Ad Mouse

The New Controversial Ad...

2010-05-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

When you think of controversial advertisements, diapers are probably NOT the first products you think of; However, this advertisement for Huggies new Jean Diapers has made the papers from The New York Times to Glamour.

I thought the commercial was very cute. What did you think?

How Not to Do Habitat-Centric Advertising

2010-02-26T13:23:00.001-08:00

I found this over at Friends of Irony:

see more Friends of Irony

It is very important to consider the environment you are placing your ads into. Such as the superbowl commercials where the Dockers "Wear the Pants" commercial followed right after the Careerbuilder "Casual Friday All Week" commercial.

Ten Little Vehicles

2010-02-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

This cute Jeep commercial comes to us via TylerSchnaidt.com which brought it to my attention.

Jeep: "Ten little vehicles" from Michael Reissinger on Vimeo.

HP Advertisement, Finger Skilz

2010-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

This ad was also highlight on the same site that I talked about yesterday. It's another classic, that includes a whole series of these Finger Skilz videos. You can find more at www.fingerskilz.tv Enjoy!

The Escalator

2010-02-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

This funny escalator commercial is a classic, and has been used as an example in some marketing courses. I was reminded of this video by Baekdal.com's article of 7 Viral Marketing Tricks. The list included several other classics I have featured on this site including the Smirnoff Raw Tea and the Dove Evolution advertisements that I have highlighted in the past.

I felt it would work better with just a slight rearrangement of the text placement, but I'm picky. Your thoughts?

Super Bowl Commercial: Budweiser Clydesdales

2010-02-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

I was slightly disappointed in this Budweiser commercial. Budweiser has a high standard that they have set in previous years, as I have posted about before (see more about the Clydesdales Here). This year did not live up to that standard in my opinion.

Super Bowl Commercials: Google

2010-02-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

Google is not a prolific television advertiser, but they did feature one ad in this years superbowl. This ad was actually posted on youtube in November and has over a million views already.

This was a very cute commercial that made me go awwwwww...

Super Bowl Commercial: Denny's Free Breakfast

2010-02-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

Denny's is at it again, offering a free breakfast on Tuesday Morning which they just advertised in the Super Bowl. Overall, a decent commercial with screaming chickens.

Edit:

And there is a follow up commercial to the Denny's SuperBowl offering. Call it Screaming Chickens Pt. 2 if you will.

Super Bowl Commercials: Monster.com

2010-02-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

The second commercial hit of the evening, judging by the giggles and hoots and hollers around the house, is the Monster.com Fiddling Beaver Commercial. Just like the Doritos Commercial, it is silly, family-friendly, and actually promotes the product / service.

Edit:
I also noticed this morning that Monster is building off of its Super Bowl Momentum with a web ad campaign as well. I saw this one on Pandora, the internet radio station.

Super Bowl Commercials: Doritos Slap

2010-02-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

So far, out of the Super Bowl Commercials, there are some hits, and there are some flops. One of the favorites so far in my household, is the Doritos Slap commercial. If you missed it, check it out here:

I did not feel that the second Doritos commercial was nearly as good as the first one.

Census Bureau Super Bowl Advertisement

2010-02-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

Controversy is growing over the use of tax dollars for the Census Bureau to advertise in the upcoming Super Bowl. It is reported that the Census Bureau is spending $2.5 million dollars on a Super Bowl ad. This ad is only one part of a $133 million dollar advertising budget for a five month publicity campaign. All of it is aimed at getting households in the U.S. to participate in the upcoming national 10 question survey.

The census is a very important survey that highlights major trends in the American Life. Participation in the survey is voluntary and response rates are known to be rather low. Sun Times reports that "The government can save $80 million to $90 million in in-person census interview costs, we're told, for each percentage point increase in the national census mail-back response rate."

Is it worth it? $2.5 million dollars of tax payer money spent for a 30 second spot encouraging participation in the survey. Is it really worth it? I'm not sure, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Super Bowl 2010 Movie Preview

2010-02-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

Grace Randolf at BeyondTheTrailer has a great preview of the upcoming movie ads in the 2010 Super Bowl. My question to you readers is... Is advertising upcoming movies a good use of 2.8 Million dollars? I would love to see the actual stats on the true impact of Super Bowl trailers.

Super Bowl Commercials 2010

2010-02-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

It is getting close to that time of the year again, when the advertising world ramps up for the debateable sports event of the year. Yes, that's right, I am talking about the Super Bowl. Every year I look forward to the new commercials. There are always a few new hits, and a few flops as well. While looking for previews of this years commercials, I came across the Bridgestone Super Bowl Channel. The following advertisement was posted about seven months ago, so I doubt it is one of the commercials for this years Super Bowl. However on the same channel, they do have short previews of what this years commercial will be.

McDonalds Newspaper Ad

2010-01-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

This advertisement is close to the same concept as the Stihl newspaper advertisement I posted a while back. I think the colors on this page are a good idea, however the actual news stories themselves are a poor match to the message of the ad at least in my opinion.

Kit Kat Bench

2010-01-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

Gimme a Break, Gimme a Break! I like this advertisement for a Kit Kat bar much better than their current television ad campaign. My one concern would be its outdoor enviroment. One passing pigeon and it would lose a great deal of its appeal. Perhaps it would be better in an indoor environment such as a mall?

Free Air Guitar

2010-01-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

We know how big of a fan I am of viral advertising. Good ideas do not have to have big budgets. Just take a look at the radio advertisement below!

