Would You Buy Brad Pitt's Chewed Gum?

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That question is rhetorical.

Brazilian actor Caua Raymond is auctioning off a hunk of chewed Trident that he kept in his mouth, just for the fans, for exactly 15 minutes.

Video below! Hope you speak Portuguese. Diggin' how Raymond has a dude with a tray and a glass receptacle, hanging around for moments like this one.

For reasons I sure don't understand, the vid is the most-viewed on YouTube Brazil today (280,743 views and counting). The "winner" of this spit-saturated dream-pebble gets to meet Raymond in a ceremony, where the money raised from the auction will be donated to charity.

So Trident, I guess that highlarious mastication movie just didn't work out for you...?

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by Angela Natividad    Dec- 4-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause, Celebrity, Online, Promotions, Strange



Dog With Cracked Chest Explores Dangers of Cocaine Use

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Drug use is a serious issue. Drug PSAs are usually hard-hitting, in your face, depressing and emotionally draining. Apparently the UK-based national drug information service FRANK didn't get the memo when they had their new campaign created.

The campaign centers on a dog called Pablo who is a drug mule. In a commercial, Pablo mixes and mingles with drug dealers and users all while his chest is cut open because he was a mule.

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by Steve Hall    Dec- 4-08    
Topic: Cause, Commercials, Strange



Holiday-Style Frozen Pole Game Baffles

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It's official. Two makes a trend so the rebirth of the send-to-a-friend time waster is upon us yet again. Following Ceiva's Sit on Santa's Lap, Mullen has created Frozen Pole, an upload-your-face, choose-your-wardrobe, send-to-a-friend thing. It's purpose? To get your tongue stuck on...wait for it...a frozen pole. You know. Like in the movie.

One might assume this little effort could be for some sort of fireball-style candy or some hot chocolate brand or a even reverse logic effort to promote travel to the Caribbean. But no.

It's for...voice recognition company Nuance which is introducing a new product..

Hello? Hello? Anyone? Can some one explain this? Or at least point out my utter stupidity at not grasping the concept? Because it wouldn't be the first time my stupidity got in the way of grasping a concept.

UPDATE: Someone has saved me from my own idiocy. Apparently, though it wasn't clear when I did it, I've been told "when you send message to someone from the site, it translates what they are saying with their frozen tongue into a readable holiday message."

by Steve Hall    Dec- 3-08    
Topic: Games, Online, Strange



Laptop Tattoos, Adult SocNets Exiled, Wal-Mart Roves for Digital Agency

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- Wal-Mart's looking to unload its $40 million digital ad account. The shortlist includes Resource, Digitas, MRM, R/GA and Razorfish.

- Digital Mad Men! Watch. Watch. Because Vince Kartheiser talking Caturday is probably the funniest he's been in his short career so far.

- Dell cracks open Design Studio -- where users can pay $75 to get a unique image "permanently tattoed" onto their laptop lids. o_O That's a slightly steeper commitment than the peel-off-friendly GelaSkins.

- Arby's brings hard-ons. I really hope they don't put this on TV.

- MySpace does video streaming on mobile phones. With ad support.

- As of January 1, adult social networks will not be permitted on Ning. (Pretty good) reasons listed in the link.

- YouTube cobbles together digital chamber music orchestra.



'Here Comes Pete, the Meat Puppet!'

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When this is over, don't look at us and go, "What the hell is Diesel smo-kin'?" because we sure have no idea. (To be fair, smiles cracked when coke, whores and other misfortunes drove Pete the Meat Puppet to eat one of his own legs.)

One ad like this is quirky. But two? It's practically a spree.

For Diesel by FarFar and Legs. Reception's been mixed, but at least one person on YouTube seems to think the company's intentions are heart-healthy and noble.

All-singing, all-dancing meat magic below the drop.

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by Angela Natividad    Dec- 2-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Online, Strange, Video



No, No. He Doesn't HAVE Crabs, He's HALF Crab.

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This random spot by Heat/SF for Electronic Arts depicts a tragic sk8erboi who can't play Skate It because he has crab claws for hands.

"All my friends play it. They say it's rad. It's just my dad married a ... crab."

Collective awwwww. Sucks to not be able to live the dream. But hey, he'll get over Skate It, and you know what they say about men who like fish.

By Green Dot.

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by Angela Natividad    Dec- 2-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Games, Strange, Television



Ozzy Osbourne Faces Off with WoW's Prince of Darkness

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The ad cash just keeps pouring in for Ozzy Osbourne. Fresh off that Samsung spot for Leo Burnett, he's enlisted with Mojo for a World of Warcraft promotion.

The more blitzed he is, the better. And it probably only helps when he makes batshit-insane statements like, "Well, maybe you're the one who's been riding a fucking CRAZY TRAIN!" while teetering. (In case you didn't catch that with your ears, captions -- now a staple for Ozzy cameos -- have been included.)

At spot's end, WoW's "What's your game?" slogan is modified with yet another bleeped-out F-bomb.

Just another piece of high art by production company Green Dot Films. The latter called it the most-viewed spot on YouTube this weekend. We don't know about that, but ratings have been generous.

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Stripvertising, Social Media Etiquette, Pot-Driven Cautionary Tales

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- Hurtin' for love? Advertise on a stripper's apple bottoms. Dolla make you holla! (Via.)

- BU needs money too.

- Mind your social media Ps and Qs.

- The rumours are true: it snows in Switzerland.

- Ivanka Trump blogs for Brides.com.

- Bogus Nike discount code. Boooo. (Hoooo.)

- Maybe that dam is somebody's house.

- Possibly the best marijuana PSA evar. If you watch it while high on 4/20, the universe will fold in on itself. Also, just for the record, I have ironed my hair while under the influence. It is so, so dangerous.



Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss Commercial An Awkward Mess

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Straight out of advertising's Book of Awkward Moments comes this Thanksgiving-themed commercial for Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss who, after giving thanks and offering prayer for President Bush, President-Elect Obama and the troops, gives his granddaughter a very creepy chest grope.

Creepy as that move might be, it's made even creepier by the two grand kids who utter "...and vote for my big daddy." With the commercial just dripping with overtones of family value, the ending is a bit shocking. Even more shocking is the fact no one noticed Chambliss' awkward hand movement before the commercial hit the airwaves.

by Steve Hall    Dec- 1-08    
Topic: Bad, Commercials, Political, Strange



What's that Underfoot? ...No, Not a Bell.

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"We're opening more lanes than ever ... to make Christmas shopping easier!"

Given what happened at its Long Island location, I think it's sorta weird that WalMart's still airing this ad. I saw it at least eight times this weekend -- and each time, without fail, it brought to mind the Black Friday Death Trample.

In it, lights from open aisles flicker to the tune of Carol of the Bells, which always struck me as a semi-creepy song anyway. (Don't make me explain why.) But now it also rings with the heavy panting of crazed, slightly overweight bargain hunters, indelible red splatters ... and the cracking of bones.

The spot first aired during the 2007 holiday season. Co-workers claim a woman was trampled then too, but that's cool because she was "a repeat stampede faker, from what I read," one dutifully disclosed.

WalMart, what good are extra checkouts without an orderly entering and exiting process? Stampedes don't organize themselves.

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by Angela Natividad    Dec- 1-08    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Commercials, Promotions, Strange, Television