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FiestaMovement Babe Pimps Plastic Surgery Channel

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Not even close to needing a boob job herself, as clearly indicated in this video, FiestaMovement YouTube babe Jill Hanner is pimping the Plastic Surgery channel and her new gig as their new celebrity news babe.

Hooking up with a YouTube "celebrity" isn't really a new thing. This one just seems, well, appropriate in a twisted, opposites attract sort of way.

by Steve Hall    Jul- 3-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Social, Video

Advertising Has Removed Music's Soul

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There was once a day - or at least it feels like there was - when music had deep meaning. It was very personal and, depending upon the artist or the song, could immediately transform your emotional state, cause you to ponder your worth in the world or simply celebrate the beauty of life and the moments you cherish with the one you love.

There once was a day artists - musical or otherwise - wouldn't dream of allowing their work to be used in any form of commerce other than that of selling their own work. But over the past ten years or so, music and all things pop culture seem to have become one with commerce. Almost by definition, performers (not necessarily musicians in every case) like Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Beyonce, M83, Dr. Dre, Kid Rock, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Kylie Minogue, Madonna and, yes, the Beatles must have an element of commerce in their portfolio.

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by Steve Hall    Jul- 3-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Bad, Opinion

Choreographed Printers Hype HP Workstations

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OK so somebody did the synchronized thing with computer monitors. Who would have thought anyone would have done the same with the lowly printer. Well, Matt Robinson and Tom Wigglesworth did and they won a D&AD Student Award for it.

We're thinking without the musical background added, the sound of all those printers making all those weird noises they always do when printing would be deafening.

We like the work. It's worth a look.

The only thing that's a bit unclear? The work is actually for HP Workstations and not the printers.

by Steve Hall    Jul- 2-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Good, Industry Events, Video

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Tight Blue Jump Suits Sell Beer

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So Bavaria is a beer. They have a racing team. They have the Zo factor. And they have hot women in tight blue jumpsuits who prance around a website and in YouTube videos.

As always, somehow this sells beer.

by Steve Hall    Jul- 2-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Online, Racy

Evian's Breakdancing Babies Put eTrade's Wise Ass Babies to Shame

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Step aside wise-crackin' eTrade babies. There's a new posse in town and they don't live their life behind a keyboard. Nope. They drink Evian and they rock out some serious rollerblade-style breakdancing.

This BETC Euro RSCG-created commercial is most certainly Super Bowl quality. It's got all the right ingredients. Babies, retro music and physical stunts. Not to mention a message that makes sense.

While it's formulaic (babies getting digitally manipulated), it's a musing. And it's fun. And, besides, it's way better than the original dancing baby.

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by Steve Hall    Jul- 2-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Best, Commercials

1-800 Flowers Intern Wins Killed Ideas Book

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Remember that contest we held last week? Of course you don't so we'll tell you about it again. Those who correctly guessed the color of the bikini the girl sleeping on the couch at Cannes had on (green), would be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Killed Ideas, a blurb-produced book highlighting fifty ideas that were never produced.

Now that you're all up to speed, we're pleased to announce Ryan Kiernan, a brand communications intern at 1-800 Flowers won the drawing. We;ll be sending him a copy of Killed Ideas soon

by Steve Hall    Jul- 2-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Announcements, Publishing

'Drinkspiration' iPhone App Gets Absolut's Fetch Back

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Oh we really, really like this. Absolut has launched Drinkspiration, an iPhone app which makes drink suggestions based on mood, location, time of day, weather, liquor type (yes, they don't just limit it to vodka), drink color, shape of glass, type of venue and a whole lot more. You'll never order the same boring drink again.

Every drink the app suggests comes with a recipe so if you want something a bit too exotic for your neighborhood bartender, you can tell her how to make it.

