Kids would prefer you not destroy the Earth
Zig's cinematic spot for Moms Against Climate Change pits child protesters (shouldn't they be in school?) against cops (don't they have parking tickets to write?) to illustrate that if kids knew what was at stake, they'd take action. There's no denying it packs a punch. That said, something feels off. I think I was expecting a boffo climax to really drive the point home. Why not have the sides embrace, each kid finding one of his or her parents among the riot squad, to symbolize that we're all in this together? Conversely, acid rain pouring from above and "frying" every last person? That would make a strong statement! Sure, it's easy for me to second-guess—that's why I enjoy it so much. Still, using children is a form of hot-button emotional manipulation. And to stretch a metaphor, failing to turn up that flame delivers a lukewarm message on a globally incendiary issue. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on November 6, 2009 | Permalink
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Vinta's overgrown parrot is a cracker addict
It's been all chickens in advertising lately, so it's nice to see a parrot for a change. And it's quite an impressive parrot in this humorous Vinta crackers campaign out of Canada. His name's Paul, he's human-size with a human girlfriend, and he's totally addicted to Vintas. (Paully always wants a cracker.) As you can see in the ads (by Zig in Toronto), this causes problems in his relationship, both in the bedroom and at parties. Paul is constantly semi-apologizing for his embarrassing urges, in a stoned drawl that's reminiscent of the wasted Denny's unicorn. The tagline says Vinta is "the cracker that cracker experts go crazy for." —Posted by Tim Nudd |
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Published on October 1, 2009 | Permalink
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Gary Coleman will augment anyone's reality
I'm not easily surprised, but an "augmented-reality" campaign, starring Gary Coleman, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Canadian french-fry chain New York Fries ... I must admit, I didn't see that coming. Now that I have seen it, I wish I hadn't. We get a Facebook app that plops a tiny 3-D Gary (even tinier than the real Gary, obviously) onto your desktop, where he predicts your future freshness. Uh huh. The full-size version of the ad shown here has the headline, "After 25 years some things are still fresh." There, I must disagree. These days more than ever, Gary rhymes with scary. His outsized image leering down on hapless passersby from projections in Vancouver and Toronto is especially disturbing. Ad agency Zig is to blame. I know Coleman's an icon for some, but I've always been more of a Todd Bridges fan myself. |
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Published on August 13, 2009 | Permalink
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Living in Canada can actually be not terrible
With the economic crisis stalling growth on the home-buying front, the Canadian Real Estate Association has launched a campaign to educate consumers about how to work with CREA's greedy, blood-sucking members. Sorry, that was a cheap shot. Let's call them professional hosers. Zig crafted ads showing folks who should've consulted realtors. The guy above loses sleep and sanity because he bought a house beneath a flight path. In another spot, a woman attacks complex real-estate paperwork with a large potted plant. Both freak out more than is necessary, in the hammy tradition of William Shatner, also a native of the Great White North. I assume they're reacting to Tiny Tim's "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" song on the soundtrack, which is a lot more irritating than a jet engine or mortgage-agreement minutia. Maybe they just realized they live in Canada. Either way, they probably just need a D'Angelo sandwich, and they'll be fine. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on May 14, 2009 | Permalink
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Playboy TV pities you and your lame reality
Zig unzips an ad campaign for Playboy TV with the tagline, "A better reality awaits." Ads contrast the cable net's fare with less attractive "realities." In the spot above, the alternative to Playboy TV is a faux Bachelor-type reality show called Eligible Women. Oddly, it actually looks pretty cool, with a curvy blonde threatening the "catty wenches" who are competing against her. "Keep barking and I'll eat your faces off!" she yells at them. Whoa, I'd like to see that! Forget the lame bikini soft-core footage from Playboy TV's real shows that runs at the close of the spots. Those may be reality shows, but they're about as "real" as Eligible Women. C'mon, let her chew on some face! I'll bet she could take those three beanpoles at the top of the stairs with one hand tied behind her back. |
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Published on March 20, 2009 | Permalink
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Zig has prostitutes prostituting themselves
Toronto talk-radio station CFRB and ad shop Zig, no stangers to controversial street campaigns, last week paid local prostitutes to hold signs reading "Should prostitution be legal?" to promote CFRB shows' dedication to hot-button issues. If nothing else, it made the prostitutes easier to identify—as if anyone had a problem spotting them before. Next, CFRB and Zig will distribute bottles of hand sanitizer and post provocative signs in abandoned stores and on public cigarette disposals. Alas, none of that is related to prostitution. It's meant to tout CFRB's coverage of topics like whether flu shots are really necessary, what to do about the death of mom-and-pop stores and whether smokers should be denied healthcare. Photo by Marc Polidoro. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on January 22, 2009 | Permalink
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Advertising in Toronto spans earth and sky
Thanks to agencies Zig and Bos (who should team up for an Adult Swim show), you can't look up or down in Toronto without seeing an ad. For radio station CFRB 1010, Zig poses controversial questions that the broadcaster might cover—such as "Should panhandling be illegal?" or "Is crime getting out of control?"—and brings them to life on the streets. Panhandlers cradle signs posing the first question, while police chalk outlines on the pavement illustrate the latter. There's something touching about that panhandler's expression and body language. And the somber juxtaposition of the street people's plight and the chalk outlines gives the campaign extra emotional resonance. (See more photos of the work after the jump.) In fluffy contrast, Bos is sending Pillsbury Doughboy-style balloons and Flogos (which we've written about before) into the Toronto air for wireless provider Fido. Do Canadians appreciate their skies cluttered with marketing messages? Maybe that could be the topic of CFRB's next show. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 28, 2008 | Permalink
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