June 17, 2008
Sometimes we're dorky. Okay, most times.
A few of us here at American Copwriter love the show Battlestar Galactica. Love it. A whole fracking lot. We like the show so much that we've created a blog (whoisthe5thcylon.blogspot.com) to help discern who the final Cylon is. We'll post some theories and break each one down with pros and cons. We'll even toss in odds for each one. Yes, it sounds extremely nerdy, but it's fun for us geeks.
There's a submission form on the page where you can send in your own guesses. We'll probably even publish a few of them, too. Check it out and tell us what you think.
May 30, 2008
R.I.P. Harvey Korman
Too many of these this week. Here's to you Mr. Korman. Thanks for the laughs.
Sidenote: There's a "thing" in theatre about "breaking character." Sure, Conway is chewing the scenery here. But the real laughs come from Korman going ahead and laughing at him. Korman knew exactly what he was doing.
April 15, 2008
$5 dolla footlooooooooongs.
I want to tell you that I don't like it. That its lack of high concept makes me wince. That it utilizes a jingle. But I can't. I just can't. Dammit, I like the the $5 footlong spots. There I said it. And I am not ashamed. Much.
Oh,Lincoln likes them, too. Wonder what Jared thinks?
March 31, 2008
When creatives get bored before consumers do.
I've always liked the Whiteboard ads. Yeah, yeah, I know a lot of you too-cool-for-schoolers are haters but I think the campaign is smart, differentiating, and appropriate for the brand. Top it off with the fact that is sells pretty hard, too. I've also always felt there was a real charm to the simplicity of the spots and the clever illustrations. But a great deal of that goes away, for me anyway, once you add the animation and the extra characters in with Azula.
So, here's the question I'm posing to people who know or would like to posit: Did the campaign need to evolve for message or did the creatives simply get bored before we (or at least I) did?
February 24, 2008
And the Oscar for Best Ad on the Oscars goes to...
Tonight, is a big, big night for brands. Star brands, studio brands and marketer brands all mix on the red carpet. We can count on the Nicholson brand doing well tonight. It's a tradition to cut to him grinning in the audience. His smile is as iconic as the Clydesdales. But what about the marketers that are making their big bet with this event instead of the hyper-hyped Super Bowl? Follow a live chat with the pundits on Adfreak's new OscarFreak. If you are so moved, leave your opinions on the winners and losers here or as an audio comment. We'll update this post with our own opinion in the morning. In the meantime, we already know what Judd Apatow thinks of the whole thing.
UPDATE: I'll be honest, Sunday night laundry made me miss a lot of the spots. The one I caught that I found really intriguing was MasterCard "searching eye." It's paid off online here.
February 13, 2008
Cavemen Return to GEICO?
Now that the Writers Strike is over, people are clamoring to know when their shows are going to return with new episodes. The short answer for many is "not for a while, but check back in April." For others, however, that answer may be "never again."
On that short list of "never again" could be the Cavemen show inspired by the GEICO commericals. What does that mean for our unshaven friends? How about a new online/Facebook campaign for GEICO? I'm not sure if this was something created a long while back for GEICO, or if this is a new offering. In any case, if the Cavemen come back to commercial-land, I'll be happy.
November 21, 2007
I live in lovewesandersonawholebunchville.
So, I'm a little behind on blog topics. Wes Anderson just fucking rules doesn't he? I love the concept, too. Really stands out in the category. Christ, I hate giving AT&T credit for anything. Agency credits anyone?
November 20, 2007
Rest in Peace Mr. Whipple.
Dick Wilson, a.k.a. Mr. Whipple, 1916-2007. P&G ran the "Please don't squeeze the Charmin" campaign from 1964 to 1985 and again in 1999. As Steve said, "...Wilson, was a lovable, humorous television advertising icon back in the day when brands didn't change campaigns and agencies at the whim of a here today gone tomorrow CMO."
November 19, 2007
Sonic guy supports writer's strike. Stirs thoughts.
From the minds at the Colbert Report. Nice to see one of the Sonic Guys scoring even more work.
The writers strike should remind all creatives that intellectual property is anything but a commodity. Guard yours.
Thanks to Darryl.
November 11, 2007
Viva Viagra. Really!?!
Oh, I get it. Guys don't like to talk about erectile dysfunction so let's show them singing about it! Yeah, that'll take the stigma away.
Hands up, who thought this was a spoof? A spot like this makes it clear why a guy might be embarrassed to ask his doctor for Viagra. And it has nothing at all to do with erectile dysfunction.
Drugs in this category must be worth big bucks. The first pharma brand that figures out a way to talk to men about them in a way that's not goofy or adolescent stands to truly dominate.
October 25, 2007
Blu-Ray outsells HD-DVD 2 to 1
Tug says it's because it has a cooler name and a better logo. That's it. That's the reason. Not technology or storage or any of that techie mumbo jumbo. Cooler name and logo. What do you think?
