More (Yawn) Levi's (Yawn) Fake (Yawn) Lame (Yawn) Viral (Yawn) Idiocy

levis_fake_stairs.jpg

Seriously? Levi's is *still* pumping out these ludicrously fake videos? And we're still watching them? And writing about them?

Hmm. Guess ludicrously fake is still a viable strategy.

by Steve Hall    Dec-18-08    
Topic: Strange, Video, Viral



DZ Nuts Turned David Zabriskie's Tights into Freedomware.

dz-nuts-fireplace.jpg

Cyclists have it hard down under. All those hours pushing pedals literally chafes balls, which is funny from a distance but sobering enough that the condition requires an anti-irritant, aptly called "chamois cream."

To contribute to the well-being of fellow bikers, pro cyclist David Zabriskie developed a cream called DZ Nuts -- pronounced "deez nuts," a colloquial expression defined as "The large, sweaty, hairy dangling spheres of man-hood containing future illegitimate seeds that swing violently in the wind when slapped."

more »



Sony Style Invades City with Edible Electronic Surprises

sony-chocolate.jpg

We're not really sure why, unless it's a pun on "Sweet," the spot's last word.

However you feel about sticky streams of chocolate dripping from the sky, the track in the ad is gratuitously cute and almost excuse enough to watch it a few times.

Directed by Tronic for Sony; music by Nylon.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Dec-17-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Strange, Television



Eyevertising: Further Proof There is No Final Frontier in Advertising

eyevertising.jpg

The next time you find yourself in bed with that person of your dreams and you lean in for the kiss, don't be surprised if, when your lover closes their eyes for the impending kiss, you see an ad gracing their eyelids.

Oh yes. Eyevertising is here. British beauty brand FeelUnique is offering to pay 10 pence per wink up to a total of 100 pounds. Exactly how all of this will be measured is unclear but that's irrelevant. Like all of its cousins, it's all about the PR and has little at all with the actual exchange of money.

A trip down blank-vertising memory lane brings headvertising, dogvertising, forehead advertising, assverting, bravertising, blogvertising, bloodvertising, adverblogging, invertising, advergaming, chipvertising, thongvertising, replacevertising, busvertising, police car advertising, adverwear, and urinal advertising.

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-08    
Topic: Human, Strange



If You Love Dogs And Fish, You'll Love the New VW SpaceFox

vw_dogfish.jpg

What do you get when you cross a dog with a fish? A Brazilian Volkswagen commercial, of course. Courtesy of Almap BBDO, we are treated to the love between man and dog(fish). Apparently, if you can imagine such a creature, you are worthy of owning a VW SpaceFox

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-08    
Topic: Commercials, Strange



BK Smells, 1984 Turns 25, Ad Age Makes Us Wait

bk_flame_fragrance.jpg

- Burger King has bottled the Whopper and is selling it as a fragrance. Seriously.

- Writing in Advertising Age, Marissa Miley has advice for college graduates considering a career in advertising. Out advice? Don't.

- Oh God. Really? Bob Garfield is out with his 11th annual Bobby Awards which recognize the best acting in commercials. Now if only the Ad Age site worked today, we'd link to it.

- And while we're on Ad Age, NBC plans to "reintroduce" shows such as Heroes and Medium. In other words, let's see if that mass media reach thing still works.

- Adscam reminds us today is the 25th anniversary of Apple's 1984 Super Bowl ad. It's today, and not next year because 25 years ago today, the ad ran once at 1AM on Twin Falls Idaho station KMVT so it could qualify for the awards shows in 1984.

by Steve Hall    Dec-16-08    
Topic: Brands, Strange



For Every Air Hump You Vouch For, Someone Out There Gets Protection.

durex-rabbit-dude.jpg

We've all fantasized about making a living out of sex, drugs and poorly-tuned instruments. So it's likely we've all played air guitar -- the process of using your fingers to make sweet love to an instrument that isn't really there.

Thus inspired, McCann/Paris launched Safe Air Sex, a campaign that takes the concept of air guitar and applies it to (SAFE!) sex. Confused? Watch Rabbit Man molest valuable O2 after shimmying an invisible condom onto his imaginary three-foot jimmy. (We love how, to segue into condom application, he goes, "Stop. In the name of love.")

more »

by Angela Natividad    Dec-16-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Online, Racy, Strange



'Carol of the Pickles' Stops Short ... for Murder.

pickle-carol.jpg

In this tiny burg populated by upright-standing pickles, the townsfolk come out, don hats and carol for the viewing pleasure of omnivorous predators.

All's well until a giant hand reaches down and takes a big noisy bite out of a baby pickle -- right after his solo. The savage! Mangled bits of soured cucumber fall from the sky, a disturbing yellow stain splashes across the snow, bystanders vomit relish ... and the miracle of singing dill becomes a wretched crime scene.

By Firehouse/Dallas, which, as of this moment, are the only people we want to invite to our birthday party.

more »

by Angela Natividad    Dec-15-08    
Topic: Agencies, Good, Online, Strange, Video



Twitter Before Birth, FlightLipDub, Best/Worst of '08

free-will-power.jpg

- Geek rigs maternity device to tweet when his unborn baby kicks. Probably the earliest instance of Twitter use EVAR. (Thanks, Atif!)

- Collateral Damage's top 10 marketing blunders of '08. There's way more than 10 ("It was a very good year for very bad things"), and the top two are tied. Go figure.

- Deep Focus does FlightLipDub.com -- the new online home for Flight of the Conchords.

- Free Will Power aims to safeguard "the future of pro-choice America." There's spoken word poetry! And a T-shirt contest!

- It's a site on the hunt for beautiful ads.

- Another advertising socnet.

- Best and worst of AdFreak. If you consider what Collateral Damage's worst marketing campaign was, you can probably guess AdFreak's best ad of '08. We'll give you a hint: celebrity mashup.

by Angela Natividad    Dec-15-08    
Topic: Cause, Online, Opinion, Strange, Trends and Culture



Peanuts Does Advertising, Detroit Gets Loan, Layoff Story Shared

mandy.jpg

- Detroit-based writer, Mandy, was recently laid off. On her blog, she shares the drama and emotion that goes with losing one's job.

- Charlie Brown and crew illustrate how an agency goes through the process of creating a Christmas card.

- The I'm Just Sayin' Show dissects the Jessica Alba Photoshop Debacle.

- The House voted in favor of the auto industry bail out...sorry...bridge loan.

- Santa Claus is dead.

by Steve Hall    Dec-11-08    
Topic: Agencies, Celebrity, Strange, Video