Brand Flakes for Breakfast
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

these things never get old



Nicholas from Raisan Creative reminds us that every weekend should be a three day weekend. If you need a good excuse to let your boss know why you won't be in on Monday, build your own fake news clip.

The promo for Mikes Hard Lemonade lets you build your own news story. Proof that you can't possibly come to work. Mine says that I'm stuck on a cheezy carnival ride.

These things are silly but I never get tired of them.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:43 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

the gruen transfer tells all



Everyone's going gaga over the Gruen Transfer, a new show in Australia all about advertising.

In this week's episode, they discuss slumvertising, and the secrets of beer ads. Reminds me of Attack of the Show, but about advertising.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

proof that the end is near



Ummm. Styx. Coffee. I give up.

From Coudal.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:15 AM   2 comments

Friday, May 23, 2008

which annoying person are you?



Holy Taco details the 8 types of annoying people that you'll find inside a Starbucks. Funny.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:14 AM   1 comments

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

mike's hard lemonade: no soy.



Just lovin' the new campaign for new campaign for Mike's Hard Lemonade. Nice work by Raisanen Creative.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM   1 comments

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

don't let that beer give you away



You know what sucks? When you're deep in the woods, getting all drunk on Miller beer, just you and your gun...and the deer that you want to shoot sees your shiny Miller Beer can, and tells his friends to avoid the drunk hunter.

Problem solved! Miller Beer just released beer...in cammo cans. Now you can happily drink and shoot and never be seen. Apparently, this is not a joke.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:19 AM   5 comments

Thursday, April 10, 2008

mmmm. vintage coke.



It's all about the packaging. Coke is releasing limited edition versions of their 1906 "diamond label" bottles. These are the bottles that helped establish Coke as unique. (They had to do something, after removing cocaine from the ingredients.)

From the girlriot, via Twitter

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:12 AM   0 comments

Friday, February 29, 2008

a museum for beer and soda package design. in tennessee.



How we missed this on the Plaid tour this summer, I'll never know. We must have not seen the billboards. Tennessee - not only the home to Elvis' home - but also the home to the Museum of Beverage Containers and Advertising.

Where else would you find package design for Johnson Juice? (One would assume, healthy juice for your johnson.) Justus Johnson in our office probably lives on this stuff.

So sad we missed this. Although the website is an experience, itself. I so would have driven an hour out of the way for this. From quipsologies.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:28 AM   1 comments

Friday, February 22, 2008

what the kids are drinking today



I've got to get to the store today, and get me some Bot. I don't even care how many calories. Or if it's made from the blood of gypsies. I'm just sold by the awesomely delicious spot. I hope it mixes with vodka. From Adfreak.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:34 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

miller beer on top of the game



In the event you haven't already seen this, check out the Miller Beer spot they released immediately following the Superbowl. Very smart move, and impressive turnaround for creative. Brands that can react at internet speed are going to be the winners in the glorious internet future.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:17 AM   0 comments

Monday, February 04, 2008

superbowl ads: suck one.



Sooooo...Remember when you used to watch the Superbowl, spot after spot, and thought "wish I thought of that," in amazement of the brilliant conceptual work? Those were the days.

Last night seemed like lots of re-hashed creative ideas that looked like they came out of the first 20 minutes of a brainstorm.

These were my only highlights of creative wondermont:

+ Alice Cooper. Excellent casting.
+ Taste the Smoke. Excellent copywriting/tag line.
+ If stains could talk. Excellent execution.
+ Coke. Excellent family entertainment.
+ Suck One. The only line from the entire night that has a chance of working its way into pop culture. (Ironically, that would have been a good tag line for the Justin Timberlake/Pepsi spot, too.)

I'm just going to work "suck one" into my conversation all day today. Just to see how many times I can do that. You should try it too.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:13 AM   2 comments

Friday, January 25, 2008

turn down your volume



Cool spot for Pepsi, that will debut on the Superbowl. The production was created and performed by EnAble, a network in PepsiCo which supports diversity and the inclusion of persons with different abilities. See behind the scenes on the making of the spot here. Nice.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:22 AM   1 comments

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

can design make water in cans taste good?



Will people drink water from cans? What if they were really pretty? What if they were called canettes?

Fashion house Paul and Joe have apparently teamed with Perrier to make cans of pretty water. Same water, just packaged in designer, collector cans. Sometimes working in the brand industry is just plain embarrassing. Or is it just genius??

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM   2 comments

Friday, December 07, 2007

new energy drink: like having sex with a tractor trailer



Soooo funny. Originally from the film Idiocracy, now 20th Century Fox and Redux have teamed together to produce the super drink. I guess. From YesButNoButYes.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:27 AM   2 comments

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

vitamin water. for humans.



