Candystand, We Wish We Knew How to Quit You

awesome_blossom.png

Remember Dr. Mario? Okay. Candystand's new Awesome Blossom is like that, except with flowers instead of pills. (Come to think of it, how did Dr. Mario ever get past the PC police?)

The blossom explosion is for LifeSavers. We could use some, considering our blood-sugar levels are low from concentrating on winning back flower petals for the last three hours. (We're overachievers.)

by Angela Natividad    May-31-07    
Topic: Games



Altoids Unveils Sindy in Google-Powered Search Game

altoids_sindy.png

You know how much we love games. Find Altoids' Sindy in a game built right into Google Earth. We were never superkeen on Carmen Sandiego, but Sindy probably won't have trouble inspiring a chase.

Nice to see Altoids is over its frightening identity crisis. We salute you, Hal Riney WDDG (oops, sorry about that, guys).

by Angela Natividad    May-30-07    
Topic: Brands, Games, Good, Online



This Contest Could Land You a Sportscar in England. We think.

rexona.jpg

If you can make head or tail of these instructions, courtesy of Grupow.com for Unilever's Rexona, you'll have a competitive advantage over us in this game (because you'll actually know how to play it):

Rexona, a deodorant brand from Unilever, offers the possibility of going to England and drive 4 sports car if you can get one of the 4 lowest temperatures in this advergame, where you have to mix speed when typing your arrow keys and some coordination to type them alternate so you can avoid the guy inside the car to sweat while driving.

Despite our confusion we think the graphics and sound quality in this piece is really sexy. We actually felt our fingers tingle in competitive anticipation.

Our only qualm was waiting for it to load while it ticked off the seconds (over 100! Come ON). You know how we hate that.

by Angela Natividad    May-25-07    
Topic: Games, Online, Promotions



EA: School Sucks, Come Play Potter

potter_phoenix.jpg

For EA's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix video game, Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam remind school kids why lives of fantasy can be way better than everyday education.

See another variant on the print campaign here.

We remember grade school. It was hard enough to drag our asses to class without having to deal with moving stairs, talking pictures and breaks in which we may actually be, well, broken.

Otherwise, the print images speak a thousand favourable words for the quality of the game.

by Angela Natividad    May-25-07    
Topic: Games, Good, Magazine, Poster, Promotions



'Flight of the Conchords' Get Game For HBO Show

light_conchords.jpg

Courtesy of Deep-Focus, here's an absolutely whacked promotional site for the absolutely whacked upcoming HBO show Flight of the Comchords. The show follows the trials and tribulations of the New Zealand-based digi-folk band as they, Bret McKenzie on guitar and vocals, and Jemaine Clement on guitar and vocals, make their way to New York. There's videos. There's a game. It's all as hipsteresque as they come.

by Steve Hall    May-24-07    
Topic: Cable, Games, Good, Online



Bud.tv Dies, Online Ads Live, Carat Loses, Office Cools

rapid_heatbusters.jpg

- Cynopsis reports, "The disappointing Bud.tv may "fade away" later this year, admitted Anheuser-Busch CEO August Busch IV in a conference call to analysts" and "Rupert Murdoch's bid to acquire the Dow Jones & Co., which includes The Wall Street Journal, Barrons and the Dow Jones Newswires, isn't looking too promising."

- The Internet Advertising Bureau and PriceWaterhouseCooper report online ad revenue increased 35 percent in 2006 to $16.9 billion.

- Havas' MPG is certainly grinning over its recent $740 million Sear media account win. Unfortunately former media agency, Carat, is grinning an entirely different grin.

- This is just not all that much fun but hey, you have to sell office cooling systems somehow.

by Steve Hall    May-24-07    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Games, Online, Research, Television



Losers Generate, Thoughts Advertise, Cannes Bingoed, Reebok Pukes

RunPukeRun.jpg

- We all know about consumer-generated content. Well, now we have loser-generated content.

- First there was Voicevertising. Now there's ThoughtVertising. On eBay, no less!

- Bored? Want to go to Cannes but can't? No worries. Forget that ego-fest, stay home and play Cannes Contenders Bingo and you decide who should win. Screw the judges.

- If Reebok really did make running easy, why would they feature a guy puking in an ad about running easy?

- Lowe is blogging about its "everything you ever wanted to know about the digital world" gathering

by Steve Hall    May-23-07    
Topic: Consumer Created, Games, Industry Events, Strange



Find the Bull, Win Glastonbury Music Festival Tickets

spot_bull.jpg

Well this is easy. Orange, the UK mobile entertainment company, has launched a game called Spot the Bull that gives players the chance to win one of 20 pairs of tickets to the Glastonbury Festival. Created by Poke London, all you have to do is pick a spot on the filed when you think Derek the Bull will appear at 3PM. enter your contact info and wait. that's it. We like simple.

by Steve Hall    May-22-07    
Topic: Games, Online, Promotions



Shoot Scooter Riding Cops in Single-Promoting Game

chichino.jpg

Oh look, an online game to promote a band's new single. Chicino is the band and the game lets you shoot scooter riding cops who drop out of the sky. Nifty. Sort of. Check it here.

by Steve Hall    May-22-07    
Topic: Games, Good



Candystand Finally Develops a Sudoku Game

casino_sudoku.jpg

Our surrogate employers at Wrigley's Candystand have leaped on the Goodship Sudoku with a casino twist that we're sure will sell plenty of gum.

What the deal with Sudoku, man? If it weren't enough that everybody on the train in the morning is playing it, a few college buddies have expressed an interest in learning the game to earn some social clout. That's like playing Tetris to get laid. What's the correlation?

If somebody can give us a good logical explanation of why Sudoku has taken the nation by storm, we'll give you a present.

by Angela Natividad    May-19-07    
Topic: Games, Online