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 Perhaps part of an effort to put a more sober face on erectile dysfunction, Viagra-peddler Pfizer has launched an "unbranded educational campaign" starring sensitive, silver-haired sexpert Dr. Drew Pinsky. (I guess this a more respectful approach to the topic than Levitra's pitch, which showed Mike Ditka throwing a football through a tire swing.) And the tactic just might work for middle-age house fraus who associate Dr. Drew with his Today show appearances. But I still remember the guy’s late night call-in show, Loveline. My college roommate and I enjoyed many a post-kegger viewing of the MTV show, writhing in disgust—that’s right, disgust; Sorry guys—as straight man Dr. Drew and fratboy comic Adam Carolla talked smack about callers' bizarre proclivities, most of them too X-rated to mention here, before dispensing advice. Had Pfizer probed the 20- to 30-something demographic—okay, maybe not their target—perhaps the company would have found another sober sex doc.
—Posted by Deanna Zammit
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Published on April 14, 2006 | Permalink
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 We’d hate to defend Toilet Boy, that maladjusted clogger of drains at TBWA\Chiat\Day, but isn’t he simply adhering to the agency’s philosophy, even if he’s taken things a bit too far? Have a look at this funny old sign hung on the outside of the TBWA\C\D building in L.A. The agency doesn’t seem too bothered to be filled with “anarchists, schmoozers, dictators, grandstanders, purists, malcontents, philosophers, lollygaggers, visionaries, cheerleaders,” etc. Toilet Boy is certainly a malcontent, and he may be an anarchist. Plus a lollygagger, if he’s spending that much time in the bathroom. The sign doesn’t mention toilet cloggers, but metaphorically, it sort of fits right in.
—Posted by Tim Nudd
Photo: austin/Flickr.com
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Published on April 14, 2006 | Permalink
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We already knew that ThinkTank3 had Crispin, Porter + Bogusky in its crosshairs, but we didn’t realize to what extent until we opened the first issue of the New York shop’s email newsletter this morning, called, appropriately, “Trigger.” (And you thought AdFreak was Crispin-obsessed.) As part of a diatribe about the new VW campaign, it asks, “why is the new work for VW's GTI so bad? That's the word on the street. People already didn't like VWs enough to buy them—price and performance being the factors, not the advertising. Now, they don't like what the brand stands for either. Hmmm. How is that possible? Good agency, good client, what went wrong?" To sign up for the newsletter, go to the site's home page and click on "Sign Up to Receive News from TT3." You can read the first issue at this link.
—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor
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Published on April 14, 2006 | Permalink
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 As a rule, I don’t get out of bed until most people are nearly seated at their desks, so I woke up way too late to take advantage of this early morning Times Square giveaway for Coke Blak, a coffee-infused soda. Luckily X-Entertainment was around to catch the whole thing (with pics). I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I’m for anything that promotes soda as a morning bevy. After all, it has all the same chemicals to get you going in the AM—caffeine, sugar, phosphoric acid. Quite frankly, I’m surprised Coca-Cola hasn’t seized on this marketing tactic before. Obesity epidemic be damned! If Americans can order up a mid-morning Frappucino, why not a bottle of Coke Blak?
—Posted by Deanna Zammit
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Published on April 14, 2006 | Permalink
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We’re not exactly sure who AndrewAndrew are (is?), but particularly on a Friday, when work is turning into less of a priority, it’s worth checking out the AndrewAndrew site. Guess you could say it’s a pop culture compendium filled with extremely random observations on things such as the return of Tab, Bonne Maman butter cookies, and the trend toward “human eyes on animal heads.” They are delivered via audio podcast and video podcast (and as the site points out, you don’t need a video iPod to watch a video podcast). You can also check out the AndrewAndrew MySpace page here, which notes that AndrewAndrew “were voted most likely to have an internet radio show by the readers of Better Homes and Gardens.”
