“As long as there are babies and dogs, there’ll be Chevys to bring them home.”

There are two more spots out now in the Chevy Runs Deep campaign which continue their mining of life’s most precious moments. Lot of people have dumped on the approach as being done too many times before, The concept of cute babies and puppies, always a winning combo for online success, gets its own treatment in two different executions.

“As long as there are babies, there’ll be Chevys to bring them home.” 

Fitting, since a lot of babies were probably conceived in one. (Chevrolet: French for circle of life.) I’ll say this one rings true because damn if I didn’t bring home our daughter in one. And then promptly rear-ended the Lincoln we were behind waiting to make a left. This, after our bundle of joy had cried out, and I turned my head and barely tapped the gas, resulting in $1,500 damage. The construction of the Lincoln thus proving itself superior to my Cavalier.*

Google’s voice.

Headline SEO bait aside, it’s not about their phone service. During this weekend’s games they’re running this older Droid spot with Lance Henrickson handling voiceover duties. Yes, they’ve already dabbled with a mass market campaign, but it made me wonder what the voice of Google would be like if it had one. I thought about other products with iconic voices, such as Kevin Spacey for Honda Accord, or Sam effing Elliot for just about anything having to do with America.

Tech brands now though – especially mobile – have assumed this collectively vague, indeterminate voice. (So does Apple, when it’s not using songs.) The voices sound fine – they just don’t stand out. Sufficiently generic for sufficiently generic times I suppose.

Don LaFontaine aside, people seem to respond more to a celebrity voice more than they do a generic voiceover artist. With all the different types of people who use Google, the challenge would be in finding that voice which hits most of their demos. Not sure a multiple celeb thing would fly either. That many stars appearing in a spot always feels like an ad campaign, if not a PSA.

As interesting as it would be to hear Sam Elliott letting loose with a gritty “What are you looking for,” I doubt he’d get the call. But, do they even need one? If so, what about a female voice as a nice change of pace in the category?

The 2010 ESPN NBA RV – now with more leg room.

Yeah, it’s a long note to hold for Jeff Van Gundy, but that’s part of the gag. Another solid spot for ESPN’s NBA coverage.

Everyone welcome... even you.

Sunday means church. Here, it means church ads. Central Christian Church of Las Vegas works the misconception angle in a series of voiced scenarios addressing why people might not go. It’s down to earth and features a range of personality types not unlike YOU AND ME. Throw in a little dynamic animatype action, and it’s a spot that says CCC welcomes everyone. Nicely played, as they say.

(Via, via.)

I have an idea...

I came across these older clips from *news reporter* and *critic* Charlie Booker on what it takes to make it as a producer and writer in television as well as . I don’t doubt it’s far from what writers have to deal with in the U.S. market. While some of the steps might not align with advertising, the path to how an idea gets bastardized is.

(Via.)

Happy Halloween.

Remember, when you commit to a costume, stick with it.

(Via.)

Btw...

– AIDS, Child Abuse, and the Destruction of Society.
– Nuclear pockmarks.
– Hairy Hoffspring.
– Death Star Planetarium. (Via.)
– Choose your own Grammer.
– Real fake AARP – the change you need.
– Marine Corps motorcycle safety training.

“Washington will never change unless we send someone there with the courage to change it.”

We did. In 2008. Obama changed a lot of things that many people can’t accept, and now they want to change it back. One step forward, two steps back in a country where the majority hovers just over 50% in any given election. Conventional wisdom says political campaigns should go nice late in the game, and that’s why Linda is being all chill here. (The rational being that a nice, family image is hard for opponents to trash.)

So as last-minute campaigns beg for your vote, Linda points out the biggest contradiction of any election cycle. Every two years we hear about career politicians who need ousting. Doesn’t the system though get to all politicians eventually? Aren’t they running because they want a career in politics? Why take someone who only wants in for two years.

Btw...

– Making bank on attack ads.
– I’m a creepy doll.
– The.
– Grab your Bud’s keys.
– LittleIpsum.
– Movie industry was dying 50 years ago.

Twitter™ Thwarts Tweeting Twitterers.

“What are you in for?”

“I didn’t capitalize the “T” in Tweet.” 

“That’s badass.”

A simple post announcing a new logo that few would’ve cared about if it didn’t also include a link to their new guidelines. Less simple, those. The two new guidelines causing the biggest problem:

1) Please remember to capitalize the T in Twitter and Tweet!

2) Don’t use screenshots of other people’s profiles or Tweets without their permission.*

Good luck enforcing it.

Overheard internet...

Yep, they said it...


