Let's make airport screening easier, ads say

The U.S. Travel Association's "Be trusted" campaign advocates creating a "Trusted Traveler" program that would provide quicker airport screenings for flyers who submit to background checks and meet other criteria, with the greater goal being a boost in revenue and industry jobs. Ads show citizens we should apparently let waltz on planes with minimal fuss. Those cleared for takeoff include business-suited, middle-aged white guy Peter, who we're assured "is a tax attorney, not a terrorist"; young black woman Gina, a "marketing consultant"; Asian woman Carol, a "mother of three"; and Katie, a "nine-year-old kid from Tulsa." Now, I could attempt an intellectual discussion of the ethical, slippery-slope aspects of adopting such a policy. But I'm really not that bright, and my objections are more basic. Simply put: The folks in these ads are the very people we should be keeping off planes! Who wants to get trapped between an attorney and a marketing consultant on a cross-country flight, with lawyer yakking nonstop about "easements" and the rising price of nannies, and the marketer bitching about how "clients just don't understand"? That obnoxious Air New Zealand puppet would make a better seatmate. As for 9-year-olds, no thanks—I'll take my chances with the terrorists. See the other ads after the jump.

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Fired Geico guy likes Palin-Bachmann ticket

It looks like D.C. Douglas has been busy since being fired as a voiceover artist by Geico last year for leaving an angry voicemail for conservatives at FreedomWorks. Here's his latest production—a momentous music video in which Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock sarcastically sing the praises of a Sarah Palin-Michele Bachmann presidential ticket in 2012. Douglas (aka Lance Baxter) writes on his blog that he "decided to pin his hopes on a political powerhouse duo who could both save the needy and stop our sun from going supernova. That duo was Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann." He adds: "You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

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'Mad Men' actors pitching high-speed trains

Mad Men actors Vincent Kartheiser and Rich Sommer get in their 1960s characters to promote, in a roundabout way, development of high-speed rail in America in the 2010s in this amusing video, a joint effort of the U.S. PIRG and Funny or Die. Kartheiser, as Pete Campbell, has read that the Japanese are moving forward with high-speed trains, and he pitches to Sommer's Harry Crane some harebrained ideas for selling the concept to America. No need, Crane replies. "Trains make sense," he says. "They're efficient, they're convenient, they're good for jobs. Hell, I'd rather take a train than fly or drive anywhere. We don't need to sell trains. We are paid to sell cars, floor wax and brassieres." The video directs viewers to MadFastTrains.com, which does, in fact, try to sell the concept of trains to Americans—mostly on environmental grounds. (The site also offers a form letter you can send to your senator in Washington.) For Kartheiser, who's simply one of the best actors working in television today, this is a labor of love. Though he lives in Los Angeles, he famously gave up his car years ago in an effort to simplify his life and live ascetically.

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'House' star films pro-choice ad for MoveOn

This week's controversy over a race-centric anti-abortion billboard in SoHo—rapidly taken down—came against the backdrop of a broader political battle over federal funding for women's health services. Liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org recently produced this pro-choice spot featuring House actress Lisa Edelstein, in response to efforts by House Republicans on Capitol Hill to cut public money for abortions from the budget. Featuring a persona associated with the medical profession—albeit fictionally—helps drive the ad's message. (House himself, on the other hand, would have offered a surely skewed opinion.)

Filed under Abortion, Beltrone, Celebrity endorsements, MoveOn, Politics
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North Carolina: Let's not be South Carolina!

In a new ad on its Web site, advocacy group Together NC says North Carolina has two options: continue to fund high-quality education and public safety, or become a boarded-up hellhole like South Carolina. The video, shown below, urges North Carolina legislators to take "the path to prosperity" and not "another path," which just happens to lead to a sign that says "South Carolina welcomes you." This obviously hasn't made many friends across the border. "We didn't intend to offend any South Carolinians, of course," campaign coordinator Louisa Warren told a Columbia news station. "The larger issue is that both states are having very similar budget struggles and challenges." Warren then asked the reporter if she needed to repeat that slower and with smaller words.

