Elejump to Show Your Earth-Savvy

elejumper.jpg

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.

by Angela Natividad    Jun-17-09    
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Events, Games



Lancia, Noble Peace Laureates Summit Drums Up Love for Suu Kyi

aung-san-suu-kyi-lancia.jpg

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.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jun-17-09    
Topic: Brands, Cause, Events, Good



Van-Tastic Seeks Freeloaders for Ultimate Aussie Roadtrip

van-tastic.jpg

"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.

more »



Imagine Being Able to Take the Wii Experience ... Everywhere.

sony-ericsson-motion.jpg

Except with a Sony Ericsson F305 phone and not an actual Wii.

The F305 is a phone equipped with game and motion sensor technology, much like the iPhone, which -- like the WiiMote -- lets users control the game based on how they move their handheld.

To promote it, SocialMedia8.com launched the Motion Mania contest, where users are asked to shoot a video on mobile gaming and upload it to this website. Popular video producers could win tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jun-15-09    
Topic: Consumer Created, Events, Games, Mobile/Wireless, Video



Celebu-Hatin', Crowdsourced Chrome Ads, Better Shopping By App

eclecticmethod2.jpg.jpeg

- Celebs discover, via social media, that they are hated. And then the whole world cried.

- The best Facebook vanity URL, and more on that land-grab in general.

- Yummy and functional absinthe packaging.

- An app to aid conspicuous shopping.

- Film yourself building the Google Chrome icon; get love from the Internet's favourite monopoly.

- Eclectic Method remixes, mashes up and edits before live audience.

- Zombies. Skittles. Advergaming.

by Angela Natividad    Jun-15-09    
Topic: Events, Games, Online, Social



The Economist Gets Cocky with the Bulls

real-estate-bull.jpg

The Economist brought its dry, mischievous humour and trademark red to Dallas, TX for three days. Fake bulls -- labeled "Real Estate," "401(k)" and "Stock Market," respectively -- were propped up in the middle of an inflatable arena.

Across the bottom of the ring, alongside The Economist logo, is the question: "How long can you stay on?"

Thousands of people apparently saw; a few even tried riding them. You know how those Texans like their meat.

Playful, witty and wildly relevant. By BBDO/NY. Thanks to @haikalsiregar for pointing us to it.

by Angela Natividad    Jun-12-09    
Topic: Brands, Events, Guerilla



Jayson Stark Autograph Tells Doting Dads They're 'Worth the Wait'

the-frame-game-jayson-stark.jpg

Under the premise that a signed copy of Worth the Wait is the perfect gift for Father's Day, Pennsylvania-based retailer The Frame Game sent out an email blast inviting subscribers to a book signing for ESPN's Jayson Stark, who wrote the aforementioned title.

Any mention of being Worth the Wait brings to mind Christian promise rings and WWJD wristbands, but the book is actually a collection of stories about the 2008 Phillies, as illustrated by an image of Stark clutching a ball with a bronze batter, mid-swing, behind him.

We can appreciate the call to pause, but the illustration's about as bamboozling as the title: at first glance, it looks uncomfortably like Stark's about to get clocked from behind.

by Angela Natividad    Jun-11-09    
Topic: Events, Promotions, Publishing



'This is just so ... hippy dippy happy!' Steve said.

hoagiefest-hoagieman.jpg

Wawa's pushing its yearly Hoagiefest new media-style: with the requisite Facebook, and online video, etc. etc. But like last year, the campaign's big deal-breaker is a song commissioned by Parry Gripp.

Witness the magic at hoagiefest.com.
The animation, unabashedly high-pitched music and the prospect of a fresh hoagie lights up our innards like psychedelic pot. For Steve it conjures up Woodstock "with maybe a little Up With People thrown into the mix" -- for me it's totally Beatles circa Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

This year, fans can join in the fun by making their own songs or videos, then voting for each other's. Winning entrants could win a year's worth or hoagies -- or hell, their own Hoagiefest. (What would you do with such a thing?)

by Angela Natividad    Jun-10-09    
Topic: Brands, Events, Good, Online, Promotions



They May Not Smile; But Ask Nicely, and You'll Get a Pirhouette

riding-red-guard.jpg

Heh. This is clever. For the New Directors Showcase at Cannes, Saatchi & Saatchi released a video in which some ordinary guy barks marching orders at the Buckingham Palace Guard -- and, amazingly, they obey, even when he asks them to do little leaps, jump on each other's backs, dance to reggae and "RIDE 'IM LIKE SEABISCUIT!"

At this point the stunned crowd gets the sense that this is a stunt, and there is much cheering and carrying-on.

Let's hope this wasn't an intern's stolen idea. In any event, if the New Director's Showcase is something you dig, hurry up and enter here.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jun-10-09    
Topic: Agencies, Events, Industry Events, Promotions, Video



Don't Just Talk to Them; Bring Them Aboard.

prelude-to-vigil.jpg

Based on the premise that people are more likely to watch a play if they know somebody in it, agency Happy Soldiers added a new scene to Spirithouse Theatre Company's play, "Vigil."

Spirithouse is a fairly new indy theatre company in Australia. "Prelude to Vigil," the new scene, takes five minutes and requires a fresh and local casting call every week. Spirithouse says this was a first for an independent play group.

Kind of a neat approach to (not?) advertising: personalizing an entire performance, and stimulating engagement, which in turn serves to generate word of mouth and record attendance. Apparently the play sold out in every instance.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jun- 8-09    
Topic: Events, Guerilla, Promotions