Balding Men Get Help From 'League of Thinning Men'

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Everyone's got a viral these days or, more correctly, a piece of creative they hope goes viral. Now even the hair loss people are getting into the game. For New Zealand's Propecia, a prescription pill for hair loss, Insight NZ has created an online, satirical look at what could happen to men with hair loss if they don't take action. Called League of Thinning Men, visitors to the site are introduced to a little interactive world where they can check out the ways of men who prefer a good comb-over and a cup of well-stewed tea. All of which Propecia hopes will convince men with thinning hair to abandon the site, head over to Propecia's site and grab a bottle of their hair saving pills.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Online, Viral



MangoMoose Wraps Limousines

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If you hired a limo, would you ever get into one similar to the one pictured to the left? I didn't think so but a company called MangoMoose Media hopes you will with their introduction of LimoWraps, a new limousine ad medium debuting here in the U.S. and in Canada. While you might not ride, advertisers are buying. Madonna's recent CD release "Confessions On A Dance Floor" incorporated a wrapped stretch Ford Excursion that roamed Toronto streets for 10 days.

The company puts the limos on the road for eight hours per day for a minimum of five days and charges $5,900.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Outdoor



Virgin Mobile Does 'The O.C." Chrismaka Thing

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With its Chrismahanukwanzakah holiday greeting, Virgin Mobile has attempted to cover all its politically correct, religious bases but really has just further segregated things with these videos. Humorously, of course. And you've gotta love the 1-888-ELF-POOP helpline.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Creative Commentary, Online, Viral



Heavy Metal Band Created For Agency Holiday Card

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Marina Dell Ray-based Ignited Minds wins the prize this year for first Holiday "card." The agency created a website for fictitious heavy metal band Karkis which includes a video, discussion boards, wallpaper, discography and all the other usual band site paraphanalia. It sure seems like a while lot of work an expense just to say Happy Holidays. If you choose to watch the video, be prepared to wait a very, very...uh...very long time for it to download.

The agency also placed an ad with the headline, "Karkis challenges every band in this paper to a knife fight," in LA Weekly promoting the site which you can see here.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Agencies, Spoofs, Strange



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Maxtor Does...God Help Us...Subservient Chicken

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OK, this is getting boring. Very boring. Whoever handles the Maxtor account has created yet another Subservient Chicken rip off and this one sucks. The guy doesn't to anything. Can the entire industry just acknowledge the Crispin Porter + Bogusky scored with this tactic and just move on? Apparently to drum up interest in their hard drives, Maxtor has created Loser Loser loser - which they should have called Boring Boring Boring, a site that has all the usual stuff; the afformentioned Subservient Chicken rip off, a personality test, advice for losers from some guy named Dr. James Callahan and loser horoscopes. The one unique thing this site does have is ads. Yup. Ads for Maxtor. Funny. Sponsor your own viral site. Now that's kinda new. They actually sell ad space on the site. Not that anyone would actually buy.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Online, Viral



Rolling Aids Ball Calls Attention to World Aids Day

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In recognition of World Aids Day today, Medecins Sans Frontieres has launched a powerful Aids recognition video, created by Duval Guillaume Brussels, which calls attention to the exponential spread of the Aids virus in areas where treatment is mostly unavailable. The video is an amazing 3D creation that clearly and somberly calls attention to the devastating effects of the virus. The video finishes with "Don't let Aids gain more ground. Everyone must have access to treatment."

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Viral



Agency Partners Marry For Fifth Anniversary

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Only in the whacked out world of the advertising agency would a stunt like this occur. On the evening of Friday, November 18, advertising agency Boone/Oakley, Charlotte celebrated its fifth year in business with a wedding. Creative director John Boone married his companion creative director David Oakley. No, they're not gay. It was just another excuse to have a party and garner free publicity. Well, aside from the fact the agency's fifth anniversary was being celebrated.

A ceremony and dinner for approximately 150 clients, guests and family was held at local wedding hall, The Extravaganza Depot. Marriage vows were read by agency president Phil Smith, and other agency staff served as ushers and bridesmaids. Oakley looked a bit freakish in his formal gown, which his wife, Claire, helped him pick out and get fitted.

Quicktimes of the freak show can be viewed at the agency's website. Since it's a fancy Flash site, there's no direct link. Click on About and follow the links.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Agencies, Strange



Firm to Measure Blog-Based TV Buzz

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Eluded to at a recent ad:tech conference in New York, Word of mouth research and planning firm BuzzMetrics has launched a syndicated service to measure television discussion on blogs, message boards and other social media. Called TV*BuzzMetrics, the ratings service will provide television executives and advertisers "ongoing qualitative insights that help explain key drivers of viewer engagement, and understand potential value of new programs." Making this all possible, BuzzMetrics is a business affiliate of VNU, owner of research brands ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research.

more »

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Research, Television, Tools, Weblogs



WOMMA Launches Blog to Support Training Conference

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In support of its upcoming Word of Mouth Basic Training conference in Orlando January 19-20. the Word of Mouth Marketing Association has launched a blog called WOMBAT or Word of Mouth Basic Training. The blog includes a newsletter and podcast as well. In its first week, Ketchum's Paul Rand and Intelliseek's Pete Blackshaw shared tips and advice on word of mouth issues while author Jackie Huba launched the site's podcast series.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Industry Events, Weblogs, Word of Mouth



Stuck Up NYC Address Uses Stuck Up Advertising to Promote

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Copyranter (hey, we knew there were more ranters out there) points to a real estate ad in the New York Times Magazine for One Carnegie Hall that clearly states who is and who is not welcome to live at this address. The copy reads, "Dad's a surgeon at Mt. Sinai. Mom works at Sotheby's. Tyler is at Dalton. Baby sis is on the way." While that paints an airy picture of New York's upper crust, Copyranter translates the ad into reality here.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-05    
Topic: Newspaper, Spoofs