Hasta La Creative!

Many top brands have preferred Instagram to Vine when deciding how to complement branding with viral videos, but that hasn’t stopped Snapple, with creative direction from NYC-based Code and Theory, from choosing six over 15. As part of Snapple’s Re-enFACTments digital campaign, here’s a little stop-motion animation to kick off the weekend. The above clip was designed by Khoa Phan, who Mashable declared “Vine’s Most Creative Stop-Motion Animator.”

Snapple and Code and Theory have reached out to a number of unique people on the platform to visualize the signature series of under-the-cap facts that lost their novelty appeal about ten years ago. Phan worked with fact #754 – an alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime, a ridiculous number that probably excites dentists and orthodontists around the world. And, as you can see in a few additional Vines below, makes eating an apple more troubling than you’d expect.

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Listen up, people. T3′s Brian Thompson and his shirt are here to give you four simple steps to nailing your next client presentation!

For those of you who prefer your tips in text format as opposed to video, here are the key points:

1. Posture: Stand up straight. This requires putting your shoulders back and chest out, allowing your clients a better opportunity to check out your God-given physical attributes. If you’re packing in the rear, knock a pen off the table and take an extra-long time to pick it up. It’s this negotiation tactic that made up the basis of Legally Blonde, after all!
2. Gesture: Pinkies out! Pinkies always, always out! It shows class. Also, remember: When you’re presenting your “big idea,” try to stretch your arms out as wide as you possibly can. This will help the client better understand the enormity of your concept. When saying your goodbyes, give the client a firm handshake, while simultaneously using your middle finger to subtly tickle their palms.
3. Pause: The best tactic for keeping your client on their toes is to suddenly stop mid-sentence when you’re in the middle of your presentation. Believe me, they’ll never see it coming. Only resume your presentation after the client asks you AT MINIMUM three times if everything’s okay.
4. Eye Connection: Never, EVER, break eye contact. Have everything memorized so you can talk about your concept without ever looking at it. Avoid blinking if possible; the only time an eye should close is when winking. If you wear contacts or have naturally dry eyes, try to wink at least once a minute. Remember, this is about eye connection, not contact. Pretend the client is Leonardo DiCaprio‘s character at the end of Titanic, and you’re Kate Winslet floating on the door. Never. Let. Go.

Practice these moves with your family over the holiday weekend, and come back to work on Monday presenting with confidence!

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The Internet is exciting because a nighttime musing can become a full-fledged product, a quirky idea a million-dollar company. But when people start selling random trophies for $34.00 and claiming it’s funny and/or creative, and those people want $20,000 for the whole whimsical endeavor, it’s hard to stifle a huge yawn.

Alon Seifert, senior creative director at McCann Erickson, poses in various compromising positions for the Trophy Buffet’s Kickstarter video. Apparently he used to give his wife an annual trophy for putting up with him, and realized that the whole world could celebrate various occasions in the same manner. They’ve got an “I apologize for my future messups” trophy, a “Thanks for loving me just the way I am” trophy, and a “You’re the best baby we’ve ever had,” trophy. If you find one that would be perfect for your spouse, friend, or child, too bad: they’re all somehow sold out.

I’m all for encouragement, but Trophy Buffet seems too snide and kitsch to mean anything. The project has no illusions of grandeur, but the fact that it even exists is a waste of both creative energy and the Internet’s already very short attention span.

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As National Pride month winds down for the LGBT community, Grey Poupon and CP+B have teamed for a small piece of content in support of gay rights. A Facebook image posted yesterday afternoon depicts two men in separate cars holding hands through open windows, a heartwarming riff on a famous 1981 ad for the mustard-maker. Earlier this year, CP+B used the famous spot as a backdrop for a “Lost Footage” reveal during the Academy Awards. In the original commercial, two mayonnaise whiteys pull up side-by-side in Rolls Royces. One man happens to be eating some mustard-garnished food in the backseat, while the other politely asks for some Grey Poupon. Instead of sharing, the first man drives off devilishly. Perhaps, thirty two years later, he had a change of heart.

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In March, Mozilla announced its “Firefox Flicks” competition, calling on aspiring filmmakers, animators, and creatives to make films emphasizing the power of the Web on mobile devices. Somehow Edward Norton is on the board of judges.

Mozilla reports that as of now, Europe, Asia, and Africa are beating North America for best entries. There are only two other rounds of judging before the final contest, and the final deadline for entries is July 31, 2013. So, let’s represent?

The regional prizes of $5,000 and $2,500 sound sweet, but the grand prize of getting to produce a short film with no corresponding screening sounds like a bit of a swindle. Is Mozilla going to use the resulting spot in a campaign? Will it be distributed in some way?

The two winners of the Early Entry Award have made fun films, showing that Mozilla’s getting the attention of ambitious students. I’m just curious to see how the Mozilla will move the projects from their insular space, making them really matter.

