Hasta La Creative!

While we’re in the mood to fact-check sight gags, I thought I’d go ahead and take umbrage with this Italian ad for Goodyear. (See the full ad here.) My beef is twofold. One, outside of oil and gasoline, there’s not much that gets replaced on a truck more often than tires. That alone makes the premise of this ad seem pretty preposterous. But then there’s my second concern, which is about the whole point of the ad. Turns out the “max technology” referenced in the copy is really more about fuel efficiency. I guess if you’ve got a massive fleet of trucks, you’d probably be more concerned with saving at the pump than with paying extra for tires that last a few months longer. So, was this just a case of a (somewhat) clever idea refusing to be restrained by silly things like reality and the creative brief? Via Ads of the World.

—Posted by David Griner

(TrendHunter.com) Transforming furniture is all the rage these days, and it seems the trend has rubbed off on fashion design as well.

The Sombrerobolsa by designers Rafael Vinader Balibrea and Virginia Bru Artero suffers from an identity crisis. Is it a cute hat that is convertible into a handbag, or is it the other…

It’s taxes due day in America and the perfect time to look at consumer spending and the retail segment of our economy.

From today’s New York Times:

The consumer spending slump and tightening credit markets are unleashing a widening wave of bankruptcies in American retailing, prompting thousands of store closings that are expected to remake suburban malls and downtown shopping districts across the country.

Since last fall, eight mostly midsize chains — as diverse as the furniture store Levitz and the electronics seller Sharper Image — have filed for bankruptcy protection as they staggered under mounting debt and declining sales.

Even retailers that can avoid bankruptcy are shutting down stores to preserve cash through what could be a long economic downturn. Over the next year, Foot Locker said it would close 140 stores, Ann Taylor will start to shutter 117, and the jeweler Zales will close 100.

Speaking to the consumer spending question in today’s Washington Post, marketing consultant and friend of AdPulp, Marc Babej, said, “The common denominator in what people will look for is how to get the most bang for their buck. That means trying to get better value and more pleasure out of each dollar you spend.”

Better value and more pleasure. I like that. That ought to be S.O.P., no matter what the economy is doing.

The opportunity to etch my passion into living oak (or hickory, whatever) has never presented itself. Sigh. Moving right along, here’s a new Blattner Brunner ad for W.R. Case & Sons handcrafted knives, which have been around “since 1889.” From the release: “The image’s simple visual poetry outweighed the fact that trees grow not from the bottom but from the top, and that bark stays at the same height, year after year.” So, trees grow from the top. You learn something new every day here at AdFreak. Nice of Blattner to pre-emptively justify breaking the laws of nature, too. Though I wonder … have they conclusively ruled out that giants did this? They can be tall and romantic.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

LONDON – Sir Terence Conran, the designer and entrepreneur, has found reinforcements from his fashion designer son Jasper in his row with Havas over the use of the family name.

(TrendHunter.com) Graffeeti has launched a new line of ‘Re-Markable’ shoes that let you be the artist. The shoes allow you to design a style that’s just right for you. And change it over and over again.

Graffeeti Shoes are retro high-top sports sneakers with writeable areas on them.

One pen attaches to the sh…

EDINBURGH – Tennent’s Lager is giving £150,000 to music fans to let them create their own programme of gigs championing Scottish music.

(TrendHunter.com) Sony, Wal-Mart and McDonalds are amongst companies who could soon find themselves subject to criminal prosecution under a new UK law that bans fake blogs.

Specifically, the law would ban the use of ‘fake consumer blogs’ which mislead real consumers.

Several examples have been observed in the past…

(TrendHunter.com) If making your grass furniture out of scratch is too much effort (and mess) for you, then this fresh bench by 5.5 Designers collective is a good alternative.

The bench comes with built-in compartments for you to easily grow your favorite plants in the armrests and backrest areas.

The result is a …

Advertising Agency: DM9 JaymeSyfu Manila, The Philippines
Creative Directors: Louie Sotto, Merlee Jayme, Eugene Demata
Creatives: Allan Montayre, Louie Sotto
Photographer: Paolo Gripo
Account Directors: Merlee Jayme, Marj Aznar