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Danica McKeller Wants You to Buy a Toyota Prius C

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OK so we've seen car configurators online before. But we don't think we've seen one that's used YouTube. With help from Saatchi & Saatchi, Toyota is out with, yes, a YouTube-based car configurator to promote the Prius C. While it's cool and all to do something first, sometimes reinventing the wheel isn't always the way to go. The process is slow and cumbersome and got our MacBook Pro heated up to the point where the fan was screaming.

Anyway, there are some other fun elements to the promotion such as a video featuring Danica McKeller (she's 36 now!) who speaks on the topic of Wallet Wisdom and how people can financially prepare for purchasing a car. And there's Bill Nye who talks about the vehicle's technical features.

by Steve Hall    Apr-16-12    
Topic: Celebrity, Online



Facebook Average CPM Rates Increase by 41 Percent

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Facebook's average CPM has increased by 41 percent since Q1 2011 according to the latest Global Facebook Advertising Report from TBG Digital.

The study, which was based on 372 billion impressions in over 190 countries for 235 clients from Q1 2011 to Q1 2012, indicates Facebook is earning more from Marketplace ads. Specifically, average CPM has increased by 15 percent in the last quarter with the US seeing an increase of 11 percent and the UK seeing an increase of 13 percent during the same period.

TBG also sees an increase in click through rates for news clients. With the rise of Facebook social readers from Yahoo! News, The Washington Post, The Guardian and others, TBG has seen a strong uplift in CTR for those in the news sector since Q4 2011 with an increase of 196 percent.

more »

by Steve Hall    Apr-16-12    
Topic: Research



Less Than 20 Percent of SMB Websites Link to Social Presence

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A recent study rom SMB DigitalScape indicates just 19.5 percent of SMB websites have a link to a Facebook page, and even fewer have links to Twitter and LinkedIn.

"SMBs worldwide are falling behind consumers in the digital commerce arena," said The Kelsey Group's Neal Polachek. "There's a tremendous opportunity for SMB aggregators and resellers to bridge this gap, but it will require strategic commitment and solid execution."

Developed by vSplash, SMB DigitalScape has analyzed more than 1 million SMB websites around the world in 14 countries, including more than 700,000 in the U.S. BIA/Kelsey and vSplash recently announced a strategic partnership for the distribution of SMB DigitalScape data in the United States.

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by Steve Hall    Apr-16-12    
Topic: Research



Guess What Grandpa And Grandma Are Doing Down in Florida?

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This one was making the rounds last week. With all the safe sex attention paid to teen, it seems we've lost site of the fact seniors still have sex and still get STDs. In fact, in Florida alone the rate of STDs in seniors has risen 71 percent.

To combat thin trend, DDB is out with a humorous PSA for Safer Sex For Seniors that features seniors in various sexual positions, fully clothed, of course. After all, no hard feelings but we really don't want to see seniors naked. They probably don't want to see themselves naked.

Anyway, this little wink at Kama Sutra hopes to inform seniors that even in the twilight of life, fooling around can have ill effects.

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by Steve Hall    Apr-16-12    
Topic: Racy, Strange



T-Mobile Transforms Carly Foulkes From Nice Girl to Bad Girl

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Cute Carly Foulkes has been T-Mobile's latest spokesperson for a while now. You've likely seen her dressed in her trademark pink (magenta?) dress waltzing through commercials touting just how great T-Mobile is. Well, it appears that hasn't been enough for the telecommunications provider who, in the wake of the failed AT&T take over bid, has lost 802,000 customers.

In an effort to ante-up, T-Mobile, with help from Publicis Seattle, has recast Carly as a leather-clad biker chick and will unleash her over the next two weeks as part of a new national ad campaign.

The initial ad, called Alter Ego, has Carly tearing through her closet presumably in search of something more bad ass to wear. She finds the black leather motorcycle suit and off she goes atop a motorcycle.

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by Steve Hall    Apr-16-12    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns



PETA Dresses Playboy Bunny Sheridyn Fisher in Lettuce Bikini

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Continuing its mission to recruit and exploit every last woman on earth with a hot body, PETA is out with yet another lettuce-fueled GoVeg campaign. This one features Playboy Bunny Sheridyn Fisher sporting a lettuce bikini. The oh-so-witty copy reads, "Be a Binny's Honey. Go Vegitarian."

