Pussycats Doll, 'Premiere' Shutters, Tab Shapes

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- If for no other reason that to experience a little guilty pleasure, tune into the CW tonight at 9PM EST when the network debuts its American Idol wannbe Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For The Next Doll.. Singing. Dancing. Girls dressed like hookers. What's not to like?

- After the April issue, Hachette Filipacchi is shutting down its movie magazine Premiere. The brand will live in online.

- The One Club will host its One Show Festival May 8-11 in New York City.

- The Art Directors Club has released its Awards Annual 85, documenting winners of the ADC's annual competition for the best in visual communications worldwide. Check it out here.

- This 70's Tab ad is so sexistly hilarious, we just have to share it with you.

by Steve Hall    Mar- 6-07    
Topic: Magazine, Television



Copyranter Continues Conversation With Ketel One

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Copyranter began an open dialog with Ketel One vodka in mid-2006 using the company's all-type/lots of white space print ads to do so. Copyranter's latest conversation responds to the distiller's latest headline, "Dear Ketel One Drinker, Not everyone likes Ketel One. Then again, not everyone's tried it" with "Dear Ketel One Maker, Not everyone hates your ads. Then again, not everyone's seen them." You've at least got to hand it to Ketel One for hanging on to the campaign for a while. If for nothing more than to give Copyranter more opportunities to continue the conversation.

by Steve Hall    Mar- 6-07    
Topic: Brands, Magazine, Social, Strange



'Maxim' Goes Green With Irish 'Maxim'

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Even as it searches for a buyer, men's magazine Maxim is still having fun. For one of its advertisers, Irish Spring, it's created a special, six-page mini-magazine insert that is appearing in the March issue. With a freckled, red-headed, girl-next-door gracing the cover of the insert, Irish Spring will promote a multi-city tour, custom published editorial and the Zagat's Guide to America's top pubs.

by Steve Hall    Mar- 6-07    
Topic: Magazine, Promotions



Gore Personed, Revlon Shifts, Anti-Ads Add Ads, Oprah Tops Mag List

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- MEDIA magazine names Al Gore Person of the Year. Huh?

- Without a review, Revlon has moved it $200 million from Carat to Initiative. Well, that's gotta suck for Carat.

- Yet another anti-advertising group fights the proliferation of outdoor advertising. The problem with all these groups though is that they use the same techniques all other advertisers do which simply adds even more to the already ridiculously cacophonous level of marketing litter.

- The Oprah Magazine tops this year's AdWeek Magazine 2007 Hot List. Rounding out the top ten are Real Simple, US, More, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Allure, Wired, Martha Stewart Living and The Economist.

by Steve Hall    Mar- 5-07    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Magazine



Animal Death Celebrated in Crossbow Campaign

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Leaving all political correctness to cause groups with nothing to do but bitch about every possible human activity and opinion, this new campaign from Cleveland agency Brokaw for Horton Crossbow, refreshingly, minces no words selling its article of death. With witty slaps in the face like "Hunters really aren't so different from other environmentalists. We just like to keep souvenirs" and "Sometimes the best way to clear your head is to bring one back to mount on the wall," the campaign isn't likely to be well-loved by PETA, the Humane Society or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. We do, however, think Charlton Heston would get a kick out of it.

See the whole campaign here.

by Steve Hall    Mar- 4-07    
Topic: Campaigns, Good, Magazine



St. Pauli Girl Plays 'Guess A Model'

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In its new campaign, dubbed "Drop Dead Refreshing," St. Pauli Girl is playing a little game with us. Front and center in the brewer's new print campaign is the image of a model Photoshopped to look like beer. As an added twist to the campaign, the model is said to be "renowned and popular" and those who care, can guess the model's identity on the brewers website. Her identity will be revealed this spring.

Look for the ads in March and April issues of Esquire, Maxim, Men's Health, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Backpacker, and Sports Illustrated. Other campaign images are here and here.

by Steve Hall    Mar- 4-07    
Topic: Campaigns, Magazine



Stylized Running Partner Center of Asics Footwear Campiagn

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We like these stylized print ads that are part of a new campaign for Asics footwear. We like the photographic effect and the attention it commanded when found browsing thorough the sea of fashion ad sameness in the March issue of GQ. The campaign pits you against a running partner who's either your alter ego, a Harvard sculling team, a man you will never meet or your friendly dog who interupts your run with his morning business. See all four ads here.

by Steve Hall    Mar- 1-07    
Topic: Campaigns, Good, Magazine



Disney Makes Better Use of Scarlett Johansson Than Reebok

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Now if ad*itive and Reebok had chosen, oh, say, Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan instead of Scarlett Johansson for the company's new Scarlett Hearts apparel and footwear campaign which carries the headline, "I Am More Than A Cover Story," the ad might have carried more weight. While Scarlett is certainly cover story material, it's not like she captures the mind of America like some of the more famous starlets we have.

She's much better suited to the new Disney World campaign that just broke in GQ and other mags in which she appears as Cinderella along with Beyonce Knwles as Alice, Lyle Lovett as the March Hare, Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter and David Beckham as Prince Philip.

by Steve Hall    Mar- 1-07    
Topic: Bad, Campaigns, Celebrity, Good, Magazine



JC Penny Spawns Magazine Inside GQ in Last, Pre-Saatchi Hurrah

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We seem to have a thing for those fake magazine cover ads and it looks like DDB is using the trick as its last stand for JC Penny before handing over the reigns to Saatch & Saatchi who will give us its "Every Day Matters" love. But, for now, it's still "It's All Inside."

In the March issue of GQ, the cover of another magazine, MANdatory, appears complete with manism headlines such as "There, there. How to tell her what she needs to hear" and "Emotions. Could there be more than two?" It's not terribly creative but it does stand out in a sea of messageless, Dolce & Gabanna-like ads that fill the magazine so we'll give them points for that. It did get us to stop and read it.

Alas, the retailer is due for a squishy Love Marks makeover which, hopefully, doesn't try to make the place more than what it is: a moderately priced department store that sells moderately styled items to moderate people. Everything doesn't need to be high end, ya know.

by Steve Hall    Feb-27-07    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Good, Magazine



Sharpies Cuts Through Crap, Gets to Point

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Sometimes a well-written, polite letter just doesn't cut it. It certain times, what's needed is the purest, most unfiltered expression of thought and what better devive to transfer that blunt thought to a piece of paper than a big 'ol sharpie. In a new Brand Buzz-created campaign, that's exactly the message. There's no need to waste time with fancy words when you can quickly scrawl out your thoughts with a Sharpie.

A collection of :15's broke February 19 on national cable and print will hit March issues of Better Homes & Garden, Family Fun, Parents, People, Sports Illustrated, Martha Stewart Living, Redbook and Oprah.

See the ads here, here, here and here.

by Steve Hall    Feb-27-07    
Topic: Cable, Campaigns, Commercials, Good, Magazine