Pepsi’s bad Santa.

As if you needed more proof that Coke owns Pepsi. To quote a recent advertising line: “Really?”

Krispy Kreme as brain food.

Nice to see someone put a little spin on THAT DAMN SAYING.

(Via.)

Special Olympians.

It’s an old spot but I just caught this now running in the dirty South. A nice twist with the Special Olympics dealing with perception and how people are labeled. Need newer Olympianage? Check out a recent P&G spot after the jump called What I See.

(Agency: JWT London.)

Btw...

- Get learned on the math stuff.
- Why you should log out of Facebook after visiting the Apple Store.
- Badass honey badger. (NSFW.)
- We’re gonna need a bigger dog.
- Airbags now standard on all KFC buckets.

“Allow (blank) to access your entire life?”

DENY. This rant brought to you by yfrog. It’s a spinoff of ImageShack where I host some images. (It’s one of a few choices you have in Tweetdeck in terms of what service uploads your images.) FF >> to last week when I found out though that they had accessed my private direct messages and published images of client work I'd sent to a co-worker. They deleted them after I sent a panic email, but the point is that people still have no idea how much personal stuff third-party applications are controling.

Not. Cool.

Holiday burgers? BURN YOU SOME.

State Farm’s Burnin’ Down The House Down* series is back, just in time for the Fourth.

*It’s not really called that, I just went for a cheap Talking Heads ref.

Where are the graphic warning labels for junk food?

After seeing recent stories about the graphic labels that will soon appear on all tobacco products FIRST COVERED HERE, here’s a thought... if the intent is to wake a complacent public up to the dangers of smoking (as the FDA’s commissioner recently said), what about the potentially harmful health effects of other products people use? A slippery slope, because as you listen to the FDA’s rationale in the interview, many of the same reasons for showing the effects of smoking can be applied to other product categories. Car accidents > mobile phones, and so on. (Notice how I went with the more tasteful combo of moobs and beer belly to start off your week, instead of the more graphic toes need to be amputated shot.) Ill effects can take as long to appear as diabetes et al., so why not include them? Where do you draw the line? Will things move beyond simply removing soda machines from schools to requiring this stuff on everything people eat? Discuss!

DON’T GO IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM.

Only thing scary in this Rob Zombie directed spot for Woolite’s Torture is the number of fades. Damn man, ease up. Still, nice to see a brand depart from its usual clean family image. Someone tell Woolite though it’s not that exclusive a spot. And it’s also time to stop with this tactic: I never had to like anything on TV to view a commercial (besides the show I was watching) – why should I have to online? Yet another example of brands wanting something from viewers. (I’m calling them viewers and not fans, sure. (What fan of Rob Zombie uses Woolite?) Those freaks probably never wash their delicates anyway – IF THEY OWN ANY. Anyway, to disrupt a brand’s like campaign, just wait for it to appear on YouTube kids.

(Via.)

Btw...

- Only you can help jobless Mexican Playboy flight attendants.
- Earn Chuck Bucks.
- NYC, don’t forget about same-sex divorce either.
- Going deep on memes. You were warned.
- Bau Deinen Burger und werde berühmt! Ich bin lovin’ it!

Journey to the center of the pickle aisle.

WHERE YOU WILL NOT FIND CLAUSSEN. EVER. Good stuff from Vinny Warren and Escape Pod for Claussen pickles. I don’t often eat pickles, but when I do (btw, holy shit, along with pancakes, they put pickles with everything down here). Nice to see another category though actually reinvigorated I think GEICO and what it did for insurance (but do not think the forced Mayofesto of Miracle Whip and what it’s trying to do). Onward Sir Edwin, onward. (Touch you some more pickle after the jump.)

"Where can we take the customer."

“You gotta start with the customer experience and work backward to the technology.” As the fanboys find even more Jobsabilia (raises hand), here’s an old tape from Apple’s 1997 Developer conference. Check in around 50:00 when for three minutes he explains Apple’s guiding philosophy based on consumer experience. (A little context is in order for this appearance as he was only serving as outside consultant to Apple at this point.) His response as he deals with a non-fanboy is a little dramatic what with the pause and all, but he remains chill throughout. (Interesting to hear him advise against TV too given where they’ve lived for the past few years.)

(Via.)

Surviving the valley of the shadow of death.

