Will self-hating smokers help others to quit?
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Published on July 6, 2009 | Permalink
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Modernista! auctions dozen beer-ad scripts
With the Palm Pre spots long finished and Hummer not exactly doing a ton of ads these days, Modernista! has some time for self-promotions. The agency spent this week auctioning off a 12-pack of beer-commercial scripts on eBay. After 11 bids, the package sold for $45. That's pretty damn cheap. You have to pay a lot more than that for just one Crispin Porter + Bogusky intern (and they would probably bring their own beer to the office!). The eBay thing is a bit tired, too. Talk about Web 1.0. Why can't Modernista! do something clever to generate buzz, like launch a Web site that illustrates social-media transparency by sending users to Google, Wikipedia and other resources for agency info? |
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Published on July 2, 2009 | Permalink
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Robots: Switch them on, and they just do it
Big Lazy Robot Visual Effects created this "spec commercial inspired by Nike." Whatever that means. I guess nobody's got paying clients these days. Now, I'm no fan of robots, but this is one impressive vignette. It subverts expectations by using a mechanical subject and lifeless cement-and-steel cityscape to vividly communicate pursuits of the human spirit, or at least the robot spirit, like pushing oneself to new heights, smashing limitations and being in total sync with the environment. Or running on all circuits. There's no need for this sprinter to chug Gatorade at the end of his gravity-defying run. That would just burn out his transistors, anyway. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on July 2, 2009 | Permalink
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HowStuffWorks not too concerned with why
Who: HowStuffWorks.com and ad agency Preston Kelly. What: A new ad in which a convertible falls from an airplane and four foolhardy skydivers then parachute out of the car. Where: Hopefully above a sparsely populated area. It looks flat, so it might be Kansas. How: Quite compellingly, though I could do without the "quirky" soundtrack. Why: Who cares?! That's the takeaway from the skydiving ad above, and the spot below, starring Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham, the first person to complete a backflip in a wheelchair. The campaign urges you to "Keep asking." But focus on the how, not the why. And for God's sake don't take your eyes off the sky! |
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Published on July 1, 2009 | Permalink
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Westwood College jazzes up career training
These ads from Cactus for Westwood College aren't your typical continuing-education spots. The backgrounds constantly change while the protagonists remain in the middle of the screen—a technique the agency calls a "visual metaphor" that supposedly emphasizes that to get the best jobs, applicants need the best backgrounds. It kind of made me dizzy. According to the ads, the school offers degrees in design, healthcare, technology, business and construction management. I don't really trust career-training ads that don't tout programs in refrigeration or driving the big rigs. Even in a recession, folks like their milk frosty-cold and delivered to supermarkets in trucks with happy cows prancing on the side. Also, I'm not sure I'd hire Westwood grads. It seems like every time they land a job, they're immediately dissatisfied and seek employment elsewhere. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on July 1, 2009 | Permalink
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Taxi PSA captures nightmare of Parkinson's
The problem with most PSAs about medical conditions is that they rarely convey what it would actually be like for the viewer to struggle with the afflictions they portray. No such problem here, as Taxi vividly illustrates that fighting Parkinson's disease is like fighting against oneself. In this spot for Parkinson Society Canada, crossing a room to answer the phone becomes a surreal and chilling nightmare. The quiet-violent-quiet rhythm of the spot puts the audience all too jarringly in the picture. A companion to the Toronto agency's fine print work for the client, this clip uses sound, motion and editing to memorably drive its point home. And it suggests the current sad logic of Parkinson's: Until there's a cure, when you fight against yourself, you lose. Via Ads of the World. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on July 1, 2009 | Permalink
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Dopey mammoths stump for San Diego Zoo
Two not-so-smart mammoths hit just the right notes in these humorous ads by M&C Saatchi for the San Diego Zoo's "Elephant Odyssey" exhibit, a production "12,000 years in the making." In the spot above, they make the mistake of taking a mud bath in a tar pit, and only one prehistoric pachyderm is left bobbing in the ooze at the end. In the spot below, the wooly wonders get more than they bargained for when they stop to play with a "sabertooth kitty." Tusk tusk tusk, what a shame. |
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Published on June 30, 2009 | Permalink
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Illinois lawyers using Lincoln, Obama in ads
The Illinois State Bar Association is trying to boost the perception of lawyers by carting around a big picture of Abraham Lincoln's face. Mobile ad trucks are arguably the least classy mass medium, better suited for local sandwich shops and the like, so this method essentially equates the bar's membership to baloney on rye. The Honest Abe mosaic, created by ad shop &Wojdyla, is made from images of more than 500 other lawyers from the Prairie State, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. See a larger version of the mosiac here. Reminding people that Obama and Clinton are lawyers probably won't do their images much good. And if the truck gets stuck in traffic behind an ambulance, well, that would be regrettable. |
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Published on June 30, 2009 | Permalink
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Davidoff cigars orgasmic or just plain stinky
"Every man has a D-spot," claim these three print ads for Davidoff cigars. I dunno, this guy here looks more catatonic than orgasmic. It's probably the emphysema. In another ad, Mustache Man seems to have sniffed a scent most foul. The sooty bouquet of a smoldering Davidoff, perhaps? Now, the young guy with the cleft-chin who looks a bit like John Travolta ... OK, yeah, he's feelin' it. I guess sometimes a cigar isn't just a cigar after all. Davidoff cigars probably go well with a Three Olives martini. Via Ads of the World. |
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Published on June 30, 2009 | Permalink
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What are colives, and should you eat them?
