Coke Brackets March Madness Fanatics

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To honor the titans who paint their chests, dye their hair and live by the free throw during March Madness, Coke bestows a chance to take part in their human bracket or hit the Final Four in Atlanta with their Most Devoted Campaign.

Demonstrate your own love of the hoop by telling a story about college basketball or March Madness in general. It might help to paint your chest and scream. For our part we find the idea of being in a human bracket unappetizing and would rather sit in the way-way-back, act surly and throw shit in peace.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Brands, Events, Online, Outdoor, Promotions



Smirnoff Mistletoe/Swamp Thing Creature Nailed on Camera

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Kevin at PR Blog keeps us updated on that mistletoe demonstration he saw recently. Shortly after our original post DIAGEO expressed concern via e-mail because they worried about kids' exposure to the alcohol-related event.

Impressive follow-up - we remain as gratified with the campaign as we were when we heard about the heckling children.

We're also pleased about finally getting to see the swampy mistletoe man with our own eyes, which was all we cared about anyway. He doesn't much look like he's wearing his favourite suit but everyone else seems to be having fun.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Agencies, Campaigns, Good, Outdoor, Promotions



HSBC Puts Subcultures in a Tank for Local Critique

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In this collabo between Cunning and JWT, passers-by can text opinions about paparazzi and fitness fads in exchange for the chance to win a digicam or gym membership.

We've seen the live mannequin thing before and while it never ceases to be creepy we like the execution of the idea here. It has the potential to be comically obnoxious which off-sets the creepiness. And guess who this is for? Our opinion-courting friends at HSBC. Aww.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Brands, Good, Human, Outdoor, Strange



King-Kong Sized Ads Make Great Tailgating Opp

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If you thought this was distracting then wait until you see the largest mobile billboard in the world, though you probably won't have a choice because it looks like a big fuckin' deal.

Brought to you by Truck Ads, purveyors of classy truck decor.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Outdoor, Poster



Bozell Trades Capital for Pictures

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Bozell created this collaborative holiday card for clients and friends, inviting others to upload holiday photos onto the site. Bozell will make a donation to the Salvation Army for every image posted.

We hope they are donating something little like pasta beads or walnuts because there are quite a few photos on here already and more coming, we expect. Some are quite cute but it makes us feel funny looking at the holiday memories of strangers. Didn't Robin Williams do something like that in One Hour Photo?

by Angela Natividad    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Online



First Flavor Makes Marketing a Matter of Taste

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Inspired by the enduring Willy Wonka, First Flavor builds on film strip technology to create little taste samplers for food and beverage products for use in media kits, promos and soda machines.

The description of apple cinnamon oatmeal strips didn't bring the Wonka wallpaper scene to mind, which is what founder Adnan (himself somewhat Wonka-esque, though we can't quite say how or why) credits as his inspiration. Instead we recalled the three-course-meal gum, where Violet describes the flavors in vivid detail and then expands into a blueberry.

We don't think First Flavor does that but it's still pretty neat. The newscaster in the ABC video got to try some and not only was she impressed; she couldn't stop talking about the dieting possibilities of a zero-calorie taste explosion.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Good, Specialty, Television, Trends and Culture



Adrants Gives Thanks For Growth

Back in March of 2002, Adrants had one reader. We now have 30,000 every day. That growth would not have been possible were it not for every single one of you reading Adrants today. It would not have been possible without the early inspiration and wise advice from people like Tony Pierce, Rick Bruner, Elizabeth Spiers and John Engler or the education and guidance of Ask Wapling or the editorial and sales expertise of Tig Tillinghast.

Neither would any of this have been possible without the support of our advertisers which, in 2006, included ad:tech, AllBusiness, Aquent, Business Development Institute, Forbes, Exact Target, GOT, Flippies, Conde Nast, Lyris, Marqui, MSN, New York Times, Sprint, Tacoda, Thinkmap, Time, MarketingSherpa, WebAwards, iMediaConnection, Captains of Industry and many more.

The support is truly appreciated. We'd love to hear from you in comments about the things you like about Adrants. The things you hate. The things you'd like to see changed. The things you'd like to see added. Anything. It's your forum and we want to know.

Happy Holidays. We'll be publishing the site and the newsletter lightly next week but be sure to watch for our annual top ten lists. See you next year.

by Steve Hall    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Announcements



Lowe Gives Worst (And Best) Gift Ever

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From the Chia Pet to a Fez hat to a Christmas ham for a vegetarian to handcuffs to cheesy romance novels to really bad Christmas sweaters to a nose hair trimmer to assorted doilies to Ken the Art Director to, yes, the fruit cake, Lowe foists upon us the worst gifts anyone could hope to receive this year in a video called Worst Gift Ever. However, the agency redeems at the end of the video as Lowe lets us know they've partnered with TORCH to provide really great gifts to students who really need them.

by Steve Hall    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Agencies



More Holiday Cards Beat Dead Horse and Live Trees, Simultaneously

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- The holiday videos keep pouring in. This first pair are by Animax. Here's a Peanuts spoof with a crying tree, and a Santa-style King Kong where the victim is a gingerbread girl. Note flying banana on image at left. How do you not love that? We're not sure. We don't know what to feel anymore.

- If you're more into bad pick-up lines and the immortal stereotype of the douchey ad guy, please believe you will enjoy this holiday song by Ignited Minds. Because it's not a happy holiday until you're reminded at least several times how slimy people can be who find themselves in your line of work. Unless you are that slimy individual.

- And how often do you get to dress your CEO like a tree, subject him to a walk of shame and pelt him with paintballs? This video is really almost art. Thank you White+Partners for realizing a fond dream we've all had at some point.

The festivities draw ever nearer.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Online, Video



CL&S Dancing Holiday Card Returns

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New York agency Catalano Lellos and Silverstein always seem to come up with dance-themed holiday cards and this year's is no exception. They've created Cirque Du CL&S, a full blown stage production complete with faced cartoon characters and audience participation. It's odd. It's quirky. It has a funny ending.

by Steve Hall    Dec-21-06    
Topic: Agencies