Porsche Heritage Commercial

2010-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am somewhat on the fence on whether or not this would qualify as a truly great commercial. There are elements I like. It does tell a story, like the AT&T commercial I liked. It is slightly long, for a television commercial, and it could probably be shorter. I would also love for the story to have a bit of a better ending, though this commercial is certainly a realistic scenario.

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the following Porsche Commercial.

Brrrr... Snowy Visa Commercials

2010-01-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

It's a cold and snowy day here in West Tennessee, so I guess it has me in the mood to enjoy commercials for the Upcoming Winter Olympics. This Visa commercial is short; it is only a thirty second spot. Visa has an entire youtube channel full of their commercials for the Winter Olympics. Out of the commercials, this one is not as closely related to the actual brand and message of the campaign. However, when you combine it with the rest of the series, the campaign as a whole packs a big punch.

ATT - Lost Puppy

2009-11-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

At the time of this posting, this advertisement is currently running and I probably see it three or four times per day. While saturating the market is one advertising strategy, does your advertising tell a story as well as this one? This adorable vignette is great at publicizing that ATT phones are fast, and it's a very memorable commercial because it tells a story.

Such a cute dog! Aside from the awww factor, this commercial in only thirty seconds manages to tell a story. In order for a story to work in a commercial, it has to be relateable to the product. I feel ATT was on target with this spot just like Camlin Permanent Markers.

This commercial also stars recent North Carolina Tar Heels grad Tyler Hansbrough. This is the first advertisement I have personally seen him in. He was drafted by the Indiana Pacers (a NBA team).

Wall Street Stihl

2009-11-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

This Stihl ad is a great example of how white space can be utilized to the fullest. I would love to find a copy that is big enough to actually read the copy as if the ad is utilized as well as I would hope it would be a great article tied into the product.

Thanks to AdFreak for the heads up on today's posting! If anyone does have a larger version of this Stihl advertisement, I would love to see it.

Camlin Permanent Markers

2009-11-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

This humorous advertisement comes to us from India. I did manage to find a version that gives enough of a back story for those of you who may not be familiar with the Indian culture is revolves around.

I love seeing advertisements from different parts of the world. This Camlin marker commercial does a good job of supporting the tagline with its concept.

House of Cards - Shelter

2009-11-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

This UK Commercial for the Housing and Homeless charity is a very touching commercial that highlights the effect that foreclosure is having in the UK.

As my current day job relates to real estate, I have seen the effects of foreclosure first hand, both residential and commercial. This commercial hits me particularly hard. Charities and non-profits are known for using emotional appeal in their advertisements, but it is refreshing to see a non-profit commercial that manages to get its emotional reach across without showing a single person in the commercial.

Foot Odor

2009-11-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have never seen an advertisement for battling offensive odors that manages to sell itself with only two words. I have never seen this particular product in the stores (not that I've been looking that hard for it), but should I happen to meet someone who should require foot odor assistance, you can bet I would think of this advertisement.

Monster Print Ad

2009-11-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

Monster.com was a winner with this video ad, and I'm a fan of the following print ad as well.

FreeCreditReport.com

2009-11-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

Many good ads have a catchy jingle. The FreeCreditReport.com commercials have several jingles! Here is a compilation of the FreeCreditReport.com commercials with many you've seen a couple you probably haven't!

BMW Billboard

2009-11-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

If you haven't guessed already, I am a big fan of advertisements that can get their point across simply and effectively. Instead of just a "Take Exit 5 to BMW of Bridgeport" they chose a more creative route.

Pantene - Thai Commercial

2009-10-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

I feature a lot of humerous advertisements here, but some of the best ads use an emotional appeal as well. This is more of a short video rather than a 30 second clip, but it is a very touch video and you may just need Kleenex.

Beretta Heating Systems

2009-10-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Is your heating system winter ready? With simple, colorful images, Beretta is easily able to get their message across with this series of print advertisements.

Creative Posters

2009-10-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

If you have a smaller business in an urban setting, posters can be a very effective use of your advertising dollars. The ad above is for a door to door lollipop salesman. And while too many lollies can make your teeth fall out, I thought this might be a great idea for a dentist!

Numa Numa Guy & The Gecko

2009-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

If you have a TV you have probably seen the Geico commercials with the stalkerish bundle of cash that is "the money you could be saving with Geico" I'm no fan of these commercials, as they have always struck me as creepy. I much prefer the caveman series. What I am impressed with is the video of the Gecko, Kash, and the Numa Numa guy. It's a great tie in with a video that has over 32 million views, and a dancing Gecko is always good for something!

Mr. Clean - Habitat Centric

2009-10-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

While I will always remember the Mr. Clean jingle, that is not their only claim to fame. Here is another great example of Habitat Centric Advertising thanks to one of my favorite cleaning brands.

Because they have such a strong brand and Mr. Clean has become an icon, their advertisements can be simple and still be effective. It truly shows the strength of a brand when all you need is a white stripe and a small drawing of a man.

Pepsi Jackie Chan Stunt Double

2009-10-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

Although I am a diet coke drinker, I can definitely appreciate the Pespi Advertising Team. This commercial originally aired in 2006.

The Death of Online Advertising?

2009-10-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

How many times a day do you look at an online ad and really consider the product? Today I saw an advertisement that promised to get me ripped muscles in only 30 days. Nevermind that the before and after pictures were two completely different men with the same tattoos painted on. Online advertising, for the most part, sucks. Ads are often irrelevant and many times annoying and interfere with your enjoyment of the website.