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Tim Pawlenty kicks some ass in patriotic ad

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's new "Courage to Stand" ad, posted below, which is nominally a pitch for his book but is basically a trailer for his presidential ambitions, is chock full of action-movie cliches. Short Form Blog says it "looks like a Michael Bay trailer," though that's a little extreme—there aren't nearly enough explosions or Victoria's Secret models to justify that comparison. But it is odd to see a non-satirical super-patriotic wannabe movie trailer—not Sarah Palin comic book odd, but strange nonetheless. For Pawlenty's next ad, perhaps he can fend off a pack of rampaging demon sheep.

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LBJ was *nuts* for lightweight Haggar pants

If you've ever wondered what Lyndon B. Johnson's middle initial stood for, it's probably "Bunghole." Or maybe "Balls." OK, so it's actually "Baines," but he still seems disturbingly comfortable with discussing his nether regions in the video below, which features real White House audio of LBJ ordering Haggar pants over the phone in 1964. Fashion site PutThisOn.com created the clip as a bit of viral marketing with animator Tawd Dorenfeld. It's worth a watch, even if it is a case of TMI from LBJ. Big thanks to Tim Washer for the tip.

Filed under Apparel, Griner, Politics, Vintage
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Summer blasts winter in withering attack ad

Winter claims it only lasts three months, just like every other season. But doesn't it feel longer? What is winter hiding? This timely message paid for by summer. Via BuzzFeed. Previously in mock negative political advertising: Attack ad takes shots at "disgusting" babies.

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Ad barrage by China coincides with Hu visit

I must have missed it when the China ad account went up for a review. The pluses: an enormous client that's on its way to dominating its category. The minuses: the client has historically been quite demanding. China's State Council Information Office tapped Shanghai Lintas to buff up its image. Lintas is taking a pretty old-fashioned approach in an ad campaign that coincides with Premier Hu Jintao's visit to Washington to meet with President Obama: It hired a famous director (Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies coordinator Gao Xiaolong), got a bunch of celebs and bought out a bunch of Times Square ad space. Chinese celebrities including Yao Ming and Baidu founder Robin Li (along with regular citizens) are featured in a video that trumpets China's increasing mark in everything from the arts, sports, fashion, design and even bravery. (No, dissident and Nobel Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo didn't get the call.) The video ends with the faces of many regular Chinese under the banner of "Chinese Friendship." The Wall Street Journal reports that the ad will run 300 times a day on six screens in Times Square for the next month. It's too bad China didn't go bigger and buy out big commercial blocks during the Super Bowl. That would really get the message across that this century is fated to be dominated by the Chinese.

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Limbaugh shooter ad in Tucson taken down

In the wake of the Jan. 8 mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that left six people dead and 14 wounded, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Clear Channel has taken down a KNST NewsTalk 790 billboard in Tucson advertising Rush Limbaugh's radio show. The ad, which debuted a few weeks ago, used a bullet-hole motif and the headline "Rush Limbaugh. Straight shooter." Clear Channel, which owns the radio station and manages the outdoor space, said it believed "discussion of [the ad's] interpretation would not contribute to the desire for healing in the Tucson community." You think? The continued airing of Limbaugh's prattle won't help, either. On Tuesday's show, Rush, apparently trying to deflect flak aimed at himself and other tough-talkin' right-wingers, opined that the alleged shooter "has the full support of a major political party in this country. … The Democrat Party is attempting to find anybody but him to blame." Hmm, "straight shooters" are those who tell it like it is, frankly and honestly, without partisan agendas, coercive rhetoric and the like. Doesn't sound like Rush at all. Perhaps the billboard was removed simply for false advertising.

Filed under Controversy, Gianatasio, Politics, Radio
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'Happy farmer' in India farming ad killed self

Well, this is embarrassing and horrible. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the two major political parties in India, has pulled a newspaper ad trumpeting the party's efforts to help farmers after it was revealed that the farmer in the ad killed himself 18 months ago under the weight of his debts. The man's family members alerted the government to the mistake, and have had to deal with people asking if the man is still alive. Particularly awful is the caption under the man's picture, which reads: "My life has improved since the day the BJP government came." Terrible. Check out a local video report after the jump.