Get the full story. 
October 05, 2007
Arnold exposes the focus group.
Watch this and remember why you get paid to do what you get paid to do. The opening to the 2007 Hatch Show from Arnold.
Spotted at Ernie's blog.
July 22, 2007
Work that reminds us why we love advertising #1.
Had not seen this Gold Lion winner until last week. Genius. One can only hope to do as well with a full two minutes to communicate an idea. Great concept. Great script. Casting is dynamite. And the direction? So good it can't be fully appreciated until the end. Flat out wonderful. Credit where it's due: Agency: NORDPOL+ HAMBURG Creative Director: Lars Ruehmann Art Director: Bjoern Ruehmann/Joakim Reveman/Matthew Branning Production Company, City: PARANOID PROJECTS, Paris Country: FRANCE 2nd Production Company, City: PARANOID US, Los Angeles Country: USA Director: The Vikings
Thanks to Andrew The Planner
July 19, 2007
2007 Oustanding Commercial Emmy Noms
Congratulations to the following commercials and agencies who have been nominated for the 2007 Outstanding Commercial! We tip our hats and wish you all luck.
Animals - American Express Hungry Man, Production Company Ogilvy Mather, Ad Agency
Battle - Cingular BBDO New, Ad Agency Park Pictures, Production Company
Happiness Factory - Coca Cola Wieden Kennedy, Ad Agency Psyop Production, Production Company
Jar - GE BBDO New, Ad Agency Traktor Production, Production Company
Pinball - Pepsi Partizan Entertainment, Production Company BBDO New, Ad Agency
Singing Cowboy - Truth Arnold and, Ad Agency MJZ Production, Production Company
Snowball - Travelers Fallon Ad, Ad Agency MJZ Production, Production Company
July 19, 2007
Plagiarism is in the eye of the beholder.
Anyone who reads this blog likely knows the unwritten rules of applying creativity to sell a product, service or idea. 
One of the greatest sins? Intentionally ripping off an idea from another creative. In fact, it's considered grounds for excommunication from the creative tribe. Not just because it is wrong but also because it speaks volumes about your opinion of your own talent.
As the lines between entertainment and advertising blur, however, it seems our tribe may have some trouble adjusting to the culture of the networks and Hollywood where straight out rip-offs don't seem to carry the same stigma.
The most recent case in point: Don't Forget the Lyrics on Fox and The Singing Bee on NBC. One of many cases of network duplication including Trading Spouses vs. Wife Swap and Super Nanny vs. Nanny 911.
We've talked before about the collective unconsciousness. Two creative teams working half a country apart on poorly differentiated brands can and do arrive at similar conclusions. It happens. That doesn't stop the whispers and disapproving looks. Even, uh, borrowing elements from other parts of the popular culture can be frowned upon i.e. the kerfuffle about the origin of the look of the iPod spots.
How is it that something so taboo on the advertising side is so out-and-out blatant on the content side?
Maybe it's that TV shows aren't viewed as ideas but rather as competing products.
July 02, 2007
Amazing Integration
We've all heard about the bold move that 7-Eleven and Fox agreed on a while back to promote the new Simpsons movie and thought it was cool. But if you haven't seen the level of detail they've gone through to bring the Kwik E Mart to life, then you haven't lived (today). Here's a nice set of Flickr photos covering the entire store.
Mega big-time props go out to Fox, 7-Eleven and FreshWorks (and anyone else that had a hand in this) for pulling off what should be considered the best example of bringing a brand to life.
Can you imagine the brainstorming sessions that went into this? Lovely.
May 30, 2007
Good Chemistry.
We're more than slightly behind in noticing this new campaign from Chemistry.com, but had to write about it anyway.
Love and rejection have been going steady for a long time. So, playing
on our only slightly repressed teenage angst is pretty smart. If you're
on the market do you really want to experience rejection by your dating
service? Particularly for "It's not us, it's you" reasons. Yeah, it's always a dicey proposition to name names. You are technically promoting the competition, and there's a risk of coming off petty to boot. But this gutsy campaign by Hanft Raboy & Partners works.
May 14, 2007
Earl does ad people proud.
Ad guy Earl Cole swept all 9 jury votes to take take home a million pre-tax bucks on Survivor Fiji. Earl, who never had his name written down at tribal council, proved that ad people can indeed persuade and manipulate any society (though Earl really does owe his new fortune to Dreamz constant flip-flopping). 
Earl wasn't the only "advertising executive" in this season's show. Edgardo Rivera was also a playa' this season (Edgardo proved that most ad people suck at archery).
I put the "advertising executive" title in quotes because it's just such a goofy, Darren Stephensesque moniker that people outside the industry use to describe what we do. If his beach drawings (and many of his tribal ballots) are any indication, you have to figure that Earl's got an art direction background.