Vitamin Water just blasted out a direct mail piece that squarely puts Red Bull and Monster drinks in their place. Gotta love a brand that's not afraid of their competition. Thanks Per!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:25 AM   1 comments

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

most expensive spot in guinness history



Guinness launched a 'search for hidden ads' some time ago, that's been well reported in the blogoland. Caffeine Goddess posts the found spot, in all of its delicious glory. Shot in Argentina, with hundreds of actual villagers. Sweet.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:29 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

is your out of the box marketing piece offending greensters?



AboutDesign makes a great point about a new ad insert for Yellow Tail Wines. He was offended by the ad. Not in the traditional way you might expect to be offended by advertising. There was no racy message, nudity or inappropriate language here. Richard was offended by waste.

Yellow Tail Wines produced an insert in RealSimple Magazine, where the ad incorporated blinking LED lights. You've seen this before - cute, and attention-getting. And probably a significant budget expenditure for the brand. What they didn't consider was that they'd also be putting hundreds of thousands of electronic parts into a landfill. Not a great practice for a product that originates from the earth.

It's not easy being green. Customer perceptions and cares are changing. And as creatives, we're not all accustomed to thinking about the impact of our physical campaigns. But some audiences are paying attention - as evidenced by Richard's post.

Before launching your next physical campaign, it may be a good idea to ask things like:
"what impact does this have to the environment?"
"how will my customers with environmental concerns perceive this piece?"

Because the best advertising can capture attention and be green.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM   0 comments

Friday, August 24, 2007

energy drink that will change the world



A cute spot that explains how drinking an energy drink could lead to world peace.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

diet coke is 99% water. "that's our campaign."



Steven Levitt writes a good piece on the social dynamics that have brought us to a place where advertising Diet Coke as 99% water is an acceptable ad strategy.

Now, if we could prove that gummy bears are made of 99% fruit, I'd be all set.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:50 AM   3 comments

Monday, August 13, 2007

funny ads for irn bru soda that you can't have.



I so want a six pack of Irn Bru right now. But we're not getting it in the US, because it's got some ingredients that haven't been approved for our taste. You know, because our other sodas are so healthy-like, and we're only allowed to imbibe the most health-a-licious drinks here in the fat ole USA.

Anyway, someone's collected a bunch of their other hilarious ads in the campaign here.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:19 AM   0 comments

Friday, August 10, 2007

hello, lloyd.



Soooo wish that I was on this project. Or invited to this party.

Stella's agency recreated the bar scene from the Shining, complete with Lloyd, pictured above. They invited people into the bar, in conjunction with Stella Screen's airing of the film. The promotion is meant to tie to Stella's global brand strategy "fanatical about film".

Lucky attendees also got a key code to enter Stella's Gold Room. Nice.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM   0 comments

Friday, August 03, 2007

green tea partay. west coast rhymes in.



It's hard to follow Smirnoff's hugely successful Tea Partay video. But here's an attempt. Here's the details from the brand. At least this time, they'll have a website live, to assist in any success.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

buildings love bud



Cool Budweiser outdoor piece, found in Memphis, on our tour.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM   0 comments

Thursday, July 26, 2007

italians suck soda from the streets



To promote the soft drink Chino, Enfants Terribles is running a campaign that puts giant straws in the streets of Italy.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:24 AM   1 comments

Monday, July 23, 2007

drinking fanta in russia is like drinking acid



To hell with Fanta girls. With the Russian version of Fanta, you can control a party like it's an iPhone. I want some of this Russian juice. Found on Lee Washington's blog.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:16 AM   0 comments

Friday, July 20, 2007

where copywriting becomes poetry



Simply awesome. Check out this supreme spot for Glenfiddich Scotch. Work from 180 Amsterdam. Found on AdForum.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:43 AM   0 comments

Monday, July 02, 2007

inside the coke machine



Check out the "documentary" on the wonderous Happiness Factory production for Coca Cola. Apparently, some of the voices are actual Coke employees.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:25 AM   0 comments

Saturday, May 12, 2007

if 40 is the new 30, then is anheuser busch really marketing to teens?



As a society, we're' hanging on to our youth like never before. I know a few 40 year-olds who feel like they're 30. And 30 year-olds who still feel 20. And so on. So where are the new marketing and branding lines to be drawn?

There's a lot of hoopla from lawmakers across the nation about Anheuser Busch and other marketers producing youthful products.

