Ecstatic simian drummer loves Phil Collins

I don’t know what this has to do with Cadbury Dairy Milk, but it’s funny. Among gorilla drummers, it seems the work of Phil Collins inspires a genuine cosmic connection. Created by Fallon London’s Juan Cabral, one of the creatives behind the Sony Bravia “Balls” spot.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 31, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (26)
Filed under Cadbury, Fallon

Fox putting its fake-news expertise to work

As if there were any line left between art and commerce, Fox is dispatching fake news vans to promote its new Kelsey Grammer sitcom, Back to You, about a pair of news anchors at a local TV station. Leftie wags would accuse the real Fox News of being largely fake, but I’d never stoop so low. The promo vans will cruise Boston, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend, and actors wearing news blazers will dispense pens and other freebies. That’s an idea the real news media should adopt; it could only improve our image with most Americans. Taking its cue from the Simpsons Movie tie-in that “Simpsonized” user photos, there’s also a Back to You “Anchorizer” site that creates images of users at a desk with the show’s stars. That should give embattled CBS anchor Katie Couric a way to pass the time if her ratings slip any lower and she winds up unemployed.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 31, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (15)

McEnroe is back, but who is the umpire?

This new AmEx ad with John McEnroe, airing during the U.S. Open, is a fun way to dramatize the card’s dispute-resolution services. But it leaves you wanting to know more about the umpire McEnroe visits—supposedly a nemesis of his from the ’85 U.S. Open. It sounds like he calls him Klaus Umlaut, which would mean he shares a cartoony name with a scary Joel Veitch creation. AmEx’s behind-the-scenes video, included on the site, isn’t any help either. This is going to bother me every 1.3 minutes during the coverage now, which is about how often the commercial runs. Meanwhile, here’s another amusing new McEnroe ad, this one for Tesco in the U.K., in which McEnroe and Björn Borg get competitive at the grocery store.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 31, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (5)

Hulu hoping for a little hoodoo voodoo

Now we know: The eagerly anticipated online video channel from News Corp. and NBCU, the one designed to take on YouTube, will be called Hulu. I think it’s fair to say no one saw that name coming. You can almost feel the anticipation fading, like a test pattern on a pre-cable-ready Magnavox, to black. In April, Adweek’s “Just Asking” feature prodded industry execs to come up with names for the site. Some suggestions included tv.tv, Videus, NubeTube, HugeTube and WatchMe. At the time, those seemed pedestrian. But compared to Hulu, well, tv.tv and WatchMe don’t seem half bad. Oh! On a related topic, I just got it: Joost = Juiced! Sweet.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Hulu

When Russell Crowe didn’t mind doing ads

You may recall Russell Crowe’s profanity-laced tirade savaging actors who would sell themselves and their fans out by appearing in TV commercials. (“To me it’s kind of sacrilegious,” he said. “It’s a complete contradiction of the fucking social contract you have with your audience.”) This seems to be a stand that Russell took only after he had a few dollars in the bank, however, judging by this weird old commercial for Avondale College, a Christian school in Australia, in which Crowe plays a bad-boy biker won over by the unlikely idea of becoming a gospel minister. His acting has improved somewhat over the years, too.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (6)

Who will be president of Red Sox Nation?

The Boston Red Sox, playoff bound but still staging promotions more appropriate for the last-place Tampa Bay Devil Rays, received more than 1,250 nominations from 45 states and six countries as it seeks to elect an honorary “president” of Red Sox Nation. The winner will represent the Sox and their fans nationwide. The club has whittled the list of hopefuls to 25, or actually 26, if you count “Big Pupi,” a canine from Austin, Texas, named after slugger David Ortiz. The real “Hit Dog,” Mo Vaughn, is nowhere to be found, although some B-list celebs and former players have made the cut. Too bad former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney didn’t run. This was one presidential race he stood a chance of winning. Via Deadspin.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (7)

Hawaii unsure how it feels about smoking

You don’t see too many U.S. states creating pro-smoking campaigns, but Hawaii is running one in Japan to reassure would-be tourists from that country that the islands’ new, strict no-smoking laws really aren’t all that bad. Evidently, some Japanese erroneously believe Hawaii has banned smoking entirely. The new ad campaign, “Smoking with Aloha,” sets the record straight. Anti-smoking advocates are, of course, upset. Says one: “This is not really sending a message that Hawaii is concerned about good health.” The tagline is somewhat ironic, too, as “aloha” literally means “breath of life.”

