This Australian ad for the Naked brand of condoms was destined for a ban from TV, and got it, but the specific reasoning is pretty stupid. Australia's FreeTV Commercials Advice Department, which refused the ad for commercial broadcast, requested "the removal of all sexual references," which is difficult when you're trying to sell condoms. Plus, CAD's demands are too broad. Just for fun, they should ask for the female actor not to specify which parent she's talking to during sex, and for both actors to have at least one obvious physical imperfection. The spot was written and directed by comedian Gary Eck.
America's gangliest talk-show host takes on TV-commercial auditions in this skit. With the help of Killian's Workshop, Conan O'Brien—not always the most comfortable commercial endorser—reads some copy about shrimp that sounds like Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up act ("Is it 21 shrimp, or 21 shrimps?"), turns the Bite and Smile into an exploration of possibly being gay, and drives an invisible car—all while trying not to look like a total spaz. Which is to say, he tries very hard to look like a total spaz.
Thirteen minutes is a bit long for the concept they're running with here, but Conan's ruthless derision of corny ad tropes strikes gold more than once; the shrimp/shrimps-induced mental breakdown and naming the invisible car the "Ford Delusion" are two highlights. And for the record, both "shrimp" and "shrimps" are acceptable plurals.
Starbucks wants you to think it's just like your neighborhood cafe from 100 years ago. The coffee mega-chain has opened a New Orleans location with an interior design inspired by what the coffee giant thinks a Louisiana apothecary's shop at the turn of the 20th century would have looked like. It's part of the company's attempts to create "locally relevant" stores—as opposed to the same old cookie-cutter atmosphere.
Apart from the fact that it's totally absurd for a giant corporation to try to feel like a small business, the design does look nice, and seems to mean some extra work for artists, usually a good thing. The strategy, clever in a mercenary sort of way, stretches from Seattle—where there are apparently some jarringanecdotes about members of Starbucks research team hanging out at the local competition and taking extensive notes—to Tokyo, where one store's design reportedly pays homage to traditional tea houses.
The concept even comes with a cringeworthy oxymoron of a portmanteau (not the sole purview of Starbucks), which really only emphasizes how ridiculous the whole thing is. Plus, no matter how the inside of the store looks, the coffee will remain mediocre.
Santa-themed retail displays are everywhere at this time of year, but sometimes you run across one that truly captures the mood of the season—like this sprawled-out, morbidly obese Kris Kringle reportedly modeled after Jabba the Hutt.
Clothing retailer Betabrand recently put the disturbingly swollen and pimpled St. Nick, designed by artist Cianna Valley, on display in a San Francisco storefront—as a statement on the excess of holiday festivity and consumerism. Or something along those lines. Whatever the intent, it seems to be a hit photo backdrop for Betabrand customers.
The Poopy Cat Dolls and their song, "If You Want My Purr Purr," are worth checking out, even if you don't live in the Netherlands, don't need to order monthly deliveries of biodegradable cat litter containers and don't actually remember what the Pussycat Dolls sounded like.
Despite its limited geographical footprint so far, the video has already gotten the attention of Laughing Squid,Huffington Post and Mashable, so don't be too surprised if Poopy Cat ends up scratching its way to American doorsteps sometime soon.
The universe's obsession with smartphones is overripe for parody. Viral video stars Rhett & Link have obliged with an able skewering of the all-too-common practice of ignoring everyone and everything around you in favor of gluing your face to Facebook or Instagram or whatever the hell it is the kids are doing with their screens these days.
It's an easy target in many ways, but the video hits the more obvious targets (e.g., foodies) dead on, and throws in couple of fun, unexpected twists. That helps make it a welcome addition to an increasingly rich subgenre.
For more on why you shouldn't use your smartphone all the time, please use your smartphone to check out the more understated comedy bit "I Forgot My Phone" and McCann Melbourne's effort to give the social slight an appropriately ridiculous name.
UPDATE: DigitasLBi worked on this campaign, helping to broker the partnership between Rhett & Link and Buick for this video, which is part of a larger #InTheMoment campaign.
All right, it's been done before, but not for a while: Nickelodeon is partnering with the ever-embattled U.S. Postal Service to promote its long-running children's series SpongeBob SquarePants, in which a member of the order dictyoceratida opts for business casual dress to spend time with a slow-witted echinoderm and a squirrel of incredibly advanced brain function with a penchant for scuba diving.
The show's hero will appear in mailbox form on street corners around the country, and postage-paid SpongeBob postcards will be available gratis at about 25,000 post offices. If you want to see a MailPants yourself, you'll need to travel to Atlanta; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Dallas; Hollywood and Orlando, Fla.; Kirkwood, Mo.; Los Angeles; Miami; New York; Philadelphia; or Washington. So really, you have no excuse.
