Men Lost in Hairy Jungle Saved by Miss Epil

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Our first reaction after viewing these three new ads by Lowe Strateus for Miss Epil was "what the hell is that guy doing stuck in the jungle?" Then, we looked closer. We smiled. We giggled. We reminisced about similar experiences. Then, we said, "brilliant." With smartly crafted visuals, a product shot and a call to action-style tagline, these ads cut a clear path to simplicity of message. See all the ads here.

by Steve Hall    Mar-28-08    
Topic: Campaigns, Good, Magazine



Nip/Tuck Facebook Application Calculates Attractiveness

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Is there anyone out there that still actually likes Facebook applications? Oh, sorry, from the looks of my inbox, there is no shortage of application fanatics out there hyping and adding apps. Well, here's another. A branded one created by UK agency Ralph to promote Nip/Tuck on FX in the UK.

Celebrating vapid vanity akin to the show itself, the application lets people highlight key areas on an image of their face and have their attractiveness calculated which can then be compared to others using the app. Oooo...we can just see the friendships this one's gonna break.

by Steve Hall    Mar-28-08    
Topic: Social



Disney Sponsors Boobs and Blowjobs

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Whomever is responsible for buying Disney's online media is - or soon will be - getting an irate phone call from Mickey. Again.

Last Fall, some contextually placed Disney ads appeared in a webcam video of "Andrea" fondling her breasts. Now, a series of banner ads are appearing on celebu-porn site Egotastic next to Keeley Hazell covering her breasts, images from a Kristen Davis "sex tape," images from a Lindsay Lohan sex tape, Denise Richards displaying her crotch and more. Screenshots are here. No nudity per se but possibly NSFW.

more »

by Steve Hall    Mar-28-08    
Topic: Brands, Celebrity, Online, Racy, Weblogs



iPhone Doesn't Just Want to Be Your Expensive New Friend; It Wants to Be Your Lifestyle Companion

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Engadget says Apple has applied for six patent applications that reveal plans to turn iPhone into a "lifestyle companion." (Is that anything like a domestic partner?)

The patents would make iPhone the only product of its kind with the ability to scan product barcodes, track workouts and suggest new ones.

This probably doesn't mean the days of Nike+ are numbered, but we still want to say something ominous like, "Watch out, Nike. When you dance with the devil..."

Not that Nike ever needed help being bad-ass.

by Angela Natividad    Mar-27-08    
Topic: Brands, Mobile/Wireless



'Will You Ever...?' is Probably a Better Question.

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Here's a tense, exhilarating survey of things many aspire to do, but most never will (even with two weeks paid vacation):

o Freefall into a bottomless canyon
o Dive into mysterious ocean depths
o Glide across the Antarctic plains
o Drive a Land Rover

One of those things doesn't belong. We're just not sure which.

The spot was put together by HSI Productions and a52 (which did the VFX) for agency Young & Rubicam, which was commissioned by guess-which-company.

by Angela Natividad    Mar-27-08    
Topic: Brands, Commercials, Good, Television



The Guild Wins Best Series at YouTube Video Awards

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The Guild, an online show written by MMOG gamers for MMOG gamers, got some love at the YouTube Video Awards. Huzzah.

Catch the webisodes at Watch the Guild. Turn the volume down: we thought we were getting all schizophrenic, but it was just that a bunch of them started playing at the same time.

Since closing the window, the room seems quiet. And lonely.

by Angela Natividad    Mar-27-08    
Topic: Events, Good, Online, Video



Little Minx Experiments with Exquisite Corpse

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...and no, not in the PBS kind of way.

"Exquisite Corpse" is a game where words and images are assembled to make a new whole. Players must adhere to certain rules to keep the game going.

Thus inspired, LittleMinx.tv invited directors Chris Nelson, Josh Miller, Malik Hassan Sayeed and Phillip Van to play "Exquisite Corpse" with short films. Two rules:

o Each must respond to the last line of text from the last director's script, and
o Each film must feature the Little Minx brand somehow

View the results of the game. If you just want a taste, here's a lovely sad one about the death of innocence, which follows this one about a man who cheats at cards. (And that's a really, really short synopsis.*)

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by Angela Natividad    Mar-27-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Good, Video



'Under the Same Moon' Takes the Piss Out of Lou Dobbs

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Spoof meets the big-leagues in this trailer for Under the Same Moon, a Hispanic-American film with a title so sappy it could itself be a spoof.

The trailer pulls the sympathy card with child star Adrian Alonso while mocking Lou Dobbs, whom HuffPo dubbed "CNN's anti-immigrant crusader."

more »

by Angela Natividad    Mar-27-08    
Topic: Commercials, Political, Promotions, Spoofs, Television



Ew, Gross. It's a Big Shiny GUT.

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French company Tefal is promoting a newfangled muscle:fat tracking scale for beachside midlifers that suffer the indignity of sucking it in.

Simple. Relatable.

We've heard the gut-clench is common practice. Not that we'd know. We were born with abs of steel. Because we're robots.

by Angela Natividad    Mar-27-08    
Topic: Commercials, Good, Television



Scion Doesn't Just Speak; It Speaks for You

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In keeping with Scion's build-your-own identity, StrawberryFrog launched Scion Speak, where you can create a Scion crest.

The site was developed after the agency interviewed Scion lovers in urban areas like LA and New York. Graffiti artist Tristan Eaton, who designed the options for the coats of arms, called the campaign "one of the most rewarding art projects I've ever created.

"I love that what I've created can be pieced together, in thousands of variations to become something no longer mine, but yours," he added.

We can identify with Eaton. Scion's campaigns aren't just creative; they tirelessly conceive creativity without deviating from Scion's gritty brand feel or relinquishing too much control. And because of that, a car we considered to be ass-ugly is now strangely desirable.

by Angela Natividad    Mar-27-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Good, Online