When’s the last time a healthcare spot used the word death? Nice, straight-forward testimonial vibe from a physician perspective for Akron Children's Hospital. No music, no drama, just doctors interacting with patients. This feels more real than anything I’ve seen yet in the category. (More stories after the jump.)

New Zealand - Come for the website... stay for the volcanoes.

I haven’t been to New Zealand but I will after visiting their site. (Maybe not this week though... busy!) Nice to see a tourism site in some time that does something different with its layout.

(Via.)

In the clink? Call Team Pink.

Pure bail bonds awesomeness. Because you want your bail “Fast and sweet.” Lipstick will even offer you a ride home in their pink Hummer. If that doesn’t scare you straight, nothing will.

The way they were.

Back before there was Jetification, there was the year 2000 for Jet Blue. Not bad though!

Yeah, I’d app that.

So I got me this here iPhone... I NEED TO CATCH UP ON TOO MANY DAMN APPS. It’s been out for a while now but I saw Google Goggles demo at a Coke mobile summit today, along with some things they have in the works where they can pass the Goggles over an area in real life and see what was previously there. (It assumes you geotagged that area after you recorded already.) ... (Check out their search by voice feature with this clip.) Then there’s the flavor fo the month app Hipstamatic. After toying with it, and it may be an over statement, but where Polarid years ago allowed anyone to take pictures, this dam app will let anyone take an idiot-proof shot. Anything you shoot looks amazing... PERFECT FOR INDIE RECORD CD COVERS. Speaking of music, Shazam is the shit. NEVER MISS A SONG AGAIN.

Be the cow.

The Jet Blue of chicken is at again. Dress up like a cow for Cow Appreciation Day and get you some free.

Btw...

- Listerine Mouth vs. Life.
- Fat World.
- Hipstamatic Nike freaks.
- WD-40 Military Collectible Series. (Via.)
- Andy Warhol photobooth pictures.

Beancast - Hashtag this thang.

Yours truly has been busy as..., apologies for the lack of quality content you’ve come to expect – or quantity of content. You choose! (No real work per se, just me out on the road buying iPhones and taking pictures like this.)* So yeah, anyway, it’s always odd to be on a show with someone from a brand you’ve given an inordinate amount of shit to, but Pepsi digital director Shiv Singh was totally cool this week. (He does not know my love for the brand, apparently.) Joining in were Kelly Eidson from Modea along with Gini Dietrich, (Spin Sucks). (Show notes here.)

Download the show now or listen through iTunes.

Tags: Beancast

*I kid. Busy as hell but how karmatically odd to have THAT be the first pic I take with my SHINY NEW TOY?

Btw...

- Jail the tweeters. (Via.)
- Email before email.
- Hopeisnthiring.com (Not with that attitude it isn’t!)
- More beer in college stadiums.
- Baldwin is busy!
- Snickers can suck it.

Boston asks Nike if they’d like some more free PR.

So much for a runner’s high. *sigh* Take it down is Nike’s Modus operandi. “Get high” promotes drugs, they say. Okay, it does. But the other kind: endorphins. Boston Mayor Menino can expect a Christmas card and one free pair of Nikes now.

Amerika the beautiful.

These Americans is another great time waste on Facebook focusing on the way we weren’t.

(Via.)

All 2011 Fords now with pet assist.

FINALLY a Rube Goldberg interpretation that does something a little different. Un chien conduit une voiture! Ford Paris put together an homage to a previous spot as well as man’s best – I SAID HOMAGE. Dig how it plays with perspective and layers as you move through the story, actively parking and assisting! Music is a tad obnoxious but cute pets win out! They always must.

(Via a Live and Uncensored woman.)

Team iTax.

Civil disobedience as another use for QR codes? Here’s that! Apple fanboys got a nice twist recently after Team QR showed up at the Worldwide Developer’s Conference in San Francisco. But when iFans followed the code online, they were greeted with a protest against Apple’s alleged tax-dodginglowering initiatives.

KFCertified.

