McDonald's Lures Snowboarders With Rooftop Ski Slope

Snowboarding makes you hungry so why not, as a marketer, make sure snowboarders have a clear view of your restaurant while they are out getting air. That's exactly what this Quebec McDonald's did by placing a see-through "slope" over the top of its restaurant, albeit a fake restaurant as a commenter corrects. Now, every time a boarder passes over, he's greeted with the view of tables full of McDonald's food.

Break Dancing Worm Grabs Attention in Visa Check Card Ad

We all know VISA's launched a huge, new campaign with the new tagline, which we like very much, "Life Takes VISA." We all know there's tons of TV spots supporting this campaign but one, which we saw a couple nights ago, just seemed to stand out from the crown. It's called Worm/Recycling and sort of makes you wonder what it is at first as it begins with line drawings of a worm breakdancing to electronica before it becomes obvious it's a commercial for the VISA check card.

The commercial was created by TBWA\Chiat\Day and the nifty special effects work was done by Brickyard VFX which did the special effects on the Comcast Slowskys ad.

Coke Launches Music Show, Features R&B Artist Ne-Yo

To help promote its free music site/show, Stageside, Coca-Cola has signed a deal with Billboard R&B fave Ne-Yo to be the first feature artist on the the show. Subsequent episodes will feature other artists along with live concert footage and interviews. Each show will be subtlety branded by Coke. The segment with Ne-Yo is interesting enough but whether or not it gets peope to buy rather than file share his music is another story. Still, it's a good way for Coke to get its name in front of a hard to reach audience.

'American Copywriter' Talks Shit About 'Long Intestinal Transit Times'

In one of the most hilarious American Copywriter podcasts yet, Tug and John discuss the latest ad campaign from Dannon which promotes their Activia yogurt with Bifidas Regularis, a bonified "nonsense word that's been trademarked" as Tug and John have categorized ridiculous, marketer-created terms like this one. Activia is a yogurt that helps women poop better. Yes, and Dannon actually trademarked the term Bifidas Regularis as if to make some kind of inside joke. I mean they might as well just have said "Dannon, the yogurt that helps women shit better." And the ads, oh the ads, Tug and John rip them with as much fervor as anyone would one of those goofy drug ads that ty to make a medical condition into some kind of normal lifestyle. You have to listen to this podcast. Especially to hear them try to understand what it must have been like to be the copywriter on this project.

Apple to Unveil Million Square Yard Ad, Viewable From Space

MIT Advertising Lab points out Boakes.org has discovered a gigantic iPod ad built on an abandoned mineral mine in Australia. Reportedly, Steve Jobs acquired the land two years ago in a poker game. The ad, supposedly set to be unveiled Saturday is roughly one million square yards in size and looks like the new iPod video. Boakes surmises the unveiling will coincide with Apple's 30th anniversary and may be tied to the launch of Apple's touch screen iPod. The "ad" is viewable on Google Maps here.

Of course, as one commenter points out, it could all be a lead up to an elaborate April Fools Day joke. Or, even better, a new form of satellite map stealth advertising.

Anything But Cute, Caliber Copies Ass

The joke is so overdone and we really wonder if anyone ever did it in the first place but this copy-your-ass co-op for the new Dodge Caliber, a car created for the 25-34 middle income crowd, just make us laugh. We don't know why. It just does. Maybe we copied our own ass in a drunken stuper years ago and this brings back memories. The campaign will include a slew of television commercials and additional print executions. Pardon the crappy scan.

MSN Music Teams With House of Blues For Branded Experience

In an effort to lend some cool factor to MSN Music, The Wexley School for Girls and General Public have, in partnership with the House of Blues, created a branded experience for venue's MSN Music Nights. Elements include a special drink, temp tattoos, drink glasses, projections, in-house tv films, branded instrument installations, bathroom mirror stencils, t-shirts, bar shirts, collectible download cards, posters and silk screened drum heads. The work looks great and appears to blend nicely with the House of Blues decor. See two more images here and here and a video here.

Coke Trademark Application Points to Launch of Entertainment Destination

Right Here Now did a bit of digging through the trademark database (not exactly something we'd enjoy doing) and found a newly-filed trademark from Coke that involves the image of two leaves which form the shape of the Coke bottle and which will be used for what seems to be a public Coke branded entertainment, cultural and sporting destination featuring Coke memorabilia. Not that this is entirely surprising as brand are seeking new ways to associate their brands and create connections with consumers in a manner other than traditional advertising. The trademark application also makes mention of of use in a public aquarium indicating one possible site Coke may sponsor or create on its own.

UPDATE: Well call us stupid. A commenter tell us the trademark thing is old news, writing, "The new World of Coke Museum is being built next door to the Georgia Aquarium. The combined entertainment zone will be called Pemberton Place after the founder of Coca-Cola, John C. Pemberton. This logo, and the name Pemberton Place, are already in use around the construction site and the Aquarium."

The King Frolics With Spring Break Hotties

There's really not all that much to say about The King making an appearance during Spring Break other that to point you to the images and let you enjoy the tantalizingly, curvaceous sights.

Quark Crams Three Logos Into One to Avoid Plagiarizing Others

Following their logo design screw up that resulted in a logo nearly identical to the Sottish Arts Council logo, Quark has, again, redesigned their logo. Given that the new logo looks like three logos crammed into one another, we think it's unlikely another company will step forward claiming plagiarism.