environmentalism for dummies

Hey, you. I bet you don't like homelessness. Yet, you aren't going to spend this Saturday handing out dinner rolls at your local Soup Kitchen. It's not your fault - we all want the world to change for the better, yet we don't really want to do anything about it.

That's what makes WWF's new PSA, "The Lazy Environmentalist," so brilliant. It makes saving the planet look so easy, you'd be a total douchebag NOT to do it.

solid goldblum

You may remember Jeff Goldblum as the smart, yet quirky guy in Jurassic Park. Or maybe the smart, yet quirky guy in Independence Day. Whatever the case, you're about to know him as the sultry, spectacularly-coiffed star of a new GE campaign called "Enhance your Lighting." Watch, take notes, and get to work installing your piano/hot-tub, pronto.

Lincoln may need to hire a new actor

Matthew McConaughey is a babe - there are no two ways about it. Lincoln's casting of McConaughey as the new face of the brand to appeal to millennials was brilliant. However, their latest spot was just begging to be spoofed. Ellen DeGeneres did just that - and in fact, it actually makes the nonsensical commercial much easier to understand. Sorry, Lincoln - nice try, but you'll definitely need to cast a new stud after this.

killing one ad at a time

New York City is beautiful. But their subways really aren't. The ubiquitous advertising plastered over every possible surface, wall, and object really doesn't help, either. Although sometimes colorful and visually interesting, Street Artist, Jordan Seiler, argues that an overabundance of advertising can be detrimental to your mental health. So, he's created an app that allows you to point the camera to an ad and see artwork instead from local artists. Although perhaps a slightly dramatic stance on advertising in public places, the idea of supporting local artists and advertising their work is a big win.

it's a bird, it's a plane... it's a drone.

Did anyone even know what a drone was before this year? Drones, a long-standing military tactic, have been utilized across a variety of advertising campaigns lately (see how Coca-Cola did it). Austria's Ars Electronica Futurelab has found an even cooler way to use them. Their latest innovation, Spaxels, is literally flying light. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the next generation of advertising: flying light to create billboards on the biggest canvas imaginable. Embrace the future. It's coming.

Imma let you finish, but first lemme pull on your heartstrings

For the dog lovers out there, you know the saying is true: “dog is a man’s best friend.” Budweiser is quite aware of this and has decided to bring the Budweiser puppy back for its latest heartwarming ad. Well it’s more of a quasi PSA for drunk driving, but it hits home for a lot of people out there. The spot was created in part to support the brand’s 5th annual "Global Be(er) Responsible Day" – which is today. So have a cold one, but remember your #FriendsAreWaiting.

have no fear, super beagle is here

Move over Wonderdog, there’s a new hero in town. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines recently introduced the world to the next super dog. He’s faster than a kitten, sense of smell more powerful than a hound, able to leap tall luggage in a single bound… it’s Super Beagle. Okay, so maybe that’s a stretch, but this super pooch is bringing joy to KLM passengers and workers alike. He’s been trained to reunite passengers with their missing belongings in the airport. Hey, if that’s not super, then I don’t know what is.

coffee shop home invasion

Tim Horton’s is to Canada, as Dunkin Donuts is to America. Now that we’re clear on that, the Canadian chain recently transformed a neighborhood home into a pop-up shop overnight. Pretty sweet stunt, one might say. Of course there was reason behind it. Horton’s is looking to recruit people in the Calgary area to help fill 2000 open positions. Not a bad way to grab the attention of locals and draw them in.

artsy technology is beautiful

Sparked is the coolest implementation of technology for art I have seen in a very long time. Take 5 minutes and just enjoy. And when you are done with that, go check out the behind the technology video.

KitKat breaks in to bendgate

Apple isn't having a very good week. From Bendgate to software update issues. Granted, crisis mode at Apple means everyone goes heads down, don't really say anything and then just watch the problem disappear as fans still buy the product.

So, brands that want to take advantage and kick Apple while they are down, *cough* KitKat *cough* *cough*, need to strike while the social iron is hot. What's that? The latest version of Android is KitKat, cobranded by Google and Hershey. Hmm...

unexpected marketing result: murder confession

Getting text messages and mail from retailers is noting new. Usually they are addressed to you, or a horrible misspelled version of your name. And then, every once in a while you might receive a text message intended for someone else. What do you do in this case?

