I really, really hate this commercial I keep seeing on TV for Verizon's mini notebook things. You know, the one where this dude is sitting on a dock or something and this chick sits next to him to inquire about his worthless little device and he keeps finishing her sentences. I mean, this thing screams "toolbag." Why get something cool like an iPhone when you can carry around a whole mini computer? I have way too much other crap I need to carry around in my purse.
The best part is at the end of the commercial when the chick starts saying something like "I'm..." and then he cuts her off with "Amazed? Jealous? Wanna be me right now?" and then she smirks and says "getting one." I guess Verizon is trying to appeal to the Douchebag market with this one. If I was her, I would smack him upside the head with that little device and then throw them both over the side of that dock and hope that he gets a couple fingers clipped off by a mutant lobster. Good luck using your stupid mini keyboard after that! Ha!
(I would have posted the commercial here, but apparently the entire internet has deemed it unworthy of being posted anywhere.) Oh, and not to mention it looks like they are totally trying to rip off Apple with their attempt at design.
I like this new Nutri-Grain commercial. It's super simple and you don't usually see things from the first person POV.
The supporting website is nice too - decent design (I just wish that big red bar was white. I'm a big fan of lots of white space) and I like how you can scroll through the different varieties at the top.
I think Leo Burnett is behind these creations, although I'm sure some fellow ad kids and I could have made this in school too.
I randomly stumbled upon some clips from this British tv show Supersized vs. Superskinny. Basically they parade an obese person and an anorexic person around in their underwear, and then make them switch diets for a week.
I can't embed, so here's a few links to clips where Georgetta and Amir meet and then attempt a meal swap.
(FYI: According to wikipedia, a "stone" is equal to about 14 pounds. So confusing - I hate metric! Why can't we measure things like the other 90% of the world? Whatevs.)
Of course I don't live in the British Isles so I can't watch a whole episode, even online. Despite it's good intentions, I don't see how this is really healthy. I HATE reality tv, but this is strangely addicting.
I'm actually working on my own food portioning - or at least the sugary stuff. I am so proud of myself for not ordering dessert after dinner last night! Additional beneft: my bill was cheaper too! Pretty sure I didn't need to drink that much beer tho, but it's hard when there is a huge cooler full of it for free at work. lol
This show reminds me of this eerie commercial for this Swedish clinic that treats eating disorders.
I think Orbit has done a pretty decent job differentiating their product, if only for it's weirdness. Who can forget this classic copywriting masterpiece?
What the French, Toast?!
Anyways now they are claiming to be the wettest gum on the market. Ok. I wonder what kind of focus group that came out of. Introducing... Orbit Mist:
I grabbed a pack at Walgreens today, partially because the packaging is swirly and shiny and partially because I like watermelon-flavored confections (watermelon jollyranchers are the best - and if you say sour apple, I will stab you in the jaw!).
I'm actually chewing it right now. When you first pop it in your mouth, its really hard (Ha! That's what she said) and for like 6.5 seconds you can tell something is going on, but it's hardly much of a "hydrating sensation."
So I was watching the Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner last night and saw this amazing commercial for Trojan's new "Vibrating Touch."
Ok I have to admit it's inherently awkward due to the nature of the product, but this ad must have been written by a guy who is completely clueless or is at best trying to be as P.C. as possible. Thanks to the fantastic acting, now you know that your paranoia of people eavesdropping on your literature and conversations are confirmed. And it's so inaccurate! Silly commercial, old people don't use...the internet. And I guess it's appropriate that it comes in a box. LoL
The website is even better. The writing and design are a mess and it's kind of one continuous "that's what she said" joke. I would have much preferred some kind of comedic choreography to one or more of these classic hits:
I think this commercial by the THEM Agency in London is more what I had in mind.
Hey ya'll! It's the first day of May! Anyways, I wanted to post a semi-rant of things I just don't understand.
The first is this Dunkin Donuts commercial:
What? The only thing that TV and Donuts have in common is that they are both bad for you. At least with the tube you are just sitting idly not burning calories as opposed to consuming them (the worst kind, too) while eating doughnuts. Not to mention it's one of the worst puns I've heard in a tagline in a while.