“I’m not interested in the Harsh kids’ antics. I do, however, care about Meg Whitman putting her hands on an eBay employee -- so roughly apparently that she paid out a couple hundred thousand in hush money.  --- And I do care that she and her husband employed an illegal alien for 9 years while she chose to take a "tough" anti-immigration stand. --- Oh, that whole 28 years of enjoying the fruits of democracy without ever bothering to vote? That makes me ass mad.” 
– JudyPaceFace


“And I hold the “bleeding heart” liberals accountable for this. Had they had not exposed one of our most effective means of obtaining information from our enemies, then making sure that every American, as well as every person around the world with some form of media learned about it, then this stupid guy would not have had the knowledge of how to do this. Hopefully, she's smart enough to leave the jerk and never look back!”
– imasahm

They call it a viral.

Be gentle, kind audience. Frank’s in love, and know not what he do. But if this *viral* was supposed to sell an app somehow, y’all need to show me where.

(Via.)

Whatever your troubles, Blendy makes it better.

This Paul Newman gem goes back to 1980 where he shilled in Japan for Maxwell House coffee Blendy. Today, turn on any channel and you could pick out 10 actors from TV or film who appear in commercials. Back then, it was still very much a taboo because no self-respecting *film* actor dare appear in one, lest they risk a drop in their asking price. NOTE THE BITTER FEIGN OF SHOCK BY MR. NEWMAN. C’mon Luke, you’re cooler than that. CHILL THOSE BITCHES OUT WITH SOME BLENDY.

(Tip: Jeff.)

Btw...

– The kid stays in the campaign.
– “Thoroughly defeated people are more inclined to take those tough network notes.” (Via.)
– The United States of Movies.
– Nokia N8 makes a damn skippy HD film. (Via.)
– There Will Be Nintendo. (Via.)
– Pro Gamers, people. (Via.)

Detroit’s identity crisis.

Dodge Journey doesn’t stop believin... that it’s better than a monster truck. HEH. What’s up in the Motor City? All the different messages are confusing is what’s up. After in noting that Goodby’s Chevy Runs Deep was the first work for GM, I forgot about their Corvette Rockets spot months ago. It feels like both automakers won’t let go of this America needs its mojo back theme, while also carving out separate identities for their individual models. Hard to stand out though when you cling to the same themes as the competition.

I’m not seeing the same thing from Ford though.* At least not to that degree. Do I drool over their spots? No. But I also don’t watch what they put out and wonder why there’s such a disparity between their product lines the way I do with GM or Chrysler.

O no.

Does OWN pwn? Well, it sure is trying to do a lot, innit. Does it look like a confused mess, or a friend you can confide in? Everyone sure is getting Gap-ass crazy over logo redesigns lately and this one’s no exception. Oprah’s new network doesn’t launch until this coming January, but people are already showing love for her new logo. I could do without the reversed forced perspective thing on the O and the N. Otherwise, I GOT BIGGER POP CULTURAL FISH TO FRY.

(Via.)

Be happy.

I just wanted to put a smile on your face. If Muslim Magomaev’s Because you love me doesn’t, you ain’t livin. That’s real authentic editing, SOVIET STYLE. On the one, comrade.

Btw...

– Uncomfortable moments with Putin. (Via.)
– Survivalist food packaging chic.
– VLT. I just like the idea of an acronym standing for something simple.
– Michael Jackson top earning dead celeb.
– You CAN make money blogging! $100K from Sunglass hut.
– Smell like Zippo.
– Yeah, but wait until the government gets their hands on it.

Ask your creative director if PSD is right for you.

More from the “If Photoshop was real” department. This time, a disease afflicting millions: Photoshop dexterity (PSD). Way too peppy a soundtrack for a hangover though.

Holy shish kabob.

Metro PCS’ Ranjit and Chad are back to skewe... make shish kabob out of the English language and reinforce stereotypes about most some of the people who work in IT.

The Orangina gay cat ad the French don’t want you to see.

“France is more evolved on gay rights than more than half of the US and no you would never see this ad in America. And it's a bit furry <3” – DJNativus

“the only nice ads france has, i think, is for cars.” – chloe21091

“France is not as evolved on gay rights as some think. Advertisers can pander to gays to capture their business, but gays still can't get married in France or adopt children.” – CalifaJohn

“Oh.” – mtlb

Introducing the new Goodby Chevy.

It handles like a dream... an American dream. I was that guy. I am that guy. The challenge that this latest spot from Goodby Silverstein for Chevrolet throws down: Does a muscle car dynamic resonate with a hybrid generation?

(Via.)

Consumer insurgency? Or internal affairs.

Ad Age has a piece today on Alex Bogusky’s newest project FearLess, a direction he’d hinted at taking when he left the business not long ago. His new focus is as lead “insurgent in the new consumer revolution.” Read up on what they’re planning at his site including things like an updating of President Kennedy’s Consumer Bill of Rights.

