Chevrolet Grabs Jonas Brothers to Hype Green Cars to Disney Set

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If you're a fan of Disney-manufactured pop acts then you'll have a soft spot for this partnership between Chevrolet, Disney and the Jonas Brothers, Disney's male version of Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana. Yes, that's Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter. Yesterday at Walt Disney Studios, the Jonas Brothers performed in front of 150 LA area students at a "Chevy Rocks the Future" concert. The effort aims to make Chevrolet's "green" cars cool in the eyes of the bubble gum set. Um, yum?

by Steve Hall    Feb-20-08    
Topic: Celebrity, Events, Good



Shocker! Tylenol Ad Campaign Admits Old People Exist

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Can you believe it? It's a shocker. An actual ad with actual old people in it! Complete with wrinkled skin and less than perfect abs. Seriously. We can't get over it. We're still in shock. And here we thought every one in the world was as hot as Obama Girl in a BarelyPolitical video. We are crushed at the thought of this new reality.

Where do we go from here? Is a wrinkled 75 year old the new twenty-something hottie? Is a flabby ass the new hot? Oh the horror of it all. It's just too much to bear! People actually get old? Everyone isn't hot forever? Who knew?

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SRG Employs Chewbacca Defense to 'WTF?' Us into Submission

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In early February MarketingVOX published this study about online TV show viewing by Solutions Research Group.

As can be typical of studies, the research cited some ostentatious figure -- namely, that 80 million Americans (43 percent of the online populace) have watched a favourite show online.

The study didn't specify whether 80 million Americans watched a complete episode; just that they watched one (which could mean anything, really).

Enter Kevin Horne of Lairig Marketing.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Bad, Online, Opinion, Research, Trends and Culture



EXtraordinary Brings Smooth Operation to Infiniti EX

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To compel drivers to make the "personal luxury crossover," Infiniti (or rather, TBWA\Chiat\Day) surprises us with EXtraordinary, a campaign for the EX that's all smooth pacing and cool grace. (We're now about 50 percent convinced the EX has those characteristics too.)

EXtraordinary does a good job of showcasing the finer elements of what we'd otherwise frown and dub a funky-shaped car. See 'Terrace' (pour homme) and 'Welcome' (pour femme).

Nice touch with the cello.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Brands, Commercials, Good, Television



Come On, It Makes Perfect Sense to Use Skin to Sell Skin.

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Adfreak pointed us to news of a virgin ad campaign for Apligraf, a kind of magic band-aid that uses living cells from the foreskins of baby boys to heal foot sores and leg ulcers.

Apligraf is generating lots of noise because it's the first product in its industry to start promoting its wares to consumers via advertising. (Granted, it's also the first product in its industry to get FDA approval.)

Adfreak surmises that the product is young, but it won't be long before it or similar offerings are promoted with bikini-clad sexbombs promising new-you salvation (It's Not Just for Foot Sores Anymore!).

Tough to play devil's advocate on this one. How long did it take post-legalization before controlled botulism injections became the stuff of slumber party play? A week?

by Angela Natividad    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Campaigns, Magazine, Opinion, Strange



Because Ad Monkeys Really Should Start Early

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The New York City Department of Education has approved the first-ever advertising and media public high school: The High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media. For short it will be called I.AM High, which ... speaks for itself. (Are you guys fucking kidding?)

I.AM High School will be situated with two other small high schools on the Canarsie High School campus. For the next several months it will be recruiting students and staff, developing a curriculum, and building outreach.

The school's mission is to equip students for ad and media careers with a strong portfolio and "an impressive resume." (Printing I.AM High, 4.0 under "High school education" -- guaranteed whiplash effect.)

Read about the program here.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Events, Strange



Denver Cooks Omelet, Absolut Succeeds, CMO Ambushes

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- StrawberryFrog, The Wexley School for Girls, The Barbarian Group. Now we can add Omelet to the list of oddly named advertising companies.

- Hmm. It seems dumping its iconic bottle campaign was the right thing to do for Absolut which, last year, saw sales hit five millions cases, its highest ever.

- Rather than "Get some NYC Condom," Copyranter thinks New York's Department of Health condom campaign should, perhaps, read, "Get some wet, tight waxed pussy."

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by Steve Hall    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Worst



Joss Tastes the Flake, Goes into Ecstasies, for Cadbury

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For the record, we've never felt a compulsion to watch Joss Stone wrap her lips around a chocolate shaft. But don't mind us, Cadbury (you saucy chocolate peddlers, you!). We just work here.

This ad for Cadbury's Flake is part of an effort to "reference the old adverts but bring a new feel to them," said a company rep to The Sunday Mirror.

The "feel" we got hovers somewhere between a puberty reel and a '50s girl gang smut film.



Microsoft, Yahoo and the Glacial Pace of Traditional Marketers

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We welcome guest columnist Sean X Cummings who, in response to the ongoing Yahoo/Microsoft acquisition dance along with Google's response, has several things to say about the deal and how the pace of technology growth is out pacing the ability of some marketers to keep ups with and master the influx of new media.

The Microsoft/Yahoo deal is often analyzed on the differences between technology companies, and media companies, offline, and online, threats to companies within that world, and outside, and those who interfere. Much of this misses more fundamental issues.

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by Sean X Cummings    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Online, Opinion, Trends and Culture



Sound of Color Gives Us Good Vibrations

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Last Friday Gap launched its Sound of Color effort by Rehab. It's pretty neat. Mouse over a color spectrum to watch a music video about a certain shade.

The videos aren't all commercial color-overload like we thought; it's all pretty true-to-feel. The Blakes' blue was mellow; the Raveonettes give us a stark black and white.

You can learn about the artists, get information about the theme swatch, watch interviews and makings-of, and -- most importantly -- download songs free.

Check out the Sound of Color website. We guarantee some close-to-valuable time-wastage. If anybody has photos of how Gap is promoting it in stores or elsewhere, send 'em over.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Online, Promotions