As If We Don't Have Enough Leftovers...

Christmas/New Years always seems to be filled with leftovers. Even in advertising. Like the alcohol spots that only run at Christmas time for Disaronno and others, and the resolution inspired commercials for nicorette and such.

I realize these companies spend a great deal of their advertising budget in one lump sum during Dec/Jan and don't run spots otherwise but that doesn't mean they should keep re-using the same spots year in and year out.

Sadly, these lame commercials will probably stick around due to the "economic downturn". (I love how that's the new catch phrase, ready-made explanation for every failure or shortcoming in business right now...)

Raising the Dead

I understand that it's for something deemed to be a good cause, but this reanimation of John Lennon is disturbing.



Maybe we can look forward to Che Guevara shilling Project RED ipods while he's helping clothing wholesalers millions off of hippie kids at music festivals across North America.

Advertising Smokes

Cigarette companies can't even sponsor events anymore. How times have changed.

AdAge: There are jobs in AD

This article found on adage.com says that there are still jobs in the biz and how to go about finding them.

http://adage.com/talentworks/article.php?article_id=133481

Living Well With Montel

Montel Williams is back! He is now hosting an infomercial based upon his old talk show format. Here are some excerpts from a New York Times article about it:

Mr. Williams had gathered a live audience, self-help experts and people who had dealt with problems like the death of a daughter, and he stood before them, gesticulating, tearing up and nodding thoughtfully.

After almost an hour of discussing the problem of depression, Mr. Williams presented the guests with the answer to their problems: a set of books he had written. In other episodes, he suggested solving various issues by buying a debt-relief kit, a rotisserie grill or a blender. For this was not a television show. It was an infomercial, “Living Well With Montel,” and Mr. Williams is being paid depending on how well the products sell.

The company’s formula is to introduce a problem and then offer a solution, Mr. Mirchandani said. For example, in one episode, Mr. Williams identifies childhood obesity as a problem, then offers his solution: a $199 blender that can make healthy soups and smoothies.

In an interview, Mr. Williams said combining a talk-show format with sales was a logical extension of product placement, in which advertisers pay producers or networks to feature their merchandise, like a Coca-Cola cup seen on Fox’s “American Idol.” It is meant to advertise products subtly, even if viewers skip traditional commercials.

“Every single television program is trying to figure out a way to do integrated advertising,” Mr. Williams, 52, said. “There may be those that throw stones, but then I say, ‘Hold up a mirror.’ ” He added that “even the soap operas have integrated cans, keys, cars.”


Could this be the future of the infommercial?

Indy Shmindy

This has become a trend for advertisers. They have been taking no name indy musicians as a way of promoting their brand. If the band makes it big, such as Feist, the brand will turn over higher profits.



Other such companies, like PS3, have being promoting lesser known bands in hopes of making money. Any thoughts?

Does Anyone Get The Point Of This Commercial?

This ad makes no sense whatsoever, but maybe it's just a cultural thing... It features Brad Pitt and was directed by Wes Anderson. It was created for a Japanese cell company called SoftBank. They can afford Brad Pitt so they must be doing ok as a company...

Who is PETA's target audience?

I guess it serves me right for not "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" but Kim Kardashian's sister Khloe has posed naked for PETA. Just out of curiosity, does anyone find these ads effective? PETA's been beating this dead horse for how many years or is it decades now.

And besides, why is this even an issue anymore? When was the last time you saw someone under the age of fifty actually wearing a fur coat. People just don't wear fur these days. I just don't see why the animal rights militants over at PETA even waste their time on such a non-issue as wearing fur.

Ahh, discovery!

I saw this commercial for Sirius satellite radio the other day and thought it was pretty cool. It draws you in with the question "What's going on here? Where's this going?"
Plus, the music builds really well too. It's a pretty sweet ad that doesn't hammer away with any branding message. Very subtle, yet memorable.

Cool Guerrilla Marketing

There's a story on the Ad Week website showcasing some of the great guerrilla marketing efforts for 2008. It's a pretty interesting story if anyone wants to read it.
http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/agency/e3ie8946cda1b3f6da2519ca08857010ae6?pn=1

Here's one of the cool examples for those who don't want to read it all:

On most days, the six-mile Portoliner Monorail on Japan's island city of Kobe is packed full of people. But between April 14 and May 8, the tiny elevated trains were packed with something else: decorating ideas for people's living rooms.

To commemorate the opening of its new Port Island store, home-furnishings chain Ikea took over an entire train, redecorating the cars with couches, curtains and wallpaper. Many items bore actual sales tags complete with names and prices, so if a passenger saw a color or style she liked, she could easily order it at the store or online.

"The train design showed a unique way to live in an Ikea décor of comfort and everyday living," said a company rep. More to the point, said John Margolis, co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Dummies, it was guerrilla in its "purest form:" The Swedish chain was "putting the products out there, letting customers touch and feel the brand. Short of going into the stores, this literally gives consumers a chance to sit on the couch."

Margolis added that Ikea's choice of the diminutive train cars underscored the chain's positioning of being the brand of choice for decorating tiny living spaces. "They're showing how to maximize a small space through the use of [decorative] materials," he said.

Ikea's Japanese marketers could not be reached for comment, so there's no telling what kind of ROI the store got from (much less what it paid for) the three-week stint, but according to Chicago-based freelance designer and event marketer Steve Dennis, this kind of guerrilla installation stands to be far more successful in a socially demure atmosphere like the one in Japan. "In New York City, an Ikea train would be torn up, which would misrepresent the brand," he said. Still, Dennis added, "I think an Ikea-themed bus or water taxi would work here." Hmmmm . . . Note to headquarters.

Ok, this isn't really an ad in that it wasn't paid for by any of Nikon's competitors, but I thought it would be appropriate nonetheless. This video is a film clip from the movie "The Downfall", a film about Adolf Hitler, with inserted text regarding a new camera Nikon has just released, the D3x. I think this video is hilarious, and wish it was possible for advertisers to make commercials as close to the edge as this is. Obviously if this was ever aired it would get pulled immediately. But with over 100,000 views in two days, at least some people like it...

