Hasta La Creative!

Since we’re once again staying put here in the States during all the Cannes Lions revelry, we’re happy to see that a few folks have taken it upon themselves to bring to fruition what we were always destined to do one day at the Festival via an effort called “Busted at Cannes.”

We did a little digging, and yes, we’ve been told that this is a side project concocted by a couple of EVB staffers including the San Francisco-based agency’s VP, director of technology & innovation, Aaron McGuire, whose name is actually plastered all over the Busted site. Check out the demo video below that just launched to get more of the gist. And no, that Donny Deutsch pic will never get old. Update: The Deutsch image has been removed, so we have the above shot of folks like Colleen DeCourcy and Brian Morrissey instead.

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When employees at Rooster aren’t skateboarding, it turns out that their hipster lifestyle dives into the banal. Sometimes, they just like to stand around the water cooler and talk. Judging by the latest clip of self-promotion, they talk about typical things, like Game of Thrones and podcasts. Co-founder Gavin McInness, however, is old and obsolete when it comes to water cooler talk. My advice: either watch Game of Thrones or don’t bring it up. And, this may be more important, take care of business before getting a prostate exam.

You’ll get the references if you watch the clip, which is basically an amateur attempt at awkward situational comedy. There are a few funny moments and a few moments when you can hear crickets. Not much more to say, other than podcap.

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In light of the “no homo” press conference from Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, this new Boost Mobile basketball spot from 180LA may strike some sensitive nerves. However, the humor is handled with enough subtlety to tiptoe around accusations of offensiveness. There’s also a really well-timed nuts joke that might make you chuckle if you are into such sectors of comedy.

In the commercial, one unlucky defender gets posterized on in a pick-up basketball game, and to make things worse, his face gets an up-close view of the sweaty dunker’s crotch. For those who aren’t basketball aficionados, there was actually a name for such a move – balls on your head – that became popular in the 1990s when young NBA players like Darius Miles would dunk on a guy. After the dunk, the player would run down the court celebrating like this (I’m not making this up). Whether Boost Mobile knows it or not, they are bringing back forgotten basketball treasure. The commercial is probably making some subconscious statement about the intersection of black, gay, and youth cultures, but as a consumer product, it’s really just funny. You see, Tyler, the Creator, it’s possible to make an effective ad without relying on stereotypes. Credits after the jump.

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And now, for a little midday silliness courtesy of Whit Hiler, a creative at Lexington, KY-based Cornett Integrated Marketing Solutions who’s perhaps better known as one of the parties involved with the ongoing grassroots tourism campaign, “Kentucky Kicks Ass.” Hiler, who’s also been prone to shock and amuse on Reddit in recent months with his array of fliers, has now reteamed with his Cornett IMS crew to launch the patent-pending “Beardvertising,” which he dubs “the real native advertising.”

To be honest, we’re surprised we haven’t seen something this ridiculous before, though ad folks have ventured into “beard-selling” in the past. Anyhow, inspired by stats saying that 55 percent of males worldwide now have facial hair, Hiler and company are now seeking out men with beards that want to make money hosting, yes, “BeardBoards,” patent-pending miniature billboards that clip onto a beard. As you can see, this pretty much only applies to those in the ZZ Top/Williamsburg realm of beard growth, so it looks like we’re out the running (and from the looks of it, thank heavens). Along with brave participants, Cornett IMS is also looking for partners to advertise on BeardBoards (and we’ll be damned, they already have two). We’re just wondering why they didn’t think of this ahead of winter.

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Yes, this is the brainchild of agency creative vet Feh Tarty, who has spent the last three years as a creative director at Mother London and has also worked at the likes of W+K and Goodby during his career. While Mother NY does its own thing with “Momtract,” we have this celeb-themed Mother’s Day effort from across the pond that includes a game called, yes,Who is Really Famous. Regarding the project, Tarty says, “Throughout my career in advertising, I’ve had the opportunity meet some famous people. But when I would share these experiences with my mom, in more cases than not, she would have no idea who a person was. I would jokingly say to friends that no one is really famous unless my mom knows who they are. So I decided to find out who actually is, according to my mom, by making a film and asking her which names or faces she [recognized].”

As the clip suggests, you are asked to select photos of at least 20 celebrities and then ask your mother whether she recognizes them. So farthe “top least famous people” on the Who Is Really Famous site are Diddy and Russell Crowe. C’mon mums, you can do better because we’re talking about royals, pop stars and others for heaven’s sake. Give it a go if you’d like with yours and play here.

