13,750-square-foot iPod board goes missing
A gargantuan iPod Touch billboard disappeared from its scaffolding in Boston this week. The 13,750-square-foot wall of a Planet Self-Storage building is showing its whale mural underneath for the first time since 2007 (that's two years of oversized Apple banners). No one seems to know why the ad so suddenly disappeared, but it might be related to the fact that the state's Outdoor Advertising Board has been calling it illegal for a while. You see, rules for giant wall ads like this require that the building owner sell the product being advertised. Planet Self-Storage sells iTunes gift cards (why?) but not iPods or any other iProducts. (Lots of Apple products might be self-stored inside, of course.) The Boston Globe's take is that the billboard's illegality was generally overlooked by the mayor's office. Maybe PETA elves took the banner down in an effort to save the whales.
|
|
Published on November 13, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (21)
|
Florida Keys ads say there's no app for that
There's an app for almost everything, except for things that occur outside the iPhone's 480-by-320-pixel screen. That's the message in this spot by Tinsley Advertising for the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, representing the Florida Keys & Key West. "Real experiences are always worth more," says the voiceover. "So, unplug and reconnect in the Florida Keys & Key West." The Keys join Dentyne gum and Coleman camping gear among the advertisers who are positioning themselves in opposition to the inexorable march of technology. —Posted by Tim Nudd
Previously on AdFreak: |
|
Published on November 10, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
Creators of anti-Droid ad unmasked (sort of)
It turns out pros are behind the Apple-fanboy spoof ad (above) of the Verizon Droid ad spoofing Apple ads. The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog has an interview with the creators, described as staffers from a "Boston-area ad agency." The creative director, "Shawn" (they declined to give their last names), doesn't go out of his way to refute the notion that creative directors can sometimes act like jerks. He says the most controversial line in the spot, "iDon't buy brands who bash other brands," is pointed out as being hypocritical within the ad itself (by showing a Mac and PC clip and the line, "i… oops"). "Apparently even in fake advertising, you can go wrong estimating the intelligence of your audience," Shawn says. Ouch. The question remains: Which Boston-area ad agency is it? —Posted by Brian Morrissey Previously on AdFreak: |
|
Published on October 29, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (5)
|
Apple fan strikes back at Verizon Droid spot
It was inevitable. The Verizon Droid spoof of an Apple commercial (below) has now been spoofed by an Apple fanboy in the video above. It just changes the copy with jabs about ripping off Apple and the interesting claim that "iDon't buy from brands that bash other brands." This makes my head hurt. We can only hope a Droid supporter doesn't spoof the spoof of the spoof. A hole might open in the universe. Via the WSJ's Digits blog. —Posted by Brian Morrissey |
|
Published on October 27, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (6)
|
PC breaks promises, plenty of fashion rules
Apple is moving quickly to try to dampen the early enthusiasm over Microsoft's Windows 7. And this new "Get a Mac" ad, with John Hodgman breaking his promises through the years, is one of their best yet. UPDATE: Below are two more new commercials from the series. |
|
Published on October 23, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (6)
|
Latest '1984' spoof casts Apple as the villain
Perhaps the most iconic ad of all time, Apple's "1984" has been repurposed a hundred times over. But this is the first time I've seen it turned against its creator. The international crew behind DoubleTwist, a media software that promises to put "your iTunes library on any device," created this animated parody to promote its Oct. 6 launch. (The beta version is available now for free, but lacks features available with the update.) So, how do you feel about Steve Jobs being cast as Big Brother? The open-source community has long felt this way about Apple's "walled garden" approach to its devices. And with more than 220 million iPods sold worldwide, not to mention the 50 million iPhones and iPod Touches, there might be a valid claim that Jobs is indeed the Kaiser of Conformity. But will a cross-device iTunes knockoff really end that? Or will it just tide you over a few more months until you can afford the Apple device you really want? Via TechCrunch. —Posted by David Griner Previously on AdFreak: |
|
Published on September 30, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (6)
|
Is there an app to change marathon routes?