—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor
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Published on April 14, 2006 | Permalink
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TBWA\Chiat\Day’s battle against the elusive and disgusting Toilet Boy (see below) has brought back memories of other classic ad-agency memos. One of them, concidentally, also involved toilet paper. It was sent by Brendan Ryan to all staff at Foote Cone & Belding in New York after the agency’s 2003 move to West 33rd Street. In an impressive 1,600 words, Ryan mused on everything from the gritty charm of the new neighborhood (“kind of like NYPD Blue ‘live’”) to the bathroom amenities (“little shelves will be installed in all the stalls, thereby significantly reducing the number of cell phones tumbling into toilet bowls”). He was less impressed by the toilet paper itself. “The decision to buy toilet paper costing about $2 per 1,000 rolls has been revoked,” he declared. He also outlined the strategy for eradicating rodents. We’re “knocking off on average eight mice per day,” he wrote, “and now moving from the sticky traps to the cream cheese and whack ’em on the head type traps.” Another classic agency memo came from Jeff Goodby, in which he ripped into unknown Goodby, Silverstein & Partners employees after smelling pot smoke in the office at 10 a.m. one morning. With indications “strongly suggesting that it was someone from, say, the creative department,” Goodby reminded staff that indulging while clients and prospects are in the office “threaten[s] people’s jobs and well-being. I am concerned for the person or people who feel it necessary to light up at such an hour. This is not good for you—in either a personal or a professional sense.” Goodby signed off with a flourish: “Please note that we emphatically pay you for what you do straight here—no matter what you may deliriously believe. ... The price of freedom, lack of censorship and a championing of strange behavior is a little bit of fucking judgment. Please pay that price for me. For us all. Thank you.”
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 14, 2006 | Permalink
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Here’s to the crazy ones, TBWA\Chiat\Day likes to say—unless, of course, you’re talking about the asshole in the New York office who keeps plugging up the damn toilets. The men’s room on the 6th floor was closed recently thanks to “a genius in this agency who feels compelled to stuff the mens’ room toilet bowls with paper towels, and now has moved on to newspaper,” Mary Cabrera writes in an all-staff e-mail leaked to AdFreak. “Due to this highly mature act, building staff are regularly called in to fix this, and we are now faced with having major repairs done. Not only is this costing the Agency money, it’s highly inconveniencing both Agency and building staff. I’m hopeful that the person responsible will cease this stupidity immediately. If not, we’ll do our best to find out who you are and ensure you’re stuffing toilets at some other company. Thanks to everyone else for your patience.” Has now moved on to newspaper? This clearly is not your everyday gastrointestinal crisis. How long before Toilet Boy strikes again—or moves on to magazines? Has anyone else had to deal with this kind of problem at work?
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 14, 2006 | Permalink
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 If you’re a marketing veep, you may have spent the last couple of weeks being harangued by pre-recorded voicemails from Hammerhead Advertising. The ads, recorded as skits with the help of an improv actor, depict various agency execs trying to break through a client’s impenetrable fortress, battling overzealous security guards and smarmy receptionists, one of whom accuses the caller of selling him “laxative chocolates” the previous day. Thankfully, these spate of calls ended yesterday and, while the execs over at the N.J. shop said they’ve gotten an impressive 50 percent response rate—some amused, some angry—I suggest they examine just what these tactics say about them. 1. They’re innovative. 2. They like sophomoric, improv-ish comedy. 3. They have such a hard time getting prospects to take their calls, they’ve resorted to telemarketing their wares.
—Posted by Deanna Zammit
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Published on April 13, 2006 | Permalink
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 In case you were wondering just how good you have it, let Money magazine’s "Best Jobs in America" list reconfirm that the media biz is good. Real good. Of the top 50 jobs in America, market research analysts—ROI anyone?—have the sixth-best job in America, while “advertising managers” (a.k.a. media buyers) are just edged out of the Top 10. PR jobs are ranked at 20 while copywriters come in at 25 and account execs are rated at 26. I guess art directors, which didn't make the list at all, will have to take comfort in their uber-funky eyeglasses and impeccably decorated apartments. All in all, not too shabby. So stop whining about your clients not respecting you as "partners." Apparently, you have the better jobs.
—Posted by Deanna Zammit
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Published on April 13, 2006 | Permalink
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 I am, as I write, on the phone trying to activate my Bank of America card. I’ve done all the right things—entered my bank card number, my expiration date, last four numbers on my social security number—but do I get to have my card activated to the soothing sounds of Yanni? No. I get to sit through a histrionic pitch for their identity theft protection services, which the recorded message tells me “is one of the best ways to stop thieves from destroying everything you’ve worked so hard to accomplish.” Scare tactics. Nice. You know, eventually, you have to set a captured audience free. And if they don't come back to you, it's your own fault. At least Fallon’s approach for Citibank had America laughing all the way to identity protection. Come to think of it, I’m switching back to WaMu, where the nice guy in the blue polo shirt feeds penned up bankers big vats of caviar and champagne from a hamster bottle. Who says advertising doesn’t work?
—Posted by Deanna Zammit
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Published on April 13, 2006 | Permalink
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 Enjoyable Sprite commercial here from Ogilvy in Buenos Aires in which teenagers stuff their bras and have threesomes and then get ratted out by their friends and family, all in good fun, of course. After all, this is just “things the way they are.” How better to appeal to teens than through their catty, gossipy side? Via ’boards.
