Wild Animals + Celebrities = Fashion Foolery

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Oxfam America is out with a new campaign that pokes fun at high fashion advertising by substituting models with livestock including alpacas, goats and chickens. Real fashion photographer Pier Nicola D'Amico shot the campaign and Mini Driver along with Scarlett Johannson lend some dry wit.

The campaign is headed by "The Hidalgo," a crazed fashion freak played by comedian Chris Wylde. New videos highlighting the silliness are being released several times a week until the end of December.

Follow the series on YouTube as it unfolds.

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by Steve Hall    Dec-16-10    
Topic: Cause, Celebrity



Young, Hot Mr. Youth Employees Raise Money For School

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It's sort of like one of those drunken videos shot at a party where everyone mugs into the camera trying to look as sexy as they can. Except in this Mr. Youth video, no one's drunk, everyone has all their clothes on and intelligence wins out over insipid idiocy. But everyone is still really sexy.

This video calls attention to a fund raising effort that will result in Mr. Youth building a school in Laos this Fall. Thankful for the fact everyone at Mr. Youth has benefited from a privileged life of education and mentorship, the employees want this school to be a means for others around the world to benefit as well.

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by Steve Hall    Dec-16-10    
Topic: Agencies, Cause



Diddy, Microsoft Team For Holiday Charity Campaign

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Microsoft has hooked up with Diddy for an IZEA promotion called 12 Days of Tag that will donate $50,000 to charity over the course of 12 days. Each day, Diddy will tweet links to Microsoft Tags that relate to a charity. The charity with the most scans at the end of the day will receive the donation. Charities currently vying for a $10,000 donation include Doctors Without Borders, United Way and Greenpeace.

Check out Diddy's explanation of the campaign and download the tag smartphone app here to participate.

by Steve Hall    Dec-15-10    
Topic: Cause, Celebrity, Social



You're an Asshat for Calling 'Dibs' on That Parking Space

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This campaign is sure to spark some street fighting. In cities hit by heavy winter weather, calling "dibs" on a just shoveled parking space is common practice. But it's not legal. And this new campaign from Chair Free Chicago aims to put an end to the practice of placing chairs in parking spaces as a means to claim them.

Chair Free Chicago has published three signs Chicagoans can download and place in shoveled spaces to make it known saving (hogging?) parking spaces is not appreciated.

Signs range in tone from the apologetically admonishing Minneapolis Mad ("It's just so gosh darn snowy here in Chicago, if everyone started saving spaces, why, we wouldn't have anywhere to park!") to the more aggressive New York Mad ("Consider yourself a selfish prick, you selfish prick."). There's even an option for those who believe actions speak louder than words ("Free! Please take me home, I'm all yours.").

Our favorite is the New York version which drops "asshat" into the copy.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 9-10    
Topic: Cause, Poster



iPad Drinkspirated, Games Socialized, Honda Gets Naughty

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- Absolut is out with an iPad version of its Drinkspiration app.

- To help raise money for the United Way, Colle+McVoy has launched Happy Exchange where everyone is invited to join the effort by posting their smile for just $1.

- Calling McDonald's a "hip hangout" is never a good thing. Especially in a forced product placement.

- Former buy.at executives have launched Performance Horizon Group which is out with new products aimed at improving campaign management for agencies and lead generation for publishers.

- Gossip Girl's Blake Lively has been tapped (not literally, of course...because that would be gross) by Karl Lagerfeld to front his Winter/Spring 2011 Chanel ad campaign.

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Lingerie Football League Hotties Save Rabbits, Elephants

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OK so when you first start watching this video all that comes to mind is, "Damn, those girls are hot and I want some of that!" Then, once you get your horny ass libido under control and listen to the women speak about the torture of rabbits and elephants and how it relates to their lives and the lives of their loved ones, you quickly realize the Lingerie League Ladies aren't pieces of meat to be toyed with for your own pleasurable gain. Kinda like the rabbits and the elephants you'll see beaten and killed in this PETA video.

Yes, the hook here is barley dressed hot women but the message is real and powerful. We used to get really angry at PETA for ruining the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus experience for us but after seeing image upon image and video upon video of how elephants are treated so they perform properly, we just can't go to the circus any more until Ringling Bros changes their ways.

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by Steve Hall    Dec- 9-10    
Topic: Cause



Do You Know the Underwear Rule?

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The underwear rule, according to a new Grey Amsterdam-created campaign for The Council of Europe, states that "a child should not be touched by others on parts of the body usually covered by their underwear. And they should not touch others in those areas."

The campaign aims to educate children about what's wrong and what's right when it comes to touching as well as to call attention to sexual abuse. The campaign offers information to parents on how to teach the underwear rule, why it's a good rule and what to do if abuse is suspected.

Breaking today in 47 countries, the campaign will include TV, a downloadable book and online videos featuring a cartoon character named Kilko who explains boudaries, what's acceptable and what's not.

by Steve Hall    Nov-29-10    
Topic: Cause



Kim Kardashian is Dead

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According to this ad from Alicia Keys' Keep A Child Alive charity, Kurvaceous Kim Kardashian has passed away. Many will mourn the loss of the delicious diva who, it seems, gave up her digital life to help raise money for those in Africa with HIV/AIDS.

Sad as the plight of children in Africa may be, there's an upside to this campaign. There will be no tweets or Facebook updates from Kim until her life is bought back with money donated to BuyLife.org.

Kardashian is joined in this campaign by Jay Sean, Katie Holmes, Ryan Seacrest, Serena Williams, Usher, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Lady GaGa and Swizz Beatz.

If you haven't already figured it out, Kardashian is obviously not dead. But, lest we subject ourselves to the wrath of literalist celebu-trolls, we thought we'd clarify: Kim Kardashian is not dead. This is just an ad campaign.

by Steve Hall    Nov-29-10    
Topic: Cause, Celebrity



Alzheimer's Ad Illustrates Zero Percent Survival Rate

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Earlier this month, the Alzheimer's Association ran an ad in the Wall Street Journal with the headline, "We'd show an Alzheimer's survivor here, if there were one" and the copy, "0% survival. 6% the funding of cancer. 100% insane."

It's a powerful message and a clever concept. And an advocacy group for Lou Gehrig's Disease wonders where its powerful ad is.

by Steve Hall    Nov-29-10    
Topic: Cause, Newspaper



Playboy Playmates Assist Captain Morgan's Charitable Efforts

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Captain Morgan has partnered with Playboy and 20 of the brand's Playmates to support One Million Poses. The efforts aims to gather one million Captain Morgan poses - uploaded by anyone - and donate a dollar to responsible drinking charities for every pose uploaded. Check out the Captain Morgan facebook page or the promotion's page on Playboy.

by Steve Hall    Nov-26-10    
Topic: Cause