Let me say this, if anybody says “2 girls 1 cup” on the comment section, please go ahead and euthanize yourself because poo-fun/poo-sex is not cool EVER; and on a side note the fact that that has become an internet sensation makes me think that the apocalypse is near.

Okay, now that that’s done, I am serious when I ask “what’s sexy these days?” I mean these days, most of what’s out there is self-aware ironic like the K-Fed rap commercial (I hope no ladies ever felt that dingleberry is/was sexy) or whorish like the Paris Hilton FatAss Burger Ad. There is little grace and seduction and restrained beauty in advertising these days (of course I could be wrong, hence comment section); and to be honest I am a fun loving red blooded American but there is nothing really that screams sex appeal to me these days.

If anybody remembers this one diamond ad I am about to describe please send the link in the comments section, I found the scenario very subtly sexy and beautiful; let me explain: the spot was shot in black and white and a beautiful woman in a short dress comes running down the stairs - all the while a Moby song plays in the background - and she opens the front door and her fella is standing there in the rain holding an umbrella and he sees what we have all seen, a stunningly beautiful woman, and he lets the umbrella slowly fall to the side ignoring the rain…. NOW THAT’S HOT!

What do you guys think was sexy this year?

Technorati Tags: sex, sexy, k-fed, paris hilton, beyond madison avenue

Howdy doody all. Okay, so I am a huge film buff and this past year, especially within the past two months, two Viral movie campaigns have been kicking into overdrive with varying levels of celebration. The two movies that have been hitting the internet are Cloverfield and The Dark Knight.

Although I was pumped when I first discovered Cloverfield, I have grown weary of its un-engaging marketing techniques. It is just clue after clue after clue with little payout. Check out all Cloverfield news here.

The Dark Knight Marketing, on the other hand, has been brilliant, engaging, and they have always ensured all of their clues have given the fan some sort of reward for his troubles. Check out an example of one of its sites here. The rest of the Dark Knight campaigns are clearly better thought out and more generous to those who spend their time researching movies. I think The Dark Knight viral campaign is one of the best of the year.

Of course, not all viral campaigns are for movies, so please let me know which ones you think are the best.

Take care party people.

It’s true, not everyone agrees on all topics…

For instance, my issue is not really with the current Apple Commercial where they again take the well constructed and executed Apple V. PC campaign and give us another incarnation (Not REincarnation like my favorite Tiger Beer spot below) in the endearing stop-motion style that makes us all think of the old Rudolph and Santa shows, but that they just put together another commercial that makes me not give a shit.
My grievance is not the campaign as a whole that i loved when it first broke, but that this campaign has been going on for so long. When apple works so hard to be the forerunners of all things trendy, they are now becoming almost like Atlantic City Boardwalk Charactitures of themselves.

This has nothing to do with the company, whom I love; but for crissakes, give us another f&%$ing concept. I am sure living-god Lee Clow will have no problem ponying up to the bar again with creating another jaw dropping spot/campaign like he did in 1984. I beg Apple, “Please, shock or surprise us again” as your current campaign has become the one thing you have always dreaded: Conventional.

Technorati Tags: apple vs pc, 1984, lee clow, tiger beer, beyond madison avenue

HELLLLLOOOOOOOO EVERYBODY - Although I doubt any of my posts from here to eternity will incite as much ire as my “Can’t Wanda Sykes go away” post, I feel some perspective… or lists or “best of” are always a good way to sum up periods of time because as trite as they are, they sure do get people’s blood boiling.

This first one for me is this: what is the best TV spot this year? My choice is Tiger Beer, Reincarnation. And although there were some great ones I am obviously not choosing, this one cracked me the hell up.

Technorati Tags: wanda sykes, tv spot, beyond madison avenue

News media outlets are heralding Ribbit’s goal to “be the platform company for Voice 2.0 applications.” Countless articles in mainstream news media and posts in blog media have appeared, written by individuals with a solid command of exactly what Ribbit is all about. Om Malik, writing for GIGAOM, sums it up: “…what they have done is built their own Class 5 softswitch and back-end infrastructure and married it to front-end technologies like Flash and Flex from Adobe Systems (ADBE).” Okay, if you say so.

The company calls itself, “Silicon Valley’s first phone company.” Chief Executive Officer Ted Griggs comes across as a really nice guy on a promotional video. The video will probably challenge the attention deficit Web readers are known for. Griggs basically talks about the company and what the technology means.  But the video is about as lively as a lint brush. There’s a photo of a guy in a suit on the front page of the Ribbit Web site. He’s in a Zen state of mind. Who is he supposed to be speaking to? Even a developer wouldn’t relate to this guy. Your average person, to get excited about this product, needs to know in flat English what Ribbit is going to do for us and what it will cost.

