TBWA\CHIAT\DAY Sends Us Grammy/Disruptunes Spot. What? WHO?

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TBWA\CHIAT\DAY sent us a :15 ad for the Grammys and this thing called the Disruptunes. Watch it here.

The ad, scheduled to air during the event, is for Grammy-fan promotional material. Coffee table books, CDs, that sort of thing.

It also features music from The Generators, a band participating in TBWA's Disruptunes, an internal TBWA thing where artists can upload songs that in turn are used for ads. (The agency describes it thus: "[helping] agency talent express their creativity and bring brilliant music to the world.")

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-11-08    
Topic: Agencies, Bad, Brands, Events, Sponsorship



Zhi to Reclaim Chinese Dignity on Olympic Soccer Field

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Chinese footballer Zheng Zhi brings some Asian Algier to Adidas' Beijing Olympics campaign.

The hand-drawn spot builds on "Together" with Zhi's narrative about how the 2008 Beijing Olympics will redeem his people from loss. Disembodied wings carry the Chinese into the clouds. The Chinese, and some feathers, fall out of the sky when Zhi describes the 1999 game.

Despite the tripped-out depressing imagery, the story ends on an up note. Because impossible is nothing, right?

Deep. Or at least really abstract. In which case ... deep.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-11-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Celebrity, Commercials, Events, Television



Blackberry Dabbles in Comedy to Snare Fresh Demo

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So, 101 bellybuttons walk into a bar.

This is just one of the cliffhangers you won't revisit after checking out teasers for this Blackberry-sponsored improv troupe.

Add crappy video quality and comedians telling jokes on the phone (isn't that a social faux-pas? If it isn't, it SHOULD BE), and you've got yourself an unbeatable stench.

Ads for the effort were featured on the front page of the Times. Richard at Gawker pointed it out to us. Thanks for engaging us in the angst, Richard.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-11-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Events, Mobile/Wireless, Online



Video Chat With Adrants During 'My ooVoo Day'

OK so we're going to do this group video chat thing with ooVoo, a new company that's out with a group video chat product that is said to have higher visual quality. Because ooVoo allows for six people to chat at the same time, we're going to host several group chats during which readers of Adrants can chat with myself, Steve Hall, and/or Co-Editor Angela Natividad.

The event, called My ooVoo Day, will occur February 12, 13 and 15 at 2:30 and 2:45 PM EST each day. During the 15 minute chat sessions, we'll gab about ads, the Super Bowl, your work, those Salesgenie ads and anything else you want to talk about.

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by Steve Hall    Feb- 7-08    
Topic: Announcements, Events



Christine Aguilera Debuts Ginormous Breasts (and CD) At Best Buy

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Last night at a West Hollywood Best Buy, Christina Aguilera turned (and perhaps lifted) heads when she made her first post-pregnancy appearance. In support of her Live and Down Under CD, she made one woman cry and, in an interview, told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS morning show, "I'm very excited [about] this whole incredible thing that's taken place in my life, between the pregnancy and the birth. I've been brainstorming for the last nine months of my pregnancy. This next album will have a whole new me. A different me." Very different, indeed.

by Steve Hall    Feb- 6-08    
Topic: Celebrity, Events, Promotions



Pocket Change Speed Dating Gives Major Boost to Natural Selection

For men seeking rich older women, and older women hungry for pretty meat popsicles, check out Pocket Change.

This week Pocket Change is running a NYC-based event called Sugar Mama Speed Date, which puts a lowest-common-denominator twist on that speed dating thing. The application for men is totally appearance-based, and all entrants must be younger than 35.

Some of the hot hunks of man-toy are in advertising -- and guess what else! We get to show you their pictures and names. Get a leer at the sugar-mama-hunting ad-flesh up for grabs: Joseph Pergola, Jay Kelty, David Zarkin, Jonathan Hillman, and Brad Melshenker (don't be fooled by the context).

We actually didn't think these people were serious until we got photos of the harem. If someone would like to bring Adrants home some bacon a la Bennett, don't let your modesty stop you.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb- 6-08    
Topic: Events, Online, Strange



Obama Wins Love, Loyalty of Pop Stars

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Which means he deserves your love and loyalty, too. *eyebrow raise*

Here's a pro-Obama video produced by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. In it, Barack Obama's "Yes We Can" speech is taken up as a kind of musical mantle by images of stars like Nick Cannon, Common, Scarlett Johansson, Tatyana Ali, John Legend ... we could go on.

We like a good-looking, nice sounding guy as much as anybody else, but with Super Tuesday in our faces, we recommend doing homework before voting. Here's one source, and here's some campaign ad analysis from the same non-partisan group.

Let us know if you've got other resources worth looking at.

by Angela Natividad    Feb- 4-08    
Topic: Campaigns, Celebrity, Events, Online, Political, Video



Debbie Gibson Launches Cattle Call for Acting Camp/Reality Show

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Remember Debbie Gibson? You know, the one whose many hits include "Only in my Dreams" and "Electric Youth"?

We do, but just barely.

Here is an update on Debbie Gibson. To start with, you now have to call her "Deborah."

Anyway, Debbie Gibson is conducting scholarship auditions and a reality show taping for her pet project Camp Electric Youth (keep your volume down unless you want an electric deja vu attack). This is her performing arts summer camp for kids between seven and 17.

"I was the Hannah Montana of the '80s and I have a lot of experience and knowledge to offer today's aspiring performers," Debbie says. (Yeah. Like "you're never too young to start a career in reality TV.")

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by Angela Natividad    Jan-31-08    
Topic: Celebrity, Events, Promotions



HappySlip Promotes Manila Meet & Greet

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As part of her trip to the Philippines courtesy of the Philippine Tourism Department, HappySlip is advertising news of her Meet & Greet in Manila at the Mag:net Cafe this February 7. Get on the guest list at happyslip.yehey.com (Yehey! is the Philippine Yahoo!, kind of). The fun and games go down from 11am-3pm.

Seeing as how this is for Philippine tourism and we want to put our best foot forward, it might be a good idea to filter the ads appearing at the end of the videos. Unless FilipinaHeart.com is a proud sponsor...?

by Angela Natividad    Jan-29-08    
Topic: Celebrity, Events, Online, Promotions



Adidas Boost Auckland Marathon Runners With Giant Fan

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Here's an interesting extension of Adidas' Impossible is Nothing mantra. During the Aukland Marathon at the 17 km mark, runners could choose to run through lane which was outfitted with what was called the adiBOOST, a giant fan that would put a 50 knot wind at their backs insuring the impossibility of finishing the marathon would be nothing to be concerned with. Nice idea.

by Steve Hall    Jan-29-08    
Topic: Events, Good, Guerilla, Outdoor