Youtube, you let me down! Nowhere on the site is there this commercial I was looking for, but luckily I found a link at Creativity Online. In the shorter version running on TV right now, she doesn't cuss like someone with Tourrets Syndrome, but that doesn't mean the ad makes any more sense. I'm pretty sure if you drive your car through the bathroom wall, you have bigger problems than mold and mildew.
However when I did search Youtube, I discovered that Disney pretty much claimed the page to announce the debut of their show starring the Jonas brothers. It's called Jonas. It must have taken a whole team of imagineers to think that one up.
I don't understand what could possibly be on the show that is worth watching. I much prefer the South Park Episode about the boys and their notorious rodent boss.
I guess I have to admit one of them is pretty cute. Is it possible to be a cougar at 24? LoL
So what did we learn today, kids? Eating doughnuts is way better for you than watching TV! Driving a car through your bathroom wall makes it sparkle! And Disney stars are everyday kids just like you, except they sing, dance, write & record music, act, are really really ridiculously good-looking and have millions of dollars to support themselves and their stage-parents.
PS, I may or maynot be a little buzzed off my blueberry beer right now.
For some reason, I've been finding a lot of cool baby stuff lately...
Ran across this super cool/cute website called Rattle and Roll. Who doesn't want their kid to be a little rockstar?. They also dabble in graduation and birthday announcements.
And speaking of babies, I love this new Huggies commercial! It's one of the first diaper commercials I've seen that (I'm pretty sure) targets guys and uses humor, rather than a bunch of babies crawling around or being coddled. According to Brandweek, it was done by JWT New York.
Geez! Another cool baby thing! Stumbled across this on the Lovely Package blog. Wry Baby decided you shouldn't have to wait to find out what your kid is going to be when he/she grows up. For just $12.95 Mysterio will send you future-telling t-shirt.
Hey kids! Looks like the forecast for the internship the next few days is busy with scattered stressfulness. I just wanted to post a few things I'm diggin' right now before I start freaking out and don't have time for anything fun.
LOVE this gamefly commercial! It's so absurd that it's awesome. I really like the guy throwing the books off the shelf. He's my fav.
And some music that I am currently dancing around my apartment like a fool to. Believe me, you don't want to see it. Even though I cheered in college, I was always in the back for the dance sequences. And not just because I was the tallest one.
LG is my new hero. She is freakin' cool, not just another artificial pop tart. She actually writes all of her lyrics and melodies and designs and makes a lot of her stage outfits. Her big influences are Queen and David Bowie rock-style which she combines with modern electro and pop and we all know I like hybrid music.
This song is just fun. The lead singer kind of makes me want to get another piercing. That would put me up into the double digits. Hmmm...
I've also recently really gotten into Unwritten Law. Gotta throw in a does of bitter, angry rock. I also recommend Shoulda Known Better, F.I.G.H.T. and everyone knows Seeing Red.
I also recently discovered Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. His show is pretty funny and random (my favorite adjective) and reminds me of a younger, less strung-out Mitch Hedberg. So I checked out the website and found these great posters to promote his show. I wonder if he actually made them. The craziest thing is, he totally looks like Owen and Luke Wilson at the same time!
I'm going to get to bed at a decent time (before midnight) and actually run and/or swim tomorrow (like I have been intending to do for the past week and a half).
My dad said he "about fell off the couch laughing" when he saw this commercial during the UNC game yesterday!
I mean, how else could you combine College Basketball coaches Bob Knight, rivals Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) and Roy Williams (UNC) and Rick Pitino, Risky Business and Metallica and video games?
A perfect example of why we advertisers should stay on top of all types of pop culture. I wasn't surprised to find it out it's by CP+B since I saw a ton of GH comps up when I was out there. It makes sense since they already have Microsoft, which makes XBOX, which supports the game. Read More...
