Doritos offers more for a Super Bowl winner
Who says ad contests involving user-generated content are dead? Well, OK, I have, repeatedly, but no one ever listens to me. Now, Frito-Lay is raising the stakes by upping the potential payout in its upcoming "Crash the Super Bowl" contest from a paltry $1 million last year to $5 million this year. Doritos is planning to air three UGC ads during the next Super Bowl. Cash prizes will be tied to their performance in USA Today's big-game Ad Meter. The brand is offering $1 million for placing first in Ad Meter, $600,000 for second and $400,000 for third. (If the spots sweep the top three, each of the three will get a $1 million bonus, for a total of $5 million. Though of course, that's not happening.) Madison Avenue is being renamed Madison Avenue Doritos Drive on Thursday, just for the day, to promote the contest and make agency staffers who work there feel even worse about their chosen profession. It's surely cheaper and possibly more lucrative for agencies to get their creatives to enter this contest than to actually pitch the brand. That's probably against the rules, but worth a shot. In a new column on Adweek.com, One Show chairman David Baldwin says it would take a global village to stop ad-contest fakery. You'll never get that many folks to police this Doritos thing. They'll all be watching the game. —Posted by David Gianatasio See also: |
|
Published on September 10, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
Are the Super Bowl brands still on Twitter?
Last month, we wondered how long all those Super Bowl ad characters would last on Twitter. The answer was a bit surprising, if only because the personality with the highest potential—the mulleted and inventive PepSuber—was one of the first to drop off. The Pepsi-SNL crossover character quickly racked up over 1,000 followers but abruptly stopped posting on Feb. 24. H&R Block's Tax Guy Murray, the man threatened with death for boning up the Grim Reaper's taxes, deserves credit for playing out his ad's story line. On the day of his supposed passing, March 11, Murray posted a flurry of updates about when Death came calling. (Don't worry, Murray escaped unharmed.) The spammy but prolific E*Trade Baby has kept up his shtick pretty consistently. But strangely, it's SoBe Lifewater that takes top honors with its Sobeworld account, which has the most followers (1,196) and has been impressively interactive with other users. Sadly, this probably means we're in for another 10 years of dancing lizards. —Posted by David Griner |
|
Published on March 19, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
PTC loathes, helps promote AshleyMadison
It's not just GoDaddy that's feeling some heat for its moral oblivion following the Super Bowl. Apparently, more than 90,000 members of the Parents Television Council have lashed out at Houston's NBC affiliate for airing an ad for AshleyMadison.com during the game. As we know, Canada pre-empted the pro-adultery Web site's spot with more wholesome fare. Yeah, this PTC action gives AshleyMadison some press. But I must say, it's nice to see the PTC take a break from its usual irrelevant posturing to rally against something that actually is morally objectionable. Still, I'm sure they'll be back to warning parents about explicit YouTube videos soon enough. At least, I hope they are. Between this and Obama winning, I'm wondering if I've been in a coma since early November and everything since has just been a pleasant dream. —Posted by David Kiefaber |
|
Published on February 6, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (3)
|
Christians tired of immoral GoDaddy spots
Wired has the scoop on an aggravated Christian Internet entrepreneur who has moved 60 of his Christian clients off GoDaddy's Web-hosting services when they complained about the immoral nature of the company's latest Super Bowl spots. I thought it was just gay sex that bothered the Christian coalition, but to my surprise, it appears they are not too fond of the heterosexual variety, either! According to the entrepreneur, Brian Harrell, "that kind of content is not going to fly in the Christian community." He intends to expand his campaign to make GoDaddy change its ways. I've had female friends say they'll never use GoDaddy because of sexist advertising. But as Wired points out, GoDaddy did see a 110 percent jump in orders over the past few days. I doubt Harrell's 60 customers are really going to rain on GoDaddy's parade of jiggling breasts. Of course, are we sure that sales increase was really a victory? Who knows, orders might have increased by 210 percent with a less titty-oriented spot. —Posted by Rebecca Cullers |
|
Published on February 5, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (4)
|
It might not be terrible if Jack didn't recover
In case you're lucky enough to live in a media market that doesn't have a Jack in the Box, here's the chain's local Super Bowl spot showing the freakish Jack character getting run down by a bus. Most of us hope he won't recover. But since he was laid up in the ICU and unable to avail himself of a free Denny's Grand Slam breakfast on Tuesday, he probably will. Kidding, of course. Denny's rocks. Their eggs are hard as rocks, at any rate. As for Jack, well, there's a Web site, HangInThereJack.com, for updates on his progress as the brand looks to maximize its big-game appearance. My theory: That weasely assistant pushed him. He's got a moustache and a cell phone, so he must be evil. You know, I've taken some shots at Denny's this week, but I want to say for the record: Compared to Jack in the Box, the Big D serves up 5-star cuisine. |
|
Published on February 4, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Super Bowl was wild, particularly in Tucson
"We are mortified by the incident, and we apologize to our customers." That's Comcast's statement concerning the adult entertainment that briefly interrupted Sunday's Super Bowl telecast in the Tucson, Ariz., area. When will company apologize to the rest of us for not airing any adult entertainment during the game? Sure, sure, Comcast says the clip was part of an "isolated malicious act" and the company isn't to blame. That I can believe, since Comcast is usually responsible for services outages rather than providing compelling content. Maybe if the naughty footage aired longer, the game wouldn't have been just the No. 2 most-watched Super Bowl of all time. And are we absolutely certain some lonely desert viewers didn't simply misinterpret an especially intense and affectionate huddle? UPDATE: Nielsen, which is AdFreak's parent and therefore allowed to reverse any call whenever it wishes, now reports that based on "final results," Super Bowl XLIII was, in fact, the most-watched of all time, with an average audience of 98.7 million. We'll probably never know what impact, if any, the Comcast porn broadcast in Arizona had on boosting the numbers. For all we know, those peeps tuned in to watch Bruce Springsteen ... or maybe for the ads! |
|
Published on February 3, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (2)
|
Will the Super Bowl brands stay on Twitter?
