Oh how persnickety people can get online. Once again it's a cause group and once again it's "mommy bloggers." Today PETA mass-tweeted "Never-b4-seen photos that will convince parents never 2 take their kids 2 the circus: http://bit.ly/7ha9NL" to over 150 Twitter users according to Allie Sullivan who watched the drama unfold this morning. The tweet linked to a site on which photos depicted the training of baby elephants for Ringling Bros. Circus
Without surprise, the mass tweet was met with a bit of vitriol such as "@officialpeta fuck you I hate PETA and always have" from @JessicaGottlieb. But it was also met with what, in the first place, PETA should have, if you're a social media believer, been going for: a conversation. Luckily, one did start between the cause group and Lucretia Pruitt. And by all accounts it ended pleasantly.
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What is is with women in showers these days? Burger King in the UK has launched Singing in the Shower, "the world's first guilt free showercam." Created by Cow and Pancentric Digital, visitors can "watch our shower babe shake her bits to the hits at 9:30 every morning." And they can vote for the outfit she will wear and the song she will sing the next day.
Targeting men (over 18...the site is age-protected) to get them to buy breakfast, the site also offers the chance to win a date with the shower babe who, presumably, could shake her bits in private for the winner. That or slap the boy silly for even thinking such degrading thoughts.
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So Method ran a humorous commercial, called Shiny Suds, showing scrubbing bubbles taunting a naked woman in the shower. After complaints from people who actually likened the spot to condoning rape (we kid you not), Method pulled the commercial. Words fail at this point but we'll give it a shot:
1. Cause groups and feminist blogging should be outlawed.
2. Everyone with a stick up their ass over this should promptly shove it all the way through until it pops out the top of their head. Hopefully they'll die and allow the rest of us to "use the loofa" without feeling like we're being gang raped in the shower. (Where the hell do people come up with this crap?)
3. Brands should grow a pair and proudly lift their middle finger when confronted by a gaggle of idiots who have nothing better to do than to suck the last drop of humor out of life.
4. Just for fun, Dow should hire an army of men in Scrubbing Bubbles costumes, send them to BlogHer (and the rest of the female conference circuit) and have them ejaculate foamy white stuff all over attendees. That ought to get some panties in a bunch.
5. Um... Nope. Got nothing left. Feel free to add your own.
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Ever wish you could take something back? I do.
The tidal wave of commentary on this over the last few days has certainly given me a taste of my own medicine and reminded me of a couple of things:
#1 - When you're wrong admit it.
#2 - When you hurt someone's feelings say you're sorry.
I was wrong, and I'm sorry.
"The campaign features three 30-second television spots that use the element of surprise to build excitement for the new Minnesota Millionaire Raffle game Each spot features a game-show-like host who wheels a large raffle drum into busy locales where unsuspecting patrons are encouraged to play an instant raffle. The spots are built on genuine reactions as people go from shocked and reluctant to actively participating and cheering"
Now that's some well-written PR copy. And we didn't have to go digging through a collection of attachments or ridiculously worded releases to find the nugget of information. Thank you, Colle+McVoy.
Now on to the campaign. Generally, we're not a fan of marketing stunts that involve random appearances in unlikely places. After all, if we're shopping, we're shopping. If we're eating, we're eating. Then again, you can't do stunt marketing (or most any kind for that matter...yes, we love you inbound marketing) without a little bit of interruption. So we can't complain much about this campaign.
The campaign also includes print, radio, outdoor, transit and mall. You can view the three spots here, here and here.
At the risk of igniting yet another firestorm over gun control, is it worth pointing to an Iver Johnson Revolvers ad that ran in 1913 which claimed its guns will "shoot straight and kill" while at the same time claiming 'accidental discharge impossible"? Of course it is. What better way to get your brain working on a Post-Thanksgiving Monday?
So this ad, which shows a little girl in bed holding a gun has a quote which reads, "Papa says it won't hurt us." By today's standard's the ad would be freakishly out of place. However - and please don't lump us in the pro-gun category becasue we are clearly not - properly cared for and stored guns don't kill people. Carelessly and foolishly handled guns do.
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So by now you've seen the video of Microsoft Store employees breaking into "spontaneous" dance in their new Mission Viejo store, right? If not, watch it here and then come back.
OK? Was that the most horrifically forced thing you've ever witnessed? Not that this is news or anything. After all, everything Microsoft does is forced, unnatural and desperate. What's news is the fact the video has been labeled a viral stunt.
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Back in the day we'd all watch in awe "viral videos" which showed people doing seemingly unbelievable stunts that would escape the abilities of normal human beings. For a few seconds, we actually believed there were people out there that could do such amazing things as catch sunglasses on their face, jump over moving cars or make amazing basketball shots.
Now, we scoff at the idiocy of brands who shill this shit. Yet, we still watch. We are still amazed. It's like a Saw movie. We don't want to watch but we can't turn away as people are slowly and gruesomely mutilated in new and different ways.
So Samsung is out with a couple a videos to pimp their involvement with the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Purportedly, they were shot by the brand's Mobile Explorers. In one, a skater drills herself into the ice and, in another, a hockey player scores a goal with a 40 pound curling rock.
Both are mildly amusing. Both will get views. Both will not sell any Samsung phones.
When you sit down in front of your computer, do you suddenly feel like you're being assaulted with images of the intensity of life? The wonder and glory it brings? The passion and desire it creates? Do you feel like your every sense is being given it most intense workout?
Perhaps you will after you view this new Latin America-focused Sony Vaio commercial from El Segundo-based Ignited. In the commercial, we are asked, What if technology could make you feel more human?" We are then pummeled with imagery Dove Onslaught-style. But the imagery is "good" imagery. The things we want to feel and experience.
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As follow up to a post he wrote on his blog about the good old days of advertising, George Parker followed up writing, "Apart from a stroll down memory lane and reminisces about great bars and restaurants, many of which no longer exist, the big question raised was, was the work better, and did we have more fun doing it? Yes, I think the work was better, and I know that will raise a shitstorm from young fucktards who think creating stuff for digital, viral, WOM, CGC, and whatever else is flavor of the month is harder and requires a greater range of skills. To which I answer, you are probably right, but that's not the fucking point."
Parker continues, "It's still all about ideas and great content... Not fucking execution. There seems to be a great deal of confusion on this. Do it on the back of an envelope (or better yet, a cocktail napkin) before you spend fucking hours tarting it up in Photoshop and Illustrator, or whatever you create incredibly finished layouts in these days. If it doesn't work on the cocktail napkin, it certainly wont work on your 42 inch monitor. So, order another drink and start over."
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Bill Green of Make the Logo Bigger and the new Adverve podcast took a look at a new commercial from Chase and was reminded of the World Trade Center tribute. The one where they had the blue lights shining up into the sky from the former location of the towers. We have to say, it does recall that imagery for us a bit as well.
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