TV is the bright spot in your sad, painful life
Bad stuff happens in life. You accidentally hook up with a transvestite. You get run over by a car. You're attacked by a shark and lose both of your hands. You stumble on a landmine and get blown to smithereens. Your wife sleeps with your best friend. But that's OK. You've still got your dignity—and your television shows. This glass-half-full reminder, set to the tune of "Que Sera Sera," is courtesy of Sky TV and DDB New Zealand. —Posted by Tim Nudd |
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Published on December 3, 2009 | Permalink
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Dish Network just loves the word Christmas
Dish Network really wants you to know it's not afraid to say the word "Christmas." In the insufferable seasonal spot above, employees sing, "We Dish You a Merry Christmas." Most of them probably e-mailed their résumés to DirecTV as soon as the director yelled, "Cut!" As if the commercial weren't annoying enough, Dish has been issuing "statements" about its oh-so-brave decision. There's mention of an "outpouring of both support and displeasure from people across the country" and a boast about how Bill O'Reilly called Dish "patriotic" for airing the ad. Sure, Dish is unafraid to say "Christmas" over and over. But these media releases are hardly in the spirit of the season—they're more self-serving than Gap's holiday ads, which earned the threat of a boycott from the American Family Association for not being Christmassy enough. It would be nice if the AFA, in an unlikely twist, condemned Dish for a crass effort to build buzz. —Posted by David Gianatasio Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on December 2, 2009 | Permalink
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Discovery Channel still loves the world a lot
Eighteen months ago, the Discovery Channel made people very happy with its "I Love the World" commercial, in which the network's talent sang about their passion for life, the universe and everything. The promo did so well (4.5 million views on this YouTube version alone) that they've gotten the agency, 72andSunny, to do a sequel. Same song, different visuals. Still catchy. The tagline remains, "The world is just awesome." —Posted by Tim Nudd
Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on November 10, 2009 | Permalink
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DirecTV uses only living people in new spot
The DirecTV commercial with Chris Farley (for which David Spade was reportedly paid $200,000) seems to have disappeared from the airwaves, and has been replaced by the Wayne's World 2 spot above with Dana Carvey and Kim Basinger, neither of whom perished years ago from drug abuse. I wouldn't classify this as a famous movie scene. Garth was always an annoying, second-rate character. Still, Basinger is pretty captivating, and overall it's an improvement over the Tommy Boy fiasco. Some people are hard to please, though—like Matthew Kelley, who says he finds the Basinger/Carvey ad "offensive because both their careers are dead." —Posted by Tim Nudd Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on November 2, 2009 | Permalink
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ABC cancels toxic 'V' skywriting campaign
Air-traffic controllers can breathe easier now that ABC has scrapped plans to promote V, its upcoming alien-invasion series, by skywriting giant V's above 26 popular U.S. landmarks. We can all breathe easier, actually, as a Washington Post columnist pointed out that the stunt would spew 800 grams of lead into the atmosphere. One of the proposed flyover sites, Boston's Fenway Park, is still recovering from all the hot air generated by fans about the Red Sox making it back to the World Series this year. The Statue of Liberty was also marked for a flyby, but New Yorkers wouldn't have noticed, because they're bedazzled by the post-season run of the soon-to-be world champion Yankees (Wednesday night's bump in the road notwithstanding). Unfortunately, we might still be in for some noxious emissions. If the "reimagined" V is anything like its stink-bomb '80s namesake, the stench will start to rise as soon as the series (for lack of a better word, and to stretch the metaphor to its very limit) airs. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on October 29, 2009 | Permalink
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'Family Guy' now gives Microsoft the willies
Who doesn't like jokes about the Holocaust, incest, feminine hygiene and deaf people? Microsoft, apparently, as the software giant has pulled out as exclusive sponsor of Fox's upcoming Family Guy variety special, which reportedly includes such potentially offensive material. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, it sounds like a fairly typical Family Guy episode, and the show's been a hit for years, so it's tough to take Microsoft at face value when it claims to have just realized "the content was not a fit with the Windows brand." Now, if this is part of Microsoft's marketing strategy, it's almost inspired. The company gets lots of free pre-show press without paying millions for the airtime. Plus, it gets to enjoy an in-show plug, also free, when Seth MacFarlane retaliates with a dream sequence of a devil-horned Bill Gates commanding Peter to slaughter his family and bury the parts in Windows 7 boxes. Or maybe the gibe will be more subtle. Lois could ask Peter why he "pulled out prematurely," and he could respond: "I got the idea from Microsoft." Actually, the show will probably be funnier without Microsoft's involvement. Laughing at this particular company is always more satisfying than laughing with them. —Posted by David Gianatasio Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on October 27, 2009 | Permalink
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DirecTV's Chris Farley spot just feels wrong