Don't Call It A Comeback...

I was reading a story on the NY Times website about how the economic downturn has led to a resurgence in popularity for coupons. A lot of companies aren't using traditional print mediums though; choosing to use online methods to their advantage instead. This causes consumers to spend more time with the brands and coupons can also be tailored to suit specific consumers.

Here are some excerpts:
The Lucky Brand of apparel sold by Liz Claiborne is offering coupons on a humorous holiday Web site (luckybuckoff.com). The more skillfully computer users play a game, the larger the discount they earn on coupons redeemable at stores or on the regular Lucky Web site (luckybrandjeans.com). The discount, 20 percent off for every player, can be raised to 25 or 30 percent.

New technologies are also helping to renew interest in coupons, especially for younger consumers. There are scores of Web sites where coupons can be obtained by clicking rather than clipping; among them are coupons.com, couponcabin.com, couponcode.com, couponmom.com, 8coupons.com, fatwallet.com and shortcuts.com. Many also deliver coupons by e-mail messages.

In 2007, according to the Coupon Council of the Promotion Marketing Association, 89 percent of the population said they used coupons, compared with 86 percent in 2006. “I’ve looked at some data that show 94 percent say they’re using coupons in 2008,”said Charles Brown, co-chairman of the council and vice president for marketing services at NCH Marketing Services in Deerfield, Ill., a unit of Valassis Communications.
Last year was the first time since 1992 that redemption rates for coupons did not decline from the previous year.

Great hockey ads

These ads are constructed to get fans involved in NHL All Star balloting. Funny, and they take the piss out of negative political advertising.

The difference between marketing, PR, advertising, and branding

Ha ha ha ha ha...

I thought this was cute and somewhat accurate.

But, seriously, I'm a great lover, I'm a great lover, I'm a great lover...

Resealable Pop Can Advertising

Ok, so I thought this idea was awesome even though I enjoy flat soft drinks. This guy invented a way to make soda cans resealable so they maintain their carbonation and flavour. Also, the seal has advertising on it that is hidden until the can is re-sealed. I like it. I am never surprised anymore by the places people think of to place ads.
Check out the full article here:
http://www.coolbusinessideas.com/archives/soda_can_advertising.html

My friend Annie

I was having a relaxing homework evening at my good friend Annie's house when I asked her what commercials she had seen recently that she likes. She thought for a second, then said "The Dyson Vacuum commercials". Surprised, I asked why. Her answer was one that I would only expect from a girl... or maybe Braden. She said "Because he's a dreamy older man with a sexy, soothing voice." She then said something else that, for her sake, I will not publish online (but if you don't tell Annie I'll tell you if you ask me). Is this what the advertising world has come to? The woman's equivalent of a bikini clad beer girl is a vacuum pitching Clooney wanna be? Interesting. Well, it worked for Annie... I think she just threw out her old vacuum too...

Just in case anyone wants to see what Annie's taste in men is, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_xVWN1Wm_A

This Post Will Offend At Least One Person...

The following print ads were created by BBDO Dusseldorf for Pepsi Max (Only 1 calorie!) The lonely little calorie is commiting suicide because he's so sad. I find these bizarrely awesome and hilarious in my own "desensitized to violence" way. Of course, bloggers have been all over the fact that these are insensitive to the issue of suicide and they will likely be pulled... so check these ads out here, because you probably won't be seeing them in any magazines at the local newsstand.

In Hindsight, I Find These Even Funnier Now...

These Ameriquest ads are 3 years old, but they're still funny and kind of ironic with their tagline of "Don't Judge Too Quickly. We Won't". The fact that the company made their money by financing loans and mortgages for people with poor credit is rather telling of what led to the US lending crash. They were dissolved by Citigroup in 2007, and unfortunately weren't around to end up like all the other bottom feeding lenders that fell from grace this year.

Advertising Is A Bunch of Hot Air!!

I found this story on the NY Times website. A new marketing ploy in Chicago... Heated bus shelters paid for by Stove Top Stuffing. The tagline on their ad reads" Cold, provided by winter. Warmth, provided by us." Evidently, it's supposed to create an experiential interaction with the brand. I guess we missed the boat here in Winnipeg; the city could be making money by having advertisers pay for the right to bring heated bus shelters to the public.

What happens to brand Liberal?

My dad was telling me that the Liberals (and to a lesser extent the NDP) would never enter a coalition with the Bloc. "They can't enter into an agreement with a separatist party?" Well, I guess they can. This is a very bold, and unusual move on the part of the three opposition parties. The Liberals are Canada's national governing party - but this time they are allowing what are effectively two protest parties to share in the governing of the nation. The coalition agreement will feature a Liberal prime minster and finance minister, and that six of the 24 cabinet positions will be filled by the NDP. Wow.

I never thought all this minority government tomfoolery would garner this result. I know Stephen Harper is a smug, shifty iron-fisted autocrat, but I think even he has to appreciate (secretly) the masterful political coup that the Liberals have managed to pull off.

Will this coalition have far-reaching effects in future elections? I guess we'll have to wait until next week, or the next time our national politicians fevered egos force Canadians to vote in another $300 million fiasco.

No more door crashers?

Black Friday Claims Death at Wal-Mart
Worked Trampled As Crowds Rush Door Buster Sale
By Jack Neff

Published: November 28, 2008

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com)-A crowd of bargain seekers apparently killed a temporary worker at a Wal-Mart store in suburban New York when people literally broke down the door to get at "door buster" specials inside the store.

The New York Daily News reported that witnesses said shoppers continued to stream past emergency crews as they worked furiously to save the 34-year-old worker's life, before the Valley Stream, N.Y., store was closed.

A statement by Nassau County Police said the incident occurred shortly after the store's 5 a.m. opening time, when shoppers "physically broke down the doors, knocking [the worker] to the ground."

As many as six other people, including a pregnant woman, also suffered minor injuries in the incident, according to reports.