Well okay then. The certified cook must have been off then all those times I hit KFC. BUT DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. YouTube Nation, help a blogger out:

“HAHA. For a while they were running ads saying there was a chef at every KFC location. Someone must have called em on it and now they have "certified" cooks at each restaurant. Certified probably means they watch a 15 min instructional video and took a 10 question multiple choice test on it. Marketing is so stupid. Fucking AMerica.“
– vinwwe


“KFC tastes good, but there marketing campaign is horrible, the problem is the company hires the stupid fuckin morons who have no fukin business sense. Today tastes so good ? - thats the gayest fukin slogan ive ever heard. and this dude with hairy ass arm touching up the chicken and fukin bathing in the flour does not help at all ! now thumbs up you Popeyes bitches”
– zidane583

The commercial your commercial will never be like.

Hopefully. “You guys should stop ripping off Old Spice's advertising campaign.”  Thank you Mr. Sugar. “Fitting that I could only find a copy of a copy of this commercial. I only ever use Edge shaving gel, but as bad moves go, no, no, no, no, no no, no. Don’t do this.

Until you understand it, you’ll never be it.

Wait til mom gets home.

Perfect Father’s Day spot from Steak ‘n Shake. I HAVE PAID OFF THE KIDS LIKE THIS TOO. I’ve also come home and gotten blank stares after asking which one of them was responsible for the CD wedged half in and out of the CD tray. (Via.)


(Agency: Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners.)

Btw...

- 100 oldest .com domains.
- Weiner condoms.
- Yes they cann. ICANN gives brands their own domain.
- Warfiti. (Via.)
- It might be Van Damme’s best work yet.
- The Best Thing.

Calling all doc stars!

All our physicians are board certified platinum! (Least they didn’t spell it as one word.)

(Via MultiCult.)

“What does any of that mean?”

It’s a dot com buzzword orgy by the new breed of Silicon Valley Douchebag.

(Via.)

Made from the (blank) stuff on Earth.

Not sure where to go with that one... insert at will. Maybe Rush Limbaugh is TEAsing with his new Two If By Tea drink? I THINK NOT. Screw the Brits! There will be no taxation on his new tea without representation. Enjoy the puns and enjoy the concoction. (At least the cause is good.)

The way they were.

Run from the border, circa 1996. MONGE A CYBERMEAL! (Taco Bell’s graphics wouldn’t load but the copy on it is still great.) Instead, get you some 7-Eleven 1998 slurpee.

Our hackers are better than their hackers.

(By Patrick Clair.)

A cool infographic breakdown of the Stuxnet virus. Helltastic indeed.

Btw...

- Ask Tony Hsieh anything about shoes. Go on.
- Invents amazing apparatus can’t count to five.
- Another one bites the dust.
- Burger King burgers – now with Real SPAM.
- After The Rapture Pet Care.

Btw...

- Samuel L. Jackson reading a children’s book. (Free download.) (Via.)
- Hillary comic book.
- Modern music timeline. (Via.)
- Bacon Ipsum.
- Never worry about closet space again. (Via.)

Be the next Dre

Or be the next you. Whichever. Wheels of Steel = epic dj remix madness. Click to ad a song to the turntables and off ya go.

(Via.)

Word to your brushless.

The latest local greatness from Rhett & Link kids. Little forced, but still works.

The way they were.

Clorox love, circa 1996.

AdVerve 75 - Socialfication

Play the show now.

Aka, another ‘cation’ episode, aka, wherein your two cohorts in ad podcast deviancy wax rant poetic about social media hacks and posers, among other things. It’s been a few shows since we went off on those deserving of our... going off, so why not social freaks? What, you were expecting a cake for our 75th episode? Maybe next time.

(Image.)

Hilton Head - Hotbead of Hotties!

Attention Hot Senior Singles* in your area now! Besides being disappointed that Drudge missed out on a gem like “Weiner won’t pull out,” I’m bummed it’s taken me three months to get my first piece of awesome direct mail. FORGET THE DANGEROUS INTERNET BECAUSE THIS IS NOT INTERNET DATING. It’s better, it’s direct mail dating! Old people Active seniors don’t go online anyway. DO THEY? Yes, yes they do.

*Forehead scar and nasty color are not my doing. They just aren’t!

I wanna be like Dirk.

