Nokia Outted As Purveyor of Plagiarism in Cannes Video Contest Scandal

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Here is a personal statement sent to us from Jemma Lyon, the woman who was accused of plagiarism for submitting what appeared to be a direct copy of a previous video created by Will Tribble. We covered the story originally here. As it turns out, Nokia is said to have sent a rep to help Jemma Lyons shoot her video submission for the contest. According to Lyons, the rep used Tribble's video as a template and told the actors to simply do what they saw the actors do in Tribble's video.

If anyone's to be accused of plagiarism here, it is Nokia. If Lyons claim is true, there is simply nothing Nokia can say to explain this away. Nothing at all. There's been some very bad social media moves over the past few years but this one, by far, will go down as one of the most egregious.

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by Steve Hall    Jun-26-10    
Topic: Brands, Opinion, Promotions, Video, Worst



Ogilvy Mexico Gets Grand Prix Yanked For Double Entry

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Sadly confirming there are many in this industry who continue to lie, cheat, steal and bend the rules for their own gain, The Cannes Press Grand Prix winner, Ogilvy Mexico for Mattel Scrabble, was disqualified by the jury because it was discovered the campaign had been entered previously. Malicious maneuver or innocent mistake is unclear at this point. Gold winner Almap BBDO for Billboard Magazine has been elevated from Gold to Grand Prix.

Is it any wonder the public still ranks us right up there with car salesmen when it comes to honesty and integrity?

UPDATE: And unsurprisingly, two other double dippers have been discovered; one from the very winner of this Grand Prix, Almap BBDO.

by Steve Hall    Jun-23-10    
Topic: Industry Events, Worst



Volvo (Very Poorly) Partners With Twilight Movie Saga

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This is, by far, the worst car commercial brand partnership ever. Suburban yuppie-mobile Volvo and teen/tween sensation Twilight Eclipse. Yea. Seriously. It's as if someone placed a Jack and Jill Went over the Hill soundtrack on top of a Rob Zombie movie. Yea, it's that's odd.

OK, so yea, the Twilight character's parents might drive a Volvo but just watch this commercial and marvel at how bad the pairing is. Actually, it's the comparison between raging hormonal desire, lust, love...and a piece of metal. OK, so yea, we equate emotion to automobiles all the time but just watch this ad and watch how bad the pairing is. Yea, we wrote that twice. Because this commercial is twice as bad as any car commercial we've seen in a long time.

We blame Arnold, EuroRSCG 4D.

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by Steve Hall    Jun-22-10    
Topic: Commercials, Creative Commentary, Opinion, Worst



Yawn. Microsoft Does Flash Mob For Office Launch

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When will Microsoft realize there's absolutely nothing it can do to associate even the tiniest bit of cool with its brand? In yet another lame attempt, we get this flash mob stunt the brand did yesterday in New York's Lincoln Park for the launch of its new Office product.

It's as bad as that in-store dance disaster they did last Fall.

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by Steve Hall    Jun-17-10    
Topic: Bad, Brands, Guerilla, Worst



Chevrolet to Ban Use of the Word "Chevy"

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Earlier this week, Chevrolet's VP of Marketing Alan Batey sent a memo to Detroit employees instructing them to stop using the word "Chevy" to describe a Chevrolet. The car maker aims to promote uniformity and believes the word Chevy dilutes the Chevrolet brand.

Claiming it's all about consistency, the memo read, "When you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding. Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer."

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by Steve Hall    Jun-10-10    
Topic: Brands, Opinion, Worst



Lexus 'Pitch' Should Have Been Pitched at Conception

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This is the pursuit of the impossible. This is the pursuit of perfection. This is the pursuit of a stupid car commercial. Like it really matters whether or not your 522 horsepower V10 engine can shatter a wine glass? Like that has anything at all to do with the actual performance of the vehicle?

Idiots. A car is not a musical instrument. It's a car. People use it to get from one place to another. Oh sure, we all want to get there is style and comfort but shatter a wine glass? Seriously? There's probably one person in the world who cares about such meaningless precision. And that person is likely the creative director who envisioned this ego-fueled head trip.

Thanks. Now we know a Lexus can crack a wine glass. Like anyone gives a shit.

by Steve Hall    Jun- 2-10    
Topic: Commercials, Worst



CrowdSourcing to Get New Name

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You have got to be kidding. This has to be a joke, right? GeniusRocket, Victors and Spoils (Oops. What GeniusRockey hoped for didin't actually happen) and 99 Design are...wait for it...crowdsourcing a new name for crowdsourcing.

Seriously?

This is going overboard like a passenger jumping off the backside of the Titanic. And getting whacked by the propeller on the way down.

Apparently, $1,000 is up for grabs to anyone willing to be publicly chastise for whatever inane new name comes from this idiocy.

But just for fun, we'll give it a go: Lamevertising, MobMarketing, Franchisevertising, SwarmTeaming, HerdHocking, SocialSwarming, IdioIdiation, FlockFlacking, Social Marketing, SocialSeeding, SocialSourcing, Distributed Marketing, Collaborative Marketing or I'm So Fucking Lazy I Have to Ask Other People to Do My Job...vertising.

by Steve Hall    May-25-10    
Topic: Opinion, Social, Worst



CNN Commercializes Historic Event For Own Gain

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Why they're telling us about this four months after the fact is beyond us. And also besides the point. The important thought to take away from this Heimat Berlin-created CNN Go Beyond Borders project which celebrated...no, wait...usurped the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall is this: Must every historic event be marred by commercialism? Must every brand deface important events and landmarks just for its own commercial gain? Can any historic event take place without a dollar sign affixed to it?

Apparently not.

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by Steve Hall    May-19-10    
Topic: Guerilla, Outdoor, Worst



Coke Continues to Twist the Mind of Youth

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Haven't we all had enough of these stupid commercials that promise you the world if only you drink a Coke...as if that can full of sugarized crap has anything to do with your ability to achieve success on your own?

So here we have some crap about a "boy who didn't know how to celebrate so he set off on a quest to find his own celebration." Complete with joyous lyrics about freedom and fire, the boy flies, fights against robots and climbs mountains of celebrations. But it's not until he takes a sip of Coke that he realizes the only place he needs to search for celebration is inside himself.

Gag! Please! Seriously? A kid needs to drink a a Coke to realize his potential? Seriously? What twisted sort of education is that for today's youth? Oh wait, it's the same thing every other marketer does. Buy our product and you will be magically transformed in the most supremely perfect person on the planet.

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by Steve Hall    Apr-23-10    
Topic: Creative Commentary, Opinion, Trends and Culture, Worst



Taking Pictures of a Man's Chest is Now Defined As Sexting

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The whole Microsoft sexting thing? A total joke. It wasn't sexting and that wasn't a breast. Relax people. Seriously? If you haven't yet heard, an ad for Microsoft's new Kin shows a guy sticking his phone up his shirt to take a picture. He then sends it to a girl who "marvels" at his seemingly incredible "breasts." So says Consumer Reports writers Mike Gikas and Paul Reynolds.

Once again, dudes. Guys don't have breasts and sending a picture of a guy's chest does not constitute sexting.

The most surprising thing about this non-issue is that Microsoft actually thought what these guys had to say had merit and removed the "offending" scene from the ad. Stupid.

by Steve Hall    Apr-19-10    
Topic: Brands, Policy, Strange, Worst