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Yep, it’s basically just as silly as it sounds. From what we’ve been told, this campaign from Detroit’s own Campbell-Ewald has been years in the making and concerns two adult peregrine falcons, which currently have three nest eggs about to hatch on the roof of the agency’s current Warren, MI headquarters. The campaign’s origins date back several years when C-E employee Paul Lenney (who serves as property manager) decided to construct and install a nest box on the agency’s rooftop in the hopes that a pair would land and ultimately reside up top.

Well, it took nearly a decade, and Campbell-Ewald has decided to celebrate this auspicious event (we think) with a web-based onslaught led by group digital CD Iain Lanivich that includes a Tumblr site, livestream footage, a birthdate pool, the Twitter hashtag #CEfalcons and even a meme generator (thanks for the personalized pic). Too bad we’re just stuck with a multitude of less-exotic pigeons here in NYC.

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Portal A’s new mockumentary for L’Oreal’s Vichy Skin Care may make it a little easier for women to laugh at their own cellulite follies. Forgive me, I may not be familiar with some of these techniques: Body shapers? The shake belt? Butt vacuuming? (Butt vacuuming is one of those concepts that is so absurd, at least to my guy perspective, that it could also be legitimate). So, if you have two minutes to spare, watch some women indulge in body image self-deprication. This video may not compare to the Christopher Guest oeuvre, but listening to people make fun of themselves is always a comforting form of comedy.

Of course, after ribbing women who struggle to attain the perfect body, the end of the video shows the lower-half of a lady with flawlessly toned legs and skin that is tan and smooth. I guess Vichy wants to have their cake and eat it, too. Or something like that. Credits after the jump.

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We had no idea, but today is in fact “Take Your Child to Work Day. So, what better time then to cover “Take Your Non-Ad Person to Work Day,” which was conceived by Mark Moll, who you might remember from his days as an ECD at R/GA or as an SVP/creative director at Leo Burnett. Anyhow, Moll’s back with a new passion project of sorts, one he’s been working on for the past few months, that aims to clarify to those outside of the industry just what it is that advertising creatives do. According to Moll, “Most people in our lives don’t understand what us advertising creative people do every day. They think they get it, but honestly they have no idea. Our jobs are not easy to understand. People understand what bankers, salespeople and even accountants do, but not creatives.”

Thus, we have the somewhat tongue-in-cheek but sincere “Take Your Non-Ad Person to Work Day,”  which Moll is trying to promote to agencies via a handful of posters that were art directed by Jason Busa. It’s great in theory but would it be the same in practice? Guess time will only tell. Check out a few larger images after the jump.

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We’ve seen our fair share of agency folks essentially burn bridges on their way out of their gigs over the years, but in recent weeks, select Arnold staffers have given us the flipside with some positive farewell notes. A little over a week after copywriter Richard Tseng left Arnold in rather poetic fashion, we now have this goodbye sent late last week from one Steve Viglione, who’s spent the last two-and-a-half years at said agency as a marketing analyst.

Considering Viglione’s title at Arnold, the graphic above (click for larger version) complete with lines, data points and shifts detailing his time at the agency makes perfect sense. You can see the full-size graphic along with the parting staffer’s complete note, which begins with the line “Saddle up. I’m about to drop the nerdiest farewell email ever written,” here.

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We’ve contacted one Richard Tseng about this to determine its validity (Update: Yep, legit), but while we wait, here’s his apparent exit letter sent to friends at Arnold, where he’s spent the last 18 months serving as a copywriter on campaigns for Panasonic, CVS, truth, Volvo and more. For some reason, this note from the young creative, who‘s also freelanced at the likes of CP+B and Critical Mass, makes us want to watch a Game of Thrones marathon. Read on..

“In Canada’s frozen north, during a particularly harsh winter, a starving Eskimo tribe (Inuit for the politically correct) was forced to abandon their eldest matron on the ice. Being a tough old broad, she followed her clan for several days, making sure to keep just out of sight.

One day, a polar bear happened upon her. Taking her for a straggler and an easy meal it strolled up to her, mouth open, ready to swallow with one gulp. The Eskimo lady waited and, once in range, plunged her walking stick down the bear’s gullet.

Hours later the clansmen could see her, cresting a snow hill, dragging behind her enough meat to feed the whole tribe.

Times are tough, and circumstances beyond anybody’s control have dictated that I must leave. Totally understand. But, as Rahm Emanuel would say, “Never fucking waste a fucking crisis, fucker.” Which is another way of saying that it’s actually an opportunity. And I intend on seizing it.

So thanks to every member of this tribe called Arnold. It’s been an honor and pleasure working with you. I hope our paths cross again. Who knows? I might even be back one day. Hopefully with enough polar bear sushi to share.

In the words of a fellow young Canadian:

Never say never,
Rich Tseng”

Godspeed, sir.

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