Child-Abuse Ad Uses Lenticular Printing to Send Kids a Secret Message That Adults Can’t See

The ANAR Foundation, a Spanish child-advocacy organization, used lenticular printing in this powerful outdoor ad to send different messages to children and adults. Anyone under about 4-foot-3 sees bruising on the child's face in the poster, along with ANAR's hotline number and copy that reads, "If somebody hurts you, phone us and we'll help you." People taller than that—i.e., most parents—simply see the child without the bruise and the line, "Sometimes child abuse is only visible to the child suffering it." The metaphor embodied in the display is apt—the figurative differences in perception between abuser and abused here become literal. I'm glad they kept the concept and content simple, too; it makes the interactivity more immediate and less gimmicky. Ad agency: Grey Spain.

    

Ogilvy Creates Saudi Arabia’s First Major Ad Campaign Condemning Violence Against Women

Saudi Arabia, which ranked 131st out of 134 countries for gender parity in a recent report from the World Economic Forum, has unveiled what is believed to be its first major ad campaign condemning violence against women. The first ad, created by Memac Ogilvy in Riyadh for the King Khalid Foundation, shows a woman in a niqab with a black eye. The English version of the copy reads: "Some things can't be covered: Fighting women's abuse together." "The veil does not only hide women's abuse, but it's also a representation of the social veil behind which a lot of societal deficiencies hide," says Fadi Saad, managing director of Memac Ogilvy in Riyadh. "It is one bold first step toward legislation to fight women's abuse in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We believe that the authorities are ready to support such a drive today given the evolution that is taking place in the country." It's another sign that views toward women may be slowly changing in Saudi Arabia. Last summer, Saudi women competed in the Olympics for the first time. And this January, King Abdullah appointed 30 women to the consultative Shura Council—also a first.

    

Grey Crafts Hard-Hitting Ads for Gun Control Across Two Different Campaigns

A guy named Ed stalks past the glum cubicles of a nondescript office suite, raises his gun and fires a single shot at a middle-aged managerial type, narrowly missing his target. He then begins the laborious process of cleaning and reloading his musket-style weapon—the type of firearm widely used when the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified—giving everyone in the room time to flee. The chilling spot, from States United to Prevent Gun Violence and Grey New York, closes with the lines: "Guns have changed. Shouldn't our gun laws?"

Moms Demand Action and Grey Toronto take a simpler approach with "How Many More Rounds?" That clip shows shells ejecting in slow motion as an assault weapon is fired, with each casing representing a high-profile shooting: Newtown, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine. As the tragedies pile up, the ad asks, "How many more rounds are we going to let this go for?" The same client-agency team also crafted print ads (posted after the jump) that show two kids standing or sitting side by side, each holding a different item, one of which has been banned by federal or local authorities to protect youngsters. The banned items include a version of Little Red Riding Hood, Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs and dodge balls. In each case, the contrasting item is an assault-style AK-15 rifle.

All three efforts are restrained and thoughtful, and each makes a point in a memorable way without seeming gratuitous. That the cause inspires impassioned and noteworthy creative work is no surprise. It's just a shame this particular ad category has to exist at all.

CREDITS (top spot)
Client: States United to Prevent Gun Violence
Spot: "Ed—A Petition for Stronger Gun Laws"
Agency: Grey, New York
President, Chief Creative Officer: Tor Myhren
Executive Creative Directors: Steve Krauss, Ari Halper
Creative Director, Art Director: Eric Schutte
Associate Creative Director, Copywriter: Rob Carducci
Copywriter: Richard Bullock
Creative Reputation Manager: Rachel West
Vice President, Account Director: Elizabeth Gilchrist
Assistant Account Executive: Cassie Novick
Executive Vice President, Director of Broadcast Production: Bennett McCarroll
Producer: Floyd Russ
Associate Producer: Sam Howard
Production Company: Harvest
Director: Adam Goldstein
Executive Producers: Bonnie Goldfarb, Rob Sexton
Line Producer: Francie Moore
Director of Photography: Roman Jakobi
Editorial: Mackenzie Cutler
Editor: Gavin Cutler
Assistant Editor: Ryan Steele
Producer: Sasha Hirschfeld
Visual Effects: Method Studios
Lead Flame Artist: Jay Hawkins
Matte Painter: Stella Ampatci
Visual Effects Producer: Jenn Dewey
Sound Design: Vision Post
Sound Designer: Ryan Hobler
Producer: Lindsay Brzowski
Music: G&E Music

    

Canadian PSA Takes Aim at the Noxious Epidemic of Social Farting

"Just because I fart at parties now and then, it doesn't make me a farter." That's how I plan to begin my memoirs, and it's also a key line in the Ontario Ministry of Health's "Quit the Denial" campaign from BBDO Toronto, directed by the Perlorian Brothers. We meet a gassy lass who lets fly when partying with friends, dancing or chatting up guys. She asks one dude coquettishly, "Do you want to go outside for a fart?" (Where's this noxious angel been all my life?) She is, of course, in denial, just like people who claim to be "social smokers" and insist they're not addicts. (A companion spot features "social nibblers" who mooch food from other people's plates. But there's no farting in that one, so who cares?) It's a splendidly sophomoric approach and definitely diverting, though I wonder if it's ultimately too light and insubstantial, lacking substance—like, oh I don't know, a passing wind, perhaps? Besides, if there were no more smokers, who's going to add some spark to these farty parties by lighting a match?