Predictable responses in the comments section cover off the usual suspects though: Alex made a lot of money off consumers and now he’s their friend, or props for standing up for consumers, or incredulousness that he would even be compared to Ralph Nader. Taken at face value, maybe those things are accurate, but that doesn’t make the effort any less well-meaning.

Btw...

– Yea China! Yea Twitter!
– If Photoshop was real. (Via.)
– Y&R records. (Via.)
– Project Rome. (Tip: Tico.)
– IT’S A SEDAN THAT TRANSFORMS INTO A CROSSOVER.
– SEO three-way.

Here’s a thought... bubble.

This *Thought Bubble* from Trouble and Maker was done for Greenpeace’s Go Beyond Oil campaign. Taking a left as only I do, that’s not what I thought of when I saw it however. I was thinking that with all the talk of which agency does what when it comes to handling a brand’s work, the one group that seems to be discussion-proof here are production and effects houses. As long as they do tight work like this, they’re always going to be in demand no matter who comes up with the tagline, the strategy , or the social campaign. That is all.

Smooth like Diddy.

“Too many people know your name? Change it. Then change it again... I do it all the time.”

Look at Diddy, all smooth talk n’ shit for CÎROC, keeping smiles small and big-footed ladies in line.

Join the Conversenation.*

What was that? Join the professionals? YOU CAN‘T – YOU’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Converse’s Join The Procession is about generations and showing love for street culture, from boarders to bikers to ballers. AND IT HAS DR. J. And Hello Operator from the White Stripes. Director Antoine Fuqua breaks down the rhythm method behind this madness that also features the likes of Jim Jones, Carlos Arroyo and Doug E Fresh. I said Fresh.

*Look at me with social media puns. I said puns.

“The captain has turned on the ‘No Spooning’ sign.”

Air New Zealand to offer the unthinkable: more room in the plane. Well, it’s the same room – it just means a few rows up some poor bastard who couldn’t afford the upgrade is squished. Why is this news? It’s not. I just love shots of happy couples at 40,000 ft. without a care in the world. BECAUSE WHEN DOES THAT HAPPEN.

Before we get all sucky.

Download the show now or listen through iTunes.

Look, look, I know what I’m doing here. So me, Jetpacks and two other people we call Peter Shankman and Anthony Kalamut play all your marketing favorites on the latest edition of everyone’s favorite non-cursing marketing podcast. We said things about the rich not worrying about money, HTML 5 vs. Flash and why Jobs may really hate Adobe, and how the November elections will possibly doom this country the economy. Yep, I think that about covers it.

Tags: The Beancast

Facebook says it gets better.

The co-opting of bullying as a GLBT-only phenomenon continues with this new video from Facebook and the It Gets Better message. It’s solid, well-produced and heartfelt. At the risk of this coming off like anti-gay rhetoric, the video also ignores those who suffer at the hands of bullies who may not have had to deal with coming out issues, but who nonetheless experienced just as much torment. While the piece ends with COO Sheryl Sandberg imploring people to report abuse on their safety page, it feels like an afterthought. Throughout, there’s not one story from someone who wasn’t gay. Considering the company, surely there were no shortage of geeks at Facebook who were bullied because they loved math? It Gets Better is a great message for all bullying victims. Any message is better than none, but given its 500+ million users, they missed a huge opportunity here to take the lead in the social networking space and speak out on behalf of everyone, regardless of sexual preference. (The alternative is the federal government steps in, and that always works out.) Especially with so many of the people on Facebook parents, how could it hurt to build an education campaign addressed to them. Because all parents know what their kids are up to in real life – and online.

(Via.)

Taliban Dan.

People, that’s a grabber in Florida’s 8th District! It’s like Christmas morning for bad political ad junkies. Daniel Webster’s radical fundalmentalism will destroy America. In response to the charge that he went too far with the Taliban reference? Congressional opponent Alan Grayson says suck it.

“We will never freeze you out.”

GET IT? Freeze? A little wordplaypal. HA! Okay, it’s a cute guerilla stunt by PayPal competitor WePay at the PayPal developer conference today. A 600 pound block of ice with money and the message “PayPal freezes your accounts” inside. Although knock on wood it hasn’t happened with my account yet, the idea underscores the main gripe users have with the service, in that accounts can be frozen over simple misunderstandings and take forever to resolve. WHEN GEEKS THROW DOWN. This part of the problem though when you aren’t regulated like a bank. Amirite?

Honk If You’re Human.

Well now, there’s a right proper news promo. For BBC Knowledge, they took the evolution of man and communication and went all in-camera claymation. Honk if You’re Human is a nice anitidote to a 2.0 world.