Well, this man decided that the texts he was getting from Walmart were harassment from someone with knowledge of a murder he committed in Arizona. This 'harassment' lead him to let the police know that it was happening, and that he killed a person. Ladies and gentlemen... I submit that this is why their stores are called Super.

most Googled brands in your state?

The folks over at Direct Capital analyzed Google search trends to determine the top 3 brands Googled in each state and created these handy little maps. Some totally play into stereotypes, some are obvious based on where the brands' corporate headquarters reside, others are quite surprising... all are super interesting.

via

stunt hits the innovation trifecta

What do bus stop stunts, interactive vending machines, and tweet powered anything have in common? Well, all three have been very popular in the industry over the last couple years, and, all three come together in this innovative new stunt from Walker Crisps in London.

People waiting at the bus stop were surprised to see what appeared to be a man sitting in the vending machine interacting with them and encouraging them to tweet for a sample of Walker Crisp's latest flavors.

The whole thing is very entertaining!

#firstworldproblems

So, you really want the new iPhone 6. So badly that you're willing to sleep on the hard concrete while you brave the cool fall temps. That's cool, but while that crick in your neck and shiver in your spine remind you how much it sucks to have to sleep on the streets for a few days, just remember, you get to go home with a brand new, expensive piece of technology. The 600,000 homeless American's that have to do that every night? Yeah... them, not so much.

The National Coalition for the Homeless took advantage of this thought while it was top-of-mind with this video urging people to put those phones to good use by texting "NCH" to 85944 to donate $10 to help homeless Americans.

Smart and timely!

the battle at the beach

"Save the environment" PSAs are nothing new, but this spot for Coastal Cleanup Day uses a simple and powerful visual that really drives the point home in a tasteful way. It's no crying Native American, but it'll do.

jeter tribute #21975

Nike and Gatorade have already released commercials showing their love and admiration for Derek Jeter as his storied career approaches its end. Now, Major League Baseball has thrown their hat (helmet?) into the ring with a simple, yet poignant spot showing the effect DJ has had on a whole generation of ballplayers - from inner city kids to up-and-coming superstars like Mike Trout. God bless, #2.

to key or not to key

Rejoice, people-with-unusual-names-who-can-never-find-personalized-keychains-at-souvenir-shops - the keyless era is coming, so you won't have to settle for that name that kinda sounds like yours, only not really. (Our very own Kristien can probably relate to this spot.)

lots of warm sticky deliciousness

Exactly what you were thinking, Krispy Creme doughnuts. Yes, Krispy Creme is still around and they’re launching a new catering service in the UK. To help promote the launch, they created the Double Hundred Dozen box o’ doughnuts (that’s 2,400 doughy circles of love) and ran a Twitter contest to give it away to one lucky local business. They should probably make this a normal reoccurring thing, because... DOUGHNUTS!

not your average bunny

More and more brands are finally realizing the value of tapping into real-time conversations amongst consumers. Some do it better than others, but it's still good to see the shift. Just the other day a new meme took the Internet by storm: Sign Bunny. What is Sign Bunny you ask? More about that here. Okay now that you’re caught up on Sign Bunny, check out some of the brands that successfully used the meme. Funny how a little bunny can make a brand relevant.

cook like a hipster

Or cook like a Portland local, same difference. If you’ve ever seen Portlandia, you know the humor is off-beat, a little odd, but hilarious all at the same time. It pokes fun of Portland’s culture in a good way. Well Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (the show’s stars) teamed up with the co-creator of the show to create a companion cook-book. Yes, recipes are included, but they weave in that off-beat humor throughout, like the 'Day at the Zoo' pretzel knot, which is this book is going to be fantastic.

notice anything different?

Seriously though, who notices these things? Apparently the loyal liege of Mets fans noticed the barely altered Mets logo on social media this week. Whether it was a hacker or an internal prank, the Mets logo underwent minor surgery when the longstanding UN building on the far right was replaced with Citigroup Center (remember, it's now Citi Field, not Shea!). The fraudulent logo has mysteriously disappeared, likely due to Kofi Annan.

lilac, tiger, berry...oh my!