A page on the company’s Web site does give consumers an idea of what to expect. You’ll be able to: make calls through your computer so you have a phone wherever you have an internet connection, read your voicemails so audio playback is no longer a necessity, play your messages in any order so you decide the order of importance, and access your messages on the go from any phone through a smart voicemail interface.

A New York Times headline asked, “Would you buy a telephone from a company named Ribbit?” Most of us would if we get a unique service at reasonable cost. I actually think the name can be an asset—frogs are cute and there’s a lot of creative leeway in those little amphibians. Think about what GEICO does with a gecko who talks like an Aussie and has better manners than most of us. You have to wonder what kind of accent a Ribbit-promoting frog might speak with, in between ribbits.

Meanwhile, developers are positive. According to the Ribbit Web site, more than 600 have joined the development community to date,  located throughout the world in over 65 countries, including the U.S., Europe, Brazil, China, and India. Time will tell whether future marketing efforts will succeed with consumers—maybe we’ll see a Valley girl frog offering up a designer beer, ‘ribbiting’ with zest, selling us on a new phone service in the process.

 

Talk computers with a group of wired types, and one fact will become evident. Fans of the Mac swear by the product with fervor normally found at a tent revival in a small town where religion is a passion rather than a pastime. The journalists and graphic artists I know are especially fond of Mac, and these professionals sing the praises of that product so consistently I’m thinking of going that route when my current PC goes wherever a PC goes once its purpose becomes irrelevant.

The Christmas ad touting the Mac over the standard PC is a model of subliminal and direct messaging. For one thing, the Mac fan looks the part, down to the baggy jeans and sparse hair tufts on his chin. The PC fan fits the bill—a run of the mill management type in a tie and khakis, who buys into his product without question—brainwashing comes to mind.

The ad carries a message in low-key style typical of a company that makes a quiet no-frills statement and who has carved a niche for itself by offering less not more only in the messaging style. The humor can be appreciated—even Santa (not thinned down here for political correctness, but shown in jolly fat elf mode) casts a doubtful eye at the PC fan as he breaks the rhythm of the popular Christmas song. Making a strong suggestion without alienating or viciously bashing the competition—that’s a Mac trademark, and it works well in this Apple commercial, especially with Santa the central figure who, by directing a simple glance full of meaning, apparently agrees with the geek. In other words, what’s good for Santa should be good for us.

Okay…who has the best brand in this race? Tough question, right? It all depends on what attracts you most and what your image of our next President should be.

Is it character? How about leadership? Does experience matter… and, if so, what kind of experience? How smart is the candidate? How likable? Does he or she look and/or sound “Presidential”? And, the all-important buzz word after most eight-year Presidencies, “change.” Is being a change agent an important and desirable brand quality here?

Who’s got the right stuff this time around? For the Republicans, is Rudy the best leader with concrete results in public office? Is Mitt the most well-rounded manager - public and private success story? And, just who is this guy Huckabee? For the Democrats, does Hillary really have a lock on experience? Is Barack the kind of change agent that brings us back to the excitement of Jack Kennedy? And, are we ready to embrace the populist approach of John Edwards?

Jump in…let’s discuss.

Technorati Tags: mitt romney, marketing of politics, beyond madison avenue

So, I wanted to know a little bit more about the Indy shop Tactic since they were pitching against some of the “top heavies” for the IHOP business. Why I was searching, I came across the Australian shop Tactic.

I love the site design. Simple, and the rooster head on the man lounging around on their homepage I just dig.

I enjoyed some of their print work for National Geographic, it is sharp and some of it is pretty damned funny. They have some quality motion graphics and sound work. Check them out, they are definitely worth a look.

Technorati Tags: tactic, national geographic, motion graphics, IHOP, beyond madison avenue

After much hype, and a much-delayed launch, Publicis’ leap into branded entertainment — Honeyshed where “MTV meets QVC.” — has finally launched. “Honeyshed is a broadband destination that celebrates the sell,” according to Andrew Essex, CEO of Droga5. All well and good, but do consumers really want to celebrate the sell? And perhaps more importantly, does the jaded and elusive 18-24 demographic want to?

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of new types of content and advertising, but after all they hype I find myself a little under whelmed. I can’t help but feeling like I’m watching SNL’s retarded younger cousin, and he is trying to sell me stuff. While the hosts are attractive enough, their comedic stylings leave a lot to be desired. And the pods run long, way too long for what they are. When I compare what they are doing here to the content on Current that also targets the same demo, it just doesn’t make the grade. To be fair, the content on Current is editorial, but it’s just so much more engaging. Honeyshed on the other hand feels exactly like what it is: a blatant attempt by advertisers to create something hip and cool. And as we all know, you can’t be cool and smack of effort at the same time. Perhaps most telling is the live chat window. No one is talking about the products or the brands, but rather how much the content sucks. Hardly a celebration of the sell.

