Here we go again with those damn animal lovers. This time they are complaining about a German reality show, called 'Apline Meadows' that features celebrities, television stars and models who are living on a farm, tramping through cow shit and animal guts. It's watched by 3 million which one would assume is pretty good in Germany but animal rights groups are threatening legal action because a model was shown having salt and syrup licked off her body. Come on you left wing kooks, they were just feeding the poor animal - from a really nice dish too. Oh, they did show a turkey getting slaughtered too. Maybe that's bad - except during Thanksgiving.
Haven't we seen this all before from Paris and Nikki on 'The Simple Life'? Oh yea, Germany's a different country. Why should they be deprived of seeing vapid celebu-wanna-be's belittle themselves for viewer's amusement?
Trying to have a little fun with the age old act up picking up girls in a bar, Molson has launched an ad campaign that provides guys with tips and tools to better succeed with their quest to bed, uh...meet, girls. The campaign, called "Friends," offers tools for guys to create fake business cards, cute wallet photos and stickers to up the chances the target, uh...woman, will respond accordingly. Predictably, there's a group that is horrified that guys would ever try to meet girls and in helping them to do so, Molson is committing a terrible crime. The Marin Institute, an anti-drinking, anti-fun establishment has launched a website where those who feel humans should have no sense of humor or fun anymore can complain. Thanks to Sanj.
Trying to get'em while they're young, Hong Kong adult movie company Sun Power Production Company placed a poster at a youth job fair looking for "actors" 18 to 38 willing to "strip naked." After 90 minutes of stunning and horrifying attendees, the organizers of the job fair took the poster down deeming it unsuitable for the audience. Predictably, Sun Power complained the move was unfiar and that the ad was above board because it was honest in saying applicants would have to be nude to do the job.
Speaking out of both sides of her mouth Hong Kong Government Employment Development Service Marketing Director Winnie Chan said, "We respect every kind of occupation. However, we think it is inappropriate to have such jobs available at this fair." Thanks again to Charlie Brough for this one.
In what would have normally been a marketing coup - the distribution of product to thousands - has turned sour for Gillette. The company placed boxes of its Gillette razors in the welcome bags given to delegates and press prior to entry into Boston's Fleet Center. Uh, uh, said security which removed all the razors leaving Gillette with millions of wasted product/promotional dollars and a bad taste in convention goers mouths. Just what was Gillette thinking? Razors? Thousands of important people in one place? Massive security? Fear of terrorism? 9/ll? Hello?
UPDATE: Gillette says the whole thing is an "urban myth."
Dismayed at the $25,000 price Playboy was asking for a regional ad the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks wanted to place to promote tickets sales, Sparks Director of "Tactical Marketing" Heather LaBella decided on a different strategy - she'd simply take all her clothes off. Rather than pay Playboy for an ad, La Belle decided to offer herself up to Playboy as spread material. She posed nude in the August issue of the magazine while holding a WNBA basketball for all to see. That's a pretty good media buy considering she got paid to pose rather than having to pay for an ad in the magazine. More from ESPN. Thanks to Charley Brough.
WGBH recently launched a website called The Sponsorship Group for Public Television (SGPTV), a resource for companies and advertising agencies seeking national corporate sponsorship opportunities within public television.
The site offers detailed corporate sponsorship information on popular and award-winning public television series, including Masterpiece Theatre, Antiques Roadshow, Nova, Frontline, Sesame Street, Arthur, Barney & Friends, and many others. It also features information on sponsorship opportunities by genre (either prime time, multicultural, lifestyle and children�s programming); sponsorship success stories and audience demographics.
SGPTV is based at public broadcasting station WGBH Boston, the producer of one-third of PBS�s national primetime line-up.
By far the hottest ads to date from footwear company Skechers will be a series of ads for an upcoming fall campaign featuring Christina Aquilera in poses sure to raise the blood pressure of any normal human. There are three ads in the series which will run internationally beginning in August. Each ad shows double images of Aguilera. The firts portrays Aguilera as a nurse aiding a patient, the second shows her as teacher and student and the third shows her getting some legal treatment from herself dressed as we wished all police officers would dress - well, at least the hot ones.
On her agreement to work with Skechers, Aguilera said, "I agreed to be part of Skechers' international marketing team because I like its image -- youthful but edgy. It has attitude and is willing to try new ideas -- refreshing,"
All three ads can be viewed here. Thanks to Dan at The Superficial for the tip.
Once tiny and humble, Adrants has gained critical mass far beyond all initial expectation. And with growth comes expansion. We are now launching The Adrants Network - a Friendster-like site where you can join, connect, network and discuss all things advertising. The service is hosted by Soflow and combines many of the features and functionality we have always wanted to offer Adrants readers. So, in a nutshell, here's what the Adrants Network will offer:
- Connection to and networking with ad industry professionals and fans.
- Ability to create a personal and professional profile of yourself to be viewed (or not) by others in the network.
- A forum in which any number of topics can be discussed in a threaded and archived manner.
- A listing section that could be useful for posting jobs, services, etc.
- A email-like member to member messaging system.
- A polling feature to do mini research among network members
- Ability to create multiple, topic-specific clubs within the Adrants Network run by selected members.
- An events calendar to schedule industry doings.
- And lots more to come.
So if you want to get closer to your fellow Adrants fans, sign up, create your profile, join ongoing discussions, or just check out member's pictures. Join now! It's destined to become the best advertising online community is existence.
In the category of ads that would sell a shitload of product if they were only allowed to run, come these two creations from the DeBeers spoof room floor. The first coverts that overly complicated two month's salary thing into monetary language any guy can grasp. The second reaches out to that target segment of men who just can't seem to satisfiy themselves in the '"right" hole. Found on, Lukeford, a site you'd best not visit while in the office.
 
A new game called Halo for Xbox tried to create a fake site and weblog which would have ultimately been used to promote the game upon launch had it not been found out by one Michael O'Connor Clarke. The weblog was chronicling the apparent technical difficulties the fake and amateur looking ilovebees.com was having. Rick Bruner points out several other attempts by marketers to dishonestly use weblogs all in the name of trying to achieve below the radar marketing coolness. Most fail or get found out. Why not be honest in the first place.
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