Nick has a series of videos on the letter-writing process that ties into the campaign as well as printable stationery; the whole shebang is in effect through the month of SpongeBob-related Lego and stuffed-animal buying, formerly known as December. So, by the time the last MailPants disappears on Jan. 5, you may actually have convinced your kid to write that thank you note to Nana.
Pantene Philippines has launched a powerful campaign pointing out how identical behavior often earns men and women different labels in the workplace.
In this spot by BBDO Guerrero in Manila, a lovely cover of "Mad World" by Tears for Fears plays while each scene displays a double-standard in a working environment. A man is the "boss" while a woman is "bossy." A man is "persuasive" while a woman is "pushy." He's "neat" but she's "vain." He's "smooth" but she's a "show-off." "Don't let labels hold you back. Be strong and shine," says the copy at the end.
There's nary a shampoo bottle in sight, although glossy hair certainly features here. But the video delivers, and the #whipit campaign has inspired discussion on both the YouTube video and Facebook.
• "Too bad they couldn't find a male equivalent of 'bitch.' This is the one I hear the most about strong women in the workplace." • "Sell product by convincing your target market that you are more invested in contributing to emotionally charged, globally relevant women's image issues than you are in advertising your product."
While it is disappointing that they used only light-skinned models—a long-standing trend in the Philippines—it's a potent spot with an important message criticizing gender stereotypes. Oh, and Sheryl Sandberg is a fan.
Kevin Bacon wants you to "Shift Your Shopping" for good by buying local with select retailers who agree to donate a portion of sales from your purchase to charity.
The spot hinges on the pretense that Kevin Bacon is not actually Kevin Bacon but some sort of mustachioed goober named Melvin Macon, who seems to be filming a local commercial circa early '80s, complete with inspiring gospel choir courtesy of the Brown Memorial Baptist Church. (You may recall Bacon playing another hirsute alter ego named Ivan Cobenk in that amazing Logitech spot a few years back.) And when he's not assaulting your eyeballs with nappy old PowerPoint backgrounds, Melvin is encouraging you to be a good citizen and give back to the world.
The work was created pro bono by New York agency Walrus just in time for your holiday shopping spree. So, if squinting at the whirling yellow type at the bottom of the spot doesn't give you a seizure, pick one of those fine local retailers and run out to double your gifting impact. And don't forget to attach a "Kevin Bacon Approved" gift tag.
CREDITS Client: ShiftYourShopping.org Agency: Walrus, New York Creative Director: Deacon Webster Art Director/Copywriter: Tiffany McKee Producer: Valerie Hope Production Company: Mustache Director: Gavin Bellour Executive Producer: John Limotte Producer: Jennifer Kachler Editor/Graphics/Animation: Will Bystrov
Bad news for grinches who still hate ugly holiday sweaters despite their newfound ironic popularity: Budweiser U.K. is adding some charm to the practice of capitalizing on them.
The beer brand has created a "Knitbot"—what it calls a tweet-powered knitting machine—to knit ugly sweaters for designated drivers. Every tweet tagged with the hashtag #jumpersfordes (jumper being British for sweater, and des being short for designated drivers) causes the machine to knit a little more. Everything about this—the grasping for relevance in social media, the uninvited participation in a tradition not directly connected to any brand—should be annoying. But it's hard to argue against celebrating non-drunk-drivers. People always get sloppy wasted during the holidays, after all, so why not foster good will—and look less mercenary—by focusing on the chaperones?
A quick Twitter search for #jumpersfordes returns only a few dozen mentions since Nov. 27. Now, the brand plans to hand out the sweaters to actual designated drivers via a contest on its Facebook page. Sure, it's not the first holiday campaign to tie in Twitter, knitting and wooly giveaways. But the campaign's real problem is that the sweaters aren't near ugly enough. Coke Zero's are way worse.
Grasshopper.com's epic parody 1980s entrepreneurial video has all the right things. It has the word "epic" in the title. It has that one-take, walking toward the camera while grabbing props out of nowhere thing that people go nuts for. It has a great actor who went to the Shatner school of pausing. It references psychologically important American cult films like American Psycho. And it includes amazing '80s music. It even has amazingly useless joke acronyms. And if you don't love it for all that, watch it to see the best example of a business card ever conceived. All of which is why it's another YouTube success for this small business that serves small businesses. The only thing that would have made it better is kittens.
Interactive design and branding company 8k in Poland is getting some visibility from its "Pay What You Want" pricing system ($1 minimum) that covers services including logos, slogans, letterheads, business cards, naming and sales letters.
