Porsche Cayenne GTS Launch the Last Work For Carmichael Lynch

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Finishing up its work for Porsche as the account shifts to Cramer-Krasselt, Carmichael Lynch, which landed Subaru without review in November, has released its last work for Porsche. To launch the Cayenne GTS in the states, Carmichael Lynch created a new TV spot and, along with Fabric Interactive, a new website which is currently counting down to the vehicles January 28 launch.

In the commercial, a Cayenne driver ascends the mountains overlooking LA and, in a nod to some sort of urban myth, revs its engine to which other Porsches respond. It's really that simple. The site doesn't have much on it for now other than the spot itself, a countdown clock and a little engine rev thingy. Hopefully, we'l see more January 28th.

by Steve Hall    Jan-14-08    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Online



Ford Slaps Brand Enthusiasts, Returns Love With Legal Punch

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While brands certainly don't want people using their products, logos and other related imagery to create products of their, own, the hammer that Ford legal dropped on the Black Mustang Club seems a bit heavy handed. Recently the club created a calendar which contained images of club members' cars photographed by the members themselves. Ford didn't take kindly to this and asked CafePress, the service the group had chosen to print the calendars, to kill the project claiming all the images in the calendar are the property of Ford...including the Black Mustang Club logo (this has been clarified in the update below. in actuality, it was CafePress which, based on past Ford trademark dealings, initially refused to print the calendar).

It's understandable that a brand would and should do everything it can to protect itself from any kind of potential negative effect but to attack a group of people who, clearly, love the product in question simply for showing their love of that product is, well, idiotic and more harmful to the brand had they done nothing at all.

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by Steve Hall    Jan-14-08    
Topic: Brands, Consumer Created, Specialty, Worst



Wendy's May Dump Saatchi

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Wendy's, apparently not pleased with its red wig campaign, may be leaving Saatchi & Saatchi, AdScam's George Parker reports. A Saatchi source tells Parker production has ceased on all work. George didn't like the red wig campaign citing its lack of relevance to the brand and its lack of message content.

We're not sure we agree. Following the death of iconic Dave Thomas, Wendy's work hit a low point. We think the red wig campaign succeeded in eliciting a "whoa, that's pretty good in a weird sort of whacked way" reaction. Whether it sold any hamburgers we know not.

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by Steve Hall    Jan-10-08    
Topic: Agencies, Brands, Campaigns



For '08 Olympics, Adidas is the People's Nike

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With help from Stink and TBWA\China, Psyop put together "Together" for Adidas and the '08 Olympics. Tagline: "Impossible is nothing." It's very Nike, with a little power-to-the-people in concentrate.

Victory, meet China.

by Angela Natividad    Jan- 9-08    
Topic: Brands, Commercials, Direct, Good



McD's Tears 'Barista' Out of Starbucks Playbook

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Brandkeys publishes this thing called the Customer Loyalty Engagement Index. According to this year's index, Starbucks lost serious ground in '07 for forgetting what made it a big name in the first place: the coffee experience.

Who's winning the loyalty of Third Place defectors? McDonald's, which stole ground from Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts last year. To leverage its swell in traffic, the burger-and-clown franchise is opening coffee bars throughout the States, and it'll be pushing lattes, cappuccinos and frappes.

Maybe to prove there's no magic to SBUX that can't be duplicated elsewhere, McD's will be calling its coffee peddlers "baristas" and making coffee machines visible over the bar.

Hrm. We're having trouble picturing ourselves sipping macchiattos over a tile floor that smells like pee. But hey, two apple pies for $0.99? Can't beat that.

by Angela Natividad    Jan- 9-08    
Topic: Brands, Packaging



'Best Ad Ever' is for ... Volvo? Guess So.

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Dave and Eddy claim they've found THE GREATEST AD EVER. (And it's not that damn Volkswagen ad.) In an attic!

Visual fetishists, prepare to be disappointed. It lacks color, imagery or music to boost its emotional cred -- just 1,033 words to paint its picture. It's compelling, clever and persuasive, if you bother to read it. And it's for the Volvo! See the ad, sandwiched somewhere amidst Dave and Eddy's gushy storytelling, right here.

by Angela Natividad    Jan- 9-08    
Topic: Brands, Good, Magazine, Packaging



Zune Goes Silent, Stays Pretty, Over Times Square

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The Zune is getting mighty sexy ad-wise. (Not like Microsoft hasn't got the blow to cash -- er, the cash to blow.)

The brand enlisted TAG, SF to build a silent spot for the 20-foot GeoffreyTron billboard in Times Square. The final product, Zune Tron, made use of work by Stardust, whose job it was to enliven the spot without use of actual sound. That's a tall order considering the product is an MP3 player, but it turned out damn pretty. It must have been gorgeous in person.

by Angela Natividad    Jan- 8-08    




GEICO Gecko Gets Talky with Otter and Jellyfish

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GEICO supports wildlife conservation. Not convinced? Watch the gecko have a heart-to-heart with an otter and a jellyfish, courtesy of the Association of Zoos and Acquariums.

The gecko shtick never gets old. We're glad GEICO didn't lose sight of that in the face of its neurotic caveman's mushroom cloud popularity.

Catch the gecko in the flesh at the San Diego Zoo's Children's Zoo from January 5-February 17. You'll meet a few real geckos, and a big fake one too. (The GEICO mascot, that is.)

by Angela Natividad    Jan- 8-08    
Topic: Brands, Cause, Commercials, Good, Television



ABC, Kimberly-Clark Intervene on Rooms in Need of Therapy

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ABC's The View and Kimberly-Clark -- the pretty name behind a bunch of brands lying around your house -- are conducting their second annual Room-a-Day Giveaway. 16 people will get 25 grand for a room makeover from January 12 to March 7.

15 winners will be announced on the show; the 16th will appear on the March 13 episode. Last year (arguably the height of the UGC craze) the contest got about 3.6 million entries.

It's not like there's anything else to watch, right? Damn writers strike.

by Angela Natividad    Jan- 8-08    
Topic: Brands, Promotions, Television



Xerox Unveils Beach Ball As New Logo

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Perhaps they haven't seen ATT's logo. Perhaps they don't care their new logo conjures a lazy Saturday afternoon at the beach. No, Xerox and Omnicom' Interbrand, which just unveiled its new logo today, thinks a red beach ball will do just fine conveying its desire to be known as a company that is "engaging and approachable." Yes, "engaging and approachable" just like small child at the beach who wants you to play beach ball with them.

After 20 years of that big red X, 18 months of research and development has yielded...a beach ball. Yup. When we think of a serious document management company, we think of...a beach ball. Don't you?

Anyway, life goes on and after a month or two, no one will even care about this let alone remember the original red X logo.

by Steve Hall    Jan- 7-08    
Topic: Brands