Scott Brinker over at Chief Marketing Technologist, posted a great article on Wednesday about the Death of Online Advertising, or maybe, the death of the internet itself. He makes three points:

1. Most people claim to dislike advertising on the web...
2. Some gurus claim that social media marketing will supersede
advertising...
3. Almost all of the social media platforms are advertising
supported....

Read all of Scott's article here. There is a big push towards social media platforms and building a relationship with your customer. Relationships are very important and social media platforms are another tool in the marketers arsenal. But they are only one tool of many in the toolbox. I'm a big supporter of using your advertisements to help build your brand. TARGET your online advertisements to specific websites where they will be relevant. DESIGN them with the customer in mind. ADD VALUE to the site and your relationship with the customer. If your online ads aren't doing this, your company is better off skipping the online ads.

Blumarea Dive School

2009-10-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

This is a great humerous print ad for the Blumarea Dive School. It took bronze at the 2005 New York Festival.

Post It - Draw It

2009-10-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

If you like pictionary, you'll like this advergame from 3M post it notes. It is aimed for the UK, but open to anyone. Play it here: http://www.post-it-game.co.uk/

Commonwealth Bank

2009-10-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Here is one way to show that your bank focuses on customer service. Just beat someone over the head with a hammer!

3M Security Glass

2009-10-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this advertisement was not a wide spread phenomena, but it's a great case of putting your money where your "mouth" is. It clearly communicates that 3M is very confident in their security glass. I would be interested if anyone had any information on how long this advertisement was left up.

Pepsi Godfather Ad

2009-10-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

I posted a great Soprano's advertisement on the 7th. This video is an example of a classic advertisement tie in with the show.

Nikon - Habitat Centric

2009-10-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

Complete with red carpet directly to store, this Nikon advertisement takes habitat centric advertising and digital technology to the next level.

At a busy Seoul subway station, Nikon mounted a huge interactive, light-box billboard displaying life-like images of paparazzi. Huddled together as if at a premiere, the "paps" appear to be jostling and competing for the best celebrity snap. The celebrities in this case were the passersby, who automatically triggered a deluge of flashing camera lights as they walked past the billboard. The accidental superstars then followed the red carpet all the way out of the station and into a mall - directly into the store where they could purchase the new D700. Mission accomplished. - Lisa Evans

My concern with this advertisment would be the distance that the red carpet would have to run to the store. To me, it seems like this type of advertisement would work best within close proximity to the store. Without that, there seems to be little relation from the advertisement to what the product actually is. Thanks to The Cool Hunter for the heads up on this advertisement!

To Edit or Not to Edit: Ralph Lauren

2009-10-14T09:46:00.001-07:00

I posted last week about Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty where they show the lengths that some images in advertising have been altered. Yesterday, I noticed this print ad from Ralph Lauren over at BoingBoing.net. This unnaturally skinny model is a very obvious example of photoshopping gone awry, but there was some controversy over whether the image was legit or whether it was altered after release. Well, the facts are in. This advertisment was released in this version in Japan. Ralph Lauren reacted to the controversy by sending DCMA notices to Boing Boing and Photoshop Disasters where the images were originally posted. It all went down hill for Ralph Lauren after that. Boing Boing openly mocked the company much to the glee of its readership. This could have been the end of it... but oh no...

Breaking headlines this morning: The model, Filippa Hamilton, who was featured in this advertisment has been FIRED! Why? Filippa told the Daily News, "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore." Umm... Mr. Lauren... It's the public on line one, they're a little outraged at you calling a 5'10 120lb model fat. The official word from Ralph Lauren is she was unable to meet her contractual obligations. Filippa will be ok though, as a result of the controversy she made it on the Today show and was offered an eight page spread in Cosmo.

Ralph Lauren is not the first company to get itself into trouble over a little photoshopping (ok, a lot of photoshopping) and it won't be the last. ABC ran a story about it last week, with highlights of some of the top Photo-Editing Flubs.

So, as a tip to all Creative Directors, Ad Agencies, and all Marketing Personnel... think twice before you edit that photograph!

HP Print Ads

2009-10-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a great series of print advertisements for HP Printers, encouraging people who buy new printers to trade them in. I assume HP is using these old printers for either parts or to refurbish.

Subway - Eat Fresh

2009-10-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Subway is no stranger when it comes to great advertising campaigns. It all started with Jared, who with the help of Subway sandwiches lost a lot of weight (and kept it off for over 10 years). He became a brand spokesperson who has really helped Subway focus on the fact that their sandwiches are a healthier alternative to that fast food burger. Jared has done probably hundreds of commercials, including several with celebrities including Tony Parker and Ryan Howard. But, Subway has taken that healthy sandwich concept and also added a great bit of humor to it. The following are some of my favorites:

McDonalds

2009-10-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

How do you best advertise a really big burger? With a really big napkin!

This advertisement was featured in Stockholm, Sweden! And yes, those giant napkins are made of the same material as your everyday mcdonald napkins.

Dove - Pro-Age

2009-10-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

As I posted on Tuesday, I am a huge fan of Dove's current advertising perspective. As an offshoot of the campaign I featured on Tuesday (which seems to be aimed at the 20-40 age group) they have added the Pro-Age campaign. It's full of the same no-nonsense pot shots at the beauty industry and it really seperates Dove from the other brands.

I've included the following video because it helps shine some light on how the campaign is being perceived and the beauty of advertising that connects with its audience.

MacBook Pro - Ultra Thin

2009-10-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is a great concept for a magazine ad that is advertising a thin product, however it has been used several times for other products. Not the most unique concept but it is effective in getting its point across.

