I always appreciate new spins on marketing, but allow me to indulge my inner codger for a minute and say this: Some of these newfangled integrated campaigns are giving me a headache. Today’s example is Sony’s Byzantine effort to spread buzz about 24: The Game. I’ve watched this explainer video quite a few times, and here’s my best take on how this works: 1) Get an e-mail from Sony with a link to a video. 2) Watch the video and get an e-mail with a link to another video. 3) Get a cigar box in the mail. 4) Look under false bottom of box to find a demo CD and a note from Kim Bauer. It’s even been “doused in her perfume.” Ugh. 5) Decode message on postcard. 6) Find code under stamp, taking you to ... 7) the aforementioned video about the marketing campaign. 8) Bash head into wall.
Least subtle slogan of the week goes to Soapy Rides, a car wash in England, whose husband-and-wife owners have been fined £1,000 for this gem. Far from being embarrassed about the ad, the wife sees it almost as a public service. It’s “caused great amusement,” she says. “We are surrounded by old warehouses, and this brightened up the area.”
You just can’t drive a giant hot dog around these days without getting crap from the cops. Police in Tuscon pulled the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile over on Wednesday afternoon and ran the plates to make sure it was street legal. After the “Y-U-M-M-Y” plates came back reported stolen, the cops took no chances and called for backup. Luckily, it was all a misunderstanding, and no shots were fired. The officer who pulled the vehicle over is now a bit of a laughingstock on the force. Says a colleague: “He’s just like, ‘I don’t believe this is happening.’ ”
Who says smoking is bad for your health? Let’s see, there’s the Surgeon General, the American Legacy Foundation and cigarette companies themselves, in those warnings on the sides of packs. But don’t believe it! Just ask “Zippo Owner” of Garland, Texas, whose tale is featured as part of the lighter company’s 75th anniversary print and online ad campaign, called Zippo Stories. He writes: “We were deployed along the Vietnam/Cambodian border. ... During the ensuing firefight, I thought I had been shot when I felt a powerful hit on the left side of my chest.” Guess what? He survived because “my Zippo had been in my left shirt pocket and had taken a direct hit from an AK-47 round!” There’s no way to check the veracity of that story, but I’m sure a company that makes cigarette lighters would never dream of making it up. Zippo’s inviting consumers to submit stories of their own. Here’s mine: I was trying to hail a cab when some guy lit up with a Zippo and blew smoke in my face, and as I was coughing, he climbed into my cab and drove away. True story? You never know!
This soft-drink graveyard (“A tribute to soft drinks no longer with us”) sure takes me back. I think I was 10 when Crystal Pepsi first appeared in vending machines, and I actually liked the stuff. Not sure what that says about me, since everyone else on earth hated it. Actually, most of these drinks are Pepsi products, with the exception of Orbitz (“No seriously, guys, people like random whatsit floating in their drinks!”) and New Coke, a beverage so contemptible that conspiracy theories surfaced in an attempt to explain its cataclysmic suckage. The graveyard’s proprietor “can’t afford new soda because [he] bought too much 10-year-old soda.” Sweet Jesus, old junk food is that valuable? Remind me to stockpile cans of this so I can get rich in 10 years. Via Presurfer.
Anyone who drinks beer regularly has thought of making popsicles from it. Some of us may have even tried it. But the Hopsicle is the first time I’ve seen one for sale. Yes, the chef at Rustico’s in New York City accidentally froze a beer one day and felt a lightbulb click on in his brain. The article does note how common a revelation this is—it’s “something that many of us have probably done, but have never tried to sell”—but they praise the guy’s entrepreneurial spirit. And they should. This could open up a new category of summertime refreshment. Can the beer milkshake be far behind? What about the Orange Julius screwdriver? I guess you’d have to keep kids away from things like this. And of course, a hangover is bad enough without adding brain freeze to it.
Encouraging violence as a path to self-improvement? How could that possibly spark criticism? But yes, in a move that’s probably been expected since the ad was concepted, British authorities have pulled a subway poster that uses the tagline, “Inner peace through outer violence.” It’s part of a Wieden + Kennedy campaign for the video game Burnout Dominator. The campaign, which created a fake Tibetan philosophy called “Kah Ra Shin,” is actually pretty clever. But can you really blame London’s Tube riders for being a bit sensitive about things that celebrate violence?
There’s some sports hoopla going on at Fenway Park—but it doesn’t involve the Red Sox. John Henry and some other guys have a Nascar venture, and they’re looking to build momentum for this weekend’s Nextel Cup competition in Loudon, N.H. Supposedly, New England is the lone region of our great nation where Nascar hasn’t caught on. (We pahk the cah in Hahvahd yahd around here. Speeding leads to wagging pinkies.) Idea: As long as tomorrow’s “Rousch Fenway Racing Day” is sponsored by Gillette, why not enlist some of those celebs from Fast Cars & Superstars: Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race for the local team? Well, not Jewel. She’d make attendance dip even further. But Shatner should put some people in the seats. And that Bubble Band Cartel is available. They could compete as “The Racing Car-tel.” The hyphen makes it work, people! I’m sorry, I just want an iPhone so much ... it’s made this item go astray. I’ve been camping out in front of the AT&T store for three days. It rained all night, and rats ate my shoes. The iPhone folds out into a Nascar racer—I just know it does.