The bar for wacky cow ads has been raised foolishly high of late. From Wieden + Kennedy's purified Cravendale cow (certified not racist!) to Draftfcb's talking-teat Oreo temptation, we've feasted on some bloody breakthroughs in bovine. Enter Campbell Mithun's "Colive" commercial above, touting Land O'Lakes Butter with Olive Oil. The setup, showing what happens when you cross a cow with an olive, would seem to present possibilities. A giant green heifer spurting pimento-flavored milk sprang to mind. (Though with me, that often does. Rough childhood, etc.) What we actually get is a cow-colored olive that rolls around a tabletop. It looks like a marble or a rodent dropping, not that appealing. At least they had the good sense to make it moo. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 29, 2009 | Permalink
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Audi does not want your stinking foreign oil
Oh, how I remember those slick Oil Parades of my childhood, when I'd barrel home to gasoline alley. ... OK, that's enough. Let's slam the brakes on the silly wordplay (had to slip in one more) to consider this "Oil Parade" spot from Venables Bell & Partners touting Audi's TDI diesel-powered cars. There are oil barrels, lots of them, shown rolling down the country roads and city streets of our great land, onto a tanker that will apparently transport them back across the sea to where they came from. Yes, we'd be free from the tyranny of foreign oil. Still, I'll be sad to see them go. Drums are the best part of any parade. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 29, 2009 | Permalink
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BK kitchen becomes a giant killing machine
Robots and obits are two of my regular beats hear at AdFreak. They go hand in hand, as robots are dedicated to the destruction of mankind. Which brings us none too smoothly to Burger King's tie-in with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. My colleague Rebecca Cullers has noted the "conspiracy" aspects of the campaign and warned us of "a series of worldwide robot sightings." Oh, it's far worse than that, people. As our flesh-and-blood world reels from the loss of the King of Pop, the metallic monsters have found their king: the Burger King! He's been robotized to massive proportions—transformed, if you will, into a digitized death-dealing demon! Someone would probably die if a giant King smashed through a BK like he does in the spot above. There’s be chaos and confusion, at any rate. And then my chance of getting no pickles, already abysmally low, would decline even more. Robots. They'll spoil your meal every time. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 26, 2009 | Permalink
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R.I.P. Michael Jackson, adland's king of pop
It seems fitting, ironic and ultimately tragic that Michael Jackson's best-known ad moment involved a freak accident. In 1984, at the height of his mega-fame in the wake of Thriller, Jacko's hair caught on fire while he was filming a Pepsi commercial for BBDO. Even in the pre-Internet age, and though he wasn't that badly hurt, the story was everywhere, all the time, for months. It became a media obsession. (It eventually inspired the title of Phil Dusenberry's book.) Such was MJ's blessing and curse. For a time, his celebrity rivaled that of Sinatra, Elvis or the Beatles. Far lesser celebrities have had their psyches crushed by the intensity and demand of the unclosing public eye. The biggest star of his generation, Michael Jackson cracked up in direct proportion to his fame. Cast as a god, the man embraced the role, seeking to remake himself in a pale, childlike image only he could understand. The endless cosmetic surgeries, the reclusive years at the Neverland Ranch and the bizarre pronouncements and behaviors are the stuff of legend. Of course, being reborn was something he could never achieve in life. The mighty, moon-walking King of Pop, largely a media construct himself, lost sight of the fact that we're simply not our own creations. Perhaps by now, an ever greater power has reminded him of that. Michael Jackson died on Thursday in Los Angeles at age 50. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 25, 2009 | Permalink
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Farrah Fawcett, always an advertising angel
Farrah Fawcett's ad history is rich and varied. She lathered up Joe Namath for Noxema, romped on the beach with a pooch for her own line of Faberge shampoos (above), and kept her famous smile fresh with Ultra-Brite. She was once married to Lee Majors, the Six-Million Dollar Man. It was a '70s Brangelina-type union that fueled tabloid headlines when many of the tabloids were still new. She gave several solid, serious acting performances, notably in The Burning Bed and Extremities. Of course, that swimsuit poster was her greatest claim to fame: In the Bicentennial year, its sales, reportedly 12 million, probably rivaled those of Old Glory. Farrah Fawcett died on Thursday at 62. She got her wings too soon. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 25, 2009 | Permalink