Teenage Parents Have Only Miserable and Vindictive Babies, Say NYC Ads

Teenage pregnancy is on the rise. Wait, no it's not! Teen birth rates were at an all-time low in the U.S. in 2011, according to CBS News. And according to New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the city's teen pregnancy rate dropped by 27 percent in the last 10 years. Nevertheless, we have some provocative new ads from NYC's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Campaign combatting the babies-having-babies epidemic. The campaign, which began running across town in subways and bus shelters this week, features adorable kids who are victims—just by being born—of their horrible, unthinking teen parents. One features a kid saying, "Got a good job? I cost thousands of dollars each year." Another, arguably the most most controversial, features a crying baby boy with text that reads, "I'm twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen." The ads have provoked a war of words between the mayor's office and Planned Parenthood of New York City, which has denounced the posters, claiming they ignore the racial, economic and social factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy and stigmatize teen parents and their children. But the message to teens is certainly clear: Don't want a weepy, resentful baby on your hands? Don't get pregnant. More ads below. Top image via.

Debi Austin, Star of Infamous Anti-Smoking Ad, Is Dead at 62

Debi Austin, better known as the lady who smoked a cigarette through a tracheotomy hole in her neck in the infamous "Voicebox" anti-smoking ad, died Feb. 22 after a 20-year battle with cancer. She was 62. The California Department of Public Health released a statement about Debi on its website in which CDPH director Dr. Ron Chapman applauded her for showing "tremendous courage by sharing her story to educate Californians on the dangers of smoking." He's absolutely right about that. The "Voicebox" ad, from 1996, is a good example of how advertising can use real people's stories for the greater good, and without exploiting them. More to the point, Debi was brave for putting what many would call a weakness or personal failing to work as a public service, and for doing so with dignity and poise. She would also become a powerful anti-smoking advocate, and made two ads more recently—see those after the jump. May she rest in peace.

Watch the PSA That Shocked Some Celebrities, and Will Shock You Too

If you don't plan on eating for a while, check out the video below from the End7 project, dedicated to ending some truly terrifying infections known as "neglected tropical diseases." The clip, called "How to Shock a Celebrity," created by Wunderman U.K., begins by showing you the reactions of several actors and musicians watching footage of tropical-disease sufferers, which you are then able to watch yourself. Admittedly, the term "celebrity" is used a bit loosely here, since few of the featured talents are household names (in America, at least). The term "truly terrifying" is not used loosely. The video is compelling, emotional and deeply troubling. Check it out, and then read more about the celebrities and diseases featured in it after the jump. Hat tip to my friend Suzanne for sharing this on Facebook.

Celebrities featured:
• Emily Blunt (Sara in Looper, Emily in The Devil Wears Prada)
• Eddie Redmayne (Marius in Les Misérables)
• Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series)
• Yvonne Chaka Chaka (South African pop star)
• Tom Hollander (King George III in HBO's John Adams and Cutler Beckett in the last two Pirates of the Caribbean movies)
• Priyanka Chopra (leading Bollywood actress and international recording artist)

Diseases featured:
• Elephantiasis
• Roundworm
• Hookworm
• Whipworm
• Trachoma
• River Blindness
• Snail Fever

‘Crotches Kill,’ Canadian Ads Warn Texting Drivers

Crotches have been lethal for God knows how long. But traffic-safety officials in Alberta, Canada, are using new ads to highlight the most recent source of groin-related fatalities: subversive texting. In its new "Crotches Kill" campaign, Alberta's Transportation Department reminds motorists that every time you check that phone in your lap, your attention strays from the road for five seconds. "We know what you're doing down there," say the posters, part of an effort by agency RED that includes radio spots and banner ads as well. In somewhat related news, Rhode Island is also considering a law to ban pets from sitting in drivers' laps. We might just be entering an era of crotch common sense! Via Osocio and Copyranter.

Measuring Ad Success in Eight Days or Less

measuringTapeThe recession has either changed the way advertisers do business or has forced us to reevaluate the ways in which we do business. The focus has shifted to the effectiveness and efficiency of an ad campaign rather than stressing the  campaign or ad variables such as reach and effective frequency.