The goal is twofold: get some attention for the shop, and address the always-murky issue of suitable pricing for different agency services. "We are hoping to catch a few nice regular customers and we wanted to provoke a discussion about a difficult situation in the advertising industry," 8k's Marek Bartosinski told AdFreak. "We took the risk and we will see what happens. In the worst case scenario, we will have material for a unique case study and some fame."
There are some ground rules. For instance, prospective clients must justify their payment offers, and the agency reserves the right to turn down projects. So far, its PWYW clients include local firms Poligrafiko and Impools, as well as 7 Starz in England. The five-person shop has completed 23 assignments using PWYW for an average payment of $74. Luckily for 8k, the publicity is probably worth a whole lot more.
Below, you can check out two of the design projects the agency has done on its PWYW pricing so far.
Behold the C21 Delivery Landing Pad, designed to accommodate package deliveries by airborne drones. According to the product's maker, real-estate giant Century 21, "no home of the 21st century will be complete without one." Even so, don't expect the pad to be included with your next split-level colonial.
Roughly the size of a welcome mat and equipped with tiny landing lights, the C21 is, in fact, a fictitious item, promoted in yet another quick-turnaround, tongue-in-cheek video from Boston ad agency Mullen. These promos riff on buzzy current events, in this case Jeff Bezos's claim that Amazon will offer deliveries via flying bots sometime in the future. (Such a system at Walter White's Albuquerque home—listed "for sale" by Century 21 in a Craigslist ad timed to the Breaking Bad finale—would've been invaluable for receiving drone-dispatched beakers, Bunsen burners, Badfinger CDs, etc.)
Alas, since Bezos made his announcement on 60 Minutes last Sunday, it's become increasingly clear that in light of regulatory hurdles and safety concerns, it may well be Century 22 before drone deliveries become commonplace.
On Thursday night, as millions tuned in to see Carrie Underwood ambitiously take on the role of Maria von Trapp, croon about the hills being alive, and make children's clothing out of drapes in NBC's The Sound of Music Live, DiGiorno Pizza was also watching—and live-tweeted the whole thing. The Nestlé brand's tweets were funny and hilariously pizza-related. Let's have a moment of appreciation for how difficult a task that must have been, considering The Sound of Music heavily features a convent and also the Third Reich. Also, a solid nod of respect to whomever came up with the hashtag #DiGiorNOYOUDIDNT.
In its first work for the brand, Deutsch/LA tells the story of the McDermott family—from the point of view of a porcelain Christmas tree topper voiced by Sopranos star Lorraine Bracco. We begin in the late '70s, as Mom brings the ornament home, where it will witness all sorts of shenanigans over the next 34 years. Holidays bring the usual family stresses for the McDermotts, but three decades later, something finally comes along that brings them all together for a quiet few hours—Netflix streaming.
The spot is nicely shot by Matt Aselton of Arts & Sciences—all the period details are fun. (Even today, the McDermotts retain a stubborn '70s vibe.) And Bracco's voice is as rich and evocative as ever, perfect for an ad with vintage touches.
Not sure watching Forrest Gump is really what will bring the family together this holiday, though. Shame the second season of House of Cards won't arrive for another couple months.
Print ad and credits below.
CREDITS Client: Netflix Spot: "Tree Topper" Chief Marketing Officer: Kelly Bennett Vice President, North America Marketing: Jerret West Global Creative Director: Trent Good Senior Producer: Kara Pierce Senior Marketing Manager: Megan Imbres Creative Marketing Manager: Crystal Ponzio
Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles Chief Creative Officer: Pete Favat Group Creative Director: Gavin Lester Senior Art Director: Gordy Sang Senior Copywriter: Brian Siedband Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo Producer: Rachel Seitel
Production Company: Arts & Sciences, Los Angeles Director: Matt Aselton Director of Photography: Corey Walter Managing Director: Mal Ward Executive Producer: Marc Marrie Line Producer: Zoe Odlum
Editorial Company: Arcade Edit, Los Angeles Editor: Geoff Hounsell Executive Producer: Damian Stevens Assistant Editor: Glenn Teel Producer: Gavin Carroll
Post Facility: MPC, Santa Monica, Calif. Colorist: Mark Gethin
Post Facility (Online): MPC, Santa Monica Online Artist: Mark Holden Online Assistant Artist: Adrian Leva Producer: Abisayo Adejare Executive Producer: Lexi Stearn
Music/Composer: Human
Sound Design: Henry Boy, New York
Audio Post: Lime Studios, Santa Monica Mixer: Rohan Young Assistant: Jeff Malen Executive Producer: Jessica Locke
Shoot Location: Chicago
End Tag Treatment: Laundry, Los Angeles
Additional Deutsch Credits: Chief Executive Officer: Mike Sheldon Director of Account Management: Kim Getty
Account Management Credits: Group Account Director: John McGonigle Account Director: Christi Johnson Account Supervisor: Michal David
Media Credits: MEC Director of Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo Business Affairs Manager: Maggie Pijanowski Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
What the hell is going on here? That may be the main question on your mind as you watch this Marc Jacobs video, in which the brand's president, Robert Duffy, announces something about a photo truck being outside its Bleecker Street store on weekends this month—but instead of just saying it, Duffy is lip-syncing some other guy saying it (and the other guy seems to have a mild stutter). The effect is not unlike the uncanny valley, as Duffy seems quite nonhuman. As weird as it is, though, it's undeniably compelling—sort of amazing, in a way. Just, you know, show up to the event at your own risk. Via Fashionista, which points out that Duffy has done some weird stuff in company videos before.