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Nokia video recreates classic album covers
This Nokia video by London-based enterThe7thChamber is impossible not to like. It portrays a stupid but amusing conversation between classic album covers via the speaking-in-song-titles routine popularized a few years back on Whose Line Is It Anyway. Blondie and Mariah Carey are disturbingly masculine; Ringo's in character as the lovable scene-stealer (I'm not so sure that isn't the real Mr. Starkey, in fact); the Rolling Stones crotch shot is good stuffing—er, good stuff; and Jim Morrison, fittingly enough, appears at "The End." It's designed to drive traffic to a "Playlist" competition promoting the Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic Phone. This ad makes me feel so old. Are any of these acts still popular anywhere other than Rock Band or Guitar Hero? Sigh. I'm reeling in the years. |
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Published on June 25, 2009 | Permalink
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DDB offers glimpse of Brazil's other wild life
Good lord, they've created humanimals in Brazil! And these beast-people with razor-sharp claws and vicious fangs all drive sub-compact cars! Did we learn nothing from The Island of Dr. Moreau? We certainly didn't from last remake with Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer, because nobody bothered to watch it. Brando and Kilmer—what were they thinking? Seriously, these DDB Brazil ads for Zoo Safari are, in a word, seamless. The central images are simple yet striking and perfectly in sync with the "Blend in" theme. I just hope those park visitors aren't driving Chevy Impalas. That would make them stand out that much more as prey. Via Ads of the World. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 25, 2009 | Permalink
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Weird Al's brain promotes Weird Al's movie
Was there a call for a "Weird Al" Yankovic comeback? Even allowing for that remote possibility, I think I'm safe in saying there was zero demand for a promotional video starring Al's disembodied brain. And yet here he (it?) is, enjoying a wild night on the town to promote a film/exhibit called, appropriately enough, "Al's Brain," which premieres July 10 at the Orange County Super Fair (a good indication of how far this guy's fame has fallen since "Eat It" was a hit). In the clip, Al's brain takes in a 3-D flick, hangs with some chicks, DJs in a club and uses its spinal cord to send a ball and itself careening down the lane at a bowling alley. It even gets a tattoo and uploads footage of its adventures to Brainbook. Yeah, this brain's got a mind of its own. It's still cooler than that disembodied Favoli's stomach—that's a no-brainer. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 24, 2009 | Permalink
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App battle: Whole Foods vs. Dunkin' Donuts
Whole Foods Market and Dunkin' Donuts both launched iPhone apps within the past week. Let's compare them. The Whole Foods "Fresh Apple" app helps folks plan and prepare healthy meals on the go. The Dunkin' app facilitates the purchase and consumption of donuts. The Whole Foods app lets users search by ingredients, special dietary needs and budgetary concerns. The Dunkin' app allows you to order a sausage, egg and cheese on croissant and a large coffee, light and sweet, digitally instead of out loud, to avoid public shame. Whole Foods: carrots, peas, broccoli—maybe broccolini, if you're lucky. Dunkin': powdered sugar, cream filling, chocolate-glazed. Dunkin's app also helps coordinate workplace "Dunkin' Runs." Yeah, that wording's unfortunate, but Fred from facilities will probably pay for it out of petty cash, so the coffee and donuts will be free! —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 24, 2009 | Permalink
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R.I.P. Ed McMahon, self-deprecating ad star
At one time, Ed McMahon was one of the most famous human beings on the media landscape. From 1962 until 1992, as the announcer on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, his "H-e-e-e-e-re's Johnny" catchphrase, guffaws from the guest couch (frequently unrelated to anything taking place on the program) and self-deprecating humor helped define late-night TV. He was a pop-culture icon of the first degree, often parodied (notably by Phil Hartman on Saturday Night Live), sometimes challenged for sidekick supremacy (Paul Schaffer at his peak), but never duplicated. As his health and finances deteriorated in recent years, he knowingly lampooned his own image (and strove to pay the bills) by rapping in ads for FreeCreditReport.com (above) and sharing screen time with Hammer in a Cash4Gold spot that aired during February's Super Bowl. He never took himself too seriously, and he kept his dignity and celebrity intact until the end. When it comes to playing second banana, he'll always be No. 1. Ed McMahon died today at age 86. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 23, 2009 | Permalink
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Dell's laptop factory sure is a magical place