If you work in a media department, then measuring effectiveness and efficiency is something you’ve likely done for years with little to no fanfare from the client side. Well, the climate’s changed, and clients are concerned more than ever — with good reason — that their ads and campaigns meet efficient, effective, and measurable goals. Their priority is to connect with the target audience in a manner that’s more in-tune with a reduced budget. Clients are are requiring or searching for agencies capable of providing campaigns that work harder and smarter.

In addition, advertisers (namely P&G and Coca Cola), have instituted Value Based Compensation (VBC)  arrangements made up of a pay-for-performance (P4P) layout that can be attained in addition to a base fee.

TV.PicThe Nielsen Company has just announced that a new software product, Rapid Campaign Evaluation (RCE), a fast and inexpensive means to review ad performance in just over a week. Due to the costs incurred when an ad or campaign is launched, RCE will give agencies information quickly so as to allow them to respond in an appropriate manner.

Richard Reeves, associate director of Consumer Research Services at the Nielsen Company, notes an agency not only will have the ability to evaluate their own endeavors but the ability to evaluate their competitor’s as well.

Whenever a new commercial is executed,” Reeves says, “there is always that element of anticipation about how it will perform in the ‘real world.’ If it’s a competitor’s ad — you are usually left worrying about the damage it will do to your brand.”

RCE was designed and tested in Australia to measure the strength (or weakness) of TV spots. How many people saw or heard the ads or whether the audience was able to determine the advertiser and the take-away message will provide advertisers with almost “real-time” data they can then use to readjust their tactics such as:

  • An ad that performed strongly may provide justification to increase spend.
  • An ad with mediocre results could be re-edited to clarify the brand message and increase brand cues, or it could be taken back into qualitative research for fine tuning.
  • An ad can be created or ad spend can be increased if RCE showed strong effectiveness measures for a competitor’s ad.

In just over a week, agencies will be able to view data in order to evaluate effectiveness or lack thereof, ensuring clients get the biggest bang for their buck.

While advertising “gurus” have bandied back and forth as to the fairness or plausibility of the VBC model, companies, such as Coca Cola, have already put it into action. In truth, it’s the most equitable payment arrangement; agencies require media vendors to prove their performance. Why shouldn’t clients require the same from their agencies?

Nielsen’s new software is just another step in the ongoing evolution of the industry.

Jeff Louis has over ten years of brand-building, media strategy, and new business experience. His passion is writing, while his strong suit seems to be sarcasm.  You can follow Jeff on Twitter or become a fan on Examiner.com.


B-52’s, Headlights, or Jugs: Breast Cancer Org’s Target Men

rib1This post covers two of my favorite topics: Breasts and advertising. When they’re grouped together, it usually means a 30-minute Girls Gone Wild infomercial. However, this post actually covers a couple advertising efforts behind breast cancer awareness, which is nothing to joke about. While humor is used in writing, and can be seen in the TV spots, no disrespect, implied or otherwise, is intended. My prayers go out to all those who have been affected by breast cancer.

All men love breasts. Some love them secretly. Others wear t-shirts that shout out that they are “breast men.” Even men that don’t dig women are drawn to a woman’s chest…not sexually, but out of curiosity. (It’s a cruel society that labels a straight man as a stalker for staring at a woman’s assets for too long while a gay man has free reign to reach right out and grab a woman’s chest in public…)

Listaholic alphabetizes 138 different slang names for breasts, among them; whimwhams, muffins, kawangas, and dinglebobbers. Which proves that when men don’t understand something, they either rename it or make fun of it.

The truth of the matter is that we probably love breasts more than their owners;

We just don’t know why…

Which leads to an obvious question: Why haven’t men been involved in the fight against breast cancer from the beginning? Like a favorite bra, it’s a natural fit; breast-lovers attacking breast cancer. As you’ll read in a couple of seconds, a couple of organizations figured it out.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 500,000 people die every year as a result of breast cancer. It ranks as the second most common form of cancer, and it’s the 5th highest cause of cancer deaths.

The push towards early detection and education of breast cancer began in earnest in 1982, following the death of Susan G. Komen. Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977 and died three years later. Susan’s younger sister, Nancy, was the impetus behind the push; keeping a promise to her sister, she founded The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation with the belief that education, early detection, and research would have saved Susan.

Now known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure, or simply Komen, the foundation has raised over $1.3 billion dollars for cancer research since inception and is the largest cancer charity in the world. On the global level, Komen has but one mission: To end breast cancer forever.

Spurred by National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), two separate advertisers have launched PSAs that have expanded their target audience to include men, which is ingenious: Who thinks about breasts more than men?

Yoplait has just released, “Yoplait Pledge.” It makes fun of the fact that nicknames were given to breasts at some point (hmm).

