If you have not had a chance to see this spot head to http://www.walkofnoshame.com/. The insight on this was pretty interesting. I must admit I have had moments where I could directly relate.The real fun comes from the stories that are being added to Amp’s facebook page. Kudos to the the guys who developed this campaign.  

Yeah, but have you heard the good dig Iron Man gets on Batman ABOUT all that Viral marketing?


Screw the Justice League, what I want is a movie about this

Technorati Tags: Batman, Dark Knight, Iron Man, Marvel, DC, Comics, I’m a Nerd

 

Now, I’ve always been a fan of the Batman movies. Heck, I grew up with the original being a favorite of mine. As Warner Brothers prepares for its Summer 2008 release of the movie, some of you may have come across the viral websites for the movie. Perhaps you even saw Jeff’s post on the last site to be launched and the scavenger hunt games that users are encouraged to become involved in. However, what I didn’t realize was the extent to which this viral spread. Not only are there several game sites, there are a handful of sites that simply deal with organizations, characters and more from the movie. 33 in all. That’s right, 33 websites all devoted to the launch of The Dark Knight. So… feeling bored? Here’s links to all of them. Enjoy. I’m just going to wait for the movie to come out.

 

Why So Serious, I Believe in Harvey Dent,  Concerned Citizens for a Better Gotham, Clown Travel Agency, The Ha Ha Ha Times, The Gotham Times, Maiden Avenue Report, Gotham Cable News, Dana Worthington, Trust Garcetti, Citizens for Batman, Saint Swithuns Church, GVA Foundation, GPDIAD, Gotham Cab, Joseph Candoloro, Gotham Election Board, Gotham City Clerk, Rory’s Death Kiss, Gotham City Rail, Acme Security Systems Homepage, Acme Security Systems Password, We Are the Answer, A Taste for the Theatrical, Gotham Police’s Major Crimes Unit, Gotham Police, Kinsly Travel, Gotham City Ferries, Gotham National Bank, Betty’s House of Pies, Rossi’s Deli, Gotham Intercontinental Hotel, Operation Slipknot.

 

Technorati Tags: Batman, Gotham, The Joker, advertising, viral, websites, marketing, promotion, Harvey Dent, Acme, The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers

 

Flavoured milk has been slowly gaining attention in the UK and to make sure that they are properly penetrated, UK’s leading milkshake brand, Yazoo is set to unveil a new advertising campaign to help build better brand awareness for flavoured milk goods today.

Just like any company that sees a great potential for growth in the market, the best way is to turn to advertising practices to help build on this opportunity. Rarely will you be able to come up with a great product that will surely bring in more customers and sales and with the proper ad placement and market penetration, rest assured that Yazoo will surely jump ahead as far as flavoured milk for the consumer is concerned.

“This new advertising campaign is part of our on-going objective to grow the flavoured milk category and support retailers. A large proportion of the sites have been selected to ensure that we reach people at the point of purchase, keeping Yazoo front of mind.”

The flavoured milk category is one of the key drivers of growth in the soft drinks market.

(Source) Talking Retail

Technorati Tags: yazoo, flavoured milk, advertising, UK, retailers, ad placement, market penetration, consumer

I grew up watching Bob Ross… and come to think of it, Bob Ross may be the sole reason I studied art in college. Anyway, in case his officially licensed art supplies weren’t enough, Dutch production agency Comrad created this bizarre yet somehow poignant video for NoBELe Match.

NoBELe is a non-profit aiming to match young creatives and businesses for similar causes. A pretty cool effort, and a bizarre promo. But using Bob Ross is probably perfect for the target demo, and despite its oddness, it’s spreading like wildfire. I only wish there was some reference to Peapod the squirrel in the video. But I suppose that might be asking a bit too much.

Check out the rest of the NoBELe launch at Osocio.org

There are a lot of things left unanswered as far as our future is concerned and a lot of it has to do with where we will find ourselves in the course of time. One thing we have to note is that global warming and eco-friendly issues will be beside us all the way and with that in mind, we cannot help but think what companies such as Sony will have for us by that time.

Sony can help us get a glimpse of things to come and they are showing this to us with this video that gives us highlights of the future. Take a look at this video so that you will have an idea on whether to look forward to the future or simply keep on wondering what we have in a couple of years ahead of us.

