Bob Knorp's Beancast always pulls together and interesting group of people. On this week's episode were Angela Natividad (yes THAT Angela), George Parker from Adscam and Greg Verdino from Crayon. No sooner had the three got on the phone with Bob before Angela and George managed to devolve the pre-podcast call into a discussion of rapist ducks, the SEO value of Paris Hilton and obscene activities performed on plastic ducks.
The rest of the show is just as great. All kinds of great commentary on Amazon buying Zappos, Target as taste maker, Walmart bludgeoning suppliers for more ad dollars and Twitter ability to generate $48 million worth of media coverage for itself without lifting a finger.
And in classic form, George talks about getting drunk no less than three times in the first 15 minutes.
And poor Bob. The editing must have been pretty difficult editing out all the times George cursed. Oops, you missed one, Bob.
As Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh wrote in a letter (below in full as well) to employees following the announcement Amazon would (from the press release) "acquire all of the outstanding shares and assume all outstanding options and warrants of Zappos in exchange for approximately 10 million shares of Amazon common stock, equal to approximately $807 million based on the average closing price for the 45 trading days ending July 17, 2009," it's really about the two companies sitting together in a tree like two lovebirds starting a relationship.
Yes, Amazon will now own the Las Vegas-based apparel and footwear retailer.
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The LA-based denim brand Hudson Jeans has been infused with $30 million in capital from Fireman Capital Partners and has hired Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall's daughter, Geogia May Jagger to front the brand.
Hudson CEO Peter Kim said, "One of the key things the investment allows us to do is further the creative process. When Hudson was founded, the vision was to be the next great iconic brand. The investment brought us resources to take this business from where we are today to where we expect to be when we grow up."
The creation of the campaign was overseen by Lipman's David Lipman, a Hudson investor and partner at Fireman Capital. Mario Sorrenti photographed the campaign and styling was done by Camilla Nickerson.
A couple weeks ago, we announced the launch of questionably-named mobile company, KGB, a service that offers human answers to texted questions. As a follow up to the launch, another commercial features two guys arguing over whether or not Archie Griffin won two Heisman trophys.
Spokesbabe Elizabeth Bogush just happens to be within earshot of the two bickering men and offers a challenge; the loser gets to wear her skirt. Which, odd an visually unpleasant as that may seem, is a coup for the rest of us becasue we all get to see Bogush flaunt her figure in her underwear.
Esurance, The Independent Film Channel and Saavn have teamed up to offer Bollywood lovers a chance to co-star in an animated music video with icon Erin Esurance. There's an Erin Esurance? Who knew? Oh silly us. Of course there's an Erin Esurance. She's the spokescartoon for the brand.
Anyway visitors to a promotional site will have the chance to enter the Esurance Bollywood Casting Call Contest. Participants will submit videos of re-enactments of their favorite Bollywood movie scenes. The winning entrant will star in an Esurance Bollywood music video that will premiere in September during "Wake Up To Bollywood," a presentation of Bollywood films airing each Sunday morning at 10 AM, on IFC.
So get your Bollywood Booty on, people.
Hmm. So a Delta faucet that can be turned on by tapping the spout so you don't get your dirty hands all over it? Brilliant, right? Except for when you're out and the cat decides to jump up on the counter, prance over to the sink, paw the faucet, get the shit scared out of it as the water comes gushing out, has a heart attacks, dies and when you return, a large pool of water is covering your beautiful hardwood kitchen floor because the cat fell into the sink and blocked the drain. Is this really that wise an advancement in sink technology?
Oh and the ad...which is what we're supposed to be talking about here in the first place? Meh. Oh it gets the point across which, one supposes is, uh, the point but wouldn't a battles of wills as to faucet etiquette between the Verizon Dumb Dad and a dirty mud wrestling beer babe be more interesting?
Well it was bound to happen eventually. A vehicle shaped like a giant hot dog can't drive around forever without the occasional mishap. Yes, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile's time was up and it found itself ass backwards inside the garage of a Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin home last Friday.
Oops.
Apparently, the driver was attempting to turn around and drove forward when she thought she was moving in reverse. Hey, with a vehicle shaped like that, it's hard to tell which end is the front and which is the back. Well, yea, we're quite sure the driver's seat faces in just one direction, forward, but give the lady a break., Driving a hot dog is, well, confusing to say the least.
Apparently this Sprite commercial was banned in Germany though it's listed as spec work on YouTube. But let's not get bogged down with details. No. Let's just enjoy the explosively effervescent glory the man and woman share together in the ad.
- We really like this America-themed Levi's commercial, part of a recently launched Wieden + Kennedy-created campaign for the brand.
- Giant toilet mascot for Denver Water runs through a fountain and scares off kids. What has advertising come to?
- Someone spent a lot of time and effort to examine a Nissan Hypercube promotion in Canada during which the creators "took their hands off the wheel and major details were overlooked."
- Paddy Power Poker Pro Spray will make you very very sexay!
- Toshiba launched a series of Young & Rubicam Brands-created 'reality' webcasts in which two all-American towns: Boring, Oregon and Normal, Illinois will compete to see which town's residents can use Toshiba technology to become the more exciting place. Filming will take place with video postings on MySpace beginning Monday, July 27th.
- When we think of sneakers, we think of hyperdive-powered intergalactic space vehicles. Don't you? Well Under Armour does.
- There's a time and a place for humor.
Scarlett Johansson, whose chest Woody Allen simply cannot stop staring at, has landed a new spokesmodel gig for fashion label Mango. She follows Penelope Cruz and is featured in a new ad campaign.
Images from the campaign are here.
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