Beginning tomorrow, Los Angeles will bathe in a cultural oddity known as the LA County Fair. Normally reserved for upstate New York or any flyover state, county fairs are full of cotton candy, barf-inducing tea cup rides, tractor pulls, all form of pig - both cooked and live, trucker hats, beer guts, "git r done" accents no one can understand and lots of girls who think they look hot with their gut bulging between their belly shirt and their way-too-tight low rider jeans. In bringing this sort of event to the most plastic place on earth, some serious motivation was needed.
Stepping up to the daunting task and delivering hilariously was LA agency Ideaology which created these two spots featuring a plactic surgeried mom, her Ashley Simpson look-a-like daughter (named Ashley, no less) and a friend. In one spot, the three debate whether or not cotton candy is vegan. In the other, a discussion ensues regarding exactly what sound a sheep makes.
- AdFreak doesn't like the new McDonald's talking burger spots from Leo Burnett.
- The final two book in the Lemony Snicket series, The Beatrice Letter and The End, are being promoted with a series of online videos conceived and produced in house with the help of A(x)iom.
- Heineken Netherlands is using Skpe's new feature in which 100 people can have a phone conversation at the same time to deliver a Skypecast of Dutch band Johan. Hopefully everyone will shut up so the band can be heard.
- Can't get sex? Eat chocolate instead.
- If you're a girl and you're in the know then Girls in the Know wants you to join their Celebrity Fantasy League, a virtual talent agency that awards points to the girl who "manages" the most newsworthy celeb.
We really have to compliment Tim Nudd over at AdFreak for turning a celebrity DUI story into one centered on advertising all to show that hot image of Paris Hilton orally manipulating that gigantic Carl's Jr. burger next to that Bentley in that commercial. Yes, she was arrested for DUI and told authorities she was headed to In N Out Burger which, of course, is not Carl's Jr. and might miff those over at Carl's Jr. that the companies most famous spokesperson is, god forbid, eating something other than a big ass Carl's Jr. burger. Nudd evens brings in Bentley who he says is probobly not happy Hilton was driving a Mercedes when she was arrested rather than a Bentley. We bow to your editorial prowess, Tim.
 Not that we didn't already know this buy in an LA Times article, the drama that is YouTube's Lonelygirl15 is unfolded and some compelling evidence - confirmed in a forum post here by the creators who say they are "building a website centered around video and interactivity - suggests the girl, the site and the videos are all creations of Hollywood talent shop Creative Artists Agency. Several sleuths did extensive research along with IP address tracking which led them to the conclusion, Lonelygirl15 is manufactured and, perhaps, was a lead up, Blair Witch Project-style, to a new film. If you haven't been following the saga, Lonelygirl15 is a teen who, in her videos, says she's home schooled, has a friend named Daniel, is part of a particularly strict religion and who, in her latest video said of stars in the sky, "They said I was doing something with my teacher, and that's when I stopped asking questions about stars." Ouch. Wonder where this is going next. Call us crazy but we do seem to remember reading, perhaps in Entertainment Weekly, about an upcoming movie that would center on an affair between a student and a teacher. Not that that subject hasn't been done hundreds of times before but the similarities are compelling. All of which is irrelevant since the creators say they are simply creating a website that "will allow everyone to enjoy the full potential of this new medium."
To promote the launch of Koch Media's Crusty Demons game, London's New Media Maze has created a virally-intended little game in which you decide where on a woman's body you want place a tattoo, write a message then send it to a friend. We found ourselves somewhere in the middle of two round objects with the message "Adrants Was Here."
Matthew Peschong from Caffeine Marketing takes a long look at the recent Facebook mess that introduced a "feature" that would update everyone via rss feeds of, among other things, changes to member's profile pages. A petition and several backlash groups have started to protest FaceBook's move and Peschong says Facebook had better listen up.
Colle+McVoy has created a new campaign for the Minnesota State Lottery that reminds the state's residents the millions of dollars they hand over to the state lottery's coffers goes to maintaining the environment. The bear in this spot is doing his best to thank the human race for their kindness.
Production house Convert teamed with BBDO Atlanta to create and direct a live-action TV campaign to introduce Cingular's Pantech C300, the "world's smallest camera flip phone." The spots use a filmmaking technique that incorporates a graphical "hinge" in the ads to highlight the flipping of the phone. It's not like the second coming of that Gap/Matrix freeze and pivot technique (or whatever it's called) but it's perfect for the ad's messaging. There's two spots to view here but they load very slowly.
We knew it was coming. We knew it was only a matter of time. Well, now it's official. Anheuser-Busch, in February 2007, will launch Bud.tv, an online content channel with entertainment, news, celebrity interviews, comedy and sports and Bud Tube, a YouTube-like site whereby people can upload the usual consumer generated media type stuff. The brewer has invested 30 million on the project and content will come from Kevin Spacey, Vince Vaugh, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon-owned production companies as well as from the agencies that currently produce the brewer's advertising. With a February 2007 launch, it's likely we'll see Super Bowl spots promoting the launch - that is if the TV net doesn't see it as too competitive.
Boston interactive marketing agency FUSEideas has created an online game for Boston.com's promotion of the Brigham's Ice Cream Scoop campaign which offers coupons for free ice cream to those that play the online game. Running from September 12 to 17, the game will also incorporate a "Vote for the Wildcard" flavor which will then be served on the last day of three Scoop promotion. The game itself calls for players to move ice cream cone, Coney, from side to side on the screen and catch as many scoops of ice cream as possible.
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