(Via.)

How to do negative.

Ouch. Jerry Brown ahead on points in this round. Meg Whitman dazed by the left but still responding to the ref’s questions. For now.

(Via.)

Btw...

– Looking for little white swimmy things.
– Tweet is cheap. (Via.)
– It's no “Like a rock.”
– Nike adds to its apologist series.
– Bye-bye BK?
– I need one for my keys.
– That’s a big pool table.
– Hipster puppies.

Just live it.

Cool experiment for Nike where various runners were given shoes and told to create a piece of art that “challenged the function of the shoes, using sport as an inspiration.” Editing together shots from all over Europe, Jim Campbel faked a running effect in front of the camera and synched the rhythm to an edit of Peaches’ Do Ya. The spirit of the piece lives in the swapped tagline Live.

More other stuff – journalism edition.

When it comes to news lately, forget right, people want it right now. The Associated Press has a newsfeed site called My Way all too happy to deliver. Their tagline says ‘No Banners. No pop-ups. No kidding.’ Missing from that should be ‘No editor.’ Like many *news* sites and link dumps using iReporters™ these days, getting it right now often trumps getting it right. Not that I can throw stones at glass houses when it comes to typos, but online publications have gotten worse over the years in terms of duplicate paragraphs, incorrect attribution or personal opinions injected into the reporting mix that make no sense. (Hello horror show that is nbcnewyork.com.) This one with Randy and Evi Quaid fleeing to Canada, while sloppy, is typical. Normally, a story involving Randy Quaid and the sentence “We are requesting asylum from Hollywood star whackers” would be reason enough for me to blog about it. However, check out the last two paragraphs and tell me where the hell THAT stuff came from.

National Curling League announces formation.

They call it a hockey viral, you know. It’s for Samsung, complete with stunned onlookers and real fake dialog. OR YOU COULD JUST WATCH THIS.

The former Hollywood sitcom mom squad.

Sorry to do this to you on a Monday.

AdVerve 51 – Ignoranima

Play the show now.

No guest this week, so we springboard in 58 different direction as we often like to do. We kick off with Maureen Dowd's article on how Sarah Palin makes ignorance chic, fertilizing the warm podcasty earth for the blossoms of debate: portrayals of women in power, patriotism and American governments/companies, fameballing on the coat-tails of Steve Jobs and all those goddamn strikes that are always happening everywhere (but especially in France).

We also steamroll our rage tractors into The Social Network, the Zuckerberg factor, and if Aaron Sorkin is man-biased.

Take that venty venti latté to go, kids. It's wild in this here West.

Wünderbar linkaroos:

- Making Ignorance Chic
- (...speaking of,) Chelsea Kate Isaacs tries repositioning self as drunk sexy vlogger. A new ego's born every minute, and this one's full-grown!
- Aaron Sorkin responds to Ken Levine's review of The Social Network, and assertions that it was misogynistic. (His response is in the comments and worth the read.)
- The Niqabitches

Btw...

– Survival guides for end times.
– Christopher Walken's cats are okay.
– Retail mission statements.
– Win a countryman.
– Neature Walk.
– Watch the Mars Rover being built – live.

I’ve got a brand new HP ePrint device – you’ve got an old hit.

“I think this commercial is hilarious! I laugh out loud every time I see it! :o)”
– babykanga11

“if anyone cares, the name of the song is Brand New Key by Melanie”
– J0nesStreetBoy

“I don't know.. the end of the commercial is disturbing! Anyone notice that the baby is right next to a cliff in a walker??? It scares me... all I can think of is the baby falling over the edge because his parents put him in a walker on the edge of a cliff!”
– imsdactwins

“@imsdactwins Calm down. Just breathe. No children were harmed or at any time, in danger in the creation of this commercial. It's done safely in a studio and edited with computers. Now then, have a nice cold adult beverage of your choice.”
– DakotaRTinTX

“I hate this song.”
– mtlb

Paper, what’s that.

I love the basic idea behind the DigiPen Summer Workshop here. It’s for students in grades 8-12 interested in game development, and meant to show that they need to think about the theory behind games in the real world first before sitting down to actually program. It’s a big problem with the creative generation coming into the business now. George Parker often says that the single biggest change to advertising was when the few large holding companies started to gobble up ad agencies and make them part of their network. My vote for biggest change has to do with the actual creative process. It’s this reliance on hitting Photoshop before picking up a pen and paper. We’ve pushed *digital* so much that paper and pen is somehow this taboo subject. While this is about game theory specifically, what instructor Deunan Berkeley says in the clip applies to any creative area: Work out the sequence of tactics for whatever it is you’re working on first, because they translate to the online space easily enough.

Geleceği sen yaz.

