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'Advertising Can Be Bad. Come Do Some Good.' Productivity isn't always about the next "Got Milk?". To get creatives elbow-deep in their local community soup kitchens, Cossette/New York produced the a clever little intro for Agencies in Action's website. It tackles the upcoming Cannes Lions debauchery head-on, kind of uglifies the whole thing, and wraps up with the tagline in that leads this article. Go do good, guys, in addition to all the other good things you do anyway. Radio Wants You to Ride on its Twitter-Powered Disco Stick On the way to the Mullen new office open house party in Boston, we sampled some radio, a medium we haven't listened too much in years. After listening to Kiss 108 on the ride in and the ride out, a couple things are clear. Twitter, mentioned no less than three times (in both programming and commercials) in a 30 minute period, is now mainstream. East West Mortgage is asking people to follow them to keep up to date on the latest mortgage rates. An LG phone commercial couldn't gush enough about how one of its phones was "Twitter enabled." Even a car dealer mentioned Twitter to, well, we're not really sure. Mullen Welcomes Boston Ad Community to Swanky New Offices Last night Mullen welcomed clients and friends to its new digs at 40 Broad Street. For forty years, the agency was housed in a really sweet mansion (well, two. one burned down but that's another story) North of the city but felt it was time to leave the woods and become a city dweller.  At the gathering were many Mullen folk including CEO Joe Grimaldi, Chief Creative Officer Edward Boches, Director of Account Service Alex Leikikh. Also in attendance were Boston Ad Club President Kathy Kiely, a&g CEO (and newly appointed Boston Ad Club Chairman of the Board Andrew Graff, Freelancer Vashti Brotherhood and many others. Advertising Jobs
Adrants Debuts Comment System That Actually Works Sadly, we don't get a lot of comments here on Adrants. We hope that's because the commenting system is so terrible none of you want to bother (and not because nothing here is comment-worthy). But with the debut (finally!) of a new commenting system, we hope that changes and you'll all go comment crazy on us. The new system comes from Disqus. It's threaded. It's hooked up to Facebook Connect. It'll tweet your comment. You can rate comments. If you mention an Adrants article on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, YouTube or on your blog, a link to that mention will appear under the article here on Adrants. It's commenting on social media steroids. So if you've really wanted to voice your opinion in the past but haven't because you're sick of clicking "post" and waiting three hours for your comment to appear, please give commenting a try again. We think you will be pleased. And if you're not...you can always leave a comment to that effect. Here's a Message That's Fun for the Whole Family. Throw open that beach towel, get a public service announcement: "You're probably not expecting to drown today." Not especially, no. Other fun-tastic messages in ideal places include "You're probably not expecting to need a helmet today" and "Being run over while jaywalking only happens to other people." And here are some highly depressing, but decidedly effective, TV spots. Sobering stuff for preventable.ca by Wasserman + Partners/Vancouver. Spot Turns Theatre into Giant Cervix It's not as bad as it sounds. To encourage women to get regular Pap smears, and to promote its Cervical Cancer Screening Program, BC Cancer Agency partnered with Cineplex Odeon Theatres to air "Eye of the Cervix" in theatres. Friendly enough ad. The curtain opens to reveal a pretty, congenial doctor. She asks if we're comfortable, does a quick swab and decisively says, "And we're done." Closing lines bring it home: "It doesn't take long to prevent cervical cancer. Remember to have regular Pap tests." We like it just fine, and it even made us feel productive, but here's where wanky boyfriends turn to their partners and go, "When was the last time you got checked?" By Cossette/Vancouver. GoDaddy's Got Some New Snatch. And It's a Golfer! Here's a new GoDaddy spot that will neither change your life nor get you off. In it, two preppyland hotties on a golf course find an enchanted genie lamp. One wishes for the world's longest drive, har har, and I'm sure you can imagine what happens next. Bob Parsons stars as the somewhat seedy genie; the more vocal chick is model Anna Rawson, a new GoDaddy girl and LPGA player. Unexpected Biological Changes Make Zack a Less Dull Boy "V-Day" kicks off a new online video effort by Tampax that follows the story of Zack Johnson, a guy who woke up one morning to find he has a gaping vagina where his second head should be. Don't know how it'll all pan out, but it promises to be occasionally funny in a banal teen angst kind of way. Follow the progression at Zack16.com, a site reminiscent of a teenage boy's notebook, complete with videos, a blog, Polaroid-styled images and a Twitter feed. The tweets are kind of funny and appear to be getting progressively more emo. Apparently he's already had a period and now feels every guy should experience one. Hear, hear. Although to be frank, marvelous breakthroughs in birth control make it so even real women don't have to endure random visits from Aunt Flo anymore. Work by Leo Burnett/Chicago. UNIQLO Calendar, Lady Parts Auto, Nestle Copywriter Wanted - Recapping Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man in the World. - JWT could use Nestle copywriter. - Lady Parts. Auto services. - VW tweetnalysis. - Disney, Asus partner on kiddie Netpal comps. (Via @FredCavazza.) - UNIQLO calendar.