Laptop keyboards nationwide are stained with wing sauce and nacho cheese following the intensive Twittering of Sunday's Super Bowl. But it wasn't just football and advertising fans doing the talking. Brands themselves used the popular social site to get characters from their commercials chatting with viewers in real time. Results were mixed at best. I actually found that PepSuber's Twitter banter somewhat redeemed Pepsi's strange Saturday Night Live crossover ad, especially when he corrected my misspelling in a post by offering to make the missing letter out of a paperclip. H&R Block, a veteran brand on Twitter, gets a passing score for its TaxGuyMurray account, which chronicles Murray's brush with death in the ad itself. Then there's the E*Trade Baby, who basically just spammed everyone. But here's my real question: What's going to happen to these accounts? The three I just mentioned were still active on Monday, but how long will their corporate overlords keep it up? Will these little-loved characters be quietly abandoned one day when they've lost all their cultural novelty? Not that I doubt the lasting power of PepSuber, but come on, he didn't even survive his own Super Bowl commercial. —Posted by David Griner |
|
Published on February 3, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (5)
|
Nothing stays with you like a Denny's mealFor my money, the Denny's commercial stole the show at the Super Bowl. And I do mean for my money, because the diner chain is offering free Grand Slam Breakfasts on Tuesday. The problem, I assume, is that to take them up on the offer, you have to actually eat at Denny's. I survived Dunkin' Donuts hash browns last week, but I still can't feel my legs. Those of us who insist that Denny's couldn't give its food away will know for sure tomorrow. Kidding, of course. I'm sure their breakfast is "grand" and wouldn't "slam" me in any way. At least cash-strapped Ed McMahon and M.C. Hammer will be able to enjoy gratis buttermilk pancakes without having to sell their fillings. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
|
Published on February 2, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (3)
|
AdFreak live Super Bowl chat: post-mortem
We held a live chat on Sunday night about the Super Bowl commercials, via Twitter, featuring these nine guests: |
|
Published on February 1, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (8)
|
Yes, there's a football game on Sunday, too
Who will Americans be rooting for to win the big game on Sunday? The answer may depend on whether they're real football fans. Among the public in general, a USA Today/Gallup poll finds respondents split almost evenly, with 31 percent preferring the Cardinals, 29 percent the Steelers and the rest indifferent. Among people who identified themselves as pro-football fans, though, the Cardinals beat the Steelers by three field goals (44 percent to 35 percent, with the rest not having a preference). If the Cardinals get creamed, as many people expect, does this mean disappointed football fans will tune out early? Advertisers who bought time late in the game will certainly hope not. —Posted by Mark Dolliver |
|
Published on January 30, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Canada spurns infidelity ad for Super Bowl
ESPN isn't the only sports-related entity that has shunned infidelity-dating service Ashley Madison. CTV, the station that will beam the Super Bowl across Canada this Sunday, is barring this 30-second Ashley Madison spot from the broadcast because, it says, it doesn't want such adulterous filth running alongside work from "quality brands." Well, maybe not filth—it's hardly a racy spot—but it is more blatantly immoral than, say, a beer commercial. Maybe Ashley Madison president Noel Biderman should spend less time feigning indignation and more time sandblasting the scammers and webcam girls off his precious Web site, just in case one of his stupid ads doesn't get blackballed. —Posted by David Kiefaber |
|
Published on January 30, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
It's looking bleak for Super Bowl Single Girl
Oh good, more desperate singles pulling undignified advertising stunts! This time it's Amy Borkowski, a New York comedian who's been trying to raise $3 million to air her own personals ad on the Super Bowl. With two days to go, she's raised $6,205. (Where's David Armano when you need him?) "Dating is basically a numbers game," Amy says, "and I figured getting myself in front of a captive audience of 60 million men would increase my odds of meeting Mr. Right." As opposed to, you know, developing hobbies and interests through which she could meet like-minded people. Yes, we know it's a joke. Via Deadspin. |
|
Published on January 30, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
