'Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis' Brings Garish Colors Out in Soccer Match

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Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, a movie that plays on southern French stereotypes about northerners (the "Ch'tis"), beat France's beloved La Grande Vadrouille record at the box office with over 17 million views, according to Gael Clouzard of Influencia.net.

Those that don't know what it means to be a Ch'ti got a quick education at a soccer match involving northerner team Lens, when a group unrolled a banner reading "Pedophiles, unemployed and inbred, bienvenue chez les Ch'tis."

Ohhh. So being a Ch'ti is kinda like being a redneck on South Park. Got it.

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by Angela Natividad    Apr- 7-08    
Topic: Bad, Consumer Created, Outdoor, Trends and Culture, Video



Male VIA Creatives Model Maidenform Backless Bra

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Oh. My. God. Sometimes there are things you just shouldn't see. After writing about VIA's work for Maidenform's new backless bra, we were promised photos of VIA chief creative officer and creative director modeling the product. Well, we got more than that. We got a room full of male VIS creatives mid-concepting session wearing the backless bra and, well, you really don't want to see these pictures.

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by Steve Hall    Apr- 7-08    
Topic: Agencies, Bad, Good, Racy, Strange



Cash Sweepstakes Promotes Fantasy Stock Speculation

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Tomorrow The Street relaunches its Beat the Street stock game, which is essentially fantasy stocks with prize money. The game is geared to Wall Street newbs that want to learn how to "navigate the stock market and make strong trading picks."

Any one person can win $5K/week, up to $60,000. The game lasts 12 weeks.

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by Angela Natividad    Apr- 3-08    
Topic: Bad, Games, Online, Promotions



Apple Sued for Failing to Deliver on 'Millions of Colors'

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Apple's getting sued because the marketing material for its new iMac desktop monitor promises people "millions of colours." In actuality, the 20in version only displays 262,144. Those bastards!

(For the record, the iMac 24in screen does display millions of colours. 16.7 million, to be exact, 9.7 million of which human beings apparently can't even see.)

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by Angela Natividad    Apr- 2-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Packaging



That's a Saturn, All Right.

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If you watch any TV at all, you've probably seen that Saturn ad where a bunch of people go "That's a Saturn...?" and then "That's a Saturn?" and then (with contempt!) "That's not a Saturn!" followed by the admiring "That's a Saturn, all right!"

This campaign tack was taken to encourage new buyers to see Saturn with fresh eyes. But apparently the ad can also be used to reaffirm old beliefs.

Oops.

by Angela Natividad    Mar-31-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Commercials, Television



T-Mobile Asks Engadget Mobile to Stop Using Magenta

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In yet another display of corporate legal idiocy, T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom sent a letter to Weblogs, Inc.'s Engadget Mobile asking them to stop using the color magenta in their logo. The letter states T-Mobile uses the color magenta in its logo and, as a result, people might somehow become confused as to what T-Mobile does and what Engadget Mobile does.

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by Steve Hall    Mar-31-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Policy, Strange



Russian Mail Order Brides Need No 'Evolution'

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The mail order bride thing is questionable at best but this new commercial for loveme.com which spoofs Dove's Evolution and claims Russian women need no retouching spoofs the original perfectly. Rather than the woman in the video getting retouched, it's her surroundings that need help rising to her level of beauty; "proving" the existence of natural beauty.

You could attack the morality of this from a million different angles but we're (damn it's really hard to stop doing this "we" shit) going to appreciate it for its stand-alone beauty, just like the commercial asks us to focus on beauty as the sole quality a woman has to offer a man who can't get a date for himself.

by Steve Hall    Mar-31-08    
Topic: Bad, Commercials, Good



'Hazard Lane' is the Reason Why You're Going into Foreclosure. Seriously.

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This is a game called Hazard Lane. It was put together by TAMBA for Landmark Information Group. (We like how the title tag says "Landmark Information Group Presents 'Fair Game'" when "Hazard Lane" is emblazoned in green across the top of the page. Somebody must've missed an email.)

The object of the game is to buy expensive property by propelling real estate agents out of a car. And just for kicks, you have to avoid environmental hazards.

We don't get it. In fact, we think it's the lamest thing we've ever seen. And because TAMBA had the gall to try disseminating it anyway, we're going to use it as the scapegoat for the mortgage crisis.

by Angela Natividad    Mar-26-08    
Topic: Bad, Games, Online



So, Uh, About that Rape Thing.

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Yeah, that was kind of a stretch.

Here's what happened. Some tipster emailed us sounding off all offended about rape connotations in an ad on Wienerschnitzel's homepage. So we looked and saw this shit with the hungry Eskimos, and we were like, "Okay, whatever. We can kinda see the creepy rape angle."

The dude emailed us again today and said the spot on the site had been changed, which is why the whole Eskimo thing jived so badly with rape. Apparently the previous ad featured a wiener being harassed in an office setting, after which an HR woman says, "you asked for it."

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by Angela Natividad    Mar-26-08    
Topic: Bad, Commercials, Opinion, Television



Rape is Funny When It's Happening to Hot Dogs ... Right?

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... in the world according to Wienerschnitzel. (Push play on the right-hand side.)

Well, maybe the vibe is less like rape and more like cannibalism. Either way, it's malicious and creepy.

To demonstrate the irresistibility of its wieners, Wienerschnitzel's running an ad where a talking hot dog tries convincing Eskimos to move beyond an all-blubber diet. Horrors ensue when they look to him for comfort.

Neither funny nor appetizing.

by Angela Natividad    Mar-25-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Commercials, Television