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The King Hits Spring Break

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Looking as out of place as a polar bear on the Lost island, the King is, along with MTV, making his way to Spring Break to hang with the hotties, the hunks and the rest of the idiots who will, no doubt, drink themselves into a stupor and cause their parents to wonder what the hell they were thinking when they sent checks for tens of thousands of dollars to institutions of higher learning.

by Steve Hall    Mar-25-10    
Topic: Brands, Commercials



Deutsch Borrows Old Navy Mannequins For Underage Drinking Campaign

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Driving home the point real kids are curious about alcohol, three new Ad Council/SAMHSA PSAs use mannequins to remind parents their kids just might not be as innocent and innocuous as they think.

The campaign targets parents of 12-20 year olds leading up to Alcohol Awareness Month in April. Accompanying the commercials are radio, magazine, newspaper and Web.

See the ads here.

by Steve Hall    Mar-25-10    
Topic: Cause



Why Work Out When You Can Deep Fry Courtesy of Zappos

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Here's the second in a series of Crank Yanker/Puppet-esque Zappos commercials rom Mullen. In this commercial a woman tells the Zappos customer service representative she's "going in another direction." She's decided deep frying is more fun that working out.

The spot was directed and produced by Aaron Duffy from Special Guest in New York.

more »

by Steve Hall    Mar-25-10    
Topic: Commercials



Halo Group Says One Head Better Than Four

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The Halo Group's Steve Ratti tells us, "Rumor has it I just sent this video to over 2500 CMOs. Did it work? Not sure yet but I did get 70 "out of the office" automated email responses so far."

His video illustrates the idiocy spewed from the mouths of multiple practice areas within an agency and how, one assumes, a singular voice would be a much better approach. The message is far from new but we can't help but giggle a bit at each of the talking heads' stream of bullshit.

by Steve Hall    Mar-25-10    
Topic: Agencies



Bob Garfield to Retire From Ad Review Next Month

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It's true. Next month Bob Garfield, Advertising Age's Ad Review critic for 25 years, will retire from his weekly ad review column. He won't be leaving Advertising Age though. Garfield will helm a column entitled Listenomincs where he will opine on the "digital revolution."

In addition, Garfield will...wait for it...launch a consultancy with a collection of strategic partners. More on that will be revealed in the coming weeks. Brands beware.

And in case anyone thought Garfield was the only one writing about advertising over at Advertising Age, columnist Abbey Klaassen felt compelled to writes, "Ad Age will continue to cover advertising, design and digital ideas, working closely with the Creativity editors." Good to know.

Bob's final Ad review will appear in Advertising Age's April 5 issue.

by Steve Hall    Mar-25-10    
Topic: Magazine



Attention Agencies: You Might be the Last on Earth

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OK. OK. Everyone else is writing about it. We will too. The Last Agency on Earth. OK. No doubt you've seen it already. It's pretty funny and very insightful. The basic message" Adapt of die. Not a new message. One that's been delivered over and over and over again throughout time. The problem? No one listens to the message. No one looks back in time, analyzes others' mistakes and makes definitive course corrections to insure the same mistakes don't happen...well...over and over and over again. Take heed.

more »

by Steve Hall    Mar-24-10    
Topic: Good, Industry Events, Video



Radio Spot Dials Hotel Phone Number For Your Lazy Ass

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As if we weren't already lazy enough what with voice activated menus and all manner of click and swipe, we can now sit on our ass even longer and have a radio ad dial our phone for us.

And come on! It takes more energy to get the phone than it does to dial it. This seems like a lot of work: Getting off your ass to get the phone. Pushing the button for a dial tone. Holding the phone up to the radio's speaker. And actually being able to make the decision you want to dial the phone with just thirty to sixty seconds of advance warning.

Oh right. We don't have to write the number down and we don't have to waste any valuable brain power to remember the number so we can then dial it if the radio spot didn't do it for us.

And the march towards Idiocracy continues.

And what's with the strange Barry White-ish voice over on the demo video?

And...just becasue technology makes it possible doesn't mean we should do it.

by Steve Hall    Mar-24-10    
Topic: Bad, Radio, Strange



Nike Rocks VIctorious with Female Athletes

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For its Nike Women division, Nike gathered together some well known female sports figures and put together mini documentaries for each of them.

With all the bravado of an eighties Rocky flick, the campaign website bellows, "Wining is contagious. You see it. You burn for it. True champions live for it. Never underestimate the power of victory."

Each of the four short videos highlights the careers of Maria Sharapova, Susanna Kallur, Lianne Sanderson and Serena Williams.

It would appear Maria Sharapova's come a long way since crotch-gate, skanklicious butt shots and sex pillows.

Of course she's still being sold as a sex symbol. One step at a time.

by Steve Hall    Mar-24-10    
Topic: Campaigns, Celebrity, Political



Google Makes Moron Out of Text Link Buyer

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Overheard on facebook: "MORON OF THE DAY: So this guy emails me saying he wants to 'advertise'. I say we do not sell text links to avoid Google penalties. Here is his response: 'Internet is not based on Google. But rather Google is just a part of it. Good luck.' LOL, idiot you are trying to buy links from me to rank in Google!"

What was it we were saying about Idiocracy?

by Steve Hall    Mar-24-10    
Topic: Strange



Pat Fallon Gets AAF Hall of Fame Status

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- On March 25, 2010, Fallon Worldwide cofounder and chairman emeritus, Pat Fallon, will be inducted into the prestigious American Advertising Federation (AAF) Hall of Fame.

- "The Real Men and Women of Madison Avenue," an exhibit that celebrates the contributions made to advertising and popular culture by the real stars of Madison Avenue, will travel to Chicago for its first public showing outside of New York City. It opens at The Congress Gallery at 33 E. Congress, 1st Floor Gallery in Chicago on April 7, 2010 and will run until the end of the month.

more »

by Steve Hall    Mar-24-10    
Topic: Agencies, Celebrity, Newspaper



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