Broken Tongue Makes Ass of You, Says Skill Language School

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For its client the Skill Language School, Leo Burnett, Sao Paulo puts together an interesting trio of prints involving animal-shaped balloons with wince-worthy getting-to-know-you dialogue on the bodies.

The balloon animals they selected made us LOL in real life: choose from a dog (at left), an ass and a snail. All that's missing, really, is a douche, but that would probably be hard to define in balloon-animal language.

The tagline: "Don't risk sounding ridiculous in [English/Spanish]. Skill Language School." Straightforward. We like it.

by Angela Natividad    Apr-19-07    
Topic: Good, Magazine, Strange



Reebok Explores the Jogversation Landscape

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mcgarrybowen/180 Amsterdam and anonymous content/Gorgeous get together to create this neat spot called Run Easy, part of the Run Easy campaign Reebok recently launched.

While Nike and iPod nailed the intensity and exhiliration of music and the dash, Reebok slows the pace and captures the conversational camaraderie that occurs between runners. The use of snippets to tell tales out-of-context adds to the effect, considering runners tune in to some weird convos in those instances of jog-by earshot.

A far cry from the hip-hop effort of last year.

by Angela Natividad    Apr-19-07    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Good, Television



Iceland Respects Women, Likes Vodka Tasting Vodka, Doesn't Wear Sandals

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Celebrating its status as the first country to have a female president (because they don't think women are good for only one thing), its preference for vodka flavored vodka (as opposed to banana...which you could just eat if you wanted banana flavor) and its similarity to Jesus who turned water into wine (as opposed to turning water into vodka without wearing sandals because it's too cold), Reyka Vodka trots out some understated dry humor to promote its spirits. The result oddly transfixing in a "wow, this doesn't look like an alcohol ad" sort of way.

by Steve Hall    Apr-18-07    
Topic: Good



Crashed Hood Blimp Garners Agency Top Print Award

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Last September the famed (in New England, at least) Hood blimp crash landed in the appropriately named Massachusetts town Manchester-by-the-sea. After the crash the dairy company placed an ad thanking the residents of the town for their patience and cooperation during the blimp's clean up. Either out of sentiment or true adoration, the ad, created by VIA, was handed The International Dairy Foods Association's "Best Overall" award in the print ad category at the organization's Smart Marketing 2007 conference held last month in Las Vegas. Did that blimp really crash or was that planned all along? OK. Just kidding.

VIA also won a Best Radio Ad for their Hood holiday eggnog spots and a Best Public Relations Campaign award or its press conference with Boston Red Sox star Coco Crisp as well as an award in the "Best Promotion" category for their Sox Tops for Kids program.

by Steve Hall    Apr-18-07    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Good, Industry Events



Play Land Campaign Turns Everyday Objects into Flights of Fancy

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Rethink, Canada put together these clever little ads on behalf of Play Land. In addition to lending new perspective on mundane everyday stuff, the series reminds us of what it was like to be so small that you actually crawl into household items and pretend you were airborne.

by Angela Natividad    Apr-18-07    
Topic: Good, Magazine



Play-Doh Brings Reading to Life!

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DDB, Milan orchestrated this neat campaign for Play-Doh. The copy reads "The world needs children's dreams." Advertising for Peanuts has more images along the same vein.

We happen to like this campaign a lot because we did something similar with our own Play-Doh. The only difference is, we only had the colour green and were later fined by the library for defacing public property. See, that kind of stuff doesn't happen in the sanctioned world of ads.

by Angela Natividad    Apr-17-07    
Topic: Good, Magazine



Carnivorous Eyeball Draws Gen Y to High Culture

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The under-25 demographic can't be talked into a museum unless they're enticed with weird imagery, like clawed eyeballs that eat things and violently relieve themselves.

Thus advised by agency Bailey Gardiner, the Museum of Contemporary Arts San Diego launches Feed the Greedy Organ, a mishmash exhibit of international artists. There's a nifty film component and a Thursday Night Thing where deejays and eclectics can gather 'round and prep for the pompous cocktail parties of tomorrow.

And because they need still more coaxing to get their asses through the doors, museum entry is free for anybody under 25, courtesy of QUALCOMM.

Thankfully the campaign seems to be working. In its first month the program's redemption rate has already tripled. Not that it quite means anything over the short-term considering admission is free, but maybe today's jeunesse will become tomorrow's nostalgic loyalists: Honey, let's swing by the museum. They used to have this awesome man-eating eye...

by Angela Natividad    Apr-16-07    
Topic: Good, Promotions, Strange



VW Does Forrest Gump

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We loved the plain innocence-bordering-on-stupidity of Forrest Gump and Sao Paulo Brazil agency AlmapBBDO has borrowed that notion for a new Volkswagen Golf commercial which highlights the scene in the movie where Forrest decides to run back and forth across the country. This time, he does it in a Golf.

by Steve Hall    Apr-16-07    
Topic: Commercials, Good



Not Many Junkies Make it to the Nursing Home

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Now here's an intriguing take on anti-drug marketing. We're not sure if it's as powerful as the recent Montana Meth campaign but it does highlight one important fact about drug use: it can lead to a young death. So, seeing a bunch of old folks toke, shoot and snort accompanied with the tagline, "There's no such thing as an old junkie," is an intriguingly powerful message, indeed.

by Steve Hall    Apr-16-07    
Topic: Commercials, Good



Levi's Offers Up Ripped Abs, Stripping Dudes For the Ladies

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Now here's one for the ladies and for everyone else who enjoys watching ripped men take their clothes off in a locker room. Oh yes, there's the occasional female prancing about as well but she keeps her clothes on. Clearly, this is not Virtual Bartender. Silly Girl Ariel points us to the new Levi's Lady Style site where the latest female denim styles can be checked out while ogling men seductively preparing to take a shower. Apparently, it's not all that exciting as Ariel dubs it's presented "in the most yawn-garnering fashion."

more »

by Steve Hall    Apr-16-07    
Topic: Good, Online, Promotions, Racy