How to make money from online scam artists

Ever get one of those "Excellent Opportunity!!!!" emails from an alleged Nigerian government official offering millions of bucks?

Me neither, actually. But last year, Rich Siegel, then a group creative director at Young & Rubicam Brands, decided, as the saying goes, to follow the money (and he even left Y&R to do so).

The result is Tuesdays with Mantu, a Borders book (available on Amazon.com), that cannily reprints (along with all the amazingly formal yet bogus documentation) Siegel’s actual (hilarious, insane, and at times, cruel) seven month-long e-mail relationship with one Mr. Ibrahim Mantu. Of course, the man deserves all he gets for offering more than $10 million (from a previous military regime) to Siegel, no strings attached. All Siegel had to do was assist in the transfer of the funds to the United States.

Determined to turn the tables on these Internet crooks, Siegel set up a fake e-mail account in the name of Richard Gosinya, and in the course of the exchange, heard not only from Mantu (a doctor/CPA/petroleum executive who aspires to elected office) but also from one Tajudeen Datti, who has a thing for Celine Dion, Barrister Thankgod Emeka Eze, and the lovelorn Mariam Abacha (widow of distinguished African General Sani Abacha.) It’s all in the book, which reads like a cross between Monty Python and the letters of Don Novello, Nigerian pidgin English version.

And by the ending, lest you think Siegel gets kind of vitriolic, the author is generously offering half of all book royalties to his Web of Nigerian email pals. All they need to do is apply for an American visa and meet him at 419 Tinkerbell Lane, Fantasyland, Disneyworld, USA.

—Posted by Barbara Lippert

Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (7)
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This rabbit's in a fine stew

With Easter coming early this year, AdFreak thought it only appropriate to spotlight Toby the Bunny, the floppy-eared protagonist of SaveToby.com. Toby, a straw-colored bunny rescued several months ago after a brawl with an alley cat (seen here in a pot), is the fluffy-footed friend often dreamed up by authors of children’s books. Considering his once-desperate plight, Toby himself might be content with a lifetime supply of rabbit pellets and a box of kitty litter;  his owner wants Toby to live like a king.

That’s why, his rescuer explains, he is asking visitors to the site to each contribute one dollar toward a $50,000 ransom – or HE WILL EAT HIM! In his own words, “On June 30th, 2005, Toby will die. I am going to take Toby to a butcher to have him slaughter this cute little bunny. I will then prepare Toby for a mid-summer feast.”

Now, I really have no problem with eating rabbits. They’re delicious, doc. But nursing the beast to health just to slaughter him, and naming him to boot? That’s twisted. The site not only includes an open letter to donors, but also a page full of rabbit recipes and photos of Toby on a plate filled with lettuce and carrots, in a boiling pot and on a cutting board.

Toby’s owner seems to have some qualms about the whole thing. “I don’t want to eat Toby, he is my friend and has always been the most loving adorable pet” the letter says. “However, god as my witness, I will devour this little guy unless I get $50,000 USD.” As of Feb. 26, Toby’s owner has raised over $16,380. Not a bad booty. But with June fast approaching, I'd start fattening Toby up right quick. You’re not going to get much meat off that sucker.

—Posted by Deanna Zammit

Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Oscar nominee! You're playing for an Amana range!

We always appreciate attempts by the folks at the Oscars to breathe some new life into the tired Academy Awards format; still, one of the innovations on last night’s show made us think we were watching Let’s Make a Deal instead of the most glamorous annual event in Hollywood, with Jeremy Irons playing the part of Monty Hall (pictured at right). Irons, and Laura Linney, were asked to give awards away from the aisles, which struck us as cheesy, not to mention denigrating to the categories which got the “in-the-seats” treatment. (Imagine Best Actor being handled this way.) We know it made the show move along faster—as did, for some categories, putting all of the nominees up on the stage before the award was announced—but rather than coming off as new, innovative ways to make the Oscars more interesting to watch, and to show more nominees, they just seemed like techniques to rush some of the less interesting categories off the program.

—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor

Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Friends forever (or just for now)

Remember when making friends was easy? So asks Social Circles, a New York social-networking group that organizes trips, activities and get-togethers. In a few commercials now airing from Mad Injection, the improv-fueled Mad Dogs & Englishmen spinoff, full-grown men race to the top of a playground slide—“Last one to the top pays for mojitos!”—and negotiate lunchtime sandwich trades. Actually, AdFreak doesn’t remember when making friends was easy, which is why we’re huddled behind our computer at 7 p.m. on a Friday night instead of enjoying a pre-night-club-hopping nap. Of course, it didn’t help that Mom used to pack cream cheese and Marmite sandwiches and only let us stay up long enough to watch Wheel Of Fortune. Bitter childhood memories aside, we marvel at the mileage Mad Injection creative chief Mikal Reich can get out of staffers, close friends and improv associates by casting them in his ads. (Even Reich himself appears in a spot.) Improvers come cheap, at least until they make it big as a talking head on The Best Week Ever.