His bio says Earl's an ex-KCK kid transplanted in Santa Monica. Way to go Earl. All of us in Adland are happy for you. Winning the million is at least as good as Gold Pencil, eh?
P.S. If you ever make your way back to KC, look us up.
May 07, 2007
Destroying a classic. For no good reason.
No, no, no, no, no, no. Hey Tootsie Roll people, you have one of the most iconic and beloved spots ever created. Don't screw with it. Seriously.
Hat tip to Transbuddha.
May 02, 2007
Thanks for the memories, Tom
Tom Poston. October 21, 1921 — April 30, 2007.
On TV and advertising:
"When I started out, I was sorry I'd missed vaudeville,'' Poston told New York magazine. "I was sorry I'd missed silent movies. At the time, it didn't occur to me that I was participating in the beginnings of television. TV was a weird option because of the advertising. When it first started, I said, `I don't want to have anything to do with promoting beer and cigarettes and cars. I don't want to peddle snake oil.' I had studied to be a classicist.''
On his famous, bumbling characters:
"In ways I don't like to admit, I'm a
goof-up myself. It's an essential part of my character. When these guys
screw up it reminds me of my own incompetence with the small
frustrations of life."
April 04, 2007
Where's our art direction idol?
How is it possible that the number one TV show in the known universe continues to get away with having the cheesiest, most horrific graphic design and motion graphics known to man? Seriously.
Come on Bill and Kyle. Can't you and your tasteful compatriots do something about this?
March 16, 2007
Have a magically delicious St. Patrick's Day.
For something even more magically delicious, go here.
February 15, 2007
Vee Dub pulls the Jumper.
February has sure been a big month for high-profile spots getting yanked.
Hot on the heels of GM promising to re-edit the Robot spot, Adweek is reporting that VW has decided this pull the "edgy" Jumper spot which, at the time of this writing, can be still seen on the Adweek link.
There's a really frank and open discussion about people's feelings about the Robot spot over at Ernie's blog which demonstrates how polarizing the subject is no matter how deftly it's handled in advertising.
As for me, I'd certainly put suicide themes in the camp of Creative No Fly Zones. Yeah, I know a comedian could tell a joke about it without too many gasps. There likely wouldn't be an uproar if a scene similar to the one depicted in the VW commercial were to be included in a movie. But there's an important difference. Movies, TV, comedians...these are generally considered by the American public as art (even if a low form of it). Art has permission to humorously explore sensitive social issues. Whether we like it or not, the American public does not equate advertising with art. We have no such permission. So, when we attempt to poke at the same issues, we get our leash yanked. This is how it is. So, I'm not sure why we're so damned surprised or pissed off when it happens. Of course, this is where some of you will begin to argue that this whole thing is an engineered controversy. That everyone involved both expected and welcomed the fire-breathing and teeth-gnashing.
God, I hate to think it's really come to that.
February 03, 2007
The edge isn't the only thing that goes when you get old, guys.
When you walk into a meeting with that stuffy client of yours, an earring sez, "I'm a dude who defies convention." Of course, even hipster ad types can't defy Father Time. So, maybe some of you will find a use for these when advertising begins to take its toll on your body and soul. After all, it's hard to be credible with stretched out ear lobes. Think they work with other piercings? Enjoy a classic example of an overwrought direct response execution on the link.
February 01, 2007
When it all blows up in your face.
I am of two minds this morning on the whole Boston/Cartoon Network fiasco which you've already read about here, here and here or maybe you saw it as the lead story on the Today Show and nearly every other major news outlet this morning.
My first mind says that this tactic should never have seen the light of day. Part of our job is to be culturally aware. We're the ones who are supposed to know what everyday people are thinking and feeling. The country, as a whole, is jumpy as hell about terrorism. 24 has built its new season around nukes going off in L.A. Entertainment reflects culture. The country is living with some fear. Read any consumer study and it'll confirm it. So, right now, placing plastic stuff with batteries and wires under bridges and in public places is just a dumb thing to do. Even if it just looks like a big Lite Brite. Every political leader, every canned airport voice and even other ad campaigns tell us to be aware and report anything suspicious. And the cops have no choice but to respond to a possible bomb on a major commuter route. Responsible people within the approval chain should have had some light bulbs go off in their heads. Packages of any sort left under bridges, on Subways or buses, are just begging to misinterpreted no matter how well art directed they are.
That said, my second mind feels awful for all the creative people involved. Dumb idea or not, I know all they wanted to do was provide a little theatre for bored rat-racers. And, as many commenter's on other blogs have noted, the target audience sure didn't run screaming from it. In fact, the target seems to be rallying for the advertiser. Some say there's no such thing as bad press. I don't believe that. One guy is in jail. The agency yanked its Web site down. No one is sitting around with big smiles are their faces. Least of all Ted Turner. We've all had lapses in judgment. Most times though, those don't end up the talk of the country. It has got to be a real nightmare for those involved.
