SRG Employs Chewbacca Defense to 'WTF?' Us into Submission

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In early February MarketingVOX published this study about online TV show viewing by Solutions Research Group.

As can be typical of studies, the research cited some ostentatious figure -- namely, that 80 million Americans (43 percent of the online populace) have watched a favourite show online.

The study didn't specify whether 80 million Americans watched a complete episode; just that they watched one (which could mean anything, really).

Enter Kevin Horne of Lairig Marketing.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Bad, Online, Opinion, Research, Trends and Culture



Bennigan's Wants You to Release Your 'Inner Leprechaun

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Inner Leprechaun? Inner Leprechaun? WTF? Inner Leprechaun? Seriously. OK, it's a little funny but Inner Leprechaun? Well, apparently Bennigan's, a chain of Irish-themed restaurants living in the shadow of Friday's, think people need to get the inner leprechaun on, forget about those healthy blender drinks and rush out to one of the chain's establishment for a nice high calorie, fat-filled meal.

Anyway, the ad points to a site on which you can create Lepregrams (which AdFreak's David Gianatasio thinks sounds too much like the not so warm and cuddly word "lepergram"). little leprechaun-themed messages you can send to your friend. There's other goodies to play with too but Inner Leprechaun?

by Steve Hall    Feb-19-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Commercials, Social, Strange



Hey, Check Out the Heavy on that Clicker.

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According to a comScore study commissioned by Starcom and TACODA, online ad clicks aren't as demographically diverse as your deluded CEO thinks.

80 percent of them come from only 16 percent of online users. They are generally young, underpaid and male. You know, like the dev dork of yore.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-18-08    
Topic: Bad, Online, Trends and Culture



Converse and Dr. J? No Way. (Okay, YES Way.)

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For some brands, deep association with a celebrity isn't enough. Air Jordans and Jordan, and Simmons and Phat Farm, only come around once in a ... whenever.

Watch closely while Converse tries hard to invite a comparison between itself and Dr. J. (The firm responsible: Anomaly.) At best, you'll wish out loud for a return to the glory days of b-ball. At worst, you'll feel a little fragmented.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-15-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Celebrity, Online, Video



Seattle Times Takes Issue with Baring Vagina

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This month the National Council of Jewish Women, Seattle is co-sponsoring performances for The Vagina Monologues at the Museum of History and Industry.

To promote the show, it put together an ad with a vag-like heart (complete with clit!) and presented it to a passel of publications.

And while papers like JT News and some synagogues had no problem posting the ad hither and yon, the Seattle Times decided to say no. (Some advice: never do that.)

Enter fist-shaking from femme-groups and synagogues alike. Our favourite quote from the article:

[Executive director of the local NCJW chapter] Lauren Simonds says the Times' refusal to run the ad "really goes against what the Vagina Monologues is all about. It just makes [the vagina] more taboo."

Here's an idea: Want to divorce the vagina from a taboo the penis just doesn't share? Bring the fight to the big leagues. Take the doors off bathroom stalls!

by Angela Natividad    Feb-13-08    
Topic: Bad, Promotions, Publishing



Toshiba Print Ad Gives Us Salesgenie Deja Vu

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We found this print ad for Toshiba's Smartcard technology in a recent business mag. It features a white executive and a bespectacled Indian IT guy holding the lead on a big dog.

The header copy reads, "Finance & IT: Working Together to Keep the Bad Guys Out."

Supporting text describes how execs will love Smartcard technology because it maintains data integrity and exceeds gov mandates for controlling access. And IT will love it because it "ensures user authentication with an ID card." (We know we get a thrill every time we're digi-frisked.)

Sooo. Is it racist, bad product positioning or right on the (executive!) money?

by Angela Natividad    Feb-12-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Magazine



TBWA\CHIAT\DAY Sends Us Grammy/Disruptunes Spot. What? WHO?

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TBWA\CHIAT\DAY sent us a :15 ad for the Grammys and this thing called the Disruptunes. Watch it here.

The ad, scheduled to air during the event, is for Grammy-fan promotional material. Coffee table books, CDs, that sort of thing.

It also features music from The Generators, a band participating in TBWA's Disruptunes, an internal TBWA thing where artists can upload songs that in turn are used for ads. (The agency describes it thus: "[helping] agency talent express their creativity and bring brilliant music to the world.")

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-11-08    
Topic: Agencies, Bad, Brands, Events, Sponsorship



Blackberry Dabbles in Comedy to Snare Fresh Demo

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So, 101 bellybuttons walk into a bar.

This is just one of the cliffhangers you won't revisit after checking out teasers for this Blackberry-sponsored improv troupe.

Add crappy video quality and comedians telling jokes on the phone (isn't that a social faux-pas? If it isn't, it SHOULD BE), and you've got yourself an unbeatable stench.

Ads for the effort were featured on the front page of the Times. Richard at Gawker pointed it out to us. Thanks for engaging us in the angst, Richard.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-11-08    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Events, Mobile/Wireless, Online



UPS Wants to Deliver Body Parts In Continuing Contextual Corrigenda

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Oh how we love contextual advertising. Surely, it's a very effective form of online advertising and does it's thing quite well about 98 percent of the time. That's certainly worth celebrating but it's that other two percent we love so much.

You know it. It's that two percent that give us turpentine ads next to stories about a girl who committed suicide by drinking turpentine. "Card Shark" credit card copy next to an article about a woman killed by a shark. A free dinner for two offer from Olive Garden next to a story about how 250 people fot sick after eating at one of their restaurants.

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by Steve Hall    Feb- 9-08    
Topic: Bad, Online, Strange



Red Roof Redesigns, Rededicates Itself with Digital Firm

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To promote its fancy new renovated destinations, the Red Roof Inn's gone digital with 360i, its Digital Agency of Record.

360i will be working on Red Roof's online media and creative. We have yet to see either.

In the meantime, we can ooh and ahh at Red Roof's new logo, which comes complete with a casual roofy slant, and a typeface probably modeled after the handwriting of a fresh-faced yachter.

Tell us if we've gone mad, but the logo rubs us wrong. Because isn't it magenta?

Big difference between red (as in Red Roof) and magenta (as in Magenta). Way to make a fresh splash in the pool, Red Roof -- total incongruity between your logo and brand name.

Anywho, the logo has been published on the redesigned and "rededicated" Red Roof website. It will also appear on inns that have recently been renovated. 360i washes its hands of it; the logo, it says, was in place before the agency was contracted.

by Angela Natividad    Feb- 5-08    
Topic: Agencies, Bad, Brands, Online