Diet Coke

Once upon a time Diet Coke ads could be counted on to contain sexy half naked men and that was about it. While I personally never had a problem with that, it was decided that Diet Coke needed a fresh kind of campaign in 2009. Specifically, the brief was to push the DC brand into the area of fashion. To achieve this, we steered away from a classic above the line campaign. Instead, we worked with experiential marketers Naked to create the Diet Coke Little Black Dress campaign.

This campaign was based around a visual link between the Diet Coke bottle and the shape of the classic 'LBD'. Both are dark, sleek and shapely - and essential for every chick to own! Starting with a series of posters, we introduced this idea using a range of fashion sketches done by designers such as Alex Perry, Willow and Alice McCall. This led up to an actual Diet Coke Little Black Dress show at Australian Fashion Week. Sponsored by Diet Coke, this showcased a range of LBDs done by selected Australian designers. Each designer put their own little twist on the LBD, and the models walked down a runway through DC bottle-shaped archways. Overall it was a different way 'in' to fashion, and gave the brand a strong presence in this arena which they will continue to build on.

Diet Coke 'Little Black Dress' Campaign from Emma Den-Ouden on Vimeo.

Diet Coke 'Little Black Dress' Show Highlights from Emma Den-Ouden on Vimeo.

Client: Coca Cola Australia
Agency: Ogilvy Sydney/Naked
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Aaron Vella
Event Creative Director: Jonathan Pease
Creative Group Head: Boris Garelja

Cerebral Palsy

One of the jobs I have been luckiest to ever work on was a recent short film for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. The purpose of this film was to give viewers a glimpse into what life is like for families living with cerebral palsy, and help raise funds for therapy services and research.

We felt that this subject wasn't one to be trivialised, and it was really important to me to convey the message in a way that was honest, sensitive and respectful. So instead of trying to write something (and risking it becoming contrived) I decided to take an organic, doco-style approach.

With this film, we told the story of Lia and her family. Lia is an identical twin - but while she was born with cerebral palsy, her brother Andrew was not. These twins and their parents are the most amazing family I think I have ever met. Getting to know them, and creating a film that shows the grace and strength with which they manage Lia's cerebral palsy, is something I am proud to have done. The film is shown at fundraising events and so far has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hopefully it will continue to do so.

Lia's Story from Emma Den-Ouden on Vimeo.

Client: Cerebral Palsy / The Spastic Centre
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Creative: Emma Den-Ouden
Director: Tom Spark
Producer: Caroline David
Production Company: Flying Fish

Australian Hearing

Australian Hearing needed a new brand campaign to communicate what they could offer to people with hearing loss. This was a nice opportunity but not as straight forward as it seems. Not only is hearing loss a sensitive subject, the demographic who typically suffer from it are 60 years plus. Obviously our campaign had to appeal to, and be easily understood by, this audience without offending or patronising them... which meant walking a pretty fine line. We ended up working off a very simple insight everyone could relate to - the fact that over time hearing 'fades'. A visual fading device was used to represent how this happens so gradually, people may not even realise. These had to work for all different multicultural audiences too, hence the translations (sadly I don't actually speak vietnamese!).







Client: Australian Hearing
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Artur Weber
Creative Director: Joe Van Trump
Photographer: David Knight
Post Production: Cave

Volvo XC90 Diesel

Volvo was launching a new model of one of their existing cars – the XC90 Diesel. It was the diesel-run aspect that made this car different from competitors, so that’s what the client wanted to focus on. The ‘evolution’ idea came from the fact that this car is a new evolution of an existing model, and idea of using a botanical style book gave us a way of getting in all the car’s features without it feeling like a normal car ad. We developed TV, print and collateral under this umbrella idea.

Volvo XC90 Diesel TVC from Emma Den-Ouden on Vimeo.