This brilliant commercial for Amnesty International won gold for TBWA Paris in Cannes. Wonderful animation, hypnotic music. I guess you could quibble that floating upward on a balloon might not be the best idea during a firefight, but of course it’s all a dream anyway. Also noteworthy: these brutal banner ads from DDB for Amnesty International Turkey.
The Spice Girls are officially getting back together. For those inclined to view this as positive news, here’s the old Spice Girls “Generation Next” spot for Pepsi. Now, as the Spice Mums, they may need to find a less youthful brand to promote. The group’s comeback in ads began earlier this year with this Citibank commercial, featuring their old song “Wannabe.” UPDATE: David reminds me that I’m grossly remiss for not mentioning Baby Spice’s so-bad-it’s-good Prego ad.
Here’s the anti-speeding commercial that has Australia snickering this week. It’s from the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority, and it suggests that guys who speed on the roads may be lacking in other areas. As a guy peels out and screeches down the street, women on the side of the road and a guy in the backseat wag their pinky fingers in derision. “Speeding. No one thinks big of you,” is the tagline. A rep from the traffic authority believes the commercial “will cause people who are speeding to think twice about the image they are creating.” They might want to think about subbing in a Hummer and running the same spot here in the U.S.
This boomerang aficionado is either really excited about CiCi’s Pizza’s $5 endless buffet, or it’s just a stepping stone on the road to whatever it is he’s trying to do with his life. Read more here. For a fake, it’s pretty convincing, and some people were fooled. “Not only do we have to be concerned with how fast food is destroying our children,” says true believer EastSouth44 in the YouTube comments, “now we have to be concerned with its advertisements too.” Let’s hope a YouTube video never questions the existence of Santa or the Easter Bunny. At least one other commenter has the sense to point out the sweet ghetto blaster in the background of this video. Add a few Adidas tracksuits and some Krylon, and we’ll end up with this. Concocted by Deutsch/LA.
Commercial success is a funny thing. Take, for instance, the Black Keys. They are perhaps one of the most talented rock duos in the world, but they can’t get a song on the radio or MTV. Despite that, millions of people hear them almost daily. Why? Because their high-octane bluesy riffs are used to sell everything from bras to cell phones. They’ve been featured in big-budget TV spots for Victoria’s Secret, American Express, Sony Ericsson and Nissan (couldn’t find that one online). In a recent interview, drummer Patrick Carney said commercials were about the easiest way to pay the rent. “The only thing you have to do is take the flak.” But even an emerging band from Akron has its limits: “We don’t take everything we get. We turned down a Hummer ad.” Illustration by Justin DeGarmo.
This Australian commercial (possibly not safe for work) for Nando’s restaurants may win awards for most convoluted premise. The plot goes something like this: Mom can’t stop thinking about Nando’s chicken, so she resorts to using some special Nando’s craving-control products—first the Nando-fix patch, but that’s awkward, because she’s a stripper, and the patch goes on your backside, which is distracting for customers who are trying to enjoy your butt-wagging, so she goes with the Nando-fix gum, which allows her to make tons of money stripping and control her cravings until she can enjoy a nice dinner at Nando’s with her wholesome family. See some print work from Nando’s here, which is just as classy. Via AdPulp.
There’s so much news this week about violence on TV, I decided to interview an expert, 24’s Jack Bauer, to get his perspective on the subject. Q: What do you say to those who believe there’s a “causal link” between TV violence and violent behavior in kids? Jack: I’m federal agent Jack Bauer, and today is the longest day of my life. Q: But how do you respond to the senators who insist we need to clean up the airwaves? Jack: I know you think what you’re doing is right. But it is my job not to let that happen. I swear to God I will hurt you before I kill you, and no one will be able to stop me. Q: They claim there’s a good reason broadcasters should exercise more restraint. Jack: The only reason that you’re conscious right now is because I don’t want to carry you. Q: Bottom line: When it comes to the government curbing TV violence ... Jack: This is NOT going to happen. Q: Allowing the marketplace to police itself is what a free society is all about. Thank you, Jack Bauer. Jack (draws gun): See you in hell. *All Jack Bauer dialogue from Fox’s 24. —Posted by David Gianatasio
You know those guys who write “First” in the comments on every blog before anyone else can respond? Well, they do the same thing in real life. In this case, Long Islander and “serial firstie” Greg Packer (shown here) will be the first person to score an iPhone at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Packer has been interviewed as a man on the street more than 100 times, and has used his acute sense of when and where lines form to meet celebrities and former presidents, and get first dibs at the Ground Zero viewing platform. In related news, Johnny Vulkan from New York agency Anomaly is waiting in line at the SoHo store to buy an iPhone so he can sell it on eBay and send the proceeds to Keep a Child Alive. It’s nice to know that people with too much free time occasionally donate some of it to charitable causes.
