A disturbance in the Force

Another public comment on advertising’s effect on society.

Spotted on NewYorkShitty. And you can see the unedited campaign here.

So did my 401K hit on 17?

After Wall Street Warriors and 21, I’m thinking about just burying a coffee can full of change in the backyard.

What do 4 out of 5 squirrels prefer?

Most of them love nuts. But I spotted the exception:

This squirrel munching a Heinz ketchup packet in Madison Square Park was the highlight of my commute this morning.
If I had a video camera with me, I’d have a sure winner of their
Consumer Generated Content contest on my hands.

The Force is strong with this one

Thirsty for a better option?

Scanned this campaign from Gotham magazine.

The copy begins: “America uses 100 billion plastic grocery bags a year. If we all brought our own bags, we’d begin to help save the 100,000 sea animals that dies every year from plastic garbage.”

The copy begins: “68% of our birds have disappeared in the past 40 years. But by recycling this magazine you can help to keep one more tree for a bird to nest in.”
The hypocrisy of selling bottled water by encouraging people to recycle magazines and plastic shopping bags makes my creative soul hurt.
Thank goodness someone else in the industry is already pointing the way to salvation.

Tappening.com (Co-founded by Mark DiMassimo of agency, DIGO) is a project designed to send a wake up call to consumers to abandon plastic bottles in favor of tap water. (You can order your own Tappening bottle here.)
I’ve sworn off bottled water, will you?

Still thirsty?

Several agencies have gotten behind this year’s push for the Tap Project, the Droga5 created effort to provide clean drinking water for kids in developing countries.

You can read more about it in this AdAge article.

I missed this last week. So if you also didn’t get the chance to “pay” for your tap water at a participating restaurant, make a donation at TapProject.org.

Thirsty?

I’d never heard of World Water Day until seeing this arresting visual from CharityWater.org.

Can ham-fisted headlines save the world?

Kenneth Cole’s marketing relies on a blend of social issues and puns (incurring the wrath of copyranter.) Now the fashion designer wants you to get in on the act.


KennethColeBlog.com takes you to their "awearness" blog. Where, I assume, you’re supposed to leave your own culturally biting puns in the comments.

Could this be a romantic comedy that even guys want to see?

Unfortunately, the mandatory "rated R" warning gives away that these teaser ads are for a movie.

The url IHateSarahMarshall.com leads to a series of sparse character blogs. But the restricted trailer is actually funny.

What do you have against George Clooney?

Someone has been removing his face from posters at stops along the 6.


I especially like how they co-opted the Statue of Liberty from the neighboring ad and altered the movie title to create a meta-statement about advertising's role in American culture.
You can see an unblemished version of the movie poster here.

Did you pour a bit in your coffee to celebrate this morning?

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here are some new subway ads from Jameson Irish Whiskey’s “It could just be the taste” campaign.




I originally saw this campaign on the trolleys in Boston, you can check out those ads here.

It's good to be king

Mel Brooks isn't the only one with a chess fetish.

Defunct is now defunct

One of my favorite sculptures was removed from Madison Square Park this week.

What were Travel Wishes 1 thru 10?

Despite my pet peeve about randomly numbering something in an ad as if it were part of a list, this ad made me laugh.

I don't think most of their TV spots are as funny as they could be. But I do like Travelocity’s roaming gnome (mainly from their smart sponsorship of The Amazing Race).
Whether you love or hate the gnome, it’s crazy that he still doesn’t appear on their home page.

At least the lizards are computer generated

Q. What's the deal with the quality of life of the chimp who appears in the AFLAC commercial? How could I communicate to AFLAC my distaste for their use of a chimp as entertainment?
- Marietta Nilson, Cape Cod

A. Probably better than the copywriter who wrote the spot.
I shouldn't encourage you, but I take my imaginary obligation to answer all questions seriously. So, you can write to their board of directors at: Aflac Incorporated, c/o Corporate Secretary, 1932 Wynnton Road, Columbus, Georgia 31999.
But I hope you don’t get their agency fired.
Animals used in advertising are treated very well during filming as dictated by law. However, oversight on living conditions before or after filming are out of the advertiser's and their agency's hands. But they do their best to work with reputable trainers.
Based on my personal experience with an elephant and her trainer on a photo shoot, I'd say animals in commercials are taken care of as well as if not better then those in zoos.

But I do hope their Orangutan winds up in the retirement home for chimpanzees mentioned in the last 15 minutes of a recent episode of This American Life.

Do we need another new ad medium?

I've seen ads on the back of pedicabs before.
But not one made for an ad instead of passengers.


AdRide.com

Had enough potty humor yet?

Charmin stocked public restrooms with their product and put these ads up in the stalls.

Insert your “on a roll” or “assets” joke here

Much like my 8th grade class rolled our history teacher’s yard in toilet paper, Cottonelle has covered the subway below Grand Central.













Update: Here's another ad in the campaign:

Who me?

Yet another fun teaser campaign and microsite that pranks your friends: YourOtherYou.com