A week or so ago, Microsoft debuted a xBox Kinect spot. And apparently all that hand waving has moved beyond simple game play. Now musicians are using the technology as well as doctors and bomb squads. But one commenter summed up the work interestingly, writing, "Thanks goodness! I've been waiting for something to replace the cello for years! Now here it is... electronic air cello. Seriously though, why doesn't anyone consider whether or not these types of ends are valuable? It seems like all we do anymore is make fancy crap to replace things we already had ... just new consumer products, making old things (that were perfectly fine i.e. the cello) obsolete for the sake of selling the new thing."
Welcome to the capitalistic world of marketing my friend. Where consumer needs aren't always at the top of the list.
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In an effort highlight its "celebrated brand philosophy of understanding the individual flyer," American Airlines tapped Kevin Spacey to play three roles as well as himself in a new commercial. In the UK ad we see three different versions of Kevin getting ready for a flight. Once the Kevins arrive at the airport, Kevin provides a voice over that touches upon the importance of understanding everyone is an individual, a notion Spacey says every good actor understands but, unfortunately, not every airline...except, of course, American Airlines.
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So how do you make a car ad that shows how fast the vehicle goes without paying big bucks for a stunt driver, track fees and all the rest of the cost that goes along with all those winding mountain road spots? You use 3D models of course. And that's exactly what BBDO Toronto did for Mercedes-Benz. The agency worked with Newad and Instil Productions to create 3D models of a motion blurred fire hydrant, parking sign, mailbox, sidewalk, wall and billboard. They then simp,y parked the Mercedes-Benz 2012 C-Class Coupe in front of it all. Not a bad idea.
It would seem VolkswagenUK would like us to believe it's new 35th anniversary Golf GTI has suddenly been given Back to the Future-like time travel capabilities. During a "press conference" the new vehicle is introduced. Test drivers then emerge and take the car for a spin only to disappear leaving flaming tire tracks.
We are then invited to check out the brand's Facebook page where we can view videos of the time traveling GTI which appears at various times in Volkswagen's history including at Volkswagen's German headquarters at Wolfsburg in 1976. Check it all out here.
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Well here's a pleasant one as we ease our way back into the work week. A new Serve Marketing-created campaign from the City of Milwaukee Health Department would like people to know it's dangerous to sleep with your baby. The campaign, which uses the imagery of a baby sleeping with a knife, urges parents to make sure their baby sleeps on its back in a crib and offers a number to call if the parent can't afford a crib. See the second ad here.
If you're into Japanese sub-cultures you might like this new MINI video that highlights Dekotora Trucks, trucks that have been decorated with all manner of lighting, graphics and murals. It's first in a series called All the Wrong Places from Amsterdam-based BSUR and is a partnership between MINI and Vice. Host Elliott Bambrough is accompanied by co-pilot Maggie Stoody and the pair set out to explore the history of Dekotora.
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In the self-generated controversy category this morning we have a new campaign from lingerie outlet The Lake and Stars which features a mother and daughter posing together while modeling lingerie. The "controversy" centers on the likelihood of a mother and daughter hanging out together while clad in lingerie.
Defending the campaign, The Lake and Stars designer Maayan Zilberman said, "A lot of the themes that we're dealing with are about psychology between women as they're growing up and dealing with family politics or women in the workplace. There's no shock value here. We're not trying to make people feel uncomfortable in order to provoke dialogue. We're just trying to confront some of these issues that I think people aren't really talking about so much."
Call us crazy but is there really a need to start a dialog about mothers and daughters hanging out together while wearing lingerie? Of course not. This is yet another attempt by a fashion brand to "shock" and "surprise." Excuse us while we doze off for a short nap.