Still, there are consequences to our actions, and the consequences here have a ripple effect on you and me. Everyone in the industry get whacked with the same bat when something like this goes down. "Look at them! How far will they go to push their brain-washing techniques on us!" If governors or mayors are talking about a campaign that doesn't have something to do with tourism you know someone has really stepped in it. That's where we stand today.
Update: Looks like I'm wrong about the nightmare part for those involved. These guys don't seem to be concerned at all.
January 07, 2007
Bruce Campbell. Old Spice. Holy Shit.
Dear Old Spice: You put Bruce Campbell in a new commercial that broke (I think) this weekend. You'll be happy to know the spot jumps off the screen. The ship gag is great and will demand Tivo rewinds. Campbell is effortlessly cool which has to be good for the brand. A big AC shout out to you and the agency for the effort (and if anyone knows who the agency is let us know). I couldn't believe the spot was for you. I really wanted to learn more, and I wasn't alone. Every Bruce Campbell fan in the universe started googling the spot this weekend. Blogs like this one already have a substantial conversation going on. But the video isn't featured on your Web site. And, as of this writing, it's nowhere to be found online. Pony up and pay Bruce so you can take advantage of the free eyeballs and pass along. Fast. You don't want to miss out on the, gulp, buzz about Old Spice?! Someone hand me a chainsaw.
P.S. If anyone locates a video link let us know.
Update: AC reader DJ_Lovecraft alerts us that the magnificent bastards are behind the effort. The manly microsite is here. Still awaiting a video link. Cheers to W+K and P&G.
Update #2: Tom and Jeremy have located a new YouTube link here.
January 04, 2007
Squeeze, rub, groom and dumb.
Woolite is introducing their new carpet cleaning "pod" with the phrase, "Squeeze, rub, groom and done!" Please note the exclamation point. It's not, "Squeeze, rub, groom and done." It's most assuredly, "Squeeze, rub, groom and done!" How much testing do you suppose went into the development of that phrase?
Now, maybe "Squeeze, rub, groom and done!" is functional as a bit of product edumakashun copy but as the central dialogue of a TV spot the phrase elicits sad, head-shaking chuckles. Keep your eyes and ears out for the spot which goes a little something like:
Stepford Lady 1: "...with Woolite pod you just squeeze, rub, groom and done!"
Stepford Lady 2: "Really? Just squeeze, rub, groom and done!?"
Uttering something so stilted and unnatural once is not nearly as good as saying it twice. Crumbelievable. It's 2007. And we're still making commercials like this.
Calgon take me away!
December 12, 2006
Forrester says iTunes sales suck.
iPods are selling like water. iTunes library gets bigger and better each day. But this report from The Register says iTunes sales are "collapsing." Interesting reading to say the least.
November 29, 2006
Fake but real product placement.
On this week's episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, NBC cross-promoted Deal or No Deal by having the real Howie Mandel host the fictional show (within the show) and then turning his fictional monologue on the fictional show into a fictional skit that was, in reality, a real promotion for Mandel's real show. Fake but real cross-promotion seamlessly integrated into the flow of the real episode (and, I thought, it was entertaining enough not to be glaring).
Last week, the staff (of the fake show) discussed a new set that would be made up of the kinds of billboards that one spys on the real Sunset Strip. They (the characters) decided they'd sell those fake billboards (on the fictional show's fictional set) to fictional sponsors to save the fictional show's (and the fictional network's) budget. So, now I'm wondering if we'll see that new set on a future episode of the real show featuring fictional sponsors for the fictional show that are, in actuality, real sponsors for the real show. In other words, real product placement within the fake show for the benefit real show and real network which has, of late, talked about its own real budget-cutting measures.
Sheesh, it's getting hard to keep track.
Updated for additional content.
November 29, 2006
Bad news for one of the world's power brands.
If you don't (or haven't) had small children in your life, you may not have even heard of The Wiggles. However, they are a powerhouse global brand that straddles all media and an incredible array of merchandise. They are Australia's top-earning entertainers, banking more in '05 than Nicole Kidman and AC/DC combined. Now there are reports that the yellow Wiggle, Greg, may have to quit the band because an illness. Children all over the world are crying. Have some fruit salad and get well, soon Greg.
November 13, 2006
Very, very, very rewarding!
By now, you've likely seen Victor and Roman quirking their way across your screen and proclaiming that Citi is, "Rewarding. Very, very, very rewarding!"
Talk about standing out from the flock.
Thanks to some great copy and the direction of Jared Hess, the spots are impossible to miss, impossible to ignore and practically impossible to forget (rewards are "tiger fast" and "no madness can stop Citi's rewarding ways" are lines that occur to me unaided). We here at AC, can't help but tip our caps to the writers involved ("I will do it restrained by this restraining device"). Oh, and the casting in and of itself is something to marvel at.
