YouTube is going all out for April Fools' Day today, revealing which outlandish trends will go viral for the remainder of the year—based on the premise that YouTube itself masterminds the site's biggest viral videos, trends and memes, like Gangnam Style, the Harlem Shake and Rebecca Black's "Friday."
"Here at YouTube HQ, we write, shoot, and upload all of the world's most popular viral videos. Here's a sneak peek at what you'll be watching in 2014," the site says.
The trends include:
• Clocking: The new planking! Hold your arms in the shape of the time in a public place. The longer you tick the cooler it is.
• Glub Glub Water Dance: An originally produced and choreographed song and dance, the Glub Glub Water Dance involves pouring water on yourself while flapping your arms and spitting out the water.
• Kissing Dad: Catch your dad's reaction on camera after you give him a smooch on the cheek or head. Celebrate kissing your dad once you're done!
YouTube is also inviting people to submit their viral trend ideas. It will pick three of them and create videos in real time for those trends from the YouTube Space LA.
Actually, Clocking probably will go viral after this.
Not since Alice Cooper ran for governor of Arizona under the slogan "A troubled man for troubled times" have we seen such refreshingly honest political advertising.
Actually, these new campaign ads, for decidedly unglamorous mayoral candidates in Toronto, are fake. But they're still pretty amusing. They were put up by a group called No Ford Nation, which is dedicated to getting anyone besides the crack-smoking Ford elected in October. And apparently they do mean anyone.
To that end, the website, NoFordNation.com, includes information about whoever else is running. "You don't want to say 'anyone but Ford' and then not give them any resources to make an informed decision," says Christina Robins, who started the site. "We want to get back to a mayor who doesn't embarrass us."
A Danish travel agency wants the country's people to do the patriotic thing by getting out of town and getting busy.
A wry new campaign from Spies puts an unusually clever twist on using sex to sell, highlighting the country's fast-declining birth rate and packing in fun statistics and scientific claims to support what seems like an obvious fact—that people are more likely to copulate while on vacation.
It's opportunistic in the best possible way—rewarding for viewers, with at least the illusion of being genuinely concerned. For those of you who are serious about procreating, the brand even offers an "ovulation calendar" to help plan trips on a schedule that would improve your odds. Anyone who proves they succeeded could win three years' worth of baby supplies.
There have been similar campaigns in the past—notably, the hilarious baby-making anthem by Mentos in Singapore (also a country with a declining birth rate). Hell, even NPR has run ads encouraging baby making.
The Danish would be more creepy if it weren't so funny and practical at the same time. And while advertising certainly doesn't need any more puns-as-taglines or juvenile jokes, it's hard to be bothered by one that so perfectly fits the message: "Do it for Denmark."
Here's a simple and clever way to show why it might be a bad idea to share that supposedly private photo.
Brazilian agency Propeg recently submitted this to Ads of the World, though it's hard to be sure if or where it actually ran. "The Internet can't keep your secret," says the ad for SaferNet Brasil. "Keep your privacy offline."
SaferNet is a nonprofit dedicated to fighting Internet crimes like identity theft and child pornography.
Some will surely argue that the ad is a form of "slut shaming" since it seems to put the onus of blame on the woman taking her own picture and not on all the dirtbags who pass it along. But the ad would work just as well with a guy sharing sausage in the mirror, and I think we can all agree it's a pretty accurate illustration of the way photos seem to get in all the wrong hands faster than you can say "duck face."
Berlin Cameron United's new work for Gilt.com is colorful, musical and stylish, but also grounded in a sales pitch.
The ads for the online hub for clothes, shoes and accessories unfold with a catch-me-if-you-can chase on a city street, such as when one woman takes a shine to another's bright yellow dress. The music is the power-pop song "Suit" from Boom! Bap! Pow!, which has been used in ads before, though less effectively. Super slow-motion filming adds style and ensures you get a good look at the clothes.
The yellow dress chase ends with the pursuer finding the item on a smartphone app and then clicking to buy it. Therin lies the sales pitch. To illustrate the immediacy of mobile shopping, the clothes instantly shift from one woman's body to the other, leaving the prey in her underwear. Nothing wrong with mixing some flight of fancy with reality, is there?
The ads go up on YouTube today and will spread to TV on Monday.
CREDITS Client: Gilt.com Chief Marketing Officer: Elizabeth Francis Agency: Berlin Cameron United Executive Creative Director: Roald Van Wyk Creative Director, Copywriter: Kim Devall Executive Producer: Jennifer Glendining Account Director: Wynter O-Blanquet Production Company: Good Egg Director: Christopher Sweeney Executive Producer: Julia Reed Producer: Dawn Rose Director of Photography: Robert Witt Foreign Production Company: El Camino Films Executive Producer: Nicolas Aznarez Editing: Final Cut Editor: J.D. Smyth Executive Producer: Lauren Bleiweiss Producer: Beth Fitzpatrick Finishing: Significant Others Visual Effects Artist: Cecil Hooker Audio Engineer: T. Terressa Tate Color: Color Collective
In the U.S., ads about weight usually come in the form of relatively thin women eating light yogurt. Awareness of obesity, especially in children, hasn't really taken off.