You know that mind-boggling feeling when you're trying to describe a color, but can't find the exact word? Ingrid Sundberg, a writer and children’s book illustrator, created the ultimate reference chart to describe any hue in question. So next time you're looking at those brand new shoes the sales lady convinced you into thinking were black, perhaps you'll re-evaluate - because after all, they could be: ebony, ink, raven, oil, onyx, or pitch. Mind: blown.

holesome, by Cheerios

In an industry where the concept of "sex sells" usually holds true for most brands, Cheerios takes a different approach. Prepare for this cereal brand to melt your heart in their latest spot, dedicated to all those hardworking "third shift" parents. In a struggling economy where the opportunity to make double time wages is crucial for most families, this story shows us that even the simple things don't need to be sacrificed. The moral of the story? Breakfast can happen anytime. Break out the tissues for this one.

what pantone is your lager?

Forget what you know about beer. The only thing that matters is the color. The beautiful, pantone color. Spanish designer Txaber shows off his idea of pantone focused beer cans making one of the best looking concepts of beer cans made in a very long time. Check out the rest over at Fast Company.

do you want to be a claire's-r-us kid?

Remember how the last time you went into one of Claire's tiny shops and you thought to yourself, 'this would be great inside a Toys-R-Us!' What are you, some kind of sooth sayer!? That is exactly what they are doing. Claire's has started testing out the concept in European stores. The idea... get 'em young.

So, next time you are picking up that Elsa doll for your niece's birthday party and see ear piercing booth just remember, you saw this coming and you could have prevented it. Time to get the Delorean.

moto channels rube goldberg and ok go

Have you seen Moto's new ads for all of their new gadgets? Droga5 seems to channel the spirits of Rube Goldberg and OK Go to create the super rad small sets that exemplify how Moto products are an all day, every day kind of thing.

While their friends over at Samsung have taken a little more of a "Hey! We did it before Apple!" kind of stance, Moto appears to be taking the classier route of just letting people know that their products are super cool and convenient. Good on you Moto. But, you're still going to have to pry my iPhone from my cold, dead hands if you want to get me to switch. Check out a behind the scenes look from adfreak.

cutest focus group ever

As marketers, we've seen our fair share of focus groups, but even the ones with little kids aren't nearly as entertaining and adorable as this one for Big Lots! Not only did this focus group serve as a means for Big Lots to show pets loving their pet products, but it also served as internet gold. That's one focus group doing double duty... which I'm guessing there was a lot of in that room by the end of the day. Get it? Doody. Ah yeah, that never gets old.

dems fighting words

Samsung saw some initial success at the launch of the Galaxy S4 when they first started busting on Apple fan boys (and girls). Then, they went on to get some nice buzz with their "It doesn't take a genius" ads. So, like many brands, they're trying to ride the wave of that success by creating new ads in the same vein, like this latest one poking fun at how Samsung had the larger size thing down well before the iPhone 6 announcement.

Apparently it's working again for them with almost 5 million views... but now many consumers are starting to think they sound like Regina George's at the high school lunch table. What do you think, brilliant or pathetic?

walk the social catwalk

Social media and the fashion industry go together like a cozy sweater and leather boots... the perfect pairing. TopShop is a brand that understands this. They sent 5 VIP Instagrammers out to a London fashion show to document their latest looks and share them exclusively on Facebook. Fans could also get on the action by shooting fashionable photos of themselves using #TOPSHOPWINDOW for the opportunity to be featured on the screen. And, to close the proverbial "loop", fans could click to buy everything they saw. Yep, a perfect pairing for sure!

don't walk. dance.

Every year, 28 billion people are hit by cars in jaywalking accidents. OK, maybe I made that stat up, but the point is, it happens a lot. To combat the issue, Smart car came out with a great interactive stunt - the static "don't walk" man is replaced by a dancing silhouette - controlled by participants on camera in a nearby booth. The result? 81% more people stopped at the light. (That stat is actually real. Watch the video.)