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Obama signs a law to quiet TV commercials

Advertisers are now prevented by law from jacking up the volume of their TV spots. We wrote about the legislation before, but President Obama officially signed it into law on Wednesday, requiring the FCC to do something resembling its actual job and set a standard for ad decibel levels (relative to that of regular programming) within one year. They've been fielding complaints about this since the 1960s, keep in mind, but the wheels of progress are often slow-turning.

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Steve Jobs (once again) cast as Big Brother

Steve Jobs as Big Brother? At this point, it's typecasting. And spoofing Apple's famous "1984" ad introducing the Macintosh never goes out of style. So, the National Organization for Marriage has launched a video portraying Jobs as an über-villain following Apple's rejection of the group's anti-gay-marriage app. "Jobs has made billions taking on 'Big Brother,' yet the irony is that in refusing to allow citizens to support pro-life and traditional marriage positions, he's become the very 'Big Brother' he has decried," says NOM president Brian Brown. The group plans a mass e-mailing of the clip this holiday season. I know it's the thought that counts, but I'd really prefer a tie or some socks instead.

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Voting is orgasmic in Spanish socialists' ad

If voting really gave folks orgasms, turnout would be about 100 percent. This spot from the (apparently swingin') Young Socialists of Catalonia posits such a scenario. Here, a local babe gets increasingly hot as she does her civic duty and lasciviously slips a paper ballot into a slot. I experienced much the same feeling when I pulled the lever for Sarah Palin in '08. And I didn't even vote! Hi-yo! Via The Inspiration Room.

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FDA unveils 36 warning labels for cigarettes

The Food and Drug Administration today unveiled 36 proposed designs for new warning labels on cigarette packs, required under a new law that gives the FDA power to regulate tobacco products for the first time. The agency wants feedback, and will pick nine labels next June to use on packages beginning next October. There are a few gross ones, though frankly the imagery could be worse (and is worse in other countries). My favorite is probably the one above, which appears to be based on the scene in Poltergeist when Craig T. Nelson stands transfixed next to the gaping jaws of hell. See all 36 images here. What do you think of them? And will they have any effect on smokers? Via The Awl.

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Attack ad takes shots at 'disgusting' babies

As you cast your vote today, keep in mind that the world would be a much better place—less barfy, less stinky, less generally disgusting—if we could kick all the babies out of Washington. An amusing spoof by Ramsey Bros. Pictures.

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The 10 freakiest ads from the 2010 election

Election Day is upon us, and not a moment too soon. The candidates have been bludgeoning us for the past two years with advertisements ranging from the uninspired to the obnoxious. Thankfully, though, a handful of the commercials were so over the top, they became entertaining—good for a laugh, if not always good for the candidate. We've gathered together 10 of the best, or at least the most bizarre: AdFreak's picks for the 2010 election's freakiest campaign ads.

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Creative finds side job as Facebook vandal

If you're an agency creative with a great idea but no clients willing to give it a try, why not just use it to launch a new form of Internet vandalism? That's what BBDO creative director Jeff Greenspan did when he created "letterbombing," a group effort that uses profile photos to spell out a message on a public figure's Facebook page. According to The Daily Beast, Greenspan created the concept as a form of guerrilla marketing for client brands, but he couldn't find any takers. So he and some friends decided to support Stephen Colbert's sarcastic "Keep Fear Alive" campaign by spelling out the message on fan pages for Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, FOX News, The Daily Show, Justin Bieber and more. (You can see exactly how they did it in the video below.) The messages didn't last long, but they generated some buzz, especially when followed up with an autism-related blitz on the Facebook wall for New York Governor David Paterson. Sure, it may be vandalism, but it's not every day you see comment spam used as a form of activism. UPDATE: Greenspan clarifies in the comments, "Just to be clear, we meant, initially, for brands to have people bomb their own pages, not the other way around."