What do you do when your catchphrase becomes so popular, major brands start using it on their own merchandise without permission or compensation? If you're the VlogBrothers, you reluctantly do nothing.
The YouTube star siblings John and Hank Green have long ended their clips with the mantra, "Don't forget to be awesome." Its acronym, DFTBA, is even the name of their indie record label, which has supported other online celebrities like Smosh, NicePeter (of "Epic Rap Battles" fame) and Rhett and Link.
The phrase's popularity among VlogBrothers fans, known as Nerdfighters, has now made it a hot item among pop fashion and retail brands including Urban Outfitters, Hobby Lobby, Delia's, Aeropostale, Pier One and more. Not one of the brands or their suppliers has paid for the line's usage.
In a new clip, John Green explains not only why the brothers are allowing these unpaid uses to be sold but also how the "wild world of trademarks" actually works for modern content creators. For the VlogBrothers, cracking down on national brands would mean also having to go after fans who sell "Don't forget to be awesome" merchandise on sites like Etsy.
If you're the least bit interested in how modern Internet-fueled catchphrases are used, abused and co-opted by fans and Fortune 500 companies alike, this video is a must-watch.
Jim Carter, who plays Downton Abbey's reserved and dignified butler, Carson, brilliantly interprets Santa Claus as a disheveled, on-the-edge shadow of his jolly old self in this striking British Greenpeace spot about the impact of global warming and oil drilling at the North Pole.
"Dear children, regrettably I bring bad tidings," he begins, his precise, cultured tones barely repressing his outrage—and rage—over his predicament. "Melting ice here at the North Pole has made our operations and our day-to-day life intolerable and impossible, and there may be no alternative but to cancel Christmas."
In a chilling closeup, a single light shines into his mottled beard and weary face as he reports, "I have written personally to President Obama, President Putin—all world leaders. Sadly, my letters have been met with indifference. Needless to say, these individuals are now at the top of my naughty list."
Carter delivers his sad soliloquy in a dank, cell-like room, and dripping-water sounds punctuate his pleas. His Father Christmas coat's grimy and undone, and he looks emotionally and physically exhausted. These details give him the appearance of a political prisoner, an appropriate metaphor given the subject, and the stark, intense direction by Rattling Stick's Ed Morris creates an atmosphere of unease and despair. Greenpeace always has trouble connecting with the average consumer, and it's hard to tell if this spot will melt some cold hearts or leave the group's image as doom-heralding extremists burned into viewers' minds.
If you're disgusted by the nude human body, this video's probably not for you. If you're disgusted by your own nude body, then this video most certainly is for you.
London agency Man+Hatchet spent five days holed up in Estonia with 100 nude people to create the compelling stop-motion clip below. The client is Withings, a creator of digital health products like blood pressure monitors and weight scales.
It would be easy for a brand like that to guilt you into seeking bodily perfection, so it's nice to see a spot that instead tells you to first take pride in yourself, and self-improvement will follow.
Warning: This video features artistic nudity and probably isn't safe for work.
Everyone who's ever tried to watch a video on the Internet knows that pre-roll ads are generally annoying. The Burger King marketing team also knows this. But marketers always want to have their cake and eat it, too. So New Zealand agency Colenso BBDO created dozens of variations on a pre-roll ad featuring a couple of bros making fun of pre-roll ads.
Each spot is themed to match the video that viewers are attempting to watch, and the actors groan in sympathy about having to endure yet another pre-roll ad. So, they consist, more or less, of a couple of guys saying "Oh, sorry guy, were you trying to watch that? Burgers!"
The case study video fulfills its reason for being by exaggerating the effects of the campaign, saying the ads turned "the worst thing on the internet" into "lolz." Credit to BK and the Auckland agency for making the best of a bad thing. It's clever, and viewers will probably find it worthy of a chuckle the first time around. That said, acknowledging you're an interloper doesn't really excuse it.
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