, The Metamorphosis Dance Company will be showcasing their latest production, Giselle, a rework of the classical libretto.
This Romantic ballet tells the story of a peasant girl named Giselle - whose ghost, after a premature death - protects her lover from the vengeance of a group of female spirits. The story deals with a man’s encounter with supernatural characters and dark beauty.
The rework of Giselle is set at the turn of the twentieth century in Trinidad on the Cumberland Cocoa Estate. The themes of betrayal in Act I and justice and mercy of Act II are explored to give a different resonance but engaging with the source to enter into an interpretive Caribbean discourse.
According to Artistic Director Nancy Herrera, this project has exposed Metamorphosis to the highest level of art, professional working artists and the theatre of the Contemporary Caribbean Ballet. It has given dancers an opportunity to perform a full length contemporary ballet and explore creativity and artistic expression in ballet in a Caribbean context.
A special shout-out goes to our team at Abovegroup Ogilvy for their work in the design and layout of the posters, flyers and programme booklets:
Creative Director, Marlon Darbeau, Designers Tricia Dukhie and Jared Brown, Photographer Kibwe Brathwaite, Copywriters Paula Obe Thomas and Zia Holder,
Showtimes are from Thursday and Sunday 6.30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 7.30 p.m
Have you ever tried doing push-ups wile eating a pie at a bar? How about a series of suggestive charades and mind-boggling trivia questions? Add some karaoke and mix in beautiful “Bar War Babes” cheering you on…Not your average bar lime is it? For the next two months however, you can expect to witness and even get involved in these entertaining activities at selected bars across Trinidad thanks to Bar Wars.
Bar Wars is a new project produced by Abovegroup Ogilvy and brought to you by Carib Brewery Limited. It comprises of a 15-week TV series that is sure to take 2012 by storm.
We are creating a fully functional, self-contained, game space mobile modular unit. This unit has its own unique branding where a variety of “bar games” and trivia questions will be played and scores tallied.
We will be visiting 24 bars over the next two to three months, in order to select the top eight teams.
Categories include: Music, Sports, General Knowledge, Entertainment and a final Qualification Round.
The Bar Wars events are set to occur three times a week from Thursday – Sunday and Tuesdays between the hours of 6-8pm.
The top eight teams from the heats will participate in the televised portion later in the year and both bar owners and teams will be eligible for really unique grand prizes.
Bar owners: Can you come up with a winning combination of friends through Bar Wars? Your job is to compile a killer team of three great minds (at least one female must be included).
Remember anyone can participate. Contact us for more information or better yet…check out the next Bar Wars events this week:
Thursday April 5th Jeff’s Bar, Rio Claro 7pm
Saturday April 7th College Bar, UWI 6pm
Sunday April 8th, Uncle Sam, Maracas Bay 6pm
Thursday, March 29th 2012, Eastern wall of the Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah from 7:00pm
Still looking to catch some vibes now that the Carnival season is over? Why not make your way down to the Queen’s Park Savannah for our latest Show & Tell mash-up.
We are collaborating with the German Embassy Port of Spain to introduce “Urban Heartbeat– an artistic encounter in public spaces”. Urban Heartbeat has been initiated by the Goethe Institut in Mexico City and will be touring Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean from February through March 2012.
From March 27th to the 29th, a three-day workshop will take place in Port of Spain. Our local Urban Heartbeat contest winners will collaborate with contemporary German artist Jim Avignon. Together they will design and create an extraordinary mural that will go up on the Eastern wall of the Grand Stand in the Queen’s Park Savannah (click here for the map).
To celebrate the wrap-up of the local contest, we will be hosting a special Show & Tell & Urban Heartbeat street art party on March 29th. Enjoy an evening of food, music and drinks while we showcase the work of our winners who together with Jim Avignon who will tell us all about the Urban Heartbeat project.
Expect to be entertained by Capoeira dancers as well as four International DJ’s: from Germany, DJ Neoangin aka Jim Avignon and DJ Holger Beier , T&T resident via Toronto Canada, DJ Shyguy, and of course Khafra Rudder (aka DJ Klik)—the International man of mystery.
Spread the word! Admission is free and so are the beverages (thanks to our sponsors Coca Cola, Shandy Carib and Mackeson). Please note that free drinks will be limited – you are welcome to bring your own, but please NO glass bottles.
There will be plastic recycling courtesy of Plastikeep, so show some love for our planet earth and help us dispose your plastic waste responsibly.
We begin at 7:00pm (Trini time) so bring your family and friends for this exceptional night of DJs, drinks, dancing and displays of design.
Limited parking will be available in the Paddock of the Savannah on the Western side of the Grand Stand. You can also find this event on Facebook. “Like us” and we’ll keep you up-to-date with future Show & Tell events.
We look forward to your presence!
For more information about the Urban Heartbeat project, please go to: http://www.urban-heartbeat.com or call 628.1630.
Special thanks to the German Embassy Port of Spain, the National Carnival Commission, Benjamin Moore Paints for supplying paint for the project, Johnny Q for their logistical expertise, and our beverage sponsors Coca Cola, Shandy Carib and Mackeson.
For more information, please contact Cheyenne Baptiste at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Britta Salecker at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Posted in on 23rd Mar 2012. 0 comments.
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AGO Talent - Become part of T&T’s Best and Brightest Talent
Our multi-versatile database of Trinidad and Tobago’s best and brightest talent, boasts of models, photographers, radio announcers, singers and actors ranging in age between 3 months to 70 years! Join us!
Creative thinking and a bit of drinking
Show & Tell is a monthly event hosted by Abovegroup Ogilvy in our studio. Speakers come from a range of backgrounds and interests. Admission is free and the atmosphere is easy.