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This parody reality show trend is tiresome, especially because reality shows are already a parody of life. Earlier this month, PBS invented fake reality shows like “Knitting Wars” and advertised them coupled with their own message: “The fact that you thought this was real says a lot about the state of TV. Support Quality Programming.”

Now, Brooklyn-based agency/organic farming advocate Carrot Creative has come up with a series of new shows on the “Unpakt Network,” all centered on moving house. On “America’s Next Top Mover,” contestants struggle with boxes as European-accented judges critique their form. In “Mover Wars,” three movers grit their teeth as they consider the lowest prices they’ll accept. Additional trailers offer previews of “The Moving Truck Whisperer” and “Movebusters.”

Fans can suggest the name of the next show by tweeting to @unpakt with the hashtag #unpaktreality. If the reality theme is here to stay, I hope at least for a parody of Dance Moms, with moving men and women grooming their children to move boxes in tutus.

See the other videos after the jump

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From the power trio of Atmosphere Proximity, The Parternship at Drugfree.org and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy comes the above spot for the “Above the Influence” campaign which asks the question, “Who better to convince kids not to drugs than their peers?”

Of course, this begs a second question. “Wait, which of your peers is the BEST at not telling you to do drugs?  That is the peer we need.” And so, things got interesting. After all, what’s more American and capitalistic than making this shit into a contest? This isn’t about the message anymore. No sir, this shit is about TALENT. You got talent? Stand up, let’s hear it. No talent? SIT DOWN. Do some drugs until you’re able to talk about them in a raw, powerful way that is better than that other kid’s way of talking about drugs. Then, you win.

Before you submit your awesome ad idea at Above the Influence on Facebook, start strategizing. What kind of shenanigans will your peer group use to their advantage? Perhaps they lost a family member to drugs. Perhaps they’re recovering addicts themselves. Remember, this isn’t about drugs. This is about winning, and being the most popular kid at school for appearing in an anti-drug commercial. This is about fame. This is about being the best.

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HappyBombs, a “socially conscious apparel company dedicated to making the world a better place,” is a passion project that is turning into a real project. We’ve covered side ventures, short films, etc. created by various ad employees, but this t-shirt company is meant to replace a traditional job, not supplement it. As you’ll see in the promo video, the founders “make lots of things for lots of companies. But it hasn’t been making [them] happy.” One of the founders is Phil Henson, an ACD at Team One LA, the shop that handles Lexus among other accounts, of course. I guess placing bows on top of luxury sedans doesn’t fulfill the conscience at night.

If you’re interested in donating, you can find more information over at the fundraising page on Kickstarter little brother Indiegogo. The shirts are not just shirts (are they ever?), however. Half of the profit for each purchase is donated to a charity. No word yet on whether the shirts come with oversized bows, but it’s a cool project for a cool cause and worth checking out.

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Google, today, announce the beta launch of an extension that will allow businesses to add images alongside AdWords search ads. Up until now, Google’s search ads have been text only.

Noting that one in sex searches on Google provide results with images, the search giant concludes people want a richer experience and images will do just that. However, the beauty of Google has always been its bare bones simplicity.

While it would seem images could clutter the simplicity of Google search result ads, it does not seem the site will be overrun with silly marketing imagery. On the Inside AdWords blog today, Ad Formats Product Manager Awaneesh Verma wrote, “Image extensions will show in some cases when we determine that a search is likely for visual content. For example, it is more likely that your image extensions will show for a query like luxury car designs than locations of nearby car dealerships.”

Image extensions are only running in English. Brands interested in checking out the option can contact their account manager or fill out this form.

Last week, those perennial rabble-rousers at The Onion took it upon themselves last week to offer up a blow-by-blow account of a Twitter tiff (albeit fake) between President Obama and The Audubon Society (home to “the original tweeters” as the latter says). The slideshow thus prompted the president (or those handling his Twitter account nowadays) to suggest the Audubon Society as a Friday Follow on Twitter (Mashable has a summary of what transpired here).

Well, inspired by the goings on, GS&P decided to get its client, Audubon, in on the joke while thanking @BarackObama for the #FF by coming up with a musical effort dubbed “Tweet Your Tweet.” The project, which is a collaboration between the Goodby camp and Swedish music production company, Dinahmoe,  matches bird chirps to the corresponding tones/letters (a, b, c, d, e, f, g) in your tweets. As you can see in the image above, the president’s account is aptly enough the first to get a nod in “Tweet Your Tweet,” which can get somewhat grating after a while but hey, gotta appreciate the quick turnaround. Regarding the effort, GS&P chief digital officer Kalle Hellzen says, “…we immediately jumped on the opportunity to bring more #birders into the Audubon society. We developed the perfect ‘thank you’ to @barackobama and a fun experience for everyone else to play with.”

Credits after the jump.

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