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (15)

Mitt Romney is asking for it with CGM idea

Mitt Romney’s got a “create your own ad” contest. I’ll enter any media-related competition, here on AdFreak at least, but first I have to do a little research. So I Googled ... and what do you know, many of the Romney hits also mention flailing Idaho Sen. Larry “Solicit a Cop in an Airport Toilet! Me? No Way!” Craig. It seems Craig endorsed Romney in an official campaign video before the senator began outpacing Michael Vick in the national headlines. What we’ve got here is bad timing on two counts. Given Craig’s role in the Romney campaign and the unfolding scandal, I imagine some of the “create your own” entries will be real knee-slappers (or perhaps toe-tappers). What’s worse, this whole consumer-generated media enterprise feels so 2006. The contest’s passé before it truly begins. Oh, here’s the Romney spot with Craig—for entertainment value, it can’t be topped.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Behold, I have unlocked the Microsoft Zune

Following in the impressive footsteps of George Hotz, who unlocked Apple’s iPhone, allowing it to be used with other wireless carriers, not just AT&T, I seem to have unlocked Microsoft’s Zune. It took me 1,000 hours, a blowtorch, tongs and a tent filled with pure oxygen, but I did it. Now, I’m not getting a big head over this. A “sweet” Nissan 350Z would be nice, but I’d take a Gremlin with the “Keep On Truckin’” windshield sticker intact. Consulting offers have already begun pouring in. (Is Souper Salad a wholly owned subsidiary of IDC?) What was inside the Zune, you might ask? Well, that’s hard to say, since I basically broke it into a billion little bits. OK, it’s true. I just dropped it by accident. Up next: A Viking, Pilgrim and toga-clad Roman help me unlock a Fig Newton!

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Where are the ad mascots’ campaign ads?

In the runup to Advertising Week, online voting has now begun to elect two brand icons for enshrinement on the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame. (There’s a parallel election for favorite ad slogans.) The Week’s site jokes, “You’ve watched the debates, heard the campaign promises, and weighed the issues—oh, wait, that’s a different election.” In fact, though, one can’t help feeling that the brand-icon election would be more exciting if it did include political-style campaign ads, particularly of the negative variety. Wouldn’t you like to see the Keebler Elves denouncing Mr. Goodwrench as a mere technocrat and the Maytag repairman as a do-nothing layabout? Or hear Morris the Cat archly dismissing the Doublemint Twins and the Crash Test Dummies as Tweedle-Dees and Tweedle-Dums? (“I’m Morris, and I approved this message.”) Meanwhile, a competent oppo-research team could no doubt dig up some dirt on Snap, Crackle and/or Pop. Despite voters’ prim claims to the contrary, negative ads are the ones they respond to most strongly in real elections. Surely an ad-icon election should be at least as entertaining as the governmental variety.

—Posted by Mark Dolliver

Published on August 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Enrique Iglesias too small for condom ads

Ok, I’m going to try to keep this one SFW, so I’m not going to compare my manhood to Enrique Iglesias’s, nor will I make any attempts to woo Anna Kournikova. But Iglesias’s shocking — shocking, I say — admission that he’s not the right candidate to model Lifestyles condoms got me thinking. Who would be appropriate? David Lee Roth? Bret Michaels? Snoop? Milton Berle? Then it hit me: Get them all. This seems like the perfect opportunity for the Plaster Caster, the self-proclaimed recovering groupie who made souvenirs of all her conquests. (Her Web site would be NSFW, if I could get it to work. Sorry, I tried.) Cynthia, call your agent, an opportunity awaits.

—Posted by Aaron Baar

Published on August 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (7)
Filed under Condoms, LifeStyles

ESPN.com may finally stop scaring visitors

I remember one of the first stories I ever wrote about advertising, five years ago, came out of a speech by Google CEO Eric Schmidt telling advertisers to “stop scaring users” with intrusive ads. That message fell on deaf ears, obviously. One of the more disturbing aspects of the full-on embrace of Internet advertising is the auto-play commercial. Among sports fans, ESPN.com was notorious for blaring ads at people when they landed on the page. (One blogger recently posted instructions on how to fiddle with your browser to block the video, earning him the title of “American hero” by commenters.) If people want to watch video, wouldn’t they just hit the play button? An ESPN exec once told me thy knew the auto-play ads annoyed people but they couldn’t give up the revenue. (Lucky advertiser that pays for a three-second impression that scares the bejesus out of people.) But ESPN is now apparently changing its tune, with new editor-in-chief Rob King planning to get rid of the auto-play feature.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Published on August 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Morrissey

