Today, the last post ever was written on Ad Jab. That was a blog full of seriously great writers who consistenly added more to their stories than most ad blogs do. It’s a shame to see you go, guys.

In what amounts to a bitchslap, Deutsch has created its own ad generator, a parody of Zimmerman’s disturbing mistake, pick-n-clickads.com.

While the execution of the new site, called the Ad Conceptor, isn’t particularly hilarious, I really just wanted another opportunity to say how much little respect I have for Zimmerman. So, kudos to Deutsch for, at the very least, giving me that chance, and a maybe a couple half-giggles to boot.

Part One:

As quoted from the Breaking News header on Boston.com, just minutes ago:

Part Two: 

Dear Turner Broadcasting,

For your next outdoor marketing campaign (if you are ever legally allowed to do one ever, ever again), please make certain that your display pieces do not eerily resemble homemade pipe bombs.  If you fail to notice this likeness yet again, you will send the entire city of Boston into a hyperventilatory bomb-threat-spaz, not unlike what happened today.

Warm Regards,

A Boston Commuter/Marketer Who Thinks You’re a Huge Fuck-Up
 

Technorati Tags: Boston, Bomb Scare, Turner Broadcasting, Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Thanks go to Cool Hunting for this very, um, non-trad design example.

Melanie Bilenker, inspired by Victorian tradition, uses her own locks to craft these delicate designs. 

I’m blown away by the wispy tracery; I’m working on getting behind the use of hair.  For certain, her portrayal of ordinary scenes is absolutely gorgeous in its rich spareness.

I had a college friend with such a fear of hair that she got eeked out even brushing her own; obviously, I will be buying her an original Bilenker ASAP.

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, Cool Hunting, Melanie Bilenker

Old Spice has taken a much needed turn in their advertising strategy. With the Bruce Campbell "Experience" spot and the new print ads, Old Spice is on a mission to take out the Axe stronghold. On adcritic.com I read a comment that made a great point- unlike Axe who shoves all the sexual imagery right at you, Old Spice lets your own mind sort out the details.

As an Old Spice user, I feel like I am apart of something great, especially because I am not like that grease ball kid in the locker room spraying Axe all over himself. The work W+K has created, presents Old Spice to be like a club, a club in which fine smelling men and lovely ladies congregate to discuss nautical adventures and worldly travels. On the Old Spice website, you can take an Experience Test (I scored a 58% and am a "Manfume Wearing Sissy") or learn about ways to, "Avoid Getting Picked in a Line Up" or "Animals You Can Ride and How to Ride Them." To make the website more interactive, Old Spice should add a forum so users can contribute with their own "experiences" or have a place to post pictures from their travels. This Old Spice Experience could be turned into a phenomena and go outside selling just hygiene products, but tee’s and posters too.

Technorati Tags: W + K, Beyond Madison Avenue, Print Advertising, Old Spice

Our friend Luiz, who writes the Manager Thoughts blog, was awesome enough to post up some pictures of the emptiness around Sao Paulo since their ban on outdoor advertising.

Interestingly enough, some companies are able to get a court ruling to allow them to keep their advertising up:

Luiz makes some very good points:

1.  The empty billboards are arguably uglier than the ads themselves.

2.  The planning previous to executing this plan was lacking.

3.  The city set an unrealistic goal, and in the process made the situation worse.

Read Luiz’s thoughts in detail on Manager Thoughts.

Technorati Tags: advertising, beyond madison avenue, outdoor advertising, sao paulo

If I had a million dollars, I would give a handshake and a pony to Nationwide Insurance for casting Kevin Federline in their latest ad series.  They’re entertaining, thrum concurrently with the cultural pulse, and deliver their mission statement quickly and clearly.

As K-Fed puts so eloquently in an interview with USA Today: "I felt that it was a good time to come out and make fun of myself."

Oh Kev, it’s always a good time. 

Go check out the spots on the Nationwide site.  And be prepared to hear about them one more time when BamCast Episode 3 is released at the end of the week…

People often ask me why I got into advertising. They say, "Paul,
advertising people are scum. Obese Americans, fear-mongering, an…"

That’s when I slowly place my index finger over their mouth, and say
"Hush, child, hussshhh…"

And, then I walk to my computer, open YouTube and press play.

"This is why."

via brandflakesforbreakfast

Kleenex’s new work involves a blue couch, a balding man, and a box of tissues. With the help of JWT New York, Kleenex went across the world in search of people willing to share a story, experience, or anything. The concept of “Letting it out” is a great idea because it works well with Kleenex, seeing they are a tissue company. The spot shows there are definitely not enough listeners in the world, yet the execution turns me off. I wish I could see how people go from impassive commuters to emotional wrecks. What does this man bald man ask these people to get them crying? Now that I think of it, I don’t know whether I dislike the execution or bald guy more. The commercial has failed to give me any emotions or feelings besides the fact I don’t like it. Even letitout.com is a bust with little organization. I found it very difficult to navigate through the messages and understand the theme(s). Here is the spot- what do you think?