Advertisers aren’t going awry when they sign up Tiger Woods as a celebrity spokesman. For the second year running, Woods topped the voting in a Harris Poll that asked adults to pick their favorite sports star. Derek Jeter was the runner-up. Peyton Manning, the prominent commercial actor who has been known to dabble in pro football, came in at No. 8 on the list. Showing remarkable staying power, the retired basketballer-plus-baseballer Michael Jordan came in third. When asked to name their favorite female sports star, respondents put Serena Williams atop the list, with Danica Patrick, Venus Williams, Mia Hamm and Maria Sharapova filling out the top five.
Newcreatives.com wanted to shake things up at Cannes, so they got a professional streaker named Mark Roberts to disrupt the Film awards. Except he didn’t streak—he kept a pink tutu on. What’s the point of that? Way to push the envelope, guys. See video here and pics here.
OK, folks, I need some help with this one. Is the point of this Nintendo DS ad that Nicole Kidman doesn’t understand the complex hand gestures of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” or that her accent is throwing off Nintendo’s voice-recognition software? The first theory doesn’t reflect well on Ms. Kidman. The second doesn’t do any favors for Nintendo. This is officially the first spot that’s ever made me want to pat a superstar on the head reassuringly and say, “There there, dear. A lot of people have trouble with that.” Via Best Week Ever.
You can’t help but be charmed by this Argentine commercial for Ariel laundry detergent, in which lovesick high-school kids take their crushes’ half-eaten leftovers and ferret them away as souvenirs—a touching gesture, though one that may foreshadow less cute, restraining-order type issues down the road. Their obsessive hoarding also happens to stain their clothes, which is where Ariel comes in. The reworked version of the Penguins’ “Earth Angel” is the perfect accompaniment. The spot is by Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi in Buenos Aires, which also won a silver in Cannes for outdoor Ariel ads.
Back in the dot-com days, Pseudo founder Josh Harris did this interesting/freakish “public art experiment.” He called it “We Live in Public,” and it involved outfitting his loft with cameras, including his bedroom and the bathroom. Now, Poke New York, the new stateside offshoot of digital agency Poke London, is trying this tack with its Web site. The site features a live webcam of the agency’s offices. Visitors can ask questions of employees, even make the dialogue two-way by turning on their own webcams. During a quick pop-by, AdFreak spied a garish sofa with what one fellow visitor identified as a “walking piece of poop” on it (not the guy shown here). Not much was happening, so we asked for Poke partner Tom Ajello, whom you may remember as the star of the Agency.com Subway pitch video. Sure enough, Tom ambled over to the sofa with his laptop. Then the conversation really got going, with other visitors chiming in. A transcript: ChadsworthMcB: Have you considered giving up? steve: take your feet off the furnature, meat jeff: shit
To stop viewers from changing the channel, ABC Family is launching a “Tease ’n’ Reveal” program next year. That name does pique one’s interest, but this is ABC Family, not Spike TV, so don’t get your hopes up. According to Mediaweek, the idea is to “couple pre-break trivia with a push to the channel’s Web site, where viewers can answer the onscreen questions for a chance at winning a prize.” That’s all well and good, but if I’m not mistaken, wouldn’t that mean viewer eyeballs would no longer be glued to the TV but focused across the room someplace, staring at the Internet? A network exec explained, “We listened to our advertisers and are attempting to address their needs.” Oh, now I get it—the advertisers told ABC Family they needed content more compelling than the network’s. Though I can’t imagine what could be more compelling than this afternoon’s Gilmore Girls episode, titled “Dead Uncles and Vegetables.”
We’ve seen our share of tattooed foreheads and other body advertising here on AdFreak, but this one takes the cake (and didn’t leave much for anyone else, judging by the size of that gut). This is Mr. Greg Hoffman, winner of last Thursday’s 11th annual Water World Belly Flop Contest in Denver, whose giant competitive stomach has become a creative canvas for local sponsor KYGO-FM. It’s a sign of true celebrity for Hoffman, a four-time champion flopper, as none of the other competitors seem to have attracted belly stencils. Via Neatorama.
Since earlier we sang the creative praises of DraftFCB, it is time to turn our attention to the agency’s data work. The shop sent out a press release last week with the “results” of its customer intelligence team’s “text mining” of the buzz at Cannes. Sounds fancy, though it seems like we’re talking about putting Cannes + [term] into Google News and Technorati. In any event, the results aren’t shocking. Hot: ideas, interactive stuff, paeans to consumer control. Not: business results. (Wait, no one was talking about ad effectiveness at Cannes? Seriously?) DraftFCB provides a hard-to-understand matrix, where concept balls of varying sizes are all connected to each other with lines.
