Check out Uma Thurman’s severed head

A blog called Ironic Sans is feeling sorry for Uma Thurman after she seems to have had the same headshot grafted onto two different bodies in these movie posters for My Super Ex-Girlfriend. “If they weren’t going to do a good job, couldn’t they at least make it less obvious that it’s the exact same head?” the site complains. “And I think her (body double’s?) breasts are bigger in one shot than in the other.” (They go into the breast issue in greater detail, including an animated video comparing them.) I believe the poster on the right is the official one; perhaps the one on the left is an earlier version.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (7)

Coke’s ‘Happiness Factory’ has a dark side

Goovy new animated spot here from Wieden + Kennedy and Psyop that imagines all sorts of fantastical goings-on inside a Coke vending machine. All the little creatures seem happy and bubbly ... except for the snowmen, who appear to be getting slaughtered en masse as part of the bottle-chilling process. For the full effect, see a high-res version of the spot here. Spotted first at Beyond Madison Avenue.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (11)

Now back to the Cuervo guys in the studio

Cuervo has a new Web site, Cuervo Season, that parodies SportsCenter, with two doofuses sitting around talking about partying as though it were a professional sport. The guys promise to go over “all the X’s and O’s that go into having the perfect Cuervo season.” That means games, drink recipes, rules and equipment for sloshing back tequila—almost too much stuff. Which is why, dumb as it is, the best part might be the idle banter of the hosts—along with the occasional downing of shots or frozen margaritas—as they wait for you to make a selection.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bender vs. Al Gore, the environment debate

Movie Marketing Madness tipped us off to this clip in which Bender from Futurama discusses An Inconvenient Truth with Al Gore. This video is apparently part of the Paramount Vintage’s official marketing effort for the documentary.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (4)

Red Bull. For your least fun afternoons.

A jigsaw puzzle of 1,000 white pieces? Sounds like misery. Will a can of Red Bull help get you through it in one piece? Maybe. But it’ll still be an upsetting experience. It’s becoming ever clearer why Red Bull bought the MetroStars. It’s fast becoming the official drink of things that suck. This example of “ambient advertising” is brought to you by 10AM Communications in Singapore, via Ads of the World.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Is Priceline a bit unsure about Shatner?

Priceline has posted this new ad with William Shatner on YouTube, apparently to see whether people like it or not before spending actual money to air it on television. That seems odd. These days, if something has Shatner in it, you just have to believe in it. In fact, the only thing wrong with this ad is that it doesn’t have enough Shatner. You can’t go halfway with Shatner anymore. Via ClickZ News Blog.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Don’t leave home without your Condom-On

Condoms aren’t that hard to use; any flight attendant would be happy to demonstrate. But for men who just can’t seem to learn, here’s an infomercial for the Condom-On. “Using technology developed by NASA for the Mars Lander, the Condom-On has been aerodynamically optimized in wind tunnels to prevent air drag and ensure that your condom arrives at its destination ASAP,” says the Web site. There. Problem solved. Via Boing Boing.

—Posted by Tim Nudd 

Published on June 29, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fordboldmoves.com offers Ford 360°

Ford has begun to put its footage where its “Bold Moves” slogan is, releasing the first in a series of documentary-style short films meant to illustrate the company’s attempts to move forward. We’re sure most of the focus in the blogosphere/media will be on the films themselves, but the site is actually more intriguing when analyzed from the perspective of whether this advertiser “gets” new media or not. And Ford does. Not only has Ford made it easy to embed its video on blogs, as seen above, but the site presents a surprisingly unvarnished perspective on the state of the company. There are point/counterpoint posts on whether there is still such a thing as an American car, complete with some painful commentary from outsiders on the state of the company. (“I don’t own a Ford because Ford offers absolutely nothing like the car I purchased. The worst part? My family owns a Ford/LM dealership!”) It also includes a news feed from Yahoo! about Ford, which, when we stopped by the site this morning, was trumpeting that Standard & Poor's has downgraded the company’s credit rating. This site is a bold move indeed. A shout-out to to I-Boy for making sure this was on our radar screen.

—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor

Published on June 29, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (4)

In Boston, ride with Charlie at your peril

Boston has the oldest subway system in the nation. Paul Revere may have taken the Green Line on one stage of his ride. But the transportation authority is trying to move into the 21st century. This week, they introduced “CharlieTickets” on the midtown line I ride almost every day. Charlie, of course, is the hapless straphanger immortalized in a ditty four decades ago by the Kingston Trio. The lyrics begin: “Let me tell you the story of a man named Charlie. On a tragic and fateful day, he put ten cents in his pocket, kissed his wife and family, went to ride on the MTA.” But Charlie’s journey goes awry: “Did he ever return? No, he never returned. And his fate is still unlearned. He may ride forever ’neath the streets of Boston. He’s the man who never returned.” Always quick to embrace and celebrate failure (see Red Sox, 1919-2003), Boston’s subway honchos have dubbed 2006 “The Year of Charlie.” They’ve even emblazoned his visage on the new high-tech tickets. It’s a disturbing image: half a face, no nose. He’s hanging precariously out a subway-car window (which must be illegal; it’s certainly unsafe), holding out his ticket in an attitude of anguish and despair. Even allowing for artistic license, the concept is flawed. The guy got lost and is doomed to ride around forever. He is NOT a satisfied customer. The Web site promises that with a CharlieTicket, “you’ll be good to go!” Fare enough. But what a long, strange trip it will be.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on June 29, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (9)

Watch our network, or be eaten by rodent

As media continues to fragment, how do you get people to watch your shows? You tell them that if they don’t, an evil guinea pig will ravage their kidneys while they sleep. This campaign, from the twisted wreckage of Eric Silver’s brain at BBDO New York, advertises G4’s Midnight Spank block of late-night shows. See two other executions here and here. UPDATE: As Eddie points out in comments, the guinea-pig spot may have been inspired by a Masters of Horror episode called Dreams in the Witch-House. Here’s the trailer for that episode; it also features a murderous rodent (a rat, this time), and there’s even a shot of it sitting on the guy’s chest. Also, one of the other Midnight Spank spots linked above has a deer with a woman’s voice. Was that inspired by the Masters of Horror episode Deer Woman?

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 29, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (9)