Technorati Tags: JWT, New York, Kleenex, Let It Out, Blue Couch

I’m not married, nor engaged, nor thinking about getting married, nor thinking about getting engaged.

And the fact that I was checking out this site doesn’t mean I’m one of those girls who prances around wrapped in ruffles of toilet paper, wearing a dandelion wreath affixed with a yard of tulle, carring a bouquet of cheap carnations pretending it’s my big day.

I mean, seriously, TP does not organza make.

But, for all of you who are actually getting married in the near future, take a peek over at Wedding Mapper.  Clean design, intuitive UI, and fills a basic wedding need… getting your guests there happily and easily.  No more screaming Uncle Ernesto clamoring about the hidden turn-off on I-95.

Another great feature– the site is free to use with ad support; however, users also have the option of going ad-free for $9.95, treating their guests to an uncluttered version.

I’d call it a smart early-adopter buy-in for any wedding-related retailers…

Technorati Tags: BeyondMadisonAvenue, Wedding Mapper, wedding planning sites

Not quite a parable, but this is the last of three eye-opening pieces I read this week and I wanted to share it.  I find myself getting caught in the trap of utter awe towards other designers, and sometimes I begin to doubt my own potential.  So, without further ado, read this:

There’s no doubt we’ve all thought it at some point in our career. We peruse through the various design periodicals drooling, admiring, and sometimes envying others’ talent. "Why can’t I design like that" or "How did they ever think of that? I would never have though of it that way". This mode of thinking as well as those mags are dangerous in that way. You CAN design and think that way - it’s just in your OWN way. You’re not so-and-so and they are not you. We all think and approach problems and projects differently. Wishing you could possess the critical skills of other peers is understandable, but you should never under estimate or devalue your own. Different is not better. Similarly, more or less does not equal better.

Simplicity felt right.  No picture. 

Technorati Tags: design, personality, creativity

Parable week I guess…

There are two prisoners. Each have their own cell and no cellmates.

Both want to break out. One has a jackhammer and the other a spoon.

The jackhammer is clearly the better tool to break though concrete, block, brick. But it’s loud, big, requires a power source, it’s expensive and hard to hide. You can’t be subtle with a jackhammer. Small mistakes become huge mistakes with a jackhammer. It’s all or nothing with a jackhammer. It’s handy if you are breaking up a concrete sidewalk, but breaking out of a concrete prison is another story.

The spoon is for eating soup. But it’s subtle, quiet, utilitarian, maneuverable, human powered, easy to conceal, easier to repair or replace. It may take a lot longer, but you stand a much better chance.

Brute force (jackhammer) may get things done, but a whole lot more can go wrong—loudly. Subtlety (spoon) gives you more room to work. More opportunities to say no, to slow down, to make better decisions along the way, to change direction.

Pouring tons of money, tons of resources, and tons of people at a problem is like using a jackhammer to break out of jail. Putting a few smart people on the problem, embracing constraints, not trying to solve the wrong problems, focusing on precision, not using seven words when four will do, and taking the time to get it done right is like using the spoon.

From Signal vs. Noise.  Someone asked how a small team of five people manages to get so much done.  The answer?  We use a spoon.

Technorati Tags: creativity, advertising, design, beyond madison avenue, signal vs. noise

Ok, I’m begging now. Please, please for the love of baby jesus and buddha and everything else holy, please stop using snap.com everybody. I swear to you, if one more thing pops up on my computer just because I accidentally roll over it, I swear, this is going to happen…

Isn’t there some middle ground? I get the need for previews, but what if we had to press control and roll over it? Something, jeez…

Remember the good old days? Just put a cute kid on your ad, and just like that, you’re a money maker!

And, really, I have no idea what the hell "Put a Smile On Your Taste" means exactly, but it’s still better than the god-awful ads they’re making today…

M&M’s has taken an interactive step to allow users take part in the M&M’s brand. On Planet M&M’s, users can create their own M&M character and then star them in movies or arcade games. Whether or not you’re a fan of the little chocolatey delights, there is no question, M&M’s has a cult following. We have all seen the slightly overweight lady wearing a M&M sweatshirt with her male cohort sporting the leather M&M jacket. Jokes aside, I thought creating my own M&M would be cool.

I like the idea behind "Becoming an M&M," but it should be extended into television advertising and promotions. BBDO, who handles the M&M account, should create a commercial where different user created M&M’s become the spokes candies rather than Red or Yellow. Not only will it help spread awareness for "Becoming an M&M," but it will present M&M in a new light. Not surprisingly, all the M&M characters have mini-bios like Red, so why doesn’t M&M create a contest in which the most unique M&M character and complementing bio win money or candy for life? Who knows, maybe the next time you see that overweight lady wearing an M&M sweatshirt, her own custom designed M&M will be on the front.

