Bill Green points us to yet another entry in the increasingly popular Geico Caveman saga. In this latest commercial, our caveman friend is subjected to unfeeling, uncaring news anchors who frustrate the poor guy even further. He's got a nice rant in the middle of the spot though. Bill also tells us there's another clip that appears to be a movie trailer for the campaign. We don't know if these will sell any insurance but we cerainly are entertained by them.
Beyond Madison Avenue has examined two recent AIDS campaigns. The first, an LA-based campaign which carries the headline "HIV is a gay disease" is causing a stir but if those causing the stir would just read the body copy, they'd know that's not entirely what the ad's saying. The second, a German campaign, carries a racier tone typical of many European ads and cites, "It's easy to lose your head when your horny." Oh, the double (or is it triple) meaning there is just gold.
While fast forwarding through something on the DVR last night, we saw what looked like claymation character so we rewound to realize it was a new commercial called Half Baked from Ben and Jerry's. Its one of four in a series, created by Amalgamated and animated by LAIKA/house, that "claymates" ice cream flavors into characters. Shawn Waite isn't sure he likes the literal translation of the spots but we don't like to think too deeply about the topic of ice cream so we're just fine with their simplicity. If anything, they're quite different than ice cream advertising that has come before. Check the commercial out here, here, here and here.
At the corner of Bloor and Avenue in Toronto, Stella Artois unveiled a gigantic two-ton object called The Trap. At the heart of the monument sits a shining glass of Stella Artois beer. The campaign also features chalk drawings, printwork and a game in which pedestrians try to unravel a virtual maze.
The Trap is in Toronto until Oct 25, after which it'll do rounds of cities like New York and San Paulo. Check out shots of it here. - Contributed by Angela Natividad
In yet another version of the eBay forehead/pregnant belly advertising thing, the very cute Leah Culver is asking for donations to retire her six year old G3 iMac and buy new MacBook Pro. In return, she promises to etch the names/brands of those who donate onto her new laptop for all to see in the San Francisco area for as long as the new computer lasts. She's already raised $2,687.44 which would appear to be enough to buy the MacBook but she's still selling adspace. Leah, tell us when you sell out, buy the computer and design the laptop cover. We'd love to see it. (Photo by Tantek)
Here's a seriously strange commercial that's part of Chicago's Healthy Streets campaign, an effort that aims to "redesign streets around the needs of people rather than motor vehicles alone." Last we checked, roads were for cars but, then again, in America, we tend to blur definitions to satisfy as many people as possible without offending anyone. PC tirade aside, this commercial, in a refreshingly un-PC like manner promotes Bob's Fuller Roadside Memorials, a company that delivers memorials to accident scenes so the person who killed someone can honor their victim. It's done so seriously that, at first, you think it's real until you realize you were an idiot to think so in the first place.
We're told some in Chicago are up in arms over the crass approach this commercial takes but we applaud it for it's in-your-face originality and departure from the standard lecture approach most "drive safe" campaigns take.
Seattle, home to Seattle Grace, McDreamy, McSteamy and...oh wait...that's the TV show. Though just like the show, the real Seattle likes to make up words too and has defined itself as Metronatural, a sort of mash-up representing the Seattle metro area's close proximity to vast, natural wilderness. No doubt, this word will get much play in the media and we can't wait for New York-based Gawker's take on it seeing as New York is/was home to the Metrosexual. Anyway, we're told this bit of brilliance is the result of a year's work. Seattle-based agency Exclaim is to be blamed...uh...credited with creating the concept which will, we're told, be plastered all over the world as part of a worldwide publicity campaign.
- HP's "Personality Profile" in which profiles NCLS players cuts a bit too close the company's "profiling" company executives and journalists.
- Ariel, and all of us here at the "what the fuck is up with all this web 2.0 shit?" Adrants offices, wonders why two grown men spent almost an entire month bitching about giving proper "link love" and why they thought anyone would care.
- Boston-based dairy Hood just launched two :15s, created by VIA which you can view here.
- Marketers are stepping up efforts to plant ads in decoy files found on questionably legal peer to peer sharing sites.
- George Parker says of the new Lexmark campaign which has placed printers in public places, "I don't need a fucking printer in the middle of the Santa Monica freeway."
- One of the largest advertising discussion group lists, i-advertising has relaunched. Check it out.
We're not too sure what Sorel was thinking with this one but we know it did not make us want to put their boots on our feet. Or eat that hot dog either. In fact, we're inclined to stay pretty far away from boots so insulated you could cook over them, any kind of food cooked over boots and people that put the two together. We almost wonder if that's what Sorel was shooting for. - Contributed by Angela Natividad
In an amusingly scathing piece about Donny Deutsch's Gotham magazine feature "Deutsch Mark," Copyranter, on a Gawker writing assignment, takes a look at Donny's work and concludes it's all just another piece of fat-headed self promotion. Analyzing article word counts, Copyranter finds the Donny, without surprise, likes to talk more about himself and his Big Idea show than the article's subject matter. But we aren't going to complain because, Speedo aside, we'd love to be as famous as the Deutsch man, have out own TV show and have Gawker crap down our mouth too. Oh wait Jessica's gone and we haven't tasted the new shit yet.
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