A Crowd-Pleaser that's Fun to Sing. Nice Thinking, TAG!

lips-take-on-me.jpg

I don't think I could properly describe "Lips" even if I wanted to. It's an ad for Xbox game Lips, which is pretty much karaoke for the Guitar Hero generation. (The microphone's motion sensitive, and you can select songs from your own collection.)

Agency TAG enlisted Tom Kuntz to conceive a strolling pair of lips, singing Take on Me and going about his business. Then he walks into a house party and traipses creepily up the sleeve of a guy who, right on cue, belts out the chorus to A-HA's greatest hit.

I don't know if it's the lips' cheer that got to me, or the natural seratonin-explosion resulting from Take on Me, but this is an insanely infectious spot. We loves it.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Best, Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Games, Television



Once Again, Men Are the the Doghouse. Courtesy of Facebook Connect

FBC_Missed_Opportunity.png

As only Alisa Leonard-Hansen can, Razorfish's Saatchi & Saatchi NY's (we are told Razorfish's role in this was small to non-existent) use of Facebook Connect for JC Penney's Beware of the Doghouse gets roundly trashed for what she dubs a really poor use of FBC. Of JC Penney's use of a stand alone microsite with Facebook Connect, Alisa writes, " Because that is super useful and makes much more sense than say, integrating FBC into the JC Penney online shopping experience and thereby including friend data (purchases, wishlists, etc) into the product merchandising model."

Couldn't have said "missed Opportunity" better ourselves. Though some points must be given for trying.

by Steve Hall    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Bad, Social



Motorola Krave Website Not Krave-Worthy

motorola_krave_website_screenshot.jpg

Somewhat kludgy and epilepsy-inducing, DraftFCB, with help from Grow Interactive, is out with a new website for the Motorola Krave ZN4, a flip phone with a clear top that's supposed to marry the benefits of a flip phone with a touch screen phone.

The site profiles six people from various walks of life. How this relates to the phone is unclear but you'll learn about camping, bee wrangling, nocturnal mixing, sole searching, jewelry design, tennis mentoring...and the importance of a second pair of underwear. All very important stuff.

by Steve Hall    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Bad, Online



Goblet of Stella > Legacy, Glory, Pride.

stella-pour-papa.jpg

Two brothers duke it out in a tandem bike competition pour papa in Stella Artois' "The Race." Hijinks ensue when they drive over a nail and their chances of winning are dramatically decreased.

Instead of trucking on, the boys furtively decide to lift their spirits at a nearby pub. As they wrap their lovin' fingers around two glasses of Stella, they look up at the pub wall and find papa -- right where they need him to be.

"Perfection has its price," Stella smugly reminds us.

A treat to watch, and in keeping the brand's high-brow sense of humour. By Lowe/London and Lowe Roche/Toronto. MPC/London conducted post-production. Props to Brentter for bringing it to our attention.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Good, Television



Enjoy what you've read? Subscribe to Adrants Daily and receive the daily contents of this site each day along with free whitepapers.

Tiger Woods Out As GM Spokesman

rick_wagoner_with_tiger_woods.jpg

With GM citing the poor economy and Woods citing the need to spend more time with his family, GM and Tiger Woods have parted ways reports Advertising Age (story not up yet). GM and Woods have worked together for nine years with Woods appearing an several commercial and playing in the Buick Open.

by Steve Hall    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Brands, Celebrity, Sponsorship



Toronto Wrist-Slaps Quiz-Whoring Narcissists

toronto-take-take.jpg

One of my favourite things to do during down-time is take personality quizzes that aggrandize me in some show-offable way. What movie are you? Which Sex and the City Character are You Most Like? Rate Your Dating Style!

And given how many MySpace bulletins composed of Q & A's with self-excusing titles like "soooo b0red!" or "stolen from sheila" I get in a day, it's clear I'm not alone in this inclination.

Which is why this quiz on TakeTakeTake.ca was so exciting: "What's Toronto's Take on You?" It was like, oh snap, I never realized my city would have an opinion about where I belong in its gleaming array of subcultures and whatnot.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Online



ZunaVision Simplifies Insertion of Ads Into Videos

stanford_zunavision.jpg

Pre-roll. Post-roll. Overlays. As YouTube and other video services attempt to further monetize their offerings, each iteration is jusy as annoying as the previous one. Well, here's another. It might not be quite as annoying (if done right) as some of the other forms as long as you are fine with advertisements appearing in videos where, otherwise, a picture might be hung or a blank wall stands.

more »

by Steve Hall    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Tools, Video



Adidas Taps Footballers For Viral Effort

adidas_michael_ballack.jpg

Adidas is out with a few new video clips they hope will go viral. They feature Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard kicking balls at clay pigeons, Togolese footballer playing a video game with his shoe, Real Madrid footballer Arjen Robbenwatching his shoes get a mysterious tune up and German footballer Michael Ballack kicking balls at, well, watch and find out.

by Steve Hall    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Video, Viral



Twitter as Service or Utility.

by Angela Natividad    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Online, Opinion



Messner Talks, Twitter Quits Facebook, Livestreaming Suicide

second-life-wedding.jpg

- Tom Messner on web two-dot-oh: "TV was still social medium in 1965 as people gathered around it; nobody gathers around the Internet unless you think that everyone is gathering around it at any time." Read more up-close with Hustle Knockin'. (V-via.)

- Twitter waves $500 million in Facebook stock off the table.

- Montreal-based Sid Lee opens doors where we all wish we could: in Amsterdam!

- "Oh, haven't you heard of Glah-day?" Someone finally speaks out about those Godforsaken Glade Scented Candles ads.

- George Parker will host your Second Life wedding if you promise to pass him some dirt on Enfatico.

- Google lets you customize search results.

- Planning to die? Don't forget to switch on the webcam.

- Shepard Fairey discusses his work and his design agency, Studio Number One, in a video interview.

by Angela Natividad    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Online, Opinion



McDonald's Appeals to the Shawshank Redemptionist in You

mcds-great-escape.jpg

The holidays -- shopping, senile relatives, stuffing with raisins and endless variations on the nativity -- aren't for everyone. This Leo Burnett ad for McDonald's depicts just such a guy.

The scene: charades by the Christmas tree with extended family. After an over-obvious movie mime (chest-pounding, monkey noises) that wins him "Brokeback Mountain...?", he acts out the first two words of The Great Escape, then leaps into a secret tunnel that looks like it's been dug with gravy spoons. Off to McD's he goes.

The UK-based ad promotes McDonald's "festive menu," which launches Wednesday. A spokesperson told the Guardian it's "strictly a turkey-free zone" to give customers "a haven to escape from some of the stressful Christmas activities, like shopping."

Guess that makes sense. Nothing soothes the consumption-distressed soul like chicken ... McNuggets.

by Angela Natividad    Nov-24-08    
Topic: Brands, Commercials, Promotions, Strange, Television