Hasta La Creative!

Like or dislike President Obama, there is one thing certain: His plate is FULL. Dealing with two wars, Gitmo, health care reform, a recession, and the largest corporations in the US filing for bankruptcy on a weekly basis, it is doubtful that the President will notice another crisis until it hits him in the face.

The Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will launch a public service campaign this week comparing the extremely high rate of AIDS in Washington, DC, with the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The number of cases from last year to this have increased by 40%, a fact that has not been addressed by the media or the government. The AHF has used a series of print ads, a 30-second television spot, bus kiosk ads, and a website, ChangeAidsObama.org as part of the month-long campaign. Sixty bus shelters are slated for the new effort.

The campaign, “AIDS is DC’s Katrina,” points out the Bush administrations seeming indifference to Hurricane Katrina was detrimental to his Presidency. When the news broke that Washington, DC’s aids rate was higher than that of developing African nations, the AHS criticized President Obama for his silence. This campaign is meant to push him into action. The AHF is not placing the blame on the Obama administration, but rather the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for implementing a plan three years ago to prevent the spread of AIDS that has failed miserably as the epidemic has worsened.

The PR Newswire issued a release today from the AHS with the criticism;

To address the growing epidemic, the CDC issued revised guidelines for HIV testing in September of 2006. It its revised guidelines, the CDC recommended the testing of all people ages 13-64 in routine health care settings such as emergency units, community clinics, etc.; unfortunately, nearly three years later, these testing guidelines have not been widely implemented nationwide at the same time when our rate of new HIV infections has increased 40% from 40,000 new infections annually to 56,000.

The video, seen below, is already on YouTube and is going to be released on other online video channels before hitting the airwaves.

One thing is certain: Pleasing all the people all the time is impossible. For the President, pleasing anyone at this point seems like unlikely.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, please leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

Once upon a time, I thought that I was an Atheist (the position that deities do not exist). But, I was confused: I was an Agnostic (there is no verifiable proof of a God). Now, I think that I’m simply a believer.

This all came flooding back today as I drove through the Loop on my way to lunch. I had just left a meeting outside the city, and was driving, trying to pay attention without much luck. It’s illegal to use cell phones while driving here, so there went half my entertainment. The other half, the radio, was playing alternative rock. Bored, I started people watching while caught in stop/go traffic. I watched as people scurried about as I patiently cut off a honking cab that was edging in between my car and a bus. It was then that I noticed the banner on the side of the bus, and I stopped watching the cab and thought “Huh. I wonder what they are advertising.” The bus and my car were stuck together two blocks later and I exclaimed aloud;

“Those are the Indiana Atheist ads!”

The Indiana Atheists (IA) picked up the idea from atheists in Canada and London, where pro-Atheist bus campaigns have already run. In London, a month-long, 800 bus onslaught was derived by a London comedy writer that saw Christian ads being displayed on public transportation. Ariane Sherine, self-proclaimed atheist, came up with the slogan, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The story was picked up by Time as one of the top religion stories of the year.

Unfortunately, the Indiana Atheists were late hitting Chicago

The pious have been buying ad space from the city’s decaying, cash-strapped public transportation system for a while. One recent religious ad read, “ISLAM. Got questions? Get answers. FREE Quran & Literature,” followed by a toll-free telephone number.

Chicago was not the first target sought by the IA; Bloomington, IN, turned the advertising down. Thesecond target was South Bend. Pro-religion bus ads had already run in South Bend, so the city had little choice when it came to ad acceptance.

Why do the atheists advertise? There is no message, no real group solidarity, and their self-stated goal is that they are not out winning converts. Are they branding?

According to Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association;

“…you don’t see [atheists] having a caucus in Congress or anywhere else. It’s a group that’s been in the closet. People are afraid to ‘come out’ to their families and say they don’t believe in God.” The ads are designed to show lonely atheists that they do not walk alone — and they can go on disbelieving.

Although I bleed CMYK, it seems to me that donations could be spent in a much more effective manner to tell lonely atheists that they are not alone. People that are “good without God,” could start up a shelter to feed the homeless, help the poor pay bills, or buy groceries for a hundred families. The message would actually be stronger (doing good without God) due to their actions. Add that to the fact that news outlets are searching for “feel good” stories, the IA would; help a needy family; send their message, and; generate positive public relations. A Win-Win-Win.

My one question, “How did they determine that cadres of closeted atheists were searching for solace? Did I miss ‘60 Minutes,’ or something?”

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, please leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

Dr. Pepper has kicked off a program known as Vida23, celebrating la vida23, “a flavorful, bicultural life to the 23rd power.”
A mobile dance club/studio and arcade, plus a new song written for the program, will be touring American cities.

