Candy maker Jelly Belly has launched an advergame called Taste the Mystery visitors can play after entering an access code found on select packages of Jelly Belly containing a mystery jelly bean. ON the site, the visitor then guesses the flavor of the new bean, play games, snag wallpaper and send e-cards. Winners of the contest are eligible to win $100,000, a Mini Cooper and/or an iPod shuffle. That might make the game worth playing.
Placing the code on packaging does a nice job of driving sales even though, as with any sweeps, no purchase is necessary. But, similar to frustrating rebate procedures, entrants who wish to play but not purchase have to do a little extra work by sending in the proverbial self-addressed postage stamped envelope with a handwritten note requesting a code. Much easier to just by a bag. Anyway, we like the promo. Los Angeles-based Zugara created the original artwork, concepting and animation for the site.
Fed up with all the advertising industry's award shows, mindless ego-fests and that thing called Clio, the Empty Box Awards has launched and dubs itself "The Intramural Awards of Advertising." On January 23, Empty Box will post a topic and then entrants can submit their work based on that topic. Entries are due March3, 2006 and the winner will be "unboxed" March 17, 2006. Have fun.
Adrants reader Sarah spotted a Johnnie Walker building wrap on the Baiyoke Sky Tower in Bangkok, Thailand that began with the tease, "Drink, Don't Drive." Weeks later, the Johnnie Walker walking man appeared capped with a white banner that, very oddly, for a liquor brand, read "Don't drink alcohol, it's against the 5 rules." The banner refers to the five rules of Buddhism one of which bans intoxicating substances. Perhaps it's just covering all bases but it's an odd combination of mixed messages for sure. See the teaser image here.
We doubt spending $2.6 million will do anything to overcome the cheap packaging and less than mouth pleasing taste of Emerald Nuts but you can watch their commercials, created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, over at Yahoo beginning January 23. We'll take Planter's over Emerald any time.
Online photo sharing site Image Gravy has launched and will share advertising revenue with its members. It appears Overture is used to the ads and users will be paid based on how many times their images are viewed. The service is free to users.
In what might be the first use of a million dollar homepage for something other than personal gain, Sweden's Sam Nurmi has created HelpFirefox.com, a site that sells pixels for one dollar a pop and donates all the money to the Mozilla Foundation, makers of the open source Firefox browser. Given that the Mozilla Foundation has been very successful is raising money both for development and for advertising, it would appear this particular million dollar homepage idea might see some action.
Having good fun crapping on PCs, Apple has released its TBWA/Chiat/Day-created spot announcing its use of Intel chips in Macs. We know you've all probably seen it already so just consider this an archive placement.
UPDATE: There's a lengthy digg forum discussion whether or not Apple borrowed some ideas for this spot from a U.S Postal Service The Postal Service (the band) video - a situation similar to the Eminen/Lugz copycat episode.
UPDATE: Check out side by side comparison of the two videos.
Hilton Hotels Corp. will launch its first television advertising campaign in more than 10 years when it rolls out new spots on Jan. 15, the marketer said. Y&R, which won the $40 million account last July, has developed four spots for the hotel chain which will air on CSI, Boston Legal, Desperate Housewives among others and on cable as well. The campaign will boast a new, un-sexy but very informative and practical headline, "Travel should take you places.
Every once in a while as you finish shopping, pass through the check out area and glance at your receipt for accuracy, you'll find an error in your favor. The situation then becomes one of moral contemplation. Do you turn around and point out the error or do you just call it luck and run? IKEA's Winter Sale seems to be causing a lot of that contemplation as indicated in it's new commercial created by ZIG and produced by Reginald Pike.
UPDATE: Seer of all things commercial, Adland notes IKEA is rehashing old ideas from Volkswagen and Toyota.
AquaCell Media has expanded its water cooler advertising program beyond retail stores to hair salons and law offices. AquaCell provides free water cooler to establishments and earns revenue from the ads it places on the water coolers. Currently, the hair salons are carrying ads for the new CBS comedy "Courting Alex," while Esquire Deposition Service, a Hobart West company, will be advertising on the coolers installed in law offices.
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