Got 7 Minutes to Blow on a Cigar Ad?

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Neither do we. But this one -- for CAO Cigars -- has subtitles and guys that could be samurais in down season. That is, if you go by the clothes and otherwise fail to observe that they bitch about smoking all day and sleep sitting up.

The spot has something to do with CAO guys fighting a smoking ban so they can attend Chicago's Big Smoke in April.

Whenever you're finished trying to laugh at that, see Hitler Gets Banned for some quality subtitled commercial appropriation.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-26-08    
Topic: Bad, Events, Online, Video



'Moment of Truth' Hits Moment of Idiotic Ridiculousness

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Has anyone watched FOX's The Moment of Truth? Well, of course you have. You and 20 million others. It's a good show for sure but is anyone else getting sick of the continued over hype and warnings from host Mark Walberg that, OMFG, some of these truths might be, OMFG, too hard for people to take? WTF? It's the entire point of the show! To continually hype it as if no one's smart enough to know exactly what's going on is degrading to people's intelligence.

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by Steve Hall    Feb-26-08    
Topic: Bad, Good, Opinion, Television



Renault Espace Ad Spawns More WTFness

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Oh. OK. Now we get it. The Renault Espace is soooooooooooooooo spacious it takes 70 years to to climb into it and enjoy all it has to offer before exiting. WTF? So, in 70 years we are to believe the car hasn't changed at all from exposure to the elements? The trees haven't grown at all? The condition of the road hasn't changed?

Please. Tell us we are completely misunderstanding this commercial and there's a joke we aren't getting because if we have it right, it's one of the lamest ads we've ever seen. Unless, of course, it's local Italian (where the ad cam from) humor escapes our admittedly lame, very unworldly American sensibilities.

by Steve Hall    Feb-26-08    
Topic: Bad, Commercials, Strange



No Nice!: Genuine Guerrilla.

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To a fault, even. More here and here.

We've got no idea what No Nice! is. But based on the occasional martini accompanying the brand, we figure -- hope, at least -- it can get you drunk.

The, uh, campaign went down in Rome, Milan and Turin, Italy. The brand: No Nice. The "branded" vehicles: dirty cars parked on the streets.

Weeeeak.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-25-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Guerilla, Strange



Condom Maker Portrays Women As Sex Receptacles

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OK, so.....are we to believe that Beate Uhse condoms are so good (or is it bad?) they can help a guy last so long he'd get bored of all that intense thrusting and just start playing games of Sudoku or connect-the-dots on the stomach or back of his sex receptacle? And yea, if all the guy is doing is pounding into the girl while playing games on her then, yes, she is being treated as a sex receptacle. So are we also to believe Beate Uhse thinks that's all women are good for? WTF?

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by Steve Hall    Feb-25-08    
Topic: Bad, Campaigns, Racy



Obama Girl Gets Sweaty For Certain Dri Deodorant

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WTF? It seems playing Obama Girl isn't the only thing the lovely Amber Lee Ettinger does. Although it's clear she's a much better Obama Girl than a deodorant spokesmodel. Damn, that was the most unsexy spots we've ever see, Amber Lee, please, stick to Obama Girl. Oh wait, you mean Certain Dri pays you? Alright, we suppose that's OK then.

by Steve Hall    Feb-25-08    
Topic: Bad, Celebrity, Commercials



Tom Ford Squeezes Nuts. Accomplishes Nothing

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Copyranter loves (hates) Tom Ford ads. We do too. Sort of like the idiocy of Dolce and Gabanna ads, Tom Ford insist on foisting oddly sexual (but not really) imagery upon us in an effort to get us to somehow believe using his products will make our lives better. If getting our nuts violently grabbed by a naked woman with an expression that could kill is his idea of persuasion, it's doing a great job making us run in an entirely opposite direction.

by Steve Hall    Feb-22-08    
Topic: Bad, Magazine, Racy



Because a Clinton Doesn't Go Down without a Fight!

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To win the youth vote Obama stole like a thief in the night, Hillary further strains our suspension of disbelief with "the playlist for YOUR future."

It's a UGC support site! (We like how when you mouse over the videos, the bottom right-hand corner says "Posted by Americans!")

Does Hillary speak for you?

by Angela Natividad    Feb-21-08    
Topic: Bad, Campaigns, Consumer Created, Online, Political



Kraft Preys on Office Angst to Promote TASSIMO Hot Beverage System

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Say hello to Who Hired Bob, a go-to hub for contrived office-centric web drama, created by Ogilvy Entertainment for Kraft's TASSIMO.

It's not funny. But Who Hired Bob does two interesting things:

1) It offers a $20 rebate on a TASSIMO hot beverage machine in exchange for your email address, and
2) It does that "choose your own adventure" thing at the end of each webisode, which we've already professed to like a lot.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-21-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Campaigns, Online



Sound of Color Habitat Fails to Work Up a Crowd

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We mentioned recently that we thought Gap's Sound of Color effort was really cool. In response to our call for news and pictures of how Gap is promoting Sound of Color at stores, Adrants reader Chris sent us the following email:

"I walked passed the GAP store on 5th Avenue in NYC this evening and it appears they have set up a Pop Up Store of some sort to promote the Sound of Color promotion. However, when I walked by it was completely empty except for a DJ and a lone employee."

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-20-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Campaigns, Outdoor, Promotions