But in France, this ad has taken off—and it wasn't even approved to run.
The ad was made by David Lesage, a student in Belgium, but gained some press after the L'Express newspaper mistook it for an ad released by the French Ministry of Health and ran it in the paper.
The ad shows melting ice cream that also looks like an obese abdomen, with the caption, "L'obésité commence dès le plus jeune âge." Translation: "Obesity begins at a young age."
AdFreak spoke with Lesage, who said, "I really like to work on social causes in general. I think obesity seemed to be an important subject nowadays, and it has interesting creative potential."
It took a while, but someone has finally lampooned Cadillac's much-derided "Poolside" commercial starring Neal McDonough. And not just any old someone—Ford Motor Co.
Ford's agency, Team Detroit, shot the parody below, which stars the polar opposite of the McDonough character—Pashon Murray, the founder of Detroit Dirt, a sustainability consultancy and advocacy group. The Cadillac spot showcased the CLR luxury plug-in hybrid. The Ford video shows off the Ford C-MAX hybrid. But Murray's message about today's America is light years away from Cadillac's.
The spoof is posted on its own YouTube channel, not Ford's. But it has Ford's tacit approval. Speaking to the Deroit Free Press, Ford spokeswoman Sara Tatchio described the video as "lighthearted," and added: "I don't think we're mocking a competitor. We're trying to showcase positive work being done in our community."
Yeah, no mockery going on here. GM has not commented.
An outdoor ad campaign in San Francisco is trying something novel to stop people from texting and driving: public shaming.
Graphic designer Brian Singer has furtively been taking photos of people texting behind the wheel along the 101 Freeway and posting them to a website, Texting While in Traffic, or TWIT for short. (Singer says he's always a passenger, not a driver, when he snaps the photos.) Lately, Singer has been paying out of his own pocket to put some of the photos on billboards around town, Gizmodo reports.
He says the number of offenders is outrageous. "For every nose picker, there's 20 texters," he estimates. He's not bothered by privacy concerns, either. "I don't think people driving on 101 have the expectation of privacy," Singer says. "All I'm really doing is taking photos in a public place."
Singer tried to get a road-safety group to fund the project, but is going it alone for now with 11 billboards. He says he hopes the billboards freak people out enough to stop texting and driving—and even hopes other people start taking photos, which "could have a dramatic affect on people's behavior."
Rather than drone on about product features or provide a demonstration, Gary Oldman instructs viewers to "Ask the Internet" if they want to learn more about the HTC One M8 smartphone in a pair of spots from Deutsch L.A.
The agency just took over the HTC America account, which spent less than a year at Ogilvy & Mather L.A. Robert Downey Jr. appeared in HTC's last big push (from Ogilvy's WPP stablemate 171 Worldwide), which consisted of fast-moving, noisy, colorful spots sending up the ad business itself, with the actor riffing on what the letters "HTC" could stand for.
Deutsch's work with Oldman, who rarely appears in ads, has a very different vibe. The grizzled, bespectacled thespian propels the "anti-advertising" concept by wandering around a retro-modern hilltop pad during a late-night rainstorm.
In one spot, he says "blah blah blah" a lot, interspersed with lines like, "It doesn't matter what I say, because the all-new HTC One is designed for people who form their own opinions." In the other, he takes an uncomfortably long dramatic pause, during which viewers are supposed flock to the Internet to check out the phone. Outside his window, the rain continues to fall.
This cheeky, pseudo-noir approach, awash in blues, blacks and moody reds, provides a counterpoint to the cheerful bent and bright hues of some spots from competitors like Apple, Motorola and Samsung. It's also a big change from HTC's work with Downey. Oldman shines, even though the weather is gloomy.
"Gary crosses genres and is recognized for craftsmanship in his field," said Erin McGee, HTC's vp of North America. "He's aspirational but approachable, if you think about all the roles he's played in movies and cable TV. It's a great fit for our brand."
Still, maybe Oldman should grab his HTC One and ask the Internet when that damn rain will clear up.
