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Nike Ad Likened to Crucifixion, Garners Complaints

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Professing not to know why Nike would do such a thing (uh...hello? publicity), several have complained about a Nike ad featuring Wayne Rooney partially painted red with his arms outstretched. Church groups are likening it to Christ's crucifixion and British MPs think it's horribly war-like. Wieden + Kennedy, creators of the ad, defend it saying it has nothing to do with the crucifixion and was intended to celebrate Rooney's return to his team after an injury.

A Nike spokeswoman explains further, telling the Daily Mail, "If we have offended anyone on those grounds, we would stress it was unintentional and we apologize. It is not meant to be an aggressive picture, either. It was a case of catching the mood of the nation as everyone urges Rooney on to great things, and of course our slogan puts it perfectly. The red paint is not meant to be blood, it's just echoing the body paint which fans cover themselves in and the rest of Wayne's body is painted white. It's the flag of St George, and nothing else. We have had nothing but positive reaction to the poster and a lot of people have been asking if they can buy it. We have no plans to produce it as a poster."

by Steve Hall    Jun-22-06    
Topic: Campaigns, Newspaper, Outdoor



Countdown Campaign Promises to Debunkify

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Ah, yes. Another mysterious site with a countdown clock. Don't the creators of these sites, in this case, according to Whois information, Cincinnati Ohio-based hyperQuake, know this has been done a million times before? Do they think we will actually care what the countdown leads to? Are they so bold as to assume there is something unique about what they are about to announce? Oh wait. Of course they do. This is advertising and when we create cool campaigns like this we just know the entire world will be jonesing right along with us.

The countdown site, called Debunkify, is accompanied by a video on YouTube and billboards and TV ads in several Ohio locations. The billboards proclaim, "kill the myths before they kill you" and the site indicates all will be revealed July 10. OMG, we just can't wait. Can you? Yawn.

by Steve Hall    Jun-22-06    
Topic: Campaigns, Guerilla, Online, Outdoor, Strange, Television, Viral



British Airways Educates American Slobs On Proper Wimbledon Behavior

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Yesterday, British Airways launched a Agency.com-created online campaign to educate Americans on proper behavior if they plan to attend the Wimbledon tennis tournament. In the eyes of the English, Americans are apparently a bunch of overeating, foam finger-waving, air horn-blowing cads. Basically, a pretty good assessment. So, for those planning of heading over to Wimbledon, take heed and alter your behavior properly for the event.

by Steve Hall    Jun-22-06    
Topic: Campaigns, Online



Superman Tags Call Attention to Christopher Reeve Foundation

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Hoping to achieve the ubiquitous popularity the Lance Armstrong Foundation Livestrong bracelet did, the Christopher Reeve Foundation has launched a campaign to promote its Superman Tag, a dog tag-like item with the Superman S that can be worn on a necklace, on a key chain or on clothing. The campaign, which will include print, online, PSAs, cinema ads, blogger outreach and a MySpace page, intends to leverage the upcoming Superman Returns movie to build additional awareness of the tags which will carry the tagline, "Go Forward." Proceeds from the sale of the tags will go to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

Warner Brothers has allowed the campaign to use the S symbol royalty free for the duration of the campiagn which will run until February 2008.Euro RSCG 4D created the campaign and is urging sites to donate ad space for the campaign. HealthOrbit and Prevention have. Adrants will be donating space as well. If you are so inclined, ad banners are available on the SupermanTag site.

by Steve Hall    Jun-21-06    
Topic: Campaigns, Celebrity, Good, Magazine, Online, Television, Weblogs



Training Camp Helps IT Guys Achieve Two Very Big Dreams

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Playing right into the stereotype of geeky IT guys wishing they could score with the big breasted women, this cheesy campaign for IT training company Training Camp promises to make two very big dreams come true for every IT guy. It's like those ads in the back of hot rod magazines with bikini-clad women draped across the hood of a car or those really old (weight gain?) ads that had the skinny guy on the beach getting kicked by the built guy with the babe.

Can you just here the nervous IT guy making the call to Training Camp? "Um, I'd...uh...I'd like those two very big dreams bulging out of....oh sorry...in your ad..so that...DAMN those are big...and...cause I really, really want to...um...get smart and learn...um...how to...how to...oh God...oh God...get...um...get a girl with really, really huge boobs like the girl in your ad! Yes. Yea. I want those...um...that. Can you help?

Get your pair here. Oh, we almost forgot. Sorry, we were distracted. The campiagn was created by Gyro Worldwide.

by Steve Hall    Jun-21-06    
Topic: Campaigns, Magazine, Online



Xenadrine Says Don't Be Such A Fat Ass

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Thank God some company finally had the balls to chuck political correctness out the window and talk straight. Hurling insults such as "You're so fat you got baptized at Sea World, "You sweat Crisco" and "You're so fat, when you tried to cross the street, people ran out of gas trying to go around you," this commercial for weight loss drug Xenedrine is bluntly honest. Calling overweight people "fat asses," Xenedrine urges people to lighten up and burn the fat away. Of course, there's the whole debate about whether a drug is as good as honest exercise to lose weight but we'll save that debate for another time.

by Steve Hall    Jun-21-06    
Topic: Commercials, Good



See Lynx Attract Billions of Babes In Bikinis

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Adrants reader Dave caught the Lynx Billions of Bikini Babes commercial which aired in the UK last night prior to the England versus Sweden football match. We said there's be bikinis and there are certainly bikinis in this spot. billions of them. And one lucky guy who's sprayed himself with Lynx to attract them all. Bikinis and bouncing breasts in all their glory. The tagline says it all. "Spray More. Get More."

by Steve Hall    Jun-21-06    
Topic: Commercials, Good, Television



Chicken Spot Turns Poor Kid Into An Idiot

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Here's a cute little spot from Romania that treats a kid like an idiot who can't tell the difference between a real chicken and a chicken in a grocery stores meat display just to make the "Chickens so fresh they look alive" tagline work.

by Steve Hall    Jun-21-06    
Topic: Commercials



Advergame Access Annoys, Doesn't Get Played

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We're all for fun little advergame time wasters but when you have to a.) tell the company whether you are male or female, b.) have a password, c.) or don't have the password and enter your email to get it and d.) go open the email they sent you to get the password, the whole thing becomes work. Advergames aren't supposed to be work. They're supposed to be a branded distraction, not a challenge to see how much annoyance you can take before you just say "screw it" and leave which is exactly what we did. So, if any of you actually plays this game, let us know if we should bother looking for that email with the password.

by Steve Hall    Jun-21-06    
Topic: Bad, Games, Online, Opinion



Three Blond Moms Do Stand Up For Suave

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Coining the term "Momedy," Suave has launched a site that features three blond moms doing stand up comedy about being a mother. Somehow it's suppose to sell shampoo but we just don't see it. But there is one good piece of advice in the bit. For those Moms who breast feed, make sure you switch size or else you'll end up looking like Calista Flockhart on one side and Pamela Anderson on the other. OK then. Go buy some Suave now so the client is happy.

by Steve Hall    Jun-21-06    
Topic: Brands, Online



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