Jesus. It's like we just stepped back to 1999 when at Leo Burnett Technology Group we pumped out campaign after campaign touting the equity-building properties of a strong brand presence based on the four pillars of an account planner's wet dream: Vision, Mission, Essence and Position. Architecting the brand as it were.
It all usually netted in some self-important puffery akin to this new tagline from Esurance, "People when you want them. Technology when you don't." Sounds like a Peoplesoft tagline. Anyone remember them?
Anyway, the new campiagn is a play on technology versus people. There's a time for technology and there's a time for people. 1990's tagline aside, the campaign does a pretty good job illustrating that separation.
You can see it all here.
So...what is this World Cup-themed Lynx poster campaign trying to say? Soccer fans should be hot and female? A country's color should be incorporated into bra design? Having a thin waist and big boobs will guarantee you a slot in a Lynx ad? Soccer is somehow related to the crucifixion? Women with hot bodies but not-so-hot faces can be in Lynx ads too? Men only care about boobs?
Do tell, BBH UK.
The UK's Kindred agency has launched a new skin care commercial for the British Association of Dermatologists to raise awareness of issues that can lead to skin cancer. The ad begins as if it were a lingerie ad with lingering shots of a model clad in underwear who flits about as the camera follows her.
Accompanying this visual activity is a voice over which intones such nonsense about life being full of beauty, something about seeing the small child inside you and a load of other intelligible babble. Suddenly, the bullshit is cast aside, the model sits on the bead and says, "I don't know about all that but if you really want to look after your skin then this is all you need."
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This DDB Brussels-created ad for the Volkswagen Eos takes a look at umbrellas a little differently. Because when it come to another sort of umbrella, a convertible, closed is usually better than open.
On Thursday, May 27, the Academy of Art University held its Annual Spring Show where students from the school's disciplines display their work. Held in San Francisco, creativity blossomed from every corner of the galleries for fellow students, art aficionados and recruiters to view.
From graphic design to industrial design to fashion to fine art to multimedia communications to photography to advertising, much of the work was truly amazing and of professional caliber. Walking through the exhibits, it was clear the school was matriculating and graduating some serious talent that this industry would behoove itself to take a look at.
If you didn't have a chance to attend the Show and want to take a look at the talent, check out our photos from the event here.
Why go to Cannes when you can have your own Cannes Stooge? Why embarrass yourself by getting drunk and ending up on some guy's couch in the morning wearing just your bikini? Why subject yourself to all the buffoonery and pompous idiocy...when you can have someone else experience it all for you?
That's where Leo Burnett Creative Recruiter David Perez comes in. Burnett is sending Perez to Cannes from June 21 - 26 equipped with a webcam mounted on his glasses and the edict he must do whatever anyone tweets him to do.
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OK, this Leo Burnett Detroit-created 1:30 GMC-sponsored "stunt" video which celebrates tonight's NBA finals game is a minute longer than it needs to be. No one cares about the set up. All we want to see is the "stunt." So Texas-based Dude Perfect is at it again for GMC. This time, in an Action Figure-produced video, they make a 40 foot long distance shot to a hoop on a floating dock while cliff diving.
The Dude Perfect crew holds the world record for the world's longest distance basketball shot. Their previous video, "Plane shot," in which they successfully land a shot while riding in a moving plane, was featured during this week's third game of the NBA finals.
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Last month, Samsung launched a 3D commercial projection in the Netherlands on the historic Beurs van Berlage building in Amsterdam. Now, this "projection" can be seen on YouTube as a page takeover game. At first, it looks like a normal video of the projection is being.That is until the YouTube page cracks, butterflies start flying out of the projection, and the new Samsung 3D TV is presented.
MUSE Amsterdam created the work and Starcom is behind the media.
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In a moving and stirring new TBWA\Paris-created commercial, Amnesty International has eloquently stated its position on the death penalty and is urging the rest of us to see it their way. By metaphorically killing off the very things used to carry out the death penalty - the chair, the rifle, the noose, the saber - the cause group wants the 58 countries who still carry out the death penalty to join the 139 who don't.
Initially, TBWA Paris and director Pleix wanted to create the entire spot in camera, shooting real statues created out of wax. But in initial tests it was discovered that it was too difficult to shoot melting wax without it looking like stop-motion, so the film was almost completely done in CG except for a few live action elements.
No matter your stand on the issue, you have to admit the work is beautiful.
