Toyota Ad Demonstrates Effects Of Good Air Conditioning

We're all familar with the embarressing (to women) and enjoyable (to men) effect cold air has on the female body. In a new ad, Toyota has extended this well known effect to demonstrate the power of its air conditioning. We think it's in Spanish but we're not sure.

MTV Asia Campaign Gets Freaky With Schoolgirl Panties

Fleshbot (NSFW) points to an ad for MTV Asia which mirrors the supposed trend of Japanese schoolgirls selling there panties on eBay to middle aged sickos. Of course, in the ad, the panties are not really coming from hot little schoolgirls but from a far less hot source.

Agency Launches Viral Game to Promote Self

UK-based direct digital marketing agency Inbox Digital has developed a viral game called Speedy Santa in which Santa's sleigh is dragged around a race track with a computer's mouse. The race is timed and if Santa veers outside the track, he crashes and returns to the start. Upon playing, we came to realize we need a much better mouse because it certainly could not have been the user that caused so many crashes.

The game also allows players to create private leagues. Four friends can be invited to play the game and a real-time league table keeps players up to date on who has the best time. The game is accompanied by a small logo for Inbox Digital which leads to the agency's website which is designed using a book-like layout.

BrandBuzz Launches LG Transit Campaign

Following the phone-as-fashion theme of LG's ongoing ad campaign, BrandBuzz has launched a month-long transit campaign in New York City. The campaign includes station domination posters at the 59th and Lexington subway station, bus wraps and taxi tops. The posters contain the headlines, "I Need a Little Black Bag to Go with My New Phone," and "I Can't Wait for Him to See Me in This Phone." Additionally, viral-like posting are part of the campaign with text such as, "You sat next opposite me...On the 6 train around 2PM, Tuesday...wearing a purple hoodie, jeans skirt and an LG slider phone...Let's talk...Joe...917-575-3669." The phone number leads to a casual voice mail message by a guy who says, among other things, "if you are the girl I saw, please call me."

Anytime "real" phone numbers are used in ads, response is pretty much guaranteed because no one really knows who will be on the other end.

Some callers to this number will win LG mobile phone prize packages.

SpongeBobs Stolen From Burger King New Guerilla Marketing Tactic

SpongeBob SquarePants inflatables sitting atop Burger King restaurants in a joint marketing deal which began November 11 to promote the SpongeBob SquarePants movie have been reported stolen in ten states. While two teens apparently owned up to stealing one inflatable in Maryland, Burger King officials report they are disappearing nationally.

One Adrants reader surmises its one of the grandest guerilla marketing schemes yet attempted by none other than viral advertising poster child Crispin Porter + Bogusky, a Burger King ad agency in Miami. If this is true, it has certainly succeeded in garnering huge national play in the media. Currently, Google lists 228 news articles on the topic.

UPDATE: Burger King is now offering a one-year's supply of free Whoppers, salads or any other item on its menu as a reward to anyone with information leading to the safe return of SpongeBob.

CNN Campaign Makes Network Look Stupid

We're sure you've all seen the new CNN campaign featuring Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Lou Dobbs and Christiane Amanpour attempting to do their thing while interacting with a bunch of idiots. While this attempts to position the on-air personalities as intelligent, it fails CNN miserably belittling the network and minimizing the importance of CNN's primary goal - to deliver serious, quality news. A fight about the pronunciation of Iraq? Botulism at the local deli more important than Blitzer's world events? Please. While humorous, CNN has damaged its image with this campaign when, in the wake of two network anchors departing, leaving a gaping news hole, the network could have positioned itself as the new evening news leader.

Instead, this campaign confirms its place as runner up to the networks.

UPDATE: Slate doesn't like the campaign either calling it "boring, misguided and insulting."

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Sony Launches Online TV Channel For PS2

To promote its Playstation PS2 console to adults, Sony has launched an online television channel which will broadcast for ten minutes each day beginning at 4:25 PM (UK time zone) during the month of December. The ten minute broadcast will feature various Playstation games as well as original game-related content. The URL of the website, fourtwentyfive.tv, was chosen appropriately.

New Campaign Hopes to Improve Tyco's Tattered Image

With former CEO and buffoon Dennis Kozlowski up on charges of corporate scandal and facing a new trial in January, Tyco has launched a new campaign it hopes will reassure its still the world leader in fire protection and the many other industries in which it serves. Boston's HHCC, which has had the account since May of 2003, has created the campaign, part of which, includes several television spots.

In one spot, "Anthem," Tyco is portrayed as the solution to all the world's problems using the touchy, feely approach accompanied by the much overused, frog-throated, TV/movie-style voiceover. If Tyco solves so many of the world's problems, why can't it find a way to get its former CEO out of hot water?

Panels Discuss Digital Magazine Downloads

As more and more publications begin to offer their products digitally, discussion has emerged on how to measure downloads and whether that measurement is the proper metric to gauge readership. Currently, audit bureaus generally measure those who subscribe to digital editions versus those who download and read the publication. Confusing matters, both ABC and BPA look at digital editions quite differently. BPA says they should be the same as the print version but with different advertisers. ABC says mirroring print editorial is less important but says the ads should be the same.

As digital devices make it easier for people to consume media electronically, the measurement issue becomes very important. Although, ultimately, the number of downloads or the amount of readership is irrelevant. What is relevant is how many and in what fashion do readers respond to an ad. That is what drives the magazine business as well as the entire advertising industry.