Four years ago when American Airlines decided it would remove seats from all the planes in its fleet to make more legroom, it launched a big "More Room Throughout Couch" ad campaign touting it to the world.
Now, years later, the revenue strapped airline has been forced to put all the seats back in thus reducing legroom. Not a very smart decision once it made that initial promise. Competitor United Airlines is jumping on this opportunity launching a $20 million campaign poking fun at American Airline's reneging on its earlier promise of more legroom.
One of United Airlines ads says, "Fly American and you could kick yourself. Literally." United launched the campaign to make sure the public understands American no longer has more legroom than United.
With its underaged, porn-like amateur models, America Apparel makes Abercrombie and Fitch seem like a G rated Disney movie. Since its inception, the "sweatshop-free" apparel designer has used nubile young girls with pouting faces, come-hither looks and "do me" spread legs in its ads and catalogs.
In a lengthy article sent to us by Adrants reader, Sanj, in Now Toronto by Adria Vasil, the pros and cons of this racy approach are examined. From those who feel the company degrades women to those who feel the presence of porn is simply part of every day life, Vasil speaks with American Apparel Founder and photographer Dov Charney who responds to his detractors, saying, "They're old-thinking conservatives who are repeating false arguments or arguments that may have been true 30 years ago based on a context of social, cultural and political dynamics of another era. But right now, the women in the photographs and young adult women today I think celebrate the aesthetic of our advertising." American Apparel seems to ask a big question. Is there anything really wrong with celebrating sex and the sex appeal of women? Opinions on sex range from it being purely for procreation to it being an enjoyable recreational activity. Advertisers have danced across that spectrum since the first ad was invented and there seems to be no firm answer. Society seems to accept violence as entertainment but shys away from sex as a form of entertainment. We don't think the question will ever be answered but we do know that sex is more about life and violence is more about death. You choose.
For those who loved the quirky Bill Murray film, The Life Aquatic, directed by Wes Anderson, they will be able to see the director's work again in a new commercial, directed by Anderson, for Coke's Dasani bottled water debuting next week.
The ad, budgeted at $1 million and created by New York agency Anomaly which won the $20 million account last August, will air in prime time and in CBS's NCAA basketball playoffs. Gabriel Sherman, writing in New York Observer has the whole story here.
Launching April 1 (not a good day to be taken seriously guys) Canada's BITE TV promises something special in the realm in interactive television: to actually be interactive rather than the poor excuse for interactivity seen to date from other television and cable companies.
BITE will feature wireless downloading and PC or mobile chat-to-screen.
It offers viewers the opportunity to submit their own video content including make-your-own television ads. Advertisers can showcase their brands in formats from 5-second spots to, short form, branded blocks that enable the viewer to personalize the spots with their own content.
Short form content can also focus entirely on a brand.
BITE will also launch BITE ME, its live interactive program in coming weeks. At that time, viewers will be given the opportunity to interact live with the hosts and amongst themselves.
"BITE will discover, air and stream thousands of individual creative masterpieces that are currently being produced and those that have perhaps lacked visibility due to a shortage of distribution opportunities," Elliott says. "Thousands of producers, directors, actors, animators and college and university students aspiring to be filmmakers now have a short form channel in BITE."
In a way, it's taking the Citizen's Media/Blogging approach to television. Acknowledging that, there will be plenty of crap content but there will also be a few gems in the mix and, because of that, some bright, new talent may be discovered.
Fox Searchlight's Sideways may have intoxicated moviegoers and helped sales of pinot noir soar, but the Oscar-nominated film didn't do it with the help of any promotional partners. That's changing with the release of the DVD which will be sponsored by Mondavi. The tie in will promote ten different Mondavi wines.
Mercedes Benz is promoting its new M-Class car to 10 million DISH Network satellite subscribers with an interactive ad unit that begins with a :30 which then links, using the remote control, to longer form videos, photo galleries are car specifications. The ad will air on the shopping channel, Catalog TV