"We're saddened to report that a gentleman who was working for a temporary agency on our behalf died following the incident and a few of our customers were injured," a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said, reading from a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families at this difficult time. At this point, facts are still being assembled, and we're working closely with Nassau County Police as they investigate what occurred.

"The safety and security of our employees is our top priority," the spokeswoman said. She declined to comment further because the investigation is ongoing.

Starbucks Jumps on the Project Red Bandwagon

I also saw this on the Ad Age website. Starbucks has joined the likes of Gap, Converse, Apple and Hallmark in supporting Project Red. They will be running ads in support of the project produced by their new ad agency BBDO with a theme of "It's more than coffee"

Story excerpt:
The Red promotion begins Thanksgiving Day, and runs through January 2. Via the program, for every Peppermint Mocha Twist, Gingersnap Latte or Espresso Truffle purchased during that period, Starbucks will contribute five cents to the Global Fund to invest in AIDS programs in Africa. On Dec. 1, however, Starbucks will contribute five cents for every "hand-crafted beverage" sold, in honor of World AIDS Day.

My question: Is Starbucks just doing this in an effort to prop up their lagging sales over this crucial holiday season? They have a lot of mall stores and people will be out shopping in December. Tying themselves to a strong cause like Project Red is a great way to increase sales by convincing people that supporting Starbucks is a great way to make a difference. Will people support it though or see it as a pathetic attempt considering how maligned they have been in the news as of late.

Deleting the Brand...

According to a video clip I watched on the Ad Age website last night the average movie has over 40 ad placements in it. The video also talked about a study that did brain scans of people viewing shows/movies with placements in them and found that in some cases people "deleted the brand" in their mind. The reporter claimed that product placements no longer work. Unfortunately, the 3:31 long video didn't go into much detail about how the study worked and offered no real support for the claims.

I always notice product placements on shows and movies. And I often notice when they try to hide a brand (like when the Mythbusters cover the Apple logo on their computers...)

My question to everyone is, do you think ad placements are effective? Have you ever seen one and been immediately turned off by the brand? Any other thoughts on the subject?

Copy Cat

Has anyone seen the University of Winnipeg ads and the University of Manitoba ads? They're the exact same! The University of Winnipeg ads have the tag: You of W. Where as the University of Manitoba ads have the tag: U of More.

I know the U of W ads have been out longer and I was quite surprised when I noticed the campaigns were so similar. First, I don't think the U of W ads were that great to begin with - I think they're uncreative and predictable. And second, why would you want to run essentially the same campaign as your major competitor?

I am sure there were probably other factors that contributed to the decision to run this campaign for the U of M despite what the U of W was already doing, but I am still surprised that they decided to use this idea.

But what does everyone else think? Does anyone think that one campaign is more effective than the other?

While looking at the cover of PDN (Photo District News), I noticed that the entire front cover is an advertisement for the new Canon EOS 50D digital slr. Even though I am a total camera nerd, I don't like the idea of using the cover of a magazine for an ad. It seems to undermine the credibility of the magazine. Thoughts?

Live Generously

On my way home from school tonight...yes I was at the school on our day off (my life is That exciting)...I saw a billboard ad that had the words "Live Generously" written in white on a blue background and it was by the Jewish Community something or other. I didn't stare too long because I was driving, but it stuck out to me for this reason:

It appeared near Higgins and Main, one of the poorest areas of the city. I don't think people who live in that area can afford to be overly generous, but maybe that was the point the billboard was making? I started to think, why would the "Jewish Community" put up a billboard there? I thought it was ironic because Jews are known for being stealthy with their money but yet they were advertising a message about generosity. Maybe that's what the billboard is for. Are they trying to combat this stigma?

Who do you think they want to live generously, and what exactly does "Live Generously" mean?

This is pure genius.

Credit to Dustin for noticing this ad campaign. Most of the comments on YouTube question the reality of the ads. The phone isn't real, but the redirect link to the "Come to Life" Nova Scotia website is. The campaign cost the province $300k; is it worth it? The "Come to Life" website was constructed entirely by Nova Scotia citizens, has received plenty of online buzz (to the sum of some 150 000 hits). It seems the payoff is the only problem with the site. The only connection to Nova Scotia comes by clicking on the phone's Release Date in the upper right corner of the site. Many people may not have the patience to search out the payoff. Full credit for trying some new wave of viral marketing.

I Guess I Need A Shave Because I Keep Posting About Gillette...

This was kind of cool. They used this special Gillette Fusion zamboni for the last couple games of the season and playoffs this past May at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. It was concocted by BBDO. It sures beats having Dave Keam's face on your zamboni!

Harsh Political Adverts.

In an era of harsh advertisements, sometimes there are a few that stand out amongst the bunch as being outrageous, even down right offensive. Here are a couple that may cause you to unexpectedly agree with me. As odd as that may sound.

The Carrot that Inspired Yuppies Across America

Stop using Gillette, use Gillette.

I find this Gillette Fusion razor spot interesting because of the positioning it takes. Gillette is actually positioning against its own product, which is something they haven't done with past incarnations of their razors.
I've always found it funny how they don't just stop making the old ones and force people to upgrade. I guess it works better to phase the old out over time so customers don't try other brands out of discontent at their blade being cancelled suddenly.

Chocolate cures disease

Well, maybe not. But it does cheer you up when the economy's crashing, the environment is going to hell, and winter winds are coming. Cadbury knows how to warm the heart with a picnic, friends, and Broken Social Scene.

The Taste Of A(nother) New Generation

In search of a new generation, Pepsi has reworked its logo, and the price tag when all is said and done will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The new logo took five months and more than $1-million (U.S.) to create, estimates Advertising Age. The real cost, however, will be in replacing the old logo on trucks, vending machines and stadium signs.

Brand gurus are divided on the new look, which is meant to suggest a smile. A Pepsi executive described it as "more dynamic and more alive." One brand expert said it looks "less durable, less permanent and classic."

The new logo is expected to make its debut in 2009.




