On The Oprah Winfrey Show today,
David Blaine set a new world record for holding his breath: 17 minutes and 4 seconds. He survived the ordeal, so our national nightmare continues. Then I started thinking: What are the ad opportunities here? Which brand is best positioned to leverage this media whore’s dubious achievement? (By media whore, I mean Blaine, not Oprah, our future president.) Hershey’s Breathsavers? Breathe Right nasal strips? Oh right, I forgot. No one likes the guy or wants to hire him (except the NBA, which thought he could make its refereeing scandal disappear). Tomorrow on Oprah, James Frey tries to break Blaine’s record. They’ll check him first for a tracheotomy and breathing tube under his loose-fitting garment.
The Vlasic stork is no Aflac duck. Still, the old ad mascot is back in a new campaign from Publicis & Hal Riney that tweaks the pickle brand’s tagline (from “That’s the best tasting pickle I ever heard” to “That’s the tastiest crunch I ever heard”) and features Nascar’s Kevin Harvick endorsing the product as “the champion pickle” with a crunch that gets him “fired up.” If I were a racecar driver, I’d avoid such potentially combustible wordplay. But if I were a racecar driver, I’d be kicking back in the hot tub with the trophy wife instead of writing this post. Vlasik is also holding a “Crunch Off” (it’s what it sounds like: “Crunch! Crunch!”); a “Vlasik Stork Baby” contest (for human babies, actually); and a “Be the Vlasic Stork” competition (the .001 percent of humans who have beaks have an unfair advantage). The folks who worked all this out get an A+ for effort. Still, I can’t help but think if they stood up in their offices and looked out the window, they might see this stork perched on the ledge, shaking his head sadly and munching on a pickle. (Guess he finally got tired of hanging around outside my cube.)
Not that we've seen a ton of orchestra ads, but this spot by Euro RSCG for the Zurich Chamber Orchestra certainly seems fresh for the category. Seems the kids who want “more flags and more fun” should try classical music. Perhaps someone who reads music can tell us whether the musical notation on the roller coaster matches up with the music being played.
Sorry, fans of exploding buildings, mysterious ingénues and that guy from CSI: NY, but it's true. Scarlet isn’t a hit new TV series; it’s a new series of TVs made by LG. The worldwide teaser ad campaign used print ads, outdoor and TV spots to build buzz around a nonexistent big-budget show. Agency.com did a pretty impressive job on the project, although it looks like savvy viewers knew something was up when the “series” wasn’t attached to any one TV network. On the off chance that this news truly disappoints any fans of the undeniably smokin’ Natassia Malthe, you can still live in denial while watching YouTube clips of her fake backstage interview—or her even faker kiss with Jennifer Garner.
Where's your jetpack, you ask? It's down in Austin, Texas, and it's promoting the movie Iron Man. At a recent promotional event for the film, Eric Scott “donned a 135 lb. pack [courtesy of Jet Pack International] that runs on 90 percent hydrogen peroxide and provides 325 pounds of thrust, equal to about 800 horsepower.” And while the fuel tank is only good for about 33 seconds of flight time, who knows what tomorrow will bring (or, since Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana is also working on a jetpack project, what mañana will bring). Hopefully, I'll live long enough to see a jetpack whose flight time matches the duration of the song “Iron Man.”
"The sight and sound of an ice cold can of Dr Pepper being poured into a glass will get AOL users drooling if the brand's new digital ad campaign does its job." This is according to Brandweek. In fact, “Drool” is the name of the ad. Crafted by VML and EyeWonder, it’s shot in “ultra high-definition,” breaks in May, and “allows consumers to zoom in and see a bead of sweat slipping down the side of the can as well as watch the fizz bubbling up on the top.” Seriously, just how “high-def” can this banner be? “The brand isn’t just the hero, it’s the superhero,” says Mike Griffin, evp at EyeWonder, going for the pullout quote. Dr Pepper, you’ll recall, gave us Tay Zonday and “Cherry Chocolate Rain,” so we know they’ll stoop to any level to move some product. Ultra high-def reminds me of “Sensurround,” which was supposed to revolutionize movies, but just gave people headaches—and made a few people drool. Earthquake debuted in Sensurround back in ’74. R.I.P., Chuck Heston.
Tom Dickson found Internet fame with his "Will It Blend?" product-demonstration videos, in which he crushes, mixes, purees and liquifies various household items with his heavy-duty invention, the Blendtec blender. Now, Tom is taking his act into other companies’ commercials. In the spot above, he makes a rather non-sequiturous appearance for Dibs ice-cream snacks, as he attempts to blend giant lollipops covered in back hair.
