Eric over at Ideas on Ideas wrote a detailed post about how Microsoft could reposition itself to appear less stodgy and scary for the consumers of tomorrow -- er, today. (Or yesterday?)
A few key points include positioning around power, cutting the crap and embracing the consumer, which are everyday proverbs we should all know by heart at this point.
The piece also includes some notes for Steve Ballmer.
Here's our advice: stop scaring us, Ballmer! This is the kind of crap that lost Howard Dean his bid for president.
Also, maybe Microsoft could learn a little about loosening up by examining its fan spoofs.
Adhering to its company mantra, "Any company that takes poetic license with its shoe designs ought to allow consumers poetic license with its website," UK-based woman's shoe company, Poetic Licence, has handed over website design responsibilities to site visitors who, with a set of tools, can craft a personalized version of the site which can also be used as the person's desktop.
Durhan, NC-based The Republik did the work for the U.S. launch of the shoe company
This is a little maddening. Black Magic Marker brought our attention to TomTom's latest effort, a book of secrets that "highlights the unexpected features of their device."
That all sounds promising but after blowing eight minutes waiting for the TomTom Secrets site to load, we're convinced we can do without this particular mystery.
Even if it finds its way to a press release in a bid for publicity, you can't fault an agency for sending 30 of its employees to New Orleans to assist Hands On New Orleans with the continuing post-Katrina clean up. In partnership with its client, The Stanley Works, Mullen sent 30 "Mullenteers" from its Wenham (Boston) and Detroit office to the city last week armed with Stanley Tools and sixty hands to paint, construct, plumb, roof or anything else that needed doing.
The Stanley Works provided all manner of tools including tape measures, hammers, levels, saw horses, tool boxes, pliers, power staplers, clamps, laser levelers, inflators and mechanics tool sets, all of which will remain with Hands On New Orleans for continuing use.
Nice work, Mullen. So when are you guys moving to Boston? That's what we keep hearing.
This Thursday Goodyear plans to announce its official sponsorship of the Philadelphia Marathon. And because blimps possibly lost their luster after blimp lover (and, um, embezzlement king) Lou Perlman fled the scene, the company plans to help runners "get there" with a branded Philly marathon rig, which you can see in all its glory here.
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So you're sitting in the lecture hall listening to the professor drone on endlessly about some inane topic that you'll never have use for during your lifetime. All good, right? Just rest your head on your hand and take a little nap until it's all over, right?
Yet another pointless class you have to take just for credit until...wait...what was that? Was that a thong? A thong?? The professor wearing a thong? OMG, that just doesn't happen. And a strategically placed tattoo...that talks? That never happens. Well, except, of course, in commercials which is exactly what this is; a promotional video for the Livescribe pen which promises to cure Restless Mind Syndrome otherwise known as thong-induced blackouts.
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Maybe sensing that Mini Me appealed to a quiet universal longing, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners put together a Sprint effort called More Yous.
The ad is meant to drive multi-taskers into the arms of the speedy Palm Centro but it feels a little like a Doublemint Gum spot from hell.
See it at AdWeek.
Red Bull has added yet another promo to its growing line of user-created forrays.
The company that brought us the annual flying wonder-ridden Flugtag and Art of Can contests is now asking UK consumers to write its next TV ad.
Called the Red Bull Tall Story Contest, the brand artfully positions yet another CGM pandering campaign as an a kind of literary contest, by asking consumers to write a "witty short story."
Entries should follow in the spirit of its long-running cartoon spots, where someone gets wings after downing a Red Bull.
Adverblog says Red Bull will be promoting the contest with half a million pounds using radio, print and online advertising, in addition to on-campus student promos.
Hitler Gets Banned, or the best XBox ad never made, had execs and journalists alike laughing to tears in the press room at ad:tech.
Its three-minute length made us iffy about watching it but we're glad we did. It gets really funny when he starts talking crap about Super Mario and spitting all over the place.
If the responses on YouTube are any indication, Hitler tapped a prominent fear when he lamented being left with only "a shitty N64" to comfort him.
I've been meaning to write a post about the debauchery that was Wednesday night's Zillow bash at ad:tech, but if you've been at an open house posing as a gallery posing as an advertising party before, you probably already know exactly what it was like.
Oh, wait. Is that not a common experience?
Here's an opportunity to get enlightened. We give you, not Zillow, but 135 West 4th.
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