Zoo Advertisement - Habitat Centric

2009-10-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have run a few posts about habitat centric advertisments and how they are currently able to break through the advertising clutter that surrounds us. I found another great example today. This advertisement is for a Zoo. You often see zoos and museams featured on banners around the top of light poles. This takes it to the next level.

The Sopranos - Taxi Habitat Centric

2009-10-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

Where I come from, it is not unusual to see tiger tails hanging from the back of cars every Saturday with a home game. However, I have never seen an arm hanging from the back of taxi and I can imagine it would get quite a few second looks. I love this advertisement, but I would like to see the ad on the top of the taxi also be for the sopranos (kind of hard to tell from this picture) The bumper sticker is perfectly placed, but might be hard to see without getting pretty close to the taxi. This certainly falls under buzz marketing!

Dove - Campaign for Real Beauty

2009-10-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

I could not believe that I had not featured this advertising campaign before. In my opinion it has been one of the greatest campaigns I have had the pleasure of seeing evolve. The Dove campaign for real beauty centers around how the fashion and beauty industries have been skewing our perception of what beauty is through their advertisements.

This original Evolution ad was a big hit because it strikes at a truth we all know. Unless you have been far removed from technology, most people know that models in advertisements have been photoshopped. But this ad showcases the extent that it is being taken to. Dove has capitalized on this great advertisement and has expanded the campaign.

I find this campaign very refreshing and it really sets Dove apart from the rest of the "beauty brands." Instead of trying to convince us that if we use their product we're instantly going to become as beautiful as the model, Dove is more saying, "If you use our products, we'll help you look the best that you can." Might have seemed like a risky strategy, but I feel that it pays off with big returns.

Yay or Nay? Peephole Covers

2009-10-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a very creative idea for an advertisment from Saatchi & Saatchi for Papa Johns in Peru. It is simply an adheisive cardboard piece that sticks to a door making it look like there is a pizza delivery person on the other side. It is definitely unique! But is it a good advertisement?

This ad relies on the customer seeing it as they look out from the door. If the customer is not home at the time of the placement, all they see is a piece of cardboard stuck to their door.

And what about safety? Peepholes were designed so that you could see who was on the other side of the door before opening it. Is having an advertisement stuck to the other side a major obstruction to the customer's safety? Even if its not a major obstruction, could it cause the customer to perceive it as an obstruction and thus result in negative attention?

So the effectiveness of this advertisment is debateable, but it has earned a spot here for its creativity.

Steamiest Commercials

2009-10-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

Back in June, Forbes came out with its list of steamiest commercials ever. Most of these commercials you would not see on tv today, but they were break through ads for their time. Classics would be another word to describe them. I'm sorry Paris Hilton, your Carl's Jr. Commercial just did not make the cut. "The judges said they liked racy ads that left something to the imagination." See the story and complete list here.

When using sex to promote a product, does it pay to leave a little intrigue in it? Or, is "the racier the better" the way to go?

The Eyebrow Dance

2009-10-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

I must admit that this commercial slightly disturbed me, and has absolutely nothing to do with the brand it is suppose to be promoting. See for yourself:

So.. Eating a Cadbury's bar will make your eyebrows suddenly able to dance? What does this have to do with the brand at all? To me, it seems like a very poor marketing job. Seems like they've tried to make a viral video and then tacked on a brand endorsement on the end. Effective? Probably not. But hey, we are talking about it, aren't we?

Babies Everywhere!

2009-10-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

Babies, like puppies and kittens have been used for years to market a wide variety of products. The newest baby-themed commercial that has caught my eye is for bottled water...

E-Trade Baby Commercial

2008-09-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

My parents love this commercial, so it is for them that I am adding it to my blog.

The goal of this commercial is to convince people that E-trade is so easy to use, even a baby can do it. Whether that is a believeable message, because I've never seen a baby quite so gifted, is to be determined by you.

The Plumber Ad

2008-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is the single best plumber advertisement I have ever seen. There are not too many businesses that would be able to duplicate this, and it is certainly something you would remember. The one problem I would highlight is it does not relate to the brand name. The customer may remember the truck with the toilet, but not the name of the company.

The Retail Experience

2008-09-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

One part of advertising that many small retailers may over look is the experience the customer has while in the store. I'm not just talking about what color you paint the store, I'm talking about everything that the customer sees, hears, smells, and feels while shopping.

One of my favorite parts of Ad Age is their three minute video news briefs. This past friday they talked with a high-end fashion store in NY that has differentiated itself by providing the history behind a piece of clothing. All of the clothing at Operations has a history behind: Fireman's Jackets, Railroad worker pants, watchmaker shirts. The owner explains that what sells their product isn't the style of clothing. A type of clothing can be duplicated easily. What sells the product is the history and the authenticity it adds to every piece of clothing.

3 minute Ad Age

The main part of this clip that I picked up on was that every salesperson is trained on every item. They all know the history of the piece. That is quite a bit of dedication to training, and a large investment into each worker. But that point of sale marketing is what makes the difference in their store. I would love to know if a short synopsis of the history of the piece is included in every purchase. That way the customer could become a brand advocate and tell the story of the piece more easily.

Operations does have a website, though it does not look like any of their clothing is available for sale on it. http://www.operationsny.com/

A Job for Everyone

2008-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Monster.com is an interesting advertising challenge. They have to convince employers to place job listings and advertisements while convincing job seekers that their site is the best place to find a job. Unfortunately, Monster.com has been overtaken by spam and quite a few scam jobs. I've yet to find a better option so far though.