Technorati Tags: Interactive, Planet M, M&M’s, Become an M&M

Max Katsarelas.  Here’s what Max thinks you should know about him…

At sixteen I discovered advertising.  At seventeen I tried to get a job.  I didn’t get a job so I sat around, read advertising magazines and wrote some spec ads.  At 18 I started a blog, wrote a letter and got a job.  Then I received a letter and got another job.  Neither of them paying, but life couldn’t be better, except for the fact I am still in high school, living with my parents, and have at least four years left of formal education.  If I’m not writing for Beyond Madison Avenue or Maple Takedown, I am thinking of new ideas for Driven Solutions Inc.  I could also be playing football, soccer, or racquetball.  If I am not doing any of that stuff, I am mountain biking, playing video games, reading, looking at auto websites, or working out.  Otherwise, I am asleep or at school.  Hit me up anytime, 24/7 at MaxKats88@gmail.com, don’t worry I will find time to respond. 

Please offer him a warm welcome from the BMA crowd.

This is a parable of a parable of a parable.  You figure out what that makes it.

Chanpory over at Life Clever has shared a great story about why we learn thumbnails in ad school.

The moral?  Make more pots.

The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality.

His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the “quantity” group: fifty pound of pots rated an “A”, forty pounds a “B”, and so on. Those being graded on “quality”, however, needed to produce only one pot—albeit a perfect one—to get an “A”.

Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the “quantity” group was busily churning out piles of work—and learning from their mistakes—the “quality” group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, advertising, ad school, creativity, pottery, design

Last week, I posted about Meth Coffee, a new super-charged brew that promises to make you more alert than a prairie dog on fire [not an official tagline].

Well, as with most things posted here on BMA lately, controversy has arisen.

Americans For Drug Free Youth has started a National Anti-"Meth Coffee" Campaign.  To quote the official press release: "AFDFY begins its campaign across the country to encourage action by all Americans asking Congress to introduce and pass a law that would stop immoral and scandalous trademarks to be used when marketing a product. Present trademark laws and state laws forbid the use of scandalous and immoral words to be used in a trademark and or business name." They cite James Kirby’s attempt to trademark "cocaine" for use in the name of a new energy drink, which is still under deliberation.

At best, I’m completely, utterly, entirely, totally, wholly skeptical. What constitutes "immoral and scandalous"? Sounds more like a recipe for lawsuits that actually enabling industry change. Certainly a valiant agenda, but the variables need to be far more clearly defined before it goes anywhere.

The first company to get their ass whacked if this law actually does succeed? My money’s on Axe.

Technorati Tags: Beyond Madison Avenue, Advertising, Meth Coffee, AFDFY, Axe

After some vicious comments on my Zimmerman post by the lovingly anonymous “Concerned Citizen” and “MD”, I’ll admit, I’m an ass and did forget to update the post to reflect the fact that Zimmerman didn’t actually create the aneurysm-inducing Mr. Six ad for Six Flags. Good for them.

But, I stand by the intent of the post, which was to say that pick-n-clickads.com is an embarrassment for our entire industry. Is that really what we need to say?

Well, this shit is easy! Strategy, who needs strategy? Just take our generic ads and put your name on it, and whammo, you’ll have money coming out of your ass!

As one commenter (and probable Zimmerman employee) said, “Better yet, Pick-n-Click was made by a top-notch CREATIVE team, with a
real understanding of patterns in advertising and consumer behaviors.
So like it or not, it’s coming. And you’ll probably never notice you
saw an ad made by a machine anyway…“

Yup, MD, you’re totally correct. I won’t notice. In fact, I won’t notice the ad at all. Kudos!

And, as I write more, another comment. Apparently, I’ve got it all wrong…

“It’s not about pre-fabricated creative. It’s about finding consistent
patterns in your creative, and exploiting the modularity of the ads for
maxmim effect. Why spend the money to produce 50 tv spots, when you can produce 3-5 with hundreds of combinations?“

Doesn’t really sound too much like the website, which says the following,

“Holidays. Model-Year End Closeouts. New Car or Used Car Sales Events.
Credit Events. These are the known staples of the automotive
advertising industry, and now a complete, comprehensive creative event
is available for you to pick and click! Just like our other services,
choosing a creative event template is easy and fast.“

There’s simply no way around it. Advertising is about people; not automation, not templates. All you’re doing is making it easier to clutter, that’s it.

But, I will say this, if you are Zimmerman employees, it’d be nice if you would actually stand up for yourselves without hiding behind a fake alias. If you’d like to open a conversation, believe me it would be welcomed. But, if we do talk, you have to call me Luke Skywalker. (if you read the comments, you’ll get what I mean).