Real Estate Firm Uses Subliminal Dogvertising

Whether an oversight or an intentional use of subliminal marketing, there's something rather intriguing about the house featured on this realtor's website.

As you look at the living room (third pic down) and wonder why your eyes are so drawn to that fake looking fireplace, a look out the window might yeild the answer. It's a new twist on dogvertising. Thanks to BL Ochman for the tip.

Downsize DC Ad To Be Illegal After September 3

Downsize DC, a group who "believe the federal government has grown too large, too intrusive, and too expensive," is running a radio spot it knows will be illegal to run after September 3. The group opposes the law that bans the names of candidates to be mentioned in ads within 60 days of the election.

They claim several stations will air the ad on September 3. This law might actually do some good by forcing some ingeniously creative means by which to refer to the candidate, examples of which, we will spare you. Thanks to Adrants reader Dan for the tip.

Cingular Wireless Teams With UMG For Busted Promo

In an example of marketing that actually offers something of interest to its audience, Cingular Wireless has a promotional agreement with Universal Music Group artist Busted who's big in Europe and growing in America. The promotion will center around a contest whereby schools can compete to win a concert by the artist. The campaign will consist of microsites on Alloy.com and CSS.com as well as email to those databases along with highschool Teen Source board posting promoting the contest. Via Ypulse.

Gourmet Impressions Promotes Food Embossing Ad Medium

Gourmet Impressions would like to convince us their "Roller" and "Stamper" food embossing products will yeild far more cost-efficient marketing programs especially during Super Bowl time. Pizza, of course, is a well consumed food while watching footbal and wouldn't every marketer love to have their message "stamped" on that pizza as it is being consumed. To have your message consumed by the consumer - what could be better? Any establishment that sells food, can now sell ad space on that food.

It's a nifty idea but putting together any sort of network with any scale would prove to be a bit difficult unless, of course, McDonald's or Burger King let their burger buns be stamped with a national advertiser's logo. That could happen and probobly will. If it does, we'll have a new national ad medium. if it doesn't, it's still another way for local advertisers to promote their businesses locally.

Ad Promotes Bringing Baby to Movies, Toddler Dies From Popcorn

In an odd juxtaposition of two seemingly unrelated incidents, a toddler choked on popcorn at a movie theater then died and a recent Loews Cinema ad urged moms to bring their baby to the movies.

On August 17, a three year old choked on a piece of popcorn at a Long Island cinema and died during a showing of Alien vs. Predator.

On September 1, Lowes Cinema ran an ad in AM New York, eerily sponsored by Child Magazine, promoting Tuesday and Thursday "Reel Mom" days on which moms are welcomed to bring their baby to the theater ostensibly without fear of frustrated retribution from other movie goers annoyed by wailing babies. Oddly, the ad pictures a big bucket of popcorn next to a baby bottle.

Aside from the questionable motivation of the parents bringing a three year old to watch the PG-13 rated Alien vs. Predator, one wonders why parents bring toddlers and babies to the movies in the first place. The Loews Cinema "Reel Moms" days are actually a good thing. Other movie patrons will know to stay away those days. That's smart business and it's good for the enjoyment of the movie goer. But when entire families with kids and babies in tow show up during times and showings clearly not appropriate for small children, it makes one want to demand their money back. Aggressively stereotyping here, the families with kids that do show up are usually families that have near zero control over their kids allowing them to aimlessly wander the theater unsupervised. Apart from the potential trauma experienced by a two year old viewing R rated movie content, the practice creates a horrific movie experience for the other patrons in the theater.

Despite the odd juxtaposition of events, Loews should be commended for offering specific movie times in which babies are welcome. Not everyone who likes to go to the movies can afford a babysitter. It might be wise, though, to dissuade parent with babies from buying popcorn.

Lime Has Sex With Lemon on Candy Packaging

"Mommy, why is that lime licking those cherries?" "Dad, why is that lime pressing against that lemon?" Those are the questions parent in the UK are likely to hear once their kids see this new packaging on Haribo Maoam candy.

Reacting to what could admittedly be construed as two fruits enjoying themselves sexually on the packaging of Haribo Maoam fruit candy, a Catholic college has written a letter of complaint to the company.

"We are shocked at the shameless presentation of sexual practices on the wrapping, which includes not only sexual intercourse but also fellatio and cunnilingus. It's irresponsible, to expose children to such pornographic representations. The lemon, which from the drawing looks female, is obviously enjoying it with the greatest of pleasure." wrote the St Blasien Jesuit College near Bonn.

Haribo claims that in package testing there were no complaints and feedback has been positive. They obviously tested against an audience living far outside our mainstream, sex addled culture. Thanks to Rick Bruner for the tip.

UPDATE: According to Dominik in Comments, the letter was a hoax "written by students in St. Blasien, which is, by the way, far away from Bonn in the beautiful Black Forest, was just a prank for the traditional end-of-school magazine written by the students."

Specialist Agency Not So Special

Commenting on the departure of mobile marketing firm Flyxt co-founder Lars Becker, Russel Buckley writes on The Mobile Technology Weblog about the difficulties mobile marketing firms face when working with agencies or with clients directly.

Examining the mentality of agencies, the segmentation of marketing budgets and the commoditization of services, Buckley concludes the mobil marketing specialist firm is not ready for prime time.

ABC, ESPN, Cingular Team For College Football Wireless Promotion

In an encouraging move to further engage college football fans, ABC Sports and ESPN have teamed with Cingular Wireless to offer fans the ability to text message their votes for the 2004 college All-America Team, Player of the Week and Player of the Year. Members of other cell phone plans can participate as well except for those using T-Mobile who has opted not to participate.

The winners will be announced on a special one hour ABC Sports program Cingular ABC Sports All-America Team on december 11 at 2PM.

RNC Panty Flash Pictures

Fleshbot has a round up of Axis of Evil's mass panty flash that took place last night at Robert F. Wagner Park in New York. There's tons of pictures here and if you like what you see, you can buy the panties for yourself at Axis of Eve's website. As you will see in the pictures, most of the women (and men) at the panty flash are not the kind of people you'd want to see in panties if you had the choice.

Paris Hilton Markets Celebu-Wear on Amazon

Paris Hilton is marketing her own line of skanky, uh...glamorous Swarovski celebu-wear including earrings, anklets, bracelets, necklaces, belly chain and bellybutton piercings. The line will be sold exclusively on Amazon. We see she's using the much commented upon brand logo.