Creature Carnival

2008-09-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you are a frequent YouTube visitor, like I am, you may have noticed this commercial which has appeared on the front page of YouTube all weekend.

Spore is a new computer game from the same makers as the Sims. It's not my cup of tea. It seems a bit too much like the old old SimLife I use to play when I was 10 years old. What I did find interesting about Spore is how much it reminded me of this nonsensical commercial from Coke:

See a resemblance? I certainly do. This Coke Commercial is at least a year and a half old though. It did not make much sense to me, and I only remembered it when I saw the spore commercials. What would have made more sense, would be for Coke to re-release this commercial to tie it into the promotions for Spore. Enjoy a nice cold coke as you play your video games! Combining advertisements creates a type of Synergy from Co-Branding. As you saw in my post last friday, Co-branding can make two mediocre ads suddenly stand out from the crowd.

City-Centric

2008-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Cities are busy, vibrant places. They are also cluttered with advertisements on nearly every surface. These ads work great with the citiscapes around them!

The advertisement on the right is great because it took cooperation between two large brands, and both of the ads benefited from it!

Neither of these billboards is spectacular on their own. The light blue colors and the collection of advertisements around them detract from them. The addition of one long tube makes all the difference on whether they get noticed or fade into the background.

I'm really disappointed that ATT decided to drop the Cingular brand. Some of their best advertisments were built around the obnoxiously bright orange and the X shaped little man. This advertisement stands out from its background due to the color first and then because a large portion of it is laying on the ground. The picture of the lady standing beside the calls portion really shows how large the advertisement was to begin with.

This final advertisement is built around a subway entrance. It stands out from its environment, but I'm not sure that ad does much for the mini-cooper. It is still a creative use despite making the car seem a bit like the clown car in the circus.

Silly Big Mac...

2008-09-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Imajin for this great print ad!

Come to your Senses...

2008-09-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of those commercials where I'm not quite sure how it promotes the product, but it made me laugh anyways.

Mile High Advertising

2008-09-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you flew during this Labor Day weekend, you may have seen a SkyMedia advertisement. The New York based Brand Connections (of which SkyMedia is a subsidiary) has an exclusive license for selling ads on the tops of tray tables. It is truly an ingenious concept. The tops are laminated, for longevity and can still allow space for the in flight beverage holder. According to SkyMedia's website 98% of airline passengers were exposed to the message while 92% of those who used their tray table recalled the advertisement! The company also limits the ads to one advertiser per flight, though I'm sure they charge a premium for the privilege. Where else do you have an audience that is captive for hours at a time?
Fedex, Tylenol, Ford, GM and yes, even Pepto-Bismol have taken their ads to the sky (Just to name a few). I applaud the folks at Brand Connections for reaching high.

Thanks to Search Marketing Communications for the heads up.

Breaking News!

2008-08-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"
WIDTH="384" HEIGHT="304">

Bus Stop Beauties

2008-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I made a post about Habitat-centric advertising. It's a style of advertising that I define as creative ads that interact with their environment to stand out in the mind of the consumer. In this post I would like to highlight a few HC ads that work with busses. Busses provide a space for advertising that is mobile. This increases the reach the advertisement could have.

The advertisement above is one of the classic examples of Habitat-centric advertising on a bus. The wheels of the bus make great eyes. The one downside of this use of the wheels is that a large portion of the bus needs to be visible for the whole ad to work. Busses are often in heavy traffic, where a part of the view would be obscured.

This advertisement also uses the wheels of a bus, but a much smaller portion of the buss is used. The wheel becomes the lens of a camera.

This advertisement is probably my favorite for using the outside of a bus creatively. It is an anti-smoking advertisement, built around the tailpipe of the bus. It works best during the winter months, where the air coming out of the tailpipe of the bus would warmer than the outside air, causing it to "smoke". (Hopefully the bus is not putting out enough real smoke for it to work year round).

This final advertisment works great with the handhold on the inside of the bus. Judging by the plane in the background, it was used in a ground transportation bus at an airport. This advertisement for the "Big Pilot's Watch" is a great fit with its environment.

All of these advertisements are creative uses for what is a functional daily item.

Tiger Woods... Walking on Water

2008-08-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Video games often have glitches in them. In fact, there are entire sites dedicated to video game glitches. Some are just annoying, other can actually affect game play. I have never seen a glitch in a game actually turned into a selling point... until now. A great job by EA Sports!

Product Placement - FCC

2008-08-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Product placement has become a major strategy for television advertising. The invention of Tivo's and DVRs and other similar techonologies has placed the power into the hands of the viewer. Don't want to watch a commercial? Just fast forward! So brands have moved to putting their products in the show itself. This is one marketing strategy that I applaud. It makes the show more realistic if done correctly. Notice the disclaimer. Some shows do let it affect the quality of the show itself. There are also a few ethical issues with product placement. The viewer may not always realise that it is a paid advertisement, especially if the show is targeted to a younger demographic.

Haleykish over at Everybody goes to Haleywood highlighted a move by the FCC that could greatly affect product placements in the future.

Possibly coming to televisions across the nation: stronger warnings that the Cokes, Oreos and Sidekicks flaunted by actors have bought their way onto your favorite show.

That’s what the Federal Communications Commission signaled yesterday when it said it would review new rules on how television programmers let viewers know when those “props” are really paid pitches.

FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin said product placements and integration into story lines have increased as television viewers increasingly use recording devices like TiVo and DVRs to fast forward through commercials. Currently, agency’s rules require television programmers to disclose sponsors who have embedded products into shows. Those disclosures typically are done during the credits at the end of the show, which fly by viewers in small script.