Tim Coco of Haverhill, Mass., ad agency Coco+Co. is launching a very personal appeal in tomorrow's Washington Post. Coco is targeting President Bush and congressional lawmakers with this print ad, headlined “Make This Right,” on the inside back page of the paper. The agency exec says he and his spouse, Genesio “Junior” Oliveria, who were legally wed in Massachusetts in 2005, were separated nine months ago when the Department of Homeland Security ordered the latter, a Brazilian national, to leave the country. Coco believes the judge who denied his partner legal asylum wasn’t properly trained in immigration law—among other alleged injustices. There’s also a Web site, and Coco is considering a legal challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that prevents federal recognition of same-sex unions.
If you were looking to adopt a baby from a young mother, where would you advertise? In a certain popular film, it was the Penny Saver. And indeed, a few years back, newspaper classifieds might have been your only easy option, though it’s hard to imagine that young pregnant women are a local paper’s core audience. Today, it’s a whole different world for a couple like Gideon and Michele. They are using social-networking sites to help their adoption hunt. You can find their ads on Craigslist, Facebook and MySpace, and they’ve created a site called WeWant2Adopt.net. I tracked down Michele (they’ve chosen not to publicize their last name) to ask about the couple’s Web-savvy advertising plan. Check out our Q&A after the jump.
The Republican National Committee wants CNN and MSNBC to pull this anti-John McCain ad produced by the Democratic National Committee. At one point, George W. Bush is shown with his arm around the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, but they never kiss, so there’s no problem there. The ad suggests McCain would keep troops in Iraq for 100 years. The RNC calls that a “gross distortion.” I agree. The average G.I.’s lifespan, especially considering enemy fire, isn’t nearly that long. DNC chief Howard Dean shrugs off the controversy as a Republican effort to “blow smoke.” I reiterate: Bush and McCain never kiss, nor are they seen smoking. So what’s the RNC upset about? Maybe those Miley Cyrus pics.
Reese's, environmental protector and hero to soon-to-be-diabetic children everywhere, has put out an ad from Arnold voicing its concern about global warming. It’s appeal is akin to asking people to go vegetarian because cows are too cute to eat, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of lighthearted fun. Besides, appealing to obese and/or superficial consumers is smart business, given how far they outnumber every other demographic.
Arnold's latest ads for Progressive Insurance (the one above and a second one here) show guys in sleek black motorcycle outfits doing household tasks like folding laundry and hammering nails to hang paintings. The work is slightly creepy, in a good way. First of all, the woman in the “Towels” spot above is the same woman from the M&Ms ad where the Blue M&M licks himself—guess she’d had enough of that behavior. The point of these ads: If these guys had used Progressive, their hogs would be out of the shop, and they’d be riding. (“Hog” is cycle slang. I watched Easy Rider last week and was itching for a chance to use it.) With all the buzz about industry dress codes, I suggested to AdFreak management that we adopt motorcycle garb instead of “smart casual.” They ordered me to start wearing shirts instead. That’s me—rebellious, like Peter Fonda. The shirt stays off!
Following up on last year's Pioneer Kuro campaign, here are some more misplaced mouths, part of a campaign from Saatchi Switzerland for some sort of throat lozenge. See one more execution here, via Copyranter and Ads of the World. Over at the latter site, a commenter points to another instance of the freaky moved-mouth theme: two TV spots, here and here, in which aching shoulders and wrists literally cry for relief.
Instead of fighting actual obscenities, perhaps the FCC could start cracking down on lame humor based on stuff that rhymes with obscenities. They could start with this Toyota Tundra commercial. Yes, “truck” rhymes with a word you can’t say on free TV. But much of the dialogue here doesn’t even make sense. “Shut the truck up,” is a stretch, but contextually appropriate. “What the truck is your problem?” sounds like something my high school principal would have said. This kind of language is probably worse for children than the stuff they’re trying to avoid.
If you want a glimpse into the mind-numbing, soul-crushing future of advertising, look no further than this bizarre promotion for NBC’s My Name Is Earl. Or is it for esurance? Or the new Speed Racer movie? It’s like one of those Russian dolls. Let me explain: First, there’s this banner ad on MSNBC. It offers to catch you up on the plot of My Name Is Earl with a summary by NBC president Jeff Zucker. That would be strange enough, except the NBC promotion is also “brought to you by esurance.” Clicking on the banner directs you to a pre-roll video for esurance, but the ad actually focuses on the insurance company’s tie-in with Speed Racer. After the pre-roll, you finally get to see the promotion you wanted to see. But guess what? Zucker starts off by showing you an esurance ad on his monitor! This fantastically pointless pig-pile of marketing doesn’t make me want to watch Earl, or buy insurance, or go see Speed Racer. It makes me want to throw Zucker in an alley with Roddy Piper and a pair of sunglasses.