Despite the executional deliciousness, not everyone is on board with the strategy behind the campaign. Indeed, this is a big change in tone from "Live Richly." A quick scan of the information at hand didn't give us an indication of Live Richly's ultimate fate. We welcome clarification. In any case, Citi has a huge spend behind Victor and Roman. Credits to Fallon and Atmosphere BBDO.
November 11, 2006
Thanks for the memories, Jack.
Jack Palance.1919-2006. No one did a better one arm push-up than you.
October 17, 2006
Mel Harris is still hot.
I suspect there are more than a few of us "thirysomethings" who once regarded advertising as a highly glamorous profession to pursue thanks to the high '80's dramedy Thirtysomething. I also suspect that there are more than a few us who maintained 1987 crushes on Mel Harris who played the lovely and talented Hope Steadman.
Despite the fact that you still don't have a chance in hell, there's now a reason to drag that crush out of your 80's memorabilia.
October 14, 2006
All hail relevance #2.
Nicely done, Microsoft. Nicely done.
If you find particularly relevant placements of spots, ads etc. send 'em our way. We'll credit you and everything.
October 05, 2006
Studio 60 captures creative angst.
It's official. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is my favorite new show of the season. The show nails the messiness and angst of the creative process. The brainstorm sessions, the pressure to be creatively great and make the numbers, the dulling input of a ham-handed focus group, the oft-abused production people and schedule, the pressure from "the sponsors," the ever looming deadline and, of course, the energizing and addictive joy of finally cracking the code. All of it all could be set in an agency as easily as it is backstage at the fictional show. Hell, Matt Perry seems to be channeling most of the ECDs I've known (the ones from the writing side anyway). Check out your life on Monday nights.
September 21, 2006
Safe gets self-referential.
Overall, I really like the "Safe Happens" campaign. Its strength (and the thing that makes it controversial) is the realism. However, this execution, entitled "Critique," is entirely self-referential. For me, the approach kinda breaks the fourth wall, and makes this execution less effective than its siblings. On the other hand, CPB is all about creating and leveraging pop culture, and this campaign literally bashed its way into the American psyche. People reacted. You can see how they got here. So, what do you think? Is this spot self-indulgent? Or is it a smart way to take advantage of all the water-cooler talk this campaign has generated?
September 14, 2006
Chevy's contest could learn you a thing or two.
Days ago, the blogosphere noted that Chevy is sponsoring a contest wherein college students will compete to create a Super Bowl spot. Don't confuse this with raw consumer-generated content, however. This is a contest that will put CGC through the same wringer as OFAGC (old-fashioned agency-generated content).
A glance at the press release reveals the conditions:
1. Ideas will be submitted in writing first. Students, this is known as the RFP process. You will need to be willing to invest blood, sweat and tears with absolutely no guarantee of reward. Your ideas will be judged by subjective criteria. You may have a great idea that is rejected for reasons that you won't ever be able to figure. Many will enter. A select few will move on. The good news is that you can participate if you choose. In the real world, you won't always get a chance to play. Even if you are well-qualified for the project.
2. Finalists will present to a committee. Students, this is what's known as a pitch. You will obsess and stress as you pour countless hours of your young life into the process. You will walk into a conference room where a lot of people with varying agendas will sit and stare at you. What you say and how you act can trump the quality of your ideas for good or ill. It can be very stressful. Just ask the remaining agencies in the Wal-mart pitch. One team will win. The others will walk away empty-handed. This is how it goes. The good news is that, unlike the real world, the client is paying for your trip to see them. No mention of material expenses, however. Or if you lose the right to your intellectual property even if you are not selected as the winner.
3. The winner will get to "participate in the production process." Students, this means that winning is likely going to come with some compromises. Here is what Chevy sez: The winning team will participate in the production process as their concept is developed and made into a 30-second television commercial. Notice that word "developed." This means that your idea is likely going to be subjected to tweaking. Maybe even out-and-out overhauling. Your little brainchild will be wrenched from your hands and raised by those who believe they know better (and they might). Later, it will presented to the world as yours. This could be great. Or not. Along the way, you may find that you become upset as portions of your idea are modified. This is natural. It is also something you will deal with for the whole of your professional ad life. If you can't deal with it, it's best to find out now.
Students, I am not discouraging you from entering this contest. Far from it. In fact, I hope that you will enter and pursue victory with gusto. There's no better teacher than experience. And, at the very least, you'll have a campaign for your portfolio. I also believe the client has good intentions. Just go in with your eyes open. The contest is geared to teach you about a few of the realities of a life in advertising. In that sense, it really is, a Chevy puts it, a great opportunity.
September 12, 2006
Lo-def still rules.
