UK's Channel 4 Explores Sunnier Side of Islam

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Channel 4 enlisted London-based doctor Farrah Jarral and filmmaker Masood Khan to discover what it calls "the sunnier side of Islam." (Not to be confused for the Sunnier Side of Truth, which is slightly more musical.) The pair went out to meet 500 men named Osama over the course of 50 days. Each was asked the question, "What do you love?"

This Osama loves freedom and that Osama loves life, family, photography, friends, snow, skate, surf, music, art, "being me" and flashing gangsta-gangsta peace signs.

See more at the Osama Loves website. This one is probably my favorite. He ought to be bearing a sign that screams "Osama loves CUTE OVERLOAD!"

by Angela Natividad    Aug-20-08    
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Guerilla, Packaging



Planned Parenthood Believes in Abstinence! Seriously.

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Planned Parenthood Ohio is using a stodgy, responsible-looking older woman to rationalize its newest campaign, "The A-Word," which from what I can tell is made up of one video and an "Abstinence" graphic in smudgy Courier. Two of the tabs, "Affordability" and "Advocacy," are still "Coming Soon..."

The site was put together by Eisen Management Group, who argues "Planned Parenthood has been characterized in a largely false and negative light for far too long" -- that is, as champions for sex, however safe, but not abstinence.

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by Angela Natividad    Aug-20-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Political



Modernista's Packin' for Handgun Violence Campaign

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Modernista! takes its contrarian methodology to the streets with a gigantor WE SELL GUNS! billboard and interactive campaign for Stop Handgun Violence.

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by Angela Natividad    Aug-20-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Guerilla, Outdoor



My God, is that an Asterisk You're Hiding? You Filthy Fake.

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Apparently asterisks are bad.* In a campaign called "Don't be an Asterisk," the US Olympic Committee and the Ad Council associate them with steroids and inauthenticity.**

Witness as a high school jock repulses once-loving classmates when an asterisk starts forming on his forehead. (Apt, I guess, since steroids are supposed to make you break out like whoa.)

But here I was, all this time, thinking the teen angst market was reserved exclusively for the zit zappers. Speaking of which, J&J -- parent company of Neutrogena! -- funded this effort, which was put together by TBWA/Chiat/Day/NY.

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by Angela Natividad    Aug-14-08    
Topic: Cause, Commercials, Magazine, Strange, Video



PETA: It's Meat, Not Bountiful Cheap Food, that Gets You Fat

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PETA sent a letter to Ralph Basham, the commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, to convince him to offset the cost of building a border fence by selling ad space.

Why? Because it's got creative ready to run. The ad at left features svelte Mexicans in their homeland and fat chunky ones on the US side of the fence. It reads, "If the border patrol doesn't get you, the chicken and burgers will -- go vegan." (The premise is that when Mexicans cross the border, they are leaving behind a "far healthier staple diet of vegetables and grains.")

Commenters said the traditional Mexican diet isn't meat-free, and the fence itself actually harms animals because it prevents wildlife from migrating for food.

Well, I'm sure if PETA didn't need the fence for advertising and the US gov didn't need another lost cause to waste tax money on (because people in dire straits are really gonna go, "Hey, a fence" and turn back), everyone would be more than happy to take it down.

by Angela Natividad    Aug-13-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Outdoor



Benetton Uses Prayer to Stitch Up Chinese/Tibetan Differences

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One thing I love about Benetton: it never knows when to leave well enough alone. "Victims," the current issue of its company magazine Colors, uses the tragedy of the SouthWest China earthquake to try mending the China/Tibetan conflict.

The issue includes 30 shots of quake victims integrated with 30 prayers written for them by Tibetan monks. An accompanying Benetton ad displays a Tibetan monk and a Chinese soldier bowing toward each other, possibly in greeting, apology or shared grief. Readers can send their own prayers over for inclusion in a campaign exhibition.

Provocative as always, but I generally have trouble hating on Benetton (except when they fired Toscani). The "Victims" ad campaign is running in Italian newspapers and in French daily Le Monde.

by Angela Natividad    Aug-12-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Good, Magazine, Online



Hitler Tweets, Kanye Popped, Montauk Monster Demystified

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- It's another raging Hitler appropriation. This one's called "The Rise and Fall of Twitter." Given that we've had similar spittle-fits over Twitter's goddamn down time, it's pretty funny, actually.

- Some nights you just need to pop a Kanye into your glass.

- Lack of bear at Black Bear Diner.

- So I guess the Montauk Monster is a guerrilla effort for an indie movie called Splinterheads.

- British carrier TalkTalk is trying to help fight autism with a campaign called The Forever Story. Alongside the common man, authors like Nick Hornby will contribute to a story that's supposed to go on forever. For every contribution, TalkTalk will donate 1 pound (the currency) to a charity called Treehouse.



Amanda Beard Gets Naked in China For PETA's Fur Campaign

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In addition to "nude" Olympian appearances in a recent Powerade campaign, Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard got "naked" for PETA in support of the organization's Don't Wear Fur campaign. Apparently her public appearance at a news conference in Bejing was too much for Chinese officials to handle who shut her down, reportedly, for safety reasons. She then moved to another location an unveiled the ad to the usual swarm of photographers and gawkers.

Likely, China isn't so accepting of PETA's freedom of speech-enabled mode of operation given that, according to PETA, Chinese fur farms aren't the greatest places for a furry animal to find itself.

by Steve Hall    Aug- 7-08    
Topic: Cause, Racy



Yeah, Those Would Be Breakdancing Bees

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For every beehive lost, a b-boy somewhere goes up in smoke.

Put together by Feed Company for client Haagen-Dazs, which hopes to raise awareness about the high rate of honey bee deaths. (The shorthand: honey bees are dying in increasing numbers. We depend on them for one-third of our food supply, so if they all die, well ... let's just say no more ice cream for you.)

Visit Help the Honey Bees to read more. Cute site. Sad how the little bee just falls into the grass and dies, though. Kinda reminded me of this.

Luckily (maybe?) for future bees, the breakdancing bee video is generating steam from breaker fans. See YouTube comments. Then hey, go buy ice cream. (Chocolate peanut butter is smooooth.)

by Angela Natividad    Aug- 1-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Online, Trends and Culture, Video



Blue Cross Makes Pets Talk

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Seriously. And they have accents.

Put together by WWAV Rapp Collins London, the destination lets you stuff human vocal chords into one of the pets available, or upload a shot of your own pet. A "virtual newshound" reads news headlines from its host site.

All this is to promote All About Pets, a British pet charity run by The Blue Cross. (The site's really nice: soothing colors and curvy corners and tags and widgets. Petcare has come a long way.)

by Angela Natividad    Jul-30-08    
Topic: Cause, Online