Monkeys Motivate, SpotTV Tubes, Agency.com Heads Depart

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- Games, games and more games. This one promotes cbcampus.com, an entity that helps hook up college grads with their first job.

- On Friday, November 24th, 2006, branded entertainment TV network Spot TV will offer YouTubers a sneak peak.

- Whether it's related to that video or not, things continue to go not so well for Agency.com. The heads of the New York and San Francisco offices have left.

by Steve Hall    Nov-21-06    
Topic: Agencies, Games, Online, Video



Wommies Wanted, Gamers Slammed, Subservients Strip

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- The Word of Mouth Marketing Association is hosting the Wommie Awards, an annual case study competition. The deadline for entry has been extended beyond the original Nov. 17 cut off.

- While the site suffers from long load times, EatBetterAmerica lets you submit fat-filled recipes for a allow-cal "recipe makeover." Just in time for Turkey Day. It's from General Mills.

- Like no one else can, George Parker wreaks havoc on Sony and all the other gamer idiots out there who think the PS3 is the second coming of Christ.

- If you liked Subservient Chicken but were angry the Chicken would never take his clothes off, here's yet another Subservient Stripper.

- Product placement in books continues to get more and more pervasive.

- Not everyone loves the new Sony PS3.

by Steve Hall    Nov-20-06    
Topic: Events, Games, Product Placement, Word of Mouth



Those Burger King Xbox Games Are Out

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Make the Logo Bigger sent us a promo video for the Burger King Xbox games we wrote about back in early October and even though we've hated that creepy King and bad product placements in video games, we're warming to the idea of video games that don't try to hide that fact they're all about advertising - as long as they're good. Besides, the creepy King seems to be much better suited to an appearance in a video game than in a video with Brooke Burke. There's a review of the game here.

by Steve Hall    Nov-19-06    
Topic: Brands, Games, Good, Opinion, Video



McDonald's Games, Hipsters Posture, Caveman Does TV

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- The Midnight Gaming Championship final, title sponsored by McDonald's, is taking place this Saturday, Nov. 18. The event will feature 24 of the best gamers from around Dallas/Fort Worth and the country, including Crow, the number one Tekken player in the world, and Jenmaster, one of the top five most dangerous gamers.

- Here's a video by Owen Plotkin that features Art Directors Club Yong Guns winner Jayson Atienza talking about his sneaker art show opening. We know it's supposed to be "arty" but it seems Owen had great difficulty focusing on people's faces in the video. Not to mention the poor lighting.

- One of the Geico Cavemen, John Lehr will appear in two new spots and a new TBS series 10 Items Or Less premiering November 27.

- Marketing and creative staffing firm Aquent has partnered with celumsolutions to offer up digital asset management software to marketing firms.

- Copyranter says "there's pee in your butt" and points to an element of the latest Truth campaign which, though sticker on ads, informs us cigarettes contain animal pee. Fun.

VH1 and IFILM, today, is bringing back Show Us Your Junk, a collection of the best viral videos

by Steve Hall    Nov-17-06    
Topic: Cable, Events, Games



Microsoft Plans to Swallow Gamers Live, Kind of Like Preying Mantises

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Peter Moore, VP of entertainment and devices at Microsoft, says he'd like to target moderate gamers who haven't yet cashed out $400 for the Xbox 360. And he's decided the best way to do it is through that new MSN video service, which will be gleefully littered with gamer-oriented brands: "I guarantee you that if I had three more weeks (before the launch), I would have 15 logos up there," he said, referring to the logos of companies formally affiliated with Xbox.

And then he rubbed his hands together, laughed maniacally and ate another baby. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

by Angela Natividad    Nov- 9-06    
Topic: Brands, Games, Online



No, Even Second Lifers Aren't Safe from Reality TV

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If for some odd reason you can't get enough of reality TV with actual human beings, get your fill in cyber-world. Now you can join Big Brother Second Life.

We were trying to decide whether it would be as funny to watch little digital people act like total morons in real-time and we concluded that, based on how much excitement there was when people found out Sims could have sex, yes, this concept will probably do just fine. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

by Angela Natividad    Nov- 9-06    
Topic: Games, Online



JWT Rolls Big, Game Gets Free Ads, Video Makes Money

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- "Oh, great. Another frickin' release asking me to spend precious time that I don't have." These guys really want you to see their brand spanking new website.

- Capitalizing on the growth of online video and riffing off Bling's search and win model, WeWin offers viewers of videos a chance to win prizes.

- JWT Detroit pulls an Agency.com and rolls big while hunting for talent.

- People love Gears of War so much they're making their own commercials for it which will surely make it into every social media fan's presentation for the next six months.

- Consumer generated content is a great way for people to make money....as long at they pump out 1,000 hours of the crap.

by Steve Hall    Nov- 1-06    
Topic: Consumer Created, Games, Online, Social



Candystand Releases Pyro Game

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It's called Skyburst and it's, don't blink now, a "fireworks arcade-style puzzle spectacular for everyone to enjoy!", and it's to promote those new LifeSavers Fruit Splosions candies. Yippee.

Okay, essentially it's a pyro game in a cheap tuxedo stitched by bright-eyed anime kids who write copy in exclamation points. Don't get us wrong. We like fire and we like anime, better still when they're together. We just wanted to make sure everybody was on the same page. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

by Angela Natividad    Nov- 1-06    
Topic: Games, Online



Boneless Animals And Farewell Tour Return For McRib

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Like an aging rock star who won't roll over and die, Mcdonald's has brought back their McRib sandwich with the MicRib Farewell Tour II, a follow up to last year's original McRib Farewell Tour. On the site, visitors can build their own rock concert light show that can be recorded and sent to friends, download McRib themed t-shirt designs, download McRib "power rock ballads" and download McRib wall paper for their computer. While that all makes for a good time, we found ourselves spending way to much time just watching that intro rocker chick do her thing. Over and over. Yes, we are truly ill. We admit it.

Also back is the BPFAA (the Boneless Pig Farmers Association of America) website, bonelesspigs.org, a fictitious organization that promotes the good will of boneless pigs. This whole boneless animal thing. It just makes one wonder if all the PETA videos capturing the mythical boneless KFC chicken are for real.

by Steve Hall    Nov- 1-06    
Topic: Brands, Games, Good, Online



Candystand Flirts with Slightly Sexier Animation in Mini Putt

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Candystand may not feature a sex-ridden, Adrants-inspired carwashing game featuring the blonde Wrigley's twins anytime soon, but after seeing the trailer they sent us for the Mini Putt game that's coming out we're more certain than ever we can convince them.

Video game females are so unrealistically, deliciously contorted. Better still, you can change their outfits before they get out on the green. Oh, and the music is cool too. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

by Angela Natividad    Oct-30-06    
Topic: Games, Good, Online