The second awareness spot comes from ReThink Breast Cancer, a Toronto-based organization that addresses the breast cancer concerns of young people affected by the disease. Rethink is a volunteer organization that is “thinking differently” on methods to defeat breast cancer (like getting men involved). The spot (below) is airing in Canada on MTV, and the woman featured is an MTV Host.

It’s obvious that breasts get plenty of attention. It’s breast cancer that we need to focus on.

Jeff Louis: Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, blogger, and aspiring writer. Please leave a comment or follow him on Twitter. As always, thanks for reading.

Cellufun: First Ever Mobile PSA

CellufunLogoAs technological capabilities expand, so do ideas…or vice versa. In either case, we seem to witness ideas that break the “traditional mold” on a regular basis. Cellufun, a mobile social gaming community, is launching the first Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign over a mobile, or cellular, network. It is an idea that breaks conceptual boundaries.

Known as “The World’s Mobile Playground, Cellufun is teaming with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and will feature in-game advertising as well as user-donation opportunities to the two charities via their mobile phone.

Cellufun is a virtual world where people are able to meet, play games, and shop…all via cellular phone. Available on any phone with a data plan, consumers are able to access Cellufun globally. Cellufun partners with diverse mobile operators and media companies to deliver entertainment and mobile marketing solutions.

Cellufun mobile clients will be able to purchase Superman Tags for their online avatars; profits from the tags will go to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

“We think this is a fantastic opportunity to extend our presence into the mobile space,” said Peter T. Wilderotter, president and CEO of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. “This is a unique chance to be part of a robust online community where people can show their support for our real-world efforts by purchasing an item in their favorite virtual world.”

There are currently 7 million-plus users of Cellufun, spending an average 7 hours per month connecting with friends, playing games, and shopping for virtual products. On average an active user will be on Cellufun nearly 7 hours each month, which equates to more than 220 million monthly impressions.

ASPCA_logoThe ASPCA ads will be featured in “pet games and activities,” with a company-estimated value of $10,000 per month in free advertising.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Cellufun for this unique campaign” said Jo Sullivan, Executive Vice President of External Affairs for the ASPCA. “By bringing the ASPCA straight to the mobile devices of millions of users, we will be able to dramatically increase awareness of our mission and the vital work we do every day to save animals’ lives.”

Cellu-la

By introducing the world’s first mobile PSA campaign, Cellufun hopes to raise awareness and secure donations from its users for worthwhile charitable endeavors. With a large user base, the company hopes to help non-profits reach a wider audience by bringing them into the mobile medium.

“Cellufun’s social games—such as Mobile Pet Online and Cellufun Farming—provide not only entertainment, but the perfect venue for raising social awareness by partnering with leading charities and non-profits,” said Neil Edwards, chief executive officer of Cellufun.

The company plans to expand the first-ever mobile PSA campaign to include other charities in the near future.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, writer and blogger can be reached by leaving a comment or on Twitter and LinkedIn.


Whaddaya mean Free?!?

Public Service Announcements can be a nice little niche for ad agencies of any size. Non profits will usually pay you to design an ad or a campaign, and most outlets consider PSAs to be a part of their community relations program. It’s also a good way to test some of your junior staff.

Brother Can You Spare Some Free Time?

Brother Can You Spare Some Free Time?

Giving to a food bank is always fashionable

pa href=”http://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/site/PageServer?pagename=luxury” style=”display: inline;”img alt=”Food-luxury” class=”at-xid-6a00d8341c51c053ef01053695a165970c ” src=”http://adweek.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341c51c053ef01053695a165970c-450wi” style=”width: 425px;”/img/a/p

pLeo Burnett did this decent pro-bono campaign for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, featuring photos of models lounging around sensuously with various grub. The theme is, “a href=”http://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/site/PageServer?pagename=luxury”Food shouldn’t feel like a luxury/a.” The TV commercial below is perfectly ludicrous, and refreshingly comical for the PSA sector. It’s easy to donate to the food bank as well: Just text MEALS to 90999 to give $5. The ads are running on CTA trains and buses and other outdoor spaces through New Year’s Eve. brbrem—Posted by Tim Nudd/em/p

pobject height=”344″ width=”425″param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/9v7NMtsCEhgamp;hl=enamp;fs=1amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18″/paramparam name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”/paramparam name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”/paramembed allowfullscreen=”true” allowscriptaccess=”always” height=”344″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/9v7NMtsCEhgamp;hl=enamp;fs=1amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” width=”425″/embed/object/pdiv class=”feedflare”
a href=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Adfreak?a=CXvgO”img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Adfreak?i=CXvgO” border=”0″/img/a a href=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Adfreak?a=4xJWO”img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Adfreak?i=4xJWO” border=”0″/img/a a href=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Adfreak?a=bdr7O”img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Adfreak?i=bdr7O” border=”0″/img/a
/divimg src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Adfreak/~4/493203498″ height=”1″ width=”1″/