“Just like the unique 23 flavors Dr Pepper, Vida23 is designed to give consumers more out of every day,” said Monica Morales, Dr Pepper brand manager, Hispanic market. “Hispanic young adults are living the best of both worlds – they’re bicultural and bilingual. Unlike previous generations, today’s young Latinos literally have one foot in each culture and Vida23 celebrates their way of life.”

The song, “LA LA LA Life/Vida23,” was written and performed by Cucu Diamantes and Andres Levin, founding members of the fusion band Yerba Buena. The song could be described as African-rooted Latin music + hip-hop + Soul/R&B. The song can be heard over the air, or during Dr Pepper spots.

Vida23 is meant to embody the bicultural lifestyle using Club23, Dr Pepper’s dance club on wheels where fans can play games, dance, and upload photos. Beginning in Dallas on May 15, Club23 tours the country, hitting locations such as LA, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Sacramento. Club23 dates and locations are available at www.Vida23.com.

Other promotions that will run later in the year include Tu Ride23 and Familia23. The Tu Ride23 promotion will give consumers a chance to win a car, and Familia23 awards a huge party to a family submitting a photo of themselves enjoying Dr Pepper while explaining how they live their life to the fullest.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Coordinator. His passion is writing, contributing to BMA as well as freelancing. He’d love to hear from you: linkedin.com/in/jefflouis or twitter.com/jlo0312..

“Anything you can do, I can do better.” That is the competitive nature that lives in us all. That attitude surfaces on the playground, in the classroom, at home and on TV. The prevalence of one-upmanship is unavoidable, and, damn it, I love it! The only place I enjoy a high level of competitiveness more than sports is the world of advertising. The creativity required to best your competition in this world has to be quick and uncanny, so please check mediocrity at the door. The most recent demonstration of witty one-upmanship I have witnessed were these two billboards below from Audi and BMW:

A few weeks ago Audi put up a billboard on Santa Monica Blvd. in Southern California showcasing their new A4 vehicle challenging BMW with the copy that reads “Your Move, BMW.” You have to appreciate the confidence Audi is demonstrating. No one expected BMW to take this slight with a smile, but how was BMW going to respond? The answer: by strategically putting up a bigger billboard on the other side of the road featuring the M3 with the copy that wittily reads “Checkmate.” Simple, clever, and absolute “ownage!” I was so taken by the sheer genius of the response I might have gotten a little giddy…On that note, know of any other great advertising disputes or challenges? Drop me a Tomment and let me know.

P.S. Remember when I said in the world of competitive advertising mediocrity should be checked at the door? Audi managed to sneak it pass; Audi responded shortly by replacing their billboard with another one, but the attempt is disappointing and makes little sense. BMW then responded by removing their billboard all together rendering the copy of the current Audi billboard confusing. I’d show you, but I don’t want to highlight mediocrity.

= = = = = =

Tommy Liu is a Creative at Supercool Creative where he also manages the blog (click here for more of his writing as well as his contact info).

Feng Shui has been a Chinese belief to which fortunes are told so that people who fall in a specific year and month can more or less have an idea of what is in store for them. You can believe them or not but the thing is, Feng Shui is a good guide that can really help you find your way for the coming year.

For 2009, the Year of the Ox does seem favorable to most. Career, relationships and health are normally the tops on the list and depending on the reliability of the Feng Shui expert you talk to, it doesn’t really hurt to check them out.

There are a lot of these Feng Shui sites on the web to which you can get your future fortune. If you have hesitations, go to the next and compare them for consistency. In the end, you can see the majority summary of what lies ahead.

On believing in Chinese horoscopes or not is entirely up to you. But for 2009 which has been branded a year of worst economic scenarios, maybe you would want to check out as well on how your life will go and thwart it if it doesn’t bring a good year for you.

Happy New Year Everyone!

The thing about out-of-home advertising is it can’t be avoided. You can’t click away or turn the page. So brands love it. Now, more than ever.

According to Business Wire, Pepsi is entering a 10-year tenant/naming rights agreement with Meadowlands Xanadu–the most expensive mall project ever conceived–to create a 287-foot-tall “Pepsi Globe,” a.k.a. Ferris Wheel in northern New Jersey.

“The Pepsi Globe will be an instant landmark – the signature attraction heralding the premiere entertainment and shopping destination in the country,” said Laurence Siegel, President, Meadowlands Development, the creators of Meadowlands Xanadu.

The Xanadu opportunity was brought to Pepsi by brand energy agency Protagonist, led by Matti Leshem. “Matti’s been a terrific partner. He didn’t just make the introduction, he’s an integral part of developing the ride, from creating an interactive experience inside the capsules to building Globe-shaped recycling bins for placement throughout the venue,” said Kristina Mangelsdorf, director of marketing for Pepsi.

A ride in the Pepsi Globe will last approximately 25 minutes and offer sweeping vistas of the New York skyline and the Hudson River.

[via The Denver Egotist]

See the entire series of blanks from Aaron Whelton.