No one wants to be generic. Everyone is looking for a voice. Dissolve.com is finding their voice by making you buy generic stock footage. As AdAge points out, "it's a parody of commercial cliches that's also a commercial itself -- intended to attract budget-conscious creators of commercials who are looking to insert a few commercial cliches into their own commercials." Good luck with that.
generic post
No one wants to be generic. Everyone is looking for a voice. Dissolve.com is finding their voice by making you buy generic stock footage. As AdAge points out, "it's a parody of commercial cliches that's also a commercial itself -- intended to attract budget-conscious creators of commercials who are looking to insert a few commercial cliches into their own commercials." Good luck with that.
snickers from the aussies
Is cat-calling from construction sites a thing that happens regularly? So, these construction workers are not being themselves when they are hungry... I'm sure Snickers thought it would be a good idea to have construction workers yell out complimentary things to women as they passed by as an out of character action. It would seem that they are just making men out to be "sexist, ignorant douchebags" as one youtube commenter put it.
is your company the worst?
DirecTV has made some questionable decisions in the recent past like hiking rates, threatening blackouts, and ditching the Weather Channel (who barely show the weather any more, so maybe some forgiveness for that one is due). But it appears that none of that makes them worse than Facebook. The Consumerist is running their annual bracket to find out who the worst company in America is, and Zuck seems to have handily won (lost?) his first round. Congratulations!
text shaming billboard
Texting and driving is ridiculously stupid. Period. Everyone knows this, yet it seems like everybody (and even their grandmothers) do it. So, how does one go about stopping people from risking their lives? Shame the hell out of 'em, that's how.
Designer, Brian Singer, started the Texting While In Traffic project that encourages people to take photos of people texting and driving (ONLY if you're the passenger or not in a car) and submit them to a website for them to be shamed. But it doesn't stop there. Select photos from the website will be displayed on billboards all across San Francisco so that the entire city can see what a irresponsible jerk you are.
Well, if that doesn't work, not sure what will.
it's not about how you look
... it's about how you feel. At least that's what weight loss ads should be about, rather than all these ads that force you to compare yourself to unrealistic celebrities, that imply your spouse will suddenly be more attracted to you , that make you think your friends and coworkers will respect you more, and so on.
That's what makes this Weight Watchers ad out of Australia so wonderful. It focuses on all the wonderful aspects of your life, all the things your body and mind has done, and invites you to give it the lovely treatment it deserves by being healthy.
Beautifully done.
newsjacking gone terribly wrong
Sometimes companies can hijack news story headlines, create an ad from them, tying their products and services back to the headline and it works poetically... brilliantly even. Aannnnnd, sometimes they do it, and it makes them look like insensitive jerks. Enter TeamWork Online.
Yep, of all things, they jumped in on the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 tragedy news by likening job hunting to a possible hijacking and/or horrific plane crash. Yes, we can see the similarities there. Oooph.
the anti-social network
Ever opt to not leave the house because you just want to avoid an acquaintance at all costs? Now, a new app can help you dodge unwanted run-ins with anyone from your ex to your boss. Designed specifically by programmer Brian Moore to help him avoid his ex girlfriend, the Cloak app uses Foursquare and Instagram to scan the locations of friends and acquaintances, compare that to a user's GPS location, and put up an invisible geofence around them. Never fear a trip to Subway hung over in your pajamas again!
lending a…..voice
People with severe speech impediments often must rely on robotic-sounding voice generators to communicate. A new program called VocaliD now allows donors to literally “lend their voice” to those who do not have one. After a voice is donated, it is matched with a recipient of the same sex, age, and a voice somewhat similar to the donor. The company is now asking people from all over the world to donate their voices so that they can build up their “voice bank,” with plans to develop an iPhone app to make donation as easy as possible.
say goodbye to jetlag forever
When traveling, our jet-lagged bodies can waste valuable exploring time. Luckily, a team from the University of Manchester may have found a solution. When an enzyme in the body was inhibited in the lab, mice were able to adapt to a new environment much more quickly than before. Why is this so exciting? It could easily pave the way for a new drug that could take the exhaustion out of the red eye, and allow you to hit the ground running as soon as your plane touches the ground.