>>> 10:13 PM >>> UPDATE!!! >>>>>>
I just saw the follow-up commercial to this one! The house is empty then you see the coaches tied up outside then you see Metallica blow up the house. FRICKIN AWESOME!!!
Has anyone else seen the latest Cover Girl commercials on TV featuring Ellen DeGeneres?
I was all kinds of surprised. I mean, I know they've been branching out from the stereotypical supermodels that graced the ads when I read Seventeen magazine in high school by using Drew Barrymore and Queen Latifa recently. But they are actresses, not a far reach from models.
Ellen is in a whole nother league occupationally, generationally and sexual orientationally. (I may have made up that last word.) I do have to admit she is pretty and it's cool to see someone outside the glamorous celeb-o-sphere endorsing beauty products. Also interesting is that CG is partnering with a semi-rival brand, Oil of Olay. (I say semi-rival because I feel like they only have products for my mom).
Methinks this Cover Girl campaign is at least a little bit influenced by the Dove Real Beauty revolution. After all, they're only separated by an aisle or two at Target.
Sidenote: I've always wondered who wrote their ridiculous tagline: Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Cover Girl. So basically if you wear the makeup you are promiscuous and an airhead, but hey, you'll be pretty because that's all that matters. lol.
LOVE LOVE LOVE these Bacardi ads by stop-motion master director PES. They are fantastically art directed, down to the last detail. Everything is made out of cocktail paraphernalia. I'm guessing the concept is Bacardi takes you to the party? (I couldn't embed, so you have to watch them on PES's website.) The ad agency behind it is David & Goliath based in Los Angeles.
Check out this ad I saw during the commercial break of a Scrubs rerun yesterday:
Wow, a blatant attack by Jack in the Box on Burger King. According to my new favorite blog, Agency Spy, the ad was done by Secret Weapon Marketing. It's like all the fast food chains are disregarding the McBehemoth and are focusing on battling each other for runner up. (PS, is that a new logo at the end? According to Brand New, apparently so.)
Speaking of McDonald's, I think their ads, especially for the filet o fish, have been floundering lately (haha pun intended).
I've also been meaning to post the Hulu commercials from who else but CP+B. When I was there last quarter, we pitched it as one of the five possible brands that we wanted to work on. Kat immediately shot it down and now I know why.
Very Men in Black. I wouldn't be surprised if celebrities really are aliens... especially Tom Cruise...
What do a break dancing b-boy, fearless surfer and world record-holding motocrosser have in common? Red Bull, of course.
Ronnie Abaldonado, 2007 Red Bull BC One Champion and America's Best Dance Crew 2008 (with Super Cr3w), Ian Walsh, a super cute surfer from Maui who recently conquered 70 foot monsters in Tahiti and aussie Robbie Maddison who set a Guinness World Record by jumping his motorcycle 100+ feet onto the Arc di Triomphe in Las Vegas this past New Year's Eve (as part of Red Bull's New Year, No Limits promotion) are the extreme rulers of the World of Red Bull.
Footage of their feats are the subject of the current red bull commercials on TV right now, which I highly recommend watching.
I figured I would dedicate a post to the energizing libation since it helped me survive the last week of school.
And we always hear about how certain soda brands are trying to compete with energy drinks so I find it a little strange that Red Bull seems to be digressing by introducing it's own brand of cola.
Even stranger that they're focusing on the fact that it's "all natural" since the ingredients in their staple product are far from it. Oh well. They seem to do a lot of things that don't make sense. Like having a bull for a mascot and a tagline that claims to give you wiiings. Bulls can't fly, silly.
I re-realized that Five gum is a pretty cool brand. I'm actually chewing a piece of Rain right now after Pam called me out on having falafel breath.
I think they did a great job of launching the brand a few years ago in a super-saturated & commoditized market. The packing alone stands out, very innovative and well-designed. Even down to the texture detail on the front.