McMahon, Hammer head to the Super BowlIt's either a watershed moment for pop culture, or a sure sign that Western civilization has completely gone to pot: Ed McMahon and M.C. Hammer will appear together in a Super Bowl spot this Sunday for Cash4Gold.com (not to be confused with CashForGoldUSA.com, which encourages you to steal from old people, not listen to them). McMahon rapped last year in a heinous campaign for FreeCreditReport.com in an effort to pay off his debts and not lose his home. We'd hoped he wouldn't have to debase himself like that again, but here we are. Cash-strapped Hammer, who may have less street cred than his octogenarian co-star, sold millions of albums in the '80s and early '90s, a fact we'd all rather forget, but the Poobah of parachute pants just won't let well enough alone. The spot, called "One-Up," was shot at McMahon's home in Beverly Hills, so at least we know he isn't living on the street just yet. Euro RSCG Edge created the ad but goes out of its way to share the blame with Havas sibling Arnold and director Bryan Buckley. The clip's under strict embargo, but I've seen a preview. Be afraid on Sunday, America. Be very afraid. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
|
Published on January 29, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
Who'll win the game of endorsement deals?
Which of Super Sunday's players are likely to end up sought after by marketers for endorsement deals? Noting that much depends on how the game itself goes, a bulletin from Dave Brown Talent (which toils in the endorsement field) points to some plausible candidates, even while conceding no player on either sideline figures to reach Peyton Manning status as an endorser. Among players on the favored Steelers, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and safety Troy Polamalu are singled out (the latter has already done that Coke Zero spot for the game), with wide receiver Hines Ward and running back Willie Parker also mentioned as possibilities. Of the Cardinals, quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald are obvious endorsement-deal candidates, with wide receiver Anquan Boldin and running back Edgerrin James also in the mix. The talent firm cautions, though, that a great performance on the field doesn't necessarily translate into success as an endorser—a point it illustrates by pointing to Dexter Jackson, who won the MVP award as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer in the 2003 Super Bowl but made little impact in the marketing realm. —Posted by Mark Dolliver |
|
Published on January 29, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
NBC, won't you please take PETA's money?
Sure, companies have groused about their spots getting banned from the Super Bowl for years. But this year it's full-blown PR-stunt mania. I've gotten releases about a half-dozen such ads, and I've seen a few more on the Web. Were these commercials really submitted for approval? Who knows for sure. Publicity's what their makers crave, so I won't mention any names. Well, one name: PETA, because its spot—though clearly designed not to air—is way better than most of what will actually appear during the game. That is one lucky stalk of broccoli! Anyway, instead of being prudish, I wish NBC had accepted the ad, charged PETA $3 million and put those whining whale watchers outta business when they couldn't pay. Then we could all wear fur coats, eat veal and watch football in peace. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
|
Published on January 28, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (16)
|
The most awful Super Bowl video in history
It's hard to top Microsoft Songsmith for absolute grating terribleness, but the Southern Food Brokerage definitely holds its own. This retro Super Bowl-themed disaster, based on the Chicago Bears' infamous "Super Bowl Shuffle" from 1985-86, is truly something to behold. I especially like the dedication at the end, as if the participants were island villagers sacrificing themselves to the pride-devouring gods of Nabisco and Del Monte. |
|
Published on January 27, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (7)
|
Crispin dips into the past for Coke Zero ad
The ubiquitous Crispin Porter + Bogusky has remade Coca-Cola's famous 1980 "Mean Joe Greene" commercial for the Super Bowl on behalf of Coke Zero. Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu takes over the role of the surly, injured player on his way to the locker room. Presumably, there's also new pre-teen kid who offers him a Coke Zero, as the original actor would be getting a bit long in the tooth. (When a 40-year-old guy follows an athlete around the catacombs of a sports arena, we call it stalking.) But you never know. The client promises an unexpected twist that illustrates how the product delivers "real Coke taste and zero calories." So, there's a surprise in store. Does Polamalu tear off a false face to reveal Mean Joe, still surly, beneath? (Joe wouldn't stand for that Coke Zero swill, by the way. He'd demand the "Real Thing.") Maybe the original kid actor, now grown up, appears to tell us all to stop fixating on overhyped pro sports and commercials and get a life. In the trippy Coke universe, anything's possible. UPDATE: Phil Mooney, the historian/archivist for Coca-Cola, has posted some behind-the-scenes footage from the spot on his Coca-Cola Conversations blog. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
|
Published on January 27, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (4)
|
E*Trade's talking baby is ready to rise again