“We want to make sure consumers understand and are aware that they are being advertised to,” said Martin, who first pushed to clarify disclosure rules last fall. “We ask how we should update our rules to reflect current trends in the industry.”

I will definitely be watching to see what moves the FCC makes.

Product Placement « “Everybody goes to Haleywood”.

This article also crossposted at http://aheismann.wordpress.com

Oreo Moments

2008-06-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

More and more, companies are asking their customers to become brand advocates. They ask them to tell others why their product is the best. Oreo has just lauched a campaign on YouTube asking everyone with a milk mustache and a chocolatey grin to send in a video (and vote for other videos) on who has the best Oreo Moment. Check out the promo video for yourself!

Habitat-Centric Advertising Pt. 1

2008-06-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

Where are your ads living?

Have you ever paid attention to not just how an ad looks, but the environment in which it is viewed? Our lives are packed full of advertising CLUTTER. The more advertisements we see every day, the harder advertisers have to work to make their ad stand out from the rest. This has led to a new breed of ads I've called Habitat-Centric. These ads work WITH their environment for the maximum effect.

It's really a fun type of advertising. It's creative, it's eyecatching, and best of all it's effective. The best examples of Habitat-centric Advertising have the added bonus of becoming viral on the internet. This is due to consumers appreciating the creativity that has gone into the advertisement. The McDonalds Sundial is one example, the Bic ad above is another. Here are a few more of my favorites:

Habitat-Centric advertising can be done on any budget with nearly any medium, and that is what makes it so great. It's all about creativity. I would love the opportunity to work with agencies devoted to habitat-centric advertising. Even if I was simply the go-fer who fetched the coffee for the truly creative gurus ;)

Pos or Not

2008-06-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a few new advergames to talk about here (they really have become a phenomena) when I ran across one 'game' that is more serious than most. MTVU has lauched a site called Pos or Not where they encourage you to try to guess who has HIV and who does not. The site is co-sponsored by the Kaiser foundation and it really forces you to look at what stereotypes you may have about HIV.

This site really encourages you to show the site to your friends. It does well with its call to action and does its best to shed light on a terrible disease.

Edible Ads

2008-06-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

When you're trying to promote a common service, such as a grocery store, it definitely takes some creativity to stand out from all of the neighborhood corner marts. One Italian company named Esselunga did a great series of ads designed around fruit.

See more in this series of ads over at CrookedBrains.net

Paperworks

2008-06-23T01:15:00.000-07:00

This video is an example of commercials designed by CommonCraft in a style called paperworks. This style of advertisements uses a whiteboard and hand drawings combined with a lightweight fishing line and HEAPS of creativity. CommonCraft is on the forefront of this style and has been commisioned to do commercials for Google Mobile Maps, HR Block, March of Dimes, Boeing and many more.

Visit the CommonCraft store for a look at some of their newest work. Instead of commercials they are now designing educational products for classroom use.

Jeep Liberty Advergame

2008-06-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Are Advergames effective? I haven't seen a recent study, but I suspect they aren't a bad investment; however, I think the most effective ones are probably more related to the product than the newest Jeep Liberty Advergame named Boostin' Nuts. This Facebook Application is a simple game to play, but doesn't seem to have much to do with the car it is promoting.

In this game you play a robber-like squirrel who bounces from acorn to acorn. Avoid the toxic ones,which resemble poison bottles and will take away points from your score. Aim for the gold and silver acorns for a special bonus. There happens to be a jeep liberty parked under your tree that will break your fall if you should miss the acorns. It is the only tie in for the game to the car: "If you fall, have no fear — the Jeep® Liberty’s massive Sky Slider™ Roof is wide open." Though I would think all of those acorns would be a bit prickly to land on. Thanks to Water Cooler Games for the heads up.

Where will Tarzan live?

2008-06-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

I really like this ad (hence why I'm posting it here). In a way it makes the concept of rainforest destruction more real by using a pop culture icon. The high color advertisement is eyecatching and the copy is simple and direct, "15 square kilometers of rainforest disappears every minute".

It's a fact. The rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, leaving all sorts of wildlife homeless. Apparently that includes Tarzan as well. Save the rainforests! Save Tarzan!

Twix For Bloggers

2008-06-17T01:38:00.000-07:00

I'm very much a humor person when it comes to advertisements. This ad particularly makes me grin, being female and a blogger myself.

Thank you Brandopia, for bringing this one to my attention!

Green McD's Billboard

2008-06-16T01:20:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting billboard from McDonalds...

It reminds me of, and seems to be in the same locale as the sundial billboard that exploded across the internet.

I would love for someone to provide me some more information on where this billboard is located?

What would you do?

2008-06-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

What would you do if you were just sitting in an airport waiting for your flight and suddenly, all around you, people broke into song? Would you tell someone about it? Lastminute.com hopes so...

I found this clip over at NewTeeVee where it was posted as an example of viral marketing. Viral Marketing has been one of the major "buzz words" in the past year, the basic definition of it being a campaign that utilizes existing social networks to spread word of mouth about a product or service. The great thing about viral marketing is it is a move away from the large billboards, glossy magazine ads and television clips that dominated the last era of advertising. Viral Marketing can be low budget and more efficient. It just has to get people talking (in a good way).

"Consumers are like Roaches...."

2008-03-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

Are we growing immune to the advertisements we see every day? They are everywhere we look. Billboards down the side of the highways, in the junk mail we receive every day, on nearly every page of the internet. Product placement advertisements are in the shows and movies we watch every day. Advertisements may even be on your clothing. Ever worn a shirt with a company's logo on it? So what does it take to make consumers pay attention to a product? And what happens when advertising can no longer get our attention?

