BAGnews Notes takes issue with a recent print ad for ExxonMobil touts the company's emission reducing efforts. Analyzing the ad, BAGnews Notes writes, "ExxonMobil is primarily involved in the production of gasoline, which is primarily responsible for air pollution and ozone depletion caused by auto emissions. The ad, however, refers to the capture of steam. If you read the ad copy, aren't they doing a bait-and-switch in which steam capture is (intentionally) confused with emission reduction? Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems the company is using one process to cloud the other."
Launched last week, a new Times Square billboard for Nike allows people to manipulate the board's imagery using SMS to build their own sneaker which can them be purchased online at a web address sent back to the person's phone. The board only accepts manipulation between noon and 1PM and 3PM to 5PM. It's an admirable effort towards increasing time spent with the brand. Though, with the number of people passing by, SMSing the board, it's a wonder it won't explode responding to all the requests.
Disguised as an editorial employment article in the Toronto Star, Kellog is promoting its All-Bran cereal with William Shatner, under the headline, "Baker, Underhill, Tilly and Taylor - Appointment Notice" and the copy "Bob Baker, President and Chief Bean Counter of Baker Underhill, Tilly and Taylor Chartered Accountants is pleased to announce the appointment of William Shatner as Receptionist and Managing Director of Making Fibre (this is Canada, remember) your friend." It goes on in the usual, droll announcement-like tone explaining how Shatner will increase awareness at the firm about the benefits of fiber and how Kellog products will playa part in that effort. Inkygirl took a picture of the ad so you can read the entire copy.
As the open source underdog browser, Firefox, continues to steal market share from Microsoft, it, with help from European POZZ agency, has launched three hilarious news spots that illustrate the increased joy Firefox offers people over dull and boring Internet Explorer.
Our very creative friends in Miami, Crispin Porter + Bogusky have signed a first-look deal with FOX Television Studios under which FOX gets first right of refusal on CP+B's program ideas. While we love CP+B's commercial work, let's hope this deal doesn't lead to long form commercials passed of as television programs. Oh wait, I forgot about The Apprentice, Survivor, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and, oh, just about every other program currently airing.
While reading through this eBay ad offering to place an advertisers message on the outer clothing of a baby for a period of one year, it's clear this baby is not being offered by your average everyday parents. The copy clearly connotes knowledge of advertising and reads like some sort of brochure. We hope this isn't some type of new, baby ad sales network in the making soon to be roaming the halls of maturity wards, tapping on the shoulders of unsuspecting parents and handing out business cards.
Receiving increased attention, yet created six months ago by The Pointer Institute Fellows Robin Sloan and Matt Thompson, a film, called EPIC, looks forward to the world of 2014 in which Google controls most everything and the New York Times is relegated to a "print only newsletter for the elite and the elderly." While certainly a plausible future, it's not as rosy as it might seem with the film concluding most content will be useless, trivial, unsubstantiated conjecture. Here is a transcript of the film.
Today, GE will launch a new corporate campaign, called "ecomagination," touting its eco-friendly approach. A multimedia effort will kick-off with eight-page newspaper inserts in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Financial Times. Thereafter, print, television and online ads will appear.
For print, there are two pools of work: one modeled after the look of the famous Audubon prints; and another that uses reflection and shadows. Both are intended to show how GE products co-exist in harmony with nature. Television commercials speak to GE's technology that claims to do the job with greater fuel efficiency, lower emissions and less noise. But, the really fun (and controversial) element of this campaign is the spot called Model Miners in which perfect bodied male and females toil, to the tune of Merle Travis' Sixteen Tons, in the depths of a coal mine while glancing seductively into the camera.
A teaser spot with a dancing elephant called "Singing in the Rain" broke last week. Additional commercials will break this week. There is also an interactive online component that was created by Atmosphere BBDO.
 Money Shot, Butchered When Tiger Woods made that famous 16th hole shot, leaving the Nike golf ball hanging on the edge of the cup, swoosh visible for two long seconds before dropping in, the ad industry speculated wildly over over how Nike would turn this moment into a commercial. Well, three weeks passed, nothing was released and the industry gave up hope. In the meantime - actually, the day the shot occurred, Joe Jaffe, pointed out this perfect opportunity for Nike and created a spec spot on his own. Simply and without un-necessary editorializing, Jaffe's version illustrated the miraculous moment and ended quietly with "Just do it." It took a fantastic sporting moment, which needed no additional explanation, and commercialized it beautifully.
While all had given up hope Nike would take advantage of this moment, a Nike-created spot finally emerged a week or so ago. It was about as timely as that Bud Light Super Bowl spot making fun the previous year's Janet Jackson nipple slip. Did it really have to take that long for client and agency to get their shit together? The spot, using the same imagery from the famous day and interspersed with black screen/white type banal messaging, closes with a lame, inside joke about how Woods should have, at least, landed the ball in a way that made the Nike logo more visible.
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There's always that debate that goes on in a guy's mind when it comes to the type of woman best suited to offering a good time or, long term, providing a nice life. Nintendo has put that debate to rest - at least for a few minutes - by giving guys both in the form of good girl, bad girl NintendoDS ads in Stuff Magazine. The good girl promises to be in control whether on top or or on bottom. The bad girl "likes to touch as hard or as fast as she wants." Take your pick, guys.
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