Too Much Lube

Brought to us from Geneva, Switzerland, this ad for Substation Sex shop really gets the main message across. I wonder how it will score on "Key message takeaway".

Found on Copyranter.

Bacardi ad - 1979

They got it right in 1979. Still my favourite print ad against drinking and driving.

RIP Robert Mondavi

The first wine I ever drank (legally) and enjoyed was Robert Mondavi Californian Merlot. It was at Earls Dalhousie in Calgary, AB. I was 18, she was 20. Good date - amazing wine.

He died today. This man put Californian Wine on the map, made it recognized world wide and made his name a brand with more power and consumer recognition than the entire Californian Wine Industry.

Quote of the week

Some things have to be believed to be seen.
- Ralph Hodgson

Trying to sell truly original ideas or ideas based on technology, programs or media new to your clients can be nearly impossible. They will ask you for examples about what is the industry average for dollars spent, % of marketing budget, CTR, time-spent, etc...but the problem is that if the idea is unique and original these benchmarks will not exist.

This leaves you in the position to either generalize - take unrelated but through the magic of your bullshit similar campaign results and share them with the client or try to make them trust you, but I will never do this and I don't recommend it either.

Does trust still exist? Our clients depend on us to be successful while their jobs depend on returning results. If they take risks and fail they lose their jobs. As an industry we need to find out how to propose these ideas and convince clients to take risks.

Alex Bogusky please tell us how you do it.... an interview in the Globe and Mail gives us a little insight.

What do consumers think of your brand?

Wondering what words come to the minds of consumers ... brandtags will tell you.

My Favorite Spot of 2008

I know, I know...what a statement. It will probably change in a few hours but after just watching this spot from Cadbury Schweppes, I had to blog it immediately.

From a branding perspective, I'm sure link will be low and key message...well that's going to be tough as well.

But it's a nice ad. It got my attention and I'm going to remember and enjoy watching it...over and over. If it's on TV, I won't FFWD through it on my PVR, I'll watch. And that to me, is success.

Mandatory Reading

We try to read as many ad books as possible. Some good, some alright but boring and some brutal. It always amazes me how many people in the industry don't read anything - even something as simple as a newspaper.

If you don't read, I'd recommend it. And if you're looking for a place to start in advertising, read "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This" by renowned America copywriter Luke Sullivan. Billed as "A Guide to Creating Great Advertising," Sullivan goes through an in depth analysis on what to think about when creating great ads.

Although it is written for creatives by one of the best creatives, anyone in our industry should read it - if even for the examples and insights.

Filled with quotes from industry legends, the book isn't just a "how to" novel, it's a guide to help understand how create work is made. Oh, and it's hilarious.

One of my favorite references:

"THE SIX PHASES OF AN ADVERTISING PROJECT:"

1. Enthusiasm

2. Disillusionment

3. Panic

4. Search for the guilty

5. Punishment of the innocent

6. Praise and honors for the nonparticipants

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a little of #2 and a lot of #4 these days!

But seriously, give it a read. It's worth it and it might even make you sound smart in a meeting.

My New Favorite Video

I hate Bill O'Reilly. Hate what he stands for, hate his show and pretty much hate any interview he's ever conducted.

But the one thing that I love about Bill is his new viral video. It's fresh, fun and already going viral with over 250,000 views. I've got to give him credit, he knows a thing or two about viral marketing.

Hell - even Steven Cobert is copied his approach on his show tonight.

Check out Bill's video and Steven's parody below.

iPhone Customer Survey Results

The results are in. Everyone knows that the iPhone is a big success. But Why?

Here are some of the key findings:

• iPhone users are very satisfied. The iPhone users we surveyed report very high levels of satisfaction with the product. They are using its features extensively. (Page 12.)
• E-mail is the #1 function. The most heavily used data function on the iPhone is reading (but not writing) e-mail. (Page 13.)
• The iPhone increases mobile browsing… More than 75% of iPhone users say it has led them to do more mobile browsing. (Page 14.)
• …but it has drawbacks. About 40% of iPhone users say the iPhone has trouble displaying some websites they want to visit. (Page 25.)
• The iPhone is expanding the smartphone market. About 50% of iPhones replaced conventional mobile phones, 40% replaced smartphones, and 10% replaced nothing. Among conventional phones, Motorola Razr was the phone most often replaced. Among smartphones, Windows Mobile and RIM Blackberry were most often replaced. (Page 19.)
• A third of iPhone users carry a second phone. There have been anecdotal reports of iPhone users carrying a second mobile phone, either for basic voice calling, or for other functions like composing e-mail. The survey confirmed those reports. (Page 20.)
• A quarter of iPhone users say it’s displacing a notebook computer. 28% of iPhone users surveyed said strongly that they often carry their iPhone instead of a notebook computer. (Page 22.)
• Users are young. About half of iPhone users are under age 30 (page 29) and about 15% are students (page 31).
• Apple sells to its installed base. At least 75% of US iPhone users are previous Apple customers — they used either iPods or Macintosh computers. (Page 28.)
• The iPhone increases phone bills. The iPhone has increased its users’ monthly mobile phone bills by an average of 24%, or $228 extra per year. (Page 17.)
• The iPhone leads people to change carriers. Almost half of iPhone users changed carriers when they got the iPhone. (Page 18.)
• AT&T’s gamble pays off. The iPhone has probably increased AT&T’s gross service revenue by about $2 billion per year. (Page 4.

