Paris Hilton Promotes Wal-Mart

Paris Hilton, New York celebutante, on Wal-Mart:

"I went to Wal-Mart for the first time. I always thought they sold wallpaper. I didn�t realize it has everything. You can get anything you want there for really, really cheap."

Welcome to the real world, Paris.
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Drill: For Men Who Serve

A new magazine entitled Drill will launch its debut issue in October. The magazine is a Maxim-style men's magazine written for the military audience. If this story wasn't from the New York Times then I'd have to say this is a total spoof. It seems ridiculous. But then, military men are men too. Why should they be left out of the Maxim-ization of magazines. Of course, they could just go buy Maxim. Why do they need another?

"Drill will be a humor-oriented adventure title," said Editor in Chief Lance Gould, a former feature writer for The Daily News. "It is designed as a lifestyle magazine for people who serve in the military. You won't see a 'tank of the month' or a section on how to accessorize your rifle."

The magazine is published in Britain which raises some contention from the other military focused magazine, Leatherneck. Editor and Colonel Walter G. Ford says, "If somebody sent me a free copy, I might take a look at it. I don't see where it would be relevant. Why would I pick up a magazine owned by a British company and think that they know anything about the Corps?"

Let the battle of the leatherheads and Drill babes begin.
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Beer Babes Are Now Ripe For Spoof

You know a trend is done when the original trend gets spoofed by the big companies that started the trend. Heineken is doing this with their new "Rooftop" television spot that features three beer babes in an over the top salute the Miller Lite's Catfight and other beer babe spots.

Check out Heineken's other campaign called The Heineken Headline Hoax in which people can create their own headlined articles featuring their friends.
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Ad Age Publishes 'Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising'

At 1,873 pages, this tomb is certainly worthy of the term, encyclopedia. The book is the work of John McDonough and the Museum of broadcast Communications and Karen Egolf of Advertising Age.

According to the New York Times article, "It offers a history of advertising that takes its flaws, deceits and ideologies into account but also provides some insight into the institutions, agencies and corporations that have given it shape. Mr. McDonough argues in his introduction that within the last 150 years, for the first time in human history, it became widely possible to produce more than was demanded and to offer more than was needed. Advertising was a response to surplus."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm surprised it doesn't come with a CD or DVD to give proper representation to the broadcast media as well and the Internet. Radio, in particular, always seems to get left out of any kind of advertising coverage. And that's no exception on Adrants either.

Still, this is one I'd like to own.
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LOHAS: Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability

GenX, GenY, YUPPIES, Hipsters, and LOHAS. There's a name for every demographic and phsychographic group out there. A relatively new one is LOHAS or Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability.

This group is comprised of people who value the importance of health combined with social and environmental values. These are people who buy organic food, energy efficient appliances, alternative medicine, and other products having to do with well being and preserving natural resources.

This New York Times article gives an over view of this approximately $230 billion market made up of 68 million Americans. Not a small market by any definition.
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Spoof Ad: What Would Jesus Drink?

Robert Loch from Up2Speed sent me these two spoof ads done by PinkyPoos, a U.K. based live music troupe. The troupe has put together two humorous ad spoofs for Pinky Vodka from Seriously. Yes, that is the name of the vodka and the name of the company. In the spoofs, the ads borrow from the "What Would Jesus Drive?" tagline originally used by the Evangelical Environmental Network in an ad campaign against gas guzzling SUVs and subsequently altered and used by The Sport Utility Vehicle Owners of America in an ad campaign supporting SUVs.

The spoof ads, done with finger puppetry, carry the tagline, "What Would Jesus Drink?" There are two version. You can view one here and the other here.

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Nissan's Graffiti Campaign: Electric Moyo

Nissan has launched an ad campaign that tries to blend with street art in cities across the nation. The campaign, along with its own web site, seeks to find an alternative way to brand Nissan and tries to come off as all cool and insider-ish. Some street artists think it's cool. Some think it's just another attempt by corporations to leverage street cred in support of their brand.

What do you think?
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Redneck World Magazine Sees Growth

Yes, there is a magazine called Redneck World. It was started three years ago by Frank Fraser a former stockbroker raised in Cuba. Fraser launched the magazine because he felt there are far too many "snooty" publications out thare that do not cater to a vast audience of rednecks.

�People have a misconception of rednecks,� he says. �I call them the salt of the earth. It�s an uphill climb, but I�m trying to make rednecks respectable.�

He further describes his readers saying, �The RWR [Redneck World Redneck] likes fried foods, barbecues, cold beer, sweet tea, thick tasty gravies and wholesome country cooking. He also enjoys outdoor events like hunting, fishing, auto racing, arts & crafts and country fairs.�

He's seeing interest from advertisers in the North as well as the South indicating that Rednecks are not just a Southern thing. Rednecks buy stuff too, says Fraser. �Rednecks buy expensive doublewide mobile trailers, they buy ATVs, they buy motorcycles, hunting and fishing equipment. There is a lucrative marketplace out there.�

This goes to show there's a whole world out there once you get past J.Lo and Ben, Britney, fiddy' cent, Reality TV, and Gawker.
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American Models Appear in Latvian Escort Service Ads

It's always amusing to see well known actors and models in strange commercials like the ones in Japan which you can view here on Japander. Of course, the stars do that knowingly and hope we in America will never see them.

In Latvia, apparently it is commonplace to simply use a photo of an good looking American model in ads with or without permission. That seems to be what's happening in 'Riga, This Week', a tourist guide for the Latvian capital city. Eden Escorts is running an ad featuring an old picture of Brooke Shields and promoting their "erotic massage" service. Page Six also found ads for other call girl services featuring Carmen Electra, Megan Ewing, and Daniela Pestova.

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More New Ad Campaigns for the Week

I like Amy Corr's weekly round up of new ad campaigns because she doesn't focus exclusively on television like Ad Age usually does. She, and Mediapost, seem to realize there's a world outside of television and that's a good thing because the thirty second spot is in danger of extinction.

This week, Amy reviews campaigns from Playboy, Ecko Unlimited. The Humane Society, AAA, Kellogs, Trix, The Discovery Channel, Hummer, and a Volkswagen and Apple co-op.
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