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Jersey Beckons Price-Scalded, Closeted (Not that Kind of Closeted) Manhattanites

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For Jersey's Newport Associates Development Corporation, agency woods witt dealy & sons put together a clever campaign that revolves around a family just getting by in NY - inside a closet that belongs to the wife's in-laws.

The answer to their problem is just one stop away from Manhattan. "Get more out of New York. Move to New Jersey," the ads admonish.

We recently cooped back in with our parents for a few weeks to save cash in preparation for our own move to New York. Some aspects of being back with mom and pops just don't jive with our imagined adulthood. Like the violating way they have of throwing doors open - bathroom doors, bedroom doors, doggy doors - at all hours of the day or night.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Jun-11-07    
Topic: Commercials, Promotions



Moroch Partners, Joan Rivers Are Apparently Bone-Friendly

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Dallas-based Moroch Partners was just crowned Agency of Record by the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Interestingly, Moroch is responsible for quirky McDonalds fare (predating their "we're healthy we swear to God!" phase) like the excuse generator and the dolphin v. man face-off.

How best to respond to the designation? Moroch Partners considers. Then, in trademark style, it releases a gossipy Joan Rivers PSA where she examines the bones of red carpet stars. Rivers is also the National Osteoporosis Foundation spokeswoman.

The PSA could have been funnier but at least it wasn't a dolphin v. man or excuse generator revisit. Anything involving Joan Rivers triggers a reflexive wince, a little like preparing for a mental and emotional pummeling.

We're welcome to being wrong, and maybe it's the X-ray effect, but for the first time in our short lives we wondered if she's smarter than she looks. Maybe we grow more sympathetic as the likelihood of getting osteoporosis increases.

by Angela Natividad    Jun-11-07    
Topic: Agencies, Cause, Celebrity



50 Cent Bastardizes Orchestra in Name of Vitamin Water

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In theory we have nothing against 50 Cent. All he has to do is not steal things from us and not replace symphony members with DJ Whoo Kid in order to weave "In Da Club" into classical fare.

He breaks the latter rule here. Thanks bunches, Vitamin Water.

And thanks Shedwa for the heads-up. You should probably also check out this Vitamin Water ad where Kelly Clarkson charms a snake. It reminds us of this, except less funny.

by Angela Natividad    Jun-11-07    
Topic: Brands, Celebrity, Commercials, Television



Live Garmin Commercial to Air on 'Tonight Show'

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For a very different reason than it was done years ago, NBC will air a live commercial during Tuesday night's broadcast of The Tonight Show for Garmin International - the folks who brought us that Godzilla-style Super Bowl commercial. Tonight Show announcer John Melendez will perform the spot dressed in a white lab coat discussing direction disorder which is an allegory to the company's mobile direction devices. A "regular" spot will also air during the commercial break immediately following the live commercial.

With DVRs having a noticeable effect on commercial viewership, we may begin to see more and more of this as the nets continue to circumvent ad skippage.

by Steve Hall    Jun-11-07    
Topic: Commercials, Television, Trends and Culture



Candystand's Vector Makes Us Feel Strategic in a Non-WoW Way

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Candystand, which, if nothing else, has begun addressing us on a first-name basis, just pointed us to Vector TD. The game takes a second to learn and is slightly more complicated than the meditative Awesome Blossom, but there's no laggage and you feel a little bit productive after blowing half your morning learning how to kill the malicious red asterisk things.

We also got to watch Steve-O during loading time, which primed us with a desperation to feel accomplished about something.

by Angela Natividad    Jun-11-07    
Topic: Games



Triumph Motorcycle Shares Its Far-From-Normal Manufacturing Process

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As only the British can, here's a Triumph Motorcycle commercial that's both understated in it's matter-of-fact, deadpan delivery and over the top with its driest of English humor. Ever wonder how a Triumph motorcycles is built? Wonder no more as this commercial takes you through the manufacturing process from engines created through some sort of embryonic process to the testing process which involves men with their legs spread while laying on the ground.

by Steve Hall    Jun-11-07    
Topic: Commercials, Good



Maurice Saatchi an Idiot, Adland Redesigns, Hadrian's Zigs, Garfield and Clow Chat

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- Apparently, Lord Maurice Saatchi is an idiot. Yup, he is.

- Adland has re-designed and we like it a lot.

- Part name-change announcement, part just-fun-to-do, the Chicago office of Zig has created a silent auction to remind their old Hadrian's Wall email list of their new name. They're auctioning off various Hadrian's Wall paraphernalia on eBay.

- Landor Associates has unveiled the new identity and rebranding work it did for The Museum of Television & Radio which is now dubbed The Paley Center for Media. Hmm, even posthumously, media types have an ego the size of a museum complex.

more »

by Steve Hall    Jun-11-07    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Weblogs



It's Not So Easy to Get A Lion

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Damn, damn, damn. This has been sitting in our "to be published" folder somehow unnoticed since May 30 collecting dust but we're still not too late in getting to it. Y&R Israel put together an online game called Lion Combat in which the player tries to get a lion using a selection of different weaponry. Closing with "it's not so simple to hunt a lion," the game then lets you bet which work you think will win a Lion at Cannes with a plasma TV as the prize.

You can go and get drunk or stay at home and win a TV. Your choice.

by Steve Hall    Jun-10-07    
Topic: Games, Industry Events



Erectile Dysfunction Spoof Has Unhappy Ending

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We never thought we'd tire of the millions of erectile dysfunction spoofs that have found there way to us but we finally have. It's just not that much fun anymore to listen to a fake voice over drone on about 36 hour erections while a dude walks around with a big dick prop sticking out of hin his pants. Except, of course, when that dick prop and closing elevator doors are in the same scene and the spoof stars Cuba Gooding Jr.

by Steve Hall    Jun-10-07    
Topic: Celebrity, Spoofs



Milk Worse Than Second Hand Smoke

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The Truth campaign's latest commercial informs the public tobacco companies, in 1996, said drinking a glass or two of whole milk is riskier than second hand smoke and does so in its usual fashion with Derrick Beckles...and his glasses... visiting a dairy farmer. The perplexed farmer simply can't believe anyone could say such a thing about something so wholesome as milk. Though there are those out there who think drinking milk is disgusting, claim most milk contains harmful additives and the fat content (remember, we're talking whole milk here) is bad for the body, equating that to the inhalation of second hand cigarette smoke is a bit of a stretch even for the Truth campaign.

Why doesn't the Truth campaign just show a picture of this dude and be done with it.

by Steve Hall    Jun-10-07    
Topic: Campaigns, Commercials



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