Waaaa! That's not the sound of E*Trade's talking baby crying from hunger or diaper rash. (It's a talking baby, after all, so it could simply say, "Jeez, am I hungry!" or "Ow, this diaper rash is a pain in the ass!") That's me crying, because the insufferable brat is back in another Super Bowl spot by Grey. I know these ads are popular, but I can feel my brain cells dying each time that stock-savvy cherub pops onto the screen. This year, the crib-based assault is spilling over like a bottle of formula into Facebook, Twitter and online videos. Waaaa! That's the sound of everyone who's tired of this cutesy, lowest-common-denominator approach and longs for something better—like another spot from GoDaddy, which is high-concept by comparison. It's also, alas, the wail of countless investors, from E*Trade and elsewhere, who are seeking a few hours of escape by watching the Big Game only to be faced once more by that precocious preschooler looking to pick our pockets as the market continues to slide. Waaaaa! —Posted by David Gianatasio |
|
Published on January 27, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (2)
|
AdFreak's live Super Bowl party on Twitter
Feel like totally nerding it up during the Super Bowl this Sunday? Then join us here on AdFreak, where we'll be streaming a live, condensed feed, featuring loads of special guests, culled from the larger Twitter discussion about the Super Bowl ads. Click here for more info. And of course, you can join that larger discussion simply by logging into your Twitter account and adding the #superads09 hashtag to your Tweets. —Posted by Tim Nudd |
|
Published on January 27, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
CareerBuilder ad an extravaganza of misery
CareerBuilder is returning to the Super Bowl not with chimps but with cube monkeys—desperate office drones apparently not bright enough to see the signs that their work life sucks until the job site sets them straight. This ad from Wieden + Kennedy shows us a woman screaming as she arrives at work, a boss flagrantly disrespecting his staff, a guy at his desk who wears just a Speedo, and somebody punching a koala bear. In other words, it's just like every office on earth. So, this campaign basically insults the intelligence of its target audience, because anyone not sailing by on a trust fund knows that most jobs ultimately crush your soul. Except for AdFreak, of course, where the boss is a koala, all sweet and cuddly—and we scream because we love working for him so very very much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head down to HR. Something about my "bad attitude." Jerks. Where's that Speedo? —Posted by David Gianatasio |
|
Published on January 23, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (6)
|
High Life guy tries out one-second comedy
Even Windell Middlebrooks, the Miller High Life delivery guy, has trouble being funny in just one second. He's asked to do so in MillerCoors' new campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi. The idea is to poke fun at Anheuser-Busch for shelling out so much cash for its Super Bowl slots. In contrast to A-B's big outlay, Miller will run just a single one-second ad on game day—and a :30 all next week advertising the :01. There are also a slew of one-second spots with Middlebrooks on 1secondad.com. In this lousy economy, the idea isn't so bad. But of course, by focusing so much on A-B, Miller does run the risk of seeming a little jealous. |
|
Published on January 21, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (4)
|
Heineken ads taste good all over the worldA couple of fun Heineken ads here. The one above is courtesy of Wieden + Kennedy and stars John Turturro, who delivers an ultra-cool, tongue-twisting, philosophical monologue about the fine art of imbibing (not recommended during a field sobriety test), all while roaming the outer-spacey landscape of the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York. Our sister blog BrandFreak has more. A second 30-second spot with Turturro will air in 27 markets during the Super Bowl. The ad below, from TBWA\Neboko in Amsterdam, is just stupid guy humor, but amusing nonetheless. And lest you think the walk-in fridge is a mere fantasy, have a gander at these step-by-step instructions on how to build one in your basement. |
|
Published on January 21, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (3)
|
You'll need 3-D glasses for Super Bowl XLIII
Exciting news in the perennially up-and-coming field of 3-D technology: Four marketers are teaming up to air two commercials in super-fabulous 3-D as part of a special "event" during this year's Super Bowl telecast on Feb. 1. The ads, which will run at the end of the second quarter (a big bathroom-break moment, unfortunately), will be a 3-D trailer for DreamWorks Animation's upcoming 3-D feature film, Monsters vs. Aliens, and a 60-second spot in 3-D for PepsiCo's SoBe Lifewater. The other two marketers involved are Intel, which has made 125 million pairs of 3-D glasses for the occasion (to be made available at various retail locations), and NBC, this year's Super Bowl broadcaster, which will also air a 3-D episode of Chuck the following day (to be promoted under the slogan "Don't Chuck your glasses"). The whole thing is ludicrous enough to get lots of attention, but don't expect the Lifewater ad to knock your socks off. It will feature "the SoBe lizards and stars from DreamWorks' Monsters vs. Aliens [dancing] alongside current NFL stars." |
|
Published on January 6, 2009 | Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
