Paper Toss Game Promotes Something

We already forgot who this is for but it has something to do with soccer and it's a lot easier to play than the FIFA game.

Kick the Ball And Win FIFA World Cup Tickets

If you like soccer (football to the rest of the world), you might like this new game from Philips which is promoting the game and providing a chance to win tickets to the FIFA World Cup Finals. While the game is supposed to be simple to play which just three clicks, we couldn't get it to work. But, don't let that stop you from tryting.

Cosmetics Retailer Goes Floral For In-Store Video

Stardust's LA design director Brad Tucker and executive producer Eileen Doherty teamed-up to co-direct an in-store video, which will be featured in international M.A.C stores through June, and is part of a Culture Bloom CD-ROM release being distributed to M.A.C event attendees. Along with directing the live action, Stardust also provided editorial, design, animation and finishing on this project. It's very floral and arty but we like it which makes us sound gay which, while, of course, there's nothing wrong with being gay, we're, clearly, not. Just to put that...uh...straight.

Fake Disease Created For Viral Movie Campaign?

There's a little rumor going around that a disease called Morgellons, a creepy skin disease that involves little bugs a bug-like sensation under the skin, and the websites associated with it are just a viral marketing campaign for the upcoming movie A Scanner Darkly. Michael Shostack of The Halting Point has collected some information pointing to the likelihood the disease is, in fact his opinion, a viral campaign. Shostack, who, since one never knows when it comes to virals, may actually be part of the viral campaign, points to a Slashdot story which says "Imagine having a disease that is so controversial that doctors refuse to treat you." The Slashdot story leads to a June 2005 Popular Mechanics story about the disease which has, reportedly, been around since 2002 when websites (1, 2) about the disease began appearing.

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Sexual Relationship Improvement Billboard Refused

Anytime the subject of woman and orgasms arises, everyone jumps on the topic and goes nuts. Everyone's writing about a company called Surprise Parties which hosts parties for women to sell sexual aids and discuss means to rekindle their romance. Recently, Carr Knowledge, an agency with offices in Nashville placed a large billboard buy for Surprise Parties that contained the company's new headline, "Stop Faking It." Nashville outdoor companies CBS and Lamar have refused to accept the buy. The 41 other states Car Knowledge placed boards had no issue with the ad which features company's seven senior managers dressed in pink under the headline. The only skin showing on the board are hands and faces.

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Hardee's Disses Sex For Talk In New Ad

If you can believe it, Hardee's has released an ad without a woman trying to stuff a bunch of straws into her mouth, without a woman writhing atop a mechanical bull and without Paris Hilton slathering herself with soap. nope. Just a bunch of guys talking with their mouths full. Typical.

Word of Mouth Marketing: To Tell Or Not To Tell

While test market pilots proved Procter & Gamble's word of mouth arm, Vocalpoint, is a success and increases sales, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association and Gary Ruskin's Commercial Alert are not pleased with Vocalpoint's army of 600,000 moms who spread buzz about P&G products and others because Vocalpoint does not require its "connectors" to disclose who they work for, a key tennet in the Word of Mouth Marketing Association's Code of Ethics.

While disclosure certainly appears to be the ethical thing to do, the debate as to whether it affects success can be debated until Paris Hilton can remember the name of the product she's hawking. Vocalpoint CEO Steve Knox says the company takes what he calls the "high road" adding, "We have a deeply held belief you don't tell the consumer what to say." Ruskin calls Vocalpoint and other word of mouth marketing efforts hinder trust and are causing a "commercialization of human relations." WOMMA Founding Member, Nielsen BuzzMetrics CMO and former P&G Brand Manager Pete Blackshaw adds, "There are a lot of word-of-mouth programs in play now, many of which are unsavory. As the leader in the industry, P&G has a higher obligation to set the right standard."

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Pointlessly Preachy PSA Fights Steroid Use

Using the "oh my god, your kid is dead" approach, this PSA from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America asks parents to imagine what life would be like if steroids were a part of their children's lives and asks them to discuss the topic with them. The spot will debut this Sunday during ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball

Test Determines Inferiority of Agencies

Brooklyn agency The Brooklyn Brothers has created The Inferiator which, by asking you to answer a few questions, can tell you inferior your agency is to theirs. We're guessing every outcome is going to name your agency inferior. It's simple enough to check out.

Homosexual Finds True Love In Aids Awareness Campaign

TBWA France created this AdForum top five AIDS Awareness video clip in which the life of a man is chronicled from boyhood to manhood as he become aware of his homosexuality, suffers from homophobic attacks and, ultimately, finds love. The clip was created to combat a decline in condom usage among homosexuals over the last few years. It's goofy. It's quirky. It works.