Technorati Tags: sony, technology, highlights, future, advertising, video, eco-friendly, global warming

Yesterday I wrote about my excitement for the coming Amstel Light campaign from the Richards Group. Well, as I watched the season finale of The Office last night on NBC (side note: can’t wait for July’s webisodes!), I got my first glance. Today, I scoured YouTube and found the spot for you all to see. I personally do like the spot. Although the jury is still out on whether it may act better as a travel ad for Amsterdam. Because it totally makes me want to plan a vacation… but drink Amstel Light? I guess if that’s the closest I can get to a city of party and sin, sign me up. What are your thoughts?

Technorati Tags: Amsterdam, Amstel Light, Holland, Heineken, beer, alcohol, party, nightlife, bier, brewing, tradition, commercials, TV, advertising, marketing, branding

I got into a discussion today with a friend about the Nike and Adidas campaigns and how they address the sport of soccer. I was well-aware of the recent Nike campaign, “Take it to the next level,” but I wasn’t as familiar with what Adidas was up to putting forth. Well I looked around (and watched) and have to say I’m impressed. Adidas produced a documentary surrounding Kaká, Messi, Gerrard and Beckham meeting local football teams in Andorra, San Marino and the Isles of Scilly as part of the film project “Dream Big”.

The production quality of the project is awesome and the feeling that it creates is truly heartwarming. Adidas sending out sports stars to these small cities creates a sense of global awareness and conscience. The concept of “Dream Big” is a strong message that speaks for both Adidas and youth culture in general.

Check out the full-length documentary on youtube: part one and part two.

As well all try to bring hot ideas to our clients sometime we go too far and get a little thirsty and compromise authenticity for instant content.  

Food has to be the most essential good that most people will surely buy. Food is among the basic necessities that most people need but it still remains that their benefits will be considered by people as well.

Food is at the top of the heap of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs of man. People need them to survive but they are also particular on what they eat. To ensure that people are not conned into something that will not provide them any good when it comes to digesting, it would be best to make sure that potential markets know what they are bargaining for.

Besides, healthy eating is an obvious practice today and people want to know if what they will be eating is bad or good for their overall health.

Government ministers today welcomed new television food advertising guidelines, saying they were a step forward in tackling New Zealand’s obesity problem.

The New Zealand Television Broadcasters’ council has launched a new Children’s Food Classification system as part of the guidelines for television adverts.

(Source) TV3 News

Technorati Tags: food, maslows hierarchy of needs advertising, television, guidelines, healthy eating

Apple is known for it’s advertising. Has been for awhile. Recently, mostly with the invention of the iPod, Apple has been responsible for helping to launch the careers of some once-unknown artists. I don’t think I actually know anyone that had heard of Feist, CSS, Yael Naim or The Ting Tings before their partnerships. And hey, as an up-and-coming artist, can you think of a better way to launch your career?

Now, while I’m excited that these talented artists are getting some of the attention they deserve, whenever I hear “New Soul,” by Yael Naim I want to throw my TV/radio/computer through a window. I don’t know if this is because the commercial was WAY overplayed or what. But this morning, while watching VH1, the song started playing, I immediately turned around to change the channel, thinking it was the ad and having zero desire to see that laptop in an envelope one more time. However, I found that it was actually VH1 doing a little news blurb on her. So I feel like I’m torn. I like the ad… but only for the first three times I see it, because next thing I know, I can’t stand hearing the song. Unlike other ads I could watch over and over without getting old. It got me thinking… does this happen to anyone else? Do you hate Apple commercials? Or do we just grow tired of the song, like being overplayed on the radio? Maybe a mini test you can try for yourself. MacBook Air commercial is below, followed by music video for the song. Can you make it through the whole thing? I can’t.

Technorati Tags: Apple, MacBook Air, iPod, music, Yael Naim, CSS, Feist, The Ting Tings, advertising, promotion, commercials, music videos

It never ceases to amaze me how GMC, Ford, Toyota and Dodge always seem to get it right when targeting their core audience when it comes to truck buyers. For example, when you’re watching your next sporting event on TV this weekend there is a 90% chance you will see all of the following: heavy duty manual labor being performed, a ball-cap and/or flannel shirt, some rough terrain driving, and of course a shiny new truck. That’s a given, it’s been that way for at least thirty years.

