Panettiere heads online to save the whales

On Heroes, Hayden Panettiere's character seems like she's constantly dithering about whether to actually get out and do anything heroic. So, it's refreshing to know that in real life, she doesn't hesitate to wade out into a sea of dolphin carnage and intimidate Japanese whalers with her surfboard and irascible cuteness. Now, a year after nearly being arrested for protesting dolphin killings, Panettiere has joined with SocialVibe.com to rally support for the cause. She's urging fans to sign up on the social activism site and select the Whaleman Foundation as the charity of choice. SocialVibe then lets users raise money for the cause by sharing links through social networks. Panettiere hopes to have 1 million supporters enrolled by the June 2009 meeting of the International Whaling Commission, where she'll present the foundation's petition to protect whales and dolphins.

—Posted by David Griner

Published on October 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Celebrity endorsements, Griner, PSAs

Artist causing fuss with 'Soldier' billboards

Suzanne Opton's intriguing "Soldier" billboards, now popping up across the country, are receiving predictably mixed reactions. The ads are part of an art project by Opton, who's been photographing U.S. soldiers upon their return from Iraq and Afghanistan. The images look rather ghoulish, but while the soldiers look dead, they're actually alive. Opton insists the images are meant to be artistic, not political, but that seems willfully naive. They engage a topic that's under intense debate and has far-reaching legislative and social consequences—it doesn't get much more political than that. We're not trying to tell Opton how to do her job, but if you want to provoke people, then provoke them.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on October 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4)
Filed under Arts, Kiefaber, Politics, U.S. Army

Can't the 'We' campaigns all just get along?

My schizophrenic generation, alternately called Gen Y, Echo Boomers, Millennials or Generation Me, might have finally settled on a name for itself. Or at least, it's been given another one: Generation WE. That's the title of Eric Greenberg's new book, and his first promotional video for it, "Generation WE: The Movement Begins" (above), premiered last week and is well on its way to a million views. For a billionaire boomer still enamored with the potential power of youth action, Greenberg puts on a pretty stirring show. Despite the long running time (4:45), the video caused an unexpected stirring of idealism from deep within my cynical heart. Furthermore, Greenberg seems rather invested in this pet project, releasing the entire book for free online and funding a political action site set to drop in early 2009. It's just this "WE" name that gets me. Another rich boomer, Al Gore, has his own "We" campaign, demanding action on the climate crisis, and they're nearing 2 million young recruits. If only they could somehow put aside their differences and join their campaigns together. ... But if I know my wealthy boomers, it's always my political action Web site, my book deal, my pet philanthropy project—just me, me, me.

—Posted by Rebecca Cullers

Published on October 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Cullers, Youth

Ikea suggests you lose the human furniture

I hope we're not supposed to feel sorry for the guy in this German Ikea spot, because anyone dumb enough to buy human furniture deserves to be inconvenienced. Not really buying the dream premise, either. What prize did this ad win, exactly? I hope it was a copy of Super Mario 2 with a note inside saying "Try harder." By Jung von Matt.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on October 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Europe, Ikea, Kiefaber

Isaac gives hope to all HIV-positive wizards

We've all faced that moment of doubt when we wonder, "Will I ever move past my former life as an incarcerated, HIV-positive, spell-casting tranny?" Well, doubt no longer! The Prophet Isaac is here to show that it can be done, and that in the process, you can squeeze two kids out of a wife with no uterus! I can't find any evidence of whether this ad is legit or some weird hoax. But just in case, can any of our London brethren head over to Ormside Street on Nov. 24 and report back? I'm pretty sure Scamp got a sex change while he was locked up at Azkaban. Now's his chance for redemption! Hat tip to my friend Whitney.

—Posted by David Griner

Published on October 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Europe, Freaky, Griner

Wieden upset by half-baked Singapore spot

One thing I learned pretty quickly about the ad world is that people get very prickly about other people's ads that bear any resemblance to their own. Usually, the grumbling over these ... tribute ads is done sotto voce. But sometimes not. Neil Christie, managing director of Wieden + Kennedy London, is calling out a Singapore agency for ripping off a Wieden spot for Lurpak spread (top). The breadmaking sequence in an ad for Qatar Airlines (bottom), by Batey Ads of Singapore, was too much for Christie to handle. He's demanding answers. "This isn't a case of 'inspired by' or 'referring to' or even 'hommage,' " Christie writes. "It's just bloody copying our ad. Poor show. Anyone out there know anyone at Batey? Can they confirm that Batey did this work and do they know why they so obviously ripped us off?" These things always perplex me. Could the breadmaking have been presented differently, or is any breadmaking a no-no? Judge for yourself. 

