Kelly Services' Virtual Break Room Bores

There's nothing fun about temping and there's nothing fun about this little promotional thingy for Kelly Services called Virtual Break Room. Perhaps it's trying to be funny by portraying the break room, the decor, the technology and the pocket protector-wearing worker doofus in some sort of anachronistic, 1970's-style mashup but to us, that just says, "You're an idiot. You can't find a real job so you better give Kelly a call."

more »

Giant Chair Used to Sell Disney Classic DVD Series

It's the over sized furniture strategy again. this time Disney is trying to make parents feel like kids again so they'll buy the company's Classic DVD series.

Dannon Spring Water Launches Waterific Site

We were having so much time playing games and fooling around on this Dannon Natural Spring Water site, we almost forgot the thing was created to get us to want to drink Dannon's water. The site is well crafted and, as Adverblog points out, has these mini-game you can play while the big game is loading since no one likes to wait for a site to load. Not that the site took all that long to load but it's nice to have something to do while waiting. The sites got videos (coming soon), games, stickers, product info and a section for Moms about why water is good and other info of interest to parents. Juxt Interactive created the site.

Coke Trademark Application Points to Launch of Entertainment Destination

Right Here Now did a bit of digging through the trademark database (not exactly something we'd enjoy doing) and found a newly-filed trademark from Coke that involves the image of two leaves which form the shape of the Coke bottle and which will be used for what seems to be a public Coke branded entertainment, cultural and sporting destination featuring Coke memorabilia. Not that this is entirely surprising as brand are seeking new ways to associate their brands and create connections with consumers in a manner other than traditional advertising. The trademark application also makes mention of of use in a public aquarium indicating one possible site Coke may sponsor or create on its own.

UPDATE: Well call us stupid. A commenter tell us the trademark thing is old news, writing, "The new World of Coke Museum is being built next door to the Georgia Aquarium. The combined entertainment zone will be called Pemberton Place after the founder of Coca-Cola, John C. Pemberton. This logo, and the name Pemberton Place, are already in use around the construction site and the Aquarium."

WD-40 Pen Gets Buzz Marketing Boost From P&G's Vocalpoint

Just as they did with teen buzz marketing entity Tremor, Procter & Gamble has opened up its 500,000-strong Vocalpoint, a buzz marketing program for moms. WD-40 in using Vocalpoint to create buzz about its new No-Mess Pen, a pen-sized lubricant that extends usage of the company's spray can version of the product. For now, Vocalpoint will be the only medium though which the product will be advertised.

Jammin' Geriatrics Don Butterfinger Bling, Rap

Because the site is just really weird and the whole brown finger thing, along with all it connotes, sort of grossed us out, we were all set to dislike this Butterfinger Follow The Finger promotion a poster and Bucky Turco pointed us to until we saw jammin' geriatric Manny G. Who cares if the site's trying to sell Butterfinger candy bars, this shit is kickin'. Oops, sorry. Just trying to be down with it all here but as you all know we're only almost sorta hip, not genuinely hip so pardon that outburst. Anyway, the site's got a lot of funny stuff but we wonder why they do the "pick on the Indian call center" thing. It's still better than a boring TV spot though. Way better.

Sink Stickers Create Awareness of World Water Day

In another effort (Spanish effort here) to call attention to World Water Day, Duval Guillaume, working for Green Belgium, has created a campaign which, today, will affix stickers to the drains of bathroom sinks in Mexican and Belgian cinemas, pubs, restaurants, universities, transit stations and anywhere else there's a sink. The message say, "It takes you one second to get drinking water. He has to walk 20 miles."

Why are there no U.S.-based efforts for this cause? Do we even know it's World Water Day today?

UPDATE: In comments, Keith says Starbucks is doing something.

VW Toureg Greets Visitors At Universal Studios Ride

As part of a marketing agreement with Universal Studios, The VW Touareg is making an appearance at the Universal Orlando theme park. Volkswagen has tied itself to the "Revenge of the Mummy" ride at Universal Studios' Hollywood and Universal Orlando theme parks. A Volkswagen Touareg wrapped in mummy-like cloth greets visitors to the attraction which immerses riders in the world of Imhotep and his mummy companions.

Sewer Straws Call Attention to World Water Day

Calling attention to World Water Day, Intermon Oxfam placed king size straws in the the manholes of Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza with the message "would you drink from this water? Thousand of people haven't got other choice." The work was done by CP Proximity Live Spain. See more images here.

Self-Referential Church Ads Remove Stuffy Stigma With Humor

Adrants reader John Brock sent us this amusing radio commercial, created as a joke by church member Mike McKenzie, for Birmingham, AL St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The spot mirrors the tone and style of those monster truck "Suuuundaaaaaaay" commercials replacing the the usual auto-speak with church-speak. While it's not an official commercial for the church, it has been heard by church leadership who may decide to air it. There's also an airline version of the spot.

Church is stuffy. Life used to be stuffy. The two went hand in hand beautifully. Today, life isn't stuffy but church remains so. Just as the United Church of Christ, one of the most liberal mainstream churches, did with its "we accept all" gay-themed spot, the Episcopal Church, Catholic church without the pope and circumstance, could surely use some self-referential humor to attract jaded, modern Americans through the doors on Sunday.

Gatorade Highlights Underdog Mexican Football Player

Amid the legal wranglings between Coke and Pepsi over the Powerade/Gatorade calorie thing, life goes on in the form of a new Gatorade commercial featuring Rolando Cantu, a Mexican who some said would never make in in the NFL. Well, he did and he's now playing for the Arizona Cardinals. It's the usual "underdog makes good" story but that's what sports fans like. The work was created by two-time Ad Age Multicultural Agency of the Year Dieste Harmel & Partners in Dallas.