CAMEL TROPHY
Danger and derring-do surge forth in this site. ”If climbing a live
volcano, riding white water rapids or exploring cultures turns you on,
then read on,” it demands.
Plumping for the final option, I read on - about Camel Trophy Adventure
fashion products, and about the 20 teams taking part in a competition
whose rules or purpose are never quite explained.
”You only have one life, so live it,” goes some of the way there, but not
far enough. And anyway, don’t you think that’s vastly ironic, given
Camel’s main line of business?
Web: www.cameltrophy.com
Client: Camel Trophy
Developer: Online Magic
TANGO/TIZER
Tango is an inverted commas, post-modern type of brand. And its
advertising is meta-advertising, aware of its own status and incredibly
successful with an ad-sated, media-savvy viewing public. As a brand, it
tries to be iconoclastic, cliche-defying, and engaging.
One thing it is not, however, is wacky - but that’s the one thing its web
site is. It just really looks like it’s trying, which is exactly the
opposite of how it should look.
There’s none of the breathtakingly original, brilliantly throwaway, almost
callous humour of the TV campaigns, where there’s a genuinely anarchic
sense of not quite knowing what’s going on.
Instead, there’s some stuff about a bloke who likes football (marvellous,
well done); some rubbish about the development of the ’Genus
Mischieviousa’, which is the gene behind Tango or something (I don’t know,
I really had given up by now); there’s even an amusing German scientist
character called Professor Hans Groppen-Tackle.
If it were a person, the site would put its underpants on its head at
parties and yell ’I’m a bit crazy, me’.
If it were an object, it would be a whoopee cushion. It’s like all those
rubbish Vauxhall bumpers which marred ITV’s World Cup coverage.
This site shows what can happen when you get it even slightly wrong.
Miss the point by a little way, and you’ll end up missing it by a
mile.
Rival soft drink brand Tizer, by contrast, doesn’t seem to quite know what
its brand positioning is, so it’s not in quite such a uniquely powerful
position to bugger it up.
The new site to promote its Tizer Ice brand is a bit strange - it has a
baffling game, some animation you can gawp at, some market research
dressed up as entertainment, and a bit where you can download music and
screensavers. Attention span: up to 10 minutes. But at least it wasn’t
annoying.
Web: www.tango.co.uk
Client: Britvic
Developer: Global Beach
Web: www.tizer.co.uk
Client: AG Barr
Developer: Brand New Media
THE SPECTATOR
”Originality of thought and elegance of expression are the sole editorial
constraints binding contributors to The Spectator,” we are told. So why
does its new web site make the oh so original statement: ”The Spectator
readership is rocketing into cyberspace”? And motoring onto the
superhighway too, no doubt.
The site’s content seems to be pretty much all repurposed from the
magazine.
That’s OK, as a lot is quite interesting, and you can access an archive of
old stuff, but what does The Spectator get out of this?
Perhaps it thinks it can use the web to drive subscriptions. But it really
should sort out its navigation. Hardly any of the links to restaurant
reviews link to the right review, for example, and 20 minutes of
frustrated button pressing still hasn’t got me into the Comment section.
Probably for the best.
Web: www.spectator.co.uk
Client: The Spectator
Developer: Lateral
WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
Most local government web sites eschew the simple provision of useful
information in favour of a general ’aren’t we great?’ PR whitewash job.
But Westminster City Council has wisely resisted any such temptation with
its web site.
The site has compendious quantities of information and should save the
council a fortune in answering confused phone calls from local residents
and businesses.
Residents will be particularly pleased that it actually delivers useful
services, such as allowing them to access recent planning
applications.
The drawback is that there’s so much information on offer that the site
becomes very difficult to navigate, and picking out what’s relevant to you
is a challenge. For example, is a non-thematic A-Z list really the best
way to present information about local services?
Web: www.westminster.gov.uk
Client: Westminster City Council
Developer: Intermedia Phd
G-TECH
How do you ’hip-up’ a brand? Do a site about clubbing, of course.
And Casio has done just that for its G-shock watch, hoping no doubt that
it will give its timepiece heinous amounts of street cred.