Technorati Tags: current, honeyshed, beyond madison avenue

If you have a creative bone in you at all, you should most definitely support the writers during the strike. If you would like to stay current with the ordeal, you can visit Hollywood Interrupted.

The Bourne Ultimatum DVD hit the market Tuesday, and the trailer promises more of the same from Matt Damon. Bourne’s character is so resilient if you could bottle his secret for survival you could make at least a million bucks. The TV spot snipped from the trailer reminds us we are privy to the inside scoop on the most dangerous unofficial government agent alive, opening with the statement, “Jason Bourne is at large in New York City.” The tone of that statement is as solemn as a dirge.

For those not already hooked on the Bourne franchise, this trailer won’t do a lot to entice. While the hand to hand combat scenes have the right levels of smacking and thumping sounds and shots, there’s not much going that hasn’t gone before. The possible exception comes when Bourne uses a hardcover book as a weapon, ramming it horizontally against an assailant’s neck—a bonus self-defense tip if you fear a home invasion.

The trailer does sum up the lead character in a brief scene when Damon as Webb/Bourne declares, “They can’t stop me.” His character, always as dry as an accountant five minutes before the annual tax filing deadline, is perfectly captured with that statement delivered in a casual manner, and in the resigned attitude reflected in his body language as he eases from his chair in a room defined in black and white tones.

I have to admit the trailer works a little like a poem here—the compact nature of the video equals the book equals the franchise. Bourne rather expands in the mind as a result, if you’ve seen even one of the movies in this series.

Fans will certainly love another installment on DVD, and I think the trailer is basically preaching to this choir. If you’re a Bourne newcomer, this clip doesn’t offer anything different than typical neo-Rambo clashes courtesy of a brooding leading man who despite assassin Carlos the Jackal’s pursuit, lives to fight another day. In Publisher’s Weekly, a review of the Robert Ludlum novel that inspired the movie noted, “This is formula writing that delivers even less than its meager performance.” The same might be said of the trailer and maybe the DVD as well. Catch the complete trailer at The Bourne Ultimatum Web site.

We all know the object is to win. But what messages get through and consumed by the voters is all too interesting for me.

The marketing of these candidates (and sometimes their ideas) is how we meet and typically evaluate them before voting at the polls. Well, the ‘08 race for President is certainly in full swing in a few states and the constant polling would suggest the nation is beginning to think of who and what is beyond the George W. Bush era.

Do we vote for a person? A personality? A party? An issue or issues? A philosophy? Or do we vote for a brand? Maybe it is a combination of some or all of these things, but at least subconsciously I think we are built several brands and then vote on the brand we feel is most attractive.

Let’s discuss these brands (eh…candidates) throughout these next several months. Should be fun…

So, I am reasonably impressed with the new MS Zune advertising. It is not the most memorable campaign that has ever been produced, but it is doing, and doing well, what so many other campaigns are attempting to do but often fail. It is creating a sense of what the user experience will be when using the product.

These days, the ladies and fellas who make the commercials understand that the consumer does not want to be preached at. Instead, they work to convey a sense. The worst example of this are the PS3 ads from last year. And, I would honestly say that the Zune is one of the best examples at conveying an experience.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, zune, ps3, advertising, user experience

So I saw Verizon’s new Touch-Phone ad the other day. Dominos, that is their new launch idea, Dominos!? Check out the ad here. And I am surprised they broke this when BBDO did a superior dominos ad for Guinness that recently launched.

As unoriginal as either of these are since these types of ads have been around for years and years - although again the Guinness one is exceptionally well done - I have found possibly the worst one for the Japanese launch of the new Sony Ericsson. In this commercial, thousands of CDs are used as Dominos to tell the consumer “hey, get rid of those clunky old plastic disks, get digital.”

However, the barbed knife to my temple is the musical selection; only having a cursory knowledge of the current state of Asian Music pop culture, I have admittedly developed an uneducated opinion of the scene. This commercial only reinforces my aghast perception of the music that is being played over there. You must watch it to see what I am talking about, as this song is possibly the least needed remake since Britney’s (was that an appropriate place for an apostrophe ya douchebag) cover of “My Prerogative.”

Having some trouble finding the right gift for your little lady this Christmas? Then give the Gordon’s Giftfinder a try! Does it sound like I’m shilling? Well, it should, they’re a client. Am I taking advantage? Probably. But, hey, why not?

Anyway, here’s a little holiday microsite we put together for Gordon’s Jewelers, which is a regional division of Zales. Basically, you can go in, enter different attributes about the women you’re buying the gift for, and it’ll tell you what her perfect gift will be. And for a little extra support, you can send that suggestion to your friends or her friends. They’ll be able to comment and rate each piece you’ve chosen so you can have all the reassurance you need.

Check it out at MyGordons.com.

Now back to our non-shilling material…