They call it a viral.

Checking out the new David Beckham/Sofia Vergara Diet Pepsi spot and came across a *behind the scenes* clip. Yikes. Why does it seem like Pepsi can’t get out of its own way no matter what genre it touches. No wonder Coke owns them. Forget Coke and look at Nike. Tiger stands there without talking and does a golf club trick he’s done since he was young. Multiple takes notwithstanding, you’re still left with the coolness of the moment. Beckham though barely starts to juggle the ball the way kids are taught early on and the 'camera man’ practically loses it

They call it a viral.

To promote The Carphone Warehouse, YOUR UK SUPERSTORE, why not leverage little iPad action. LIKE APPLE NEEDS THE PROMOTION AT THIS POINT. So check out what Tinchy Stryder and his crew did with 10 of them.

(Agency: Cake Group.)

They call it a viral - BO edition.

Hey Bill,

Have something you might find interesting/funny -- it's a new campaign from Gillette to promote their deodorant. Ever see their B.O. terror alerts on the NY subway? They've released a new video picking on a poor Mets fan at Citi field.

I realize that people feel like a hostage watching the Mets play, but given the current political climate, I’m not sure that NYC and terrorism are my first choices as the basis for a *viral* these days. YouTube, what sayeth you:

“nice funny way of promotion.. what a strategy !!” – TheMarina2582

“@gunmadkiller wtf, is this again some stupid american invention? everybody has body odour. if i don't get myself washed in the morning or do sports, i also have body odour. goddammit, you americans are even dumber than i thought. thank you god, for making me a proud european. at least i have the consiousness of intellectual supremacy over my american fellows (and believe me, i am far from the only one :)” – Fred1102

“@Fred1102 they obviously don't like it, neither do i tbh. I know it's natural but then so is having a dump in the middle of the street or woman having hairy legs but it's general frowned upon in our society. At Thorpe Park in the UK they don't let you on the rides of you stink of BO” – gunmadkiller

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.)

They call it a viral...

The problem with SD memory cards isn’t that they can’t hold up as demonstrated by fantastical *virals* and high-altitude stunts with paper airplanes—it’s that you lose them due to their size. Solve that problem first.

They call it a viral - Reebok edition.

I think what happens is you get so focused on finishing the project that you don’t take a step back to see if maybe things are too over the top. Maybe people around you convince you it’s funny and that yes, it works. All the product mentions that kept being added along the way during the countless script revisions only enhanced the final creative product, made it better. Least that’s what the account team told you.

#ohshit #ralphmacchio #karatekid

Hey, they’re doing cool stuff with tools.

Sears is one of those odd stories. A brand once made up of its own exclusive brands like Craftsman, DieHard and Kenmore. No news there. Many retailers have had their own *house* brand. But then came big box mixapalooza and before you knew it, you could buy almost any brand at Sears, and then so much for exclusive. Those names still had real recognition though, and still do.

Recently, Craftsman has been running some spots doubling as virals. The new one has dudes with various tools creating different noises all edited together. Think Stomp with cordless drills. In addition, you can make your own remix version here. Yea integration! It’s a very basic mash site to say the least, but okay, it gets you spending time with the brand as you share it with friends.

As a user of Craftsman tools and power tools in general however, I wondered how many people in the audience this resonated with. Not people who like clever gimmicks and stunts; that alone is a broad demo. I mean people who would actually use Craftsman.

TV blasts a message to the widest possible audience in one shot; no news there either. Maybe this is more about planning and strategy. Yes it’s cool to watch, and yes it creates a puts a stamp on tool ads, but it could be for any tool brand. If people are calling into question the sales effectiveness of Old Spice ads, what about the basic awareness of the brand in this case.

The line of tools they’re showing is for renovation and construction work, even though Craftsman tools have traditionally been synonymous with auto repair. (Shhh. No, it’s okay, they have been.) As a tool guy, I use or own Black & Decker, DeWalt, Makita, Ryobi, Stanley, and yes, even a few Craftsman tools.* While I don’t favor one brand over the other, I always knew that if I ever needed a socket, then I’m using Craftsman or Snap-on.

Without access to the brief, all I can guess is that the brand wanted to penetrate the weekend warrior demo and create awareness of Craftsman as more than just an automotive choice. Maybe there was an element of this is not your dad’s Craftsman anymore too.

Branching off on that point for a second, if that is the case here, I’d have to disagree. How do you walk away from the heritage of a name just because you want to freshen it up? That may work for Old Spice, but tools are rites of passage. Something you learn about from your dad. That’s a heritage dynamic you find in few categories.

Tools also brought to bear this mindset of American Made. If your old man was showing you the right way to use certain tools, you can bet it also came with a rant on the quality of American tools and the inferiority of everything else. It’s a message Detroit and others like Levi’s have been trying to hammer home these days (no pun).

Tradition isn’t something to always walk away from; it has value. Peers may matter, but you’ll listen to dad before you listen to anyone else. Now, is the national pride dynamic less of an issue these days? It is for me. I know plenty of contractors who use non-American made tools.

That’s not to say it still isn’t a huge issue. It underscores a duality in advertising that hasn’t been resolved: Are we global or aren’t we? If we are, then stfu and let’s just buy the best tool no matter who makes it or where it comes from. If we aren’t, then hello consumer isolationism because Made In America is back, RAH!

Well, which is it?

You can’t confuse customers with a commercial about a hybrid telling you to love the planet on one hand, and then turn around and give a hi-performance finger to the fuel economy of imports. What’s an import anymore? The Toyota your dad once railed against is now built in Indiana and driven by moms full of swagger. LA soccer moms represent, yo.