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Reacting to the outcry over an internal memo from Chevrolet's VP of Sales and Service Alan Batey and VP of Marketing Jim Campbell which instructed employees to stop using the word "Chevy" when referring to Chevrolet cars, GM, this morning, released a clarification that states the brand will not, in fact, urge people to discontinue the use of the word.
The intent of the memo, instead, was to aid the brand in its "move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes" in relation to its foray into global markets.
While we fully understand how important "managing the brand" can be, we do wonder what Batey was thinking while penning the memo. In any event, crisis averted. The full clarification release is below:
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Granted you'd be a bit more subtle than the guy in this Zinedine Zidane-style commercial for online gambling company Bet-at-home.com, but is a head butt really necessary? I mean come on! Can't we appreciate the finer things in life without getting slapped around? It's not like the guy jumped on top of her and had his way with her in the middle of the office.
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To hype the September release of her new fragrance, Outspoken, Fergie has gotten all dolled up for an ad campaign which will tout the scent. Of the launch, Fergie said, "From my music to my wardrobe, my style is all about speaking up and making a statement."
Of the fragrance itself, Fergie said, "Outspoken definitely turns heads, but it also lets your true personality shine through."
For those who care, the fragrance will consist of a mixture of jasmine, tuberose, passion flower, starfruit and...black leather? Eesh. That can't be good.
Earlier this week, Chevrolet's VP of Marketing Alan Batey sent a memo to Detroit employees instructing them to stop using the word "Chevy" to describe a Chevrolet. The car maker aims to promote uniformity and believes the word Chevy dilutes the Chevrolet brand.
Claiming it's all about consistency, the memo read, "When you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding. Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer."
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Today in little know facts, Canada's Rethink is out with new work for Science World that aims to dispel widely held beliefs that, according to the campaign, are a bit mythical. Did you know diamonds aren't that rare and that just 2 oz. of gold can be hammered flat to cover a 200 square foot billboard? Neither did we. Nor do we really care but if scientific trivia is your thing then Science World is for you.
- As only Jane Lynch can, the new iPhone gets hilarious spoof treatment.
- The Word of Mouth Marketing Association is offering a free webinar next Monday, June 14th at 11 am CDT to support its new Digital Social Media and Endorsement Policy template.
- For women, the world cup is an opportunity to see old friends.
- The IAB has announced its panel of judges for its IAB MIXX Awards 2010.Had they provided a link, we would have been happy to share the list with you.http://tinyurl.com/2ukobzr
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It's a tough job. Being and ad band rock star. But somebody's got to do it. We've seen plenty an ad band rockstar do their thing during Advertising Week here in the states but we're not the only ones who love to see out co-workers dress ridiculously, get onstage and perform as if they were KISS.
Nope. Canada's in on it too and to promote the upcoming Toronto AdBands competition on Thursday, June 16 beginning at 6:30PM at Revival Bar, the john st. agency and Radke Films director Craig Brownrigg have created this promotional video. In the video, we see the aftermath of an ad band rockstar's night out and the preparation he must go through as he makes his way to work the next day.
All of the proceeds from the event will go to The Tennyson Quance Foundation for Autism.
Watch out Toronto ad community. We might be there with camera in hand.
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Asking people to imagine what 3D would look like if only they would run out and buy a 3D enabled BRAVIA TV, Sony is out with a new ad in Europe that looks like a 3D movie...when you take the 3D glasses off. Yea, that's right. It's all dimensionally blurry and it makes you wonder if you're not drunk and seeing double. Or triple. Or quadruple. Oh my head!
To see what it's really supposed to look like, people will have to head to their local 3D-enabled Sony Style Store.
For now, the rest of us will have to get a headache.
This is sort of like the George Takei Oh My approach McGarryBowen used to sell ter Sharp AQUOs Quattron TV. You just sort of have to believe what you're being told.
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Well here's a simple one. Girls look hot wet. Guys don't. It's as simple as that. Well, at least that's what Lynx says.
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We don't do this often because you don't come here to read about who's advertising on Adrants. You come hear to read about who's doing great work and who's doing awful work in advertising. But, we're going to take a few minutes out and thank Adrants advertisers because, without them, there'd be no food to feed the interns and keep them appropriately clothed in their required work attire.
So let's get to it. Most recently, a "mysterious" advertiser is running some mysterious creati ve that points to a mysterious site which aims, we think, to aid people in creating better websites.