Client: Volvo
Agency: Euro RSCG
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Patrycja Lukjanow
Creative Director: Dale Rhodes
Animator: Scotty Wilcox

Purina One

Purina One sits at the very top of Purina's pet food range. It's a really premium product, which was what we had to convey through these ads. While we had to stick to a celebrity endorsed testimonial campaign, we had fun thinking of a range of celebrities who might be a good fit. We ended up with four great personalities, all of whom are super high achievers in their various fields - from sport to hospitality. Most importantly they all had much loved pets and could give us a genuine endorsement. We shot the celebs with their pets in studio and interviewed each one to get a sense of their story (so I could write in their voices in a vaguely believable way!). Great fun to work on, and very successful in driving sales.









Client: Purina
Agency: Ogilvy Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Lani Devine
Creative Group Head: Jo Sellars
Photographer: Danny Eastwood

Tourism NSW - Vivacity

Tourism NSW needed to develop a stand-out campaign to celebrate a series of events taking place throughout Summer. We named the festival Vivacity, and were lucky enough to have Juli Baller shoot our key image - a fantastical montage that represented all the types of entertainment this festival offered. The campaign had retail and brand components, and also included an interactive website.



Client: Tourism NSW
Agency: Ogilvy Sydney
Writers: Emma Den-Ouden and Jo Sellars
Art Directors: Lani Devine and Peter McDowell
Creative Group Head: Jo Sellars

Sassi

A new deodorant for teenage girls, Sassi, was launched with a really visual campaign that embodied the freedom you feel wearing it. Instead of a usual ad-style ad (which teenagers often disregard) we took a more subtle approach with a combination of illustration and photography, which linked to the pack design. The url 'get sassi' worked as a call to action, and led to a dedicated sassi site which had a range of wallpapers and icons for girls to download. We also used msn sponsorship to increase brand presence online.







Client: Pharmacare
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Mo Shono
Creative Director: Andy Firth
Photographer: Montelbetti + Campbell

Dove Summer Glow

While most of the Dove 'Campaign for Real Beauty' is done overseas and adapted for the Australian market, we were lucky enough to get the chance to make an Aussie TVC for Dove Summer Glow, a moisturising product with fake tan. The strategy behind this was to create a link between Dove Summer Glow and the weather, and create a weather report style 15 second spot to run during news programming. True to the Dove brand, we were not allowed to use models, but we found an amazing girl who was a natural in front of the camera. The TVC was supported by POS to reinforce the 'weather' message.

Dove Summer Glow TVC from Emma Den-Ouden on Vimeo.

Client: Dove
Agency: Ogilvy Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Lani Devine
Director: Adam Blaiklock
Production Company: Flying Fish
Post Production: Cutting Edge

WKD

There's nothing like a healthy dose of male chauvinism. With this campaign for WKD - a premixed alcoholic soda - I definitely had to get in touch with my insensitive side. A UK brand that was launching in Australia, WKD was marketed towards young guys and included a print/poster campaign as well as a range of on-premise promo items such as drink coasters and soap dispenser stickers. Due to budget we went for a headline campaign, and this also allowed us to set the tone for the brand loud and clear. Note: the product tanked but we think that had more to do with the alcopop tax than the ads!









Soap dispenser sticker...



Drink coasters...pick a name, pick a career, enjoy...



Client: WKD
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Niccola Phillips
Creative Director: Andy Firth

Shoe Therapy

Every girl loves shoes... but while we all know they are the solution to all the world's problems, no one had ever done a campaign to celebrate this! So Niccola and I developed this series of posters for our client Pratten Accessories, a boutique shoe store in Sydney's Paddington. Such a big hit, customers were even asking for copies!







Client: Pratten Accessories
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Niccola Phillips
Photographer: Mel Koutchavlis

Vectavir

Vectavir was a new cold sore cream being launched by Novartis to compete with Zovirax. The brief was to focus on the positives associated with being cold sore free, instead of the negatives associated with actually having them (which is what Zovirax campaigns usually do). We developed a series of posters showing unsuspecting victims who had been smothered in kisses by some happy, cold-sore-free soul. This kiss visual became the symbol for Vectavir and was applied to all kinds of Point of Sale and promotional materials.