Historical figures hit the road with Snickers

Snickers has launched its first ad campaign from TBWA\Chiat\Day since the “man kiss” Super Bowl spot that drew complaints from gay groups, which called it homophobic. This time around, a bunch of guys in search of a “feast” take a road trip. There’s a toga-clad Roman, a Viking, a Pilgrim, a shirtless Polynesian party animal and a king who resembles Henry VIII, best known for his tendency to behead his wives. I have no idea what it all means, but there’s plenty here to analyze if one were so inclined. (In case you’re wondering, the guys keep their lips to themselves.) At any rate, Snickers isn’t cutting out the calories or fat, so I’m loading up on king-size bars as soon as the convenience store downstairs opens for the day.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Healthy-snacking campaign full of surprises

The Grain Foods Foundation just sent me a press release. It says: “Snacktime is when most people fall victim to unhealthy choices.” Whoa, it’s like they know me. Here’s more: “Hunger is the primary reason why consumers snack, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation.” Well, yes, I’d always thought so, but now we have hard data to back it up. Seems the trade group and Food Network’s Robin Miller have launched a contest to find the country’s best healthy snack recipe; Mullen is doing the ads. Since I enter all marketing-related competitions (here on AdFreak, at any rate), I’ll have a go, though the word “healthy” is throwing me a bit. Maybe the release can help out. “Grain foods such as bread, crackers, pretzels and pitas are a great foundation for a healthy snack.” OK, that’s my suggestion: bread, crackers, pretzels and pitas—and maybe some Dunkin’ Donuts, too. That’s bread-related, right? What?! They’re cutting out the trans fats!? This isn’t happening, this is NOT happening ...

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Clearblue Easy ad gets ... well, you know

This commercial for Clearblue Easy has been out for a while. (Make the Logo Bigger mentioned it in July.) With faux-epic, Star Trek-type visuals and voiceover, it promises that the company’s digital pregnancy test is “the most sophisticated piece of technology you will ever pee on.” Not a giant leap forward for advertising, but harmless enough. Though even that joke seems to have crossed a line. In later versions of the ad, the guy can’t bring himself to speak the offending line, saying instead that it’s “the most sophisticated piece of technology you will ever ... well, you know.” Strange that this spot gets censored but no one bats an eye at the creepy Clearblue Easy ads from David Lynch, featuring the “psychological torture of a beautiful young women.” For the latter series, Lynch reportedly made the actress actually take a pregnancy test so he could tape her real-life reaction.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Get swept up in curling, like this fellow did

We haven’t paid attention to curling since Cassie Johnson and the U.S. women curlers took the 2006 Winter Olympics by storm (despite not actually doing very well in the competition). But here’s an old TV commercial from Manitoba that will make you want to dust off the old broom and head back out on the ice, and grab a few beers after. In other curling advertising news, the captain of the U.S. men’s team, Todd Birr, has been featured on a billboard in California, promoting a Labor Day curling tournament in Napa Valley. Hearing this news, Birr’s hometown newspaper in Minnesota wrote a story with the headline, “Curling star becoming national celebrity.”

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunsilk’s women don’t mind a little torture

There’s been much ado lately about sexism in the media (Heineken’s woman = keg campaign) and sexism and violence in the media (Captivity’s overall themes and its banned ad effort). So it’s tough to know how Sunsilk’s new commercial will be received. On the one hand, it lampoons and subverts recent trends, using horror cliches (a bound victim, apparent torture devices) to point out that women torture themselves to perfect their hair. On the other hand, well, there’s a bound victim, apparent torture devices and the implicit message that “torture” is OK as long as the client’s products repair the damage and great-looking hair is the end result. There’s even a “plot twist” of sorts that’s questionable, considering its “Women do it to themselves” connotation. Perhaps the key question is: Exactly who is she going through all this for? The spot gives us a clue: The reassuring therapist in the final scene is, predictably, a man.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

YoungGuns offer award-show satisfaction

YoungGuns’ latest call for entries takes the form of an elaborate musical-theater production featuring award-show virgins desperate to get some action. “The Wise Bogusky,” “Baby Droga” and “Holy Clow” all make cameo appearances on the Web site, LetUsBeYourFirst.com, where subtlety is not a virtue. The site also features an overweight cupid as a type of stage manager who scratches himself incessantly. Three ads, including the one shown here (click to enlarge), drive traffic to the site. Created by Taxi in Canada, according to our tipster.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (9)

