Visiting Parents Get Taste of Daughter

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There are always those time when the parents come to visit and things get all awkward for one reason or another. This scene, courtesy of Durex, goes much further than just plain awkwardness. Rather it delves deep inside a woman, her sexual needs and the tools through which she achieves those needs And the horror she experiences when she realizes her tool of choice has just been consumed by her parents, her husband and herself.

by Steve Hall    Feb-18-08    
Topic: Strange, Video



By Gad -- It's a Chocolate Carseat!

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YES Essentials carseats are impervious to a fondue bath.

Compelling. But will they stand the test of DIP?

by Angela Natividad    Feb-17-08    
Topic: Brands, Online, Video



Jason's Loyal to Sweaters. Why Wouldn't Hub Be Loyal to You?

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The cats at Hub Strategy asked us to check out the new introductory video on their website. (You can't miss it.) The goal was to give potential clients a warm fuzzy feeling that would invite them to dig deeper.

From what we can tell, it looks like some dudes talking about Jason and his thing for sweaters. It took us awhile to work out who Jason was, because we couldn't take our eyes off that porcelain monkey in a state of shock.

What a bizarre table ornament.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-17-08    
Topic: Agencies, Online, Video



Sylvain Chomet Whips Pen Out for Discount Tire Spot

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DDB and Th1ng ("Thing One" -- yeah, that was an intelligent brand move) just put together this spot for Kwik-Fit. In it, people do a conga line when Kwik-Fit announces 25 percent off for four Goodyear or Dunlop tires.

The spot was illustrated by caricaturist and Oscar nominee Sylvain Chomet. Stateside, he is probably best-known for this.

We really hope Chomet wasn't contracted for just one price-slashing ad. It would be neat to watch more Kwik-Fit spots with this warm peculiar feel (as opposed to more cold, fatal discounts).

by Angela Natividad    Feb-15-08    
Topic: Brands, Commercials, Good



CD-Turned-Author Self-Promotes without Spending. Much.

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CD and president Kelly Simmons of bubble, Philadelphia is sharpening her ad chops by promoting her own book, Standing Still. Released by Simon & Schuster, it's about a mom who exchanges her life for her kidnapped daughter's.

Publicity includes $200,000 of online, sweepstakes, broadcast, direct mail and guerilla efforts, allegedly all bartered.

The effort includes promotional postcards ("The ultimate beach read") stuffed in women's swimsuit orders, courtesy of Miracle Suit. A radio campaign will air on B101 FM, an indie station.

And when it rains, ziplocked flyers (via Tri-County Printers) promoting the book as "the perfect read for a stormy night" will appear on parked car windshields.

Check out Simmons' e-zine, bykellysimmons.com. You could win a Tiffany's bracelet that matches the one worn by the protagonist (product placement! Nice touch).

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Australia Hates Goodby Silverstein's Michael Bay Bank Ad

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It seems a new commercial for Australia's Commonwealth Bank has the land of down under angry for two reasons: the bank left Australian agencies behind and came to American agency Goodby Silverstein to create the work. And, secondly, they think the campaign, itself, sucks. Even Australian ad legend John Singleton got in on the hating and called on the bank's CEO to pull the ad because it is "obscene" and a "waste of money."

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by Steve Hall    Feb-15-08    
Topic: Campaigns, Creative Commentary, Opinion, Trends and Culture



Converse and Dr. J? No Way. (Okay, YES Way.)

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For some brands, deep association with a celebrity isn't enough. Air Jordans and Jordan, and Simmons and Phat Farm, only come around once in a ... whenever.

Watch closely while Converse tries hard to invite a comparison between itself and Dr. J. (The firm responsible: Anomaly.) At best, you'll wish out loud for a return to the glory days of b-ball. At worst, you'll feel a little fragmented.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-15-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Celebrity, Online, Video



Virgin Islands Tries Triggering Wanderlust with Music

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To drive tourist cash to the US Virgin Islands, JWT Atlanta and What What Films produced a promotional music video for PrimalScream's "Meant to Be."

The pop song is less primal, more bland, and ornamented with shots of the artist dancing on beaches and snapping pictures of turtles.

A ticker runs independent-looking ads that incidentally refer to the scenery: "Deals for US Virgin Islands," "St. Thomas Luxury Homes" (like, while she's in one), and "Wedding Photography" (preceding a shot where the whole video turns into a scrapbook).

We haven't yet whipped out our passports, but we are suffering from severe karaoke nostalgia. And that's a feeling you never want to have.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-15-08    
Topic: Online, Promotions, Video



Taco Bell, Sports Illustrated Toss Aspiring Photographers a Bone

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Want to photograph models like Daniella Sarahyba for a living? Go for it -- just not for money -- courtesy of Taco Bell and Sports Illustrated. Pick the location and plan her moves based on a series of options. She'll say things like, "Oh, are you the new photographer?" and play the spoilsport when it's too windy.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-15-08    
Topic: Brands, Celebrity, Online, Product Placement



Yahoo Justifies Greystripe Collabo with Financially-Bereft Stats

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So Yahoo got all chummy with Greystripe, an ad-supported mobile game and apps purveyor. For two months they worked together to promote Yahoo oneSearch, a universal search tool for mobile.

The campaign was called "Be a better..." (handyman, explorer, etc) and you can check out some executions here.

To demonstrate how smart (or how adept at denial) Yahoo is, the results of the campaign have come in.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-15-08    
Topic: Brands, Mobile/Wireless