 

Now, here’s where it gets really clever. You will probably see four or five different landscapes that represent a generic part of the US. This gives the prospective buyer their real sense of identify. Much more so than the other characteristics listed above. To me, this marketing scheme is brilliant. What these advertisers have figured out is that “America’s Heartland” is not in the fields of the Midwest, the Texas plains, or the back roads of the South, but rather about thirty miles outside the city limits of anytown USA.

The bottom line is this; the truck is distinctly American. Not rural American, country American, western American, northern American , southern American, etc. And if you think I’m wrong, go to any major city and look at who is driving them. There is no “typical” owner. America identifies with trucks not so much for use anymore but rather for landscape and memories.

This morning I read an article in Ad Age about new campaign that will be launching soon for Amstel Light. Previously, Publicis had dubbed Amstel Light as a beer for the connoisseur, someone who was looking for a sophisticated taste and used the tagline was “Live Tastefully.”

Now, the Richards Group is taking a stab at changing the brand and naming it, “Dam Good Bier,” proudly showing the beer’s Amersterdam heritage. The campaign, which will heavily hit New York City, is set to feature Dutch-style bikes (including a beer bike, like a traveling bar), and will rely on lots of print and TV as well. Personally, I’m pretty excited to see how the Richards Group is going to pull this off. It also makes me wish I lived in NY and could see these bikes riding around. Perhaps a special trip is in order.

So as the new campaign will be upon us, it’s time for beer drinkers everywhere to say goodbye to tasteful living and embrace Amstel Light as a lawless party beer, Amsterdam style.

Technorati Tags: beer, Amstel Light, Amsterdam, party, alcohol, advertising, branding, guerilla marketing, bier, Dutch

We are quite familiar with the integration of the movie the Transformers into most car advertising today and while some may like them, others use them as a point of reference to show other people why it would be best to use known brands.

There are two ways to which this type of advertising approach can be used. Positive in the sense that it gives life into the cars that are being sold today and negative for people who want to avoid a complicated and techie automobile when all they want is convenient transportation.

Whichever way you look at it, it all boils down to one thing; getting the eye of most car enthusiasts whether they will buy a car or not.

Technorati Tags: advertising, chevrolet, transformers, commercials, brands

I’ve been staring at this ad for two days trying to figure out if I like it or I don’t.

I love the image on the right. I think it’s clever and pretty.

I don’t like the break in the middle of the page (it appears to be a corner?) because it distracts the text.

I find the usage of “bold” and “light” superfluous in the copy but most of all my nagging is over one word:

“soulmates”

I’m trying to decide if I’m being too tough or if, my initial reaction that it’s just a cookie and the melodrama of the word soulmate is reaching a little high.

I get what the writer is trying to say. I don’t necessarily mind the attributing of human qualities to inanimate objects, which is often death, but can be done well.

But my initial reaction was there are other ways to say what the image is conveying than the use of the word “soulmates”–”together forever,” “a perfect match,” “inseparable,” “love,” “perfection,” “perfect” etc.

To be honest I kind of scoffed at the use of the word when I first read it, even though I love the image on the right.

While searching for a picture of the ad, I found another take on it, one that not only takes the writer to task for making “soul mates” into “soulmates” but also claims the ad is racist compared to other ads that define chocolate as “the devil:”

Is the primary intent selling cookies or white supremacy?

…

When studying the racist idea of chocolate over white you clearly see it defined as a devil

When it is white over black it uses captions that are definitively described as Angel’s food. In the case of the ad with the white male image and the black female image it clearly reads soulmates.

Even the written grammar “soul mates” in the Pepperidge farm ad becomes a conjunction and is now one word thus you have soulmates. Angel’s food and Soulmates both quantify as a relative meaning. The further you go into this mindset the more disturbing this behavior gets (pathological).

Comedian and Writer Warren Hutcherson used to have a great bit on how is father could find racism in foods at the grocery store (green olives are in clear jars, black olives are in cans; white Frosted Flakes are “great” but black Cocoa Puffs make you go cuckoo, etc.)

After reading this guy’s take on the Milano advertising, ironically enough my reaction was the same as the first time I saw the word “soulmates.”

“Dude, it’s just a cookie”

Technorati Tags: Pepperidge Farms, Milano, cookies, racism, copywriting, Warren Hutcherson, reading too much into things

One thing you have to note about the great commercials we know of today is that people will want to see them over and over again. This is one of the best forms of advertising today and apparently most companies want to make sure that their ads cover all the grounds and necessities expected by their target market with regards to the product or service that they are offering.

