Smoking Hot New Phones – Samsung Dual Touch Chic G400, F480 & F400 B&O;Slider (GALLERY)

(TrendHunter.com) I’m not just saying this phone is stylish, it actually is called the Samsung Dual Touch Chic G400. It’s one of three hot new phones the company has debuted at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, along with the F480 and F400 B&O;Slider. Stop drooling!

The Chic, shown in the center of the photo, is a…

Coke Zero Pulls a Fast One on Nascar Drivers


NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Coke Zero is out scamming people again — this time Nascar drivers. After what appeared to be a slow start, Coke Zero has racked up a substantial 1% share of the soft-drink category. Now, in an effort to reinforce the brand's key selling point — that the diet product tastes like regular Coke — the marketer is breaking a Nascar-themed commercial during the Fox broadcast of the Daytona 500 this Sunday.

Travel on Land, Water & Air – Evolution Aircraft (GALLERY)

(TrendHunter.com) Incredible! For $7,200 you can now have a vehicle that can travel on land, slide through water and snow, and most importantly, fly! Evolution is designed by Alexander Begak , who presented his invention at Russia’s recent MAKS-2007 air show.

“This is a universal kind of transportation. It can f…

Virtual Activities In Real Time

The documentary Second Skin, which debuts at SXSW next month, takes an intimate look at computer gamers whose lives have been transformed by the emerging genre of Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) like World of Warcraft, Second Life, and Everquest.

Jon Cherry wonders whether the growing interest in MMORPGs signals an increase in anti-social behavior. Which is funny, since these games are interactive. But I guess that’s akin to saying MyFaceSpace is a party when it’s clearly not.

Making Machines to Imitate Nature – 14k Gold Mechanical Dragonfly (GALLERY)

(TrendHunter.com) Anax Imperator Machina is latin for The Emporor Dragonfly Machine, says artist Jesse Dang. Illiantbray is pig latin for brillant. This large model (8 inch wingspan) is meant to interpret the gadgets of daVinci. Dang wanted to recreate nature using classic engineering and beautiful form. Everything i…

Pyper Paul + Kenney Only Wins 56 Tampa ADDYs

We’ve been following Tampa agency Pyper Paul + Kenney’s ADDY tally for a few years now. Apparently, the glory days may be over.

In 2006, they won 127 ADDYS.
In 2007, they won 129 ADDYS.

Looks like this year was a big disappointment, with only 56 ADDYS won. That’s a 57% decrease from last year. From the Tampa Bay Business Journal:

The Tampa advertising agency received 56 awards for advertising produced in 2007.

Pyper Paul won for representing clients such as Metropolitan Ministries, Sweetbay Supermarket, Florida Aquarium, Stinger Systems Inc., Tampa Bay Rays, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Lowry Park Zoo, Touch Vodka, Hooters and Jailhouse Fire.

That’s too bad. Guess these guys have to do something drastic to stop the dropping numbers.

Coffee Morning: KC likemind

Likemind
We’ll be at the usual likemind spot, JP Wine Bar, this Friday at 7:30am. I’m not sure if we’ll have likemind swag and $25 of free coffee. That’s still being worked out for 2008. Either way, please join us for coffee, lattes, mochas, americanos, tea, Mexican spice hot chocolate, etc. And, of course, the normal tv, ads and current buzz conversation.

See you then.

Study: Who Clicks on Banners?

It’s time to update the famous saying to “I know half of my clicks are wasted, I just don’t know which half.”

ComScore’s press release: “The study illustrates that heavy clickers represent just 6% of the online population yet account for 50% of all display ad clicks. While many online media companies use click-through rate as an ad negotiation currency, the study shows that heavy clickers are not representative of the general public. In fact, heavy clickers skew towards Internet users between the ages of 25-44 and households with an income under $40,000. Heavy clickers behave very differently online than the typical Internet user, and while they spend four times more time online than non-clickers, their spending does not proportionately reflect this very heavy Internet usage. Heavy clickers are also relatively more likely to visit auctions, gambling, and career services sites – a markedly different surfing pattern than non-clickers.

Further preliminary Starcom data suggests no correlation between display ad clicks and brand metrics, and show no connection between measured attitude towards a brand and the number of times an ad for that brand was clicked. The research presentation suggests that when digital campaigns have a branding objective, optimizing for high click rates does not necessarily improve campaign performance.” (emphasis mine)

Not that it’s a surprising news — see AdLab’s post on clicker demographics from a couple of months ago.