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by Steve Hall    Jul- 2-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Good, Mobile/Wireless, Opinion, Tools

Tanqueray Causes Verbal Diarrhea

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So Tanqueray is out with a new W + K Amsterdam-created campaign that includes TV and outdoor and in the TV spots we see just how much goes into Tanqueray and and how all that muchness translates into the making of really good cocktails that cause tickle fights in the mouth of a man meeting an ex-girlfriend in Paris along with other friends who are too cool to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa or the Art du Triumph (or however you spell that) and how that's all about resisting the simple because, well, they drank Tangueray which, for some reason, caused them to appear in a commercial that's actually quite beautiful but just can't stop talking about how the ingredients in Tanqueray change people's behaviors like the guy who sneaks his way backstage and causes reviewers of advertising to write the world's longest run on sentence just to further define the essence of the campiagn so everyone can fully understand it so that when they go to the liquor store for gin their only choice will be Tanqueray and the only thing they'll do after drinking Tanqueray is fly to Paris and not visit the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa or the Art du Triumph and, oops, we already said that but we're running out of things to say about this commercial except to note that if they did a :60 of this commercial, we'd need to continue this article over at AdFreak, AgencySpy or Adland because we'd run out of space but oh wait that's stupid because you can't run out of space online because, well, it's not like offline media which has finite printed space but that no one reads anyway because old media is dying and new new media is where it's at which makes this entire statement moot so here we are back talking about that Tanqueray commercial that has such amazing ingredients that it makes people do strange things like visit Paris and not visit the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa or the Art du Triumph and, oops, we already said that but we're running out of things to say about this commercial except to note that...it's time to shut the fuck up about this fucking commercial.

by Steve Hall    Jul- 2-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Creative Commentary, Outdoor

Newsflash! Bob Garfield Asks Adrants to Cover His New Book

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Bob Garfield has never had kind words for what we do here at Adrants. And we've rarely had kind words for what the man does over at Advertising Age. But, he's been around forever and he deserves our respect. And he's going to get.

We're going to kindly mention he's out with his long-awaited new book, The Chaos Scenario. It's an expanded version of several essays he wrote a few decades ago (OK, years) about how the drastic changes in the media landscape are killing advertising as we know it. Or at least that's what everyone says it's about. We haven't read the thing yet.

The book will be out on Kindle in July and will release August 3 as a paperback. What, Bob, no hard cover?

Like Howard Stern used to intone "permanent record" as part of a shtick, Garfield, on the promotional site, intones, "The Powers That Be" as he refers to the shifting changes occurring with mass media.

So, like a dutiful advertising media outlet, we urge you to check out Bob's book and his website. We're sure you'll hurry back and let us know what you think.

by Steve Hall    Jul- 1-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Publishing

Are We There Yet?

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So why is that non-U.S. based commercials are so much better/stranger/odder/funnier/quirkier? Hmm...oh yea. It's because they're "foreign." And there's that whole different culture thing. The altered sense of humor. Reference points are different. The environment is different. The language is different.

Or. Maybe they just make better commercials than we do. Or weirder ones.

This one's from DDB Stockholm and it's for McDonald's.

by Steve Hall    Jul- 1-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Commercials, Good

Caribou Coffee Launches...Wait For It...A Facebook Application!

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As if there aren't already enough pointlessly stupid Facebook applications already, Colle McVoy has launched yet another one for its client, Caribou Coffee. It's called Wild It Up (screenshots) and it lets you...yea..."wild up" any photo by adding goofy clip art.

So what's the point of it all? Supposedly, it will get people to try Caribou's eight new Wild Cooler drinks. And it just might work because all people have to do is print their wild'd up image and present it at any Caribou Coffee for a free drink.

Hmm. Sounds like a simple coupon would have been much easier and cheaper. Oh, OK, coupons are terribly boring and everyone just throws them away. So, yea, Facebook app!!!

by Steve Hall    Jul- 1-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Social

Seriously. Flying Really Is This Metaphysical

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If flying was actually this metaphysical, mundane details such as legroom and baggage check fees would be irrelevant. But, it's not and that's why this new work for Swiss Air leaves us with a big, "Huh?"

