Following Wal-Mart, McDonald's Caught With Fake Blogs

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Perhaps directing some of the attention away from Edelman who was behind the Wal-Mart fake blog (flog) thing, are two new blogs for McDonald's, but not labeled as such. The co-promote with Monopoly. The Consumerist points to 4railroads and McDmillionwinner (link goes to Google cache as someone inside McDonald's apparent said "oops" and pulled the blog) and explains how the two sites are inter-related. Even though they carry dead giveaway copy written not by bloggers but by copywriters, the two blogs do not mention any association with McDonald's or Monopoly.

It's not that the blogs were launched in a clandestine manner. In fact, an October 19th press release makes reference to the 4railroads blog. It's just that things should be marked as they are. There's nothing wrong with cute, teaser campaigns but to pass something off as something it's not because it's thought slapping a brand name on it will lessen it's effect is, well, just not right.

by Steve Hall    Oct-31-06    
Topic: Brands, Opinion, Weblogs, Worst



Amp's Mobile Will Make You Strange

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TAXI has done a nice job positioning Amp'd Mobile as the alternative mobile phone service of choice and these three new spots either reinforce that or simply reveal Amp'd mobile users are cracked. There's the caught singing in the bathroom spot, the dumb, overzealous Dad spot and the orchestra member gone rocker spot. They each either reinforce Amp'd as a provider of really great content or they just prove adults are just grown up kids in disguise.

In case the goofiness of the spots don't set Amp'd apart from others, the Pound the Pinata site, on which a Mexican trio plays Hip Hop, Metal, Reggae or Mariachi while you whack the pinata phone certainly will. Sure, it's all fun but do you know anyone that has an Amp's phone? And where does Amp'd actually have any service?

by Steve Hall    Oct-31-06    
Topic: Commercials, Good, Online, Strange



Monkey Uses Monkey to Promote Monkey

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Isn't it so much fun now that we have all these really cool video sites like YouTube? Any idiot can put up anything they want and legions of social media lovers will glom all over it like rabid Saw III fans? Not, by any stretch, are the creators of this promotional video for UK men's magazine Monkey isiots but it sure looks like they had fun creating this whacked, monkey-like commercial.

by Steve Hall    Oct-31-06    
Topic: Commercials, Strange, Video



Boots Drug Store Makes Gorgeous Super Moms

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It's not often standard fare drug store cosmetics, housekeeping and high-glamor are mentioned in the same sentence but in this David LaChapelle-created Christmas commercial for British drug store chain Boots, they seem to go together gorgeously in an intriguing over the top sort of way.

by Steve Hall    Oct-31-06    
Topic: Commercials, Good, Strange



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Dropping Prices, Increasing Sexiness Sell Pontiac G6

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In this art director's visual wet dream for the new Pontiac G6, the ever declining prices and increasing speed and sexiness of computers, music equipment and telephones are cited as an analogy to the less expensive and supposedly sexier G6. Created by Leo Burnett Detroit, the spot kinda gets the message across but does anyone really believe cars can get cheaper and a Pontiac cold be classified as sexy?

by Steve Hall    Oct-31-06    
Topic: Brands, Commercials, Good



Homeless People Could Live In A Car For A Week Too

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There's a law somewhere that says two makes a trend and with Chevy joining Nissan in the "our car is so awesome you could live in it" thing, we officially have a trend. As you know, some dude is living in a Nissan and making a "film" about it. Opinions as to how and when and ad somehow became a film aside, the series of "films" is supposed to endear us to the vehicle and the glory of its comfort.

Now, Chevy, with its Livin' Large in Aveo, is following eight college student teams across the country for a week with webcams and blog entries. Everyone gets to vote on which team lives the "largest." Wow. Cool. Yea, road trips are fun and we've had our share back in the day when every friggin' move you made wasn't commercialized.

more »

by Steve Hall    Oct-31-06    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Opinion



Calendar and Map to Guide ad:tech Party Goers

If you're in New York for ad:tech or you're heading there and want to make sure you don't miss any of the parties, we've put together a Google Calendar and a Community Walk map to help you locate all the parties. It's not an exhaustive list but it's all we know for now. If you know of other parties that should be added to the list, send an email to tips@adrants.com and we'll get it added. Have fun. See you there.

by Steve Hall    Oct-31-06