Because you needed a Turkish take on Nike’s Write The Future, although it feels like more of the same athletes share their philosophy on winning approach. This time, footballers André dos Santos and Lucas Neill lay down their personal art of war.

(Agency: Grey, Istanbul.)

“Another interesting phenomenon of the iPhone and iPad era is that we are being transformed from producers of content into consumers. With my BlackBerry, I probably created as much data as I consumed. [...] With my iPhone, I try to avoid creating any message that are over one sentence long.”

That’s Dilbert creator Scott Adams on how typing and keyboard ergonomics affect how people approach media creation. It’s part of a larger article on The Keyboard Cult, about people who favor a more mechanical keyboard experience versus the current widespread plastic skin keypads that people use.

Btw...

– The DOW was Twitterish today. (Tip: Zeke.)
– Ze Frank Ted.
– Ad people going door to door.
– Oops.
– Shouldn’t it be every day?
– Radiohead getting all social.

WWE vs. WWE.

It’s getting personal. You don’t get this in NJ. It’s a steel cage death match throwdown with WWE vs. the Connecticut Secretary of State! Tired of seeing attacks on his candidate wife Linda relative to her time spent with the entertainment megaplex, McMahon & Co. have a new campaign out called “Stand Up For WWE.”* It’s in response to the warning by the Secretary that anyone wearing clothing on Election Day with WWE themes or characters will be asked to cover up.

While Vince spins this as a trampling of your American right to enjoy honest to goodness wholesome family entertainment, he’s also savvy enough to take advantage of the moment and also show how his sport is the real victim here. It’s a rebrand minus the logo change; the perfect stepping-off opportunity for the brand to show people what they don’t know about WWE.

In effect, the old WWE vs. a kindler, gentler WWE?

At first you don’t secede...

That about says it all. Trot the kid out when it’s convenient. Download some fear. Get people thinking about a time before we actually had a ratified constitution and centralized government. No, yeah, forget the rule of law. Secession and revolution are the smart ways to go here. Turned out well once.

“Always very pleasant... well-behaved.”

It’s older, but you need an alternative to that damn dark, creepy Snickers Halloween ad. VICKI IS IT. UK mobile provider Orange has been doing killer cinema adverts for a long time, but this is a different take on their film board theme. NOTE FLYING MONKEY ON BENCH. That is all. Wait... what?

REAL FAKE WOLVES ATTACK REAL FAKE RUSSIANS.

It’s a wodka stunt for Eristoff, kids. The HELL’S in that Russian water? “The Eristoff logo - a wolf howling at a crescent moon - represents the Persian name for Georgia, Virshan, meaning land of the wolf.” So move along; nothing more to see here.

Btw...

– Don’t burn a Koran, win a car.
– Put down your iPhone, step away from the visual puns, and read you some long copy. 
– USB typewriter keyboard.
– “More _______, less _______.”
– The Man on Abbey Road. 
– Denis Leary talks about Denis Leary movies.
– There are 5,057 janitors in the U.S. with PhDs. (Via.)

“That ain’t what I learned about women.”

Just a little thematic tease for this week’s upcoming AdVerve on women, power and politics. ANOTHER DAY AT THE ADVERVE OFFICES, here in Paris, CT.

Would you rather...

TDA is the only shop in Boulder. I kid. NOTHING BUT LOVE. New work out for Webroot gives people a choice when it comes to the security of their personal info. Seven banner ads give viewers the choice to see Director of technology Mike Kronenberg do some Jackass-type challenge shit. No alligator tightrope stuff, but it works. (I need to see Jackass 3D btw. Probably this weekend.)

We will get you the stock image you deserve.

Forget trying to work out schedules of the three partners just to get together for one group shot, we have royalty-free shots of people in neckbraces. Do you represent burn victims? Do you need a dynamic gradient wave? No problem. Our Lawyertron 2.0 software has you covered. (Coming soon: Virtual Lawyer and Virtual Plea Deal plug-ins.)

T-minus 20 years.

So then, we only have 20 years until China runs the country? Cool. I can sleep late now. Thanks, widespread panic Citizens Against Government Waste! Great prdouction value too. (You don’t often see this level of quality in your run of the mill Teabragging clips.)

Btw...

– Out of print clothing. Literally. (Tip, Zeke.)
– Drive-thru law office.
– Branded entertainment fail.
– So how was Blogworld?
– Mosh paint.
– Or just don’t hire them in the first place.
– Rickroll in space.

Overheard internet...

Yep, they said it...

