GM's Chevrolet division is launching "Chevy Live", a full-screen, DVD-quality interactive video application/channel that will be the centerpiece of an ongoing campaign for Chevy's broadband customers.
Created by Campbell-Ewald, Chevy Live can be viewed here.
We'd tell you all about it but, meaning no disrespect, these broadband video companies haven't yet realized that not everyone uses Explorer as their browser. We use Firefox and are much too lazy to open that old, bloated piece of standards non-compliant software.
The Chevy Live channel extends Chevrolet's existing American Revolution campaign and will launch with special footage from the Country Music Awards that were held on November 9, 2004. Using technology from Maven Networks, the channel will be frequently updated with new content such as music videos from country music artists including Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson, as well as Chevy promotions and will be proactively delivered to consumer's desktops. Product information on Chevrolet's vehicles, with an emphasis on their truck line, will be integrated into the channel to increase consumer awareness of new launches throughout the year.
In an intriguing combination of viral promotion and telemarketing, Target is insuring attendance to its two day sale November 26 - 27 by letting shoppers, on November 17, sign up to receive a wake up call on the day of the sale. Visitors to this site can view videos and choose their caller from a list including such odd characters as Darth Vader, some cheesy heartbreaker, a tween diva, a helpful construction worker, Dennis the rooster or Heidi Klum. The work was created by Mother New York.
Among members of the American Advertising Federation, 76 percent feel DVR technology will lead to change in television advertising. Many (55 percent) stated non-traditional forms of advertising like product placement will grow but that the :30 will remain the mainstay of the medium. While 76 percent state the medium will see change, just 20 percent think the effect will be "dramatic" such as the death of the :30 MarketingVOX points out most members of the AAF are senior level marketing staff at brand companies who possess a certain level of "cluelessness" about new trends clinging, instead, to old models. This is, perhaps, why, as MarketingVOX claims, television buying rituals have not been affected much yet by this new technology.
In reaction to a survey published in the September issue of Marie Claire with found eight out of ten men are turned off by women who wear fur coats, activist group People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals has created a new ad featuring Anna Nicole Smith. In the ad, Smith, in a pink satin dress, poses with a group of tuxedoed Suitors alongside the headline, "Gentlemen Prefer Fur-Free Blondes" and copy telling women, "If you want to hook up, hang it up."
Smith Joins a long line of celebrities, including Charlize Theron who posed with her dog in a recent ad, who are adamantly anti-fur. The campaign supports the organization's website, FirIsDead.
It appears McDonald's Japan has retired age-old Ronald McDonald and hired McHotties for its new ad campaign. Promoting its Tomato McGrande, McDonald's Japan has enlisted two far younger versions of Ronald McDonald and dressed them in stylish, new Ronald McDuds. It's unclear whether the campaign will make its way to the States mainly because The Ronald McDonald House would then have to be referred to as The Hottie McDonald's House. View the female McHottie here and the male McHottie here.
In an effort to counter the "research online, buy off line mentality," Amazon will launch five short films starring among others Minie Driver, Chris Noth, Daryl Hannah which will feature various brands sprinkled throughout the films. Viewers can click on the name of the brand in the credits to buy the product.
The campaign was created by Fallon and Hollywood production company RSA USA. It's the next entry in the soon to be long line of subtlety marketing.
UPDATE: Rick Bruner points to the first two of the five mini-films. Agent Orange, directed by Tony Scott is pretty cool - in that hipster/I'm a cool filmaker sort of way.
- Who knew there was a place but at Enchating Ad Girls, you can few a collection of models who have appeared in ads.
- Hispanic marketer Carmen's Cupones y Consejos has been named Best Co-Op Direct Mail Program at the 3rd annual Latrino Marketing Awards.
- Recent new ad campaigns from Intel, Microsoft, Infiniti, Time and XM get reviewed by Amy Corr here.
Following Missy Elliot, the Virgin Mobile campaign, to promote its call and text bundles which don't expire, continues with LL Cool J who freaks his buddy out while helping him move his recently dead grandmother's stuff.
Not anywhere near as smart as Burger King's Subservient Chicken, Heineken's Crystal Light has launched Netherlands-based Ask Crystal, an online talk show type program where you can ask Crystal questions.
Unfortunately, she's not half as smart as our chicken friend and delivers only canned asnwers and mindless commentary. Next.
Levi's puts the spotlight on 6 creative individuals who are independently expressing their personal vision and allowing them to share stories that aim to inspire a wider audience to believe in themselves. (Yes, that did come form a press release) Two websites, www.501anti-fit.se and www.anti-fit.no, promote the project along with a DVD and street marketing. As is usual with these campaigns, the work and the accompanying videos are ethereal and sub-culturally hip which brands love to try and capture and identify with. For us, we prefer the "buy our jeans" approach. It takes less work and it's easier to say no to.
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