There aren’t any “I wanna be like LeBron” vids this morning. LeBron may be right, we all will go back to our lives and live them however we do. But he misses the part about being a dick. Athletes disappoint. IT’S WHAT THEY DO. But it’s also the fans’ fault to a large extent for investing so much of their own lives in the outcome of a game. The pain and suffering their favorite athlete bestows upon them – whether real or imagined, on the court or off – is flipped around as fan Haterade thanks to really awesome Nike commercials. It’s okay to want to win, that’s what fans want. But when you promise multiple championships to a city after leaving your hometown fans in a lurch, it rings false when you the other team’s bench outplays you in the biggest game of the year.

Kids rule, parents should die.

Have you noticed a change for the worse in the attitude towards parents as well the attitude towards kids in advertising in general? (I’m merging some streams there, so hang on.) You’ve probably seen the latest Domino’s spot where kids revolt over revolting pizza, and where also the woman at the end gets nailed with a ball? Good times! (Also check out an appearance by classic brand icon The Noid at the end under the easel.) There’s just something about that and another spot for Bing that’s been a recurring theme, and it’s this sense of mean-spiritedness.

No dessert until you finish your masterpiece.

Yeah, well, let’s see if she can pull off abstract expressionism with an Etch A Sketch, then we’ll talk. There’s a comment to this piece on art phenom Aelita Andre though that sums up a bigger problem. Whether it has everything to do with God-given ability or artist parents who nuture kids, the way students are exposed to creativity in schools these days is still lacking. That said, forget her art for a second and notice how confident she is as she creates here. Amazing.

“There are many children that age who have a natural artistic sensibility. Our education system does not nurture artistic sensibility so it often gets weeded out over years in the system. Her parents are both artists so they have been nurturing her from birth. In other words, if someone paid attention long enough (and had an eye for it) you'd probably see more artistic talents emerge at an earlier age. Perhaps not to the extent of little Aelita here, but then who knows?” – CarlaMusic

(Via.)

Beancast - Hooked on Facebook.

Ronald dies. Netflix rules. LinkedIn blows up. Tablets are good. Facebook can suck it. Who was on? You know the names, now see the movie: Jaffe, Wolk, McDermott and mahself. (Show notes here.)

Download the show now or listen through iTunes.

Tags: Beancast

The way they were.

Hah-vahd, 1697 1997.

Happy weekend you groovy cats.

Before you get out of control this weekend, a cautionary tale.

Btw...

- Way to ruin the weekend.
- Personification continues.
- CBO.
- The Museum of Me. (H/T > Zeke.)
- I really hate xylophones.
- Stuff I’m sent.
- Buy you some type stuff.
- Chick spray.
- Yea Barbie & Ken brandjacking!
- EA Harmony.

Trident auto repair, can I help you?

“that isnt a torque converter or an exhaust manifold, nor could “your torque converter blow a hole clean through your exhaust manifold’ lol this commercial is funny.” MVPgoalie 4

“Edible currency.... America is screwed..” thatguyyoudontfeel

“I can’t believe the brand approved this.” mtlb

Hahn Super Dry Beer - made by men for men.

TO BE DRUNK BY MEN. Super Dry Badass Janky goes in, Super Dry Badass Janky comes out. Hahn Super Dry – drink it in your Man Cave slash testosteroom.

(Agency: Publicis Mojo Sydney.)

Because werewolves need burgers too.

If nobody wants to do the BK-Crispin thing, Sonic got this. “No, no, we’ll keep the two people talking in front seat thing... we just might... push it a little more.” Damn, Sonic.

Always tickle a guy who has a gold tooth.

Don’t judge, I’m just in the mood for silly-ass spots this week. Hertz > #Winning!

We’re gonna need a bigger TOS.

Overly dramatic readings of Apple’s iTunes EULA by Richard Dreyfuss, but still, how cool if celebs actually read a brand’s TOS.

DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME.

70s collision rescue was no laughing matter.

You’ll remember the Alamo now.

(NSFW) By now you likely heard movie theatre the Alamo Drafthouse’s unique self-promo piece. Unintended as a self-promo I’m sure, but hey, when life gives you irate self-entitled customers, you make viralade. Too busy lately to rant hardcore like I used to but this is worth me taking five. When agencies and brands and gurus and whoever else talk about “Content is King,“ the discussion is usually in the context of projects that cost a lot to produce. (Ray-Ban vids may go viral but not before some serious cash is put out to both make and seed them.)

But with Alamo here, they’ve shown you don’t need a large budget. There’s no alchemy at work here (except maybe the time spent on After Effects). Things at work: 1) Knowing who you are as brand, 2) Recognition of voicemail gold, 3) People love watching other people lose it and 4) The willingness to do something with it.

