Hasta La Creative!

What better way to sell foot-care products than with an entire magazine for and about feet?

Hansaplast, a Beiersdorf-owned band-aid brand, is launching a line of creams, deodorant and antiperspirant called FootExpert. To promote the products, agency Being created Feet Mag, a luxury publication designed with heavy paper that can be easily turned by one’s feet, and large print that you can enjoy from an eye-to-foot distance (for those unable to lift the book close to their faces using only their toes).

The magazine is packed with foot-themed stories about art (by the likes of Renoir, Gauguin, Delacroix and Manet) and fashion, with sassy pictures of women playing cards and blowing kisses with their own feet. There are even foot horoscopes (with advice like putting on rubber boots to prepare for the coming storm).

Check out a copy of the magazine here. (PDF link)

It’s a fun way to draw attention to a decidedly dull subject, certainly more noteworthy than buying ads in a well-established beauty magazine. But it doesn’t seem right to make your feet do all that extra work—even in the name of leisure.

Via PSFK.

For those who couldn’t get enough of Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard in their hit Samsung Galaxy Tab S holiday ad, the hyper-cute Hollywood couple—married in real-life—have returned for an encore, this time plugging the company’s high-tech home appliances.

In a minute-long spot, the actors—known for Parenthood (Shepard) and House of Lies (Bell), among other projects—are planning a big dinner party. And naturally, Samsung’s refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, washing machines and vacuum bots prove invaluable. A 30-second commercial focuses on their efforts to clean an infant’s toy bunny using Samsung’s Activewash Top Load Washer.

McKinney created the ads, and Tucker Gates directs in a suitably off-the-cuff, relaxed style.

Bell and Shepard also appear in a nearly 10-minute behind-the-scenes/interview clip. That’s right—10 minutes! Highlights come when Bell says Samsung ovens are “almost like Transformers” because of their dual-temperature functionality (sorry, Optimus Prime) and Shepard briefly discusses his involvement in the upcoming feature-film reboot of ’70s highway-cop series “CHiPS” (give Erik Estrada a cameo!).

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Throughout the campaign, Bell and Shepard are adorably affable, showing off the time-and-labor-saving technology with effortless élan, perfectly cast as bubbly brand ambassadors for the millennial generation.

The 90-second version of their holiday spot got 13 million YouTube views, so clearly the work is connecting with its audience. Still, the couple’s cuteness is, at times, so overwhelmingly insufferable that I kind of wanted to stick my head inside that snazzy Samsung fridge and bash my brains in with the door.

Now that you’ve been on the Internet for a few hours today, you’ve probably read about people who correctly predicted the ending of Mad Men. That’s pretty impressive, considering the number of theories that have been floating around in recent weeks. Hell, even the cast wasn’t sure for a while how the show would end, as Matthew Weiner at one point gave them a script with an alternate ending.

So, in the spirit of alternate endings, here’s a roundup of tweets from fans who imagined a different finale. Some of their ideas are totally absurd, while others are more in line with AMC’s past efforts or tied specifically to the show. Take a look:

Alternate ending to Mad Men with inspiration by @kristytipsen https://t.co/1W6ASuuiFp

— Clay Wendler (@ClayWendler) May 18, 2015

I was right! Don Draper jumps off the roof of the McCann building, lands on a couch and smokes a cigarette. Perfect ending. #MadMenFinale

— Kristen Schaal (@kristenschaaled) May 18, 2015

Alternate ending to Mad Men was Don, Leonard and a couple of those other guys starting the Eagles

— tommy tomlinson (@tommytomlinson) May 18, 2015

#MadMen #alternateending Harry creates Laverne and Shirley based on Joan and Peggy.

— joey morona (@joeyjoe) May 18, 2015

Alternate ending: the “wasssssssup?” ad. #MadMen

— Andrew DeMillo (@ademillo) May 18, 2015

Sorry to see Mad Men end, but excited for the spin-off “Better Call Joan”.

— David T. Jones (@adlandjones) May 18, 2015

What’s next? Maybe a spinoff? Wichita Nights? Or…Joan Takes Manhattan? Or.. Peggy Girl On Fire. Or…Monsieur Roger de Montreal?

— Colin Quinn (@iamcolinquinn) May 18, 2015

Oh what could’ve been. Would have totally been onboard for a Joan and Peggy spin-off. #MadMen #HarrisOlson pic.twitter.com/cGpcWkpFje

— Guzman Labs (@GuzmanLabs) May 18, 2015

I kind of want to watch the #MadMen spin-off, Better Call Leonard The Sad Fridge Guy.