Created by Publicis Zurich, written and directed (and voiced) by Marc Forster ("Quantum of Solace," "Finding Neverland," "Monster's Ball") and edited by Cut + Run, the spot aims to describe "modern day travel via air.

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by Steve Hall    Jul- 1-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Commercials, Creative Commentary, Strange

Nike Supports Local Community With 'Back Your Block'

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Getting all power of the human spirit on us, Nike is out with Back Your Block, a $650,000 grant program developed to support local communities and schools and to "unlock the potential of young people through programs that focus on sport."

Social marketing (formerly youth marketing..but, ya know, they jumped on the bus just like everyone else) agency Mr. Youth, created the campaign website, a promotional video, blog outreach and activated an army of 250 Task Force influencers to pimp the effort buzz marketing-style.

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by Steve Hall    Jul- 1-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Cause, Social, Video, Word of Mouth

De Clerck Admonishes Advertisers to 'Listen, Listen, Listen'

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One of the most interesting people I met at Cannes last week was Herve De Clerck, who runs Ad Forum and Act Responsible.

In this video he talks about how Ad Forum operates, and in great length about Act Responsible -- its humble roots out of the ashes of 9/11, and how it's pushing to do two interesting things:

o Encourage the advertising industry to contribute its talent to social and environmental causes

o Promote the work of those that do

"Every year we gather the work for social and environmental issues ... and every year, we put on an exhibition," he said. The exhibition was held with support from DraftFCB, on a sunny terrace alongside the Palais, where you could grab a coffee, check out the beach and stroll at leisure through a wide-open gallery of interactive and print-based cause work from around the world.

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by Angela Natividad    Jul- 1-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Cause, Events, Industry Events, Trends and Culture, Video

Don't Mess With Mom at Checkout

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Yea, we know moms (yes, we are making that assumption) can sometimes get violent at the checkout counter but these two women take violence to a new level in this Mountain Dew Level Up or Die spot for the brand's Game Fuel.

The work was created by BBDO New York with visual effects from Zoic Studios.

by Steve Hall    Jun-30-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Commercials, Good

Westwood Polishes Collars Up Pretty for Corporate Cogdom

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Here's a pair of ads for Westwood College, one of those vocational schools where you can get a degree in three years and start your career!

These are more engaging than potshots of nurses taking blood pressure while degree options scroll by. They're a little more casual, and the focus is on the various mundane personalities (and costumes) you take on as you move from dead-end job to CAREER!

And when we say CAREER!, we mean a desk somewhere, which, Westwood fails to mention, is often infinitely less stellar than singing happy birthday songs at TGI Friday's.

Work by Cactus/Denver.

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by Angela Natividad    Jun-30-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Television

Got An iPhone? Like to Save Money? Hate Coupons? Get Yowza

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A new iPhone app, Yowza, developed by Heroes Matt Parkman character Greg Grunberg and powered by Sysco's relationship with 400,000 retail customers will make saving money a lot easier and a lot less cluttered.

Rather than fooling with a stack of coupons at checkout, those with an iPhone (or iTouch) simply show a digital coupon and the savings is automatically deducted from the purchase price.

Retailers that have already signed with Yowza!! include Sears, McDonald's, Finish Line, ESPN Zone, The Container Store, Islands Restaurant, Sports Authority, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, Pier 1 Imports, REI, Saks Fifth Avenue, Regency Shopping Centers, California Pizza Kitchen, American Golf Corporation, Cavallo Point Lodge, Marmalade Café, Traditional Jewelers, American Car Movers, Aveda Salon/Spa, Inner You Pilates, JRK Hotel Group, Cheeseburger Restaurants, Kiehl's, Midway Car Rental, Santana Row Shopping Center, Seaton, Jill Roberts and many others.

Yet another blow to the Sunday newspaper.

by Steve Hall    Jun-30-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     

Honda Puts Internet to Sleep With Impossible Dream Documentary

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Honda is out with a seriously yawn-inducing addition to its Dream the Impossible Dream documentary series called Dreams vs. Nightmares. In the video, regular people and famous people (Clive Barker and Deepak Chopra) talk about how their dreams and nightmares affect their lives and their work.