It's something to think about, and I don't pretend to have the answers. I would, however like to recommend a video series first recommended to me by one of my Professors. It's about 4 years old but a very well done series on PBS. I encourage anyone interested in advertising to take a look. Just note that Song was reabsorbed into Delta in 2006.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/

Ads of Yesteryear...

2008-02-24T22:12:00.000-08:00

This link was actually brought to my attention by AOL, of all things. I was signing into AOL Instant Messanger, and checking my daily celebrity gossip when they showed a link to these ads. Now, some of these ads are concerning... and some are just examples of the mindset of their time. Either way, I hope you enjoy a look at Ads of the Past.

http://www.asylum.com/2008/02/19/real-ads-really-disturbing/

And if anyone else has good examples of these ads, feel free to send them my way :)

Bob's House

2008-02-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

Let me first say... I LOVE THIS COMMERCIAL! Posted to Youtube early, this 2008 Superbowl ad showcases some of the diversity of PepsiCo. Featuring 60 seconds of pure silence (when commercials are normally louder than the rest of the show), it uses a popular deaf joke to promote the company. They also couldn't resist putting in a Pepsi bottle and a bag of lays, but hey, it's their couple million that they dropped on the Superbowl. This superbowl is a hit for me, and many others. The responses I've seen so far are mostly positive. So here it is... the 2008 PepsiCo Commercial... Bob's House!

There is also a behind the scenes video, for those of you who are interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD7uLrjKpuY

Clydesdales...

2008-02-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

I cannot talk about super bowl advertisements without talking about the Budweiser Clydesdales. The famous Budweiser Clydesdales became linked with the Anheuser-Busch name after Prohibition, when they were used to pull a wagon full of the first beer AB brewed at the St. Louis Brewery.

A fully grown Budweiser Clydesdale is about 6 feet tall and ways over 2,000 pounds. The ideal horse is bay in color(a rich chestnut body with a black mane and tail), has a blaze of white on its face. Most important, the Clydesdale will have classic white feathering on all four legs and feet.

Every year, I look forward to seeing the Clydesdale ad. My parents have horses and I've always enjoyed seeing these gentle giants at the Missouri State fair. This Clydesdale ad was my favorite for 2006, but my favorite Clydesdale ad was the one that aired in 2002 and was done in tribute to 9/11. I quote the You Tube description:

Here is the famous commercial Budweiser produced after 9/11. They aired it only once -- during Super Bowl XXXVI in January 2002. This one-minute spot features the beer company's trademarked team of Clydesdale horses trudging across snow-covered ground into New York City where they stop to gaze upon the Statue of Liberty and the city's skyline before lowering their heads on bended knees in a gesture of respect.

The big game...

2008-01-31T11:27:00.000-08:00

Since we are once again on the heels of the Superbowl, I would like to take a look back at a few of the commercials that I've enjoyed over the years. I've already looked back at the 1984 Super Bowl ad that Apple created. But just last year, there was one that tugged on our little heartstrings. It was a story about a poor little yellow robot, who couldn't live up to the GM standards of quality...

The commercial is not perfect, of course. There were complaints about robots taking employees jobs, but it was much less controversial that the Snickers commercial which also aired last year.

If comedy is more your thing, let me remind you of the Blockbuster mouse commercial which also aired last year... Don't remember it? Well, here you go!

Whopper Freakout

2008-01-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

By this time most people have seen the Whopper Freakout commercials on television. Unless you happily use Tivo or a different DVR (more of Tivo advertising later). In this commercial, they tell 'actual customers' that the Whopper is no longer being served, and then film the reactions. Although this campaign makes a good point, the Whopper is the keystone of the Burger King menu, it is not a favorite of mine. Perhaps it is because I'm not a Whopper fan, or maybe because there was a director on site and I prefer more spontaneous viral videos. What I did find interesting was the history of the Whopper.
Here are some facts from the WikiPedia article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whopper

The Whopper was created in 1957 by Burger King founder James McLamore and sold for 37 cents.

One of the original slogans of the Whopper advertised by Burger King was There are 1024 ways to have a Whopper; the claim is based on the math formula of whether the sandwich has the ingredient or not, a binary number of 0 or 1, raised to the power of number of possible ingredients at the time, ten, thus 2¹⁰ =1,024. This claim was later expanded to There are 221,184 possible ways for a customer to order a Whopper sandwich. Other slogans include It takes two hands to handle the Whopper and Burger King: Home of the Whopper.

Here is the 2007 advertising campaign...

Brawny Man Update

2008-01-28T18:59:00.001-08:00

I noticed that the brawnyacademy.com link no longer connects with videos. The proper link now is http://brawny.iti.fallon.com/brawny_academy/brawnyacademy.html

Happy Watching!

Tea Partay 2.0

2008-01-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

So apparently one video was not enough! Although, it's not as good as the original, they do manage to work in a new product. Green Tea this time, instead of the Raw Tea. As an attempt to capitalize on the success of the Tea Partay, it's only a mediocre attempt. It is not nearly as well known, and I only stumbled upon it when searching for the original. Regardless... Enjoy!

One thing I do appreciate is the amount of time and work that went into the creation of both videos and their corresponding website: teapartay.com

Snapalope Hunting...? Say What?