—Posted by Brian Morrissey

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (19)
Filed under Controversy, Morrissey, Rip-offs, Wieden + Kennedy

Humanoid goats are actually fabulous chefs

Wow, kitchen ventilator company Faber must be doing pretty well, since they can apparently afford Baphomet's hot wife as a spokesmodel. She commands a steep fee, as I understand it. Eggplant Head and Chicken Lady (who, fittingly, has nice breasts) don't have quite the same effect. Smelling like your food is one thing, but I wasn't aware that physically resembling it was such an issue for people. Via Ads of the World.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Asia, Freaky, Kiefaber

Microsoft tries anything, to see what sticks

Watching Microsoft's recent marketing unfold is like taking a class in Advertising 101, without the cute co-eds listening to their Zunes. (See, I keep up with trends!) Since September, Microsoft has deployed every conceivable creative strategy known to humankind. We've seen the celebrity endorsement (Seinfeld); the client in the ads (Gates); the attack/parody of the competition (the Hodgman clone in the initial "I'm a PC" spot); and now, the user-generated content. Microsoft is inviting everyone to upload videos to Windows.com—even Mac users, thus inoculating itself against potential embarrassment over UGC stuff created on Apple systems. "A Mac can be a PC too," the Vista gang proclaim. But can a PC be a Mac? When the answer's yes, I might consider switching. But not until then.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4)
Filed under Gianatasio, Microsoft, Technology

Talk to the hand in Boys & Girls Clubs ads

Hill, Holliday's pro-bono effort for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston is clearly well intentioned. The work is themed "In these hands," and in a rare example of truth in advertising, we do indeed get images of young peoples' hands—in this case, covered with copy. I think the kids got a little sweaty, because some of the text seems smudged, and it's hard to read in spots. No matter. Let's just assume the tales are wrenching, gripping and "real," ... yadda, yadda. Frankly, I'm just gonna hop online right now and make a donation before giant billboards start popping up all over town and those huge, inky hands reach down from the sky and make me feel even guiltier about my soft suburban life.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Boys & Girls Clubs, Gianatasio, Hill Holliday, PSAs

Detroit has a museum, and you should visit

Detroit has an Institute of Arts? Once I let that sink in, I enjoyed these new spots from Perich Advertising + Design and Head Gear Animation, directed by Julian Grey. (A second one is here.) There's been a wave of animated commercials of late (those Minnesota Lottery spots spring to mind), but these promote a museum, so don't expect to scratch and win. In fact, please don't scratch the paintings, or the classic Ford tailfins, or the Red Wings jersey collages—or whatever it is they have on display. The characters in the ads seem happy enough, briefly taking on the characteristics of various works of art. The message of the spots, according to the press release, is: "Come to the museum to get inspired, people!" The problem is, there's only one real inspiration a person can have while visiting Detroit, and that's to get the hell out of town!

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (8)
Filed under Arts, Gianatasio, Perich

Old geezers driving always good for a laugh

Leagas Delaney in London has some fun at the expense of an oblivious elderly woman driver in this commercial for Goodyear tires—which apparently hold up better than human beings over time. And for a more sober view of the dangers of old people driving, there's this PSA.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Europe, Goodyear, Leagas Delaney, Nudd

Amnesty wants more playful world leaders

The German ad agency Scholz & Friends created this goofy PSA for Amnesty International, in which George Bush, Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad take a break from destroying civilization and embrace gentler pursuits: origami, balloon animals, and crocheting. "We can change what they do," says the tagline at the end. Just not necessarily for the better.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Amnesty International, Europe, Nudd, PSAs, Scholz & Friends

Hogan thinks Baz's Australia ads are a croc

It seems I have an unexpected ally in my disdain for Baz Luhrmann's Australian tourism ads. As much as it pains me, I share my opinion with Paul "Crocodile Dundee" Hogan, who claims that the ads "make the common mistake of focusing on ... beaches and the Outback," instead of more specific elements of Australian culture. It's worth noting that the former movie star and current alleged tax evader was in the wildly popular "shrimp on the barbie" ads that portrayed Australians as dim, ineloquent ruralites who nevertheless understood the finer points of relaxation. Of course, he also bagged Linda Kozlowski with that act, so maybe he was on to something.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Australia, Kiefaber, Tourism

Librarians proudly going down with the ship

How long can libraries—repositories for the print pages that become more outdated every day—last in the age of instant information? They're probably already as marginalized as the morning newspaper in terms of usefulness and functionality. Allen & Gerritsen does a good job of putting human faces on the brick-and-mortar neighborhood knowledge banks in a campaign touting the historic Boston Public Library system. The ads star real librarians as "heroes" willing to share what they know with smiles and good humor. (No stereotypical stern-faced patron-shushers here.) The effort subtly celebrates libraries' heritage as a vibrant part of the communities they serve and focuses on the dedication, knowledge and courtesy of the BPL staff. People sharing what they know, rather than Googling until their fingers go numb, is what this campaign is about. Still, I can't help feeling a bit sorry for learned folks whose value to society is cloesly tied to their performances at the local bar's trivia night. The ads ask, almost wistfully, "What do you want to know?" There's no need to inquire about the future of libraries. We already have the answer.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (6)
Filed under Allen & Gerritsen, Gianatasio

