Speaking the gamer's language

Copy: Hardcore gamers only

These ads are for a gaming web site. They are a wonderful example of how to understand your audience and talk to them, not at them. Very simple. Very smart.

Via - The Spunker

It's raining Ads

A very unique artist in Germany has created a machine that creates images using perfectly timed water droplets. He explains “The emphasis of my work settled between science and art lies in the investigation of reciprocal effects of complex systems. This happens by autonomous machines, which were designed by me according to logical rules.” His site is in German but you can translate it using bablefish.

While this water image machine has not yet been used for advertising, don’t be surprised if you see raining ads in the mall or the park in the next year or so.

And while we’re on the topic of weird cool stuff, try this – it’s a trip.

via Adverlab

Happy Thanksgiving!

To help get you all in the Holiday spirits, I leave you with the greatest spectacle of lights ever created. And Yes, what you are seeing is real - no camera tricks. Happy Thanksgiving. See you next week.

Kicking Television Commercials

The new live Wilco album, out this past week, kicks a lot more than television. If you haven't heard it, give it a listen over at their site and prepare to have your face rocked off.

But what does that have to do with advertising? Well, only that I am a huge Wilco fan and Jeff Tweedy is their front man, and Jeff Tweedy has a 9 year old son named Spencer Tweedy, who is the drummer in a band called The Blisters, and the Blisters were in a Quaker Oats Commercial a few months ago, and I thought you might want to see it.

Errol Morris and Element 79 worked together to create this spot featuring The Blisters playing a song that they wrote about Oat Meal. Watch it here. You can also see a short movie documenting the Blisters' first big gig at the Abbey Pub here in Chicago - watch that here. We might have to wait a few years to get our first Blisters LP but for now go pick up the elder Tweedy’s new album Kicking Television.

I see your pain

This is the smartest work I have come across today. It's a taxi Ad for Headache medicine - in Brazil

Via Ad Hunt

Miller Lite v. Bud Light

Miller Lite is taking Bud Light to court in the biggest Taste Trial to date. Consider this new Miller Lite campaign, created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, an all out attack on Bud. And boy is it a hilariously nasty trail. On the Taste Trial Website, you can watch the trial unfold and also listen to the “facts,” as Miller presents them. (Be sure to watch “The Case – facts” section for some truly compelling moments).

Apparently Bud is pleading not guilty and has asked networks to stop airing the commercials, objecting to their false claims. But Miller insists they have the evidence to back them up. Give the site a look and you be the judge. It will be interesting to hear Bud's rebuttal.

Here's another miller site worth checking out

Name that tune with Virgin Digital

Usually, a commercial gets old the more you see it. But not so with this incredibly engaging spot for Virgin’s new music subscription service Virgin Digital.

On first viewing you think the commercial is just animated, drug induced nonsense, but then you realize the spot is taking you through a visual music mind game, with dozen of hidden song references. The pay off is, “Exercise your Music Muscle.” I have watched this spot probably five times and have still not identified all the songs. Here are just a few to watch out for. I shot the sheriff. Purple Rain. Hotel California. Piano Man. Video Killed the Radio Star.

Watch the Virgin commercial Here. Let’s see if we can find all the songs people. Post your finds in the comments.

I have had a hard time tracking down the ad agency responcible for this spot, but on Virgin Digital's site, David Brody gets credit for "developing and impleminting all brand communication for the company." However, ad agency Ground Zero has recently done work on the Virgin Digital account. If any one knows for sure who created this spot, let me know.

via Brainstrom#9

Ad Art

Copy: A great canvas is timeless

These aren't the first ads to use famous paintings to hock a product. In fact, here's a new commercial that's flying around the web for Johnnie Walker, that does just that. And here's an ad for online poker, referencing the "Last Supper." Usually these stolen masterpieces have very little to do with the product and are just used as borrowed interest. It's a gimmick. But unlike most art thieving ads, these Converse print ads are actually somewhat relevant. Like a painting, Converse are always a classic canvas.

Via I have an idea

The Music Box

A buddy pointed me to Pandora, which is great new way to discover music you have never heard. By typing in one of your favorite bands or songs, you create your own personal, online radio stations. It's all customizable. So, when you like a song they play you, give it a thumbs up and then add it to your favorites page so you won't forget. It's worth checking out. You can create a free account with Pandora if you choose the version with advertisements. People who don't like ads should stop complaining and be thankful for all the free crap they get thanks to advertising. It pays for the majority of our entertainment.

Here are a couple of new bands I found on Pandora

Bubble Boy

Copy: The master of the big bubble

Here’s a great find by AdHunt, created by Foote Cone & Belding, Indonesia. I love when a print ad makes you imagine life outside the frame of the ad. This simple image allows your mind to create the story of a very big bubble – they don’t have to show it to you like they do in this ad.

Worst Job Ever

For all you ad-dicts, I leave you this weekend with a spoof ad that finally says what we have all been thinking the past couple of years. Catch it over at Rocketboom.
Rated MA for language

Younger readers, those of you at work, or people offended by foul language, Be Warned. The end of this spot has a slew of %#@&! the f@!!^# @#!$% and $%@#.

