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Soften Their World -- Before They're Too Big to Fight Back.

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We've heard it said that we'll always be about five or six years old in the eyes of our parents -- no matter how much we accomplish, how old we really get, or where on our bodies our hair starts to grow.

Which is why this campaign for UK-based Fairy hits home in a manner both awkward and charming. Each spot depicts a generic Gen-Xer getting infantilized by his mom, who despite old age (and complete senility?) hasn't lost any of the maternal instincts she possessed in the prime of motherhood.

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by Angela Natividad    Jun- 9-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Good, Television



Boston Ad Club to Celebrate History with Reunion Event

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On June 22, the Boston Ad Club will host The Ad Club Reunion, an event which hopes to bring together everyone who's had anything to do with the Boston ad scene over the last few decades. Originally the vent was to be held at the TD Banknorth Garden but then there was a small uprising over the ticket price which was, in response to the outcry, slashed to $80. The event was also moved to Cyclorama, a venue that will cost the organization less money.

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by Steve Hall    Jun- 9-09    
Topic: Industry Events



Mini Markets to Vampires for True Blood's Season 2

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@AskACopywriter managed to catch the phone booth ad at left, fruit of a liaison between BMW's Mini Cooper and -- oddly enough -- HBO's True Blood.

You may have noted that, in July of last year, True Blood orchestrated this pretty cool YouTube effort where vampires worldwide apparently produced their own amateur videos and tried demanding suffrage from the narrow-minded living.

This Mini partnership is another way to work that "vampires among us" angle: Mini is among a handful of brands that will be targeting their campaigns to vampires through June 14th, the start of Season 2.

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by Angela Natividad    Jun- 9-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Good, Online, Outdoor, Promotions



Qdoba Burritos Smack of Stop-Motion Freshness

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There's something about stop-motion vegetable videos that: 1) soothes us, and 2) convinces us anything the associated brand says is true, including the oft-repeated lie that the food involved is fresh.

Not that we're in any position to judge the freshness claim tied to Qdoba's handmade burritos, which we've never tried and which actually look appetizing, actually. Would be nice to sink our jaws into some cheesy beans and warm tortilla right now.

Work by Amalgamated, best remembered by us for its final-frontiersy attitude toward bodily fluid's true colours.

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by Angela Natividad    Jun- 9-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Television



It's Like 'Conjunction Junction,' But So Much Hipper.

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EUTube -- the YouTube channel of the European Union -- is seeding a video called "Electrical Derby," whose job is to educate viewers about electricity, while propagating the Eurotrash pop culture aesthetic that gives spoofs like this a perpetually appreciative audience.

After a few watches we're fairly confident we'll be experts in how batteries work; but every time we start the video up again, we get caught up in fantasizing how RAD it would be to spend a few hours at a neon roller derby.

We like the idea, but imagine trying to explain supermagnets at a rave. (Actually, it's possible we've done that -- and it all went horribly wrong.) In any event, "Electrical Derby" is a follow up to "Chemical Party," last year's attempt to teach chemistry with synthesized music and mating rituals.

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by Angela Natividad    Jun- 9-09    
Topic: Cause, Good, Trends and Culture, Video



'Local Porno Buyer Jim Scott Has Been Taken Hostage. Along with His Pornography.'

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This shit's over-the-top, but we got one or two dry giggles out of it.

It's embarrassing enough to get called out for mumbling your porno mag of choice to an old Asian cashier with no sense of empathy, but then your high school crush shows up -- and the cashier starts offering you self-pleasure freebies, too?

Things only worsen from there, Judd Apatow-style. Think hostage situation, daytime TV, publicly humiliated mother, the whole nine: in other words, a morality tale parents tell their starch-collar boys when they're young, to keep them from wanting to touch their wees.

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by Angela Natividad    Jun- 9-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Online, Video



...But How Does This Solve the Problem of Phallus-Shaped Pop-Ups?

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Now your second head has an ally: a third eye, right where it counts. To encourage more illicit behaviour in inappropriate places, Brazillian adult site Sexy Clube sent a rear-view mirror to the homes of its customers.

The gooseneck mirror attaches by suction to the back of your monitor. Its purpose is to give you a, uh, heads-up when Bossman is about to catch you in the act of surfing titty. Thus equipped, Sexy Clube hopes it'll stimulate annual subscription renewals.

Probably doesn't help that the back of the mirror reads "Sexy Clube," though. Nothing screams "PORN ADDICT!" like porn merch!

Still, nice effort by DM9DDB/Brazil.

by Angela Natividad    Jun- 9-09    
Topic: Guerilla, Product Placement, Promotions



Audrina Patridge Says Carl's Jr. is Huge

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"It's Carl's Jr. It's huge." Carl's Jr., thanks you, Audrina Patridge. After all, every guy likes to be called huge. OK, so you were talking about why you chose to appear in the chain's latest commercial in this behind the scenes look at the commercial's shoot but still.

So you needed a break from your The Hills gig. That's cool. We're fine with that. But there's just no way anyone is going to top the original Paris Hilton version of this hottie-eats-a-burger-in-a-bikini thing.

by Steve Hall    Jun- 8-09    
Topic: Commercials



GM is Retarded

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"We at GM have been screwing your tailpipe for years. And now with your help and the inefficiency of the American government, we're gonna screw you again."

Get that and more from this most excellent GM Reinvention spoof complete with detailed website and "retarded" commercial spoof.

The original was just begging for this treatment. If GM is smart, they'll tell the lawyers to leave it alone (not that they could really do anything anyway) and just enjoy the publicity. If they are smart, they will roll with it.

by Steve Hall    Jun- 8-09    
Topic: Spoofs



Ingenious Drunken Hijinks Fail to Amuse in Light of Day

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On behalf of the UK Home Office, John Luke Roberts wanders city streets in broad daylight, trying to get people to do things they only do drunk and in the safety of darkness: piss in the street, spew vom over friends, dive into vehicles with strange men and abuse strange girls with traffic cones.

For the most part he fails, but that doesn't stop him from doing it all himself.

Roberts' shenanigans look nothing short of insane, but only because we don't have the Lush Googles on. After the guy belts out a war cry and shoves a trash bin through a store window, we're graced with a simple enough tagline: "If you wouldn't do it sober...", tying it to last year's effort, similarly (though less ambiguously) titled "You Wouldn't Do It Sober."

Harrowing shit, seeded by Team Rubber.

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by Angela Natividad    Jun- 8-09    
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Guerilla, Video



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