National CineMedia, the company that annoys us with pre-movie theater ads, has launched Larger Than Life, a contest that invites ad creatives to submit a story board for one of their clients, get is shot by Ridley and Tony Scott's RSA and have it appear on screens across AMC, Cinemark and Regal Entertainment Group Theaters. A video featuring former Fallon Art Director Bob Barrie promotes the contest. In the video, Bob gets about as angry as most theater goers do when they have to sit through the National CineMedia proliferated pre-movie commercials.
Fans of YouTube may not have to worry about their baby getting sucked up into the Google void and corporatized because now we have PhilTube. Some dude named Phil has created a YouTube look alike and has videos up that poke fun at popular videos such as the Star Wars Kid and LonelyGirl15. Of course, this isn't the next YouTube at all. It's the creation of Phil McIntyre to parody YouTube, poke fun at social media and to promote PGM Artists, his company that represents production companies to agencies and media companies.
If you didn't know who Phil McIntyre or PGM were, you'd have to do a bit of digging to see what PhilTube is all about but as promotions go, we applaud it. There's no fist bumping here - although, perhaps PhilTube should spoof the Agency.com video - and the content is amusing enough. We're told Hart+Larsson is behind he creative on this one.
Monster has launched a mildly amusing time-waster called Foot in the Door, a game in which you hurl feet at potential co-workers as they open their office doors. While the game is fun, we're not sure throwing feet at potential co-workers will garner you much respect if you do happen to get hired. Now, throwing feet at co-workers you already work with...that's another story.
If your sick of that long-winded account director blathering on endlessly in a pointless meeting about a client's brand vision, mission, essence and position, you might have a little fun sending them a link to Elmo's Potty Time, an Animax Entertainment-created game that, well, teaches people when it's time to stop what you're doing and take a break. Unfortunately when we played the game, we couldn't help Elmo out. See, in one scenario, Elmo is jump roping and he stops to say he needs to go to the bathroom and you're supposed to click any key to help him go. Trouble s, no key worked so the poor guy kept asking until the game let him go by himself. We'd sure like to see the version of that game where you can hold Elmo hostage until explodes all over his friends. Now, that would be funny.
- To celebrate its 25th anniversary, PC Magazine will launch a year-long celebration, starting with its December 4 issue, which will take an editorial look at the hits - and the misses - of the past 25 years.
- Working with Arnold, Brickyard VFX has created an effect-heavy spot that illustrates how Timberland, well, does something. Of note, the spot was shot in full sunlight.
- Adland received an oddly worded offer to by her site and she helpfully replied in the kindest, most helpful manner so the poor lawyer on the other end might approach things a bit differently next time.
Dear Bob Parsons,
While your infatuation with Candice Michelle is clearly understood, your infatuation with placing her in commercial after commercial is not. We'd be more likely to understand that infatuation if the commercials were actually any good but with each new addition to the collection, the commercials slip further down the hill towards uninteresting mediocrity. It was funny once when Candice couldn't keep her top on. It was mildly funny when she rubbed her boobs against the window while on that window washing scaffolding. But it's hardly funny at all to watch her run through sprinklers across a golf course while an old dude gawks "Oh, the GoDaddy Girl!" Some amount of interests in the spot might occur if Candice's water-soaked breasts actually moved in a manner resembling human physiology rather than that of a plastic surgeon's creation.
That said, the spots wouldn't be any better if Candice were flat or a natural 36DDD. Since the original Super Bowl spot, Bob, an important thing called creativity seems to have eluded you. No doubt Candice is a wonderful person but it's time to move on. The gimmick is dead. It's time to leave the whole bimbo routine behind. Perhaps, with your new GoDaddy Girl, Danica Patrick, the obsession with big, fake breasts will wane. Now, if you want to feature yet another GoDaddy Girl who sports big breasts that actually move while in motion, we might not be so critical. Oh but wait, then we'd simply be perpetuating the stereotype of casting women as objects of desire. We'd never want to do that, right, Bob?
So, Bob, it's really time to move on. It's time for a new approach. Time stop the ogling, the breaking tank top straps, the wet t-shirt runs, the bimbo maneuvers. Oh fuck it. Just go out and build a stable to GoDaddy Girls rivaling the collection of Maxim Girls and you and your business will be gold.
Equally Breast Obsessed,
Steve Hall
Publisher, Adrants
GM's Pontiac division is the next mainstream company to join the one million strong Second Life community with the creation of the soon to be launched Motorati Island where residents can engage all kinds of automotive-related projects such as the construction of racetracks and dealerships where the Pontiac Solstice will be on display.
Just like a weblog, Second Life is becoming the marketing tactic du jour for many marketers. Unlike a weblog, brand activity in Second Life may actually generate sales for brands since, in essence, it's an actual, psuedo-real world with currency that changes hands. We're not sure someone's going to actually buy a car in Second Life for their first life yet but it won't be long before that happens. Second Life could very well become the replacement for that dreaded online "service" brands provide their customers called customer service. While brands' rush to blogging and podcasting didn't seem to net much in the way of revenue, Second Life's focus on commerce, just might become a practical and profitable market for all involved.
Bill Green points us to yet another entry in the increasingly popular Geico Caveman saga. In this latest commercial, our caveman friend is subjected to unfeeling, uncaring news anchors who frustrate the poor guy even further. He's got a nice rant in the middle of the spot though. Bill also tells us there's another clip that appears to be a movie trailer for the campaign. We don't know if these will sell any insurance but we cerainly are entertained by them.
Colorado is the new burrough. Denver-based Anthony's New York Pizza has created a bumper sticker campaign that will place stickers in the hands of 500 people who have relocated from the New York area to the Denver area. The list was culled from DMV records and will attempt to make New Yorkers feel right at home in their new mountainous surroundings. See additional creative here.
Beyond Madison Avenue has examined two recent AIDS campaigns. The first, an LA-based campaign which carries the headline "HIV is a gay disease" is causing a stir but if those causing the stir would just read the body copy, they'd know that's not entirely what the ad's saying. The second, a German campaign, carries a racier tone typical of many European ads and cites, "It's easy to lose your head when your horny." Oh, the double (or is it triple) meaning there is just gold.
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