I've yet to make up my mind on this logo but I'll think of something. What does this say about the whole Coke Vs. Pepsi thing? How many times will Pepsi rebrand themselves while Coke remains unchanged? I guess when you try to market yourself as younger and hipper you have to redefine yourself with each new generation. That's an awful lot of money though!

What would your transit bus say?

In the what's-coming-next file: Ads on the sides of buses that change depending on what neighbourhood they are cruising through.

Media company Titan Worldwide has launched three-metre-wide digital LED displays that show commercial-like ads on New York City buses. The signs carry GPS technology and can target audiences based on time of day, city block, postal code and demographics, according to Mediabuyerplanner.com.

The signs are being rolled out in key U.S. markets and in London, with Canada and Ireland soon to follow, according to Titan. New York plans to install the system on 200 buses in the first quarter of 2009.


This blurb from today's Globe somehow reminded me of Shorr's comedy routine about guys in dollar sign hoodies. I can totally see the bus switching from Hennessy ads, to Absolut ads, to Miller Lite ads, and finally to Colt 45 ads, as it makes it way from Manhatten to the "less affluent" neighborhoods. But I digress...

This could be a brave new world in racial and demographic targeting for advertising. Also, I'm pretty sure Titan Worldwide was the company putting those cool subway ads up in NYC that we talked about in Marketing. Those guys are rolling out a lot of cutting edge outdoor media, and that's good for everyone. Yay Outdoor Media!

Rememberance Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJctzkxFd08

I was watching tv with my brother last night and this ad came on. Neither one of us said anything after we saw it but about fifteen minutes later my brother started talking about what it would have been like to have gone to war. Obviously this commerical had an impact on him and after watching it a couple more times today I can see why my brother had the reaction he did.

I think this is effective commercial and is very well done. It use both shock and emotional appeal to reinforce its message of the importance of remembering and recognizing veterans.

This is just getting a little ridiculous.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Car_Slams_into_Starbucks_Two_Hurt.html

This relates to our marketing class and our discussion on why Starbucks was failing as a brand. Part of their problem was that they expanded too quickly and bought up too much too close together. I can't think of any other reason as to why it would just happen to be two different Starbucks involved.



This is the only reason that I have a bottle of OS Sport aftershave in my cabinet. An effective use of a B-list celebrity with a huge cult following is guaranteed to sell to some film and television geeks, such as myself. Bruce Campbell, star of Army of Darkness and bit player in the Spiderman movies (Wrestling Announcer, Snooty Usher and French Waiter) has that "Not Quite Famous" charm to him that doesn't make him seem pretentious even though he is trying hard to be so. He's just there because he's glad to have the attention. I think this really works...it suckered me in so it's not all bad.

Is there hope for the humble bus bench?

As I was working on the mixtape campaign, I started thinking about bus benches as a possible media channel. Now, some other cities may have better approaches to bus bench creative, but here in Winnipeg, it's pretty bad. It seems like the only people willing to advertise on them are real estate agents who write their own ads.

I cite one in my neighborhood as an example of this phenomenon: It's for a real estate agent, Kisil & Associates, and it features an image of a guy and three women posed as if they are Charlie and his Angels. The copy is Get (in a different font from the rest of the copy) The team. The tools. The trust.
But what does a Charlie's Angels pose have to do with the copy? Am I missing something here?

Is there a way to make bus benches a decent form of outdoor advertising? Has anyone seen a cool bus bench that really caught their attention? Any thoughts?

Those cheeky Germans...

These are a couple new VW ads featuring Brooke Shields, pushing their new minivan the Routan. I was remembered these spots after our discussion in Ad today about how all car commercials seem to be the same. Burton pointed out the VW ads featuring the old Beetle as a talk show host which reminded me of these ones. They're different and kind of funny in a refreshing sort of way.

On another note, what's with VW using German names for all their new models? You have the Routan, the Tiguan, and the Touareg. Are they just really playing up the whole German engineering thing or is there some other reason for these new model names?

Learning Manipulation

Quote from "Advertising and the Invention of Postmodernity"
http://www.transparencynow.com/advertise.htm

"Most viewers know it is all a manipulation, even if they don't always reflect on what they know. But many still respond by buying the product, voting for the candidate and admiring the celebrity, as if they have been taken in by the message. It is as if the radio audience in 1938 had realized it was listening to a performance by Orson Welles but decided to panic anyway because the play was so convincing and so much fun to believe."

This article made me think about the power of advertising in modern society and how much influence we, as advertisers, can have on an audience. Are we learning how to be creative or are we just being taught how to become great manipulators?

This ad caught my eye for obvious reason. I don't know if it was the words BEER or the fact that I could make $5000. Or the fact that they got my age right...

This ad is why Facebook values itself at 100 billion without having a business plan. The prospect of big money using extremely well targeted ads.

Facebook is just information for marketers looking to sell you a product, and so far they've accrued some major scratch from investors.

Needless to say I have joined the beer panel.

John Smiths.

I...I can't even describe how much I love these! No nonsense indeed!

So I am obviously trying to catch up on my blogging. I have had these posts in my head for a while now but just found the time (and memory) to post them today. I will save the rest for another time though!
Anyway, here is a website that I enjoy for its fabulous time wasting qualities but a lot of the entries are ad related. Check out the whole website if you have time: www.oddee.com
But here is a specific link to "The 15 Most Creative Bus Ads". Enjoy! http://www.oddee.com/item_96486.aspx

PSAs

So on the same note as Vanessa's PSA post here is a website for the "The Meth Project". My question is: does the shock value of these commercials work for you? Do you think they are actually reaching the "kids of today" with these edgy ads or are they trying to shock simply for the sake of shocking? Anyway, if you want to view the ads go to this website: http://notevenonce.com/View_Ads/index.php. All the tv, radio, and print ads for The Meth Project are here.

