It's Too Late to Plan Your Funeral After You're Dead

Here's a semi-witty use of a coupon in an ad for an issue that usually doesn't align itself with wit: pre-planned funerals. Even the creative brief is witty, reading, "The truth is, at some point it becomes too late to pre-plan. Why? Because you're dead." Hey, why be coy when you can get right to the point. After all, that's what all good advertising should do.

ACLC Toronto created the campaign for Mount Pleasant Cemetary.

War-Lovin' Fayetteville Invites Invaders with Candid Copy

This spread is part of a campaign by THE REPUBLIK, Durham for the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

If you squint your eyes long enough to read it, the text describes the two occasions where Fayetteville failed to bring a warm welcome to America's major men of war. A little bit of southern spunk comes out with fists at the ready. It's wholly unapologetic. We like it.

The tagline reads, "History, Heroes, a Home Town Feeling!" -- just kitschy enough to warrant a sportsmanlike grimace after a kick in the pants.

Models Steal, Paddinton Eats Marmite, Playboy Cuts

- Even fashion models can sound intelligent. Especially when they steal their lines from an MIT professor.

- Paddington Bear creator Michael Bond and fans are angered because Karen Jankel, Bond's daughter gave the go ahead for the character to be used in a Marmite ad when it's well known Paddington likes marmalade.

- As more and more nudity becomes readily and freely available online, Playboy has decided to cut back paid circulation 13 percent to 2.6 million as well as offer more free content online.

Near Extinct California Condor Should Have More Sex

A new campaign from non-profit 1% For The Planet is urging companies to donate one percent of sales to a fund that feeds environmental causes. Created by TDA Advertising & Design, three ads place mock blame on several species with the headlines, "If the dolphins are so smart, they should start a small business and save themselves'" "Problem: The California condor is going extinct. Solution: The California condor should have more sex" and Why is it that the vast majority of sycamores cannot grasp even the most basic economic principles?"

Of course the copy goes on to state humans are really the only ones who can affect change and should do so by supporting environmental causes. It's a simple campiagn with a simple message and we think it works.

Oregon Tourism And Horizon Air Like Maps

It seems those in the Pacific Northwest think alike when it comes to travel and tourism advertising. In early September, we took a look at a campaign for Horizon Air which highlighted the 200 mile stretch of Interstate 5 between Seattle and Portland. It's referred to The Slog for all the oddities and annoyances along the way that make taking a Horizon Air (of course) flight to traverse the distance instead.

more »

Schwan's Helps Housewives Break Through Glass Ceiling

Unleashing the anachronistic term "housewife" or perhaps simply tossing aside silly, politically correct euphemisms like "stay-at-home-mom," Frozen food home delivery company Schwan's claims (in a headline) "Research shows that 95 percent of housewives could use a housewife."

Now, AdFreak picked up on the lesbian vibe toward which this headline hints. We, contrary to what one might assume, believe that, yes, the job of a housewife, particularly if she's a doesn't-stay-at-home-mom needs all the help she can get. Why trek to the grocery store with three screaming brats when you can lock the snots in their rooms, order from Schwan's and down a gallon of Cookies 'n Cream while issuing missives via laptop to the hundreds on minions you oversee at the office from the comfort of your couch? Minneapolis agency Hunt Adkins created the campiagn.

Advertising Age Sends Ass to Adrants

Ya know...leave it to Che Magazine to disrupt our morning publishing schedule. Here we are trying to bring you interesting and insightful news about advertising and, in particular, Advertising Week and what happens? A hot chic wearing a way too short (oh wait, there's no such thing) skirt graces our screen. And, as if offering herself up to anyone who would have her, her phone number is hanging like a babysitter ad from her ass . As Jonah Hill exclaimed over and over in Superbad, "What the fuck?"

We suppose we have to blame Copyranter for calling this to our attention and, yes, the mighty Advertising Age itself whose Adages blogger Ken Wheaton sent it to Copyranter.

Check out more Che Magazine shenanigans here, here, here, and here,

Oregon Human Society Threatens to Kill Us with Cuteness

Leopold Ketel & Partners have created a campaign for the Oregon Humane Society to encourage the last 1/3 of the petless Oregonian populace to adopt. Campaign imagery reads, "End Petlessness: a pet for every man, woman and child." More prints here and here.

And if you have :30 seconds to burn on something that will make you go "awww" for as long as you can exhale and make noise at the same time, watch the TV spot, which looks like it would be more comfortable on CuteOverload.com than on gritty public TV.

Playboy Takes 50's Digital, EyeWonder Offer More Wonder

- On November 15, Hugh Hefner and his Girls Next Door, Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson, will celebrate the release of Playboy: Cover to Cover: The 50's a DVD-ROM set that includes everything published in the magazine during the fifties.

- EyeWonder, Inc.has announced the launch of InstantWonder, a product that makes it easier for online advertisers and agencies to deliver rich media and video advertising units AOL, ICQ, MSN, MySpace IM and Yahoo Messenger.

- (RED) Co-Founder Bobby Shriver will be awarded Advertising Person of the Year from the Advertising Club at the Advertising Week kick-off luncheon.

Twisted Print Campaigns Sell Shoes, Deodorant, Noodles, Beer

2wenty 4our has an interesting collection of print ads that are eye catching in different ways. There's a campaign for Planetaria Mixers that makes cakes so fast you can trow them at bothersome door-to-door salesmen and religious fanatics. There's a Spanish campaign for some sort of deodorant that has women running away from their lovers in their underwear.

There's a campaign for Zu Shoes whose shoes are so hot they leave a trail of spent men behind. There's a Cup O Noodles campaign that oddly places the product in a little cubby embedded in people's stomach. And, of course, there's a beer campaign from Sol which leaves men transfixed by female ass.