"apparently" this kid is selling dog food now

Apparently, this kid named Noah Ritter was in an extremely cute and funny viral video a few weeks ago. And apparently, he and his family are cashing in on his 15 seconds of fame. After appearances on Good Morning America and Ellen, Noah has apparently taken his infectious persona into the world of advertising with this commercial for Freshpet dog food. Apparently, we have a star on our hands. Apparently.

covergirl controversy

If you don't live under a rock, then you've heard that the NFL is going through a bit of a PR crisis. Domestic violence. Child abuse. Concussions. Steroids. It's not a pretty time for America's favorite sport, and many brands are withdrawing sponsorship accordingly - but one brand that's decided to stand their ground is CoverGirl. And the Internet is pissed.

The above image, photoshopped from a CoverGirl banner ad by a Twitter user, is one of many that have surfaced in response to CoverGirl going forward with their "Get Your Game Face On" campaign in light of the NFL's perceived indifference to domestic violence. Yet another *gulp* black eye, for a league that could use an image makeover.

LEGO my calendar

Kids, adults, and senior citizens all love LEGOs, it’s a fact (may not actually be a fact). Well a few very smart people at Special Projects in London created an awesome office calendar made of LEGOs to help keep organized. It kills two birds with one stone: (1) LEGOs/fun at work and (2) functional work calendar. Oh and by the way, it syncs with your iCal, Google Calendar and others. Pretty sweet.

furniture climbing, it’s the new thing

To celebrate their 30th store opening in France, Ikea turned a billboard into a ‘rock climbing wall,’ except there are no rocks, only Ikea furniture. Cool little stunt and looks like lots of fun, but you may be better off climbing actual rocks.

send a bud to your bud

Want to celebrate your friend’s birthday, but can’t make it across the country? Well have no fear, Budweiser is here. Now, through Facebook you can send them a Bud with a few simple clicks. Cheers to Budweiser for making it easy to buy beer for your friends far, far away. Please share responsibly.

grand slam by dr. dre

Talk about good timing. Fresh off her grand slam title, Dr. Dre enlists Serena Williams as the star of his new headphones commercial. Powerbeats2 by Dr. Dre are wireless headphones designed for athletes, and who better to represent than the diva of all athletes herself? The spot is inspirational, flashing back to her childhood in Compton, with the overlay music concluding to "free at last." I'm not sure what's more motivational: the headphones themselves or seeing Serena's bangin' bod. Either way, it's game, set, match for the Doctor.

love at first swipe

Us ad folk know that pitching new business is like dating. There is a courting period. There are wow factors. One false move, and you're out. But most importantly, appearances matter. The Dutch ad agency Woedend! harnessed the power of Tinder into a "hot or not" app for Clients to vet agencies for their next pitch. While in reality, this app, appropriately called "Pitcher," would make any agency shudder, the concept does monopolize on a real problem agencies face. If only pitching were actually this easy - we'd just post a photo of "The Most Interesting Man in the World."

a work of digital art

It looks like Sotheby's and Christie's will soon need to expand their auctioning empire into the digital realm. Artist Michael Green recreated the famous Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons - only digitally. Since Koons received a record-breaking $58.4 million for his masterpiece, Green felt that he'd might be able to accomplish a similar feat by selling his "Balloon Dog Deflated" animated gif on eBay for $5,800. Not sure what digital art is worth these days, but Green seems to justify himself in his very lengthy explanation on eBay. Ruling: $5,800 for a gif is ridiculous.

do you hate cancer? will ferrell hates cancer.

Everyone hates cancer. Everyone loves Will Ferrell. And a whole lot of people love video games. What happens when the three combine? You and Will put together a raiding clan and cast magic missile on cancer, or something.

Even if you aren't an elite haxor that once sniped the entire team by camping in that one spot everyone knows but doesn't use because it's "for noobs," there is still a great chance to engage with a cool campaign that includes a chance to hang out with Will freaking Ferrell!

black market pasta

Were you one of the 1,000 people to get your hands on a Never Ending Pasta Pass from Olive Garden? No. Well, there is good news! A black market of Pasta Passes have started springing up online. You can buy your pass now for a mere $399. That's a worthy investment right? You could eat like an Italian king for 7 weeks. That is only $57 a week for all the food you can eat.

Good job Olive Garden. People are talking about you. And hey, it's not like anything else was announced recently that $400 could be spent on.

gummy penis kids pack

Think back to 4th grade... opening your lunch at school and picking through the apple, bologna sandwich on white bread, and pretzels, and going straight for that bag of gummy bears. While savoring the deliciously rubbery sugar treat a gummy that is unfamiliar surfaces. It looks a little like a rocket ship, but with a little extra. Cue awkward conversation and after school special.