Transvestites don't get too much airtime in advertising, but DDB has launched a campaign in Europe for Philips’s Satinelle Ice Epilator (a hair-removal device) that stars an L.A.-based transvestite dancer named Karis. DDB’s Neil Dawson says it’s no cheap stunt. Men, he claims, have a notoriously low threshold for pain; thus, a man who needs smooth legs is the perfect test model for an epilator that promises a less painful hair-removal experience.
Rolling Stone and Men's Health want their readers to take cell-phone pictures of ads running in their pages and transmit them to special numbers. You’d think these magazines would be familiar with their advertisers and not have to rely on the public to tell them who’s running in their pages. Just kidding—it’s a bid to boost reader engagement by making print ads interactive. If nothing else, it will keep the publications busy between rounds of layoffs. An image-recognition company will scan the photos, recognize the ads, and send back more information on special offers and such. After Fred in the next cubicle showed me how to work my cell-phone camera, I took the above snap and sent it in. I can’t wait for my prize. And stop rolling your eyes, Fred.
If you're looking for a talented creative partner with exacting standards, you could do worse than ordering the Bob Scarpelli doll off the Internet. In this short film, an up-and-coming advertising star does just that, and reaps the rewards. (It’s unclear if the two have a Lars and the Real Girl thing going on or what.) Created by DDB to promote Portfolio Night 6.
Here's a frantic new ad for Nike Football (the soccer kind) from 72andSunny, directed by Guy Ritchie and shot from the viewer’s perspective. The camerawork is jumpy, and even seems to cause you, the viewer, to throw up at one point. (At other times you can bang in free kicks from 40 yards out.) The spot should help get you in the mood for this week’s Champions League semifinals (second leg) and the suddenly interesting final stretch of the English Premier League.
OMFG, we have a trend: Old media courting controversy to generate buzz. (I said it was a trend, not a fresh approach.) First, Time magazine began sporting provocative covers like the Hillary/Obama mash-up, and the CW’s Gossip Girl returned with racy content and an ad campaign that ran afoul of the Parents Television Council. Now, As the World Turns is getting spanked (metaphorically, of course) by the American Family Association for showing a homosexual kiss between a pair of teenagers. The biggest shock, frankly, is that As the World Turns is still on the air. The AFA is urging its members to boycott products from Procter & Gamble, the soap opera’s producer. P&G is probably relieved that the show finally has some ratings so people will see its Tide commercials. And if Time has Obama and John McCain tongue wrestling on its cover this week, you can still ask WTF, but at least you’ll know where they got the idea.
Here's our second Planned Parenthood post of the day, though this one's a bit more lighthearted. Leopold Ketel & Partners has created a colorful new site for Planned Parenthood in Portland, Ore., that features R-rated video skits starring a health teacher who drops in on young people’s sexual episodes and advises them to Take Care Down There. The “Visit” and “Learn” sections allow you make appointments, ask questions and even order contraceptives. Also check out the “Down There Song,” which GoDaddy’s Bob Parsons could revisit whenever he’s in need of a new ad idea.
Time magazine is covering the NBA's playoffs campaign ... literally, right down to the tagline, “There can only be one.” The newsweekly’s latest cover features a split-screen shot of Democratic presidential combatants Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, fusing them into a delegate-devouring, single-headed political creature that, to my cynical eye at least, looks a lot like John McCain. Time’s previous cover, advertising a story about the environment, courted controversy by substituting a tree for the flag in the famous 1945 photo of U.S. Marines raising the Stars and Stripes in Iwo Jima. The tree also looked like McCain. And isn’t “There can be only one” more grammatically correct? That’s how the Scots say it, anyway.
Here's a beautifully produced spot from that global hub of erotic capitalism, Ho Chi Minh City. I won't give away the admittedly underwhelming payoff, so you can enjoy the clip in all its naked glory. Via Ads of the World.
Duffy & Shanley's "I believe" effort for Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island features building signage, banners and other elements designed to be signed by members of the community. Says Michael Silvia, writer and creative director on the campaign: “We might just prove to the women of Rhode Island that those of us who understand and support their personal rights—if not as vocal—are, inarguably, in the overwhelming majority.” True enough. Given the charged nature of the abortion issue, some opposing views could wind up scrawled across those banners as well. Whether the dissenters will include their names is an open question. All forums for debate should be encouraged. Reach for the pen instead of the sword. —Posted by David Gianatasio
Women's Wear Daily reports that Italy's advertising watchdog has banned this Tom Ford ad, saying it’s “markedly vulgar,” “transcends the limits of simple bad taste” and “evokes an offending and abusive act against women, which degrades the dignity of the person.” In Ford’s view, no doubt, a great success. Via Search & Destroy.