At first glance, the lo-def campaign from McKinney-Silver and Sony seems like it just might be cool art direction for art direction's sake. Of course, by now, you know that the lo-def spots turn the corner and really sell the point. The approach is a clever solution that mitigates the issue that those viewers without a high-def TV can't really appreciate a high-def picture no matter how many white leopards with bejeweled leashes you put in the spot.
September 12, 2006
Nike's Briscoe High scores.
Yeah, yeah. I know. We're way, way too heavy on the football-related theme of late. But Nike's satisfying "Football is Everything" stuff must be noted.
W+K's Briscoe High campaign is everything it should be. It's the dream of every high school football player captured on film in :90, :60 and :30 versions. It's loaded with watch-it-again-and-again cameo roles for football's most famous names and faces. The Easter egg of a title layers on meaning. An immersive Web site is geared to keep you coming back for more each week as Nike puts fictional Briscoe High on the gridiron with real high school football powers such as Tulsa Union, Massillon and Katy. It's utterly insider. And utterly wonderful. I thought it was the best spot of the bunch for the NFL's opening weekend (despite Lee Corso's less than subtle performance). Great to see that the campaign lives well beyond the TV screen, too.* You can see the prequel to the above spot here. Okay, we're done with the football stuff. For the moment.
*To whom it may concern, nice job on the Wikipedia entry.
September 10, 2006
Friendly advice.
Happy football day. We're bound to see a ton of great spots today. Like this one from the NFL and BBDO. True "insider humor" is often rejected by clients who don't want anyone feeling left out by their advertising. Thankfully, that wasn't the case here.
September 08, 2006
Peyton Manning. Superstar.
The new NFL season kicked off last night. It's not just a new sports season. It's a new advertising season with a slew of NFL-related commercials. Many of the new spots will undoubtedly feature Peyton Manning who has proven to have both a strong arm and a darn decent sense of comic timing as evidenced in this new Sprint spot, and even more so, in last year's priceless Mastercard campaign.
My current favorite Peyton commercial is the new SportsCenter spot that he shares with his famous brother and father. During a tour of ESPN's studios, Peyton and Eli act like kids giving each other wet willies and back kicks while Archie shoots them disapproving fatherly looks. Classic.
We'll keep our eyes peeled for good spots this weekend as we watch entirely too many games. Go Chiefs.
September 05, 2006
Secret TiVo video.
A tip from the mysterious Davis Freeberg leads us to this viral from TiVo. Most interesting is the back story within the back story considering this video.
According to Freeberg, this piece was discovered by a zealous TiVo fan on TiVo's Web site. The site where the this "fan" posted about the video is now treating it like something out of Lost. The video itself provides a back story for TiVo's creation called Project Blue Moon (note TiVo first shipped on a blue moon and TiVo maintains a corporate holiday around this theme).
Now, the video kinda belabors things a bit, and I know the "training film" motif has been done to death, but those of you who crave conspiracy theories won't be able to resist it. After all, who is Davis Freeberg? Is the mysterious TiVo fan really a TiVo fan or a plant? Who faked that TiVo page? Will we ever get tired on that '70's transfer look?
August 21, 2006
Why the world's parents hate copywriters.
If you're a copywriter, the world's parents hate you. You are slimier than slime. Creepier than Charlie Sheen. Fouler than an episode of Mama's Family. This is because the world's parents believe you warp their childrens' brains with your infectious catchphrases. And, the truth is, you do. You may, if you have not yet settled down, believe this to be an insignificant crime.
But just you wait.
We do a reasonably good job of limiting TV at our house. Despite this, I've noticed, with some alarm, that taglines seem to work their way into our kids' vocabularies. Overhead at our house on Friday night:
John: "No, no, no, we're not getting out the Floam. It's too messy and I just cleaned the kitchen."
Jack: "But Daddy, we have to! It's the fun you can feel™!"
This is not an approximation of Floam's tagline. This is wholly unaided recall of Floam's tagline. Damn commercial is brainwashing the kid. Burn the TVs. Payback really is a bitch.
May 21, 2006
Kirkland? A power brand?
If you caught The Sopranos last night, you probably couldn't miss the huge Kirkland product placement in the first few minutes of the show. Kirkland? The generic Costco brand? In a high profile product placement on water cooler TV? Wow. Suddenly I feel so good about having four cases of Kirkland water in the basement. What's more interesting? No other Costco registration at all. Unless you count the warehousey-looking aisles, of course. Oh, and following the big Kirkland placement, there was a placement for The History Channel (see my Da Vinci post below).