Duck, Duck... Mongoose

I just saw this commercial while I was watching the AST Dew Tour on NBC. Considering the target audience of teenage boys is this ad effective? I felt like there was too much "Mongoosing" in the spot which seemed to lessen any impact it might have had. This is pure image advertising for the brand so there's no real call to action but shouldn't they at least put up a website address or something? Any thoughts?

Mighty Awesome

I find this infomercial spot so funny. Every infomercial is ridiculous but this one is just so good on so many levels. The unintentional comedy meter is really peaking on this one. I especially love how it needs a dry time of 24 hours to mount a shelf bracket yet only 5 minutes of dry time to become a link in a chain lifting a cinder block.

The greatest irony is that I saw this spot on Teletoon Retro this morning. I don't know if anyone ever watches Teletoon Retro but it's really funny how most of the commercials aren't for kids stuff but for adults. Do kids even watch this station? It seems like the channel targets people who are old enough to remember watching this stuff 20+ years ago more than actual kids.

P.S. This is the US version of the spot because the Canadian version off the company's website auto starts when the blog loads and I didn't want to subject everyone to it unless they wanted to be. You're welcome!

I truly wish all advertising was like this. I really think this is some of the greatest advertising I've ever seen.

Last one like this

I swear I'm not trying to be debbie downer...
This ad is pretty good too, look at the production skills! Despite the bad, (really bad) judge in the end, the rest of the commercial is pretty good. These are more so PSA's but a commercial is a commercial. Drinking and driving ads have been done so many ways, but I had never seen one like this.

Wade needs to be stopped!

Kidding of course, Wade.
I don't want to give anything away with this ad, so I'll leave it open to discussion if anyone is up for it. I don't know how much we've touched on ads such as this but this one might hit home for some people. Also, for ads such as this, are ad agencies still hired or is the process a little different?

I think I'm Gonna Puke... Oh look, an ad!

From today's Globe and Mail. Personally, I find this kind of funny. My favorite part is branding the barf bags. You have to be the right kind of business to jump on that opportunity. Probably an insurance company would be the best fit. I'm pretty sure one of them uses the slogan "There when you need us." but I can't remember which one it is.

THIRTY SECOND SPOT: DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF MEDIA AND ADVERTISING
October 17, 2008

What could make the flying experience more pleasurable? How about plastering the cabin with ads.
So far, airlines have resisted the urge to make planes look like buses. But as they look for new ways to make money, "the sky's the limit," says Harlan Platt, a finance professor at Northeastern University.
Look for ads on overhead bins, cabin washroom doors and tray tables, Mr. Platt told the Associated Press.
US Airways Group Inc. was the first major U.S. carrier to put ads on tray tables and is now courting advertisers for its airsick bags.

Oops

Just realized that Paul posted the same ad weeks ago. Thanks for beating me to the punch, Blawat.

A Visceral Reaction

Remember what Audra told us about getting a visceral reaction from the audience? It's not always important whether it's good or bad, as long as they react so strongly that they remember the product or message. These Axe ads do just that. I couldn't find the North American version on youtube, but I did see it on TV and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Maybe because I have an intense phobia of armpits. Check it out.

Coming next year: Christmas in July

Has anyone noticed how Christmas seems to come earlier each year? It is becoming common to see Christmas decorations out before the Halloween candy and decorations are even available. Costco is always really bad for this (This year I saw a selection of Christmas items in my local Costco on Labour Day weekend) I've always found this really bizarre, but a simple theory for this came to me this past weekend.

With the current economic difficulties and Christmas' place as the bread and butter of retail, starting Christmas earlier gives retailers a chance to make the most of the season. It also gives cash-strapped shoppers a chance to spread out their shopping. This leads to the possibility that consumers will actually spend more, which retailers love. In this scenario, everybody wins, eh?

Any thoughts?

Not to go political again...

...but this is definitely worth a look.

X-BOX Obama

Look at me, Look at me!!

This video about mobile advertising trucks is from an Atlanta area company but I'm sure people have seen them around Winnipeg. Are these a good type of out-of-home advertising?

Things to consider:
1) Pollution
2) Cost vs. effectiveness (Someone has to gas up and drive the truck all day long)
3) Distraction to motorists
4) The possibility of driver fatigue?

Dekalb Ad

First, I would like to say that we should change the name of this blog to "Wade apocalypse" since he seems to be the most dedicated blogger. yay Wade.

I was looking for Dean Cooper's Dekalb ad and I came across this one:

Dean is the robot on the right. ;-P

Stay In the Pool Phelps!!

Michael Phelps has to be the worst athlete/spokeperson I have ever seen. And don't even get me started on his hosting SNL, that was beyond sad. I like how they didn't even let him speak in this AT&T commercial, and yet he still makes it look hard. If anything, his inability to act should turn people off from the products advertised. Viewers know they're just trying to cash in on his 15 minutes yet because he can't act it really seems to amplify how desperate they must be for his celebrity endorsement. Why not just get a Michael Phelps cut out? It couldn't be any stiffer or more awkward looking than the real thing.

Effective? Maybe. Funny? Oh yeah!

I saw this ad for Buffalo Wild Wings during college football today. It's pretty funny but,is it effective? Is the joke overshadowing the message?
Any thoughts?






The above commercial just reminded me of this Bud Light commercial from a couple years ago.

Woooooo-Hoooooo!

This commercial for the Jeep Wrangler is very well done. It really captures that theme park feeling and ties it back to the brand. I like it!

This Post Isn't About Politics

I'm wondering what people think of the new Swiffer ads that are running? Personally, I like them a lot more than the last campaign with the "pep talks".
I like how they have personalized the broom and mop and made them seem so sad. These ads seem pretty effective, and they both mention a money back guarantee which shows confidence in their product.

Three Effective Negative/Fear Political Ads

I was going to reply to Wade in one of my earlier posts, but I felt this warranted one of it's own. Wade claims that political ads are a waste of money because most people have made up their mind anyway. Here are three ads that were negative and/or played on fear that were quite effective and shifted the moods of the electorate:

1988 - Willy Horton



In this election VP Bush Sr v D-MA Gov. Dukakis, the republicans played this ad in regular rotation and hammered the issue hard at a time when crime rates were high and very much on the minds of the electorate. This effectively painted Dukakis as soft of crime and is considered to a significant factor in his losing the election.