Oops, did those penis gummies makes their way in to the kids pack? Yup. I guess it's time to apologize... sort of. The company's reaction, “We’ve done everything that could possibly have been done … these things happen.” Yes, sometimes things just happen. And that is how babies are made.

your ass in Hashtag My Ass

French DJ, Etienne de Crecy, is owning the hashtag right now, not only because the name of his new song is Hashtag My Ass (and who wouldn't want to really), but also because his video for the song KICKS ass in the hashtag integration department, by featuring YOUR ass (well, not exactly your ass, but you). Dat's a lot of ass.

Basically the video picks up your use of the hashtags in his song (or any hashtags if you don't use his common ones) from Instagram and integrates them into the video onto a collection of final records. Everyone's video suddenly becomes an ad for his song all over the interwebs, including his YouTube Channel. Pretty fantastic, not to mention all the nice booties in the video to boot.

Create yours here.

act fast for 50% off

Sweedish Department store, Åhléns, has redefined the meaning of "act fast" to take advantage of an amazing discount. They displayed a series of really fast moving Instagram videos featuring a variety of items they sell, from beauty products to furniture, and challenged people to take a good screenshot of any item they wanted. If they did it successfully (and posted it to their Instgram account), they got 50% off that item at checkout. Now how's that for tying sales to social media ya ROI fiends?!

empty bucket challenge

 

When a TV show is successful, you rest assured that you'll see a few spinoffs. (And yes, I will be watching "Better Caul Saul" when it starts airing). As it turns out, the same is true of viral-Internet-charity-thingies.

A Brazilian non-profit called OndAzul is now urging people to take the Empty Bucket Challenge - using the popularity of the IBC (you're damn right I just created an acronym) to point out the amount of water we all waste each and every day. A smart use of borrowed interest - and you don't even have to dump anything on your head.

i'm dreaming of a white holiday in late december

Kmart took a lot of heat last year for having the audacity to air a Christmas commercial in September. This year, they're back with a new spot touting their layaway program - which may or may not be a tongue-in-cheek nod to last year's controversy. Merry Something, everyone!

made in the shade...sorta

So you're sitting on a sunny outdoor patio, enjoying a Corona, when suddenly the sun shifts and you find yourself smack dab in the shadows. Do you switch to Guinness? Hell no! You just let Corona rearrange the sun for you. Check out this cool outdoor stunt that makes excellent use of a cherry picker, a giant reflective billboard, and sweet white-rimmed shades.

a printer that really delivers

In its unrelenting effort to make our daily lives more and more like The Jetsons', Fuji has created a printer that comes to you when you've sent something to print. Yes, right on the heels of its (ahem) wildly successful Walking Fridge, the Japanese tech giant has solved the age-old problem of sending documents to the printer only to madly scurry down the hall to retrieve them before your boss sees your resume. And besides, anything that keeps you from actually getting up out of your chair and walking somewhere has to be a good thing, right?

it's a book book

Poking fun at Apple's new product videos is nothing new. But using it to point out the ridiculosity of gadgetry in general, and to remind us that sometimes simpler is better, just might be. IKEA has done a yeoman's job with the promo video for the new catalogue, done up in classic Apple style, complete with earnest accented engineer as spokesman. Check it out.

now we're cooking

If you've ever tried to navigate an app-based recipe with your elbows because your fingers were covered in fish juice or whatever, then you'll appreciate the genius of this simple app from Olivari Olive Oil. You talk to it. It tells you what to do. No hands. No mess. No ruining your phone for the sake of your 5-star chili.

gimme five

KLM Airlines is bringing people together, one epic high-five at a time. For one day only, KLM installed two interactive screens in Amsterdam and New York. People from each city interacted with the screens and attempted to give their peers across the pond the most perfectly timed high-five for a chance to win KLM airline tickets to each other's city. It's refreshing to see Skype-like technology utilized in an innovative way. Perhaps Match.com should adapt this idea for a virtual kissing booth. Actually wait, that might be gross.