Client: Novartis
Agency: Euro RSCG
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Patrycja Lukjanow
Creative Director: Rowan Dean
Photographer: Cris Cordeiro

Institute of Chartered Accountants

People who think accountants are boring have not met the folk at ICA. I worked for these fantastic people while at Euro RSCG and also freelancing. They have developed a really nice clean brand and are not afraid to take a few risks. This project was a DM package that was sent to a select group of employers, encouraging them to "make more" of their employees by helping them study with ICA (a qualification that opens many doors and opportunities).

We sent out packages including the ICA's 'number one' icon made out of plasticine. Throughout the accompanying brochure, we used photographs of this red plasticine, modeled into a range of symbols (such as a plane, to represent travel). It was a fun way to show the flexibility and infinite possibilities that an ICA education provides.



Client: Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia
Agency: Rhodes Wingrove
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Designer: Ian Wingrove
Creative Director: Dale Rhodes

LG

LG were launching a new TV with built in DVR, which allowed the user to pause, rewind and replay live TV. At the time it was a new concept so the client mandated a demonstration approach. Fortunately we managed to have a bit of fun with it none the less. The shoot included a live band and a mosh pit. Probably one of my favourite shoots of all time! The spot ran globally for over a year. Best moment was when my mum saw it on a gigantic screen in the middle of a shopping mall in Singapore. She finally believed I had a 'real job'.

LG TVC from Emma Den-Ouden on Vimeo.

Client: LG
Agency: Euro RSCG
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Directors: Patrycja Lukjanow
Creative Director: Rowan Dean
Head of Art: Simon Macrae
Production Company: Film Graphics
Director: Jonothan Nyquist

Sydney IVF

Fertility is quite a sensitive subject to broach. So with this campaign for Sydney IVF we did our homework to really understand the mindsets of couples who were trying to conceive, and tried to take a sensitive approach. Using a clean, headline-driven style, we created a brand campaign that would be recognisable, and most importantly connect with the people we wanted to reach. Developed in 2005, this campaign is still running five years later.







Client: Sydney IVF
Agency: Euro RSCG
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Designer: Ian Wingrove

Cannabis Prevention

We received a brief from Cannabis Prevention which involved educating young guys on the fact that dope and sport don't mix. Rather than taking a hard line and telling them not to smoke, we took a more tactical approach and just reminded them that the two things don't mix - and smoking can compromise your sporting performance.



Client: National Cannabis Prevention & Information Centre
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Artur Weber
Creative Director: Joe Van Trump

Tourism NSW - Retail

During my time at Ogilvy I was the head writer for all the Tourism NSW retail work. It's not the stuff to set the world on fire, but it certainly inspired a lot of people to take holidays around our beautiful state - so I guess it was effective! There was a high volume of work with this client, and on average I produced a TVC and several print ads in the course of a week. Here are a few examples.







Client: Tourism NSW
Agency: Ogilvy Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Lani Devine
Creative Group Head: Jo Sellars

RailCorp

RailCorp wanted to do an internal communications campaign to inform employees about their Drug & Alcohol Policy. As a company with a zero tolerance policy, RailCorp is obviously pretty strict on this issue, however we didn't want to be total 'fun police'. To achieve this, we came up with a simple, really straight visual approach that showed the consequences of drugs and alcohol at work - so instead of simply telling people not to do it, we gave them reasons why.





Client: RailCorp
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Darren Seddon
Creative Director: Joe Van Trump

Insights CEO Lunch Invitations

CEOs are busy people - so getting through to them is quite hard. This is why, when creating a invitation for the Insights CEO Lunches, we opted for high-impact, hand delivered DM.