— rachelsklar (@rachelsklar) May 18, 2015

I would watch a spin off about Don’s secretary becoming a flight attendant though

— Lizzie Molyneux (@LizzieMolyneux) May 18, 2015

In the Mad Men spinoff, Don brings Betty to Albuquerque for chemotherapy and meets a nice chemistry teacher named Walter. #MadMenFinale

— Jeremy Bargiel (@JeremyBargiel) May 18, 2015

Mad Men Alternate Ending… pic.twitter.com/3AgnDuKIO7

— Benstonium (@Benstonium) May 18, 2015

alternate mad men ending where don comes up with the idea to give advertisers editorial control over buzzfeed posts

— kept_simple (@kept_simple) May 18, 2015

Only acceptable ending to Mad Men would have been Members Only jacket guy shooting Tony

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) May 18, 2015

just a terrible and tragic ending to Mad Men, with Don Draper getting drafted by the Oilers

— Anthrax Jones (@AnthraxJones) May 18, 2015

Groupon sees your Banana Bunker and raises you a Bike Chain Wash and Scrub Kit.

That’s the latest phallic-looking product that the deal-of-the-day website has posted on its Facebook page, all but goading fans into making off-color jokes about it. And fans have been more than happy to oblige—with Groupon replying to scores of them, pretending not to know the Bike Chain Wash and Scrub Kit looks like a dude’s junk.

It’s basically the same schtick as the Banana Bunker post, just with more handjob jokes.

See below.

Bobblehead Bret Michaels sure drives a hard bargain. Must be the frozen stare and the defiant stance. You should probably take him along on your next car-buying venture. You want the leopard-print steering wheel cover, don’t you?

The former Poison frontman trots out his cheeky sense of humor, along with his ceramic mini-doppelganger, for a digital video series promoting Nissan’s commercial vehicles. The shorts are a follow-up to a campaign that launched last summer featuring Michaels in the Arizona desert surrounded by Nissan trucks, pyrotechnics, bandana-clad crash test dummies and hot chicks.

The work, from TBWAChiatDay, also introduced the look-alike bobblehead that has since become a fan favorite. The agency, responding to Twitter and Facebook requests, just launched five “BobbleBret” videos, taking the doll off the dashboard. Michaels’ power ballad version of the sappy Lionel Richie/Diana Ross duet “Endless Love” returns as the melodramatic soundtrack.

Among other unlikely scenarios, the new snippets show Bobble Bret’s silent negotiating skills at a Nissan dealership and his rock-star-sized tantrum in a green room. No brown M&Ms, he said!

Find all the videos at NissanToughLove.com.

If you don’t have time to watch this whole new commercial for Volkswagen Trucks, you can just skip to the end for a quickie version—no matter where you are in the story—and it will still make sense.

Go here to check it out.

It’s a merciful approach that all brands should probably mimic in all commercials, given this is the age of skip-happy Internet viewers. But Brazilian agency AlmapBBDO created the ad specifically to reinforce VW’s claim that its rigs, like the ad, are themselves customizable. In that context, the video slider at the bottom of the website might be the best part—it takes the shape of a truck that just keeps getting longer and longer.

The story itself—spoilers ahead—is about a young truck driver who runs into an ex-girlfriend at a market. Told in a stilted monologue, it’s a bit like a Mad Lib with a single punch line—structured into clauses so you can jump to the last scene at any point, by clicking a button in the lower right hand corner. But the last words are always “My grand-aunt.”

That makes for some odd combinations, like “I satisfied my hunger eating… a taco made by… my grand-aunt.” It also makes for some surprisingly dark outcomes for a big advertiser—like skipping the part about the taco and delving straight into ancestral cannibalism. There’s at least one notable hidden variation—hit the button at certain times, and the grand-aunt is a goateed, shirtless young man, instead of a little old lady.

Overall, it’s an intriguing approach, but maybe a little too eager to be inventive, with a takeaway that seems more about the copywriting team’s ability to write a cascading script than about the product’s benefits. It was nice for them to include an eject lever, but if the idea is to get the message in quickly, and extend the entertainment for those who want it—Geico’s simpler approach takes the cake.

Plus, it has a better dog.

Via PSFK.

If you’re relying on your local barista to talk you through life’s challenges, stop right now, says this amusing video for a text/video-chat counseling service called In Your Corner.

The spot was written and directed by Pete Marquis and Jamie McCelland, who are perhaps best known for making HelloFlo’s “Camp Gyno” and “First Moon Party” ads. It features a barista named Theresa, who is an amateur advice-dispensing “baristapist” (a portmanteau meaning barista therapist—and not, as one of my AdFreak colleagues initially assumed, a barista rapist).

To say Theresa is an inept counselor is putting it mildly.

We caught up with Marquis and McCelland to find out more about the project.

AdFreak: How did this project come about? Did you know the company beforehand?
Jamie McCelland: Bea [Arthur], the founder of In Your Corner, had seen our work with HelloFlo and reached out to us. And when you get an email from someone named Bea Arthur, you respond. She wanted to take the stigma out of therapy through humor.

Pete Marquis: We hadn’t heard of the company before, but we sat down with Bea and loved her vision for the brand. Offering therapy via video chat and text opens the door for so many people to get expert help, even lazy people like us.