1984 - Bear in the Woods



In this election Pres. Ronald Reagan v fmr VP Walter Mondale, Reagan successfully gave the impression that Mondale had his head in the sand about the USSR nuclear threat. People were made fearful of how Mondale would take on that "bear" and Reagan won handily.

1964 - The Daisy



In the original and arguably the most famous fear mongering ad in the '64 Pres Johnson v. Sen. R-AZ election, a very jarring image is being conjured of an innocent little girl getting obliterated by the atom bomb while picking a daisy in the field. This is post Cuban Missile Crisis a time very much like the mood after 9/11 where peoples fears where at their highest, and one of the few times the democrats successfully branded themselves as the party of international security.

Negative and fear based ads don't always work, (think 2AM Phone Call and Chretien's Speech Impediment) but many more do (Swift Boaters for Truth)

US attack ads...

Here's a real "attack ad" against Al Franken. These are more typical of Norm Coleman and US campaign ads as a whole.

More Politics

Obama is buying a primetime 30 minute block to speak to the American public. More from

The Live Feed.

Speaking of Crap Political Ads

This is an ad that's been running on the Twin Cities stations lately. It's an anti- Norm Coleman ad that just really bothers me (he's the Republican incumbent that Al Franken is running against). I don't really care about the political affiliations of the ad, I'm bothered more by the misguided anger these parents have. Their son made a choice to join the military and ended up making the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He was obviously doing something he believed in (because why else would you voluntarily join the military?) and holding politicians responsible for his death just seems really misguided to me.

It raises the question in my mind of what kind of attack ads shouldn't be done? They're so common these days that I think most people just ignore them, but are there certain things that should be off limits?

Vote Conservative or your Children will Perish

This isn't a political forum so I won't espouse political rhetoric or endorse a party, but lets take a look at this new Conservative ad I saw during the Daily Show.



Now, we know that the markets are jittery and we don't know how bad the economic ramifications will be. But won't somebody think of the children? The woman in this ad looks at the headline in the paper, looks at her daughter, has an inner monologue, looks at her daughter, sees Stephane Dion and looks at her daughter.

So let's look at the linear motion here:
1) The Economy Goes to Hell
2) Stephane Dion gets elected
3) Your children will die

Just sayin'

Just do it.

This ad is for Nike, without copy. But I'm really going to need a second opinion on where the signature "check mark" is positioned in the ad...

I feel GREAT!

I actually hate Nutrigrain bars, but I laughed so hard at the insane woman in this ad that I just might buy some.

Interesting Ad Related Tidbits...

Hey there, here's a couple bits of info from the Globe and Mail's Persuasion section that ran in today's paper.

1) It should come as no surprise that this week's financial meltdown will affect the advertising world. Here are observations from the U.S. magazine Media Life: The ad economy will be grim well into 2009. Some forecasters think the slump could extend into 2011. Experts are predicting a short-lived bump in spending as merged companies inform consumers about their new holdings. But over the longer term, spending will decline. Local media outlets will suffer more than national ones as the remaining big companies promote their products and services in single campaigns all across the country.

2) Ads that appear on top of website content are becoming more acceptable, according to a study by the New York research firm Dynamic Logic. The number of Web surfers who feel that content-covering ads are never appropriate has dropped to 21 per cent from 32 per cent five years ago. A majority of respondents also said that the "appropriate" number of over-content ads is two per hour, a figure that has remain unchanged since 2003. Two-thirds of respondents also felt that Web ads have increased on the pages they frequent, though researchers say this is likely because surfers have broadened the number and types of sites they visit.

3) Ever wondered what those free samples at Costco and Loblaws accomplish, other than providing a nice cumulative snack?
A new study from Arbitron shows that samples work. More than one-third of customers who tried a sample during a shopping trip ended up buying the product on that visit, according to the phone survey of 1,857 people in the United States.
In addition, 24 per cent of those surveyed said they bought a product they sampled instead of the item they initially set out to purchase.

Nacho Cheesey and Cool Ranchy

This ad is a little bit older, but a lot of people may not have seen it. I think it only ran once, during the Superbowl in 2007. It was from a contest where people could submit their ads with the grand prize being an airing of the spot to an audience of 90 million, no pressure there. I think it's an awesome spot...

The imagery in this is super creative and has a real film like quality to it. The copy "You're never alone" is pretty lame though. It would work better without any copy.

This one really made me laugh out loud. Love it. So quirky and pushes some boundaries, but great.

Pantene

Damn, she's got some nice hair.

Unbutton your beast

This is the new campaign for Levis Jeans.
http://www.unbuttonyourbeast.com/
This is a link to their website to where you can chose the beast of your choice. My favorite is Sir Reginald Mighty Pants. You can chose your beast, create a message and then send it to your friends. I think it's hilarious but I could see it being somewhat controversial. Sir Reginald Mighty Pants pokes with his pointy steel sword. Again... I think this is hilarious but that's just me. I don't know, what does everyone else think? Or if you go to the website which is the beast of your choice?

Sweet

This ad has an interesting concept.

It holds attention.

Another Post No One Will Comment On...

This commercial runs during college football season on ABC. I find it a little ironic that these spots run while the game is on. If you're already watching the game it's kind of hard to be sold on just listening to the game. However, I think this spot is a great example of really pushing the logo and the brand. Positioning man, positioning.

Who Doesn't Love Beer Ads?

I don't know why but I just remembered this commercial tonight, out of the blue. It has to be one of my favorite beer commercials. Anybody else have a favorite beer commercial they would like to share?

I'm not sure if any of you go to this site already, but if you want to see a bunch of great ads from all over the world and get a sense of how other countries advertising looks, check ou www.adsoftheworld.com/ There is a lot of great ads here.

McFarlane sells out...