March 21, 2006
CNN's "Watch" Bases Covered
As more and more users hop on the high-speed bandwagon, you're going to see an increasing number of web sites streaming video. Finally, I say. Yes, it's an overwhelming technology to include on your site (and that's not mentioning the large bandwidth issues that it presents), but it's about time we start integrating this a bit more... remember, at some point in the next ten years our computers and TVs will be one unit. But, like I said earlier, as more and more users get faster connections, you'll start seeing more prominent web sites adopting video playback as a major feature.
espn.go.com
Those of you ESPN followers may remember they're foray into this a few years back. They've revised it here and there (it currently uses flash, which is a plus for cross-browser usage), but for the most part it's a definite additive to their site.
mtv.com
On the homepage of MTV.com, you'll see a nice little flash animation in the left-hand column... but if you want to click to any video or movie trailer, you'll get some warnings. On a PC, you'll need to make sure you have Active X installed. Sigh, okay. But if you're on a Mac, too bad... it just won't work at all.
cnn.com
I've noticed that CNN has been offering video for a while now, but I think they're struggling with how they present it to users. At first, if I remember correctly, it was a subscription only deal (and had a little icon to signify that it was video). Now, it's offered up to anyone who comes to the site... but there's apparently not a single standard way of doing it - I count four different "watch" instances (click thumbnail).
What other high traffic sites are using video favorably (in your opinion)?
March 13, 2006
It's a conspiracy
Had to have a little sit-down discussion with my DVR this weekend after it incorrectly prioritized recording Cops and old boxing matches instead of the more important shows like American Idol and the Battlestar Gallactica finale. Once I got that straightened out, I managed to record BG both times it was on this weekend - just in case the DVR screwed one of them up.
I am now convinced that there is a conspiracy to get me to buy the episode for $1.99 on iTunes. I watched the second recording of the season finale. Without revealing any details (in case you haven't had a chance to watch) my DVR stopped recording before the show was over - President Baltar was in the middle of a sentence! So I pulled up the other episode that was recorded and fast-forwarded to the end. This one caught another 30 seconds or so, but still ended before the credits rolled. I am furious. Unless someone tells me how it ends, or I wait for the episode to be repeated on SciFi, I'll have to shell out $1.99 just to see the last minute or two of the show. I guess that means no Starbucks for me tomorrow.
February 22, 2006
DVRs were made for Ryan Seacrest
I am strong enough to admit that I watch American Idol. It's my special time to tear down someone else's creative product for a change.*
But, you know how all your anti-ad friends are always walking around with their chests puffed out crowing "I use my DVR to skip your stupid commerical! I used my DVR to skip your stupid commerical!"
Yeah, well, I just used my DVR to skip all that useless fluff the producers/torture artists of American Idol make Seacrest do to stretch the show to an incredibly tedious two hours. Sheeshus H. Seriously, there is only 30 minutes of actual content. The rest is absolute waste of time. Oh, wait they do it to sell more spots. That everyone skips. Like I said, waste of time.
On a personal side note, if you're in your upper 30s and looking for motivation to get to the gym, you need only watch "Ace" perform with your wife in the room.
Oh, and Taylor Hicks? Not the American Idol. But I'm damn sure buyin' his album.
*tongue-in-cheek
January 24, 2006
Hello Veronica Gilmore!
You've read by now that The WB and UPN are gettin' hitched. We have some show ideas:
Everybody hates Chris in Smallville: The Adventures of Chris and Clark. The Chris Rock character makes fun of Clark's angst in the middle of Kansas.
America's Next Top Felicity: A reality contest to find America's new sweetheart. But with all the bitchy people from ANTM. In one episode all the contestants have to cut their own hair. Oh, the tears will flow!
Star Trek: Dawson's Creek. The aging Dawson's Creek cast (fresh from all their major movie successes) get back together only to find that Capeside is now infested with Borg (they get Pacey in the first episode). Dawson falls in love with a cold, Vulcan girl and proceeds to yearn.
Veronica Gilmore: Veronica leaves Neptune and is adopted by the Gilmore Girls. They have pithy conversations and worry so much that "something is going on" with Veronica. Particularly when they discover Veronica's secret weapons cache.
January 23, 2006
Apple Goes Does Postal
Apple's gone and done it again, right? First the creative forces inside Apple deem it okay to allegedly copy an older Lugz commercial and pass it off as their own. We've already talked about it here and I shrugged it off as a possible Collective Unconscious story - as it could be a possibility. Then I went a bit further and tried to grasp at straws and talk about how this could have been some deeply planned marketing ploy.
Now Apple has gone and released a new Intel commercial... that is an almost 100%, shot-for-shot, duplicate of the 'Such Great Heights' video for The Postal Service. Is lightning going to strike twice?
At first, when viewers found out that the commercial was potentially a rip-off, people were a bit upset. But those feelings quickly subsided when it was told that the same filmmakers made both the video and commercial, so then it was kinda okay. Now Ben Gibbard, of The Postal Service, has released a statement on The Postal Service's official web site:
It has recently come to our attention that Apple Computers' new television commercial for the Intel chip features a shot-for-shot recreation of our video for 'Such Great Heights' made by the same filmmakers responsible for the original. We did not approve this commercialization and are extremely disappointed with both parties that this was executed without our consultation or consent. - Ben Gibbard, The Postal Service
Oddly enough, days after fingers started flying in Apple's direction, The Postal Service video (the one immersed in the controversy) magically appeared on the iTMS and was promoted on the front page of the site in one of the big three rotating banners at the top of the page. And now, when viewing the most popular music videos, guess who's number one... that's right, The Postal Service (coincidentally, Eminem is number two with a video from his Greatest Hits cd).