“That's actually a fairly decent reply; far better than 'nope' or 'you're holding it wrong'”
– cubicle67


“great now all of you guys can finaly expierence what it’s like when lebrons croach hits your face while he dunks over you. 3d is wack and overrated. in a cinema it’s ok with some movies but with most movies it just sucks furthermore it’s bad for your eyes and in a cinema the sound is too loud as well. the pro’s don’t outweigh the cons therefore it sucks”
– ab40


“I love that Gene Simmons still thinks he’s relevant. No Gene, the Internet will not get off your lawn.”
– smirkette

Fox Moves Forward by looking back.

A few reviews of this Fox Move Forward spot say that it mocks the MSNBC campaign. Catharine P. Taylor is more restrained than me –  this ain’t even close. The MSNBC Lean Forward ads are a series of individual stories told simply, while Fox’s spot is pure shite. It’s a blatant rip-off barely good enough for your Live! Late-breaking! local cable news outlet, and it highlights the unoriginal and slanted coverage that is their hallmark.

As much as Lean Forward downplays its own collection of brash, obnoxious commentators, Fox leaves a few things out of their own. They’ve always lived by the idea that they alone offer a fair and balanced alternative to what they perceive is a slanted mainstream media. Except, this concept only works if, as they do, you ignore their role as part of that same media, one every bit as slanted as the organizations they single out.

Positioning themselves as the David to the industry’s Goliaths falls flat when you consider their huge audience, ratings and stable of personalities. It’s an inconvenient truce they need to maintain with the rest of the networks though since every hero needs a nemesis. But isn’t this issue of objectivity moot though? After all, what news outlet can legitimately lay claim to being unbiased?

Sure, they’re moving forward. Just like the Exxon Valdez of journalism. Incompetence causing untold damage lasting years, all the while leaking a substance extremely difficult to remove once you come into contact with it.

Our Gold Promise to you: We will not stop using Mr. T.

I hope they don’t. I’m going to FF >> past the idea that sites which take your gold *may* have trust issues. BBB certification notwithstanding, the industry does have a certain taint. I JUST LIKE SEEING MR. T IN COMMERCIALS. Has any celebrity gotten more mileage from a catch phrase? I pity the fool who don’t know the answer. GOLD IS TRADING AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH.* GOLD PROMISE WILL GET YOU THE MONEY YOUR GOLD DESERVES. (Watch him beat up golf clubs too after the jump, and win an appearance with him in a future spot.)

If you can type, you can make GEICO commercials.

I KID. There seems to be two camps now when it comes to web-based apps and social networks in TV ads: the spots doing something useful with the space and the others poking fun at it. Fine line between both though. AT&T showed the latter while Wheat Thins and LG’s were just the right tone for the former. This new GEICO spot is one of two out featuring the do-it-yourself video making experience Xtranormal. (It’s web-based movie making that provides all you need, save for a story idea and script.) But GEICO’s poked the internet before with their anything goes online series, so this isn’t new. Just not sure which group they fall into with this approach. What seems more significant is the plug that Xtranormal gets out of this. This isn’t just a sign-off. While the urls some brands use to let people find themselves online are usually thrown on at the end for all of two seconds (Twitter or Facebook), they’re still only indirectly promoting those services. Here, the actual process that is Xtranormal is front and center with that logo. Nice score if you’re Xtranormal.

(Via BFFB.)

Btw...

– Because only you can prevent urban clichés in ad campaigns.
– U.S. Comet Force. Hell yeah!
– Pilot protests pat-down.
– Tracking your lettuce.
– Just Tweet It.
– Feck you and your website!
– The Batman disclosure president.
– Virgin wine.

Burger King’s Buenos Dialog.

Okay well, “Buenos Nachos” has been used, but the rest of this Sergio Leone-inspired dubbed showdown for BK in the Netherlands works. (Check the guy who loses it right before the cutaway to the Johnny Depp-alike in black.)

“Mijn favoriete reclame...echt F*** grappig.”

(Via.)

(Agency: CP+B.)

A buddy will help you move — a good buddy will help you move a body.

NOT that I’d ask First Direct’s Buddies to do that, but the bank across the pond is there when you need them. For anything. Shelf assembly. Martial arts training. Piggyback rides. NAME IT. Although it’s not real, it’s a spoof app called, well, the... Buddy App. If banks were this helpful, I’d move to London. Still, it’s a pretty extensive production, nicely shot with decent skits that have fun with the idea of a buddy who helps you with anything other than banking. There’s another clip in the series with more interaction between the locals and the Buddies. 

(Agency: Mindshare.)

Apple to buy Facebook?

Now there’s some good old-fashioned American speculation. Not sure Apple could fix the little slice o’ heaven that is the Facebook UX party I love so much, but, never say never. Pokes sure would look a whole lot sleeker though.

Jerry? Farrell? HE’S ON IT.