Only it doesn’t quite happen. The hectic screen environment (split-level
screen, redundant scroll bars) sets the right tone, but the site’s raison
d’etre is too hidden away. And there are deep flaws - such as offering a
choice of three languages, but really only providing English - and ill
thought-out navigation. It all seems a bit rushed.
Web: www.g-club.net
Client: Casio
Developer: Travis Sennett Sully Ross
FULLER’S
Your reviewer was more than averagely disposed to like this site, and is
probably not, as an enthusiastic consumer of this company’s products, its
most impartial judge. However, you’ll find it hard to stay interested in
it for very long.
The problem is that it all sounds like very breathy marketing copy.
For example, beer bores will be interested to know that Chiswick bitter is
made from a combination of Northdown and Challenger hops, but who really
wants to be told that it’s ”something fruity to look forward to, next time
you’re down the pub”?
A section promoting Fuller’s Brewery Tours looks like a good idea, until
you read it. It’s supremely brochure-esque, even to the extent of burying
time and price information right at the bottom. That might work on a
printed flyer, but it doesn’t when you have to scroll down to it on a
computer screen.
And answers on a postcard, please, why anyone would want a short, slightly
murky and extremely dull Shockwave tour of the Old Bank of England
pub.
Much better to go there and drink lots of beer.
Web: www.fullers.co.uk
Client: Fuller Smith & Turner
Developer: Vision Interactive
HI-TEC SPORTS
Things that people buy online: books, CDs, flights, shoes. Can you spot
the odd one out? That’s right, the one you have to try on before buying
it.
Elsewhere, the site has information about a Fantasy Tennis competition,
some of which is unreadable; plenty on how great its shoes are; and lots
of nice zoomy graphics. There’s also the claim ”Dennis Wise and Paul
Merson both choose to wear our boots.” How can you fail to be
impressed?
Web: www.hi-tecsports.com
Client: Hi-Tec Sports
Developer: Clockwork Web
PEUGEOT 206 AND RENAULT 214
Here are two French brands, both with a new car in the same class and new
sites to promote them. Yet what very different approaches, even if both
sport the necessaries about dealers, finance and insurance.
Peugeot clumsily attempts to distance its 206 model from being a mere
commodity through psuedo-philosophical headings such as ”How do you define
trust?” and ”The future is infinite”. Like, wow!
Since the site’s heritage lies with all those TV ads with cars and
thrilling music that never actually say anything about the cars, its no
surprise that a ’programming’ metaphor has been adopted for the web too,
with a new ’theme’ added every two weeks in the hopes that people will
return for another dose of style over content.
The Renault site is far less pretentious, and calls a car a car - there
are even vans on the home page. Proper, relevant subjects such as safety
and performance are tackled head-on, while the acres of white space give
it a slightly low-budget feel.
Such a pragmatic approach is surprising, given that the company so ably
made a lifestyle statement out of the Clio’s previous incarnation. But if
Nicole and her papa really have to be missing, then better a site like
this than a load of high-falutin’ twaddle.
Web: www.peugeot206.co.uk
Client: Peugeot
Developer: Brann Interactive
Web: www.renault.co.uk
Client: Renault
Developer: Optimedia Technology Solutions
HULA HOOPS
Remember Hula Hoops? Aren’t they riveted into your consciousness by
childhood memories and crazy ads?
United Biscuits must be hoping its new Hula Hoops web site will help to
reinforce that. But despite some games and competitions, we can’t see this
site entertaining many 10-year-olds for long. Maybe that’s why it has a
competition aimed at professional web designers on the same page as one
for schools. Designers are asked to submit a ”web site concept to be
included on the Hula Hoops web site” for a Å“4,500 prize. What a way to
advertise the fact that you’re devoid of ideas yourself.
Web: www.hulahoops.co.uk
Client: United Biscuits
Developer: Leo Burnett
CHOOSE BARCLAYS
Most people will be impressed by the covert delivery on this site of
information about Barclays’ bank accounts for young people.
The site is built on the safe premise that youngsters like films, and it
details new and current releases, reviews and interviews with stars such
as Jennifer Aniston, as well as competitions for different age groups.
But it also lets users apply for a Barclays bank account online and
details the different ones available. It’s a shame you have to scroll down
every page to see the last quarter of the screen.
Web: www.choose.barclays.co.uk
Client: Barclays
Development: The Creative Direction Partnership.
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