Anew advertisement for the gay social networking site Manhunt was recently put on up a billboard in Los Angeles. Within a week, it had rocked the boat.
A local mom, Kelly Cole, says she doesn't want her kids seeing such images of “blatant porniness” and she said that it is regardless of whether such material is of the “homo- or heterosexual” variety.
Manhunt's CEO Jason Harvey thinks that Cole’s statement is untrue, responding "gay sexuality is still scary and controversial for many people.”
It is also interesting to me that I have not read anything about Michael Kors' new L.A. ads, and the Beckham’s Armani shoot was far from “offensive”.
Overall, the advertisement works for Manhunt. And that’s the bottom line.
Funny Or Die has produced another hilarious celebrity advertisement. In a 3-minute anti-testicle rant by Katherine Hail for the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation's pet neutering program.
Being a natural comedian, Heigl makes the spot absolutely hilarious with an over-the-top nature. There have been comments about the PSA running “too long” and “might have been better split into three or four shorter spots”. I thought it was very funny, and it made me look deeper into a topic and campaign that I know absolutely nothing about.
In general, I thought this advertisement was hilarious. I question its effectiveness though. Although I have no real position on this topic, I wonder how people feel about it being made into a comedic advertisement? Either way, it got a laugh out of me, and hopefully a few other viewers.
Get Up! is a LGBT advocacy group in Australia. In November, they released this touching commercial lobbying for marriage equality. In recent research conducted by The Third Way, a think tank in Washington D.C., it has been shown that suggested that a message of equality isn't as effective for those opposed to gay marriage as a message of commitment is. If this research continues to prove to be true, this commercial titled “It’s Time” may just get the point across. I hope it comes to American television stations, but with 3.5 million views on YouTube, it is becoming a viral sensation quickly.
The main point of the commercial comes into effect in the last 10 second “twist”. In the 1:56 clip, you follow a man in a relationship over the important moments of his and the relationship’s life— everything from going to an amusement park to being supportive after the death of a parent. There's nothing in the commercial that would lead you to believe their relationship is different from any other. The ending made me smile, and I thought that it was brilliant, inspirational, and incredibly effective.
In a funny series of PSAs, the advertising agency Draftfcb promotes pet adoption in Chicago.
In these short TV spots, pets examine the eccentricities of their owners. A cat attempts to figure out why a woman is texting all day, a dog is amused at how bad his owner is at hide and seek, in addition to two other scenarios.
They're cute ads, playing to emotions for animal-lovers, yet interesting and rational in the sense that the dogs and cats are criticizing their owner’s “strange” ways.
This campaign is extremely different than any Humane Society commercial that I have ever seen, and I think that’s a huge strength with differentiation.
Pet owners: beware! You might not want to know what your pet is thinking about you after all!
FedEx has released a new TV spot, showing how easy it is to ship with their company from Canada to the US. Through portraying a goose in Canada sending a little hockey stick to a puppy in Florida, FedEx’s goal is to show viewers it’s “that easy” to ship through them.
The floor is painted to resemble the geography of Canada and the U.S. "We make less urgent shipping to the U.S. awesome," says the onscreen tagline. The simplicity of the tune in the background adds to the fascination of watching the complex domino structure fall. Dominoes have been used in ads before, but the idea of using FedEx boxes is fresh and new. I found myself laughing out loud at how creative it was, and it was definitely an effective campaign.
It seems that the Boy Scouts of America have taken their own spin on No-Shave November!
This new campaign, "Be one with the wild" was created by Ogilvy for the Atlanta-area Scouts. Although scouts are widely known for their camping and nature-related activities, these bearded boys definitely make the ad-viewers stare.
Between their glassy stares and Rip Van Winkle-worthy beards, I find this ad to be slightly frightening. On a positive note, the tagline, “Be one with the wild” is catchy; catchy is necessary for a group trying to up their numbers. Starting in 2005, Boy Scouts of America’s numbers fell by almost 2.5 million members. Hopefully this campaign will get them back on track.
To all the boys still saying "Scout’s honor": shave the beards.
"Combustible," is a new and amusing online video for the Global Climate Change Initiative. The short PSA depicts a loudmouth business man on a city street yelling into his cell about how global warming's a load of bunk. He seems confused as he bursts into flame and disintegrates into a smoldering pile of ash. The message: "Climate change doesn't need you to believe in it." The TV and Internet spot was created pro-bono by New York agency ‘Realm’.