The sneaker cutaway is an homage to Jerry’s earlier work, in case you were wondering. Look, he may be *on it* as Secreatry of State for Connecticut, but friendo needs to work on the delivery. I’m not saying it serves as a cautionary tale on why most candidates don’t handle the bulk of the voiceover work beyond the approval disclaimer... but there’s a reason most candidates don’t handle the....*

*Don’t hate. Presentation matters. America hates leaders with funny voices. You know it’s true.

“Effectively maximizing cross-platform social transmedia strategies.”

Just what the f*** is your transmedia strategy? NOW YOU HAVE ONE. No matter which one you choose, you can’t go wrong. Every one guaranteed to make you sound like a pro. A... social media pro!

(Via.)

Emails I get.

Well, are you? At this point, you’re probably going, where the hell does this guy order from? Easy does it survivalist fear-mongering hoards. I shop where you shop. But when an offer like this shows up in your inbox, oh, you’re buying.

Team Coco is your friend.

Conan is the new Letterman. WHATEVER THAT MEANS. I guess it means, he's in the zone right now in terms of knowing his audience. I don’t tend to count Fallon, Kimmel and the rest in that because they seemed to have brought their audiences in from other careers (SNL, dating Sarah Silverman, etc.). Conan though does the deadpan thing exactly the way Letterman did/does and seems to be up for trying any type of gag, as long as it’s funny. The others, it feels forced. That’s why I’m digging the barrage of spots for his new TBS show (above), and the 24-hour live stream of his office on YouTube today. Hope it works out. (I liked his last promos where he was running on the beach, that is until he got screwed by NBC.) Social media nation though is going insane over his use of YouTube to promote, but it’s more a lesson in being a celebrity with fans who will follow you into any space.

Why should I work for YOU?

Nice little reverse engineering approach to the job hunt IN TIMES LIKE THESE. Okay, so maybe he doesn’t have a wealth of experience to highlight, but I like how Andrew Horner flipped the script on the typical CV. He basically asks potential employers for the same set of requirements that they typically ask of future employees. Although, I’d love to hear hopeful agencies answer the question of where they see themselves in five years.

(Via.)

Don’t Vote – it’s your only Hope for America.

Well there’s a message I never thought I’d see. Latinos For Reform, or as I like to say, LORF, are imploring voters who feel they’ve been betrayed by false promises — to not vote. Out of everything I’ve seen so far, this is pretty shocking. They may think they’re using this as some kind of defensive move to get back at one party, but what it really does is push apathy. It’s definitely more offensive than a nipple slip during the Super Bowl. I only bring that up because the decision by the Supreme Court to open the floodgates for third-party contributions has caused this spate of attack ads – that seem to be ads in name only. Or maybe it gets to me because we were raised to always believe that you don’t waste the right to vote – ever. (Sure, it’s legal to *not* vote if you want, it just feels wrong.) I also get that one group feels betrayed, and that Obama took on too much, but the immigration issue was one that ignored for a long time by both parties.

(Via.)

“The failure of major artists to deliver records on some kind of regular basis.”

Is just one of the reasons given back in 1980 on why the music industry was in trouble in this 20/20 report. Seems like they always have an excuse. Part two was going to be after the jump, but has been taken down only in the U.S. by Universal Music. THE CLIP THE MUSIC INDUSTRY DOESN’T WANT YOU TO SEE, apparently.

(Via Zeropaid.)

Btw...

– Meg Whitman gets the webnet.
– Ed Hardy kicked out down under. (Via.)
– Two words that suck: NASA + fuel leak.
– Your musical preferences as a chart.
– Lone Gunman Dean Haglund is on the Twitter and has a podcast.
– I think you can’t stop watching this either.

You gotta fight, for your right... party.

Ouch. How about a little production value Mr. President. But don’t take my word for it. THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKETH:

“Sad when they have to use a teleprompter, when trying make a supposed "folksy, impromptu" Youtube video. Try as they might, it just doesn't come across very personal or heart felt.” – codered9695

“It's a sign of true love when Barack shares one of his teleprompters . . .” – LowBudgetStudios

“Obama, you have failed miserably. We needed more jobs. You gave me bloated healthcare costs, high taxes and more government spending. No more support for you. You are going down.” – NZK0F

Mountain, climbing.

I liked Dewmocracy as a movement. Not sure about the tone behind the tribute of It’s different on my mountain though. BUT THAT’S JUST ME. Old ad habits die hard though and give a brand a tagline to grab hold of, AMMIRITE? Pro skater and not the comedian Paul Rodriguez runs through a litany of moves that have been done in more compelling ways. Hard to do something different in the category after Spike Jonze put his stamp on things. It's still makes a nice mood piece for the brand. No surprise that Dew has planted it’s feet firmly in youth culture though while ignoring other demos who may drink it. And while I understand their disclaimer from a legal POV, hafta agree with one comment that shows how they undermined the message:

“It says 'professional skateboarder, do not attempt', your allowed to attempt skateboarding tricks when not a professional skateboarder. That's the point of skateboarding. Learning from watching others/videos or being creative.” – WorldOfLewis

(Agency: TracyLocke.)