Also,
Study: Banners Work Even When No One’s Looking
Study: Banner Ads Affect Memory
Subliminal Spam

First Arab Designer at Milan Fashion Week – Milia M

The air in Milan is sparkling, waiting for the forthcoming Milan Fashion Week, the event that between 16th and 23rd February will catch the eyes of the world’s fashion industry.
One big new this year comes from the Middle East:
Milia Maroun, aka Milia M, will be the first Arab designer invited to pa…

Desperate for Market Share – McDonald’s Uses Feng Shui

(TrendHunter.com) In one of the strangest moves to attract customers, a McDonald’s in California is trying to integrate the five elements of fire, earth, wood, water, and metal – Feng Shui into the world of sugar, fat, etc. etc. The restaurant has totally redesigned their interior under the guidance of Grand Master D…

Desperate for Market Share – McDonald’s Uses Feng Shui

In one of the strangest moves to attract customers, a McDonald’s in California is trying to integrate the five elements of fire, earth, wood, water, and metal – Feng Shui into the world of sugar, fat, etc. etc. The restaurant has totally redesigned their interior under the guidance of Grand Master D…

But Will He Be as Good as Peyton in Front of the Camera?


NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — It didn't take New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning long to cash in on his team's stunning Super Bowl upset.

Seattle Times Takes Issue with Baring Vagina

vagina-monologues.jpg

This month the National Council of Jewish Women, Seattle is co-sponsoring a couple of performances for the Vagina Monologues at the Museum of History and Industry.

Video LCD Binoculars (VIDEO)

(TrendHunter.com) Your video’s all fussy and distorted. Finding it hard to focus. Hoping to escape the cinematography of your own four walls, well have you tried looking right outside your window. You even have a port to supply your online infantry. If you liked ‘Spy’s Like Us’ then you’ll love these. Forget how many…

Neotel: Wire tree

Neotel: Wire tree

Copper wire still has its uses.

Advertising Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa
Executive Creative Director: Damon Stapleton
Creative Director: Margie Backhouse
Art Director: Wihan Meerholz
Copywriter: Dan Parmenter
Released: December 2007

Harshang Zaveri Diamond Gallery: Ring, 3

Harshang Zaveri Diamond Gallery: Ring, 3

HZ Diamond Gallery
A sparkling collection of haute couture diamonds for the connoisseur.

Advertising Agency: Percept H, Pune, India
Creative Director / Art Director / Illustrator: Ojas Parkhi
Copywriter: Navjot Sethi
Photographer: Sagar
Published: December 2006

Harshang Zaveri Diamond Gallery: Ring, 2

Harshang Zaveri Diamond Gallery: Ring, 2

HZ Diamond Gallery
A sparkling collection of haute couture diamonds for the connoisseur.

Advertising Agency: Percept H, Pune, India
Creative Director / Art Director / Illustrator: Ojas Parkhi
Copywriter: Navjot Sethi
Photographer: Sagar
Published: December 2006

Harshang Zaveri Diamond Gallery: Ring, 1

Harshang Zaveri Diamond Gallery: Ring, 1

HZ Diamond Gallery
A sparkling collection of haute couture diamonds for the connoisseur.

Advertising Agency: Percept H, Pune, India
Creative Director / Art Director / Illustrator: Ojas Parkhi
Copywriter: Navjot Sethi
Photographer: Sagar
Published: December 2006

Amici dei Bambini: Baby on board

Amici dei Bambini: Baby on board

BABY ON BOARD. In Italy abandoned children are more than you think.

Advertising Agency: JWT Italia, Milan, Italy
Creative Director: Pietro Maestri
Art Director: Andrea Farina
Copywriter: Salvatore Li Vecchi
Released: January 2008

Cadbury Thins: Manscaping

Cadbury Thins: Manscaping

Invented 2003. Because hair on a man – like real estate – is all about one thing: location, location, location.
Cadbury Thins. Invented 2005. Because every woman deserves 100% Cadbury chocolate with only 100 calories.
Now that’s clever.

Advertising Agency: MacLaren McCann, Toronto, Canada
Creative Director: Andy Manson
Art Director: Erin Wendel
Copywriter: Lauren McCrindle
Illustrator: Ray Fenwick
Published: January 2008