Zippo Pulls the Eco-Guilt Card

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Zippo wises up to its cachet as a potentially "green" product with a brusque new slogan: "Disposable. Just another word for garbage."

On print and banner ads alike, this profundity is flanked by images of dirty disposable lighters, piled up in junkyards. See trash cube, earthbound briquets and three-part display ad.

Creatively, the latter is a disappointing downgrade from this naughty beast. But it gets the point across, and display's cheap these days anyway, so we can't hate with much conviction.

Expect to see the prints in trade pubs, at convenient stores and your local tobacconist. By Brunner/Pittsburgh.

by Angela Natividad    Mar- 6-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Magazine, Online, Poster



Spoofs for a Cause, Courtesy of AIA

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To promote the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Agencies in Action and Bill Oberlander at Cossette produced a triage of cynical spoofs on well-known ad campaigns. (See iPod and HSBC variants.)

The goal: to get Manhattan's agency creatives to volunteer at soup kitchens and food pantries at least once monthly. So far, six agencies have committed: Arnold Worldwide, Cossette, DiMassimo Goldstein, Gotham, Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners and TBWA\Chiat\Day.

In the event that you need more convincing, or just feel compelled to show your face at another social gathering, hit up the AIA kickoff reception on Thursday, March 12 at 7pm. It all happens at the Cossette office on 415 Mad Ave, 3rd floor.

More intelligence at the website.

by Angela Natividad    Mar- 6-09    
Topic: Agencies, Campaigns, Cause, Events, Poster



Ladies, Need A New Bikini For Summer? Buy Some Doritos

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Who knew Doritos had so many uses? They can help get a guy whacked in the balls. They can provide the power to rip a girl's clothes off. And now they can function as the latest fashion on the beaches this summer.

Or at least in a Peruvian ad that imagines such a scenario

by Steve Hall    Feb-24-09    
Topic: Good, Outdoor, Poster, Racy



jetBlue Lays Claim to the Fallen-from-Gracers

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jetBlue's released a big wordy poster, calling out all the guys that used to be too good to fly with others: C-suite execs, "Underwriters of Mortgage-Backed Securities, Former Treasury Secretaries," et cetera, et cetera.

The bottom of the ad pithily reads "WELCOME ABOARD." There's also a separate section of the jetBlue.com site labeled "Welcome Bigwigs," which details the PERKS! everybody on jetBlue gets.

"The Best Seat in Coach" is high up there, followed closely by "All the Free Snacks You Can Eat." (Actually, that's pretty appealing. United's stingy about peanuts, AND they charge for boxed lunch.)

The WELCOME ABOARD, FORMER CASH-MONEY BALLERS!* effort is part and parcel of its ongoing Happy Jetting campaign, which loves itself some stencil clouds and ALL-CAPS.

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by Angela Natividad    Feb-19-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Magazine, Poster



Sid Lee Staff Engages in Group Doodle

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To get Canadian co-eds to enter their dearest back-of-the-class freehand sketches into Red Bull's Doodle Art contest, Sid Lee whipped out its own No. 2s and created an ad composed entirely of unretouched print musings.

The final result -- which includes work from accounting, tech support, creative and client services -- looks like the emotional lovechild of Napoleon Dynamite and Juno. We want to hug it (especially this little guy) while listening to The Decemberists.

Sketches from uni kids will be accepted through February 27th. Locations for "drop boxes" are organized by province. So far, four drawings have been added to the gallery. No ligers have been turned in -- but we're getting pre-ty darn close.

Our only complaint is that the images aren't big enough to examine more closely. Sid Lee, please add zoom-in.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-18-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Online, Poster



...and Would You Like Sprinkles on that Star-Spangled Animal Fat?

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"Muscovites have been puzzling over a series of vaguely Warhollian posters appearing in subway stations. The 'product' being presented is called Amerikanskoye Salo, which translates to 'American Lard' or 'American Fat.'

Judging from the poster, it has several culinary uses, including chocolate-covered lard and lard drizzled with borscht."

According to Read Russia (linked above), Russian business newspaper Kommersant claims this American Lard thing is a propaganda effort by political party A Just Russia, which wants to draw attention to the sick, unhealthy interior beneath the US's tasty veneer (edible or otherwise). Others claim it might be a viral effort to promote a book, and at least one civilian believes this really is just a new food product.

"Sigh. Propaganda here used to be so simple," the author laments. Yeah, we know the feeling.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-13-09    
Topic: Guerilla, Packaging, Political, Poster, Strange



Quirky Take on Child Abuse May Leave You Feeling Queasy

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Here's a set of prints that go with this child abuse/wedding reception ad by Whybin\TBWA Sydney for Australia's ASCA (Adults Surviving Child Abuse). Each approaches the topic with blithe, discomfiting irony.

You know, it's the kind of thing you'd find funny if it weren't so ... not-at-all.

See greeting card: "You're a special dad (slap, kick, pow!)"
See birthday cake: "Celebrating 20 years since you said I should have been aborted" -- arrow down if you can't see all of it at once.

Collective wince.

by Angela Natividad    Feb- 9-09    
Topic: Campaigns, Cause, Magazine, Poster



Katie Holmes: The New Face of Miu-Miu

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Exciting news from the fashion annals of Jeremy Dante: Katie Holmes of the Scientology set is the new face of Miu-Miu, succeeding French actress Vanessa Paradis, and joining a list of other screen stars better known for what they do during off-hours, like Drew Barrymore and Lindsay Lohan.

We've never been very impressed with Holmes and had planned to lash her with our whippiest whip, but the rose-hued imagery gave us pause. It appears she's finally shedded that mealy Dawson's Creekishness -- indeed, even gracefully eclipsed her polarizing husband and choice of faith -- and become a reserved but seductive little lady. (The work also feels less forced than Madonna's stuff for Louis Vuitton.)

We're almost giddy with like of her.

by Angela Natividad    Feb- 6-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Celebrity, Magazine, Poster



nu-kitchen's Wordplay Sets Stage for Its Dishes

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These ads for nu-kitchen were pitched to us as eye candy for ex-English majors. Each has a tagline served up on a white plate -- innocuous at first, then you read the copy and your head starts bobbing subconsciously with the iambic meter.

See:

o You click, we cook, we deliver, you devour. (At left.)
o Knock knock. Who's there? Orange-chile tilapia with black forbidden rice.
o Gourmet delivery. Comfort food price.
o Click once. Eat happily ever after.

Each plate is furnished with a dish description in smaller text ("biscotti with dark chocolate dipping sauce," "espresso glazed pork with peruvian purple potatoes"). Outside the entree, there's a prominent promo: try three meals free.

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Saxsofunny Weds Sensory Delight to Your Average Print Ad

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Brazilian sound production firm Saxsofunny's launched a print, outdoor and TV-based campaign that gives you something to play with. Under the slogan "Every image has a sound," the ad at left takes advantage of the human compulsion to pop air bubbles for that satisfying mini-'splosion.

We likesy-likesy. Other prints here, as well as a TV spot that ties 'em all together.

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by Angela Natividad    Jan-27-09    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Good, Magazine, Poster, Television