Saatchi and Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts reveals that Lovemarks, allegedly written by him and out for three years running, is not actually a book but a "new-business development tool" according to AdAge in a video interview. Indeed, what appears to be text on sheets between bound paper to all who encounter it is actually the elaborate first phase of a 10-year scheme to refurbish the ethos and image of the Publicis Groupe agency, according to Roberts.
The confession comes just in time for phase two of the zany scheme which also appears in chimerical book form: The Lovemarks Effect: Winning the Consumer Revolution. This too is part of the effort to change S and S "from an ad agency to an ideas company to become the Lovemarks company," explains Roberts.
Ironic how much changes from high school, when the last thing you want is to be known for your lovemarks. Clearly Saatchi and Saatchi is onto something we aren't.
Here's what we think (er, hope?) is our last holiday card of '07. T3 The Think Tank sent us a game in which you pose as an elf and tip penguins.
Far from the benign polar friends we met in Happy Feet, the birds talk trash and also emit holiday wishes from T3 employees when you knock them over. (We located T3 founder Gay Gaddis' wish. It's for nice penguin shoes.)
Great incentive for a little digital abuse. The game is simple but strangely addictive.
Oh we're sure Hollywood will screw this one up too but...oh...wait...maybe not. In the movie Perfect Stanger with Halle Berry, Bruce Willis play a high powered ad exec who's apparently power-hungry, ruthless, a jerk and a guy who cheats on his wife. Nah, that couldn't even remotely resemble an ad exec. Anyway, Reverse Cowgirl points us to this trailer for the movie so we can, once again, revel in Hollywood's depiction of the ad industry as a slimed-filled pit of immorality.
RBLM's holiday card not only greeted us personally but also cleverly showcased their new creative effectiveness tool: the Scooter Challenge.
Find out how your work holds up streetside by uploading your own ads, then getting a view of how it looks from a scooter's perspective. RBLM admonishes detail-happy ad-heads to keep it simple. We agree, we like the idea and we dig how they got it out to us. Boy are those guys smart.
It's that time again. Aieden + Kennedy wants your creative ass. Or at least the asses of 12 people who think they're creative and can "solve" the agency's invitation to the fourth semester of it's school for young, uber-creatives.
Kevin at PR Blog keeps us updated on that mistletoe demonstration he saw recently. Shortly after our original post DIAGEO expressed concern via e-mail because they worried about kids' exposure to the alcohol-related event.
Impressive follow-up - we remain as gratified with the campaign as we were when we heard about the heckling children.
We're also pleased about finally getting to see the swampy mistletoe man with our own eyes, which was all we cared about anyway. He doesn't much look like he's wearing his favourite suit but everyone else seems to be having fun.
From the Chia Pet to a Fez hat to a Christmas ham for a vegetarian to handcuffs to cheesy romance novels to really bad Christmas sweaters to a nose hair trimmer to assorted doilies to Ken the Art Director to, yes, the fruit cake, Lowe foists upon us the worst gifts anyone could hope to receive this year in a video called Worst Gift Ever. However, the agency redeems at the end of the video as Lowe lets us know they've partnered with TORCH to provide really great gifts to students who really need them.
New York agency Catalano Lellos and Silverstein always seem to come up with dance-themed holiday cards and this year's is no exception. They've created Cirque Du CL&S, a full blown stage production complete with faced cartoon characters and audience participation. It's odd. It's quirky. It has a funny ending.
Leo Burnett held out for a while. Digitas held out longer. But, today, Publicis Groupe announced it will acquire Digitas for $1.3 billion or $13.50 per share. We're sure George Parker will have a lot to say about this one.
Sparked by a handwritten note marked "How do you ask a Ninja for a free hug?", Twist Image disseminates its take on the holiday card, which is less holiday card and more video collage of happy 2006 moments. Some inclusions: the "free hugs" guy, the live-action Simpsons intro, Animator v. Animation and the viral OKGo treadmill video.
Lee Hopkins claims this is the best Christmas card he's ever seen. While we think those are strong words, we're inclined to agree, and not merely because they remembered to include Ask a Ninja (which automatically grants all-star status). We wish the cats at Twist an equally happy holidays.
|