—Posted by Deanna Zammit

Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Advertising's new wrinkle

Splenda’s under fire for calling itself sugar, Blockbuster for promoting its end to late fees, and McDonald’s for not advertising how unhealthy its food can actually be. Is there a new movement growing to put truth in advertising? A category rife for the picking is the $29 billion beauty industry, which spends about $6 billion in the U.S. to advertise all sorts of cosmetics, creams and perfumes. Wrinkles can be “prevented” or “disappear” in a day, sometimes even faster, spider veins can fade and cellulite reduced. It seems beauty products, from cheap store brands to luxury bottles, are making loftier claims every day. Maybe the products are actually getting better and we are getting closer to creating a real fountain of youth. But talk to a dermatologist and they’ll likely tell you most of the products can do none of the miracle work their packaging and advertising claim. And the fancy botanicals and scientific-sounding extras hardly make the difference. Funny thing is that most women I know still buy the product with the loftier price tag. Sometimes when it comes to aging, denial is the way to go, or at least—when it comes to advertising—fudging the truth.

—Posted by Eleftheria Parpis

Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Welcome the hybrid taxis

It’s a new excuse: Sorry, I was on my way in, but my cab’s battery ran out! San Francisco has become the first city in the nation to feature hybrid SUVs as taxis. Last week, mayor Gavin Newsom announced that two cab companies bought 15 Ford Escapes like the one shown here to add to the fleet of 1,500 taxis citywide. The switch is saving cab drivers a lot of cash at the gas pump. Now if only those savings could be passed along to the passengers. After all, according to a survey done last year, San Francisco is the most expensive city in the country in which to take a cab ride.

—Posted by Celeste Ward

Published on February 28, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Restoration and remembrance

The ad community is helping take part in a restoration project in Birmingham, Ala., the scene of some of the most violent incidents of the civil-rights movement. Lewis Communications, an independent Birmingham shop with about $60 million in annual billings, has donated three print ads (a detail from one is shown here) to help raise money for the $3.8 million restoration of the landmark Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church. The 130-year-old church was bombed by Ku Klux Klan members on a Sunday morning in 1963, killing four young black girls in a Bible study class. It took 38 years to find and convict the two men responsible, both now serving life in prison. The restoration effort is led by Carolyn McKinstry, who was in the Bible class that day, as president of the foundation formed for the project. The restoration of the church, which had fallen into extreme disrepair, has united blacks and whites in the city, McKinstry said. “We have heard from almost everyone,” McKinstry said in a written statement. “A lot of positive relations will remain as we have moved from a city divided in 1963 to a city united.”

—Posted by Jim Lovel

Published on February 25, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Party lines and the Oscars

Fahrenheit 9/11 isn't the only one of last year's movies about which Democrats and Republicans differ. They also can't agree on which Academy Award nominee ought to win the Best Picture award. In a new Harris Poll, a plurality of Democrats (29 percent) picked Ray as the film that ought to win. Million Dollar Baby was a distant second (17 percent), just ahead of The Aviator (16 percent). Among Republicans, The Aviator edged out Ray (25 percent vs. 22 percent), with nothing else registering in double digits. (Readers may insert their own jokes about Republicans' natural affinity for a billionaire industrial mogul.) Given Hollywood's political leanings, it's no surprise that Democrats were less likely than Republicans to answer "none of these" or "not sure" (23 percent of Democrats vs. 35 percent of Republicans) when asked to pick a deserving Best Picture nominee. 

—Posted by Mark Dolliver

Published on February 25, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (1)

A chilly reception

The upfront is a time media buyers are plied with food, drink and schwag. The Weather Channel is taking the ritual in a slightly different and colder direction on March 12, when it will bring together ad honchos for presentations at Quebec’s Ice Hotel.

The gimmick is to impress on advertisers that The Weather Channel is pretty serious about weather, serious enough to pitch them in frigid conditions. In a promise (or threat), The Weather Channel says it will acquaint advertisers with weather in a “very dramatic way” by spending a night in the 30,000 square foot igloo, sleeping on beds made of blocks of ice. The Ice Hotel says room temperatures rarely dip below 23 degrees. That’s Fahrenheit. Perhaps in a nod to the Geneva Convention, heated bathroom facilities are available.

The Weather Channel has plenty of activities planned to keep its hardy media folks warm, including dogsled races, snowmobiling and, of course, ice-sculpting lessons.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Photo credit: Xavier Dachez

Published on February 25, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Food for dogs or panacea for humans?

As a proud owner of TiVo, I rarely watch commercials anymore. But sometimes, as a professional courtesy, I will force myself to watch an entire hour-long broadcast, ads and all. It's good to know what's out there, in the way of new creative and new products. And last night, I've found another entry in the "do we really need this product?" category.

It seems dog food maker Iams, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, has created a new sauce to put on dry dog food to make it taste better. The spot reminded me of the old Gravy Train dry food, which promised a gravy-like substance when a little water was added to the food.

As a dog owner, I have been known to spoil my dog with silly treats and toys (like ice cream). I was even a frequent customer of Three Dog Bakery before it shut down in Chicago. But this strikes me as plain old going too far. Considering that the dog next door has been known to eat poop, I don't think bacon-flavored savory sauce is going to make much of a difference.

According to this site, dogs have far fewer taste buds than humans (but more than cats), though their keener sense of smell may contribute to some taste preferences. Either way, this product seems more designed for humans who can't stomach the idea of eating dried pellets every day.

Luckily, I'll be back to my TiVo tonight so I won't have to resist the urge to buy things my dog doesn't need.

—Posted by Aaron Baar

Photo credit: Iams

Published on February 24, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)