Hasta La Creative!

Reacting quickly to recent revelations the daily consumption of six Anacin tablets and one banana by 112-year-old Grand Island, New York native Salustiano Sanchez-Blazquez are the secret to his longevity, Anacin maker Insight Pharmaceuticals wasted no time newsjacking the report to introduce Bananacin. Sanchez-Blazquez was recently crowned the oldest living man by Guiness World Records following the recent death of 116-year-old Japanese native Jiroemon Kimara.

In a witty press release, Insight Pharmaceuticals VP of Marketing Jennifer Moyer said, “Historically, apples are the fruit most associated with staying healthy and avoiding doctors. Our scientists had never looked into the banana before. But now that the certified oldest man in the world credits bananas and Anacin as his life-extending combo, we’re certainly going to explore whether a new Bananacin product makes sense.”

It’s a pretty smart move considering the brand is one of the oldest pain relievers around and not exactly one that’s top of mind. It will be interesting to see just how many people switch to Anacin and how that affects sales for the brand.

CP+B originally ran with the idea of a blow-up doll lunch decoy last year, suggesting that people could secure more time at Applebee’s by tricking their bosses. In 2013, the same old bag of tricks comes in the form of a longer ad – 102 seconds – showing various worker bees running out of the office to indulge in some Applebee’s. I’ve never been a fan of the fine dining cuisine at such establishments, but I’m told customers can enjoy hundreds of lunch combos starting at $6.99. If you can get a restaurant combo for that cheap, you may want to think twice.

The spot itself isn’t digging much into new ground. There is one interesting bit, when a black construction worker uses a white lunch decoy. I’m not sure what that is trying to say, if anything at all, but the man’s boss must not pay very good attention to his staff if the lunch decoy can be effective while using a different skin color than the man who is jolting to Applebee’s (Ed. update: CP+B clarifies that it did use the likeness that most resembles of its construction worker as part of the campaign. Go here). Maybe the man’s boss is using his own lunch decoy, at which point the men would run into each other at an Applebee’s and ruin the trick for everyone. Credits after the jump.

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In a collective fit of despair and inability to reach an agreement with WPP or IPG, neither of which could guarantee they would not merge in the future, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, this morning, announced they would merge. The new entity will be known as Poke.

Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi spokespeople reached out to Adrants this morning and collectively said, “Fuck it, this shit is ridiculous. How can each of us expect to compete with one another when there will likely be just one advertising agency to choose from in a few years?”

Both camps went on to say, “When you get right down to it, both our products, much like every single advertising shop in existence, are identical. We all spout the same bullshit about how we are better or different or unique from one another when, in fact, we’re all made of the same shit and spew the same bullshit in our marketing.”

As the media wet their pants over who can write the wittiest and most salacious headline to convey the fact Omnicom and Publicis have combined to become the number one advertising holding company with a reported market cap of $35 million, we here at Adrants prefer to get to the heart of the matter. Coke is the same shit as Pepsi. Just like Omnicon is the same shit as Publicis. It makes perfect sense the two companies dispel any myth they are different from one another and simply mix their shit up.

We look forward to the bureaucratic nightmare that, as with all mergers, will assuredly net some interesting and unexpected new flavors of Poke as the two giants work to iron out their internal differences.

For their new back-to-school campaign, Kmart and Draftfcb have wrangled Da Rich Kidzz, a rap group from Minneapolis aka the young geniuses behind “Hot Cheetos and Takis.”  In their new release, “My Limo,” Da Rich Kidzz give shout-outs to their school bus, their calculators, and of course, the first day of school. The chorus goes, “My school bus is my limo/I rule back to school with my cap on and my brim low.”

This spot comes after Kmart’s “Yo Mama” video, in which playground kids used the classic insult to compliment one another’s mother’s back-to-school shopping choices. The clincher: “Yo mama’s so fiscally responsible, she got all that on free layaway.” Previous to that, we got a pun-laden diptych in the form of “Ship My Pants” and “Big Gas Savings.”

If Da Rich Kidzz’ spot succeeds in making K-Mart a cool elementary school shopping destination, then power to them. Anything to make the first day of school less nerve-wracking. “Hot Cheetos & Takis” caught on with the young crowd, so maybe “My Limo” will too. But it’s also possible that, like Jay Z with Samsung, the commercial overload will leave a bad taste in consumers’ mouths. And if Da Rich Kidzz are really up and coming, this spot might arrest their creative momentum, forever branding them the K-Mart Kidzz.

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About a year ago, Intel and Toshiba partnered together with the help of Pereira & O’Dell to create “The Beauty Inside,” a so-called “social movie” that paired not-quite-movie stars Topher Grace and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as two young actors who can’t believe that this is where their careers have taken them thus far. The big budget online film was apparently effective enough at whatever it was trying to do to spawn a spiritual sequel, “The Power Inside,” starring Harvey Keitel as a guy you kind of feel sorry for until you you consider that he’s still finding work at his age.

As a press release tells us, the heavily product integrated plot will consist of “An alien invasion by a race of extraterrestrial moustaches and unibrows who take over the upper lips and eyes of people around the world. The main character is Neil, who together with his friends and the help of technology discovers his inner strength to defeat the moustache and unibrow invaders called Uricks. Intel-inspired Ultrabook™ devices by Toshiba play an important role in Neil’s journey of self-discovery.” We assume “inner strength” and “Intel-inspired Ultrabook™ devices by Toshiba” are pretty interchangeable in this scenario.