mr. roboto is not who you thought he was
Contrary to belief, it's not all rainbows and butterflies and badassery for robots. With this secret look into their lives, Toby Fraley sheds some light on just how boring and mundane the life of a robot can be.
today’s forecast: 10% chance of sun, 100% chance of rocky road
Confused? So are we. The Weather Channel has a hard enough
time accurately predicting the weather, but with their new WeatherFX Ad Exchange they’re
making new predictions that brands may want to pay attention to. Or not. Based on
weather patterns, they’re able to identify interesting purchasing trends and target ads accordingly. Maybe
they’ll get it right this time.
aliens and tigers and robots, oh my
Pepsi Max is at it again. More antics from the cola brand
that brought you Uncle Drew. This time they’re dialing up some unbelievable scare tactics with
this augmented reality bus shelter. These folks are definitely not in Kansas anymore.
cringe-worthy first tweets
Go grab your freshman year high school yearbook. Most likely the words, "what was I thinking" will pop in to your head at some point while you are hunting for your head shot. Also, I'm sure you've seen the new Twitter tool that is letting you check out your very first post to the social giant. Well, it turns out that you can do the same thing with big brands. Go check out some of the favorites from Digiday. You are bound to cringe at a few.
Have a great summer!
sleepy spotify
Lots of people listen to music while they sleep. Vulfpeck is trying to take advantage of this trend in order to fund their next tour. The indy rock band is gaming Spotify by making a 7 hour album of silence to not only fund their next tour, but also to make the tickets free to their fans. Spotify is actually being pretty cool about the whole thing too.
tasting glasses for cola
Do you consider yourself to be a cola connoisseur? If so then you probably need to sit and think about your life for a little while. If you still feel that this designation is a positive thing then Coca-cola has the perfect glass for you to fill with cola and the tears from a lifetime of questionable decisions. The glass was made as a result of a partnership between Riedel and Coke and will only set you back $20... each.
Oh, Google judges
Ever search for something on Google and think, no one can know I'm searching for this? Or, start a search that you swear is crazy, but then it's the first autofill option that comes up, making you feel at one with the universe that maybe you're not alone in your crazy questions? Or worse, Google something that has no autofill and think, um, am I the only one weird enough to Google this? Not to mention your horrible grammar and spelling issues in searching.
Yeah, all of the above. That's what makes College Humor's second installment of If Google Was A Guy (Part 2) so fun… just as funny as their first one if you haven't seen it.
(creative) criminal minds
Some agencies believe a good idea can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time. Two interns at DigitasLBi in San Francisco took that belief very seriously, and put creative genius in the hands and minds of criminals behind bars.
Their program called "Concepting with Criminals" lets Criminals in prison write or design ads that are then showcased on their website, con-cepting.com.
The best part is, some ads are better than what some brands or agencies might have thought if themselves.
one catstarter to rule the internet
Kickstarter for cats?! Um, how has the internet not thought of this yet? Lucky for us, Meow Mix did.
Meow Mix created Catstarter, a website for cat owners and lovers everywhere to come up with the next amazing cat creation to make life with kitties even more fun. The invention with the most votes at the end will actually be made.
Despite the super cheesy press release that seems to take the concept a little too seriously, it's pretty cool to see an old-school brand like Meow Mix do something like this.
renovated build-boards for DIYers
These outdoor creatives are a
win-win for not only attracting
consumers, but also renovating
rundown locations. The largest DIY store in Germany OBI, sought out create
new ads to help consumers visualize what their stores have the ability to
transform. It’s an innovative solution that
benefits not just OBI, but also the run-down locations where agency Jung Von
Matt renovated. Both effective, and clever!
morning after… can
Never
be caught off guard... especially when
faced with the morning after "walk of shame". The
Walk
of Shame Kit, is a creative idea containing all the necessary ideas if
you’re ever in a jam!
disturbing bike safety campaign
Every day, more and more cyclists
are being killed in Brazilian streets. The campaign from Respeite Um Carro a Menos
(meaning: Respect the One Less Car) was created in an effort to increase awareness around
the issue. These vivid creatives clearly display the results of careless
driving with copy associated with each set of handles reading things like
“hunted in the park” or “hunted on the road.”