Mother in New York more or less goes the Coca-Cola "Happiness Factory" route for Dell in this musical spot. The Dell factory's a bit too wacky-forced-happy for my taste, with burly hardhats shufflin' and singin' about lollipops as multicolored Dell notebook computers roll off the confection/assembly line. Why should I care that these dudes are happy in their toil? Does that somehow make the product better or more desirable? The upside: If these computers crash, you can always just eat them. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on June 23, 2009 | Permalink
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Bronty lands a triple salchow in museum ad
Carmichael Lynch and Smoke & Mirrors/NY set a dinosaur loose on a frozen pond in this Disney-esque promo for an upcoming exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. If Land of the Lost had been one-tenth this appealing, it wouldn't already be extinct at the box office. In the spot, the saurian slips and slides, and his expression about 10 seconds in manages to convey a "WTF" message without making the creature seem overly anthropomorphized or silly. Where's Thumper when you need him? The brontosaurus should have known better, especially since the Ice Age killed the dinosaurs the first time around. Skates evolved several million years too late to do them any good. |
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Published on June 22, 2009 | Permalink
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Mercedes gladly smashes up own museumThis Mercedes-Benz ad from Merkley + Partners is extremely well edited and directed. Almost the entire 30 seconds are a prelude to the 2010 E-Class crashing through the clear wall of the automaker's museum in Germany to "take its rightful place" beside vintage models. The museum looks intriguingly retro-futuristic from the outside. Inside, it's just a roomful of old cars. Why smash through the glass at all? Perhaps it's road rage related to plummeting sales. Flying splinters, screaming treads, a car screeching to a full stop indoors—such havoc could turn off potential buyers. And yet, that makes the spot subversive and edgy, and the car, by extension, cool. So, ultimately, the ad is asking if I'm subversive, edgy and (dare I say it?) cool enough to buy a car that's subversive, edgy and cool enough to be driven through a window. Damn right I am, Mercedes! Hondas are for wimps who like to drive outside on the road. |
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Published on June 22, 2009 | Permalink
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Talking branches and fenders shill for Geico
Geico touts its 24-hour claims service, H.R. Pufnstuf-style, in these new spots from The Martin Agency, which feature tree limbs and fenders that wisecrack after cracking a windshield and the rear bumper of another car. The tagline, "Accidents are bad, but Geico's good," could probably apply to the commercials themselves, which succeed against all reasonable expectations by being unabashedly and self-consciously silly in the extreme. Another plus: Geico's googly-eyed wad of Kash is nowhere in sight. |
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Published on June 19, 2009 | Permalink
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Canada church loses its mind with joints ad
"Does it matter how you achieve your spiritual high?" asks this ad directing users (ha!) to a Web site called WonderCafe.ca, a forum for religious discussion and debate. (See the full ad here.) You'll notice that joints form a cross. The work is from Smith Roberts on behalf of the United Church of Canada. They're Protestants. I knew right away the ad wasn't touting a Catholic venue. From what I recall from Catechism class, sacrilegious shenanigans of this kind would merit a stern lecture and about 10,000 "Hail Marys," though not a ruler across the knuckles. The joints would have to be lit for that. Via Ads of the World. |
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Published on June 19, 2009 | Permalink
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A chilling hello from Opera's Unite software
Opera Software says it's reinventing the Web. That's pretty much what it'll take for the Norwegian company to boost its abysmal browser share (zing!). This week it unveiled Opera Unite, a data-sharing technology that, if the firm's to be believed, turns every computer running the Opera browser into a Web server. That's not many computers, so why bother writing about it? Well, to note the oddly off-key introductory video, which plays like a cross between a grade-school educational film and an Apple iPod silhouette ad gone wrong. Those servers lined up behind the couple in the park are scary. The whole thing has a frosty, foreboding, Big Brother feel, which is fine for depicting the problem (a lifeless world metaphorically stemming from a lack of communications) but does little to illustrate the solution or help viewers like the product. Microsoft's Bing campaign looks brilliant by comparison. Eh, they're a mixed-up bunch in Norway. |
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Published on June 18, 2009 | Permalink
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