It's always interesting to see marketers take an old, familiar canvas and do something different with it. And that's probably the only reason why this paired ad for Dasani and Sports Illustrated is worth mentioning. It's certainly not as nerve-wracking as this, as exhausting as this or as eye catching as this. But it makes an effort, and it's sort of clever. Kind of. Maybe. Actually the length of the straw makes the whole thing feel a bit silly.
One has to wonder what idiot over at Bacon's came up with this lame idea. Recently, it sent an email out to its subscribers offering...wait for it...a DVD with all the Super bowl ads on it...for $500! Does Bacon's really think the PR industry, or anyone for that matter, hasn't heard of iFilm, Yahoo, AOL, YouTube, MySpace, Advertising Age, USA Today, the DVR or any of the thousands of other places Super Bowl commercial can be seen for...oh...$500 less than $500? Apparently not as it seems to think there are people in this world that will cough up $500 for what everyone else can get for free. Whacked. Truly whacked.
UPDATE: Competitrack is doing it too. Are we missing something here? Do people actually pay for this sort of thing?
Here's a little game. Adrants reader John Brock sent us a link to a story about a product called Brief Safe. It's a way to hide valuable in plain site but deter anyone and everyone from going near them. what is it? It's a pair of underwear with a hidden pocket and...yes...disgusting skid marks on the back. Just hang these babies anywhere and you're guaranteed no one will go near them.
John wonders how a product like this would be marketed so let's have fun. How would you do it? What would you do? Tells us in comments and we'll publish the best answer right here on the front page.
VIA Group, the same people who brought you the spilt-milk crying fiasco, orchestrate a strange little gimmick for Kick Start, a campaign to keep kids straight about school.
Because we all know how well that Mr. Ed concept flew, Kick Start introduces Norm the donkey, which magically appears in the bedroom of a boy playing video games, gives him a pep-talk and hind-kicks him when he refuses to do his homework. The boy is then convinced he really should do his homework and is even fascinated by it.
We tried to visit the Kick Start website but confused the actual one with another Kick Start organization for kids that's run by Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris, helping kids build character? Now that would really kick ass. We heard he does all his grocery shopping at Home Depot.
Apparently, the backlash over the Snickers Super Bowl commercial in which two men end up kissing after eating a Snickers bar from opposite ends was too much for the company to take and, as a result, the candy maker has taken down the commercial's accompanying website, afterthekiss.com. Typing in the URL simply redirects to the Snickers site.
While we liked this spot purely for its shock value, there's a faintly high probability this will have a very real negative affect on sales. Can you imagine the looks one will now receive from the checkout clerk when they buy a Snickers bar? That's just way too much snickering for most people to take and there's plenty of other perfectly good candy choices with far less embarrassment attached to them.
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We admit it's mean to make fun of people with ailments such as men who "want to to spend more time having fun and less time in the men's room, to guys who want to go less at night" but we must say, the commercial for male urinary and prostate drug Flomax made us sit upright in our seats after all those other distractingly humorous Super Bowl ads. Aside from the fact the product sounds like the name of a feminine napkin, something about medical ads that creeps us out.
Because sometimes you do feel raped and pillaged post teller-visit. We're not sure how E-Trade can help considering active investments defeat the idea of just parking money someplace "secure," but whatever. The friendly waves, cuddly animal masks and thank-yous to the hostages were good touches. See the ad here.
A tipster tells us the hair care brand Sunsilk was behind the creation of the strange "bridezilla" video which was posted on YouTube January 18 and received 9 million views before it was pulled. It's back up now and in the video, a bride enters a hotel room full of bride's maids, proceeds to flip out and cut her hair off because it looks so bad. Initially thought to be an innocently created farce, it's now been revealed the four women in the video are actresses and were paid to appear in it. What wasn't known until now, according to our source, is that Sunsilk, working with Toronto-based Capital C Communications, was initially involved but backed out at the last minute. It's unclear why Sunsilk separated itself from the project.
While the four women are getting all the glory right now, we've spoken to the director of the video who has graciously promised us more details as soon as he makes sure all his legal "I's" and "T's" are properly crossed. As soon as we have more information, we will gleefully pass it along to you.
UPDATE: Sunsilk, perhaps jealous of all the media attention the four actors are receiving, is now acknowledging their involvement with the creation of the video.
In a witty ploy for press, Taco Bell, unlike other fast food brands who have derided Nationwide's depiction of the fast food career as less than desirable, has offered a job to Kevin Federline and the promise of a customized Taco Bell uniform. Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed sent this offer letter:
Dear Mr. Federline,
First off, congratulations on your upcoming Super Bowl ad. We heard it's generating a lot of talk, particularly about working in the fast food industry.
We know you respect those who work in our business. In fact, last year you said in an interview, "My kids are going to have to learn what a real job is, what life is. You don't have it easy with me. Period. My kids are going to work at Taco Bell."
We're flattered, but obviously they're too young to work for us. So here's our offer to you: Come work for us, just for a one hour shift. We'll get you a uniform, a custom name tag and show you what a great place Taco Bell is to work. We'll even reward customers who visit that restaurant with an order of our new Carne Asada Steak Grilled Taquitos for free.
We encourage you to continue to "Think Outside the Bun" and hope you accept our tasty offer.
Sincerely,
Greg Creed
President
Taco Bell Corp.
Now, that's the kind of marketing think we respect and appreciate.
OK, so this isn't exactly a Super Bowl ad but it's kinda fun. Adrants reader Benjamin George tells us it's a "parody of the 1985 Chicago Bears' Super Bowl Shuffle with Yogi, Boo Boo, Smokey, Pooh, and other cartoon bears." For anyone that was around in 1985, we suppose it'll bring back some memories. Or nightmares. Called Super Bear Shuffle, it was created by Big Game Hunters.
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