You, Yes You, Could Be Contributing to Cannibalism

baby-in-pot.jpg

Consider this a warning to those that like to overpromise.

Thanks to Jon N. for the image, which originally came from Voidstate, a very good blog written by a man with triplets.

by Angela Natividad    May-23-08    
Topic: Consumer Created, Online, Product Placement, Spoofs



WeeMees Invite Presidential Candidates into Their Bedrooms!

mccain-clinton-obama-weeworld.jpg

Right now on WeeWorld, WeeMees can invite Presidential would-bes into their rooms and talk about them. This is something WeeWorld's PR lady calls "fanning the youth vote flames."

Preview the action here and here. (I like the one of Hillary smoking a pipe. Oh, wait. That's a bucket of champagne.)

Obama is currently the most popular in-room addition; McCain, the least.

by Angela Natividad    May-23-08    
Topic: Online, Political



Not Sure About that Dinner Party? Slip a Little Bacon Salt in Your Handbag

baconsalt-founders.jpg

Guided by the belief that everything should taste like bacon, two whimsical dreamers named Justin and Dave launched a product called Bacon Salt. Flavors come in Original, Hickory, Peppered and Natural. Buy it here.*

If you're not sold by its merits, check out Operation Bacon Salt, a patriotic effort to bring the comforting flavor of bacon to American soldiers overseas. Bacon Salt's blog keeps readers updated on Operation Bacon Salt and, as a bacony, salty bonus, provides health news and sassy Bacon Salt recipes.

Also -- also!!! -- there are shirts!

This is what the American Dream is all about. (Well, this and girl-on-girl roller derby.) Thanks blood and milk for the tip.

more »

by Angela Natividad    May-23-08    
Topic: Online, Packaging, Promotions, Strange



Facebook's a Whack Ass Marketing Tool, Find Me on MySpace

peace-out-thumb.JPG

This is too perfect not to share. Four years ago, I was peer pressured into joining Facebook. Now, I'm totally hooked but immediately following graduation, I was sent the following group invite from a classmate:

Group Name: peace out facebook

Group Description: "Well I am all grown up and graduated and I think it is time to leave this whack ass marketing tool behind me. I will be a slave no longer. In a day or two once I collect any pictures or correspondence off my account I might be wanting I will be leaving Facebook behind forever. So say your goodbyes!"

more »

by Amanda Mooney    May-23-08    
Topic: Online, Social



Budget Elicits UGC from Budget Travelers ... and Totally Fails to Budget Wisely

flipforbudget.jpg

I don't really know what this video's all about, but I'm pretty sure it isn't worth $25,000 in prize money.

By the way, what a completely insane amount of dosh for a UGC contest. I mean seriously, way to piss off your bottom-line guys.

"Hey, chief. Uh, yeah. Not only did Budget not win new car rental customers, but our low-budget 'Travel Budget!' marketing strategy also cost us over 25 grand."

Just because you're not spending $2.5 million on TV doesn't mean you should wipe your ass with the savings.

UPDATE: It turns out the video linked above was made by Budget employees in a deluded effort to encourage more users to enter the contest. How. Very. Sad.

by Angela Natividad    May-23-08    
Topic: Campaigns, Online, Worst



Facebook Loves Itself Some Indiana Jones

ij-fedora.jpg

Promotions for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull have hit Facebook with a vengeance.

250,000 free Indiana Jones virtual fedoras sold out on Wednesday and there are all kinds of film tie-ins for popular apps, including "Where I've Been," Flixster and SuperPoke.

I always suspected that no one, however noble, could actually own a whip without abusing it once in awhile. Not even Harrison Ford.

by Angela Natividad    May-23-08    
Topic: Celebrity, Online, Promotions, Sponsorship



Meth Airs Whine Reel, Chevy Laughs at Citroen, Yahoo Extorts for SEO, MoveOn Outs Hitler Lover

meth-minute.jpg

- I thought this Meth Minute video would be a wacky cartoon about abusing methamphetamines. But it was just a reel of complaint calls.

- Oprah's Angel Network and Free the Children have formed the O Ambassadors project, which "encourages young leaders to dream."

- MoveOn wages war against Pastor John Hagee, who said Adolf Hitler was a God-sent hunter of Jews. Hagee is one of McCain's "key backers," and McCain is currently MoveOn's pet project.

- Chevy considers how impractical a dancing car would be.

- Yahoo offers an under-the-table paid program where you provide the description ad copy for the ORGANIC RESULTS of your website. And it'll only cost you TWENTY CENTS per click. This is because Yahoo's spiders might fail to properly process your SEO efforts. Little wonder Jolie O'Dell calls it "frikkin criminal." (We second the motion.)

by Angela Natividad    May-23-08    
Topic: Brands, Online, Political, Strange, Video, Worst



Some Pig Wants You to Bring Out Your Dead

oink-ink-radio.jpg

Oink Ink Radio needs entries for its 11th annual Dead Radio contest.

"Disheartened copywriters are invited to submit their best radio scripts that have been rejected, passed up, and left to collect dust. Oink then treats the winning copywriter to an expense-paid weekend in either New York or Los Angeles, homes to Oink studios."

more »

by Angela Natividad    May-22-08    
Topic: Agencies, Consumer Created, Online, Radio



Economist.com Surrenders to the Web 2.0 Aesthetic

no-one-perfect-economist.jpg

The quote at left comes from a banner ad for The Ideas People, a "knowledge" campaign meant to school you on the modern pioneers of great ideas while slyly promoting The Economist.

It reads, "No one becomes perfect, but some become great." I thought it was apt in light of the launch of The Economist's fully redesigned homepage.

The current print edition says the designers sought to wed clean usability with informational depth. (In less diplomatic terms, it's another web 2.0 casualty. Think AJAX! Big FONTS! And widget-looking things!)

more »

by Angela Natividad    May-22-08    
Topic: Magazine, Online, Packaging, Publishing



'What Men Need to Know' is for Online Lad Mag. O RLY?

toro-woman.jpg

As promised in frustratingly obtuse video teasers like this one, "What Men Need to Know" unveiled its secret sponsor today.

And it's ...

more »

by Angela Natividad    May-21-08    
Topic: Good, Online, Promotions, Publishing