Gretchen Bleilor Outshines Lamar Odom in Conceptually Similar Ads

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There's graceful. And then there's crass. Graceful is sending Gretchen Bleiler into space to the tune of Lou Reed' Perfect Day. Crass is sending Lamar Odom into space as if he were in an episode of flash Gordon.

Grace is illustrating an athlete's desire to continuously reach new heights. Crass is minimizing those desires to the notion a candy bar is the sole reason an athlete can reach new heights.

Grace is creating a commercial that is uplifting and beautiful. Crass is creating a commercial that is silly and stupid.

by Steve Hall    Feb-23-10    
Topic: Bad, Celebrity, Creative Commentary, Good, Opinion



Scope Flashmobs Ryan Seacrest and His Mother

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So when you're Ryan Seacrest and you're trying to enjoy a peaceful Valentine's Day with your mother, things don't always go as planned. Nope. The pair were flashmobbed by Scope while they were having lunch in LA last Thursday.

Lame.

by Steve Hall    Feb-15-10    
Topic: Bad, Celebrity



Apple Introduces New Feminine Protection Product: The iPad

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According to an explosion of tweets following Steve Jobs' announcement of the iPad, the device's new name isn't going over so well:

- For now the iPad's really exciting, but wait until they release the iTampon - PhloxLombardi

- iPad: You only need to plug it in once a month - DieLaughing

- Wow - its the iPad. Wonder if it comes in 2 sizes (maxi and mini) - donthorson

- I guess it's Apple's "time of the month" - mcafiero

- The Apple iPad: for all your heavy (work) flow days - ch33rs

- Our little iPod has hit womanhood - cubanalaf

- To recap: the iPad will come with an iRag (to keep it clean) + some iBruprofen (to keep it working smoothly) + iWings (protection plan) - fourchickens

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by Steve Hall    Jan-27-10    
Topic: Bad, Brands



Dear E*Trade, Your Babies Are Getting Tired

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Yes, the E*Trade babies are back. Well, it's a different baby this year because, you know, babies grow and last year's baby isn't a baby anymore. Two new ads will debut during two NFL playoff games on Saturday, January 16 -- the first during the NFC divisional playoffs on FOX at 4:30pm ET, and the second during the AFC divisional playoff game on CBS at 8:00pm ET. A third "Talking Baby" advertisement will debut on CBS during Super Bowl at approximately 6:28pm ET.

You can check out the two commercials here. Sadly, there's nothing special about these commercials. The shtick is getting old. Even the babies "shocked face" is lame. The creators could of as leave had a little more fun morphing the little guys face into something that actually resembled shock. Hopefully, the Super Bowl version of this campaign is an improvement.

by Steve Hall    Jan-15-10    
Topic: Bad, Commercials, Super Bowl 2010



Die Hard Powers Reggie Watts

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Back in the day, DieHard commercials used to go to great lengths to illustrate how long their batteries lasted. In one such illustration, they left a car frozen on a lake to see if it would start. In a more recent commercial from Y&R Chicago intended to reach a younger audience, we see beat boxer Reggie Watts powered by the Die Hard Platinum battery perform for a bit. The battery powering Watts and all his equipment then starts a car.

Given that the only real power Watts is using here is for a few lights and a small, tabletop amplifier, the spot feels weak and doesn't really illustrate the staying power of the battery very well.

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by Steve Hall    Jan-14-10    
Topic: Bad, Celebrity, Commercials



Seriously? Boston Still Thinks the Yankees Suck?

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If you're a Red Sox fan, you might like this three-spot spec campaign. Or, after viewing, you might not want to admit you're a Red Sox fan since all this campaign does is paint you a sore loser. You did beat the curse a few years ago, after all. Lighten up.

by Steve Hall    Jan-14-10    
Topic: Bad, Spoofs, Strange



Social Media is Not Broadcast Media

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Oh how persnickety people can get online. Once again it's a cause group and once again it's "mommy bloggers." Today PETA mass-tweeted "Never-b4-seen photos that will convince parents never 2 take their kids 2 the circus: http://bit.ly/7ha9NL" to over 150 Twitter users according to Allie Sullivan who watched the drama unfold this morning. The tweet linked to a site on which photos depicted the training of baby elephants for Ringling Bros. Circus

Without surprise, the mass tweet was met with a bit of vitriol such as "@officialpeta fuck you I hate PETA and always have" from @JessicaGottlieb. But it was also met with what, in the first place, PETA should have, if you're a social media believer, been going for: a conversation. Luckily, one did start between the cause group and Lucretia Pruitt. And by all accounts it ended pleasantly.

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by Steve Hall    Dec-16-09    
Topic: Bad, Opinion, Social



Cult Raw Energy Drinkers Are Belligerent Idiots

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Well now here's an interesting way to position your brand. While most brands work towards positioning themselves as clean cut, rosy entities, Cult Raw Energy wants none of that. It wants you to know the people who buy their product are belligerent car jackers who can't drive, grope women in public, rob convenience stores, deface property, pick fights, steal guns and get arrested.

Hey, not all brands can teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. So, yea. Positioning your customers is an idiot when all else fails.

Oh and FYI. There's briefly exposed boobs in this commercial so watch with caution.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 2-09    
Topic: Bad, Commercials, Creative Commentary



If Honda's Choir Sung With Helium...

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Back in 2006, Wieden + Kennedy created a Honda Civic commercial which had a choir provide the sounds for the car in the ad. It was an amazing feat. Not as amazing as the Honda Cog commercial but much more amazing than this knock off for the Alfa Romeo Mito which is being seeded as a viral.

It's not very funny which is sad becasue everything that involves helium should be funny. Sadly, the singers in this commercials look like Alvin and the Chipmunks in church.

by Steve Hall    Nov-20-09    
Topic: Bad, Video, Viral



Misdirected Barter Finds ad:tech in a Pickle Barrel

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Lest anyone accuse us of ignoring negative publicity about a company we're in bed with (which we very much are when it comes to ad:tech), it's our duty to let you know about a little pay for play snafu ad:tech found itself in when it offered "key influencers" free or discounted access to its New York conference in exchange for three pieces of media coverage. The media coverage could take the form of a blog post, a Tweet or a mention on Facebook.

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by Steve Hall    Oct-19-09    
Topic: Bad, Industry Events, Promotions, Social