So you know who Facebook's ad program lets people recommend/endorse various product to their friends? Wouldn't it be great if that were possible across the entire web instead of just within Facebook? Well, as a DR ad would scream, "Yes! Now you too can get social! And you don't need Facebook to so it! Call now!"
OK, so how does it all work? PopularMedia has introduced Influencer Ads. Similar to rich media banners from the likes of Pointroll, Influencer Ads are large format ads but with social networking functionality added.
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Boston and New York-based Barbarian Group is number 29 on Fast Company's Fast 50 list for 2009. The agency, which launched in 2001 with the four founders; Benjamin Palmer, Rick Webb, Keith Butters and Robert Hodgin, has now grown to 80.
The agency first came to notoriety for their work developing Burger King's Subservient Chicken. Yes, it's Crispin's account but Barbarian Group did most the work truth be told.
Recently, the agency did the CNN T-shirt thing which made it possible for people to choose a favorite headline from the site and have it affixed to a customized t-shirt.
The agency was also named digital agency of the year for 2008 by Creativity Magazine. Clearly the agency is on a roll and it's well deserved.
They are well positioned for the path advertising is on. Much better positioned that most traditional agencies and even other interactive shops.
"Muscovites have been puzzling over a series of vaguely Warhollian posters appearing in subway stations. The 'product' being presented is called Amerikanskoye Salo, which translates to 'American Lard' or 'American Fat.'
Judging from the poster, it has several culinary uses, including chocolate-covered lard and lard drizzled with borscht."
According to Read Russia (linked above), Russian business newspaper Kommersant claims this American Lard thing is a propaganda effort by political party A Just Russia, which wants to draw attention to the sick, unhealthy interior beneath the US's tasty veneer (edible or otherwise). Others claim it might be a viral effort to promote a book, and at least one civilian believes this really is just a new food product.
"Sigh. Propaganda here used to be so simple," the author laments. Yeah, we know the feeling.
It isn't immediately clear whether the Maryland Comptroller has an ingenious sense of humor or just really low standards, but "Real Tax Payers of Genius" -- a video effort to get taxpayers to e-file -- definitely left us with a queasy "What hath YouTube wrought" sensation.
Word from a colleague: "I love how the screen says ifile ... and the voice says efile." But it was the papercut scene, and the digitally-enhanced voiceover, that stole our appetites.
We can't hate on something we so deeply pity. So hey, MD, here's some help. (And warm clammy thanks to Jack for molesting us with this audiovisual gem.)
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Colorado's FirstBank hopes to nail younger customers by pushing its mobile banking product.
"Its simple goal is to demonstrate a commitment to the youth market, by going to them where they are," the pressie explained. But we suspect the choice of media buy -- just Colorado ski resorts -- had as much to do with TDA Advertising's one-hit wonder of a slogan as the demo did.
"Bank in your ski mask without getting arrested," the ads deadpan. Yeah, that's not gonna work in a shopping mall.
Not completely sure what to make of this one. For pizza franchise Mr. Jim's, AdWise put together this weird ad where founder Mr. Jim goes head-to-head with "Doughby," his dough-making robot.
In the space of :30 they start randomly arguing about whether it's dough, or "the toppings and the crust!", that makes a pizza great.
But given that crust is composed of dough, and the company slogan is "It's the crust!", I guess Doughby wins. Or both win. Or maybe it doesn't matter, and we should all hit Pizza Hut for some stuffed-crust action, because that's really more our speed.
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Sort of like that "be careful what you upload" commercial during which a girl finds a less than chaste picture of herself on the school bulletin board and pulls it down repeatedly only to find it put back up again, this German anti-cyber mobbing commercial illustrates the ill effect of online bullying.
Alas, internet or no internet, kids will be kids and kids will be cruel. It's not right but it's just the way it is.
You've heard of the Snuggie, right? No? Well you're missing out on one of the coolest new fashion ever to hit the ... television in the form of a stupid infomercial. But forget about the actual infomercial and watch this parody. Did we say PARODY? Yes, we said PARODY. Get it? Parody!
Anyway, now that we've clarified that minor detail, check out the What the Fuck Blanket.
Joining the distinguished ranks of Dame Edna and Fergie, Hello Kitty is lending her likeness to MAC cosmetics.
"We are thrilled to partner with a brand that shares the vision of offering an innovative, authentic and transforming experience to our loyal fan base," said Janet Hsu, who said some similarly frothy thing when Sanrio announced its partnership with McDonald's earlier this month.
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Visit the deliciously dollhousey Coraline website. Enter the house, then click on the picture frame if you want to stitch buttons onto your face. Plenty to choose from, and each set of buttons is coupled with curiously thought-out descriptions. (That's the appeal of Coraline's marketing strategy: in keeping with the handmade motif, everything feels tailored to you, even things that obviously aren't.)
Once done tweaking and zooming your button eyes, download and save; embeds are available for MySpace and Facebook.
We also came across this Coraline Nike Dunks Giveaway offer. Okay, that's some pretty deep product whoring, but oh! we want them, just to have them, just because everything Coraline reeks of tasty dark girlwitch magic.
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