Coke publicly shames loud theatergoers
Can we all agree that obnoxious people should be shamed in the most public way possible? Coca Cola has made this opinion a reality with a new PSA (developed by Saatchi & Saatchi Denmark) by setting up a green screen in a theater lobby, taping people sipping on Cokes, and engaging in other activities. The audience members were then added as an interruption to a steamy love scene, reminding everyone in attendance that the movie is “not the same with you in it”.
finally, a map of food
When visiting a region, it is always fun to taste the local flair as much as possible. Photographer Henry Hargreaves evidently agrees, as he has created a series of photos depicting the different foods regions of several countries are known for. Although there aren’t many surprises, the fact that he was able to create France out of cheese without eating it all is pretty impressive.
movie scenes, then and now
Ever drive by a building and wonder if you saw it in a movie once? Now, with the ScenePast app, you have a definitive answer in the palm of your hand. This app has compiled over 650 movie scenes, and found their modern-day updates. Best of all? You can even watch the scene with the click of one button to take yourself right back.
give 'em a hand (job)
By now we've all seen the slightly awk "First Kiss" video. So of course it was inevitable, given the recent wave of parody videos, that someone tried their hand (so to speak) at taking it to the next level. Whether that level is up or down remains to be seen. See what you think about First Handjob, a sticky little treat from Pimms Girl Comedy.
one for the ladies...
...the cat ladies, anyway.
Move over, Sarah McLachlan. The New York Humane Society has opted to forego the sad-eyed pups and plaintive balladeering in favor of… topless models with kittens. The light-rap vid, designed to launch their new adoption campaign, is called "Cats + Abs". Kudos to the guys, but the 3-month old kitties steal this show.
can you say "wow" 10 times?
It's a fact: TED is the all-seeing. TED is the all-knowing. TED is GOD. So when TED says it's compiled the 10 most world-changing ads, you damn well better believe that they have and they are. Designed to "recognize innovation, ingenuity, and intelligence in advertising" (can you say oxymoron?), this is a collection of spots worth seeing and thinking about. Today. TED is watching...
livin' on the edge with honey maid
A few months back Cheerios realized that generally people are dumb and America still has a long way to go, and it looks like Honey Maid is ready to take it to the next level. The new Honey Maid documentary series of commercials show the diversity that only can be found in family. The series features a single dad, a military family, a gay couple, and more. Dear Honey Maid, brace yourselves and good luck.
getting buzzed on more video
Apparently everyone wants to cash in on videos. BuzzFeed is mostly known for lists that your little sister shares on Facebook, but now they are throwing their hats in the video content generation game. BuzzFeed video has been up and running for 15 months, but they are launching the service to advertisers next month in hopes to ad more integration deals to their list of top 10 clients that look like cats.
unique stinky candle scents
Looking for an unusual
smell to impress your company? Well look no further, the Stinky Candle Company has you
covered. They currently offer 32 unique scents
including hemp, fish, new car scent,
gasoline, wet grass, car exhaust, bacon and fast food. Introducing an aroma
like this may just get you out of hosting the next event.
interactive billboards give summer gear
Soda maker L&P
wants people in the mindset of summer fun and warmth, which is exactly what
they did with their interactive
billboards. Located in New Zealand, these billboards offered passersby the
opportunity to snatch some free summer gear, from flip-flops to beach towels.
alphabet of the countries
Designer Pavel Zertsikel
is crafting hand-lettered script identities
for each country – working his way through the alphabet.
famous last words
Remember that super viral Scarecrow Chipotle ad from last year? Well, Frank Ocean, the guy that was originally hired to sing the song (prior to Fiona Apple, refused to finish recording because he claims he was told it was an ad to promote responsible farming, but then at the end it was revealed to be a Chipotle ad.
