Chinese Commando, Kellogg Krumbling, Tropicana Talkback

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- Somebody just sent us a link to KillaBanker.com, a little CafePress store where you can buy knee-jerk reactions to economic despair.

- Hanzi Smatter, a site "dedicated to the misuse of Chinese characters in Western culture," is hilarious. See awkward interpretation of tattoo on a model featured in AussieBum's Commando ad.

- Kellogg's brand rep suffers following Phelps fallout.

- What ho, a Dairy Queen blog.

- More jibjab over Arnell/Tropicana.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-27-09    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Campaigns, Online, Opinion



Havas Does the Social Graph, Mullen Gets Diabetes, Winformercial Strides

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- Havas Digital has partnered with global social graph mapping company Media6Degrees to help the agency "integrate consumer insights with hyper-targeting and provide increased value for their advertisers." Damn, that was mouthful!

- Mullen has reeled in the American Diabetes Association account and has signed a three year contract with the organization.

- In the UK, they stick human beings inside vending machines to sell Kit Kats. Those witty Brits!

- Crispin Porter + Bogusky does the celebrity magazine thing for Old Navy.

- Not anywhere near as inspired as the Where the Hell is Matt Harding videos, this following "Winfomercial" attempts to...I don't know...turn a game show into a commercial?

- In case you needed even more proof America is the kingdom of the superficial, check out this Sarah Haskins Target Women video about skin care products.

by Steve Hall    Feb-26-09    
Topic: Agencies, Guerilla, Trends and Culture, Video



OMG! An Agency Won Some Business!

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Fallon informs us they've been placed on Nestle Beverage's agency roster and will begin work for the client immediately.

Nestle Beverages VP Alfonso Gonzalez said, "From our earliest meetings Fallon brought insight and understanding to the new world of beverage marketing. Fallon seems to have a grasp on today's consumer who expects more from a brand than a simple transaction. We expect Fallon to create value beyond brand communications."

You go, Fallon.

by Steve Hall    Feb-25-09    
Topic: Agencies, Brands



Campbell's Soaps Up, Casino Stimulates, D&G Rebrands

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- Mediaedge:cia brokered a deal that'll result in two Campbell's Soup executives appearing in All My Children tomorrow. They'll be playing themselves. (Photo cred: ABC.)

- Mohegan Sun -- you know, the casino -- debuted its Stimulus, Recovery and Rebound Package. Think gambler giveaways, deep discounts and a "Business Bail Out" program that includes free gaming lessons for corporate clients.

- LA-based David&Goliath has rebranded. Check out their new look.

by Angela Natividad    Feb-25-09    
Topic: Agencies, Product Placement, Television



Mystery Solved! Peter Arnell is Mister Six in Disguise!

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Oh now it all makes sense. So this is what Peter Arnell did before he spent (wasted?) $35 million messing with Tropicana packaging (only to have the brand revert to the original) and who knows how many millions on the Pepsi logo...and that document.

Yes, indeed. Now it makes perfect sense.

by Steve Hall    Feb-25-09    
Topic: Agencies, Spoofs, Strange



Killed Ideas to Give Your Creative Masterpiece New Life

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OK so you've landed the perfect client for whom you've been jonesing for years. They're about to launch a new product line and have a huge marketing budget to support the launch. (OK, just pretend the economy doesn't suck and they actually do have huge marketing budget.)

You concept the most amazing idea you've ever concepted and present it to them. During the presentation they praise it. They love it. They fawn all over it. They pontificate about how it will introduce a sea change within their industry and how it will skyrocket the company to greatness. Everyone fist bumps each other at the end of the meeting and the client promise to call with final approval the next morning.

Then...

The call comes...

more »



Pro-Skaters Call Foul on BBDO Content Rip

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From the Adrants mailbag:

My skater friends have been sending me a link all day long that shows a blatant - and I mean blatant - BBDO rip off of a [Spike Jonze] directed skateboard video [...]. The original was from the most popular skate video in years, but obviously, someone's creative director hadn't seen it:

o Original, and far superior.

o The fraud.

The only way that is legit, would be if Spike did it himself... but quality-wise, it just doesn't stand up.

The ad labeled "the fraud" was put together by BBDO Mexico for Snickers, oddly enough. Pro-skaters Steve Berra and Eric Koston are so pissed about the Spike Jonze rip-off that they posted it on their blog and are trying to drum up some righteous rage.

More on this over at Agency Spy, which has a translation for the Mexican Snickers spot as well as comment from Berra.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Feb-20-09    
Topic: Agencies, Bad, Campaigns, Celebrity, Commercials



Animals Get Weird, Pretty PA Wanted, Zugara Twits, Mullen Tweets

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- Like animals? Like strange "viral" videos? Jonesing for anything Samsung? Then check out this seeded video from The Viral Factory.

- The 12th annual One Show Interactive Awards will take place on May 8th at Terminal 5 in New York as part of The One Club's Festival Week which includes The One Show on May 6 at Jazz at Lincoln Center and One Show Design on May 4 at the IAC Building in New York.

- Creative director seeks hot personal assistant on Craigslist.

more »

by Steve Hall    Feb-20-09    
Topic: Agencies, Strange, Video



Birth of Twitter, Mac Conversions, Remembering Lee King

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- AdGabber members remember Lee King. Reading about other peoples' experiences with King brings his body of work to life for us. Also, here's a nice memorial from AdWeek.

- How Mac's Genius Bar experience makes loyalists.

- Hey, AmEx, that's not very nice.

- Twitter started out on legal sheets. Look at them, all innocuous and ordinary, like so many ideas-cum-dustbunny-conventions lying dormant under your bed.

- Old Kraft logo, new Kraft logo.

- In case you ever wondered how influential you are on Twitter. What's that saying? Being powerful is like being a lady...

- Food for thought: The top 10 chains -- Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom, Macy's, Dillard's, J.C. Penney, Kohl's, Sears, Bon-Ton and Belk -- had sales of about $110 billion last year, about one-fourth of Wal-Mart's total.

- Cow pee bevvies. Um ... yay?

- Congratulations on still having a job!"

by Angela Natividad    Feb-19-09    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Campaigns, Social



Barbarian Group A Fast 50 Company

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Boston and New York-based Barbarian Group is number 29 on Fast Company's Fast 50 list for 2009. The agency, which launched in 2001 with the four founders; Benjamin Palmer, Rick Webb, Keith Butters and Robert Hodgin, has now grown to 80.

The agency first came to notoriety for their work developing Burger King's Subservient Chicken. Yes, it's Crispin's account but Barbarian Group did most the work truth be told.

Recently, the agency did the CNN T-shirt thing which made it possible for people to choose a favorite headline from the site and have it affixed to a customized t-shirt.

The agency was also named digital agency of the year for 2008 by Creativity Magazine. Clearly the agency is on a roll and it's well deserved.

They are well positioned for the path advertising is on. Much better positioned that most traditional agencies and even other interactive shops.

by Steve Hall    Feb-13-09    
Topic: Agencies