Tools used in advertising such as the consideration of people, place and the script are important. To most, advertising means something only if they cost and show the product. Add that touch of creativity and right mix of tools and you will find people wanting to see that production on television over and over again.

Advertising commercials likewise helps establish an indirect form of brand recall so that future products or services will likewise be established in the process.

Walt Disney Co. is trying to get inside the minds of television viewers.

The Burbank-based entertainment company, with its profitable ESPN and ABC entertainment networks, said Tuesday that it was developing an “emerging media and advertising research lab” to try to figure out why people watch the shows they do.

(Source) Los Angeles Times

I’m a huge fan of the idea behind the “original games” campaign. Cafe ping pong & street fencing are genius. The 180 Amsterdam commercial (below) produced by Stink (London) piqued my interest.

And with concept that grabs my attention as much as this one, I was hoping for a bit more than some playable computer games. And while the Skate-or-Die-style of game is cool, there’s still a bit of a disconnect for me from the true idea behind it all (or at least what I hoped the true idea would be). Still a cool execution, but I hope these games aren’t the finale of the “original games” concept… it seems to have so much potential.

(I was going to embed one of the games, but this site’s formatting shrinks it down and messes up the flash a bit, so click the image above to be taken to the Adidas site to best experience the games.)

We are all aware that billboard advertising is a good way to get attention. For soap operas like Secret Diary of a Call Girl, added exposure to inform viewers of this TV series will really help them in terms of ratings and all.

But what is controversial about this billboard ad for this soap series is its changing design which has caused some drivers to stop to this unique style of design and change in billboard advertising approach today.

Apparently, the change is from decent to salacious and with that in mind, the public are sure to react towards this different advertising approach.

A spokeswoman for Prime Television, Lisa Franklin, said back-lighting on the boards came up after dark to reveal sexy lingerie on the “call girl”.

Franklin said she was not sure whether the changeover occurred before the “watershed” time of 8:30pm, when adult content is allowed to appear on television.

“That depends on what time it gets dark in Christchurch these days,” Franklin said.

Another billboard, on the corner of Christchurch’s Tuam and Madras streets, features a skirt that blows up in the wind to reveal the legs of a “call girl” clad in suspenders.

(Source) Stuff.co.nz

Technorati Tags: billboard, call girl, advertising, television, soap opera, lingerie, salacious

With Walt Disney taking the reigns in Austin, TX, there is going to be a whole new way to test the effects of advertising on the viewer. Disney ultimately wants to find out if consumers are more impacted by interactive ads and if their money would be well spent on these high-tech ads.

“TV is not a rational medium, it’s an emotional medium,” Varan said. “We can get to a deeper layer of what’s motivating people by seeing how they behave, observing them in experimental settings and seeing how their body reacts.”

Biometric testing has been used when testing print ads as it gauges a reaction that focus groups and surveys don’t always catch. Now, should Disney’s new lab open by year’s end, we’ll know the same thing about TV spots, mobile and interactive ads. Depending on the outcome, this could mean that for ads of this high-tech calibur, agencies could ideally charge more since they will be more effective. Is it really making someone’s heart beat faster? Are they truly feeling the emotional connection you are trying to convey? ABC and ESPN may just be the first to know.

Read more about it here.

Technorati Tags: Disney, ABC, ESPN, advertising, testing, focus groups, biometrics, television, interactive

Small businesses do not have the luxury of advertising lackadaisically today. For one thing, budgets are limited and by all means, they have only one shot at making good their advertising opportunities work for their business.

Overall, this may seem easier said than done. There is a gamble and risk in using advertising tools. Being a small business on the rise, proper analysis and deliberation must be done by business managers to make sure that such resorts can indeed be helpful to the company’s cause.

For what it is worth, it would be best to consider everything through analysis and studies. By doing this, the feasibility of using advertising mediums can be justified and lowering the risk of a useless way of helping promote a business and what it has to offer.

“In advertising, large companies can make small mistakes and survive,” notes Mark Preiser of Walter F. Cameron Advertising in Hauppauge. “They can even make large mistakes and survive. Small companies don’t have the same luxury.”

(Source) Newsday.com

Technorati Tags: advertising, small business, feasibility, advertising mediums, promote, business