Agency Boss Gets Tossed in Boy Scouts Promotion

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For 2011, Partners + Napier joined forces with the Boy Scouts of America for a new initiative called "Toss Your Boss." Partners + Napier employees were challenged to raise $1,000 in donations. If they did so, Chief Creative Officer Jeff Gabel would rappel 309 feet down the First Federal Building in Downtown Rochester.

Well, the agency achieved that goal and raised over $1,000 in donations for the Seneca Waterways Council Urban Scouting Program, which serves more than 20,000 kids in the Rochester area. Thus, Jeff and six other agency employees strapped on their helmets and took the plunge a couple Fridays ago.

by Steve Hall    May-31-11    
Topic: Agencies, Cause, Guerilla



Wrath of Cannes Returns With Tony Hawk's Birdhouse

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Billed as the "other" awards show and "a bitter response to the self-congratulating, glad-handing, marblebag-wearing, Dom-swilling, bronzer-slathered soirees that fester up on the beach in Cannes," Wrath of Cannes, created by NY-based agency Woods Witt Dealy & Sons and now in its fifth year, will take place at Cha Cha's on Coney Island May 23 at 6PM.

This year, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, founder of the Wrath of Cannes-sponsoring Birdhouse, will be one of the judges charged with awarding the head-up-your-ass Grand Coney.

by Steve Hall    May-31-11    
Topic: Industry Events



Nissan LEAF's 'Green' Commercial Makes No Sense

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Here's the issue we have with "green" commercials like this one from TBWA\Chiat\Day for the Nissan Leaf: they make no sense. In this commercial, a world is envisioned in which everything is powered by a gasoline engine. Except at the end when Robert Downey Jr. wonders what it would be like if everything didn't because we call drove a Nissan Leaf.

Uh, where the hell do people think the energy comes from to generate the electricity needed to charge the Nissan LEAF's batteries? Currently, mostly fossil fuels which power the electric plants. have you seen an electric plant? They have smokestacks. Which emit fumes. Which harm the atmosphere.

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by Steve Hall    May-31-11    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Creative Commentary, Opinion



Sexting PSA Sends Multiple, Conflicting Messages

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An Australian PSA condoning Sexting shows a girl texting an image of her breasts to a boy in the same class. The boy then forwards that image on to the rest of the classroom including the teacher. And because this is a PSA against the practice of sexting, the poor girl gets multiple looks of disapproval.

But while the PSA preaches self respect and kindness, the actions displayed in the PSA are far from that. While sending a nude image of oneself isn't the smartest thing to do...especially in high school...anyone with a half a brain can figure out that if that message was texted to you, it was meant only for you. And that forwarding it on is just wrong and mean...yet that's exactly what this PSA condones.

If you're going to preach good behavior, you can't do it using bad behavior as the hook.

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by Steve Hall    May-31-11    
Topic: Cause



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Nude Gaming Stunt Hypes Extend Game Controller

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With a video that has garnered over 750,000 views on YouTube, Thinkmodo, which produced Times Square Hack, is helping game controller extend get some publicity. The video purports to be a report of sorts on what is said to be a growing trend: nude gaming parties; gatherings in which gamers show up nude and game together.

Of course, nude gaming isn't a thing unless you count drunk, ball scratching guys who are too lazy to get dressed or women who are so hot they can't help but do everything nude just to get attention and drive those of us in view insane with desire.

Nope, it's all just a marketing stunt. And a good one at that.

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by Steve Hall    May-31-11    
Topic: Racy, Video, Viral



Playboy Playmates Become Sole Mates For Air Jordans

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Reebok's all fixated with ass when promoting its Reetone but-enhancing sneakers. Skechers has long been associated with hotties like Kim Kardashian and Christina Aguilera. So why can't Nike get in on the fun? Well, courtesy of Playboy, they can.

Playboy has launched Sole Mates, a celebration of the shoe which launched in 1985 and was made famous by Michael Jordan. Over the years there have been many styles of the show and Sole Mates celebrates the top 23...with help from 23 Playmates, of course.

Oh and yes, just like everything else in advertising, this is trying to sell something so don't hold it against Playboy when they hit you up for $4.95 to view the entire feature, complete with nudity.

by Steve Hall    May-31-11    
Topic: Racy



Refrigerator's Tweets Remind People to Drink Water

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We have to wonder where this one's going. After all, Twitter is already filled with all kinds of useless crap about the mundane things people insist upon tweeting. Now we have to be notified every time someone decides to take a drink of water?

OK, so it's really not that bad and it's all for a good cause. In Brazil, people don't drink enough water so bottled water company Bonafont created the Tweeting Fridge, a miniature refrigerator sent to one of the country's top celebrities that would post a tweet to the celebrity's timeline every time the celebrity opened the fridge and took a drink of water.

Bonafont has plans to send more of these mini refrigerators to other celebrities to keep the message going.

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by Steve Hall    May-31-11    
Topic: Social, Specialty