The Insights CEO Lunches were a series of events hosted by the Havas network, where selected CEOs were invited to come and meet a range of celebrities. At each lunch CEOs would get to listen to (and meet) an interesting, high-profile person such as Jan Utzon or Tom Uren. Rather than fundraising, the ultimate goal of these events was to facilitate networking and generate business connections for the Havas network.

We created the first two invitations in the series, firstly a lunch to meet Jan Utzon - son of Jørn Utzon, the architect who designed the Sydney Opera House. This was to discuss Jan's plans for a new renovation of the House. We sent each invitee a personalised hard hat, with an etched in metal tag inviting them to "meet the man who's about to renovate the House". Each one was hand-delivered and the acceptance rate was huge.



The second lunch gave guests the opportunity of meeting Tom Uren. The idea of this invitation was to convey the fact Uren has made a huge 'impression' on Australian history in various ways. So, for the invite, we asked Mr Uren to create 100 original handprints (which he signed) - one for each invitee. These prints were sent out in a custom made embossed box, inviting people to "meet the man who has made his mark on Australia". Still not sure Mr Uren much enjoyed having his hands coated in paint... but he was a great sport. And once again, the invitations and lunch were a huge success.



Client: The Havas Network
Agency: Euro RSCG
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Patrycja Lukjanow
Design Director: Ian Wingrove
Producer: Boo Mitchell

Bayer Animal Health

In 2009 we were briefed on a re-pitch for Bayer Advantage, a fast-acting flea product for cats and dogs. The 'fast' benefit has been done to death, so we took a different tact here with the campaign line: "Pets require patience. Advantage doesn't." Anyone who has ever had a pet understands this - while they're eternally endearing they are also at times very frustrating! It also gave us an excuse to use cute pictures of cats and dogs doing funny things, which (let's face it) is always going to be a winner for this market. The campaign didn't end up running but I still really like it.



Client: Bayer
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Darren Seddon
Creative Director: Joe Van Trump

University of New England

In the tertiary education category, it's quite hard for brands to differentiate themselves - after all, most universities appear to offer much the same thing. So when University of New England (UNE) came to us asking to stand out, we took them at their word. This resulted in the 'Little Boxes' campaign, which revolves around the 'sameness' of the world (and many other unis) and presented UNE as a means of escaping this kind of future. This campaign was intended to appeal to real individuals, who want more than just an 'ordinary' life... and thus, and well suited to the unique kind of learning experience that UNE provides. While not necessarily a ground breaking idea, this campaign is quite unique for the category and has definitely given UNE a point of difference over their competitors.



Client: University of New England, Armidale
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Darren Seddon
Creative Director: Joe Van Trump

ING Australia

The GFC was a tough time for everyone, and on its heels nearly every financial institution was on a bit of a mission to reassure their customers. Sadly, this is actually a hard thing to do and occasionally came across as patronising and not genuine. Fortunately our client ING was aware of this and asked us to create a campaign that was more direct and down to earth. With Billy Connolly as their spokesperson, ING can get away with a more casual and cheeky approach than some of their competitors. We used this to our advantage, creating a campaign that was all about 'cutting through the clutter' and getting to the point. These ran as outdoor, print and online executions over several months, along with a companion Adviser campaign.





Client: ING
Agency: LOUD Sydney
Writers: Emma Den-Ouden and Joe Van Trump
Art Director: Mo Shono

Census

In 2005, I was responsible for writing the entire Australian Census campaign. Obviously being a government job there were certain parameters, and it was very info-heavy. However using Ernie Dingo as our spokesperson allowed us to connect with a really diverse audience (i.e everyone) and get the job done without being too boring. Ernie featured in TVCs, a raft of press advertising and radio, which pulled together to create a nice simple and comprehensive campaign.







Client: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Agency: Euro RSCG
Writer: Emma Den-Ouden
Art Director: Simon Macrae
Creative Director: Dale Rhodes