The way they were.

Today’s Kmart, yesterday! (1996.)

Btw...

- Kung Fu Cooking Girls.
- Amazon the Ponzi scheme.
- He’s a wildman, you know that?
- One monkey got fat.
- Always shop around.

Donate yor werds.

UNICEF - Donate a word from Katharina Schmitt on Vimeo.

Okay, cheesy headline, so what. Very cool idea for UNICEF by a couple of Miami Ad School ad students Lisa Zeitlhuber and copywriter Katharina Schmitt. For every misspelled word you generate in Google Chrome, there’s an option for you to donate it, in theory reinforcing the idea that somewhere kids can’t spell because they need education. Two things jumped out about this though. Yes it’s a simple yet effective idea, but one that should transcend any one browser. (Share that shit kids.) Secondly, the article ends with a call for Google to hire them – not an ad agency. In this instance, it’s not about a digital vs. traditional divide in advertising agencies, but whether students should even work in one versus going the way of a dot com.

(Via.)

Air safety by Brooke.

There have been a few pre-flight air safety instructional clips done with kids, but this older Thomson Airways still has The Charm™. Using pets will be next. EXIT ROW DIAGRAM BY BROOKE.

Freedom from boring work.

Some day I will only ever have Amnesty International or the Ad Council as clients. Then I would spend copius amounts of kaish producing whatever I wanted. Some of it might even be cool (I’d hope).

Taco Bell’s 12-Pack Posse.

“wowwww really that one person who disliked it really just pissed me offffff!!! this is the bomb commerical and who ever disliked it just wanted to mess up the damn streek... :( man this upsets me... hahhaa <3 THUMBS UP IF U ARE NOT ASSAMED TO REPLAY THIS VIDEO EVERY 2 SECONDS!”

“Pick one up the next time you throw down.” And here I thought them’s fightin wordz... yo.

SIGN YOU UP SOME.

Free Betty White lap dance with every new sign-up. I KID. Go about your business youngins.

(Agency: GSD&M.)

Overheard internet.

Yep, they wrote it...


“Impressive! “Their porn site webcam prediction in picture #4 was right on.”
– change order


“I agree. Piracy is the best thing that ever happened to Microsoft. If DRM worked, China - unable to afford Windows- would be a massive base of innovation for Linux desktops, and ultimately undermine Microsoft. If copyright were strongly enforced, nobody there would know what Louis Vitton is - instead it is now home to their most profitable store. -- Piracy is great marketing. Better even than free. You have distribution of free accelerated by the impression of value. The best reaction to piracy is to leverage the demand and user base. ”
– aneth

IT’S SUMMER!

I LIKE WENDY. She of Take180 has enough of a Pee Wee Herman vibe here to make this work. She could even make “Good Mood Food” work. (Maybe not.)

Vote Johnson.

Ramping up that election cycle kids.

Like our Prophet on Facebook too.

Mypeace in Australia is stirring things up with an ad campaign pushing the idea that Jesus was only the opening act, not the headliner. TV, outdoor and busvertising. Don’t forget the social networks? JESUS ON THE TWITTER.

Not if they were free.

Would I wear these. Now that I’m in the land of golf courses and 30 mph speed limits, this spot has been running a lot lately. HOW DO YOU WEAR THESE FOSTER GRANT LIGHTSPECS WITH A STRAIGHT FACE? Imagine your blind date wearing these at dinner. The HELL?

Mt. Donuts.

So I’m visiting old haunts yesterday on business and grabbed a drink at Dunkin Donuts, then saw the Mt. Dew pairing slash partnership slash cross-pollinated brand intregational opportunity they’re currently pushing. Two three four things about DD lately.

First. Shoulda called it the Dewlatta. (Thanks, here all week.)

The way they were.

Subway edition, circa 1997.

MTLB SC NYC OK.

Yes, I’ve been neglecting my audience. MY BAD. Ennyway, after a recent spate of new biz pitches, here’s a different take on NYC THAT I WAS JUST IN LAST NIGHT. (Define irony: Move from CT to SC then revisit NYC.) So Plan of the City is a very cool animated piece about New Yawkers up and moving their ass and buildings to Mars.