Incest and gay marriage. Coming soon to a campaign near you.

Thanks Iowa Supreme Court! Gay marriage has no place in the heartland.

Super Mario 2.0.

If Super Mario was invented today, it would look like this. It’s a good point about how gaming’s limitations made your approach to learning different than how we approach things now. You figured it out without the how-to descriptions. Granted, I need those at times, but simple interfaces meant a more intuitive experience.

Pharma that doesn’t suck...

can be found with hospital advertising. Okay, two different sides of the same coin. One is heavily regulated and the other is not. Typically though, most hospital spots can address broad themes in ways general pharmaceutical work can’t. And ain’t it nice to not see a shitload of warnings about “Seeing your doctor?” This latest work for Abington Memorial and their cancer care unit is simple and straight-forward. The ultimate consequence of cancer and what could have been is avoided in a series of one-shot takes. Beats 4-hour erection warnings.

(Agency: Devito/Verdi.)

Btw...

– An accurate map of online communities. (Tip, Zeke.)
– Hamlet on The Rock. (Via.)
– Churchocrites. (Via.)
– Gamers WILL destroy the world.
– MMA means mayhem. (Agency: Heat.)
– #! is a shebang, a hashbang, a hashpling, a pound bang, or a crunchbang. Now you know. (Via.)

Vote women - vote now.

Why is she smiling? Because there are only two weeks to go until we take back this country from the Muslim-loving, freedom-hating, budget-busting, tax-lovin’ Dems. All supporters welcome, including the simple yet effective demo of... women. With what may be the best political disclaimer* I’ve seen in an ad yet:

“Model represents the millions of conservative women who are changing the political landscape. Used for illustrative purposes only. Model is larger than she appears. Model may cause drowsiness and giddiness over possible landslide in effort to reclaim America. Do not vote with model if model has been drinking.”

*I may have embellished a few of the lines.

Agency moving announcements suck.

Generally. Except this deal from Mother New York moving into their new digs. THREE-LEGGED DOGS. PANDA MEAT. Hell yeah.

(Via.)

“It’s just people.”

I caught this clip from Penn Jillette at the recent BlogWorld Expo. He talks about his use of Twitter and in so doing, uses that phrase to break down how he looks at all media. It’s sums up perfectly how to discuss all of this. I’d disagree with him on one point though. (Yes he has 1.6 million more followers than me and is headlining in Vegas, but I have rights, officer.)

So where he says Twitter can be a more intimate experience than talking to someone in real life, I don’t see it happening; not literally, and not figuratively based on watching Twitter since it began. This is something we talked about on the latest AdVerve – shameless plug – where the biggest misconception being perpetrated is the idea that the inherent nature of social networks is based on intimacy.

For some extroverts who let loose with every last detail of their lives, maybe. Even others quietly lurking behind a screen without participating could be considered intimate in some ways – easy, you freaks – but the vast majority of people act online the way they would if speaking in-person with someone, maybe even more formally. As Penn says, a younger generation will more open about things, but it seems social networks are only as intimate as people allow them to be based on their own comfort levels.

And as comfortable as you might become with your network of friends, deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you still hold back a lot of your very private self. Every social network start-up though keeps chasing this idea that theirs alone is the only place to be to aggregate and share your life with others.

(Via.)

QR codes are the new...

Like I said, that shit will be everywhere soon with some people doing advanced stuff and others using it as glorified links to product page. Here, FirstBank in Colorado is using them to offer downloadable content to travelers like free books, crosswords and in this case, Sudoku. (Dude looks to busy to stop and scan, though.) Pretty soon, we will all just walk around with one code inked on our body, and The Man™ will just know. He just will.

(Agency: TDA.)

I wanna stay THERE.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Spread Your Love takes a vacation from the Ketel One spots and hits Vegas. While it’s the tagline for The Cosmopolitan luxury resort located there, “Just the Right Amount of Wrong” would also make a worthy successor to the venerable “What Happens Here, Stays Here.” I WANNA STAY THERE.

(Agency: Fallon.)

Btw...

– Good luck getting this out of your head.
– The $41 million dollar rescue.
– Aaron Sorkin really does like smart women. (Via.)
– Starbucks just got slower.
– Pulp Fiction mixer.
– Apparently Gene Simmons was serious about the suing thing.