E-mail pitches that begin "I am running the Boston Marathon dressed as a giant iPhone on Monday" remind me why I hate living on the route of the famous race. Runners and spectators from all over the globe invade my neighborhood, and neither contingent, as far as I can tell, ever bothers to visit the phalanx of Port-a-Johns that spring up like unwanted seasonal flowers at the end of the block. The street serves their needs just fine. And why use a trash can for empty beer bottles or half-eaten hot dogs when my building's courtyard is right there? The iPhone pitch came from Jason Jacobs, founder of RunKeeper, which helps runners and cyclists track their outdoor activities. Hey, Jason, can the app map out a route that takes the runners a dozen blocks from where I live? And if you see a giant Zune on your tail, get out of its way. Those things are prone to crashes. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
|
Published on April 17, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
More Microsoft laptop hunters on the prowl
In its ongoing effort to rehabilitate the nerdy, bureaucratic image cemented in consumer minds via the Apple ads, Microsoft has released a couple more "Laptop Hunters" commercials from Crispin Porter + Boguksy. (The first one starred "Lauren" and took place mostly on a grassy knoll.) The spot above achieves its everyperson vibe by featuring an 11-year-old boy whose mom calls him "dude." Well, at least he's a wholesome-looking kid with a healthy aversion to "cute" laptops that have software compatibility issues. Normally, anyone under 17 who's seen asking about a good gaming computer does so in between calling people "fags" over his Xbox Live headset. I can't see little Jackson behaving that way. I still feel bad for him, though, because middle school can't be easy when your mom's that hot. |
|
Published on April 13, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
HP gets caught in crossfire of PC-Mac battle
This new Microsoft ad by Crispin Porter + Bogusky makes a pretty compelling case for the affordability of PC laptops versus Macs. But it has also riled Apple lovers, and they're taking out their vengeance on the HP Pavilion Notebook that "Lauren" ends up buying in lieu of a costlier Mac. "It is the epitome of what people dislike about PCs," writes Computerworld's Seth Weintraub. Specifically, he takes issue with the $699 laptop's processor speed, screen quality, wireless networking, battery life and nearly eight-pound weight. TechFlash's Todd Bishop wants to interview Lauren to see what she thought of the laptop in the weeks after making "one of the most high-profile purchases in the history of the PC industry," but he says Microsoft is turning down requests to talk to the office manager/aspiring actress. This spot is the first installment of a campaign featuring real people who didn't know they were involved in a Microsoft ad. For their sake, I hope Crispin's listing on Craigslist said: "Volunteers wanted for free computer and lifetime of second-guessing by every Apple fanboy on the planet." UPDATE: Oh, but wait. Did Lauren even really go into the Apple Store? —Posted by David Griner |
|
Published on March 30, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (12)
|
Apple back with more animated holiday ads
Nothing gets my holiday spirit going like watching the children's animated holiday specials: Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch and the Peanuts gang (to name just a few of my DVR'd favorites). So, of course I appreciate it when an advertiser like Apple so skillfully pays homage to the holiday stop-motion classics. Two new spots broke Monday night during ABC's broadcast of I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (remember Snoopy's brother Spike?), and whether you're a Macbook-toting Apple aficionado or not, they have to make you smile. PC, dressed in a cheery red holiday sweater, and Mac, in his spindly jeans, attempt to put aside their differences in the name of merrymaking, decorating a Christmas tree together in one ad and celebrating the freedom of an animated world in another. But of course PC can't help adding a little latent aggression to the proceedings. This is the second year in a row that Apple has produced holiday-themed animated "Get a Mac" ads. And just like the shows they honor, they feel like special holiday gifts that just keep giving. |
|
Published on December 17, 2008 | Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Macs vs. PCs becomes a musical bloodbath
With Apple striking back at Microsoft for striking back at Apple, you know it's just a matter of time before there's blood in the streets. Now, Canada's Accident Factory brings the Armageddon to life with "Macs vs. PCs." Blending the dancing of West Side Story, the bloody zeal of Evil Dead, and the primal screaming of 300, this gleefully gory video imagines a brawl so epic it could engulf the modern world in an ocean of carnage. Luckily, it's not real. I can tell, because the iPhone camera doesn't really have a flash. Via Cinematical. —Posted by David Griner |
|
Published on October 22, 2008 | Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Apple pokes fun at Microsoft over Vista ads
In what surely ranks as the adland in-joke of the year, Apple's Mac and PC return to comment on Microsoft's marketing efforts in the spot above from TBWA Media Arts Lab. Apple avoids skewering the content of Vista commercials (Seinfeld-Gates, "I'm a PC," etc.) in favor of the context, as Mac chides PC for earmarking wads of cash for Vista advertising but only a small stack of bills to fix the operating system itself. PC promptly sees the error of his ways in the spot's humorous payoff. It's a quietly amusing 30 seconds that speaks volumes compared to Microsoft's reported $300 million barrage. Though I still liked Seinfeld and Gates as a team. |
|
Published on October 20, 2008 | Permalink
| Comments (4)
|
What about those 'I'm a PC' ads, anyway?
—Posted by Rebecca Cullers |
|
Published on October 6, 2008 | Permalink
| Comments (11)
|
PC tries an op-ed in his battle against Mac
—Posted by David Gianatasio |
|
Published on September 10, 2008 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
What's that, someone defending Microsoft?
The Mojave Experiment, a Microsoft PR effort unrelated to the upcoming Crispin campaign, went live at the end of July. In a simple taste-test experiment, they asked people who had never tried Vista how they felt about Vista. Then they showed them a little demo of Windows' new "Mojave" OS, which the participants liked, and revealed that it was actually Vista! Historically, this sort of campaign has been huge in the food arena, from secretly replacing Folger's Crystals to the recent Pizza Hut pasta fake-out. But for an OS? The tech bloggers have been trading blows for the past month, making their allegiances known. Most of it is blatant Vista bashing. But for me, the most interesting thing I noticed trolling the forums is that Microsoft actually has a group of followers willing to defend it against anything. They may not be as loud as Mac lovers are, but they're there, staunchly voicing their general approval of Microsoft. If MS could manage to band its existing fans together, it could have its own cult of devoted users willing to forgive anything, just like Apple has. Before any members of the Sacred Apple iOrder lynch me for the suggestion, consider this: How would you feel if Apple had conducted the Mojave Experiment? —Posted by Rebecca Cullers |
|
Published on September 4, 2008 | Permalink
| Comments (2)
|
What will Jerry Seinfeld do for Microsoft?
|
|
Published on August 21, 2008 | Permalink
| Comments (4)
|