So, as any corporation would, Chipotle sued for the half the money they paid him in advance since he didn't finish the project. And, because they probably could afford good lawyers, they won. So, Frank Ocean wrote them a check, in a way that would ensure they didn't get the satisfaction of the last word. See the memo line.
Badass.
share the warmth
)
Bus stop stunts have been a thing for a little while now, but this one from Duracell is particularly nice because it serves a good purpose too: keeping people warm while they wait. The catch is, you have to hold hands with other people waiting at the bus stop to make it work… spreading warmth in more ways than one.
Bus stop stunts have been a thing for a little while now, but this one from Duracell is particularly nice because it serves a good purpose too: keeping people warm while they wait. The catch is, you have to hold hands with other people waiting at the bus stop to make it work… spreading warmth in more ways than one.
insta-nails
Most of you (especially the ladies) have probably seen those nail sticker things that you stick on, trim, and file for a mess free, longer lasting, funky mani. They're pretty cool and all, but you only have so many designs to choose from. Until now.
With NailSnaps you can turn any of your instagram picts into a completely unique mani. Photo of your cat? Put him on your nails. Photo of the beach, sky scraper, food or any other typical Instagram shot? Put it on your nails. Photo of your manicure? Put it on your nails. Whoa, so meta.
Mind blown? Then donate $20 or more at their Kickstarter page and you can be one of the first to try it out. Um. Pretty awesome.
EVERYTHING used to be a Pizza Hut
Ever notice how, while driving around the U.S. countryside, a variety of businesses look weirdly familiar? Well that’s because old Pizza Huts have a pesky habit of being refurnished into…well, everything and anything else. Now, with the "Used to be a Pizza Hut" blog, you can track (and submit photos of) these recycled gems of American consumerist architecture, no matter where you are!
another reason to avoid NYC cabs
The smells, the potholes, the jarring stops and turns – there are many reasons to avoid taking cabs in NYC (not that there are many better alternatives). In an effort to promote his new book “Follow That Car”, former cabbie Jimmy Failla has taken stunt marketing way too far, picking up riders, then calmly allowing a Burmese python to slither back into the seat with them. Thanks, but we’ll just walk.
digital clothes swap
We’ve all done it – splurged on that outfit for a special event that, not matter how we try to convince ourselves otherwise, will never be worn again. Now, you can decrease some of that guilt with StyLend, a new peer to peer marketplace where you can list these items to be borrowed by potential renters. With an option to organize the transaction yourself, or allow the site’s concierge service to do it for you, there’s simply no excuse to let cob webs grow on that once-worn Marc Jacobs cocktail dress.
your childhood never looked so twisted
Paul Ribera created these awesome works of art that will forever change the way you remember your favorite 90s cartoons. Good luck trying to erase these images from your mind.
diet coke on coke
ANIMAL New York does a great job reinterpreting Coca-cola's latest campaign "You're on. Diet Coke." with these hilariously fake posters. While Coke denies the nod to drugs in their campaign and swears it's about young, ambitious folks being on top of their game, I sniff some bullshit... and some illicit drugs. Either way, they're getting some good "buzz" (pun intended) around the brand.
the whole world in the palm of your hand
facebook makes your selfies bigger
It’s been a year since Facebook decided to redesign their site for users, so that means that it is time to redesign Facebook. The roll-out begins today and focuses on cleaning up the news feed. Images will be bigger, fonts go native, and Comments get their own post from shared stories. No mention of the way ads will look though, but the odd of them getting smaller are probably pretty slim.
flat olives in the garden
If your first thought of Italian food is the Olive Garden, I’m sorry. Your world is about to be rocked. The Olive Garden has launched a new logo. Breathe. Just breathe. Everything is going to be okay. It turns out that their logo is has gone flat and traded in the grapes for olive branches. Not sure that a new logo is going to help in creating the “brand renaissance” the restaurant chain is looking for. Maybe focusing on the food quality would be a better place to start.
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