I've generally been a fan of the DirecTV ads by Deutsch with the actors breaking character from classic TV and movie scenes to deliver the pitch. But the series has gotten dicey with the introduction of dead celebs into the mix. Last October, we had the spot with with Craig T. Nelson and Heather O'Rourke from Poltergeist, which was unfortunate, given that O'Rourke (who played Carol Anne) died tragically in 1988 at age 12. Now, a year later (hey, Halloween's coming up again), we get this Tommy Boy homage, with Chris Farley and David Spade. Farley, of course, died of a drug overdose in 1997. The whole dead-celebs thing is a gray area in advertising. Sometimes it seems less off-putting than other times. But you know there's an issue when an ad finishes and you hear audible groans from around the room. UPDATE: Asylum.com procured this statement from David Spade: "When DIRECT TV came to me and the Farley family with this idea about 'Tommy Boy,' we talked and thought it would be a cool way to remind people just how funny Chris was. It is a clever homage to my friend and a movie that we loved doing." Meanwhile, a rep for DirecTV tells Asylum: "We should look to Chris' family and friends for the ultimate opinion on this subject. They were involved from the beginning of this project and felt that the spot was a great to tribute to Chris." —Posted by Tim Nudd Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on October 23, 2009 | Permalink
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'Sesame Street' is hooked on 'Mad Men,' too
"The bear's dripping with gooey honey. He's smiling. This makes me happy." That sounds like something you'd hear on late-night pay-per-view, but in fact it's a line from this Mad Men parody done by PBS's venerable Sesame Street. This spoof beats the one from Saturday Night Live, if only because it stars muppets, though I'm not convinced John Hamm isn't a puppet of some kind—he's too damn "chiseled" to be human like the rest of us. On Sesame Street, the ad guys are supremely stoked when their boss, Mr. Draper, approves their latest Happy Honeybear campaign, and they shower their leader with sycophantic praise. As always, kids can learn valuable lessons from this program that will serve them well and help them succeed later in life. Via The Live Feed. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on October 1, 2009 | Permalink
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'Cleveland Show' ads are man-child's dream
Seth MacFarlane has made a career out of capturing the divided attention of the coveted man-child demographic. His latest offering, The Cleveland Show, is a spin-off of Family Guy that stars the Griffins' neighbor Cleveland Brown and his family. The show starts when the Clevelands move from Quahog, R.I., to Stoolbend, Va., so Fox started its advertising campaign by wrapping three 16-foot moving vans with the Cleveland Show logo and slogan ("Honk if you enjoy having relations") and deploying them to those veritable hotbeds of man-child activity: college campuses. Street teams dressed in mover jumpsuits also passed out sweet Cleveland Brown mustaches in an effort Fox insists was "an equal-opportunity giveaway." Hey, I know I would line up for a free porn-star mustache. Fox must have done something right, because Sunday's Cleveland premiere drew the highest ratings for any new show this season among adults 18-49, and an impressive 22 percent of all men 18-34 watching TV at the time. That'll have Seth MacFarlane giggity-gooing all the way to the bank. —Posted by Rebecca Cullers Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on September 30, 2009 | Permalink
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Seinfeld and Gates get all moist and chewy
Most pundits seem to dislike Crispin Porter + Bogusky's first Microsoft commercial with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates. But to debate its specific merit or lack thereof misses the point. To crib a theme from blogger and Adweek columnist Joe Jaffe, the brand has opened a conversation with consumers. The campaign has been as widely anticipated as Super Bowl advertising. And the spot itself shows that a give and take is possible. It's goofy and non-threatening and makes Gates's software behemoth appear approachable, even likeable. That alone is a big victory. Consider: Would Steve Jobs ever adjust his underwear in a commercial? Would he have paid staffers to do it for him? Just yesterday, that was the kind of quip I'd level at Gates. Today, however, Apple and its beloved (but suddenly a bit antiseptic-looking) series with Mac and PC seem aloof and even smug compared to Bill and Jerry kibitzing at the mall. Maybe Jobs should get on his iPhone and get reinforcements. What's Michael Richards doing these days? —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on September 5, 2008 | Permalink
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Joint replacement seems cooler by the day
This futuristic Smith & Nephew spot, produced by Psyop for Ogilvy New York, almost makes hip- and joint-replacement surgery look desirable. The visuals are like an updated take on the "fluid" F/X in Terminator 2, minus Arnold's Austrian accent (though both share artificial body parts). The ad's a bit trippy, and all that talk about "joints" reinforces the psychedelic overtones. It reminds me of stuff I've seen after ingesting too much high-fructose corn syrup. I spread it on candy, so I'll need tooth-, gum- and probably brain-replacement surgery soon. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on September 4, 2008 | Permalink
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Not a lot of love for Chevy's 'perfect man'
—Posted by David Griner |
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Published on September 3, 2008 | Permalink
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Listen to your slug-like friend: drink juice
Australian juice company Spring Valley's latest campaign from George Patterson Y&R takes an educational turn, as they aim to help people recapture their "Sensibles." The full history of Sensibles is explained at their Web site, but they're basically little symbiotic Hutt broodlings that kept primitive man from doing anything too stupid. Unfortunately, humans have been neglecting their Sensibles lately by doing things like listening to German trance music. (I must say, it's nice to have a consumer product agree with me on that.) Thankfully, drinking Spring Valley can nurse your Sensible back to health. And not a moment too soon. If you think your own personal Sensible is in bad shape, you should also consider seeing Captain Sensible. —Posted by David Kiefaber |
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Published on September 2, 2008 | Permalink