CREDITS Client: HTC America President: Jason Mackenzie Vice President, Marketing: Erin McGee Senior Director, Brand: Zola Kane
Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles Chief Creative Officer: Pete Favat Group Creative Director: Gavin Lester Art Director: Nick Spahr Copywriter: Alex Flint Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo Executive Producer: Rachel Seitel Production Resource Manager: Evan Aronson Music Director: Dave Rocco
Production Company: Reset, Los Angeles Director: Johnny Green Director of Photography: Mathew Libatique Managing Partner, Executive Producer: Dave Morrison Executive Producer: Jeff McDougall Head of Production: Jen Beitler Producer: Heather Heller
Editing Company: Final Cut, Los Angeles Editors: Jeff Buchanan, Adam Rudd Executive Producer: Saima Awan Assistant Editor: Hilary Ruggiano Producer: Suzy Ramirez
Post Facility (Edit): Final Cut, Los Angeles Editor: Jeff Buchanan Executive Producer: Saima Awan Assistant Editor: Hilary Ruggiano Producer: Suzy Ramirez
Post Facility (Color, Online): MPC, Santa Monica, Calif. Colorist: Mark Gethin Visual Effects Lead: Mark Holden: Compositors: Ben Davidson, Jason Heinze, Arthur Argote, Adrian Leva Executive Producer: Elexis Stearn Producers: Abisayo Adejare, Brian Friel
Music Composition: Human, Los Angeles Sound Design: Henryboy, Los Angeles
Audio Post Company: Lime Studios, Santa Monica, Calif. Mixer: Loren Silber Executive Producer: Jessica Locke
End Tag: Laundry, Los Angeles
Additional Deutsch Credits: Chief Executive Officer: Mike Sheldon Chief Operating Officer, Partner: Kim Getty Group Account Director: John McGonigle Account Directors: Lauren Pollare, Megan Prince Account Supervisor: Tanya Oh Director of Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo Business Manager: Georgette Bivins Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Wieden + Kennedy made quite the discovery earlier this month. The agency says it's "pretty damn pumped" to have finally found the first ads it ever made—which happen to be the first national broadcast ads Nike ever aired. The three spots ran during the New York City Marathon in October 1982. Two of the three had been lost for decades.
For all you ad geeks out there, we're pretty damn pumped to share something very special with you. We've uncovered the first-ever ads made by Messrs. Wieden and Kennedy, Nike's first-ever nationally broadcast work. Until today, two of these were considered lost and never vaulted. Our digital librarian Phoebe Owens has spent the entire time she's been with W+K searching for them, alongside Nike historian Scott Reames, with the help of David Kennedy. Today, some old, poorly-labeled tapes proved to have what we've been searching for.
These aired during the NYC marathon. They were shot and cut within a couple of weeks, with a skeleton crew. They were a tiny team and they made it happen, and the rest is history.
Police often find themselves in high-stress, high-stakes scenarios—facing unruly drunken mobs, drivers stuck in cars about to explode and knife-wielding maniacs.
This series of videos from ad agency Brain Candy for the Scottish Police Federation, a professional trade group, wants you to consider how you'd handle yourself in a cop's shoes. The ads work hard to build the sort of suspense that will actually make you feel uncomfortable. They do a pretty good job of it, too—particularly the first brutal spot below.
The personal details about the officers help anchor the ads. The only question is whether they could have done it a little more quickly. The ads clock in at between 1:45 and 2:30, which means what you might do is nod off before they get to the kicker.
Warning: These ads contain violence and may be upsetting.
In what may actually be a decent metaphor for dating, a sweaty, red-faced bro who calls himself the L.A. Beast elected to keep chugging a gallon of hot sauce, even after he'd clearly had enough, until his body turned on him and rejected all the habañero-flavored Tabasco he'd just chugged.
And it's an ad for a dating app?
The 10-minute video below may teach a lesson about perseverance for the single women and men who might check out Hot or Not's dating app. But even with what sounds like inspirational piano and the use of time lapse, we can't imagine too many people sitting through all the vomit. There's a lot of it.
The app, which looks like a carbon copy of Tinder, is deemed by the L.A. Beast himself to be "an ingenious way to pick up the ladies." We can't say the same for the video.
Banksy's "Balloon Girl" provides a fitting image for the children whose lives have been ravaged by Syria's civil war, which just entered its third year.
The British street artist drew some criticism in October for the "awkward politics" of his satirical video about the conflict. His balloon imagery in this new "With Syria" awareness campaign, however, based on his stencil from 2002, has met with considerable praise, and rightly so.
"With Syria" is no less powerful, and its duality is striking, encompassing both hope and regret. The hopeful message of kids lifted above violence and strife toward a better future (represented with soul and simplicity in the "With Syria" video) has received the most attention.
The regretful message is subtler. A child clutching for a balloon suggests a childhood lost. Forever. That fate has befallen far too many Syrian kids already. More will suffer if we don't rise to the challenge and bring about meaningful change.
The animated spot was written and created by Sunshine, and directed and produced by RSA Films. Idris Elba does the voiceover. Elbow contributed exclusive music.