luring children into eating healthy

You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can certainly deceive people from it. Bolthouse Farms, one of the largest producers of vegetables and juices in the U.S., is utilizing colorful, "junk food style" packaging to trick children into eating their healthy products. The initiative helps make the produce section, in which Bolthouse Farm products are shelved, more appealing to kids who often pester their mothers into the Fruit Roll-Ups and Dunkaroos aisle. Appearances may be deceiving, but in this case, it's probably not a bad thing. If the new packaging proves successful, we may be seeing a little more excitement in fruits and veggies section!

no more bulge in your pants

Vancouver-based designer Andrew Zo should be considered a God among men. He's created a one-of-a-kind super slim box in which to house the most precious gift any man can give: the engagement ring. The leather case looks like wallet and eliminates the need to carry the bulky ring box in his hipster skinny jeans, making the "pop the question" moment even more special. Although $90 for a ring box may sound high, there's no price on the surprise of a lifetime. Am I right, guys?

new cans make all the difference

Does packaging make a difference? The answer is yes. Don't argue, because science proves it. Well, maybe not science, but Miller Light thinks so. They introduced their retro can wrapper and suddenly they had people telling them that their beer tasted better, and they had a jump in sales! Amazing! So they changed it permanently, extended it to their bottles and taps and ditched the blue branding that had been used for the last dozen years. White labels for everyone!

Wait... their sales are back down? Oh... umm... carry on.

adult coloring book isn't what you think

Coloring as a child was a magical experience... bringing Disney characters to life just using colored wax. Then the world changed again when markers came along and the walls beckoned. And just like that the magic ended and the markers disappeared for a while.

Anyway, now you can have a magical and slightly disappointing coloring experience with this new adult themed coloring book. No, it isn't filled with pages of risqué connect the dots. Think more post college reality of having to go to work every day mixed with frat party nostalgia.

mcdonald's games the system in sweden

McDonald's may have cracked the code on getting people to pay attention to their commercials. People watch their phones more than the screen during commercial breaks, so why not take advantage of that?

They worked with their agency in Sweden to create a mobile game that worked in tandem with their TV ads to give people free smoothies.  And, they say that it is working. Now you'll have to download yet another app for some commercial break gambling for free food instead of crushing fake candies.

empowering women, one FAIL at a time

Oh, women's equality, what a touchy subject indeed. The team at Dear Kate (who sells unique, breathable women's undergarments) claim their recent ad (seen above) was meant to take a stance against typical undergarments ads where women are displayed as sex objects. They claim their intention was to show successful, powerful women in action. They claim it was all done in the name of women's equality.

Unfortunately it seems everyone else claims it was a major fail. So what do you think? Is the ad not so bad? Do you believe Dear Kate's intent, or do you think it was all a stunt to drum up buzz?

Discuss.

Friend's Central Perk in real life

If you're a Friends fan (and who isn't, really?), then at some point you've probably daydreamed about what it would be like to sip coffee with your friends at Central Perk. Well, thanks to Eight O'Clock Coffee you can make that dream a reality! Eight O'Clock Coffee has teamed up with Warner Bros. Television Group and Warner Bros. Consumer Products to bring the Central Perk experience to life in celebration of the show's 20th anniversary.

The coffee shop will feature actual props from the show, including the iconic orange couch where fans can have their pics taken. There will even be an appearance by Gunther himself (actor James Michael Tyler) and an improv artist singing some of your favorite Phoebe songs, including the irresistible Smelly Cat. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a free cup 'o joe from 8AM - 8PM on weekdays and 10AM - 8PM on weekends. And, to round it all out, Eight O'Clock Coffee will have a limited edition Central Perk Roast available for purchase at the shop as well as in stores across the country.

The Central Perk pop-up shop will be located at 199 Lafayette Street for a very limited time (9/17/14 - 10/18/14), so be sure to visit if you're in the area!

In full disclosure this work was done by our agency, but in all fairness we worked our butts off on it, are a little biased about it's awesomeness, and couldn't wait to share it with you all! Hope you enjoy!

prepare for Armagayddon

In spring 2015 Ireland will consider a referendum on marriage equality. To sway things the right way, LGBTNoise created this awesome video dramatizing how ridiculous it is to limit the rights of others over who they love. Fantastic!