Rugby takes a shot at soccer's diving divas

An old saying goes that soccer (or rather, football) is a game watched by gentlemen and played by thugs, while rugby is a game watched by thugs and played by gentlemen. However, this humorous commercial promoting the Czech rugby league would like to clarify that soccer is played not by gentlemen or thugs ... but by a bunch of girls worried about how their hair looks. Spot by Mather Communications in Prague.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Europe, Nudd

Errol Morris launches 11th-hour Obama ads

Oscar-winning director Errol Morris has launched a late-in-the-game ad campaign for Barack Obama, called "People in the Middle for Obama," that's designed to sway undecided voters the Democrat's way. The ads are done in typical Morris style: interviews with ordinary people against a white backdrop, with music playing softly in the background. The interviewees are all middle-of-the-road voters who claim to be more concerned with issues than partisan ideology—and who've sided with Obama. According to the press release, the campaign is "designed to be spread over the Internet to other undecided voters who may benefit from hearing the factors that helped people like themselves make up their minds."

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (6)
Filed under Nudd, Political ads

Teen-pregnancy ad targets 'Gossip Girl' set

During last night's Gossip Girl, The Candie's Foundation ran a fairly bare-bones PSA encouraging parents to talk with their kids about the teen pregnancy "epidemic." Though Candie's other PSAs are better produced and have more mass star power, there's something delightfully confrontational about the close-cropped camera angles and overbearing soundtrack on this one. A list of talking points for parents was published as a print ad in The New York Times and New York Post encouraging parents to tune into Gossip Girl with their teens and watch the PSA. Amusingly, USA Today pulled the print ad due to potential controversy after reversing its position a few times, finally claiming it was simply "unable to accommodate" it. My money says the pictures of Jamie Lynn Spears and Gov. Palin's daughter Bristol at the top of the ad are what caused USA Today's hissy fit. For those non-USA Today readers who did tune in, I wonder what started more conversation: the PSA or Gossip Girl's tawdry, teen-makeout-filled plot.

—Posted by Rebecca Cullers

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (9)
Filed under Cullers, PSAs, Teens

Bizarre 'Guitar Hero' supergroup rocks out

We knew Rock Band was a hit, but apparently it was so successful that Guitar Hero, which came first, is now practically the same game. This "Risky Business" ad for GH4 features the two guitars, drum kit, and wireless mike that were formerly the sole province of Rock Band. We're curious to find out what adjustments Rock Band will make now. Hopefully, they'll involve in-game prompts that actually correspond to the songs being played. We were also surprised to find out that Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez and Tony Hawk are very close friends. Closer than we're comfortable with, really.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Celebrity endorsements, Guitar Hero, Kiefaber, Video games

Doing drugs can impair your Web browsing

For those readers who work in the advertising industry, it's highly unlikely you've ever partaken of illegal narcotics. Luckily, the Oslo Department of Health has created this handy Web tool to simulate using marijuana, cocaine and heroin. (You'll probably need to enable popups on your browser.) I, for one, was shocked to discover that using cocaine is like being blacked out at a Ministry concert. And the virtual pot experience was sadly lacking in delicious burritos. Hat tip to Osocio.

—Posted by David Griner

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Anti-drug, Europe, Griner

If Twitter were to fall into the wrong hands

The U.S. Army has its bandoliers in a twist over Twitter, issuing a report citing the "potential for terrorist use of Twitter." I guess the military has been getting pretty high-tech and youth-savvy of late, what with its mall-based ("We're not recruiting!") video-arcade push. The Army's apparently concerned that Twitter is "already used by some members to post and support extremist ideologies and perspectives," so terrorists could possibly use it "as an operational tool." ("What are U doing right now?" "Overthrowing the gov't. U?") The sheer number of outages would make Twitter somewhat impractical for command and control purposes, but there is one account I'd urge the Pentagon to follow: twitter.com/bmorrissey. He's already got more than 2,700 rabid "followers," and he's always "training" for something. And this guy, twitter.com/nudd, wasn't even born in this country! As for twitter.com/griner, well, he's from Alabama—nuff said there. Ah well, the army's probably just pissed that twitter.com/usmarines got there first.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Gianatasio, Twitter, U.S. Army