Then the commercials are out of control! I want to be in all of them for real. Why is it called five? Well the brilliant tagline is "Stimulate Your Senses." Obviously the first is taste, and the flavor lasts suprisingly long. Sight is next because the packaging is so pretty. Touch, because of the texture and you interact with the packaging. Smell because it makes your breath smell better (thanks, Pam!) and whatever gum I have in it determines what my purse smells like. And sound? Umm, I guess I can hear myself chew and the wrapper makes a crinkly sound when you crunch it up?
I would bet the creatives on this account at AMV BBDO London/Energy BBDO Chicago are fans of The Matrix. (This agency was second on my Internship QA list after DDB, which pulled out. Now I wish even more that I put it as my first choice instead).
Just saw this commercial on the big screen at my teacher's agency, Alma DDB. Super cute/cool concept!
My only criticism is that the tag "Happiness is simple" is similar to Coke's "Open Happiness." I guess the alternative is some kind of fireworks pun like "Exploding with flavor." Why am I not a copywriter? LoL
Client: Frito Lay Agency: Juniper Park, Toronto Production Company: Suneeva Director: Mike Long DoP: Stephen Blackman Creative Directors: Terry Drummond, Alan Madill, Barry Quinn Art Director: Hylton Mann Copywriter: Andy Linardatos Editor: Griff Henderson Agency Producer: Janice Bisson
This may or may not have been the one second ad. I'm not 100% sure because I didn't see it myself yesterday. I must have blinked.
Once again I was disappointed overall with the Superbowl commercials this year. It just doesn't have the same prestige as years past. Thanks to Ad Blitz, you can vote for your favorite superbowl commercials through their YouTube channel til wednesday.
So the buzz has been building about Miller's one second ad set to air during the superbowl today. My sister actually first told me about it. According to the website, 1secondad.com, the strategy is to save money, even though they developed a website and additional spots that aired the past few days to promote it. The tagline is "Good, honest beer at a tasty price." I don't particularly like the wording but I like the idea behind it:
"Paying $3 million for a 30-second commercial makes about as much sense as putting saurkraut on a doughnut. Actually, even that makes more sense. We'd rather have our message short and to the point, if it means delivering more honest beer at a tasty price."
So I guess the price of a superbowl spot is $3 million for 30 seconds. Actually seems on the low end of the spectrum to me. Wanna know what else 3 mil can get you? 230 tons of smokehouse bacon (or tofu?), 1,800 belt buckles, 15,000 skydive jumps, and the list continues...
Either the creatives at Saatchi and Saatchi New York were really lazy or really innovative. I'm inclined to bet on the latter.
Here's some spots that didn't make the cut:
Hmmm... reminds me of the man-tastic campaigns someone else I know likes to do... Will try to post the actual spot after the game.
Advertising often crosses cultural borders. I think if an idea is really good, it can be universal. Here's an example by Sprite: The Chinese version:
And the US version, which I don't remember ever seeing here.
I'm not sure which one came first but I think the Chinese one is better. I like the song for it too.
I discovered these when I was looking for that classic Sprite Anti-Ad, where that NBA dude, Grant Hill I think, blatantly endorses the product and little dollar signs pop up everytime he mentions the brand... Which was inspired by the fact that Mountain Dew is our next client for my Account Planning Projects class.
Found this spot randomly on Ads of the World. It's so simple: seeing the world from the point of view of a champagne cork.
I kind of like it. This fun little extra was posted below it: And now that you've seen the spot, maybe you can answer the quiz:
What's for dinner? What's the old woman in the mirror doing? What's the creature on the topless body builder's shoulder? What's the liquid in that metal tub?
Also saw these: Apparently these ads came from my very own Miami Ad School here in South Beach (where, by the way, it is a delightful 76 degrees with almost clear skies). The ads are pretty nicely art directed (with the exception of that drop shadow on the text). The art director is Roberto Salas, copywriter is Sachi Brown and the instructor is Manuel Huici. I haven't heard of any of these people but maybe I'll start uploading some of my own work to the website. Who knows what might happen...
Finally getting my feet wet in the advertising world. I would prefer to be barefoot, but I'll settle for flip-flops. I create, work out, work hard & play hard. Basically, life is good.