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 13, 2006 | Permalink
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Filed under Threesomes
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 The farflung Burger King universe is getting odder by the day, judging by this nice and creepy overseas print ad from Young & Rubicam in Turkey. The copy at the bottom reads, “Burger King fish menu,” and the feathered flock is obviously keen on having it their way. Maybe the King is a Hitchcock fan. Spotted at Advertising for Peanuts.
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 13, 2006 | Permalink
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Filed under Burger King, Y&R
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 Check out this TV spot (scroll down below the print ad) created by a progressive women’s group in Belgium for Equal Pay Day. Organized first in the U.S., Equal Pay Day is observed in April to indicate how far into each year the typical woman must work to earn as much as the typical man earned in the previous year. This year’s Equal Pay Day is April 25. Link via Houtlust.
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 13, 2006 | Permalink
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 Mystery solved! This is why I’ve had that sappy 1985 Atlantic Starr hit “Secret Lovers” (“How could something so wrong be so right?”) in my head for a week. It’s the music in a new TBS promo I saw recently that suggests that Lord of the Rings characters Sam and Frodo were gay lovers, not just devoted, muddy, platonic hobbits. Some think the promo is hysterical; others say it’s downright blasphemous. There has to be some in-between. It’s pretty funny, but why do men always have to be called gay if they have solid friendships? It was not an issue for these guys. Not everything is about sex. What is this Brokeback Mountain-ing of everything lately?
—Posted by Celeste Ward
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Published on April 12, 2006 | Permalink
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 A cricket club in the U.K. has been told it’s just bloody inappropriate to accept a sponsorship from a sex-shop chain called Nice ’n’ Naughty, reports the BBC. The team is having to give back the money and ditch their new uniforms, under pressure from its league. A team official complains: “Obviously, we knew that Nice ’n’ Naughty is not to everybody’s taste, but we didn’t realize it would cause this much of a problem. We are living in 2006. It’s not like the old days when these shops were seedy, back-street affairs. Other teams in the league are sponsored by breweries, and the league itself is sponsored by a gambling firm, Littlewoods Gaming. If alcohol and gambling are considered to be appropriate, then why not an adult shop?”
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 12, 2006 | Permalink
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 In late 1984, right after the presidential election, Apple bought all of the ad pages in a single issue of Newsweek and ran a splashy 39-page Macintosh advertisement by Chiat/Day, with most of the creative work done by Penny Kapousouz and Steve Rabosky. GUIdebook has the entire ad section posted online, with screen grabs and transcribed copy, and it’s a great period piece. The section opens with this text: “Last Tuesday, several million of you demonstrated the principle of democracy as it applies to politics. One person, one vote. Throughout this magazine, we’re going to demonstrate the principle of democracy as it applies to technology. One person, one computer.” For the story behind the ad section, check out this piece from The New York Times.
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 12, 2006 | Permalink
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It's not so surprising that after her little trip to rehab Kate Moss was able to resurrect her endorsement deals with fashion marketers, such as Calvin Klein. But it is surprising to learn that Moss now has signed an endorsement deal with an advertiser who's not part of the Seventh Avenue cabal, and that it's a brand, spanking new arrangement. Moss has been named spokesmodel (well, actually, she doesn't speak in the ads) for the Nikon Coolpix S6, a new camera targeted toward the youth market. Print starts tomorrow, and there's a few teaser visuals at stunningnikon.com, but the bulk of the effort starts in May. Weirdly, the effort on the Web site will let people take pictures of Moss and bid on items of hers. You'd think after the "Cocaine Kate" episode, she'd be a little less willing to let just anyone take a picture of her.
—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor
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Published on April 12, 2006 | Permalink
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 Rather than being an unmitigated disaster, Washington state’s “SayWA” tourism campaign may be a trendsetter. In another step forward for postal codes in advertising, the Missouri Division of Tourism is now inviting people to “VisitMO.” In the first TV spot, people say things like, “I’m a visitMO-at-night kind of guy” and “A guy’s gotta visitMO when a guy’s gotta visitMO.” You may gather that visiting Missouri is a lot like making an urgent trip to the bathroom. But the second TV spot offers even stranger innuendo—something Ohio might advertise with a line like, “OHyes.” Thanks to Ben for passing this along.