The quest for the closest shave

First the Mach 3 amazed us with its three-blade system. Then Schick’s Quatro unleashed “The Power of Four” (with infomercials – check them out for a few half laughs). Now Gillette is rumored to have a 5-blade razor in the works called the Fusion.
However, you have to see The Quintippio. It blows them all out of the water. Amazing.

via Adrants

Silence speaks louder than words

These new spots for McCain Smooth-eez are hilarious. The awkward silence makes me laugh every time. I found them on i have an idea.org (you might need to register) The site has a great collection of work and info.
Watch Ship, Plane (my favortie) and, Santa . The spots were created by Taxi, an ad agency out of Toronto.

Think Upside Down

Copy: The All-Terrain Touareg

This idea is so incredibly simple, most people would never have found it. A nice reminder for us all.

Via Ad blather

I'll have a Jack and Coke?

It’s true. Jack White has written and recorded a song for Coca-Cola.

He told NME: “I've been offered the opportunity to write a song in a way which interests me as a songwriter. I certainly wouldn't want a song that I'd already written to be used on a commercial. That seems strange…But to be asked to write something particular along one theme of love in a worldwide form, that I'm not really used to, appealed to me. I've written a song and I wrote it really quickly and it's an interesting commercial that's been made. I was inspired by the commercial."

The commercial release date is unknown. So, I guess we all have to wait to hear what this modern day jingle will sound like. Is Jack a sellout or is he smart? The fans will decide. What do you think?

Ali G on TNT

If you’re an Ali G fan, then you will definitely enjoy these new TNT Basketball commercials, where Ali G interviews some of the NBA's top players. Watch Nash, Koby, Shaq, and Announcers. Really funny stuff. If you have never heard of Ali G but liked these commercials, then you have to see his DVD’s. You can also find a few clips from his shows here.

Link via Adfreak

You can't tell advertisers what to do

The old advertising rule for writing billboard headlines was use seven words or less. The thought being, in a moving vehicle you don’t have time to read more than seven words. But in advertising, rules truly are meant to be broken––that’s how you get noticed.

This KNX 1070 traffic report billboard is a perfect example of how there is an exception to every rule. Traffic is so bad in L.A. that people have time to sit and read a lot more than seven words. In fact, they even have time to read the hand written, pointless ramblings of some guy they don’t even know. These two billboards are really nice examples how sometimes the smartest solution might seem completely wrong. See one here and here. Via Adrants.

Of course, this idea has been done before. Here is another example of long copy used on a billboard for Speed Reading classes.

Dirty Talk

I am sure you have noticed that there are a lot more drug advertisements on TV than there use to be. There’s a funny rule about advertising drugs. If you mention the drug's benefits, you also have to mention the side affects. Hence, all the talk about headaches, diarrhea, trouble sleeping and that long list of other stuff you really don’t want to hear about. On the flip side, you also get those drug ads where you have no clue what the drug is for, because they never tell you.

But Viagra found a really clever way of getting around all that. They say a lot about the drug without ever saying a word. I don’t know which Ad agency created these hilarious Viagra spots, but they were directed and produced by Gang Films, a commercial production studio in Hong Kong. Click to see “Office” and “Golf”

Gang Films has an impressive collection of work on their site. Here are just a few highlights. Sprit HP Nike

Eat Feed - Podcast of the Year

Award recipients to be recognized at The Portable Media Expo and Podcasting Conference 2005

I am sure Eat Feed is preparing an amazing celebration feast. Because, it was just announced that Eat Feed will be awarded "Podcast of the Year" at The Portable Media Expo November, 11th. For those of you not familiar with Eat Feed, it’s a food podcast that indulges in the history, culture and tradition of good food. And for the handful of people who don't know what a podcast is, read about it here.

The press release states “For Podcast of the Year, the committee was asked to choose a podcast having several characteristics including:

a) a podcast that stays on-topic and provides unique information to a niche audience not widely available elsewhere
b) a podcast with an informative website and (optionally) quality supporting printed collateral
c) a podcast with exceptional listener loyalty”

It seems in both the food world and the podcastng world, the cream still rises to the top, despite the thousands of podcasts out there. Eat Feed will be awarded $1,000 and will surely receive a ton of publicity inside the podcasting world and out. This comes as a big announcement, and could possibly help cement podcasting, what some have called a fad, as a viable and respected medium. I imagine “Podcast of the Year” is going to sound like a very tasty piece of advertising pie to many marketers. I will be interested to see who takes the first bite. And for all you podcasters out there, if you haven't already, check out Eat Feed and hear what awarding winning podcasting sounds like.

Here are a few other podcasts I recommend:
American Copywriter
Not Your Usual bollocks music
Kangaroo alliance

Instructions for Hansaplast

I found this nice little ad for Hansaplast bandages over at AdHunt. It's very simple. No headline, no copy, no tag. You get the point. However, while this is a pretty cool print ad, it would have been much cooler if they actually incorporated this ad into real product instructional manuals, like for Ikea or something. Handsaplast could own the instructional manual category and have this ad in every product manual for every product.

Of course, most Companies won't want to suggest that assembling or using their product will in any way harm you. But I think consumers have become savvy enough to understand that it's just an ad. Plus, the ad space would pay for the production costs of the manuals. Next time you see an ad in an instructional manual remember, you heard it here first. Of course, now that I have said that, someone will soon bring to my attention an ad already featured in an instruction manual.