JKR

It’s the big day! We wish the happy couple well. The papers over this past week have been full of wedding related advertising, most of which hedges it’s bets along “a great way to celebrate the royal wedding (or just a day off)”. This probably offers a good mirror to the general split mood of the nation. but also suggests brands following a “let them have cake and eat it” approach, to mangle the Marie Antoinette quote. Perhaps this is why Marketing magazine reported that little of the activity achieved much cut through?

There have been some good limited edition brand initiatives, the most effective being for brands that fit the occasion – such as Pimms. The V&A were selling a nice poster by James Brown that did a nice job of updating the more chintzy traditional styling for such events…

But for my money the John Smiths commemorative (paper) plate was the best. Why? Because it nailed it’s colours to the mast rather than being mealy mouthed. Because it fits with the brands ‘no nonsense’ persona. And because it was funny, rather than fancy. A nicely subversive (if curiously un-branded) souvenir. Whatever your sentiments, we hope you have a lovely day.

See a comprehensive round up of other wedding related brand activity here.