With the vibrancy of youth comes new tastes and opinions about what's pleasurable. Just because older generations declared that wine is the only suitable drink for adults, doesn't mean that some of us can't enjoy RedBull and Vodka. Times have changed, and tastes have followed.

I believe that AB understands the market much more than they're given credit for. Yes, their new beverages look youthful. Look fun. Look tasty and sweet. But does that really mean they're marketing to teens?

I would like to believe in my heart that alcohol companies aren't sitting in dark rooms trying to be evil. Or intentionally marketing alcohol to minors. I believe they're reacting to what their audiences are telling them. We don't want to get old. We like new products. We use the internet. We enjoy the energy of our youth.

I enjoy drinking occasionally. Responsibly. And I don't like fine wine. I like beer less than I used to. I like that brands are looking for new things for me to consume. I crave new things. And I'm not a teenager.

If lawmakers were genuinely concerned about under-age drinking, they'd properly staff their liquor control commissions. Most states have a only a couple of employees to monitor all of the bars or liquor stores that potentially serve minors. And bureaucracy makes any action nearly impossible. Wouldn't it be more effective to actually solve that problem? But I guess that doesn't look as sensational, on the local news. So let's go after the marketers. I'm gonna go have another Raw Tea.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:30 PM   1 comments

Monday, May 07, 2007

japanese food package design



The AIGA NY is hosting a design exhibition of Japanese food packaging. Should be awesome. Titled Suupa Pop, the show ends May 25th. I'll definitely be checking this one out.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM   0 comments

Thursday, May 03, 2007

behold the beautious vodka



Another reason to go buy some vodka on the company credit card. Reyka Vodka releases wonderful package design that includes gorgeous foil wraps. So awesome that you'll want to collect them all. Or buy them all and drink them, and then blame your problem on beautiful package design.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:27 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

young hipsters like simplicity



A research firm asked 100 "most forward trendsetter panelists" in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami, which companies they most respected, and why. Then, they compiled a list. So here's the top 15 brands that urban hipsters aged 21 - 27 love:

Apple
Trader Joe's
Jet Blue
In-N-Out Burger
Ben & Jerry's
Whole Foods
Adidas
American Apparel
Target
H & M clothing stores
Levi's
Volkswagen
Converse
Vitamin Water
Red Stripe Jamaican beer

Analyst Holly Brickley says the winning brands "are known for keeping things as stripped-down and unadorned as possible - not just in terms of the product's visual appearance but also in the way they organize their offerings." Yep. And I have to admit, that Red Stripe is looking mighty tasty.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM   3 comments

Monday, April 23, 2007

peroni beer's awesome outdoor



Saw this wonderful outdoor piece for Peroni, while in San Juan. On the first day, the space was outfitted just like an art gallery. Nothing but a lone Peroni, and a fridge. They even took the time to add nice signage to the outdoor of the retail space. By day two, they added a Ducati to the mix. This is an awesome campaign on so many levels:

1. Great positioning for Peroni. Associate the brand with other great Italian things.

2. It's outdoor advertising, but not obtrusive. And actually entertaining.

3. The piece helps local cityscapes. This is a retail space that I believe would otherwise be vacant. A landlord benefits, with short term rent revenue. A city benefits with the elimination of vacant retail. And of course, the brand gets wonderful placement in a busy, prominent neighborhood.

This could be a cool program that downtowns could offer to agencies. Coordinate with local landlords and vendors to handle the install - and fill Main Streets with entertaining installations. Put enough of them together, and they even become an attraction. Awesome.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:19 AM   0 comments

Thursday, April 12, 2007

drinking games rock



It's been a while since I've played a great drinking game. You know, now that I spend all of my time on the internet and don't go out of doors. Well our buddies over at SHS have created what I believe to be the perfect drinking game.

1. You can play with your friends who are on the other side of the country.
2. You don't need a designated driver (if you're playing from home.)
3. You can drink AND be on the internet. I think that's what it's like in heaven.

Anyway, at I Never, you answer a bunch of questions. If you answer "I never," then you have to take a drink. You can share details of your stories, too. Really great piece. My only complaint is that you can't change the music. I heard a song that sounded like Phish, and puked a little in my mouth. But then I realized that you can turn the sound off.

Oh yeah, the work is to promote Houlihans, which is a place you can go when you need to get away from the internet. Or when you need to put food in your belly.

Right now, I'm drinking alone. And it's the morning. Maybe that's an issue for some, but not for me.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:57 AM   0 comments

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

coke. not so quick on new marketing.



First, they rejected the entire Mentos video palooza. Later they realized their mistake, and embraced it.