by Angela Natividad
Jun-18-09
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Topic: Agencies, Brands, Campaigns, Online, Opinion, Packaging Yes, Stella Even PILLAGES Prettily. The cool thing about Stella Artois is that it maintains a semblance of flair without ever forgetting it's still just a beer. "Pirate Paper Boat" takes place somewhere French Riviera-like. A woman fails in her attempts to flag down a waiter for a Stella Artois Legere; an entirely-too-suave dude, separated from her by the breadth of a fountain, witnesses her distress and sends her his Stella in a paper boat. It'd be a charming little piece if the ad stopped there. But it doesn't. They call it "Pirate Paper Boat" for a reason!* Destructive Commentary: 'The Client is an Idiot' You've heard these all before, right? "I can't think of one time when the account person made one positive difference in the work or on the account," "So, how does it feel to be an order taker?", "The only time I need an account person is when the lunch bill comes," "Can we please just give him what he wants?", "The client will never approve that idea," "The client wants the logo bigger" and the current classic, "We need something that'll go viral." Yes. Destructive Comments. Courtesy of Cranial Garage which even went to the trouble of putting together a fight song video pitting creative against account management and to ask the industry to contribute to its list of Destructive Comments. Have at it. We know you've got some good ones. My Favorite Part of Killed Ideas Is... Hmm. This is a tough one. Is it the book itself? Is it the work within? Is it the fact I helped create it? Is it the fact there's a lot of great work out there that never gets appreciated and Killed Ideas provides that? Hmm... Tough choices. I'm going to go with... No wait. OK. Yea. I got it. It's the...oops, thought I had it there for a minute. This is way too difficult. The solution? The entire book! Yes, the entire book is awesome. The entire book is my favorite part of the entire book. Want a book for yourself? Go to Killed Ideas. There's a daily drawing to win one. Multi-talented Iranian Women Tweet Election Chaos, Become Soulmates OK so Iranian women, in place of the muzzled media, are getting all social using Facebook and Twitter to tell the world about the country's election chaos. By most accounts, they're doing a pretty good job. What's not doing a good job is favorite whipping boy, contextual advertising, a form of advertising which never fails to amuse, shock, surprise or baffle. The latest contextual corrigendum come amidst a news report about Tehran Tweeters. All while Iranian women diligently make use of social media to circumvent the news blackout, Iranian Personals pimps its bevy of "Iranian Soul Mates" to those who care more about flirting and dating than taking an interest in world events. Ultimo-Clad Breasts No Match For Flesh Quaking Roller Coaster Some bra marketers, such as Wonderbra, love to tout the fact they help a woman look bigger than she really is. Others, such as Ultimo, are more practical and love to tout their product's ability to control what they've already got. Even in the most extreme circumstances like, oh, on several roller coasters at Allton Towers Resort. Host Holly thanks us for joining her and a bevy of lingerie-clad ladies who illustrate how Ultimo is all about allowing women to enjoy "thrills without spills." Ladies, do not attempt while wearing a Wonderbra. You will get hurt. Elejump to Show Your Earth-Savvy Heh, this is highLARity. For Sustrans, which campaigns for sustainable transport in the UK by promoting a bike-or-walk commute, Rubber Republic launched Elejumper. The object of the advergame is to build enough steam for the elephant to slide onto a ramp with sufficient momentum to get himself to work. Probably the best part about it is you can hit space bar mid-flight to flap his ears, and if you flap them while he's on the ground he kind of just lays there, thumping pathetically. Oh how we LOLed. The game's objective is to promote Sustrans' Change Your World 2009 challenge, where, for the week beginning June 29th, people are invited to swap their cars out for more earth-friendly transport. If all car users do it for just one day, traffic is expected to go down 20% that week. Pledge your support at the Change Your World site or at the end of the game. Hey, SMB. Don't Get a Mascot; Hire an Agency! To drum up some biz-nass in its home state Kansas, the Russell Agency cobbled together this low-budget spot called "Bob's Mops." In it, a desperate business owner dons a saucy gorilla suit and dances on the street for would-be mop clients, ultimately scaring most innocent bystanders away. We like gorillas that dance; more importantly, we like agencies that are trying to reach out to their communities, particularly small businesses, which need all the creative help they can get. Ya just don't see enough of that. Come On, Not Everyone's Cut Out to Work in Model Massage. Instead of going down the office space ennui route and depicting depressed people with depressing jobs, Brazil-based Emprego Certo ("Dream Job") showcases a guy with a truly enviable metier -- but who can't stop bitching about it. The "Massage Therapist for Models" complains about the long hours, the malcontents, his aching muscles and the lack of holidays. One day, he vows, "I'll quit this nightmare." Tagline follows: "More than 140,000 job positions. One of them will make you happy." Cute. According to the PR folk, the video hit over 1.7 million online views and was spread generously from inbox to inbox. Work by BorghiErh/Lowe films. Staples Hops the Cause Caboose. To win both the youth and the responsible parent vote, Staples commissioned social marketing firm Mr. Youth to develop "Do Something 101," a cause program that's, at the very least, relevant to the office supply chain's MO. Campaign elements, from what we can tell, are a Facebook Fan page and a Facebook app. (That's it?!) Participating students are encouraged to build a custom backpack by tagging their friends and then donate money to help the 13 million kids in the States that can't afford school supplies. Every completed backpack makes participants eligible for a chance to go to New York and meet Ciara, who can teach you the one-two step*, which is as good a reason as any to drum up crayon cash for your less-plush peer.