I don't think that Apple is copying people. I think Apple, and the other parties, are planning these "altercations" out and allowing the media, bloggers and whoever else to create the buzz for them. In both cases, the commercials weren't pulled off the air like they probably should be if there's concern for a lawsuit or further damage to a brand's reputation.
January 18, 2006
Love Monkey
My new favorite show, Love Monkey, premiered last night. If you TIVO'd and haven't watched yet, stop reading now.
The show is about an A&R guy for a record label. The A&R guy discovers this fabulous young new artist. In real life, the artist is Teddy Geiger (I'd never heard of him, but apparently I missed VH-1's In Search of the New Partridge Family.)
During one scene, a record label executive tells the staff that the music industry is in trouble, and he wants them to "think out of the box - pretend the box has a flesh-wasting disease, that's how far out of the box I want you to think."
This morning on my Napster home page, the song Teddy sang on the show was featured. Of course, I immediately downloaded it.
I think this show could really be an "out of the box" sort of thing for the music industry if done well.
It would have been better if there had been an ad at the end of the show directing me to Napster to find the song featured on the show. I just happened to stumble upon it. The show's page on the CBS website has a link so you can listen to songs from the show, but the songs haven't been loaded yet. I think they missed the boat there!
Could this show be a new outlet for up-and-coming bands?
January 05, 2006
Bill Gates "Urges" Us
Recently, with a logo that has a G that's pretty damn similar to the Q in Quicktime, Bill Gates and Microsoft unveiled their plans for the new music "URGE." The nuts and bolts of this application (that hopes to be iTunes' biggest rival) is while it will have the normal purchasable music, there will also be an all-you-can-eat subscription (I imagine similar to Napster's current model). In addition to all this, Microsoft has made a deal with MTV to offer exclusive material on URGE.
Pretty cool idea, hitting up the younger MTV market and strangely pairing them up with Microsoft. I wonder how that will go over. I actually wonder if it will go over at all... you see, things purchased on URGE won't be compatible with Apple's iPods.
Huh?
Back in May of 2005, it was reported that Apple had a 90% market share in hard drive-based mp3 players and 58% market share in flash-based mp3 players.
So why would you create a new service, aimed at kids, and NOT allow iPod integration? Who knows, but apparently Microsoft employees are hiding their iPods at work and then there's rumors that the new version of Windows (Longhorn, Vista, whatever you want to call it) will also ban iPods.
Take it for what it's worth, but I don't think I'd be keeping such a large market share out of the picture with this service.
December 11, 2005
I had better things to do today, but...
In this on-demand world, why would a relatively sane (and extremely busy) person waste an entire afternoon watching Dirty Dancing and Goonies on regular television or sit in the car after parking just to hear the end of "Do they know it's Christmas?"
I own all three. I have Dirty Dancing on DVD, Goonies (yes, I'm a dork) on VHS somewhere, and "Do they know it's Christmas" on CD. But, I cannot remember a time when I thought to myself, "Gee, I want to watch Dirty Dancing, let me go find that DVD." I've seen it at least 800 times, and with the exception of seeing it in the movie theater, the other 799 were on regular television - the kind with commercials.
I guess to me it feels a little serendipitous when I run across my favorites on TV or the radio. And I watch or listen and think that somewhere out there, someone else is enjoying it at the same time.
I have a whole list of movies and songs that just stop me in my tracks. What are yours?
November 09, 2005
Are the Networks taking note?
The age of the Internet is such a glorious thing to be alive during. Actually, being alive when there is so much creation occurring is a great thing. Almost every day something new pops up and amazes me, and yesterday was no exception.
Building off of the buzz that is BitTorrent, a friend of mine pointed me in the direction that could easily be the "next big thing" in watching television/movies on your computer.
The web site Tioti, (which stands for Tape It Off The Internet), seemingly started off as a practical joke. Apparently those who saw it didn't think it was a joke, but instead thought it was a wonderful idea and it quickly prompted something to become of this fictional idea.
The idea, according to the guys that run the Tioti ship, is this:
A global TV guide, Torrent tracking, your favorites and recommendations plus an innovative social layer to hang it off. You want it, we want it, let's build it.
Think Netflix (friends interaction), Amazon (product suggestions) and Flickr (community plus sharing) all rolled into one. Think big, because if they can actually build something that can do all of this, we'll only need to have about 20 people that subscribe to cable and then we're set... not that I condone illegal downloading activities.