No, not Todd McFarlane. We all know he sold out years ago. No, it's Seth McFarlane, of Family Guy fame. I caught him on Last Call with Carson Daly last week and he mentioned these animated shorts that he did for Burger King. Here's a taste:
This looks to be another BK attempt to go viral, like the subservient chicken thing. I think it's hilarious, but it remains to be seen how effective it will be.

I'm posting this ad because it made me recoil in horror. I'd say that means it is a pretty effective ad. There was another ad posted a few entries down for AIDS awareness. Both have the same in-your-face scare tactics that seem to be pretty effective to me. Which is interesting because I don't usually like ads that try to scare you into doing or not doing something. What are your thoughts?

Trust Me, I'm A Doctor...

Ok, maybe I'm biased because I'm a huge Dr. Pepper lover and I love the show Frasier, but I really like this commercial.



There's also this one with Dr. J running right now. I really like the "Trust me, I'm a doctor" tag line used in both commercials

Fart Jokes

I found this ad on Advertising Age as one of their top 5 ads as of September 22nd. I am not usually a fan of fart jokes but I think this is pretty funny and not overly disgusting. I still don't think that bathroom humour should be use in most ads just because it can be so offensive to some people. However, I do think this is one example where it is effective and not offensive.

Crap

Would you ever walk on a bed of tacs? I'd jump in a pool of them if I had to watch this ad again.

Remember when we had to do those Canadian Footware ads? If you don't, you were lucky. Unlike the poor bastards who put this ad together in REAL LIFE. What hell this would have been to film.

This isn't smart advertising. This ad only serves to remind you to change the channel.

The foot model they chose to go with is 87 years old. I challenge you not to vomit a little bit in your mouth during the close up of her foot.



"Why put up with foot pain any longer?"

What about other types of pain, like the pain of watching this. Or the pain of see that this is the best they could come up with. Or the shocking pain of realizing this is the type of crap they produce in Winnipeg.

At least it's educational... I think.

Hell finally freezes over.

This is awesome. Note the capitalone.ca and the maple leaf on the card. That right kids... made in Canada (I think).

Here you go folks

Sidaction
Uploaded by sabotage

F-ing in an Hour Glass

I was just on the Leo Burnett website and saw a very provocative promo that would never be run in North America. It's for sidaction.org which seems to be a non-profit battling AIDS in France. I couldn't find a You Tube video of this and the Leo Burnett site wouldn't let me pull the Flash video.

Thanks to Paul for finding the video. Check it out above folks.

Good Ad, Bad Ad

The World is Just Awesome: Discovery Channel. So this is one of, in my opinion, the best ads I've seen in a long time. It's well shot and I love the song. It's so catchy. The first time I saw this commercial I was humming and singing to myself all day.



Intercasino: Midgets are Funny campaign. Good god, what isn't wrong with this next one? I'm so sorry I was exposed to this...so now you have to be exposed to it! I'm so glad that American companies still approve of bigotry. This world would be that much less exciting if they didn't.

I'm peppering this thing with ads.

I recently signed up for a new ad mechanism for the website called Infolinks. What I do is paste a script into the HTML code of the page that in turn scours the page looking for keywords to make into hyperlinks. These hyperlinks formed out of plain text become small preview ads to be clicked on.

The technology is cool and it's perhaps less intrusive than the flashing banners or annoying pop-ups we're used too. What do you think?

Is this more intrusive, or more convenient?

I personally think it is a convenience, and less intrusive. Customers are on the site to read the text. If they see a highlighted item they're interested in, they click the link and everybody wins.

But what do you think?

You smell like death!

This was an interesting little blurb I saw in today's National Post. I can understand using holiday and cooking related smells for marketing purposes, but it makes me wonder what does betrayal smell like? And what type of product are you selling that would make use of the smell of death or war? It's an interesting concept at least and could be another way for marketers to create an experiential interaction with consumers.

Perfumes that smell of sex, death, book bindings now available
Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2008
The perfume industry has begun selling more than just flowery or musky scents: Increasingly, it is producing "narrative perfume," scents associated with sex, death, betrayal, war, or even the precise smell of certain neighbourhoods. A perfume at Holt Renfrew called Secretions Magnifique is billed as "an olfactory coitus" due to its hints of bodily fluids, while a scent called Soldat Inconnu aims to replicate the smell of battle that sticks to a soldier's skin. There is even a fragrance that reproduces the exact aroma of a first edition of perfumer Christopher Brosius's favourite novel. Experts say these perfumes are changing the way Canadians think about fragrance and the nature of contemporary advertising. "When you're trying to influence someone, you want to hit them on as many perceptive neuro-pathways as you can," said Lindsay Meredith, a marketing professor at Simon Fraser University.

Check out our ads!

I signed up with Google ads and they took no time in installing a little box on our little site. Check it out! And cycle through them with the up and down arrows.

You'll notice they are exactly tailored to this site.

Keep in mind Google ads are Google's, and the webs, bread and butter. Click on them! Feed the internet!

Wasn't this the Standard at One Point?

Next thing you know they'll be advertising a deal for pillows and chicken or fish dinners...wait...

Viagra Ad

I was sent this ad from a friend. Apparently doctor's offices are now completely covered with drug company advertising. To be honest though I liked this one! And so did my Mom... I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing... Anyway, it's kind of cute- as cute as a stick man getting a boner can be! Enjoy!

I'm a PC and I Have to Pay People to Plug my Product

I heard wind of this ad a week ago in Advertising Age but only saw it today on YouTube after it premiered during the football game yesterday. I'm a firm believer in promoting your brand, not defending it, and this ad where a John Hodgman look-like claims that they he hates being stereotype screams of "Just because I play dungeons and dragons and know binary code doesn't make me a nerd!" It doesn't work in high school and it doesn't work in the marketplace. Mind you, if this wasn't such an obvious response to the immensely successful Mac v. PC ads it might work. There's nothing wrong with addressing misconceptions about your brand subtly, but in this case Microsoft through the proxy of the "PC" is playing defense, and you usually don't score points on defense.