Found on The Bottom Rung

Bottom Rung's Source: Rubicon Consulting

Go down in style

I was hoping the tagline meant something else....found on adofdamonth

Subway Advertising's New Look

BKINDY.COM - Burger King & Indiana Jones Team up

New site from Burger King and CP+B around the Indiana Jones release.

Description: “Discover $10,000 buried on the Burger King’s Indiana Jones Reveal the Secret at bkindy.com. Every day $10,000 is buried on the site. Enter your code and hit the Dig button. If the money’s there, it’s yours. If no one uncovers it today, then another $10,000 will be added tomorrow.”

The prize started at $10,000 on May 11, 2008 and that amount can be won each day. If no one wins that day, the $10,000 prize is added to the next day’s total.

The site will be giving away $10,000 a day until June 8. What a great promo for the movie and for Burger King.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” opens in movie theaters May 22.

TBWA Vienna makes me lose faith in Advertising

I believe I may have to resign today. Maybe go get a job driving the subway or commuter trains - it always seemed like fun.

Why do I have to quit my job? Because this Playstation ad below has been concieved, created, approved and media dollars spent to share it I have lost all faith in this industry. I just threw up on my laptop.

Maybe a thumb down there is to help you use the whammy bar when playing Guitar Hero.

Here is what I believe the creative team said when presenting:

"Imagine that man has evolved. He now lusts for and wants to play video games more than he wants to have sex. His body follows suit and evolves...growing a third thumb...but not where you would think. A thumb replaces his penis [ad revealed to client]".

Google it - The new guerrilla CTA?

Smart and simple call to action that piques curiosity. Love the line.

See post below it explains everything you would discover when you "Google It".

Empire Alley - listen

EMPIRE ALLEY

A band from Vancouver that is worth checking out because their music is good and their sound is original.

I highly recommend that you listen to "Hey Now", "Salem" and "Orange Revolution".

Enjoy and spread the word.

They are also extremely media savvy. Check out their:

Facebook group

Facebook fan page

Website

MySpace page

Flickr album

and a new promo video on youtube.

The Discovery Channel - I love the World

What do you love?

I love that The Discovery Channel somehow has unbelievable budgets...

Nike Football - Take it to the next level

Something tells me this would have been difficult to shoot.

Toyota Driver Has Gas

And I thought the dealer billboard posted yesterday was bad... apparently this whole fart jokes concept is apart of a Toyota strategic initiative.

Ladies & Gentleman - I have gas



Source

How the US got into this sub-prime mess

A very simple and entertaining cartoon strip that simplifies the "how" behind the sub-prime disaster.

View the entire strip here.

Papa John's surpasses $1 billion in online pizza sales

"It's pretty amazing not to hear a phone ring on a busy night," said Freitas, an operating partner with the largest Papa John's franchisee in the Washington, D.C., market.

The nation's third-largest pizza delivery chain
trumpeted the $1 billion milestone Wednesday, noting that its U.S. online sales have been growing at an average clip of more than 50 percent per year. In 2001, the chain's online sales totaled $20.4 million. Last year, its online sales approached $400 million.

"It took us seven years to reach our first billion in online sales, and at our current pace and growth rate it will take us less than three years to hit our next billion," said Jim Ensign, vice president of marketing communications at Papa John's.

Other chains in the fiercely competitive pizza industry are tapping into the technology craze to give customers ways to order pies other than through the standard phone call or trip to a restaurant.

Dominos Pizza Inc. put its own twist on online ordering early this year by introducing a "Pizza Tracker," which lets customers keep tabs on the progress of their orders. Consumers can find out when their pies are in the oven, when they're on the way, and even the first name of their delivery person.

Domino's also lets customers place orders from Web-enabled mobile devices.

Pizza Hut said it's online orders have grown sixfold in the last three years. Company spokesman Chris Fuller said the online segment is a significant part of the overall business, but he wouldn't give specifics.