I thought that this advertisement was very interesting, but I did not find it to be the most convincing of arguments. When I read the information underneath the YouTube video about how “it’s the global change deniers who have the loudest voices”, then began to understand the clip and campaign a little bit better.
If I were a part of this campaign, I would try to focus more on the facts of Global Warming versus trying to reach a younger demographic with the use of humor. The facts are truly undeniable, and I think that would be more hard-hitting as a PSA to play with emotions versus laughter.
Overall, I think Realm did a good job, especially for pro-bono work. Hopefully the campaign will get good face time on television and start to wake people up about the critical condition of our planet.
If you said “shoes”, then you were among the majority of all 15 people I polled. Zappos is currently redesigning its advertising campaigns, focusing on the tagline of, “more than just shoes”.
I think that this is an incredibly smart move on their behalf. By changing the face of their company and products in such a shocking and vibrant way, they are immediately increasing knowledge and awareness.
There has been some controversy surrounding the ads, deeming them “too inappropriate.” Personally, I think they are clever, funny, and eye-catching.
Zappos showed us that all it takes to change people’s knowledge about your brand is a change of clothes—or should I say, lack thereof?
Don't get me wrong--I have a heart. I just have never had, nor wanted a pet. This week, a series of advertisements put out by the World Wildlife Fund caught my eye in a surprising way. World Wildlife Fundhas been protecting the future of our nature for over 50 years. WWF's mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
Normally I would skip right over an advertisements talking about animals due to lack of interest, but their latest campaign really stood out to me:
The advertisements are simple, yet incredibly relevant and intense just through wording alone. Each of the advertisements uses a different word to describe the animal and scenario, including “horrifying”, “alarming”, “frightening”, and a few others.
Although I personally would be "horrified" [and probably lose my mind] if I saw a shark in the ocean, I completely understood the importance of the advertisement and WWF's reasoning behind it.
This also opened my eyes to how a particular advertisement about a Wildlife Organization can reach a completely different demographic. We all have the friends who cry at the Humane Society commercials, but I never expected myself to be doing research on the WWF; it's all because of this particular campaign.
Although I may not be adopting a kitten anytime soon, I can support a good cause.
Really though, Target is fantastic. Ever since I began elementary school, I have always done my back to school shopping there. Although I was leaving for my first year college this August, I figured that Target was still the way to go.
SHOPPING DAY: After collecting all my essentials, I began to wander around. I found a ton of things that weren’t on my list: extra 3M hooks, a new alarm clock, & beer pong supplies.
Wait… WHAT?
(Due to my lack of a smart phone, I had to find a picture online. It proved interesting though, for this display is from 2010, showing that this was not the first year the supplies were sold together.)
Family-friendly Target had one of the most surprising displays I’ve seen in a long time. The display included your classic red Solo cups (Target brand) as well as a fresh pack of ping-pong balls and a table! Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t offended in any sense, I was just completely taken aback by this end-of-aisle display.
As I said earlier, Target will always be a family brand in my mind. The store has everything from clothes (toddler-adult), to electronics, toys, pet-care, to food! In addition, Target’s models have always appeared modest in their advertising. This new step in a college-oriented direction made me take a step back and question their judgment. I think more people would be upset by Target’s blatant status quo of “college drinking” than if the display hadn’t of been there. I was at Target anyways just for my basic supplies.
Beirut, pong, call it what you like. There’s a time and place for it….but at Target? I think not.
Popcorn: A delicious, puffy treat. As much as I love microwavable popcorn, it’s definitely not mess-free. It is so easy to pop a bag in your dorm room…but having to do the dishes of a buttery bowl? No thank you!
Luckily for myself, Orville Redenbacher has just come out with one of the most innovative products since Dr. Percy patented the microwaveable bag itself.
IT IS GENIUS!
It seems silly that it took until 2011 for the Pop Up Bowl to come out. It provides a mess-free, easily disposable way to eat a tasty snack: what more could you want? With Criss Angel as the face of the new product, the commercials are witty and laughter inducing. The simplicity of the product is what makes it so wonderful, to me. The bag becomes the bowl! It’s not magic: it just works.
As you can tell, I love this product (and popcorn itself). Good work, Redenbacher: may you always stay delicious and mess-free!
The Lion King: a little piece of movie magic from my childhood. When I first read that they were remaking it, I was worried about Disney ruining the film that I cherished. With all the flash and pizzazz that Hollywood can add to a movie, I thought there was such a good chance that the beauty of the storyline could be overshadowed.
My mind was completely changed when “The Circle of Life” began to play through the movie theatre speakers. The trailer had a nostalgic affect and I found myself engrossed in the clear and crisp image that the screen displayed.