Now, Jesus is captured on film drinking Coke (or at least, someone who plays Jesus, in an indie film), and they're not liking it. They're asking that the film be re-shot. (with Pepsi?)

I can already see the "what would Jesus drink?" t-shirts. Would Coke be ok with Satan drinking their product, since he dresses in the company red?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:43 AM   0 comments

Thursday, March 22, 2007

coasters for your bloody drink



These coasters are printed with invisible red ink, so that when customers put a moist drink on them, the person's face 'bleeds.' Copy reads: Just a reminder: Drunk driving kills.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:22 AM   0 comments

Monday, March 19, 2007

got milk debuts game with 1998 download speed



If you've got nothing better to do than to spend half a day watching a download progress bar, this new game from Got Milk is worthy.

Absolutely stunning production value for an internet game. But loads, and loads of waiting. I mean it. Get a glass of milk while you wait. From Adrants.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM   1 comments

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

everyone needs more energy



The Beverage Marketing Corporation just released a new report about soft drink sales - and energy drinks out-performed all other products.

Carbonated sodas continued to decline in sales (yet are still the top selling products), while energy drinks increased sales by almost 50%.

"Beverages offering functional benefits are growing two to three times faster than conventional refreshment beverages. " said some honcho with the organization. From PROMO.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM   0 comments

Friday, February 23, 2007

pepsi showin' the cans



One of Pepsi's new spots shows all of life's possibilities. Or some of life's possibilities. And a bunch of their new can designs.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:55 AM   0 comments

Thursday, February 22, 2007

brands out of control



Nice cans. (Sorry)

Nothing says energy like a bunch of big breasts on a can. At least that's what Hooters is thinking. Brand extensions, and business diversification makes sense. But c'mon. A Hooters energy drink??

Here's an imagined slide from the PowerPoint deck to launch this concept: "The energy drink marketplace is over crowded. We have no experience in this marketplace. Our brand would bring no value to this marketplace. It didn't work for the airline business, but this is different. Cans aren't as expensive as planes"

Sure, their restaurants will provide a built in first level distribution plan. But that's it. There are so many legitimate business extensions for Hooters that would make sense. (Why not a car wash?) So, why pick an obvious money loser?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

whiskey barrels are boring



Think an empty whiskey barrel is boring? Check out the Jack Daniels promotional site where users can WIN A FREE EMPTY, USED BARREL. (Sorry for the Jack Bauer speak - I got my Jacks mixed up temporarily, in an effort to create excitement.) They've brought boring to a new level.

I'm trying to imagine the conference room where a bunch of Jack Daniels executives rallied behind this, saying "we'll get thousands of people to sign up, and build our direct marketing lists!"

It's not that you can't make an empty whiskey barrel exciting - I really think you can. It's that they didn't even try. I can think of about a 36 cool ideas that might actually excite people about old whiskey factory trash. C'mon, Jack. Found on Promo

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:47 AM   1 comments

Friday, February 16, 2007

chuck norris kicks slacker ass



A fun spot for Mountain Dew where Chuck does what Chuck does best. Nuff said.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:01 AM   0 comments

Friday, February 09, 2007

drink enviga, and look like nicole richie



Coke's new drink Enviga is coming under scrutiny by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Sure, this has something to do with beverage branding, package design, and the ad industry - but I'm just posting on it as an excuse to show photos of my 30 second greeting with Richard Blumenthal. That, and we're on a soda theme this morning.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:20 AM   0 comments



museum of dead sodas



The soda theme continues this morning, with a delicious collection of dead sodas. Surge, clear Pepsi, Coke II, Orbitz, and more. Sadly, I've experienced the majority of the products features. What a trip in sodariffic history.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:07 AM   1 comments



coke instead of photoshop




Too busy to fire up the computer and use Photoshop? But you really need to give an antique look to a photo? Use a bowl of Coke.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:03 AM   0 comments

Thursday, January 25, 2007

in other words...



BEER!

I like these ads for Nova Schin Beer. They've got a unique design feel that stops you in your tracks and makes you want to explore. And they also boast a great payoff copy line - "In other words...BEER!" Can't you just imagine using that line, in soooo many social situations?

I think I'll find a reason to use those words sometime this afternoon. It feels great to say..."in other words...BEER!"

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:43 AM   0 comments

Friday, December 15, 2006

thinking outside the can



Core 77 points to Cans of the Year, by Can Maker Magazine. The Heineken bottle above is scrumptious. It's aluminum - which cools faster, feels colder, is lighter, and prints graphics better. Who says a can has to feel like a can, or a bottle has to be made of glass?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM   0 comments

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