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'Hulu' May Be the Last Sound Joost Ever Hears With virtually no load or lag time whatsoever, today we blew two hours of our workday watching Sideways online. We didn't need to pay for, illegally download, or sacrifice precious computer space for it. And while the occasional :15 or :30 ad cuts through our experience, we're willing to deal. The content is worth the trouble. This is all part and parcel of Hulu beta, a valiant joint effort between News Corp. and NBC Universal. Some Ads Just Don't Age Well. We Blame the Music We realize how old this DHL ad is, but we're going to review it anyway because it saddens us that over the past few years we have paid DHL's efforts no mind whatsoever, and now it does next to nothing ad-wise. (Unless you count this, but we sure don't.) Point of fact: If every DHL delivery actually did come with a passel of ass-shaking Miami Dolphins cheerleaders, the First World may actually use the service. It could be like a sassy singing telegram. Second point: Disclosure is important. But sometimes, it can be sad. (See comments section.) One more: Any ad that tries making serious use of an MC Hammer track is just begging to be associated with 1990. And not too much happened there. (Unless you count Manuel Noriega's surrender and the first McD's to open in Moscow, but we sure don't.) Punching Bag-Shaped Kids Help Illustrate Bully Behavior Incredibly, this ad for Highmark by Mullen serves to remind us of two childhood nightmares: the one where we're alone, friendless and talked-about; and the one about the sinister carnival where clowns eat you. (It's the punching bag thing that does it.) The spot talks about the impact bullying can have on a child's life. The bottom line is to keep communication open with kids so they have somewhere to run when they're hurting. That new monster "cyber bullying" is also highlighted. Good to know the child safety gurus are keeping up. It only took them 10 years and the advent of Web 2.0 to realize that rumors fly via text message, too. Make a Wish Helps Wee Ones Realize Big Dreams This spot is called Beetle Boy and it's for the Make a Wish foundation. We like it because there are no harping celebrities and no witty ( red ) shirts. There's just a cute kid with an awesome yellow superhero costume, and a bunch of regular people who seem to care enough about him to help realize his dream. Put together by the Kaplan Thaler Group, NYC. Aussie Speed Demons Get Egos Checked with Derisive Pinky Wiggles This ad is part of an Australian road safety campaign that's become a big winner amongst citizens Down Under. Instead of sharing cautionary tales about traumatic crashes, the message here is simple: Men who speed have small dicks. And to bring boisterous tire-burners down to size, the ad introduces a useful new gesture: nonplussed women and put-off buddies wiggling pinkies to illustrate speeders' "insecurities." It's perfect. Timberland Recycles Commercial to Promote Eco-Friendly Boots Arnold has repurposed its wall of rain spot which ran last year in Europe last year into an Americanized, full-on, politically correct, environmentally friendly campaign about Timberland's use of organic materials in its boots and how it's jumping on the carbon offset bandwagon. Carbon dioxide emissions associated with the campaign will be offset by Timberland's purchase of wind power from Western Massachusetts' Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort wind project. We're told the move will be equivalent to not driving 109,000 miles or planting approximately 44 acres of trees.
by Steve Hall
Oct-15-07
Comments (2)
Topic: Campaigns, Commercials, Good, Online, Outdoor, Radio, Television Visa Ad Brims with Toys, Still Lacks Luster In this ad by TBWA\Chiat\Day, LA for FAO Schwarz -- er, the Visa check card, we mean, a bunch of people wander around in a toy store while juggling toys. The ad just doesn't hit the spot. We never really got used to the "Life takes Visa" thing. It's like a second-rate "Priceless" -- which is ironic, because Mastercard's like a second-rate Visa. Fila Spot May Convince Non-Athletic Parents to Keep Jr. in Booties We were actually surprised here. This spot poses as a home video taken by a proud father of his baby's first steps. If you've ever witnessed a child walk for the first time, you know what a triumphant feat it is - and that it doesn't last long. That's the first thing that sticks out. The kid seems to be walking for an impressively long time with the dad following closely behind, cooing in paternal awe. Then they get to the front door, and POW! -- the kid's off like a shot! Pops couldn't keep up if he wanted to. The ensuing mayhem made us LOL. Tin Man Subsite Goes Deep Without Skimming Surface This "Infinite OZ" subsite for the Sci-Fi Channel's Tin Man does little besides guide passive visitors deeper, deeper and still deeper into worlds sitting inside other worlds, kind of like those marbles at the end of Men in Black. Entrance looks and feels like the rabbit hole Lewis Carroll's Alice fell into, except slower and scarier (vestiges of Pink Floyd, maybe?). Advertisers will also be happy to know that the first thing a person sees upon penetrating the refurbished Oz is a billboard. Granted, it veers into a totally fucked-up, scary and apparently deserted world, but hey, this is very good news for those seeking a more interactive user experience. And oh god. Did a disembodied female voice just say "There's no place like the O-Z"? You did not go there, Calle & Pelle Sjonell. (This is their last gig for Fallon, Minneapolis before they move on to BBH, NY.) Tin Man premieres November on the Sci-Fi Channel. After traveling for 10 minutes into the void with no end in sight, part of us does want to see the show. 'TV Guide' Still Exists? Thank God For Ad Campaigns The big research finding prior to developing the new TV Guide ad campaign? "That the consumer is not in love with TV - the consumer is in love with a particular show." And it took actual research to determine this? Hello? This is not a new finding. People aren't in love with the delivery vehicle. They're in love with what that vehicle brings them. Someone ought to tell the folks over at Disney who still seem to think the success of High School Musical 2 was due to love for the Disney Channel as opposed to the movie itself. 
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Source: Viral Video Chart
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