Getting back to the spot, what reinforces the Craftsman name for people beyond using a lot of red and associating it with a few memorable tricks? Not to single out Sears either, because this is done by nearly all agencies at some point when they can’t find a way into a brand. They either look to *own* a general aspect of a given category the way Kleenex owned therapy with couch conversations, or like Craftsman here, they just do something cool with the product.

This works as long as you don’t always depend on the technique. Even though Red Bull is a stunt brand, its general market campaign could easily be at home for a Dunkin’ Donuts. DieHard also does the stunt ad thing but then, tests under extreme conditions have always been a part of their heritage. Reggie Watts works because he’s still showing the product’s dependability in a unique way.

This is just guys throwing tools around. I might as well be throwing shit into the back of an F-150.

Someone anonymous commented recently about the relevance of TV and the changing consumer dynamic, and while I don’t recall the specific blog, their point was this: Build the campaign around the experiences of your audience by listening to what they need. Don’t blast them with your product message and all its shiny new features. Old news for some, but is it? How many brands still ignore that and go right for the close-up product porn, as if you’ll run out and buy it just because they show it.

Like the drill in that cool new Stanley Tools music spot.

*A cordless 18v drill and circular saw, bitches.

Son of Viral—First Blood Part 2.

It’s back.

(Agency: Cheil Worldwide.)

“Just go deep and I’ll hit ya.”

In the head. How did I miss this? Why don’t you people tell me there was a Joe Montana viral for Sketchers. You know how much I like people getting hit in the head BECAUSE HEADS ARE NOT OUT. Here we have an honest to goodness hitadude from faraway viral, complete with final camera guy reaction shot. By the way, why is the field being cut if people are working out on it.

Yeah, I should probably stop now.

(Via.)

Samsung goes deer hunting.

They say it’s a viral. You say it’s an extended commercial. I say a real redneck would’ve had a new trophy for their wall before the 1:25 was up. You? Speaking of real deer virals.

It looks more like Osama Bun Laden.

Ha. GET IT? Bun! It’s one of those stigmata fast casual virals, aka, Jesus on a bun at McDonald’s. *sigh*

How do you prefer your real fake?

Does this mean Jesus wore Hi-Tecs? I guess so. I’m over virals trying too hard to make you believe they’re real, especially when the natural vibe of a brand is undermined. (Shhh, it’s okay. I wear Hi-Tec, I can say what I want.) What always sold the idea of impossible feats in the world of cartoons was simply, speed. If Wile E. Coyote just pedaled his feet fast enough, he would be able to (insert gravity-defying task like fly, walk on water, etc.).*

To sell real world motion and the feasibility of someone pulling off this amazing amazingness, a person runs normally over a ramp in the water. Missing though is the notion of any real sense of speed. Small difference, but it’s all the difference. (I won’t even touch the dialog or the imagineered sport of Liquid Mountaineering.)

That little hint of something that ain’t quite right undermines believability. Not helping is what parkour and freerunning have accomplished for real, which makes it harder for me to want to believe this. As a Lone Gunman, I want to believe.

I’m torn though between stfu and playing the role of detective from advertising’s Internal Affairs. The Michael Vick Powerade spot had the same thing working, but at least there was an absurdity to it such that you never *really* thought the drink made you that strong. (Did you? Say no, please, or else leave your mtlb badge on the desk on the way out.)

For their part, Nike and Spike with Jordan did address the idea that shoes outweighred skill, will and genetics, right, Money?

Taken a little further, this also speaks to the idea of a brand being authentic, honest, and/or open.

Is a water repellency claim stretched to absurd lengths any different than what happened with the FTC and New Balance? (Shhh, part 2. I also wear New Balance.) So they sold people on the idea of “American Made” when in reality, “70%” passes for American Made in their world. Can’t we just do pass-fail?

In this case, New Balance has drawn attention to itself over an issue that’s very real to their brand, even as they try to be transparent about it in responding to customers. By comparison, Hi-Tec just has people wondering if an obviously absurd video is fake or not. Honestly, I’m not sure which place I want to be in.

Or if it even matters.

(Via.)

*I’m quite sure cartoons are also responsible for the Manswers logic some of you freaks carry around in the back of your heads: “If I’m in an elevator and it falls, I’ll be okay if I jump at the last second, right?”

Now Ochocinco gets into the Naked viral Reebok thing.

Soooo, Reebok is so comfortable you feel like you’re wearing nothing at all when working out? Or you just wanted to get attention with famous nekkid athletes. Latter! Next up after Liddell and Chad? Hmmm.

(Via.)

They actually did THIS? OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sokay, read Brian’s take because I can’t add anything except *maybe* a little rant on the virals most ad blogs get sent, either by PR agency or *anonymous* gmail account. (Which, I still fall for because I think cool, I’m the only one getting this. BASTARDS!) Regardless, the problem I have that applies to all viral can be summed up by two comments there:

“I wish that woman would jump into a bucket of fire.”

“haha, screw it.. fake or not [obviously fake though] it’s fun to see these types of vids! imaginative. She sucks though!”

I agree with the first and the second, well, actually, it’s not fun. Not when the acting is that annoying. Like bad techno porntracks, it ruins everything. Fuh-KING everything. Sure, this stuff gets views. But I bet it gets as many if not more without the play-by-play. Whether due to a nervous client who doesn’t think people will get it, or a see-saw print ad mindset carried over by creatives who think people won’t get it, just, stop already.