Hasta La Creative!

Just how many advertising messages are we exposed to on a daily basis? In Data Smog, author David Skenk writes that the average American’s exposure to advertising has grown from “560 daily advertising messages in 1971. By 1997, that number had increased to over 3,000 per day.”

While the figures are controversial due to the definition of the word “advertising,” even 200 hundred messages a day is more than we’ll remember. Be thankful for that, because most of them are crap that shouldn’t have made it past the concept stage.

While the number of victims stricken by “Crapvertising” is unknown, there is a place where those who have fallen prey can expose the offender(s): The Tracy Awards.  Based on the premise that advertisers produce a lot of  ”bad ads,” the First Annual Tracy Awards are accepting submissions for the Worst in Advertising 2009. Its call to action:

“There’s a lot of bad advertising out there. Let’s make fun of it.”

Noted as the first competition of its kind, The Tracy’s provide those exposed to terrible advertising an opportunity “strike back” at advertisers who produce crap. The press release goes on to explain:

Every ad we receive will be judged. Harshly. And if it’s bad enough, it will win a Tracy, which will be sent to the people responsible for creating the abomination in the first place. Plus, all ads that win Tracy’s will be nationally publicized as the Worst Advertising of 2009.

The Tracy Awards were conceived by Salt Lake City ad agency Crowell Advertising and are named for agency founder, Tracy Crowell.

Take a few minutes to view the crap or submit some. If you are like me, making fun of others’ work will make the day so much better.

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.

This week, the ad community was put on display by an ad leaked out of DDB Brazil. The client, the World Wildlife Fund, was none too excited over this release (or was it?), and the pundits were salivating at the opportunity to rip this spot apart with their fake outrage.

The ad features a very moving truth and the media uproar displays a few ‘inconvenient truths’ about Americans. First, we seem to only care about ourselves. Second, we can’t stomach a brutally honest message. If three people die in a shooting in the US, we talk about it nonstop for months, but if 100 people die in a mudslide in Taiwan, we barely bat an eyelash. This spot tells a great truth about the power of mother nature and is effective in portraying it. It has made me think about mother nature more than anything since Hurricane Katrina, in part because I, too, am a silly American who tends to think only about American lives.

We’ve become distanced from reality. When the ad community attempts to make a hard-hitting PSA to curtail drinking/texting while driving, drug use, or to impress upon people the awesome power of mother nature, we’re forced to go soft for the sake of the populace. Why are we such wimps? The events of September 11, 2001 were horrific, and I don’t see how this spot is, in any way, attempting to make our tragedy seem like anything less.

This creative concept is brilliant. It is so simple, so logical, and so impressively gut wrenching. More people should take a moment to get past the fake outrage and digest the information being presented. Still, the point of the campaign was to create awareness of the awesome power this planet has over us, but I think it accomplished that and then some. This might just be the most efficient use of a client’s money this year.

Pete Kahn is a Product Insights Specialist, blogger and aspiring writer. Feel free to leave a comment, follow Pete on Twitter, or view his profile on LinkedIn. As always, thanks for reading.

Welcome back to the third and final edition of “Want to Play a Game of Tag (Lines)?” because like a good movie franchise, it ends as a trilogy (hint-hint Indiana Jones). In case you missed it, here’s part one and part two.

Now, weren’t these some cringe-worthy taglines? Before rolling your eyes so hard into unconsciousness, did you figure out the corresponding movies? Here they are with special Tommentaries:

“He stole the money…and he’s not giving it back.” (2003) -Kangaroo Jack

As witless as this tagline may be, it does give you an idea of the movie. It’s witless (forgive me Estella Warren, I’d still watch you in anything).

“Rocky shows he’s a champ…and wins!” (1979) -Rocky II

All I can say about this one is “wow.” There is just no combination of words I could string together to better express my sentiment for this tagline. I mean… wow.

“Size does matter” (1998) -Godzilla

I’m all for clever double entendres, but this one has been beaten to death. It lacks relevance on its second level of entendreness (made up word, don’t use it). Sadly, I drive by a billboard for a casino everyday that uses this same phrase to reference its jackpot. It just makes me shake my head. In my mind. Not while driving. That would be dangerous.