This ad is pure gold.

Strangely, I could only find a older version of this ad from earlier in the year. Rest assured, it's now being aired on North American televisions in a home near you. I'm pretty sure it's funny.

Advertising and Memes

At this point we're all keenly aware of the staggering potential of the Internet to spawn pop culture phenomenons which, much like the carnivorous ear-wig from The Wrath of Khan, burrow into the public conciseness. These things have been dubbed memes by, I assume, out-of-work psychologists with an urgent need to put their institutional lingo to some use beyond the wowing of laymen of the opposite sex at group therapy sessions. Of course, the origin of the word is less important than the potential implications for advertising, at least as far as we're concerned.

This is something which goes beyond our universal love/hate of the Numa Numa Dance or the Star Wars Kid, and it all seemed to crystallize for me after seeking out one of my current favorite ads on YouTube. I urge you to check it out below.



Now, my enjoyment of this ad is due, almost entirely, to the infectiously catchy tune, which is why I was on YouTube searching for an extended version. Sadly there isn't one, but I found, scattered amongst the sea of audio loops and trailers, was a surprising number of acapella efforts and home-brew remixes. Granted, it is a musical ad and there are a great many people with meager musical talent, too much free time and a webcam, but since it had only been a few days since to spot had hit TV I wasn't expecting nearly as many as I found.

It was everything viral marketing wants, and generally fails, to be. It wasn't a contest aimed at getting people to generate this content, it wasn't paid bloggers pushing things down our throat, it was genuine engagement by members of the public with an ad and, because this is exactly the phenomenon we're looking to emulate with our own advertising efforts, it bears consideration.

A lengthy discussion of why people responded to this ad, and others like it, goes beyond the scope of this particular post, but I think this speaks to the willingness of people to consume, and respond to, advertising that's creatively executed and honestly presented.

Or this might just be a commentary on how marketable the fusion of hip-hop and indie folk music could be. If anyone wants to discuss this I'll be in my basement with my posse and my banjo trying to figure it out.

Big Rock Ad Contest

Big Rock Beer holds an ad competition every year called the "Eddies." First prize is $10,000 for the TV ads and $1500.00 for print ads. Burton and I produced a commercial for this contest last year, here it is:



We threw that ad together in a few days over the mini break last year. We actually ended up being invited to the eastern semi-finals in Toronto, but they don't pay for the trip and neither me nor B-Dunc could afford it. At any rate, this is the ad that ultimately won:





As you can see, it's pretty high end, but I think it's the idea behind the ad that wins the prize, not the production value. The deadline for this year's contest is April 1, 2009. I thought if we had enough lead time, our class could come up with a winner. Whaddya think?

D.

William Shatner

I'll let it known that the William Shatner irony well is one that has been dipped into too many times. Whether it's part of Sean Cullen's stand-up routine, Family Guy or *shudder* Comedy Inc, the comedy community always goes to Shatner for the easy laugh. Now the shame in this is that when a comedian is attempting to cultivate his or her own enclave in comedy's lore cracks about Shatner (or Paris Hilton or Celine Dion or Michael Jackson...) it does nothing to seperate themselves from the rest of the banal static of their peers.

But commerce is result driven, and while I have no emperical data to back this up, agencies seem to think Shatner delivers the goods. If you go onto YouTube and enter the tags "Shatner" and "Commercial" you'll come up with 250 results.

There is the current spot running for the popular World of Warcraft where Shatner depicts himself as some kind of WoW dude:



Evidentally in the early 80's creative departments thought that Shatner and video games also fit like a glove:



In the past year or so, Shatner has shilled for priceline.com, All Bran and even a Detroit area disability lawyer:



Apparently Shatner tests very well. Whoever can get his endorsement in the US Presidential campaign will surely get a sizeable "bump" in the polls.

Tom Ford pushes the limits of taste

Tom Ford, a famous gay fashion designer, released a fragrance for men last year. His print ads are some of the raciest I've ever seen. And they've appeared in regular, unwrapped men's magazines like Details and Out. They definitely command attention - I don't think anyone could pass by the page without taking a closer look at what's going on. I wonder, though, what kind of laws there are against nudity in ads or if it's up to the individual magazines to decide what works for their demographic.

As a gay man, the "butt" ad didn't appeal to me all that much. It caught my interest, but it didn't really inspire me to buy the cologne (although I appreciated a break from the regular, melodramatic and generic cologne ads). What do all the straight men of ad class think of the "boob" and "vagina" ads?

Krahn, your bolg makes me ashamed at the poor quality of my own.

Well, I have to admit I have seen some great ads over the years, but one in particular stands out above all the others. I have never seen an ad imitated by people I know like this one. This is a classic.

Free Credit Report.com

Maybe I'm a huge loser but I find the freecreditreport.com commercials to be kinda fun and catchy. Here's a link to a site with YouTube videos and lyrics for all of them for anyone who isn't familiar with them all.

http://www.garagespin.com/archives/free-credit-report-song-commercials-music-mp3-and-lyrics.html

Brilliant

The following is a neat poster by the Salvation Army to get people to donate.

I found this one interesting given the recent discussion we had in class on how to get people to donate to Agape Table.

I wish I would have thought of this, because it is so simple and serves multiple purposes: It educates, and functions as a blanket. And as we can see here, sometimes it serves both purposes at the same time.

Freaken sweet.

Hooray Krahn

Good work Krahn. Here's a guaranteed winner. Coke Zero? James Bond? Jack White (he claims ignorance on the use of the tune in the ad).

Hooray Beer!

Following a tip from my good buddy Mark Reimer, I took a look at some Red Stripe commercials on the Youtubes. What I found was a commercial that dared to declare it's product ugly... so much so that most ugly people look beautiful standing next to it.

This commercial is out there. I like their strategy here, it gets a laugh, and probably sells beer too.



And I have no idea what this next one is about... but it's pretty funny. It's a good thing they switch it up and don't just go on about how their product is ugly. They explore new terrain on this one.

More can be found, of course, on the Youtubes.