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Mailer says incumbent has the whiff of trash

Orange County congressional hopeful Van Tran's latest campaign ad suggests that he didn't get enough "Grape Job!" stickers as a kid. Tran sent voters a particularly foul scratch-and-sniff mailer suggesting that Democratic incumbent Loretta Sanchez smells like hot garbage. This tactic was used in the New York governor's race, too. Carl Paladino sent out a flier that smelled like a landfill (not that many NYC residents would notice). Sanchez blasted Tran for his childish stunt, but she probably brought it on herself by claiming that Republicans were colluding with the Vietnamese to unseat her. Thoughtless and paranoid remarks like that stink worse than Tran's flier.

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Christine O'Donnell now regrets witch spot

In a developing story that we're probably all sick of by now, Christine O'Donnell has officially said she regrets her "I'm not a witch" ad. She tells Good Morning America (at 4:50 in the clip above): "I haven't publicly stated this, and I don't know if I'll get in trouble for saying that, but our intention was to kill it, and that's not what happened." Here's a tip for all politicians out there: If you want to bury something from your past, something that people have already been talking about and seem interested in, uploading a video about it onto YouTube is the absolute worst way to go. Instead, try not uploading a video about it onto YouTube. That should work better. Oh, and if this whole dumbshit persona of O'Donnell's is a trick, there'd better be one hell of a reveal.

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Backhoe attacks Alaska pol during ad shoot

Democratic challenger Ethan Berkowitz isn't just battling Republican Gov. Sean Parnell in the Alaska election—he is fending off rogue earth-moving machines. Berkowitz posted the outtake below from a recent advertising shoot, showing him getting clobbered by a swiveling backhoe (after the :50 mark or so). A few inches higher, and it could have been a lot worse. Berkowitz clearly thinks the outtake is funny and might endear him to voters. But he's already getting crap for the clip, with some saying his cavalier attitude around construction machinery—he's not even wearing a hard hat—demonstrates a lack of judgment. "No amount of dirt can hide being stupid about safety issues, even if it is for a media political advertisement," one safety group said in a statement. To which Berkowitz replied: "Let me put it this way: My mom saw the ad and laughed. If you're going to work around heavy equipment, which is what we need to get the pipeline going, we need people with the strength to see the job through."

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Elvira spoofs Christine O'Donnell witch spot

The Christine O'Donnell witch-ad parodies keep on coming. Here's one from Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, promoting her syndicated Elvira's Movie Macabre show, which returned to the air in September after a hiatus of more than 20 years. Read more about Cassandra Peterson's revival of her classic camp vamp character at OC Weekly.

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Obama learns Arabic for French TV channel

A French TV station is promoting its new Arabic broadcasts by showing mock footage of President Obama, Bill Gates, Queen Elizabeth II and Chinese president Hu Jintao learning the Arabic language. Obama supposedly doesn't know a foreign language—something he has called "embarrassing" in the past. But at this point, Arabic probably wouldn't be his first choice—given that certain segments of the media already wonder "if the president hasn't been concealing some greater fluency with the language of the Koran." See the other three spots after the jump. Via Ads of the World.

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Christine O'Donnell witch spot gets remixed

The Gregory Brothers have worked their Auto-Tune magic on Christine O'Donnell's "I'm not a witch" spot—with the result definitely a little catchier than the original. In other O'Donnell news, check out the sketch below about the Delaware Senate candidate from Saturday Night Live's season premiere last month—which aired as a rerun this weekend.

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Christine O'Donnell on the attack in new ad

GOP ad wizards the Prosper Group put together the movie-preview spoof above for Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell, who is taking a break from renouncing witchcraft and claiming she's you in favor of whining about taxes. The video, painting opponent Chris Coons as a "Bed Intruder"-esque tax demon, has been compared to Carly Fiorina's "Demon Sheep" spot for its hyperbole (Fiorina's adman, Fred Davis, is behind this new spot, too). "Tax Man" at least makes a fighting attempt to stay on topic. But it still looks like a student project, which I'm sure the inevitable Saturday Night Live parody will reflect. (This past Saturday's SNL O'Donnell spoof is below.) Seriously, it's almost like O'Donnell's crew are now inviting parody so they can use it as proof of relevance.

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