Where did the idea for the Baristapist come from?
Marquis: The idea came from the insight that people are hesitant to seek actual, professional therapy, but still get it from everywhere—their friends, relatives, their hairstylist, even the barista. And that’s when advice can be the absolute worst.

McCelland: We wanted to show what unprofessional advice can look like, and ultimately emphasize that In Your Corner offers professional, expert help, which is way better.

What was the scriptwriting like?
McCelland: Theresa the Baristapist is a barista who believes her true calling is therapy. We thought of her as a Jane Lynch-like character—as self-important as she is delusional. We wanted to have fun with the idea that she’s giving unlicensed advice with no accountability or concern for anyone’s long-term mental health.

The actress is pretty great. Where did you find her?
Marquis: Casting for this role was way too easy. Alex, the actress, was the first one to come into the audition, and she blew us away. Bea wanted to stop the casting then and there—we didn’t, but we could have because Alex set the bar extremely high. She channeled that character frighteningly well, and her improv was incredible. A lot of the stuff she made up on set ended up in the cut, which was something we always hope for. We could not have been happier with her performance.

On Tuesday, Domino’s flooded its Twitter feed with a heap of tweets written almost completely in pizza emojis. They looked like sentences. They were even punctuated. Not only that, but Domino’s had the gusto to respond to people curious about the stunt with—what else?—pizza emoji-filled tweets.

Perplexing? Sure. Annoying? A little. A promotion? Of course.

Starting May 20, Domino’s customers will be able to order pizza via Twitter. You can hook up your Twitter to your online Domino’s account, and with a quick pizza emoji tweet at the brand, you’ll have an order on the way.

So, what better way to promote this than to confuse one’s consumers? Lots of people seemed to get into it, though, and JCPenney even briefly joined in the emoji-only banter.

“We wanted to start a conversation about why Domino’s has gone emoji crazy in the lead-up to the emoji announcement,” says Matt Talbot, vp and creative director of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the agency that handles Domino’s creative business. He explained that the tweets were modeled after real tweets the brand usually sends to customers.  

“There’s no decoder machine to work back to the true answer of the text, though,” he said. 

Check out more from the the pizza emoji takeover below.

A new Japanese campaign aims to combat domestic violence in the country with inventive coasters that hope to tame excessive drinking, which can contribute to the problem.

Yaocho, a bar chain, and agency Ogilvy & Mather Tokyo created the coasters, each of which features a portrait of a woman’s face printed in thermal ink. When a cold drink rests on the coaster, the portrait changes to include cuts and bruises.

The visuals are—no pun intended—chilling, and it’s a clever use of media, though perhaps a touch too much so for its own good, with mechanics that may undermine the spirit and gravity of the message.

“This drink will turn the woman on this coaster into a beat-up woman—just like you might do to a real woman, if you drink too much,” is essentially the subtext of the ads. “Can you have another round without wanting to hit your significant other?”

But as Lucia Peters points out over at Bustle, while alcohol can be a factor in domestic violence, “placing the blame for domestic violence on alcohol excuses the people who commit the crimes in the first place—which is classic abuser behavior.”

Yaocho deserves credit for openly addressing domestic violence, and trying to raise awareness, theoretically at the expense of its own business. But while a drinking establishment is, on its face, the right place to reach viewers with a message about alcohol and domestic abuse, there’s also a bit of cognitive dissonance in an anti-drinking ad that requires the viewer to be drinking to deliver its full effect.

The tagline, at least in its translated version, isn’t even “Don’t drink too much.” Rather, it is “Don’t let excessive drinking end in domestic violence.” In other words, “It’s OK to spend your money on a bender, so long as you don’t beat your wife or girlfriend afterward.”

And if you are the type of person who gets violent when you drink, you probably shouldn’t be drinking at all. 

More info below. Via Design Taxi.

Among the gajillion emoji campaigns out there right now, here’s a clever one.

Wieden + Kennedy London creatives Jason Scott and Joris Philippart recently had an idea for how to use emojis to help endangered animals. So, the agency approached the WWF with a proposal. The result is the #EndangeredEmoji campaign, which launches just in time for Endangered Species Day this Friday.

The key insight was that 17 animal emojis that people use every day actually depict endangered species (see the list below). The WWF today tweeted out an image of the 17 animals, and asked people to join the campaign by retweeting the post.

We’re using #EndangeredEmoji to save real animals from extinction. Please retweet to sign up and help. pic.twitter.com/hX1p1GEDZ9

— WWF (@WWF) May 12, 2015

Those joining the campaign agree to donate 10 euros (about 11 cents) every time they use any of the 17 emojis in a future tweet. (You get a monthly statement, essentially.)

“We’re proud to announce the launch of our global social campaign with WWF and Twitter, created with technical partner Cohaesus,” the agency says.