Giant pale worms are not a kid's best friend

This print campaign by TBWA\PHS in Finland is intended to make you wonder if you're actually feeding your dog—or the worms inside him. "Who do you take care of?" ask the ads, which promote Pfizer's Canex All Wormer for Dogs. The visuals are pretty arresting, and the point's well taken—if you like dogs. Frankly, I think those worms look darn cute, with their slimy trails and oozing maws. They're right out of classic '70s Dr. Who. Sure, they're parasites. But so is Rover, always humping legs and begging for scraps from the table. At least the worms won't shed. The kids are the creepiest part of the ads. They kind of resemble the mind-controlling tots in '60s horror films like Village of the Damned, but with huge worms to do their bidding. Via Ads of the World, which has larger, oozier versions.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Freaky, Gianatasio, Pets, TBWA

Best Buy lets you weigh in on holiday ads

Looking ahead to what will surely be one of the retail industry's most painful holidays in recent history, Best Buy is trying a doubly charming approach to its seasonal ads. First, the big-box store is going for the soft sell with its “True Stories” campaign, featuring real employees telling real anecdotes of helping customers. Second, the chain’s chief marketing officer is actually soliciting feedback on the rough cuts of the new TV spots. Over on his painfully underdesigned but otherwise commendable blog, CMO Barry Judge invites anyone and everyone to comment on the six rough cuts, although he encourages you to focus on critiquing the campaign as a whole instead of picking apart one spot. Judge notes that there will be other campaigns hitting the traditional messages of big selection and low prices, but he hopes the True Stories ads can “do a better job in telling the people part of our story.” UPDATE: Barry's now taken the rough cuts down, having not secured the proper rights for some of the visuals and/or music. Oof! UPDATE: And now they're back up.

—Posted by David Griner

Published on October 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4)
Filed under Best Buy, Griner

New McKinney anti-pot ads get it half right

McKinney and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America have released the latest ad strike in the "Above the Influence" campaign. The campaign consists of a series of fake ads recruiting teens for jobs as burrito tasters, couch security guards and TV remote-control operators. The teens are sent to microsites (like this one for burrito tasting) that redirect to AboveTheInfluence.com. The kicker? Copy at the bottom reads, "Hey, not trying to be your mom, but there aren't many jobs out there for potheads." At first, I was majorly excited that they were focusing on the monetary downside of smoking pot and not on the OMG-you're-so-gonna-die-if-you-smoke-pot part. But the awesome fake recruitment ads are only part of the campaign. A separate but equal series of ads appearing in the same mags will focus on the you're-so-gonna-die aspect of drug awareness, featuring animals dressed like teens involved in life-threatening situations. In one execution, two slugs do some salt, and through the power of metaphor we are educated about the deadly nature of weed. Teens, who are of course immortal, still don't respond as well to the abstract threat of death as they do to the everyday threat of social stigma.

—Posted by Rebecca Cullers

Published on October 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (15)
Filed under Anti-drug, Cullers, McKinney, Partnership for a Drug Free America

Ads for 'Fallout 3' unnerve D.C. commuters

Ads in Washington, D.C., for Fallout 3, a post-apocalyptic video game set there, have upset a few subway riders who'd rather not see images of city landmarks ravaged by war. One guys says the ads are "a daily reminder that Washington is a prime target for an attack." Of course, it is just a video game, and the entire planet looks bombed out, not just D.C. Admittedly, though, Bethesda Softworks is obviously trying to be provocative. "The immediate visual of the Capitol and the Washington Monument and things like that, they tell a story immediately," executive producer Todd Howard tells the Washington Post. "The imagery is really evocative, these American icons, these big, epic structures kind of destroyed. It has the feeling of, what would you do? How did it get that way and what would you do in that world?" Still, if they are going to take the ads down, it should be to protect the series' legacy from the blemish of a dumbed-down third installment.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on October 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Controversy, Kiefaber, Video games

Is Lego promoting 'outdated gender roles'?

Over in Sweden, Lego has been accused of sexist advertising toward children. The country's Trade Ethical Council against Sexism in Advertising (ERK) has cried foul over Lego catalog ads that show a girl in a pink room playing with a castle and ponies and a boy in a blue room playing with fire trucks and a fire station. ERK says this use of pink and blue constitutes a form of gender stereotyping that's degrading to both men and women. Lego defended the images, saying that boys and girls are seen playing together elsewhere in the catalog. Two U.S. sites, Parent Dish and Mom Logic, have also gotten uppity over the ads. What I don't get is how some people think the fairly recent, 20th-century concept of assigning pink to girls and blue to boys is an old-fashioned gender stereotype. Doesn't something have to fall out of fashion before it's considered "old-fashioned"? Maybe someday we'll return to the Little Lord Fauntleroy style of the late 1800s, where small boys wore lacy collars and little velvet suits and had long curly hair. Until then, Lego might avoid the issue altogether by sticking to a nice, environmentally fashionable green.

—Posted by Rebecca Cullers

Published on October 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Controversy, Cullers, Lego