“You will believe a cow can fly” (1996) -Twister

Kudos to this one for parodying the Superman tagline and having relevance, but sadly the Superman tagline wasn’t very good either.  Plus, I’m sure not many people realized the parody, which renders this tagline silly. So close…

“The wait is ogre” (2008) -Shrek 3

You just know the guys who came up with this one were patting themselves on the back for the sly wordplay. Unfortunately, it makes no sense. Unless “the wait” actually is a monstrously ugly green creature, then I apologize for criticizing so Shreklessly (it’s contagious, I’m sorry).

“Twelve is the new Eleven” (2004) -Ocean’s Twelve

I tried using this line in grade school to explain my math answer. Mrs. Dodson was not having it. And now, neither will I.

“Everything that has a beginning has an end” (2003) -The Matrix Revolutions

Umm, yeah… and I bet there was probably a middle too. In an attempt to be metaphysical and profound (catch my irony?), the creators of this gem failed miserably.

“The saga is complete.” (2005) -Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Where’s the effort? Star Wars is the biggest movie franchise and this is the tagline they end it with?! They might as well have gone with “Done.”

“It could happen to you!” (1997) -Breakdown

This is only a bad tagline because a lot of the stuff that happened in the movie really couldn’t happen to you.

“Cowabunga, it’s the new turtle movie.” (1991) -Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze

I realized this was a terrible tagline even as a kid. I just wish I realized how lame Vanilla Ice was. Oh well, “go ninja, go ninja, go!”

Thanks for playing!

Tommy Liu, the man, the legend (to be) wields his pen of creativity against the injustice of mediocriety plaguing the world as the Creative Officer at Supercool Creative & Marketing Director at SpotZero where he also manages the blog. Click here to view some of his battles (he doesn’t always win).

After Cannes and all the recognition many commercials and agencies have received, I feel it’s only fair to nominate five commercials that are on the other side of the spectrum. Usually, I like to write about advertising commercials or campaigns that are noteworthy, but lately, there seems to be a lack of stellar campaigns (besides the few I’ve outlined in past postings and, of course, at Cannes).

Due to this lack of creative advertising commercials, and the plethora of horribly bad ones, I managed to poll a few people about which ones make them want to change the channel the most. Here’s a list of the top five.

5. Five Dollar Footlong, Subway
Although the business concept of a $5 bargain meal is great and has caused numerous other restaurants to follow suit, the commercials are becoming annoying and missing creativity. Having different “customers” sing the theme song makes it seem as if this ad agency was procrastinating and threw this together at the last moment. Does it make me want a sandwich? No, it makes me wish I have TiVo to fast forward through it.

4. Volcano Taco Wedding, Taco Bell
First, as a woman, this commercial makes me so angry. If groomsmen showed up to my wedding sweating profusely, I would hurt someone. But, back to the point, I understand it’s a hot and spicy taco, but is it necessary to overreact to the point where it’s ridiculously stupid?

3. Toasty Torpedo, Quiznos
In the words of a fellow YouTuber, ”What was Quiznos thinking?” This commercial is beyond racy. I’m sure everyone agrees with me when I say, “Enough with the sexy sandwich campaigns!” I’ve noticed that the commercial has since been changed to something more family-friendly, but that doesn’t mean we all don’t notice and realize Quiznos messed up. Even YouTube has a montage of Scott saying, “Put it in me.”

2. Somebody’s Watching Me, GEICO
The pile of money with eyes is driving me nuts. The song alone will be stuck in your head for days. I do have to say that I absolutely love the commercials for Geico with Flo, but a pile of money that follows people across the country chasing after cars? *click* Change channel.

Drumroll please… and the worst commercial goes to –

1. The Young and the Wireless, Verizon Wireless
This one doesn’t really need an explanation. My friend said it best when she said, “Who was the executive that approved those commercials?” Not only is this commercial void of being catchy and interesting, a two year-old could have come up with something more creative.