Fayetteville spots veer Deep South of stupid
If nothing else, The Republik knows how to get folks
talking about Fayetteville, N.C., which, let's face it, is no easy task. When
last we profiled the town's outreach efforts, Statue of Liberty torch-style
flashlights sparked, well, not controversy exactly...but they were cute as
promotional knick-knacks go. Now, spots depicting Fayetteville as
"America's First Sanctuary Community for Soliders" (it's home to a
lot of military personnel) have the local media sizzling like grits on a
griddle, which, living my entire life in the Northeast, is the best I can do to
imbue this post with Southern flavor. In the clip above, an old lady with a walker
carries a guy in fatigues across the street; in the spot below, a fat dude in a wig
pesters an enlisted man making out with a blonde until townsfolk (including a
frogman and cowboy) save the day. The sub-sophomoric videos were reportedly pulled from some venues for being in bad taste. They do go against
the grain, and it's easy to see how some viewers might be offended. Still,
client and agency hail from the heart of Dixie, so a rebel stance should come as no surprise. —Posted by David Gianatasio
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Published on July 15, 2009 | Permalink
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Republik's office building gets easier to find
Durham, N.C., ad agency The Republik extends the recent trend of ads appearing on the sides of buildings by advertising itself on the exterior of its brand-new office. The ever-changing exhibit of ads resembles a pop-art collage, stands 22 feet high and 30 feet wide and rides a system of pulleys. With all those ads flapping around in the breeze, if Steve Jobs just happens to stroll by, TBWA\Chiat\Day could have something to worry about—but probably not. The banners are see-through from the inside, so employees can catch a few glimpses of the outside world as they work 18-hour days prepping Southern tourism pitches and thinking up new weaponry to showcase on the shop's gun-happy Web site. I'm also told the new digs have "no fixed doors or walls" and that "internal meeting spaces are stand-up only." Which should help dissuade both inter-office sexual encounters and tiresome staff meetings. |
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Published on March 17, 2009 | Permalink
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Fayetteville looking for a few good patriots
Quick, name the most patriotic city in America. Did you say Fayetteville? Probably not, but that's been the town's brand positioning for the past several years. Quick, name the state Fayetteville's in. Did you say North Carolina? If you did, you're better at geography than I am. Durham ad agency The Republik pledges the allegiance of Fayetteville (and Cumberland County more generally) in a tourism and business campaign that features gifts and apparel like T-shirts, caps, ties, keychains, mugs, dog collars, pens, doormats (they're trying to build up the permanent population, too) and even a flashlight that resembles the Statue of Liberty's torch. All include stars-and-stripes imagery and slogans like "Land of the free" and "Home of the brave." It's quite a change of heart for a town that was demolished by Sherman's army in 1865 for being "offensively rebellious." Which, by the way, is probably a better tourism slogan. |
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Published on March 2, 2009 | Permalink
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Wellcraft campaign is wobbly on its sea legs
No matter what you're selling, references to scurvy are usually best avoided. And if you're trying to sell boats—in this case, ones made by Wellcraft Marine—that goes double. Unless, of course, your vessels tend to break down a lot, leaving their occupants drifting at sea for months, their skin blotchy and gums spongy after the perishables run out. See two more ads from the series here. The visuals are also disturbing: choppy seas, rusted decks and lots of ugly dead fish. (Only Atlantic Weathergear makes the ocean look less hospitable.) The Republik in North Carolina crafted this campaign, which purports to target "well weathered, aspiring old salts" who are in the market for lake boats and "coastal cruisers" that sell for as much as $400,000. The press materials say most Wellcraft buyers are looking to buy their second or third or boat. That's probably because their previous craft sank. Being more of a hot-tub guy, I think I'll stay below decks until this perfect storm of "angry sea" advertising blows over. |
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Published on January 14, 2009 | Permalink
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Put this agency's Web site out of its misery
Those gun nuts at The Republik just sent an e-mail blast to 2,500 contacts inviting them to destroy the agency's old Web site using a .44 Magnum, shotgun or sniper rifle. Well, the shop's in North Carolina, so what could we really expect? Guns, chewing tobacco, moonshine ... I was going to say it sounds unhealthy, but it actually sounds fun, and it's no worse than much of the new fall lineup on Fox. The shop is building buzz for a new user-customizable state-of-the-art Web site that will be revealed once the old one is blown away. With an unusual Web site and unexpected creative approach, The Republik is cool—kind of like Modernista! with guns. If I were a Republik client, I'd make damn sure to pay my bills on time. And would it kill you to tip the traffic manager? Actually, yes, it could. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 26, 2008 | Permalink
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