Alcatel is running a campaign which introduces Optism, a services that promise to make mobile SMS and MMS ad buying a simple process.
The Art Directors Club has a continuing campaign called Show and Tell which features prominent creatives sharing their expertise and offering tips with a YouTube page.
And in May, Criteo told us about its ROI-boosting retargeting system.
So a big thanks to those and the many more who've, well, dared to advertise on Adrants.
As if there weren't a care in the world regarding the world's resources some say are limited, Volkwagen Canada, with help from Toronto-based Red Urban and Montreal-based Palm + Havas, wants us all to hop in our cars and take an aimless Sunday drive.
Explaining the campaign, Volkswagen Canada Marketing and Communications Director Bruce Rosen said, "The Sunday Drive campaign re-ignites the emotional connection with the Volkswagen Brand. The new Golf Family epitomizes all the best characteristics of the Volkswagen Brand, including sleek European styling, proven affordable German engineering, eco-friendly technologies, and that they are really fun to drive. As a result of the new Golf winning 2009 World Car of the Year and the new Golf GTI winning 2010 Canadian Car of the Year, deliveries of the new Golf Family are up 165% so far over last year's pace. We wanted a marketing campaign that would live up to reputation of these cars and to the Brand, and fuel our continued sales momentum."
*pause to come up for air*
If anything, that litany should get some sort of award for cramming the most blatherfic bullshit into a single statement. Kudos to the PR person who stuck the words in Rosen's mouth.
See the new commercials here and here or below.
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This Saatchi & Saatchi Romania-created campaign for skin irritation relief product Fentsil Gel confuses. When one thinks of a product that alleviates itching and burning, one usually conjures images of the product that does just that rather than what we see in this campaign.
To illustrate relief from bug bites, we see a person completely covered by bugs. To illustrate relief from a cat scratch, we see a woman covered in cats. To illustrate relief from a rose bush prick, we see a boy entangled in a rose bush. To illustrate relief from a burn, we see a guy covered with burning matches.
Um, huh?
Yea, we get the juxtaposed visual alliteration coming from the tube of Fentsil but still, it just seems a bit off. Hmm. Must be a European thing.
When you think of affiliate marketing, do you think of a 22 year old guy sitting around his house with his mother in the background nagging him to clean his room? Some think that's the case more often than not causing one to ask, "can you count on your affiliate network to be there when you need them?"
That's the question posed by affiliate.com in this video that has the aforementioned 22 year old guy sitting around his house blowing off customer calls and focusing on the only this that really matters to him: the money he just received from his advertisers and the amount of partying that check will fund.
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Known as "a bitter response to the self-congratulating, glad-handing, marblebag-wearing, Dom-swilling, bronzer-slathered soirees that fester up on the beach in Cannes," the other awards show, Wrath of Cannes, is back for its fourth year of ad mayhem.
This year, the event will focus on content or Cannes-tent as they would like it to be known. To enter, you must be a junior level creative (2 years experience or less). There's no call for entry, no paper work and no entry fee. Just bring your Cannes-tent on a thumb drive, or other removable media by 8pm the night of the show. Entries will be judged in real-time, and The Grand Coney will be awarded at the end of the night.
The event takes place Wednesday, June 23 at 7PM EST at Kabin located at 92 2nd Ave between 5th and 6th.
From the Partnership or a Drug-Free America comes this Vigilante-created anti-drug TV campaign for the group's Above the Influence effort. It's aimed at African America teens and we think it hits the mark perfectly. Coming at the issue from three different angles, the campaign addresses typical teen truisms.
From the classic "where was your brain when you did this" to the "I'm the hippest kid in school because I lead and never follow" to "making the right decision begets positive reward," the campaign succeeds by finding multiple entry points that allow the campaign to appeal to differing mindsets.
AdFreak has the the spots here, here and here.
Crispin Porter + Bogusky is out with a great new PSA which features Alex Bogusky breaking down all the crap surrounding global warming and simplifying it into easy to understand terms. In this two minute video, Bogusky likens "global warming" to pollution and the famed crying Indian ad that addressed that problem back in the sixties and seventies.
The simple message was and is "pollution is bad, clean is good." He argues it should be the same with the global warming issue. Carbon in the air is bad. Less of it is good. Focus on the problem. Solve the problem. And leave the scientific and political blather out of the room.
Kudos to Bogusky for delivering a clear and concise message that makes it much easier for people to understand what it is they should do without extended and pointless debate.
Just pick up the box.
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