Yea? If that were true every last man on earth would be eating heads of lettuce in hopes of receiving some intimate love from his hottie of choice.

by Steve Hall    Apr-13-12    
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Celebrity, Racy



Dubstep Sensation Marquese Scott Dances For Peugeot

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We're not usually fans of the forced application of cultural trends onto advertising but we really like this new Initials Marketing-created, Rubber Republic-produced work for Peugeot. The one take, one shot four minute video opens on an empty parking garage. We then see 29 year old dubstepper Marquese Scott, aka Nonstop, grooving to Rudimental ft. John Newman's Feel The Love.

The camera follows Scott and slowly pans 360 degrees around the garage. Part way through, we catch a glimpse of the Peugeot 208. The panning ends on a wall which reads, "Let Your Body Drive," the name of the campaign.

Wonderful work. It's not overly commercial. It freely highlights Scott's skills as well as subtly delivers a commercial message. The work may never achieve the 42 million views Scott's famed Pumped Up Kicks video received but it's got over 25,000 views in one day. Not bad.

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by Steve Hall    Apr-13-12    
Topic: Brands, Celebrity, Trends and Culture, Video



Grand Effie Jury Announced

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The 2012 Grand Effie Jury has been announced. Recognizing "ideas that work," the Grand Effie winner will be announce on May 23. The Grand Effie jury decision will impact the 2012 North American Effie Effectiveness Index rankings which will be revealed at the ceremony. The Effie Effectiveness Index identifies and ranks the marketing communications industry's most effective agencies, advertisers, and brands by analyzing finalist and winner data from Effie Worldwide competitions.

The Grand Effie Jury members include:

Jeff Benjamin, Chief Creative Officer, JWT
Brad Brinegar, President/Chief Executive Officer, McKinney
Luis DiComo, Executive Vice President, Global Media, Unilever
Tim Ellis, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer Activision
Stuart Hazlewood, Chief Strategy Officer, DDB NY
Jonathan Hoffman, Chief Experience Officer, Starcom MediaVest Group
Nick Moore, Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman
Debra A. Sandler, President, Mars Chocolate North America
Iain Tait, Global Interactive Executive Creative Director, Wieden + Kennedy
Jennifer Zimmerman, Chief Strategic Officer, mcgarrybowen

by Steve Hall    Apr-13-12    
Topic: Industry Events



Charlie Sheen Pimps Beer For Bavaria

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As Charlie Sheen climbs out from under his rock of shame, advertising is helping him rise from the ashes. Recently, Sheen could be seen in ads for DirecTV and Fiat. Now, Sheen can be seen in a Bavaria beer commercial that pokes fun at his recent sobriety.

On his way home from rehab, Sheen can't seem to go anywhere without seeing people drink beer. Even when he gets home and sees his entire backyard filled with welcome home revelers. Ah, but this beer is non-alcoholic. Clever spot from Amsterdam-based Selmore.

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by Steve Hall    Apr-13-12    
Topic: Celebrity, Commercials



Meet 'The Finnisher': Neighborhood Hero and Kick Ass Car Dealer

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You've got to love car dealer commercials. Why? Because they are the epitome of so-bad-it's-good. There's a certain quality - perhaps born out of years of being hit over the head with it - that we have all come to expect from car dealer ads. A quality that, in any other kind of advertising, would be immediately trounced.

Here's another entry into the pantheon of car dealer advertising silliness. This one, from John Keating Chevrolet in Crosby Texas, is called I Am The Finnisher. And, no, Finnisher isn't spelled incorrectly. At least by us (We know. It's hard to believe). It's spelled that way because the man in the ad, Rik Melartin, owner of John Keating Chevrolet, is from Finland.

But not so silly is the fact Melartin, who is a resident of Bellaire, Texas has, over the past 15 years, caught three robbers at gunpoint.

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by Steve Hall    Apr-13-12    
Topic: Commercials, Strange



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