A commercial that will drive you bananas

Since we’re reprising the topic of ads with people dressed as food, how about this early-’70s Bic Banana spot? The entries on our earlier list all earned measures of esteem and derision. But this one may occupy a category all its own. It’s so wrong, it’s perfect. It’s got Match Game stalwart Charles Nelson Reilly in a banana suit, singing and dancing, in a classroom, with all the kids dressed as bananas. The imagery, casting and lyrics are perhaps the most subversive and silly ad land has yet produced. Such a spot could never get made today. RIP, Chuck.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Snoop longs to try Great Barrier Reefer

With a penchant for bringing guns, drugs, blunt weapons and the occasional melee to airports, Snoop Dogg is an ideal immigrant any country would want. But apparently he’s set his sights down under, where MTV Australia has launched a Welcome Snoop campaign. It’s a series of ads and mockumentary bits in which Snoop pursues his dream of Australian citizenship. “I searched the globe, the whole globe, you dig, for somewhere to start a new life—a place where I could find some peace, with nice trees and birds and shit like that,” he says. The videos are not at all safe for work, nor will they secure Snoop a lifetime achievement award from the National Organization for Women. In fact, I found myself wondering if Snoop’s bid for foreign citizenship is actually being underwritten by the U.S. government. Surely it would be cheaper than all the law-enforcement costs he’s racked up over the years. Via Ads of the World.

—Posted by David Griner

Published on August 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Griner

Dueling foreign-policy ads: pick your poison

Whether you support or deplore U.S. military action in the Middle East, there’s a media campaign out there for you. As we wrote last week, there’s the Freedom’s Watch effort, which backs the Bush agenda for Iraq. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders, the independent U.S. senator from Vermont, has made an online video condemning Fox News Channel for its right-wing slant and calling on rival outlets to ask tough questions about Iran before the U.S. takes military action there. Tough talk and intense images characterize both campaigns. The polarizing effect is predictable: Salon.com blasts the “misleading message” from Freedom’s Watch and its spokesman, Ari Fleischer, while journalism scholar Bob Steele derides Sanders and his team for “accusing others of doing what they have done, which is to stitch together multiple snippets of video and very short sound bites to make an ideological argument.” Click on the links and draw your own conclusions. Say what you will, but both sides should be applauded for stirring debate.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Now drink Guinness’s squirmy little soldiers

A pint of Guinness isn’t just a pint of Guinness. It’s a playground for thousands of tiny space-age stuntmen, clad in white suits, getting shot gleefully out of cannons and exploding onto enormous black drums. There’s also a large harp inside the pint, along with a bunch of horns and cymbals, so be careful not to choke on them when imbibing. The tagline is, “It’s alive inside.” Which seems ok for a yogurt, but for a beer? UPDATE: David Griner adds: What they’re really illustrating (I think) is the “Guinness cascade,” a strange effect where bubbles on the outside of the glass go down, but bubbles in the middle of the glass go up. It’s somewhat hypnotic, especially on your third Guinness.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Alcohol, Guinness, Nudd

Darn tootin’, is that the legendary Big Fig?

Earlier this year, when we employed minimal research to determine the top 10 ads with people dressed as food, people were disappointed not to see Big Fig from the old Fig Newtons campaign. So here he is—Big Fig, in all his oooey gooey, rich and chewy, soft and golden, cakey flakey glory, doing his rendition of “The Newton,” with accompaniment by Hal. 

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on August 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

MediaVest rappers not expecting great ROI

We know the Agency.com viral video didn’t work out so well in the Subway review. Will MediaVest see a bigger payoff in terms of recruiting online ad talent with this “Fresh Prince of Free Beer” effort? Granted, the MediaVest kids are not creatives, but the awkward factor here ricochets off the charts. From a strategy standpoint, MediaVest overlooks the low pay and long hours of junior media planners in favor of the perks (aka bribes from media reps): dinner at Per Se, free tickets, swag and, of course, free booze.

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Published on August 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Morrissey

ZunePhone ad packs a flurry of MS jabs

So maybe it’s like fish in a barrel, but there are still good chuckles to be had from this parody ad for the fictitious ZunePhone. The sheer quantity of digs on Microsoft is impressive, although it’s the blinking “12:00” that makes me laugh every time. Despite featuring a hand that looks like it’s from a 1992 video game, this is probably the best of the many ZunePhone ads that have been made since the iPhone’s debut. That said, I still enjoy the one featuring a breathless Steve Ballmer impersonator yelling that the ZunePhone comes standard with “all these features and Reversi!”

—Posted by David Griner

Published on August 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Griner