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It's either McDonald's fries or certain death
The characters in DDB Stockholm's McDonald's commercials tend to find themselves in rough spots. When they're not suffering from wrenching nightmares, they're having to choose between McDonald's french fries and Wile E. Coyote-style death plunges while hanging precariously off the sides of cliffs. For the guy shown here, it's a difficult but ultimately obvious decision. —Posted by Tim Nudd |
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Published on August 29, 2008 | Permalink
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McCann tries to make baseball look exciting
—Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 29, 2008 | Permalink
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Don't even think about looking at her jeans
Here's another Levi's ad from Cutwater, which did the model-in-reverse spot from earlier this week. This second one's cute, but it's a little long, as in Gone with the Wind long. Did they really need a full minute and a half to get the concept across? By the time the girl gets knocked out, I'd stopped caring, opting instead to wonder who's responsible for the music—it sounds like Max Raabe. Also, speaking as a man here, how are jeans that punish me for looking at hot chicks (and vice versa) a worthwhile investment? Maybe the creative were drinking too much of this when they came up with the idea. |
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Published on August 29, 2008 | Permalink
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Pickens puts his mouth where his money is
—Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 28, 2008 | Permalink
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Old Spice takes LL Cool J from zero to hero
This spot for Old Spice's Swagger, by Wieden + Kennedy, has opened a window into LL Cool J's adolescence. Even as a dorky teenager with a high voice and a higher forehead, hot girls still talked to him. Thanks, that gives the rest of us so much hope. I'd be more impressed if Swagger had helped LL overcome an even more embarrassing stage of his development. Also check out a second spot with Brian Urlacher. —Posted by David Kiefaber |
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Published on August 28, 2008 | Permalink
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Your rooster wants to play in the nighttime
—Posted by Rebecca Cullers |
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Published on August 28, 2008 | Permalink
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Levi's steps back to reveal the average girl
Let me get this straight. Levi's "Onion Peel" spot by Cutwater, breaking this coming Monday during Gossip Girl, shows the reverse transformation of a corset- and fishnet-wearing supermodel into an average gal in Capital E jeans? I sat through the 90-second Fellini-esque monochrome clip thinking: She dolls it up again at the end ... right? No way. She's beautiful just being herself. Her Levi's-branded self, but it's advertising, after all, and it's about as deep a message as we're likely to get in an apparel spot this year. Um, Levi's ... there is a sequel where she dresses all sexy again, or undresses, which would be even better? ... Right?! ... Here's a spot that Fellini did direct. It's not for jeans, but it should appeal to guys because it's simplistic, colorful and silly. Mmm, yes, that's the stuff. My brain just stopped working. The man was a genius. Bravissimo! —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 27, 2008 | Permalink
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If you met your ideas, they might scare you
This visually arresting spot by Euro RSCG Chicago for Invesco PowerShares shows a man going inside his own brain and seeing his ideas personified—as a bunch of little people and one giant. I'm not ready to face my ideas in the flesh. For one thing, I doubt my ideas would wear suits like this. I don't even own a clean pair of pants. The ad was directed by MJZ's Dante Ariola, whose last name is almost naughty. He did a nice job, but I hope the giant stays inside the guy's brain. If he gets out, he's liable to crush us all, or at least brag like a jerk over his "ideas about investing." What's the plan—buy low, sell high and sink the profits into time shares in Myrtle Beach? Good luck, you giant freak—you won't even fit through the door! —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 27, 2008 | Permalink
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Debbie Phelps has become an ad star, too
—Posted by Rebecca Cullers |
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Published on August 26, 2008 | Permalink
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Miscommunication still plagues candy world
Fallon London has whipped up some off-kilter spots for Natural Confectionery Co.'s candies, all of which contain no artificial colors or flavors. In each spot, two different types of candy attempt to interact, with generally awkward results. They have their naturalness in common but cannot otherwise bridge the divide. See two more spots after the jump. |
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Published on August 25, 2008 | Permalink
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The arts, now part of a nutritious breakfast
Holy crap! Not only is Johannes Brahms the best Kool-Aid man ever, but his breakfast cereal makes you grow a beard. Who wouldn't fund the arts after seeing a commercial like this? The spot is part of an Ad Council campaign by Leo Burnett for Americans for the Arts. Another commercial, this one featuring Van Gogh, tries a little too hard with the Van Goghgurt pun, but the kid's reaction to the painting makes it work. It's odd that they chose a fruit loop like Van Gogh to push art on middle America, but he's still a more wholesome choice than someone like Caravaggio. —Posted by David Kiefaber |
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Published on August 25, 2008 | Permalink
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Vidal Sassoon tames unruly, satanic hair
—Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 22, 2008 | Permalink
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