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Converse Grateful For Mindless Sitcoms, Pointless Pageantry

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Continuing its Anomaly-created Disruption campaign launched last month, Converse, in two new spots debuting tonight (Grateful, Pageant), attacks the idiocy of beauty pageants, American Idol, democracy, mindless sitcoms, reality shows and video games. While it seeks to set apart the viewer from the idiocy it highlights and, perhaps by disassociation, elevate the viewer in some way, one has to wonder whether or not calling everyone else an idiot is smart marketing.

For sure, the above-mentioned items are idiotically mindless but in a capitalistic society such as the one in which we live, nothing gets created unless people want it. Even if they are idiotic and mind numbing. As current culture indicates and as Converse points out, perhaps a lot of people are suffering from some form of idiotic mindlessness. Or at least the creators of this so-called mindless stuff are.

more »

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Campaigns, Commercials, Creative Commentary, Good



Squealing Elf Delivers Gift-O-Lator's Cheer

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Well here's a cute agency holiday card and it's perfect for those who just don't know what to buy for themselves or for their significant others.

Called Gift-O-Lator 1.03, the site, complete with happy elf lets you choose whether you want your gift to be masculine or feminine, work-related or play-related, thrifty or expensive and geekish or jock-like. It's amusing enough to use if only to cause your cube mate to pop their head over the divider wondering where the hell that mousy succession of "yeas" is coming from.

The card comes courtesy of Cleveland Ohio's Liggett Stashower.

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Agencies



Santa Rocks, NBA Joosts, Banner Tickets, IT Socializes, Bzz Ups

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- This is just weird. A little Trans Siberian Orchestra. A little Santa Claus playing guitar. And a beard that won't stay on.

- The NBA has announced it will broadcast replays of memorable games on Joost.

- Working Tailgate Technologies, Paramount Vantage has launched a banner campaign for The Kite Runner which allows people to go through the entire ticket purchase process inside the banner. Check out one of the banners here.

- Rubicon Project CEO Frank Addante explains why Silicon Valley isn't the only place where dot com business occurs and why LA is carries just as much weight.

more »

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Online, Research, Social, Video, Word of Mouth



Clio Announces Jury Chairmen...Well, Half of Them

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Today, the Clio Awards announced Executive Jury Chairs for the the organization's 49th annual awards. Anomaly Partner Johny Vulkan will oversee Content & Contact, Saatchi & Saatchi Chief Creative Officer Tony Granger will oversee Television/Cinema/Digital and DDB UK Executive Creative Director Jeremy Craigen will oversee Print/Poster/Innovative/Integrated.

Sounding particularly pumped over the organization's selections, Clio Awards Managing Director Tony Gulisano said, "These individuals collectively represent the power of the idea. They are an excellent fit for the role because they're totally plugged in to the new dynamics of the marketplace, and proactively playing a part in moving the industry forward with their own work. Because of their fresh thinking and personal experience, they're challenging the expected and generating great creative across all media."

Interactive, Radio, Design and Technique Jury heads will be announced shortly.

more »

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Industry Events



Virgin Mobile Canada Celebrates Birth of Jesus Breaker-Style

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Virgin Mobile Canada likes to think a great battle took place between the breakdancing angels, shepherds and wise men of the east, in the barn where Jesus was born.

And we don't know why, but now we like that idea too. Does this mean John Travolta is God?

Back on-topic, the ad -- put together by zig in tangent with Virgin Mobile -- is a far cry from Virgin's belief-neutral Christmahanakwanzakuh effort.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Brands, Commercials, Good



Today's Find an Evergreen Day. Bet You Didn't Know That, Did You?

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A group called Holiday Cover Up is encouraging us to celebrate every day of the year by revealing holidays we don't know about.

The logic: holidays were parsed out by greeting card companies in order to encourage productivity. "Calendars are propaganda!" snarls founder and author Kevin Goodson.

See video here. We think it's pretty good. Plus, you gotta love the idea behind Pi Approximation Day.

We also got a new word for the Ad-Jive dictionary: "holidology"!

Feeling festive? Get Holiday-a-Day widgets and other web 2.0 crap. If you're lazy like us, you can just celebrate your unbirthday, which takes place 364 days a year. Thank goodness the Mad Hatter and the March Hare weren't holiday perfectionists.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Online, Spoofs



eBillme Lavishes Cash on Video Contest Whores!

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We smell something fishy behind the eBillme Confessions contest.

The $20,000 grand prize winner for eBillme Confessions was a girl who bought her boyfriend a Plasma TV so he'd give her an engagement ring.

Is it just us or does her boyfriend look suspiciously like this dude, who won $1,000 just weeks ago?

Adrants declares shenanigans!

by Angela Natividad    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Bad, Online, Research, Sponsorship, Video



Dude. Who Made Turkey the Official Holiday Ad Bird?

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More turkeys! This campaign is for a product review site called Reevoo and its goal is to show you what can happen when you don't research a product before buying it.

Its means of intimidation is ye old dad-gets-embarrassed-in-front-of-his-kid approach. Slick and merciless, baby.

Put together by Gas Agency.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Campaigns, Online



Wonderbra Supports Huge Mounds of Water

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OK. Ha, ha, fuckin' ha. Maybe Wonderbra is running out of ideas or maybe we're just bored (bored with breasts? is that even possible?) with their whole "we hold big boulders" approach to bra advertising. Did we just say that? Bored with bra ads? Damn. Excuse us for a minute while we go stare at our intern's 34G breasts...

OK, all better. We love bra advertising! bring us more! How about little placards placed in between the balloons you seen hanging on people's mail boxes when their kid has a birthday party or they're trying to clear some shit out of their basement? how about two giant hot air balloons floating aloft next to each other with a giant Wonderbra over the top of them?

How about a girl jumping up and down like a gorilla while playing the drums. Oh wait. Been there, done that. OK, here it is. How about an Asian chick playing tennis proving the power of the Wonderbra?

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Good, Outdoor



Getting Tired of the Holiday Spirit Yet? We Kind of Are

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To usher in the giggles and cheer (and, uh, promote its Fool Proof insurance product), Kwik-Fit gives us Turkey Target. It's a game involving turkeys and an outfoxed fox in a Santa hat.

Kwik-Fit also launched a holiday game called Pimp My Sleigh.

Fun fun fun.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-17-07    
Topic: Games, Online, Promotions



« Nov-07 | This archive, pg:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16  |  17  |  18  |  19  | Jan-08 »