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Jolt Goes Astroturf, Looks Feeble

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You'd think Jolt wouldn't have to try hard to be grassroots considering they survive on high school hearsay about the soda's cracklike qualities. Yet somehow here they are, failing at the fresh-faced amateur game. The video, enthusiastically entitled "There's a new king in town!" really says it all. But if you need a bigger clue, here's a cut out of Jolt PR email:

"I am here to share a video created by a bunch of college kids in the spirit of the season and in appreciation of Jolt- the most highly caffeinated beverage in the universe!"

by Angela Natividad    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Bad, Video



Reindeer Wanders Deutsch Offices For No Apparent Reason

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We've all seen them before. Those videos and commercials that begin with some odd or strange action and follow it through until the end at which some kind of payoff is provided making the previous :59 worth one's while. Unless you can speak "reindeer" and some sort of joke is being told, you'll waste a full :60 watching this Deutsch holiday video.

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Bad



Another Agency Sucked Into the Publicis Vortex

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Leo Burnett held out for a while. Digitas held out longer. But, today, Publicis Groupe announced it will acquire Digitas for $1.3 billion or $13.50 per share. We're sure George Parker will have a lot to say about this one.

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Agencies



Burger Fuel Says Have a White Christmas ... with 330 Grams of Coke

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Ana at Spare Room is none too thrilled by indie restaurant Burger Fuel's shot at viral notoriety, but we admit we were amused in a dark sort of way.

Order the White Christmas combo for 330 grams of Coke - that's right, Coke. In a cup, not on a mirror. Don't be fooled by the razorblades in the viral or the powder-dipped $100 bill in the ad - neither are actually included. We'd shake our heads and go, "Oh how trashy," but then again, we're the home country of Hooters, which isn't exactly a conservative haunt either. And anyway, any restaurant Pablo Escobar admonishes us to visit must be okay.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Packaging, Promotions, Racy, Video



Bond Girl, X-Woman Says Be Nice to Dogs

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Oh we just can't pass on featuring one of our favorite, over-the-top Bond girls Zena Onatop aka Famke Jansen who is appearing in a "Be An Angel For Animals" PETA ad. Famke and PETA want us to be nice to dogs this holiday season. The ad, shot by Andrew Southam, was unveiled at an event yesterday in LA at Runyon Canyon Park. So don't crate your dog when you go to the inlaws for Christmas this year. Call Famke and I'm sure she'd be happy to come over and watch your dog.

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Campaigns, Celebrity, Good, Magazine



PETA Tramples Christmas Spirit with Reindeer Revenge

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We don't need to tell you PETA prefers animals to people. South Park established that and everything South Park says is true. But why they need to defecate on the holidays by creating trite little would-be virals about reindeer trampling Santa, we'll never know.

Dissatisfied with a fantasy about the gift-giving saint underfoot, they took it further still by turning the song into a masturbation fest about how awesome PETA is for, among other things, its clever use of busty naked women to rail against animal exploitation. (See our equal opportunity coverage here.)

If you happen to dislike PETA, join us in grabbing your forehead with disdain. And if you happen to dig the hell out of what they're doing, be happy. Look at all the publicity they get from us.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Bad, Online



Holiday Cards See Nostalgic Twist

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Sparked by a handwritten note marked "How do you ask a Ninja for a free hug?", Twist Image disseminates its take on the holiday card, which is less holiday card and more video collage of happy 2006 moments. Some inclusions: the "free hugs" guy, the live-action Simpsons intro, Animator v. Animation and the viral OKGo treadmill video.

Lee Hopkins claims this is the best Christmas card he's ever seen. While we think those are strong words, we're inclined to agree, and not merely because they remembered to include Ask a Ninja (which automatically grants all-star status). We wish the cats at Twist an equally happy holidays.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Agencies, Good, Online, Video



Y! SNOW Cards Mildly Madden with Mellifluous Mockery

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In its continuing attempts to be savvy, Yahoo! Search Marketing jumps on the holiday e-card merry-go-round and sends all affiliates a Simulated Niceness of Winter (SNOW) card. The one they shot out struck us as a mere mockery of the quiet pain and suffering they imposed as they sat around re-tooling to "innovate" a la AdWords.

We'd like to trash them more along this vein but the SNOW card creation function is actually pretty nifty. The gadgets, slightly psychotic-looking characters and voice recording function recall a time when Yahoo! was cool and truly ahead of its days, a time when we enjoyed playing with them. So here's to hoping they do better this '07.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Good, Online



Fully Dressed Playboy Employees Don Christmas Sweaters

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OK, then. Anytime we receive an email from Playboy, we're more inclined to open it than an email from, say, paypalebayscam.com. In response to our call for entries relating to Sullivan Higdon & Sink's We Love Holiday Sweaters holiday card, Playboy Enterprises Public Relations Manager Traci Coulter sent us a picture of her and three others decked out in cheesy Christmas sweaters found at Salvation Army shops for a recent Santa Crawl the foursome embarked upon. Cute. But, Traci, which one is you in the picture? We need these important facts for completeness, you know.

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-06    
Topic: Agencies



Levi's Let's Anyone Place Their Face On Their Commercials

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Sort of like the trailer promotion for Wedding Crashers, this Levi's site let's you upload images of yourself that then appear on the heads of the bodies that appear in the "Straight Walk" commercials. It's :30 of fame for those who feel they really, really need it this time of year. The technology behind the fun is Personiva.

by Steve Hall    Dec-20-06    




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