The non-verbal communication is incredibly effective through the highlighted scenes and award-winning music playing in the background. The attention-getters that run across the screen, such as “THE EPIC STORY” and “AWARD-WINNING” invoke a sense of excitement in viewers.
The reviews are in: it is still a fantastic animated movie. The newly-added special effects were not overdone. In fact, for a remake of a movie, I would say the changes were very tasteful and respectful to the original. In fact, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” is still stuck in my head. Well done, Disney.
The Magic Bullet is one of my favorite products of all time. Since it's an “as seen on TV" product, it is easily assumed to be cheap and disposable.
WRONG!
Unless you own a Magic Bullet, you are blissfully unaware of the magic that such a small contraption can create. I embody the qualities of the Magic Bullet in that I am reliable, efficient, and I will always get the job done.
The Magic Bullet can be characterized as “reliable” because of all the different parts that come with it. You can chop, dice, blend, or purify with each of the pieces in the set. If you want to use the Magic Bullet in your mealtime endeavor, it is always ready to take on the challenge. This also ties in with “getting the job done”. I am someone who never brings a project only halfway to completion. Anything and everything that I am involved in is done with precision and meaning. They may not be different screw-on pieces, but I use all my resources if necessary to finish a project.
Finally, the Magic Bullet is efficient.You have a smoothie in thirty seconds, sorbet in forty-five seconds, and a clove of minced garlic in five. I always work hard and fast when it comes to a deadline. The only downside to the Bullet is that it’s incredibly loud… I guess I’m like this product in more ways than I could have ever imagined!
The Magic Bullet also has 6 different colored Comfort Lip Rings. You can choose a colored lid that matches your mood or what’s in your cup. Like this feature of the Bullet, I am someone who can adapt to any situation placed before me. I am very flexible, and am able to work with people who are very different from myself.
There is a return policy for the Bullet. If within 30 days of delivery of the product you find yourself unhappy, they will refund your money completely and take back the product. This shows loyalty to the customer, and confidence in the product itself. I am loyal and place a strong emphasis on the value of friendship. I am also extremely confident in all my decisions and never waver when explaining my actions and endeavors.
The Magic Bullet is a DEFINITELY a product that you need to have in your home or dorm room, and I am DEFINITELY someone who relates to and believes in this wonderful, compact blender.
As Ben & Jerry’s unveiled their newest ice cream flavor, Saturday Night Live fans did a double take. “Schweddy Balls”, one of the most popular skits in SNL history, is bound to attract some attention... but will the flavor be loved or hated by consumers?
(If you've never seen this skit, please listen to the clip below.)
The new flavor is a vanilla ice cream with a “hint of rum”, and contains fudge covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls.
Although the ice cream sounds unappealing, Ben & Jerry’s must not be worried about sales! Their witty and unique ice cream names have amused and fed Americans for 33 years. For a month in 2009, their “Chubby Hubby” was renamed “Hubby Hubby,” celebrating the arrival of same-sex marriage in Vermont.
As intrigued as I am at this strange combination, I just started eating ice cream this spring…. so I think I might have to pass on this particular flavor.
Congratulations to Ben & Jerry’s for yet another amusing treat: may your balls always be Schweddy’s!
As12.4 million Americans tuned in to watch the VMAS, the television screens lit up with Beyonce’s rumored pregnancy, Nicki Minaj’s delightfully outrageous outfit, and Tyler the Creator’s explicit acceptance speech. The glitz and glamour of the overly scripted awards show captivated it’s audience and viewers alike.
As much as I loved being with my friends and mindlessly watching celebrities parade around, there was one commercial in particular that stood out to me. PacSun’s new “Dress Irresponsibly” campaign confused me the first time it came across the screen, made me frown the second time, and after the third time I had to Google the absurdity of it.
According to Gary Schemed, Executive Officer of PacSun, "Dress Irresponsibly is about enjoying life, friends and embracing one's own sense of style." That line does not match the commercial I viewed multiple times throughout the evening.
According to the PacSun website, the line “aims to position itself as the go-to brand for teens”. With this in mind, I have to admit, the shot of a group long boarding got a good laugh out of me. By saying “go-to brand for teens”, they must mean “the go-to brand for the self-selecting population of hipsters.”
Maybe I’m being too harsh! I mean, if embracing “one’s own sense of style” means that we should cut up jeans, strip down on the highway, and throw mud on our v-necks, then PacSun definitely got their point across.
In my opinion, PacSun has lowered their standards.
