While it's always fun to lay battles to rest and hook up with former enemies, if ad agency merger mania doesn't stop, there will be no more rivaling agency softball teams to play each other and everyone will simply show up for the post-game cookout. As Draft and FCB combine to form Draft FCB Group, this year marks the last the two teams will face each other in the New York Co-ed Softball League. Last night, FCB and Draft played their last game against each other at Randall's Island. Draft won 7-4 and is now tied with McCann for in the NYACSL top division. All good things come to an end.
- Here's a couple (1, 2) of new ads for Brine Lacrosse featuring lacrosse athletes who, in their own words, tell stories about how they became the person they are today. If would could read the copy, we'd tell you if they were good or not.
- Pigeons staged a protest in Toronto's Queen's Park to voice their jealously over not being part of the Toronto Zoo animal country club. Protest images here and here.
- To call attention to the Charlie Higson Young Bond series of books which focus on the life of a young James Bond, Cake has created an engaging microsite with book features, forums, games, downloads and a newsletter.
- George Parker says Niel French should step in and takeover for departing Cannes Lions CEO Penny Reid.
- Oh, and we're just not gonna write about that stupid Emily and Steve fake billboard/blog thing because, well, we don't feel like guessing and we're just gonna wait until all is revealed.
- But, we will write about this cool, twisted lamp post in Antwerp featured on CoozOr which promotes Superman Returns because, well, because there's booty in the shot and we haven't fulfilled our booty quotient yet today.
- Copyranter points to a couple campaigns that seem to require those who purchase a condo to be at least as tall as the condo tower and those who want to work at Radio Shack must be extremely overjoyed.
There's two reasons why US Airways' decision to place advertising on air sickness bags is pointless and stupid. First off, when was the last time you puked on a plane or actually looked for or even found an air sickness bag? Not a smart media buy if you're trying to reach a crowd. Second, during the act of puking, are you normally able to focus on anything other than making sure you properly projectile the substance from your stomach? Oh, and third, do you really want to look at the bag after you fill it with puke? The only benefit any advertiser will receive from making a buy on puke bags is the press that will surround the first advertiser who decides to do so.
We'd love to see the measurement metrics on this ad medium as well. Cost Per Puke? Gallons of Puke Per Flight? Any media planner care to weigh in on this?
Adland tells us about some stop motion station idents 86 the Onions created for Fuel TV which were made with a sharpie type pen, paper and scissors and filmed with a camcorder. 86's office manager, along with animator Andrew Dolan created the first ident, showed it to 86 Creative Director Chad Rea who said he loved it he pitched it to Fuel who liked it enough to pay for the creation of two more. Clearly, one does not have to work in the creative department to be creative.
While this spot, created by Maverick Media does nothing to tell us what Virgin Money is, it does capitalize on the oldest male desire in the book; to have a member so large wearing a Speedo (not that that's ever a good thing) becomes an impossibility and sex requires one to frustratingly endure the girlfriend's hour-long loosening up period prior to sending in the insertion order.
To promote its Shark Week, airing July 30 - August 4, Discovery Channel has hung a 446 foot long inflatable shark atop its Silver Spring, MD building. They're calling it the biggest Shark Week stunt ever. To accompany the inflatable, street teams with pun-filled names like Bight University Chewleaders, will roam the streets of New York. A team of surfers with surf boards will wander about apparently to create intrigue or to cause New Yorkers to wonder if The Day After Tomorrow or Deep Impact are coming true. Bight University Faculty members will quiz New Yorkers on their knowledge of shark fact and myth. If we have a choice, we'd rather be approached by the Chewleaders rather than some surfer dude or some pocket protector-wearing professorial type.
