Comcast Retires Slowskys In Favor of Turbine Rabbit Thingy

Created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and directed by Biscuit's Noam Murro, Comcast has ditched the Slowsky turrtles in favor of some hyped up, freaked out, genetically fucked with rabbit with jet turbines strapped on its back driven by an over-caffeinated kook all to,...ya know...illustrate how fast Comcast internet is. I like.

MySpace to Redesign. See Mock-Ups Here

MySpace is redesigning its site, partly to make it more ad-friendly.

It also plans to improve nav, music and internal search, MySpaceTV (expect better embed/sharing options) and profile editing (kinda nifty).

Phase I of the redesign goes live June 18th. One advertiser bought all MySpace's ad real estate for that day. No word on who it is, but expect a major brand or an overhyped movie. (Film promotions for The Incredible Hulk are currently wreaking havoc on the homepage.)

more »

Modernista Hummered, Webbys Happened, Dinosaur Toured

- Facing the potential demise of GM's Hummer brand, Modernista may be facing layoffs. One creative director has already left.

- AgencySpy reminds us the Webby Awards were yesterday and points to a video of the event.

- The Samsung illusion dinosaur goes on tour.

- That 72andSunny-created "I Love the World" spot got all kinds of spoofage. Here's one.

Air One Treats Boston Bloggers to Italian Goodness

Last night at Lucca's in Boston's North End, Lufthansa's Air One, with help from Edelman, gathered together a collection of Boston-based bloggers to introduce the airline's new, non-stop flights from Milan to Boston and Chicago. With awesome Italian goodness, wine and food was served while Air One Head of Network and Marketing Giorgio De Roni talked a bit about the airline and the new routes.

The group was also treated a short lesson in speaking Italian and Italian culture so s to prevent one from appearing an idiot while traveling to Italy.

more »

Author Attacks Gawker With Britney Spears Stickers For Book Promotion

To promote his new book, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, author Tao Lin has placed stickers around New York which say, simply, Britney Spears. Apparently, his intended hipster audience will make the connection.

Last June, Gawker pretty much trashed Lin's similarly strange promotional tactics for some earlier books by posting some of his creepy emails.

Flash back to this year and Gawker recently found the door to its offices plastered with Britney Spears stickers in an apparent retaliation for Gawker's less than kind (though totally warranted) words.

Hmm...so is Tao Lin an impetuous child or brilliant marketer?

Girl Does Battle With Mangy Mane. Bikini Zone Saves Day

So it's Friday which means thoughts begin to turn away from work to some of the more pleasurably social aspects of life like...oh...watching a hot girl in a blue bikini fight with her bush until she's able to tame it with Bikini Zone. Yes, it's sunny. It's time to go to the beach so that means it's time to get looking good down there.

Helping in that area is Studio 8 which just created a parody-style Japanese commercial for the product line which takes us through various battles the girl wages against her untamed mane.

Hmm. Suddenly, I have an urge to go to the beach.

Yahoo Castrates Microsoft Talks, Forms Search Relationship with Google

Yahoo to Microsoft: no, you can't have the company, and no, you can't buy our search, either. This follows FOUR MONTHS of hardcore media drama between the two of them. Here's a word from stock market angryman Carl Icahn (who, btw, is trying to oust Y!'s board):

In my opinion it will be extremely difficult for Microsoft or any other companies to trust, work with and negotiate with a company that would go to these lengths [to scuffle a deal].

more »

Galaxy92 Decries Modern Dogmas ... Well, Except for the Ones it Made Last Year

Greek station Galaxy 92 made a resonant impression on us in 2007 with "DOGMA," a print campaign where dictators proclaim the merits of music.

But that was then. Galaxy's gone 180 on our asses. "Stop Modern Dogmas," its current ads demand -- in little red buttons! -- over images of brassy, but vapid, constructs of modern worship:

o Celebritism
o Nip Tuckism (at left)

Slogan: "All music. No dogma." No word on how Galaxy92 feels about the ones it invented last year. I imagine they're exempt from scorn -- or else they did very, very poorly amongst the public.

"Stop Modern Dogmas" was put together by Lowe, Athens, the creators of "DOGMA."

Missy Elliott, Adidas Bring R-E-S-P-E-C-T Back to Fashion

With help from Adidas, Missy Elliott has launched Respect M.E. Originals, a clothing line she plans to promote through mEgo.com's social avatars and widgets.

She's also picking five girls to serve as global brand ambassadors for Respect M.E.'s 2009 tour. Would-be models must register an mEgo account.

Respect M.E.'s promotional imagery brings Gwen Stefani to mind. She also launched a clothing line -- L.A.M.B. -- and lolled all over a gilded throne to promote it on an album of the same name. Guess that's the thing to do when you're a diva. But hey. If I were 15, I'd sooner play "brand ambassador" for Missy than for Macy's.

Bell Bails, a52 Honored, Obama Fights Smears, Tots Tattoo, and MTLB Beats Down Bad PRs

- Global marketing guy Jeff Bell is leaving Microsoft. He's held his post since 2006.

- a52, which produced the visual effects for that Monster.com spot with the people on the rails, won some love at the Association of Independent Commercial Producer's 17th Annual Show. This is the 11th year its work was recognized by the AICP. To celebrate, it created a YouTube chronology of all the a52 spots that have been honored by the Show. Watch them.

- Obama for America has launched an online news site to fight the smears against his name.

- Make the Logo Bigger created guidelines for the ideal PR. If you don't meet 'em, you're not just getting trashed; you'll be marked as SPAM.

- Not ad-related, but hey: here is a rhinoplasty tutorial. After a few slides, even YOU could do it! Well, maybe she could.

- Speaking of tattooing tots, here are some tattoos for tots. Prepare them early on for their future as this guy. (That tribal-inspired tattoo actually contains the coordinates for $50K and keys to a Volvo.)