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Newsflash! Oscar Mayer Weinermobile Crashes! Zero Injured!

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Well it was bound to happen eventually. A vehicle shaped like a giant hot dog can't drive around forever without the occasional mishap. Yes, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile's time was up and it found itself ass backwards inside the garage of a Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin home last Friday.

Oops.

Apparently, the driver was attempting to turn around and drove forward when she thought she was moving in reverse. Hey, with a vehicle shaped like that, it's hard to tell which end is the front and which is the back. Well, yea, we're quite sure the driver's seat faces in just one direction, forward, but give the lady a break., Driving a hot dog is, well, confusing to say the least.

by Steve Hall    Jul-19-09    
Topic: Brands, Outdoor, Strange



Someday A Jolly 'Green' Giant Will Solve the World's Energy Problems

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If we're lucky a lost alien giant will land on earth and he'll be so kind and so nice that he'll walk all over the earth (carefully, of course) helping "green" the place up by "planting" wind farms, fixing broken high voltage wires and mining "clean" coal.

And he will be jolly. And sponsored by an energy company, of course.

by Steve Hall    Jul-19-09    
Topic: Good, Video



Mentos Isn't The Only Thing That Makes Soft Drinks Explode

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Apparently this Sprite commercial was banned in Germany though it's listed as spec work on YouTube. But let's not get bogged down with details. No. Let's just enjoy the explosively effervescent glory the man and woman share together in the ad.

by Steve Hall    Jul-18-09    
Topic: Brands, Commercials, Racy, Spoofs



Levi's Goes Forth, Toilet Taunts, Nissan Fails, Paddy Power Sexifies

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- We really like this America-themed Levi's commercial, part of a recently launched Wieden + Kennedy-created campaign for the brand.

- Giant toilet mascot for Denver Water runs through a fountain and scares off kids. What has advertising come to?

- Someone spent a lot of time and effort to examine a Nissan Hypercube promotion in Canada during which the creators "took their hands off the wheel and major details were overlooked."

- Paddy Power Poker Pro Spray will make you very very sexay!

- Toshiba launched a series of Young & Rubicam Brands-created 'reality' webcasts in which two all-American towns: Boring, Oregon and Normal, Illinois will compete to see which town's residents can use Toshiba technology to become the more exciting place. Filming will take place with video postings on MySpace beginning Monday, July 27th.

- When we think of sneakers, we think of hyperdive-powered intergalactic space vehicles. Don't you? Well Under Armour does.

- There's a time and a place for humor.

by Steve Hall    Jul-17-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Guerilla



Would You Work on A Brand That Could Cause Death or Blindness?

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Last month we mentioned former Y&R CD James Othmer would publish a new book in September entitled ADLAND: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet. Today he sent us a video he, along with Y&R Art Director Kleber Menezes and composer Joey Spallina, made which asks some very important questions about the kinds of accounts a person in the advertising business would choose to work on.

It's an insightful examination of how a person's personal beliefs and political affiliations can sometimes take a back seat to what's required of the person while at work.

by Steve Hall    Jul-17-09    
Topic: Video



Meatloaf Sings For A1

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So A1 Steak Sauce is having a singing contest. People can submit videos of themselves singing about how much they love A1 Steak Sauce. Even Meatloaf (the singer, not the meat) is in on the act belting out his famous "I Would Do AnyThing For Love." ballad. Except, in this case, he'd do anything for A1.

It's sort of funny. But sad also. We'd love to see Meatloaf return to his Bat Out of Hell glory days but that sort of greatness usually only comes around just once so we'll just have to settle for an A1 commercial.

by Steve Hall    Jul-17-09    
Topic: Celebrity, Promotions, Social, Video



Durex Makes You Horny

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To the tune of some strange ABBA cover a used Durex condom package floats past several people igniting their passion and magically putting them in the mood for some saucy action. Of course, the commercial ends with a scenario insuring Durex has covered all it's bases, sexually speaking.

by Steve Hall    Jul-17-09    




Twitter Testing Contextual Advertising System

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Following leaked revelations Twitter will take in as much as $20 million or so per month by the fourth quarter of 2010, it appears the company is testing a new contextual advertising system that will target ads to people based upon the contents of their tweets.

Saul Hansell of the New York Times tweeted yesterday he's apparently in on the test and will have more to report at a later date.

Inline contextual advertising on Twitter might not be such a bad thing. If it's relevant. If it's not too frequent. And if it actually serves a person's needs. Time and testing will address that but one thing is clear. Either through fees, ad revenue or some other source, Twitter does need to start making money. Even the best services can't live on VC money indefinitely.

Twitter, of course, states all this leaked information is inaccurate and unofficial. But, there may be a reality TV show in the works called Final Tweet. Seriously. That has to be a joke.

by Steve Hall    Jul-16-09    
Topic: Online, Social



Did You Really Mean 'French Me' Or Was Your Mind in Another Gutter?

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OK. What do you really think was on the mind of the copywriter when he can up with the tag, "French Me" for the latest Hardee's outing which features a bunch of French maids posing and primping to, oh yea, sell us some French Dip Thickburgers?

Yea. Exactly.

by Steve Hall    Jul-16-09    
Topic: Racy



Dog Flames, Jackson Flames, Mentos Flaps

- This is just too WTF weird not to share.

- For the first time in 25 years! Footage of Michael Jackson's hair catching on fire in the Pepsi commercial. Chilling.

- The old Mentos ads (the Freshmaker ones) were great. The new ones, not so much. But they are kind of funny.

- Want to know where the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile is? Just visit Brightkite which the company is using to let people know where to spot the 27 foot long hot dog.

- This is stupid.

- Check out ad:tech's new virtual conference series. The first one is August 4.

by Steve Hall    Jul-16-09    
Topic: Celebrity, Strange



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