If you like to cook, eat or look at pretty things, enjoy this gorgeously hypnotic bit of food porn from French coffee brand Carte Noir.
Created by Proximity BBDO and two directors from Le Potager, the visual craft is on par with Wieden + Kennedy's bar-setting 2012 paean to vegetables for British butter brand Lurpak. Someone more savvy to kitchens than I will have to parse exactly what's happening when, but basically it's about baking delicious little pastries filled with coffee-flavored cream to eat with your coffee ("Chou" also means cabbage in French, but don't be confused).
The ambitious among you can find out how to make them, in French, over at the Carte Noire website, along with the following message. "Discover Rose by Carte Noire, greedy video reserved for women. Exclusively for men, this recipe is to enjoy with friends. But you resist the urge to share these adorable cabbage with your lover?" OK, maybe Google Translate didn't nail the details, but you get the idea. "Download the recipe without waiting!" is pretty clear, though.
Overenthusiastic copywriting is always better in languages you don't actually speak, because you don't mind that ads are talking to you like a 3-year-old.
CREDITS Client: Carte Noire Agency: Proximity BBDO, Paris Directors: M. Roulier et P. Lhomme Production Company: Le Potager Food dDesigner: Emmanuel Turiot Style Designer: Sylvie Bagros Editing: Bruno Herlin Music Supervisor, Composer: Aymeric Lepage Sound Design: The Hot Line
A miniature bulldozer, a tiny log loader and a little yellow submarine. Those are some of the fantastical machines that a London visual-effects house believes get the city's streets clean.
Created by the computer graphics team at Rushes—a company that's done work for brands like Mercedes-Benz, Red Stripe and McDonald's—the video manages to be both cute and captivating. But it would probably be better if watched while listening to Magical Mystery Tour … and tripping on whatever psychedelic the artists were when they conceived it.
Mother London has cooked up Chipotle's first British campaign with print ads and posters that explain how to pronounce the burrito chain's name. "Chi-Pole-Tay," "Chi-Pottle" and "Shi-Pot-Lay" are wrong. (Now they tell me. All those wasted years.) "Chi-Poat-Lay" is correct. Thanks, Chipotle!
"Delicious however you say it" is the tagline. Hey, thanks again! Cue "Farmed and Dangerous." Crank up Willie Nelson. Now, Brits can rest assured they've got the name right and savor that addictive, gut-grinding Chi-Poat-Lay bliss as the sun sinks yet lower on their once-mighty empire.
After six years of infancy, the E*Trade baby is finally moving on with his life.
This week, the online brokerage began airiring what is said to be the last ad featuring the longtime spokeschild, a Super Bowl staple since 2008. As a bit of an admission that the campaign has started to get stale, the spot shows the baby being subjected to a new sidekick. In true 2014 Internet style, it's a zany cat.
The campaign's end was somewhat inevitable, given that the agency behind it, Grey, resigned the E*Trade account in 2013. Just a month later, the account was handed to fellow WPP Group agency Ogilvy & Mather.
Beginning today, and every Friday, we're going to be slipping on our crampons, grabbing our pickaxe and carabiners and descending into the foreboding caves of Deep YouTube in search of the world's weirdest commercials.
Below, check out this week's collection—seven solid-gold ads that will make you laugh, cry, run for cover, or all of the above.
Treating Coca-Cola like it's high-end wine is ridiculous—the stuff of parody. And yet the world's most popular sugar-water brand has graciously partnered with luxury glassware maker Riedel for your smirking amusement.
The product of their collaboration, a $20 glass that the brands claim is specially designed to favor Coke's flavor profile, may in fact make your $1 soda seem to taste better.
Or, for free, you can enjoy the surreal experience of hearing Riedel CEO Georg Riedel talk about Coke as if it were just like a rare wine for which his company also produces special crystal. "This glass starts with the introduction of the aromas, beautiful lemon, citrus, lime character, malt characteristics, the mouth feel, the effervescence," he tells Fast Company. "The glass orchestrates the sweetness on the palate."
In theory, the campaign is a clever nod to the lore that says Coke is better in its classic glass bottles. Over on Coke's website, in the brand's interview with itself, Riedel also spins a yarn harkening back to his youth, when he rationed a 12-pack of the soda as a rare treat in the midst of post-WWII scarcity. That is a nice story. It is no longer the 1950s. Coca-Cola does not want you to ration soda. It wants you to buy more. Lots more.
In reality, Coca-Cola isn't snobbish or even fancy. Coca-Cola is populist. It's accessible. Pretending otherwise comes across as a bizarre form of self-mockery. Unless the whole exercise is a form of trollish performance art—in which case, Coca-Cola has already won.
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