Isn’t It Ironic? Iran + Nukes = Awesome!

Februar 20th, 2012 • Ads
Tags: 1970s, Ads, Funny, Iran, Politics, USA

Yes, that’s an actual ad from the 1970s. Thanks for consistent and sustainable leadership America.

LEGO Occupy Wallstreet? Shut up and take my money!

Dezember 22nd, 2011 • Brands, Fake
Tags: 2011, Ads, Creativity, Fake, Funny, Ideas, Lego, Occupywallstreet, Politics, Toys, Truth

After months of demonstrations by the Occupy Wall Street movement, Slate V imagines a special edition Lego set just in time for the holidays. And with the Arab Spring upgrade soon…or North Korea.

via Laughing Squid

Rock Bottom. Droga 5 has possibly created the worst campaign ever.

Dezember 8th, 2011 • 3 comments Games
Tags: Ads, Agencies, Brands, Creativity, droga 5, Ethics, Gaming, Ideas, Industry, Politics, World

If the following video is no hoax it has the realistic chance to become one of the most disgusting, cyncical pieces of marketing I have ever seen. I thought the ‘concept campaign’ White Bull Army was pathetic. But the crap idea that Droga 5 is about to launch for gaming headset brand Turtle Beach is hard to bear.

Check out the video

Quote: “Gamers want the immersive feeling of being in a warzone. Turtle Beach takes you there.” Even if it is a hoax (it will be in the end): Putting a first person shooter into the same context as a war zone where thousands of people died and millions suffer every day makes me want to spit out.

And no, I disagree. Not any PR is good PR. This is shit. Cynical, pathetic shit. I am ashamed to work in the same industry as the guy who came up with this. (via adverblog)

We definitely like: Chevrolet’s ‘True Story’.

November 25th, 2011 • Ads, We like
Tags: Ads, Automotive, Brands, Creativity, history, People, Storytelling, We like

Fantastic commercial, Chevy. With 5 minutes it is a bit too long to enthuse everyone. But dear Chevrolet: Do yourself a favour and turn your boring Youtube channel into a hub for your consumer’s childhood memories. That’s a great story. And even though I as a European have no personal memories of Chevy – I guess a lot of Americans do.

Thx to Creative Criminals. More ‘stuff we like’ here.

Disco! Patrick Swayze definitely had Blue Ribbon on his Mind.

Oktober 28th, 2011 • Ads
Tags: 1970s, Ads, Beer, Disco, Funny, Pabst, Patrick Swayze, TV

Time for…yes….a TV commercial. Gems like the following TV ads were created back in the days when they were still interesting. In the case of this Pabst Blue Ribbon spot with a youngish Patrick Swayze about a decade before anyone could ever say “Look, spaghetti arms. This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don’t go into yours, you don’t go into mine. You gotta hold the frame.”

Reminds me of David Naughton in this 1977 Doctor Pepper TVC.Thx to adweek.

Great Ads. Sony PS3, Long Live Play.

Oktober 6th, 2011 • Ads, Games
Tags: Ads, Agencies, Brands, Cool, Creativity, Funny, Gaming, Ideas, Lifestyle, sony, visual, We like

Some campaigns are different. Sony’s “Long Live Play” PS3 Campaign may be one of them. Playstation brand’s ad agency Deutsch Inc. really did a great job. But just check it out…

How to position Ice Cream like a Boss: “You want nutrition, eat carrots”.

September 22nd, 2011 • Ads, Brands, We like
Tags: Ads, Cool, Copy, Copywriting, Creativity, Food, Funny, intelligent, World

I just stumbled upon this perfect example of a great copy text. After years of working as a copywriter (in my previous life) I still have a lot of respect for the few who are able to write such an intelligent, bold, entertaining text. A no-bullshit text that positions this ice cream as the fat, unhealthy, very delicious product that it is. Well done! Congratulations Wisconsin for this ice cream and congratulations for the copywriter (who was probably the van owner).

Please zoom in if you are too old to read the text below.

Very Cool. A Duct Tape goes Tron.

August 23rd, 2011 • Display
Tags: Ads, Cool, Creativity, Duct Tape, Experimental, Funny, Meme, Memes, Tron, TV, visual

I have to admit I have rarely seen a better TV commercial for Duct Tape. But maybe that’s because Duck Products Tron Duct Take spot is the only one I know. Not enough Duct tape porn? Then go check out the user reviews to this Duct tape on amazon. No seriously. Do it.

Duck Tron from Ryactive on Vimeo.

White Bull Army. Everything that was ever wrong with Ad Awards in just one Video.

Mai 8th, 2011 • 14 comments Brands, Experimental
Tags: Ads, Africa, Agencies, Alcohol, Awards, Beer, Brands, Future Lions, Ideas, Politics, Strategy, Sudan, Viral, visual

A little update to this article: After bashing the video below as “either an extremly sarcastic subtle protest against ignorance in advertising. Or the saddest thing in the industry” I was now contacted by a couple of people who commented that anyone (except me) found it extremely obvious that it is not the saddest things but a very subtle protest. But what is it that this video wants to achieve?

Is it taking the piss out of award videos? Pink Pony does that without touching the Sudanese civil war. Is it supposed to remind us of South Sudan? Not really. So in fact whatever it was that this video wanted to be ironical about – it crossed the line from irony to cynicism.

To make my point I. I don’t give a damn if this is an official award video. I just think it’s extremely tasteless and stands for a very acultural cynicism typical for too many people in this industry. Generate buzz no matter through which method. That’s pathetic.

Follow the rest of the conversation on adland.tv

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Actually everything that was ever wrong with ad awards can be studied in the video below. It is a submission to the Future Lions, a sub-award of the well known Cannes Lions. And it is given to anyone (you can be a private person) who comes up with a hypothetical idea for an existing brand that wasn’t technically possible five years ago.

So the following video showcases a hypothetical idea on how to promote a beer in the soon to be independent state Southern Sudan. Key elements of the story are true. White Bull Lager is in fact the first major locally produced beer in Southern Sudan. But the hypothetical campaign described in the film gave me Inner Mouth Vomit.

It does not just show a deep lack of historical and political understanding – it’s just cynical (even worse than Jung von Matt’s great guerilla stunt that took the piss out of German anti Nuclear protestors…2 months before Fukushima).

Stuff like this is the end result when ignorance meets fake caring. Seriously? This is either an extremly sarcastic subtle protest against ignorance in advertising. Or it is one of the saddest things I have ever seen coming out of the industry. Two million people died in Sudan and some hipster presents beer logos on T-72 tanks to win an award. Oh…the best part: In the end they even dare to dedicate this to the people of South Sudan. Makes me want to kill myself.

Good Morning. The Return of ‘The Media Award Tram Station’.

April 29th, 2011 • Media, Underway
Tags: Ads, Agencies, Amsterdam, Awards, Funny, Ideas, Media, Outdoor, Truth, Underway, visual, World, WTF

It’s not always easy to work in the center of Amsterdam. Well, most of the time it is. But then there are days when you step out of your tram at the central Leidseplein square and the first thing you think is WTF?

Quite often this has got something to do with my particular tram station which I call ‘The Media Award Tram Station’. Simply because it serves as award entry for pretty much any Media angency in the world. You know…when they spend EUR 1 million on media…and EUR 995,000 run just into this installation there to make the campaign look great in Cannes?

I have seen everything being built on top, attached to or dug underneath the tram station. But I haven’t seen what I have seen this morning. It looked a little something like this…