Underscore Marketing President Tom Hespos is out at OMMA West in Hollywwod and has offered up some observations about the first day's interactive online marketing conference. While Tom heard from many people today eager to jump on the blogging and consumer-generated media business model bandwagon, most of them didn't have a clue what they were talking about. He also mentioned that the blogging is being unfairly trashed with flawed stats and treated as if it were some sort of braodcast playground waiting to grow up into a "real medium." In listening to the various presentation, Tom noted much of what he saw seemed to have been lifted from other's mouths with agency wonks attributing their own names to the content. And finally, Tom realizes he's been mispronouncing Publicis' new agency wrong. It's De-NOO, not DEN-you-oh. The conference concludes Tuesday.
 You know, on one hand you have to respect the likes of Lee Clow and Alex Bogusky for the successes they've had and the successes they've built in the form of their agencies but, on the other hand, for some reason when these two sit in the same room with each other to discuss the definition of advertising, advertising agency and then end up trying to define the future of film while coming to no conclusions, it leaves one, well, disappointed. Granted, a three minute video segment isn't a lot of time but if these are the best nuggets the editors were able to find, it leaves one, well, disappointed. We do, however, love how the water glasses suddenly turn into wine glasses and Lee wastes no time imbibing. But, whatever. You know, you and I would give anything to be in the positions these two hold so any complaints we may have just come off as the jealous rantings of an underachieving wannabe. So we're going to pretend we didn't say anything at all about this and simply bow down at the feet of our masters.
Well it's about time. We're sick of asking kids if they've ever heard of Bazooka bubble gum and having them stare back at us like we just let loose some sick epileptic fit while simultaneously coughing and sneezing. Now, thanks to Topps Co.'s plans to spend $4 million to rejuvenate the brand after a ten year marketing drought, Bazooka and anyone over 30 can regain a sliver of cool amongst the youngsters. Duval Guillaume New York has come to the rescue and will guide the brand's return with a kid-focused TV campaign beginning July along with online and public relations efforts.
In one of the most hilarious American Copywriter podcasts yet, Tug and John discuss the latest ad campaign from Dannon which promotes their Activia yogurt with Bifidas Regularis, a bonified "nonsense word that's been trademarked" as Tug and John have categorized ridiculous, marketer-created terms like this one. Activia is a yogurt that helps women poop better. Yes, and Dannon actually trademarked the term Bifidas Regularis as if to make some kind of inside joke. I mean they might as well just have said "Dannon, the yogurt that helps women shit better." And the ads, oh the ads, Tug and John rip them with as much fervor as anyone would one of those goofy drug ads that ty to make a medical condition into some kind of normal lifestyle. You have to listen to this podcast. Especially to hear them try to understand what it must have been like to be the copywriter on this project.
MIT Advertising Lab points out Boakes.org has discovered a gigantic iPod ad built on an abandoned mineral mine in Australia. Reportedly, Steve Jobs acquired the land two years ago in a poker game. The ad, supposedly set to be unveiled Saturday is roughly one million square yards in size and looks like the new iPod video. Boakes surmises the unveiling will coincide with Apple's 30th anniversary and may be tied to the launch of Apple's touch screen iPod. The "ad" is viewable on Google Maps here.
Of course, as one commenter points out, it could all be a lead up to an elaborate April Fools Day joke. Or, even better, a new form of satellite map stealth advertising.
Here's an interesting ad installation for laser eye surgery clinic in Ecuador. It seems this poor Superman forgot to visit the clinic.
Continuing its "God is Still Speaking" Campaign, the United Church of Christ (congregational) has launched a continuation of its campaign with a spot called Rejected that highlights the church's open acceptance of all lifestyles. This campaign also calls attention to the Church's dissatisfaction with ABC for rejecting its past ads and the network's seeming bias towards right-wing religious leaders such as Jerry Falwell, James Dobson and Pat Robertson and its exclusion of mainline religious voices. The campiagn points to a petition letter that will be sent to ABC asking the network to reconsider its stance on religious content and advertising. And, yes, they are advertising right here on Adrants.
88Slide is a short, daily video a trivia challenge that poses multiple choice question which are answered in the next day's video. Winners receive various gift certificates as prizes. 88Slide, hosted by Rachel, can be subscribed to through iTunes or received daily via cell phone. There's also a blog, an RSS feed and humorous outtakes.
Because Bucky Turco said it so well, we're going to let him just say it in his own words here, "First it was the bus stops, now its the buses. Spotted today in Manhattan, two beers on the same bus panel: Sapporo and Corona Light. So, in a space as crowded as NYC, once again, brand exclusivity just doesn't happen, or the people placing the media are completely incompetent at this point."
In a departure from typical resort advertising, Austin-based McGarrah/Jessee, for its Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa client, has created ads that look like museum dioramas. The dioramas highlight the resort's wilderness locale but also interject the luxury features of the resort as well. The dioramas were painted by landscape artist Don Collins and photographed by Brent Humphreys.
The ads will run in Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, and Southern Living along with a list of Texas-based publications such as Texas Monthly and D Magazine.
The joke is so overdone and we really wonder if anyone ever did it in the first place but this copy-your-ass co-op for the new Dodge Caliber, a car created for the 25-34 middle income crowd, just make us laugh. We don't know why. It just does. Maybe we copied our own ass in a drunken stuper years ago and this brings back memories. The campaign will include a slew of television commercials and additional print executions. Pardon the crappy scan.
To promote its teeth whitening White gum, Orbit has launched a kooky, new age site called Friends of Bright which is full of cult-like phrases such as "A dim brain is understandable but a dim smile is unforgivable, "He who lives in a dark house should chew more Orbit White" and "Brightness in not a destination, it is a way of life." There's a folksy sing-along, weird videos, ringtones and a section to sign up and become a member complete with photo uploader and profile creator. It's just weird enough to be effective in our humble opinion. The site was created by EVB, creators of the Old Spice When She's Hot and the very, very cool Winterfresh Cool Breath Power.
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