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 12, 2006 | Permalink
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When your industry is getting ugly press, hire a beautiful spokesperson. That may be the thinking at Land Rover, which has just signed the extremely downloadable Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova to a multiyear endorsement deal. Maria apparently always craved an SUV, and not just your average gas-guzzling Chevy Tahoe. “Having the right transportation is very important to me, as it takes me to practice, to the game and to all my personal appearances,” Sharapova says (or was told to say) in the press release. “When I won Wimbledon, I told myself, ‘Now I can have a Land Rover.’ Now that I am driving myself, I love the protection and style that this adds to my daily commute.” In other Sharapova news, check out these ads for the Italian Tennis Tournament over at Adland. They may be the first ads to use Sharapova but intentionally blur out her features.
—Posted by Tim Nudd
Photo: Land Rover/David Fukumoto
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Published on April 12, 2006 | Permalink
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For drug makers, developing a popular prescription medicine can do wonders for the bottom line. Unless, of course, the medicine leaves its users worse off than they were, or even kills then. Then it can be a real money pit. Take Vioxx, for instance. For Merck, it’s four down and another 9,996 to go—lawsuits, that is, over the once-popular prescription pain reliever, which Merck removed from the shelves in 2004 after users started keeling over in disproportionate numbers from heart attacks and strokes. Yesterday, a jury awarded a New Jersey plaintiff who suffered a heart attack after using the drug $9 million in punitive damages after concluding that Merck had misled the public about the health risks. That’s on top of the $4.5 million that the plaintiff and his wife were awarded last week in compensatory damages. A CNN/Money report estimates that some 10,000 lawsuits have been filed by former Vioxx takers. So far, Merck has won two cases and lost one. Not a bad stat in baseball, but a little fuzzier when it comes to quarterly profits. Little wonder Merck has already decided to appeal the verdict.
—Posted by Steve McClellan
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Published on April 12, 2006 | Permalink
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So evidently my reputation for enjoying a good yeast and malt beverage has made it all the way to Vermont. Apparently thinking of the more adult consumer, Ben & Jerry’s has devised that most Irish of flavors, Black & Tan. I’m not sure what “real cream stout” ice cream tastes like, but I’m hoping it’s available on Free Cone Day (April 25, for those of you who haven’t yet marked your calendars). Finally, a way for a man to mourn a breakup!
—Posted by Aaron Baar
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Published on April 11, 2006 | Permalink
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You may have heard that a writer for the New York Post’s Page Six has been accused of trying to extort money from a rich businessman. The alleged deal: The often-truculent gossip section would go easy on billionaire Ronald Burkle if he’d funnel a couple hundred-thousand bucks to the writer, Jared Paul Stern. While media coverage has focused on the journalistic ethics (or lack thereof) of the case, surely this is missing the big picture. If the allegations are true, the Post’s writer has pointed the way toward a new revenue stream for an industry that sorely needs one. There are lots of rich individuals and companies that would gladly pay to have themselves excused from coverage in newspapers’ pages. And let’s face it: After years of cutting their newsroom staffs, many papers are better equipped to not-cover stories than to cover them, so such deals would play to the industry’s current strength. What’s needed is a transparent program of regular fees, based on how wealthy the person or company is and how nasty the unwritten stories would have been. This way, the money can go into the newspapers’ coffers (rather than into the pockets of overeager freebooters) and help to underwrite quality journalism. Now, who could be against that?
—Posted by Mark Dolliver
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Published on April 11, 2006 | Permalink
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You may have heard of Febreze’s Scentstories, the bizarre scented discs you spin in a special container like a CD, except they give off smells rather than sounds. They come in six fragrances: “Exploring a Mountain Trail,” “Shades of Vanilla,” “Strolling Through the Garden,” “On a Tropical Island,” “Wandering Barefoot on the Shore” and “Relaxing in the Hammock.” (The last time I was in a hammock, I was sweating out a fever in a jungle, and I smelled more like death than roses, but that’s another story.) Anyway, this is the kind of obnoxiously precious consumer product that begs to be taken down a notch. Here to do just that is Minor Tweaks, a Web site run by a guy named Tom who loves to initiate absurd correspondence with corporations. Here’s what he writes to Febreze: “You say that Febreze Scentstories are better than candles. While I’m sure that’s true, I’m not certain you really drive the point home to the consumer. Candles are dangerous. You might accidentally burn down the house with them. Scentstories, however, are safe; they almost certainly won’t kill you. Consider this slogan: ‘All the stink-killing power of candles without the extreme danger of fire.’ Just a thought. Keep up the fine-smelling work!” Click over to Minor Tweaks to read Febreze’s unintentionally comical reply. Spotted at Consumerist.
—Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on April 11, 2006 | Permalink
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