by Angela Natividad
Jun-17-09
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Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Celebrity, Online, Social Laboring Mom Bears Teen, Finds the Strength to Scold "One Powerful Mother," the latest PSA by Partnership for a Drug-Free America, casts light on a powerful woman indeed. Moments after giving miserable vagina-decimating birth to a teenager, then having her heart shredded to pieces as he rolls his eyes and starts walking off, she still has the strength to raise her head -- ever so slightly -- and say, "Don't even think about going to Kevin's." The message is swiftly and cleverly delivered: it takes one powerful mother to have a teen. And an even tougher one is called for to keep that teen drug-free. Work by agency Martin Williams and production firm Gartner. Lancia, Noble Peace Laureates Summit Drums Up Love for Suu Kyi Vehicle mark Lancia partnered with the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates to demonstrate support Aung San Suu Kyi. The latter won the Nobel Peace Prize in '91 and has been imprisoned in her home country, Burma -- er, the Union of Myanmar -- for the last 18 years. Suu Kyi is currently on trial; in the meantime, this video is seeking broader dissemination throughout Europe and the rest of the English speaking world. It's moving work that depicts past Nobel Peace laureates stepping out of cars and onto the red carpet. The last car opens to an empty back seat -- Lancia's way of pouring out the liquor, so to speak, for the absent Suu Kyi. Van-Tastic Seeks Freeloaders for Ultimate Aussie Roadtrip "We're looking for seven pairs of travellers, one for each of Australia's stunning states, to become Van-Tastic Adventurers." Winning pairs will be flown from anywhere in the world to Australia, where they'll be given a "karmic campervan" that looks a lot like the Plaid Nation tourbus, actually. They'll also get to digicams and laptops for six weeks, $1000 worth of gas, free access to the area's top attractions and a list of places to go. But that's not all! The best travel documentary produced by one of the seven couples gets $10,000 and two Virgin Blue domestic flights.
by Angela Natividad
Jun-16-09
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Topic: Campaigns, Consumer Created, Events, Online, Trends and Culture, Video I Broker Mildly Complex Summer Promotions; What's YOUR Superpower? So the Radisson is running this summer-long promotion called "FRIDAY IS FREEDAY," which is about as straightforward as winning FREE! timeshare. If you book at participating Radissons between May 15th and September 15th, you can score a free Friday, provided you stay two or more consecutive nights, including a Thursday or Saturday. And as an added bonus, you also get free internet (ALL days!) and a buy one, get one free coupon for TGI Friday's. To promote this truly cockles-warming offer, the Radisson is disseminating a web series about a little boy who's unwillingly taken on vacation by his mediocre dad and ditzy mom. He's rescued from total ennui by a Radisson employee with a heart of gold, who outfits him in free hotel gear and turns him into a FREEDAYS FRIDAYS! superhero. Hammer Pants Flash Mob Molests Skinny Jeans Buyers We literally choked on our Juicy Juice when we saw this guerrilla effort for Hammertime, a new A&E show that follows the family life of MC Hammer -- kinda like Run's House. "Each week we'll open our home to viewers to showcase the hectic pace of our lives and our eclectic family; our real life truly is drama," said MC Hammer, who apparently thinks drama is a marvel unique to his universe. Toddler Does a Dance! And This is Why You Should Buy Designer Water. Remember the Ally McBeal days when the whole dancing baby gimmick was fresh and new, then companies like Etrade and Evian decided to leverage that same creepy phenomenon to sell things? Yeah, us too. Anyway, Evian sent us its latest baby video, "Baby Moonwalk," which features a cute toddler that suddenly, randomly moonwalks. Consider this the fine water bottler's contribution to YouTube's amateur vid bargain bin. Can't get enough involuntary baby manipulation? Watch for the Evian Live Young baby film -- coming to a monitor near you! Iran Gets SocNetted Up, Contextual Dating Sadness, Scowls Over CK - Twitter delays scheduled downtime, following the Iranian elections, to give Iranian users a platform for protest/discussion/covert tweet-ups/etc. - Not one to miss a hot show, Anonymous launches iran.whyweprotest.net, a space for what it calls a "tech-savvy uprising." - Okay, onto less serious things. CK orgy scandal action. - "Contextual dating sadness." - AgencySpy ponders the tough stuff. - Harley Davidson gets all musical.
by Angela Natividad
Jun-16-09
Comments ()
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Opinion, Political, Social, Trends and Culture
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