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by Steve Hall    Jun-30-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Bad, Brands, Video

Agency Diversifies With Stake in Narragansett Beer

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OK so we trashed Gyro Worldwide for changing their name to Quaker City Mercentile but the agency is definitely onto something. We all know the ad industry is in a serious state of crash and burn. Spending is down. Layoffs are up. Agencies are dying.

What do smart investment advisers always tell you? Diversify. Yes, diversify. Don't put all your eggs in one basket and that's just what QCM is doing. It's got a series of books. It's produced films. It has a brand of rum, Sailor Jerry. And now the agency has taken a major stake in New England's Narragansett Brewery. Yup. The agency is making beer now.

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by Steve Hall    Jun-30-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Agencies, Brands

Diddy Lied to Us. Taco Bell Sets Record Straight.

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Chris Applebaum is probably best known for the videos he's done for extra-extra artists like Britney Spears and Rihanna. In "It's All about the Roosevelts," he slums it up for Taco Bell, but doesn't stray too far from his trashy pop roots.

The statement "It's All about the Roosevelts" riffs off Diddy's "It's All About the Benjamins," a track from a year we're too embarrassed to look back on and that plays on Benjamin Franklin's appearance on the $100 bill. NOTE: The music is all original.*

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by Angela Natividad    Jun-30-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Online, Video

Someone Just Poured A Beer on Our Head!

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Whoa. It's Tuesday morning. We love beer and all but we prefer to drink it rather than have it poured over our head (as one idiotic co-worker once did while at an end of the summer party). But we're not complaining. No. Not at all. Because the beer that was just poured over our head...is an ad. And we love advertising here on Adrants! And it's virtual so we really don't have beer all over our head right now (but did when that idiot did it in real life).

Yup. Check this out. See? Pretty sweet, right? No go here and Kraeusen your friend's site compliments of Old Style.

We love this stuff.

by Steve Hall    Jun-30-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Good, Online

Toyota's Prius Drives Over to Meebo

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Despite issues with its headlights, the Prius is rolling along just fine when it comes to online promotion. Among the many places the vehicle can be seen online, it's taken over the home page of instant messaging aggregation service Meebo.

With a background image, a foreground placement of the vehicle, a logo and zero ability to click through to anything, the effort looks like 100 percent branding.

by Steve Hall    Jun-30-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Online

...and Here's What Happened at Wrath of Cannes!

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For those too junior or broke to go to Cannes this year, there was Wrath of Cannes in the "East Riviera,"* where advertising's overlooked enter work to win a trophy they can't actually take home. (It gets recycled for next year.)

This year's winner was ex-associate AD Alan Kwon of RTCRM (now freelancing). He entered a tear-out coupon for Crunch Gym, printed on Tyvek, which means the material was virtually untearable.

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by Angela Natividad    Jun-29-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Agencies, Events, Industry Events

Sexy Stripshow + Live Gutting = 'Viral Success'

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To call attention to the apparently savage act of gutting a fish while it's alive, Dutch agency Revolver Media created a website and video featuring fetish model Ancilla Tilia. There was a countdown clock and on Monday, June 22, Tilia began to strip.

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by Steve Hall    Jun-29-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Racy, Video

Seed Bombs, Tweetolution, Spike Lee Spake

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- Houses come a-hunting on Twitter. (More proof that in this market, it's do-or-die time.)

- Love can be complicated. (But once you pop...!)

- The revolution will be Tweeted. In Iran, anyway.

- 140-character twibutes to Michael Jackson. Srsly.

- Spike Lee, out loud and in Cannes.

- Seed bombs. That plant seeds!

- When writers go apeshit.

by Angela Natividad    Jun-29-09   Comments ()    Bookmark and Share     
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Celebrity, Online, Social, Strange, Trends and Culture
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