The Ambiguously Effective Idea that Just Won't Die is back and nebulous as ever. A stock called TMXO leaped 31% on September 5 after somebody sent out a GIF with one of those wildly appealing messages that you discover in your e-mail twenty-six times a day.
Apparently "stock spam" can artificially spike a stock by 4.9-6 for the average spammer. So why did TMXO do almost five times better? *Sigh* Because of subliminal advertising: that seemingly innocent GIF consists of four frames, only one of which is the message you think you see. The other three spout BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY.
more »
Copyranter pokes fun at yesterday's New York Times Magazine Leadership on Diversity advertising section which served as a platform for companies to pontificate about their sensitivity to diversity and the actions they've taken to insure they are fair to all. Copyranter particularly liked the ad from the Department of Homeland Security which featured an image of a Muslim woman. While poking fun, Copyranter also points out a truism in our industry, writing, "Half of the ads lamely crammed the word Diversity right in the headline, as some very junior (and very white) copywriters just outta ad school spent about five pissed off minutes working on this lowly assignment before handing the first two lines that popped into their heads into their creative directors. Whew. That's outta the way. Onto the much more important men's body spray print ad."
Very white indeed which is why Adrants has partnered with Business Development Institute to host the Advertising Industry Diversity Job Fair and Leadership Conference to tackle the currently very hot topic of diversity and what agencies are doing to make sure they are fair in their hiring practices. Now, it's been said other industries offer much higher pay and much better future opportunity than advertising so what minority (or majority for that matter) in their right mind would choose advertising over, say a Wall Street job? Well, that's what the conference hopes to explore - is the industry all white because it is being exclusive or is it because that's the natural order of things in the old boy's network?
Here's a Monday morning eyeopener for you. Having fun with the late night chat line genre, this spot for Epic Cash created by Ken Abraham and Make It Happen Productions is, apparently, supposed to be paradigm shifting. Abraham explains, saing, "For the most part, late-night chat lines and text messaging ads can hardly be considered commercials. That is, of course, if it doesn't pain you to watch worn and weary porn stars fumbling over remedial dialogue like, "Pick up the phone and call me" or "I'm waiting for you." Real art." We not so sure Ken's spot is all that different from late night cheese but we do like the ending.
Crispin Porter + Bogusky AD: "Dude, since everyone's been talking about those crash ads we did for the Jetta, wouldn't it be cool if we made an ad for the Passat where two chicks were talking about the ads while driving together and then...get this....and then...they get in a crash!?" Alex: "Yea, dude. Go with it. That rocks." Oh, and along the lines of spoofing ads, a second one has a bunch of guys riding in a Passat station wagon (as if a bunch of guys would ever be caught dead in that Soccer Mom ride) talking about one of those four hour erection ads before they get in a crash.
As a featured speaker at MediaPost's Online Media, Marketing & Advertising Conference during Advertising Week next week, one seriously has to wonder if Agency.com Executive Creative Director Tom Ajello will be able to discuss any topic other than his fist bumping Subway Pitch video. I feel for the guy but he really has to take that thug life wool hat off. Anyway, we're not going to be there because MediaPost doesn't like us but feel free to tell us how it goes,
In a very un-TV network-like manner and in response to freaks like this who are offended any company would dare to promote anything on YouTube, NBC created a video called Bill the Promo Guy in which Bill asks viewers to understand he does the promos because the salary he receives for producing them puts his son through prep school and buys his daughter a horse. NBC has arrived. It gets YouTube. It gets the video response. It gets this groovin' social media thing. Ah fuck it, it's just another ad. But a good one. A really, really good one. Kudos.
Adverb tells us about a new Yahoo TV campaign and the interesting alignment between the company's "in the now" approach and it's release of campaign outtake video to, well, keep people in the know.
- Scion is looking for architectural and interior designers for Scion Floorplan, a design competition where individuals will be asked to submit a complete design concept for Scion's dealership showroom. The first place winner will receive $5,000 and the opportunity to have their design brought to life as the next generation Scion dealership showroom.
- This has been done before but, hey, it's not something you see all the time.
- HSBC has launched The Property Panel, a monthly webcast offering tips and advice on buying a home.
Fights with Mark Naples aside, Datran has joined the bloguverse (isn't that better than blogosphere? After all, with blogging growing and a universe being bigger than a sphere, it's a valid replacement for the oh-so-tired and overused "blogosphere") with a blog named Outperformance Marketing because well, Performance Marketing was taken and ouot performing is better than performing. The name choice is explained on the blog thusly, "Datran Media coined the term Outperformance Marketing to describe our commitment to employ superior performance-based marketing strategies. The Outperformance Marketing Journal is our way of sharing this commitment beyond our walls to marketers everywhere." Not that they're actually going to share anything they could otherwise sell but, hey, it's an admirable venture. Editorial will provide email marketing news and research written by "an industry leading editorial staff" ie. Datran marketing folks
Like a scene out of Mallrats, four guys in this commercial for the Alltel Wireless My Circle plan plot a way to stop the "call ten friends for free no matter what plane they are on" feature because, after all, who could possibly have more than ten friends? Created by Campbell-Ewald, the spot is part of the wireless company's second campaign called "Sales Guys" which follows the initial "Icons" launch campaign. Beyond television, the campaign will include radio, print, event marketing, online advertising and webisodes. Be sure to check out the geeks on the Alltel website along with "Chad" who attempts to get in touch with competing wireless company CEO's to tell them about the My Circle plan.
|
|