2008-01-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Snapalope campaign put together by Slim Jim is another campaign that I like. The campaign is built around the hunting of a fabricated creature called the "Snapalope" a cross between an Antelope and a barrel of Slim Jims. The Snapalope Hunting Association of America or the SHAA (www.shaa.com) has entire hunting guides devoted to how to catch the illusive prey. On the website, they also include copies of the commercials which have run nationwide. Here is one example:

The Culture of Apple

2008-01-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

One of the most popular videos of my collection in VodPod is the 1984 Apple Commercial. Of course, I wasn't around in 1984, but I was introduced to that video by my Integrated Marketing Communications teacher. Apple is a very fitting company to demonstrate IMC. From the top of the company to the bottom they represent the creative. The unique.

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think They can change the world, are the ones who do. —Apple Computer

Tea Partay

2008-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

For one of my classes we have to create a short promotional video for an on campus service. This has made me think about what makes a good commercial stand out from the rest. Is it humor? Is it shock tactics? What really breaks through the clutter and makes a commercial like this stand out:

So what do you think? What quality or qualities makes a commercial be so different from the rest that people will actually look for it on youtube and tell their friends about it?

Burrito, Big Burrito

2008-01-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Imagine building an entire marketing campaign around one signature product. With lines such as "Burrito? or Body pillow?" and "Burrito's so big they should be called Burros" one company has done just that. Created in 1993 Chipotle (pronounced chi-POAT-lay) has grown to more than 500 stores, across the United States.

I had been doing research for a McDonald's project, and remembered that McDonald owned shares in Chipotle, which of course led me over to their site. Once there, their ads called to me. 149 ads using a burrito and a tag line. And no, I don't mean 149 ads showing different types of burritos with glamor shots of the ingredients. I mean 149 ads showing the same simple silver wrapped burrito as above.

The image that comes to my mind is a scene of a conference room with the entire marketing staff sitting around it. In the middle of the table sits the burrito. Then, they are asked to come up with as many tag lines as possible. No idea is pushed out as being horrible. This leads to such great lines as, "Donde esta la casa de big-ass burritos?" and "It's like one of those Freaky dreams where everything is really big." What amazes me about Chipotle is that they are so on target with their target market, the 18-24 year old category.

With everything from t-shirts to a burrito costume contest, Chipotle easily portrays a fun environment with good quality food. Even their website conveys this. When you go to visit the ads area (and I highly suggest you do) their icons fall down like Tetris tiles! So far as I can tell, the smallest detail has not been overlooked. The one bad press thing I've heard about Chipotle is that they are tied to McDonald's.

2008-01-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

Innovative and creative commercials are needed to break through the clutter. This is one I've found, which I enjoy every time I see it.

Brawny Man!

2008-01-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of talk about viral marketing lately. Here's one business that I think is doing it right, Brawny! It's an unusual concept, but they've created a show where the Brawny Man teaches 8 men how to be men, and good husbands. What I like about the show is that they offer all the options an internet savvy person could want. You can add it to your rss feed, you can have them email you updates, high and low bandwidth viewing, and even send to a friend.

www.brawnyacademy.com

There are a few things that I would add though. Perhaps a blog, posted by the brawny man, and a place for watchers to converse.

Here's some other fun things they have on their www.brawnyman.com website.

Brawny Man Fun Facts

He's not over the hill yet: the Brawny Man™ turns the big 3-0 October 2, 2004.
He's still a hit with the ladies: in 2002, more than 30,000 women logged on to www.brawnyman.com to create a virtual Brawny Man. That same year more than 4,000 women nominated someone they thought to be a real-life Brawny Man in the brand's "Do You Know a Brawny Man?"™ contest.
He owns more than one shirt: While most people associate the Brawny man with his red plaid shirt, he has, in fact, worn six different shirts ranging from purple plaid to blue denim.
He knows what looks good on him: Okay, he's worn different shirts, but in the end he went back to the tried and true red plaid shirt.
He never had an ax to grind: This lumberjack may have looked like he was carrying an ax in the 1970s but, in fact, he carried a peavey, a wooden lever used by lumbermen to handle logs.
He's had hair issues: The original Brawny Man underwent two makeunders during his nearly thirty year tenure. The first, in 1984, was a slight haircut; the second was a side part in 1991.
He's a fan of NASCAR: Involvement of the Brawny Man with the sport dates back to 2001 when the brand first sponsored a car. Since then, the Brawny Man has been prominently featured on car #45.
He doesn't mind sharing the spotlight: In nearly thirty years of service the Brawny Man has happily stepped aside twice, allowing other deserving men to appear on the packaging. The first was NASCAR superstar Richard Petty who appeared on the "Petty Pack," a commemorative pack of paper towels in 2002.

The second was Mario Cantacessi, a Los Angeles County firefighter who won the "Do You Know a Brawny Man?" contest and appeared on the packaging in 2003.
He's as strong as he is sensitive: 40 percent of women who created their "virtual Brawny Man" online in 2002 say their ideal Brawny Man spends his free time helping around the house.

Ta Da 2.0

2008-01-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

It has finally arrived.... My second attempt at a business blog. Since I enjoy the Ad industry so much, I thought I would dedicate an entire blog just to critiques of the latest ads.

One professor in particular has inspired me to enjoy the world of advertising. So many thanks to Professor Bennett! He continues to inspire students daily as he teaches Integrated Marketing Communications.

For a little about me... I'm particularly interested in Marketing, more specifically E-Commerce Marketing (sometimes called e-marketing). I am a recent graduate from the University of Missouri - Columbia.

I'm always looking for new writing material, so if you have a lead on the newest ad feel free to let me know. I'll start off this blog with a few posts about previous ad campaigns I've enjoyed.