Similar to its predecessor, computer processor fans every can be part of the film by interacting with the protagonist via Facebook. Users can also upload a photo of themselves, edit that photo with a moustache and unibrow, and reach self-actualization after the process is completed. Credits after the jump.

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Minnesota Twins fans don’t have much to cheer about these days. Their team is in 4th place in the AL Central, and they have a new outdoor stadium, which is problematic when you remember that playing baseball outdoors in Minnesota may not be fun in April or September. But, there is temporary relief. Today is National Hot Dog Day – I didn’t know, either – and Schweigert Meats, which produces the official hot dog of the Twins, has used the special occasion to release a couple of short video spots that show how the brand’s meat is “overly uncomplicated.” The brand is opting for a tongue-in-cheek tone with the videos and slogan as the campaign expands over the next few months with digital, print, and TV ads in the extended Minnesota region.

The campaign comes from Austin-based Proof Advertising and seems to appeal to a certain Northern blue-collar rural population that may find humor in the soft irony of things that are overly uncomplicated. But when it comes to Minnesota Twins advertising, Proof and Schweigert will have to step up their collective game to surpass the ability of the dandruffless Joe Mauer. Credits after the jump.

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We all have an extra soft, hol(e)y shirt that fits perfectly, whether it’s an oversized sleepshirt once worn by a parent, an old boyfriend’s flannel, or an embarrassing Greenday tour T. In their new spot, Downy celebrates the journey of one such garment: it’s a treasured piece of memorabilia for our protagonist, a witness during a heated make-out sesh, a comfort for his pregnant wife, and finally a dress on his young daughter. It lasts through all these phases of his life, because “Downy helps protect the clothes you love.”

It’s a sweet spot, backed by a cover of Alphaville’s Forever Young. Hopefully they make this a series, telling the stories of the dirt-stained jersey you now wear to the beach with the fam, or the tattered sweatshirt that’s now one square in a grandchild’s quilt. It’s hard to go wrong with an idyllic tale of growing up, especially when the story evokes the soothing smell of laundry soap.

Credits after the jump.

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Hood River, Oregon is known for lots of things: Beautiful scenery, kitesailing and kayaking, and a charming downtown. It’s also home to a quirky little company called Bunnyjuice that’s making a splash in Las Vegas hotels. The company offers “Lovekits” available for purchase in-room. You know, a little something for when you and your sweetie polish off those bottles in the minibar.

As CEO Tod Guenther explains it, Bunnyjuice was born from a simple observation: “While traveling for work, I stayed at a hotel that offered condoms as part of their in-room amenities. Upon returning home I kept thinking, obviously the hotel has acknowledged that people are having sex, but what if there was an offering that could add to the experience of love making? Something for couples that was fun or whimsical?”

Seems like a natural idea. Of course, getting hotel rooms to offer up precious counter space to a startup isn’t easy. So why has Bunnyjuice succeeded? “It’s not so much about having more but rather replacing current items that aren’t performing,” Guenther says. “In-room items are designed to enhance the guest’s experience which helps us a ton. Once we have placement our Bunnyjuice kits always seem to place in the top 3 revenue producing items.”

And why Hood River, Oregon? As Guenther puts it, “There’s a lot of great creative talent in this small town. I’m always amazed at how much work for huge Fortune 500 companies comes out of this place. It’s nice to be a part of that, plus I have to admit – it feels also pretty good to relax and recharge with a cold microbrew in hand and your toes in the river after a long day. Hood River is special that way.”

Bunnyjuice is expanding to new venues, including international markets and retail outlets. The audience for tastefully packaged intimate products is certainly a large one. Bunnyjuice a great example of Pacific Northwest thinking: Living in a place as dreamy as the Columbia River Gorge can definitely lead to big business dreams.

The post Spotlight On NW Brands: Bunnyjuice Spices Up Hospitality appeared first on AdPulp.

In April, we covered the first piece of ambiguous viral ad content for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, a 2K Games and 2K Marin video game. We’re back to report another promo, titled “Orbit & The Asteroid,” and produced by Team One. This 90-second spot isn’t any less ambiguous than the first ad, most of it about a 1960s era creepy clown television show and the young boy who watches it. According to the creators, there are a number of easter eggs that contain clues for the future of the video game series. The game won’t be released until August 20, which means there are four weeks left for more curious marketing spots, creepy clowns and all. Credits after the jump.

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Ahh, nothing like a day of summer respite on San Diego’s Imperial Beach…the sun, the sand, the waves, the–oh shit, what the hell is that?! Well, it’s not quite a Trojan horse reenactment mind you, but this little scene basically played out on July 12 at said location. Why? Well, it’s part of an effort from hometown agency Vitro and longtime client ASICS that basically aims to get people’s asses in shape.

The parties involved trotted out a 16-foot-tall wooden horse that actually doubles as a personal trainer–complete with rope climb, pull-up bar, Olympic rings and more–and dishes out prizes to those taking part. Since crashing the San Diego beach party, the fitness-focused beast, which is part of ASICS’ “Next Epic Challenge” effort, has veered its way north to Los Angeles, where it planted itself in front of the Staples Center during the ESPY Awards on Wednesday evening (see below). Next up to bat on the horse’s SoCal tour is a week-long stop at the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball, which kicks off Monday. Not sure how this effort measures up to Vitro’s other interesting campaigns for the brand over the years, but we do agree that is as good as any other kick in the ass to get our summer figure in shape.

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