Chewing Gum Delivers Powerful Safe Sex Message

staying_alive_mtv.jpg

Watching this commercial in which a piece of chewed gum slowly passes from one person to another while a soothing voice over talks about being a people person who likes all types of people and who takes everyone as the are without judgment leads one in several directions befoe it delivers its message.

Is it an ethereal ad for chewing gum? Some kind of world peace message from some cause group?An environmental message? A dating service?

Of course the title of the ad, MTV Staying Alive, pretty much eliminates those options but it still doesn't totally set you up for the fact its an AIDS awareness message. Which is a good thing because this ad sort of enraptures you and ties itself beautifully to its ultimate message.

The ad was created by Lowe MENA Dubai

by Steve Hall    Jan-28-09    
Topic: Cause, Commercials, Good



President Obama's Life Used As Pro-Life Argument

life_imagine_potential_obama.jpg

No matter your stand on abortion, you have to admit this pro-life commercial from CatholicVote featuring President Obama moves you just a little bit. Doesn't it?

Oh sure, CatholicVote is milking this for all its worth but there are two sides to every story and this is one of the better Pro-life arguments we've seen in recent memory.

by Steve Hall    Jan-23-09    
Topic: Cause, Good, Political



Pancreatic Cancer: The Assassin with Flair.

dans-pancreatic-cancer.jpg

"That's Dan. And I'm Dan's pancreatic cancer."

How do you even begin to take a pitch like that seriously?

I just love how, after describing Dan's untimely death with a listless "eh," Pancreatic Cancer looks out the backseat window and croons (with the most subtle of accents), "I have 35,000 other people to kill this year."

Blase, baby, blase. Unintentionally hilarious work by Gardner Nelson + Partners for the Lustgarden Foundation. Somebody needs to page Charlie Brooker and tell him to update his list.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jan-15-09    
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Commercials, Strange, Television



Just Because It Doesn't Love You Doesn't Mean It's Defective

iams-kitty-kitty.jpg

Think adopting a Russian teenager is hard? Try taking home a shy yet obstinate pet.

In these Saatchi & Saatchi spots for Iams, Felicity Huffman selflessly reminds us that "the real reward in adopting a pet is when the pet adopts you." So don't fish for that return receipt just yet.

This is part of Iams' Home for the Holidays Adoption Drive. It was only supposed to last through the holidays, but it fared so well that Iams thought, What's the harm? If it sells more munchies...

See dog ad and cat ad. Oh, and more credits here.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jan-15-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Commercials, Television



Facebook's Whopper of a Sacrifice, Polygamous Secrets, GOOG Slims Down

A-Zulu-man-wearing-adapti-001.jpg

- Facebook shuts down Burger King's "Whopper Sacrifice" app, which offers users free Whoppers after they de-friend 10 people. The data-sharing giant treated the app as a privacy breach.

- Google shafts 100. Dodgeball will be no more; Google Video will cease taking uploads in a few months' time.

- Paris-based Havas is splitting CEO duties between COO Gabriel Saenz de Buruaga of Madrid, and CSO Anthony Rhind of London.

- How advertising works.

- Got a secret, but can't be bothered to make a postcard? Contribute to Big Love's web of secrets. Note that each secret you enter endorses polygamy. Kidding. Maybe.

- Get a load of Obama's beast.

- Oh nooooes, renting a movie is just too hard for some.

- The Social Path lists emerging careers of 2009.

- MTLB's gas-related wisdom.

- Eyewear for the poor.

by Angela Natividad    Jan-15-09    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Online, Political, Promotions



Pfizer Wages War Against Unregulated Drug Trade

pfizer-ad.jpg

"Get Real, Get a Prescription Advert" is an ad Pfizer UK put together to discourage people buying prescription drugs from unofficial websites. The Langland-developed work is nauseatingly convincing.

The ad will run in 600 movie theatres nationwide until March. It was put together in response to recent research that found one in 10 UK men buy prescription-only drugs from unregulated sources per year.

Aww. Think of all the money not filtering into Pfizer's pocket.

In all seriousness though, around 50-90% of medicines sold illegally aren't actually what they claim to be -- which served as the muse for this spot.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jan-15-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Commercials, Television



Human Rights Ain't Much without Human Intervention

little-soldier-girl.jpg

Here's an Amnesty International ad that depicts footage of ordinary people sticking their noses where they don't belong -- and stopping injustice, sometimes even death, as a result: a guy in a colorful button-down shirt throws a door open to free prisoners, a pregnant woman leaps in the way of a beating, a girl in a velour tracksuit takes a rifle from a young child.

Gotta say, we felt pretty nonplussed by the ad until we saw the kids with rifles, blowing smoke out of their nostrils and shooting into space.

The message? "Individuals can make a difference." The track is Until the Day is Done by Michael Stipe. Work by Mother/London.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jan-14-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Online



Canada's Family Literacy Day Gets Big Media Push

family_literacy_day_Mag_Drive.jpg

ABC Canada and Honda have teamed to promote Family Literacy Day on January 27, 2009, an annual event which encourages families to read and learn together. Toronto-based zig created the marketing materials for the event this year, including children's activity books for libraries and schools, event planning guides for Honda dealerships, radio spots, posters, billboards, print ads and ambient advertising.

more »

by Steve Hall    Jan- 9-09    
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Good



Organization For 'The Downsized' Out With 'Yes We Canned' Shirts

yes_we_canned.jpg

Recently the American Association of Shit-Canned Media Elites held a party for those who have found themselves without employment. Now the organization is out with Obama-style t-shirts which read, "Yes, We Canned."

The shirts aims to capture the "current media-industry mood in which we are all doing this delicate pirouette along a knife's edge between elation and despair, humor and utter dread."

Yup, that about captures it.

Ten percent of the proceeds go the the Eggers' 826 charity.

by Steve Hall    Jan- 9-09    
Topic: Cause



Buy Better Bulbs; WWF Will Do the Heavy Lifting

wwf-light-bulb.jpg

The industrial pollutants in the World Wildlife Federation's "Light Bulb" ad are only tired toys. But these miniatures -- small things we can easily control -- still convey the helplessness environmentalists feel when faced with oversized, eco-negligent businesses.

"Light Bulb" concludes with a male doll holding an energy-efficient light bulb. "You're doing your part," the ad assures us. "It's our job to help government & industry do theirs."

This message of gentle aggression is fast replaced by the image of a panda, an animal known to unfailingly melt hearts -- or in extreme conditions, cause brain explosions.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jan- 7-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Commercials, Magazine, Online, Television