Pizza Hut, the nation's biggest pizza chain, also allows customers to order via text messaging and mobile Web. The unit of Yum Brands Inc. soon will unveil a new method for ordering pizzas, dubbed "Pizza Hut Shortcut," that it says will be the fastest in the industry. Customers will be able to download a "widget" onto their computers that will let them place their favorite pizza orders with just one click.

Since launching its Web-based ordering in 2001, Papa John's said it has invested more than $15 million in online ordering technology. Customers can place online orders up to 21 days in advance. Another function lets consumers repeat their most recent orders with just one click.

Papa John's said more than 20 percent of its sales come from online or through text messaging, an option it introduced last year. The company said text sales are meeting expectations, but it didn't provide specifics.

Source

Dove Real Beauty - Not so real....maybe

Attention surrounding Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” just got kind of ugly.

Photos used in the self-esteem building initiative may have been airbrushed, according to an article in the May 12 issue of The New Yorker, posted online now.

In the article, airbrush artist, Pascal Dangin of New York’s Box Studios, is quoted as saying he retouched photos used in the Campaign for Real Beauty ad, which featured pleasantly plump women in white undergarments.

“Do you know how much retouching was on that?” asked Dangin. “But it was great to do, a challenge, to keep everyone’s skin and faces showing the mileage but not looking unattractive.”

The entire “Real Beauty” campaign is based on the idea that woman should feel positive about their natural bodies and not be overly influenced by mass media and advertising which sometimes use technical tricks like photo retouching to create unattainable portrayals of beauty. The creative positioning promoted a wider and more realistic definition of female beauty, and was developed after a 2004 global study conducted by Dove found that only 2% of women consider themselves beautiful.

Two years later, Ogilvy & Mather Toronto created “Evolution,” a viral video that showed how beauty-industry advertising manipulates images of women.

The self-esteem building effort translated into marketing and award show gold for the beauty brand—including an unprecedented two Grand Prix at Cannes last year.

“We are unsure right now what he did,” the Ogilvy spokeswoman told Ad Age. “He works with Annie Leibovitz, the photographer. And we don’t have any record of him actually working on any of the Dove campaign.

“There was no retouching of the women,” she said. “If there was a hair that was up in the air, that might have been the kind of retouching that was done.”

See the previous adjoke posts about the campaign here, here, and here .

Social Working for the rich

aSmallWorld.net

Members: 320,000

Perks: Chit chat with the ultra-rich on the site's forum about the best hotels in Monaco, buy a yacht from a member on the Market Guide, scour the luxury travel guide or browse the social calendar. This is by far the most active and well-known exclusive social networking site on the web … but competition is biting its heels.

Getting in: Members, who pay no fee, induct newcomers on the basis of education, profession and their network of contacts. If you don't know a member with invite powers, you're out of luck.

ASmallWorld, by far the most well-known and well-attended site for digital A-listers, was launched in March 2004 by former Lehman Brothers banker Erik Wachtmeister. Born into a diplomat family (his father was the Swedish ambassador to the U.S.), Wachtmeister started networking at an early age.

"I realized there was an existing community of people who are connected by three degrees of separation: They stay at the same resorts when they travel, frequent the same restaurants and have similar lifestyles. They needed a platform to share and receive information--it was a huge untapped opportunity," Wachtmeister says.

ASmallWorld has grown to include 320,000 members globally (Facebook boasts 40 million, by contrast) with 65% of the members in the U.K., Italy, Germany and France and 20% in the U.S. The rest are sprinkled throughout the Middle East and Asia. Wachtmeister's site has been even called "MySpace for millionaires" by the Wall Street Journal. But Wachtmeister maintains that aSmallWorld is a niche community that doesn't allow self-promotion or aggressive networking.

source

Created for the curious

The "next blog" button found above was created for the curious and is one of my favourite ways to kill time on a rainy Wednesday night. You never know what you may find on the next blog...some treasure, some trash but always entertaining. Tonight it is even more entertaining the the in-depth look at the Russian President Vladimir Putin that I am watching for no apparent reason on TV.

A few things I learned tonight from clicking "next blog":

- The Spanish love to blog
- Gardener's love to share the growth of their tomato plants
- Engaged couples think the world gives a shit about their wedding plans and countdown to the big day. (Note: we don't)
- People like to cheat at video games... and share how on blogs

Why do Auto dealers create thier own ads?

Another prime example of why Auto dealerships should not be allowed to create their own ads... related post here.

I Pass Gas is actually Trademarked...ouch.

Apple Parody hidden in GTA IV

I guess the makers of GTA IV aren't huge fans of Apple. The have put the following images on a computers in an Internet Cafe within the game.

The Fruit Phone.
No buttons.
No reception.
No storage Capacity.
All Ego.

Think Simple.
Think Minimalism.
Think Overpriced.
Think Fruit. Think.
You are not thinking hard enough. Maybe you are a tosser.

Source