how to get a skater's attention
Skate brand Performa installed rating labels next to popular skate obstacles, rating their difficulty.
This campaign gets to where their audience lives, and then proves that the brand thinks just like them. Genius. From @Khuda1.
Labels: action sports, ads, outdoor, sports marketing, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:51 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
rainbows are pretty
Israel's largest paint retailer partnered with the city of Eilat to offer free parking on their highly trafficked Hotel Boulevard. To call more attention to the parking and better tie it to the Tambour retail store, they painted the curbs in a rainbow of color.
So if you're vacationing in Eilat, remember:
Red & white = no parking.
Blue & white = paid parking.
Rainbow = free parking happy dance.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:01 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
you know it's a success when the cell phone cams come out
KLM's experiential work to promote their new comfortable seating puts a guy in an invisible chair in the middle of an airport. Cute, fun, and cell phone pic worthy.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:43 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
build your own fake google street view car
The F.A.T. organization is not really fond of the fact that Google is trusted with so much of our data. So they organized a F*ck Google week, where people created anti-Google art projects.
The best of the crop was the fake Google street map car. They've even supplied instructions on how to build your own, so that you can cruise the strip and impress chicks. From Laughing Squid.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, google, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:47 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
empty house turns into ice house
Detroit has more empty and abandoned real estate than most parts of our country. A photographer and architect are collaborating to bring some additional attention to the issue by turning an empty house into an ice house.
You can watch the video, and then help to support the cause. Another beautiful example of the creative community coming together with their actual communities, and making a difference.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, nonprofit, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:44 AM
0 comments
Monday, February 01, 2010
how to diffuse a protest
Westboro Baptist Church showed up the other day in front of Twitter (???) to protest the existence of gay people. (Because, you know...Twitter is responsible for gayness??)
Anyway, some more friendly protesters with even more hilarious signs (pictured above) showed up to join them, and diffuse their message. Screamingly funny.
Labels: stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 AM
1 comments
Friday, January 15, 2010
change the weather to increase your business?
This is an incredible story. Car rental company Sixt hired a pilot to seed the clouds over their city. This prevented rain during the month of July in Halle, Germany's wettest city.
The end result was a huge boost in convertible car rental business, and the brand becomes a hero to the citizens who aren't accustomed to frequently seeing the sun.
Brands bringing sunshine to their marketplace. Amazing. From @pete_theeca
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:51 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
how artists propose to their girlfriends
This is the story of Derick Childress, and how he crafted a marriage proposal to Emily Kern, in a light painting that spanned the cityscape of Raleigh, North Carolina.
The logistics are pretty damn impressive. Will make you go awwwwwww.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, outdoor, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:52 AM
1 comments
Friday, January 08, 2010
enjoy nyc without pants this weekend
It's that time of year again - time to drop your drawers on the subway train this weekend. Be sure to do it with plenty of other "no pants riders" for the maximum effect.
This is one of the larger Improv Everywhere stunts, and if you don't have horrific chicken legs you might want to join in on the fun.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, newyork, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:06 AM
0 comments
Thursday, January 07, 2010
the colonel is here to help your fire department
Who says fast food chains don't care about their communities? KFC has a new promotion for their hot wings that gives cash to cities and fire departments, in exchange for putting the Colonel's face on their fire hydrants. Because you know, the wings are so fiery you'll need something to extinguish the hottness.
Seems like a fun promo where everyone wins. And it's always cool to see that all that chicken is keeping the Colonel alive and kicking, too.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:43 AM
1 comments
Friday, December 11, 2009
target rocks the pop up for the holidays
Target has created a pretty sweet popup event in New York, DC, and San Francisco for this weekend.
Target To Go are micro-Target stores that live for thee days only, and make holiday shopping easier than placing a lunch order on the value meal menu at McDonalds.
Each pop up store features a handful of gifts that you choose by number, and then purchase them pre-wrapped and ready to go. This is a grand idea that spreads fun holiday branding for Target, while generating revenue. (It's not often that your promotional campaign can generate funds to pay for itself.)
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
things like this never happen in our town
Don't you wish there could be a catwalk in every crosswalk? This one promotes the "flash sales" happening at Brand Alley. Awesomeness. Let's go shopping.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:24 AM
0 comments
your own personal timekeeper
This would make for an excellent holiday window display, wouldn't it? This is video put to a fantastically awesome use...a timekeeper that works non-stop. Drawing time, one line at a time.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM
2 comments
Monday, December 07, 2009
follow that rabbit
The new campaign currently blanketing NYC for the new Alice in Wonderland production on SyFy is nothing short of spectacular.
There's the running rabbit (above), a detective agency, a tea shop, and a casino. They've even cleverly integrated show sponsor Kay Jeweler's into the promotion. And there's so much more Alice splendor, that you'll want to check out NOTCOT's detailed rundown of the campaign. Take the red pill.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:30 AM
0 comments
Thursday, December 03, 2009
25,000 person punch bowl to get london drunk
When you ask a mountain climber why they climb mountains, or why Lance Armstrong rides a bike for billions of miles, they'll likely respond with "because I can."
Creative people might not have the strength to scale mountains or pedal through France, but how many athletes do you know that can say they created a ginormous punch bowl, big enough to serve 25,000 people?
That's what's happening in London on Tuesday of next week, to promote Courvoisier Exclusif. If you're in London, you can partake in the massive punchfest. In the meantime, you can check out their test punch bowl.
I'm pretty sure if you asked the Creative Directors why did you create massive punch bowl, they'd say "because we can."
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:48 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
how much does it cost to call someone across the world?
How do you illustrate the benefits of using Skype?
What if you put a dude in the middle of the desert (a very expensive place to call on traditional land line service), install a phonebox, and broadcast it live 24/7! The Phone Box Experiment does exactly that. Watch Rob, call Rob and check in on Rob, anytime you want.
What a great way to illustrate the product benefits of Skype, while actually letting your audience use the tool. Excellent concept.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM
0 comments
Thursday, November 19, 2009
underwater advertising: the next big thing
A couple of weeks ago, a curious story hit Seattle about the Ivars Seafood Restaurant. According to the legend, the restaurant's founder anchored billboards underwater in the Puget Sound, anticipating that in the future, people traveling by submarine would see them.
This week, Ivars raised the billboards. Naturally, the whole thing has been confirmed as a hoax. But a super genius most awesome hoax. Best stunt that we've seen in a long, long, long time.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:34 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
the gap introduces upside down retail
By now you've probably seen the cheerleading lumberjack models that the Gap has laid upon us. Love them or hate them, that's not important. Check out what they've done in Vancouver, to introduce a new loyalty program:
The "Sprize" program promises shoppers that if they buy something at full price and it goes on sale within 45 days, they'll automatically credit the difference to their account.
Gap demonstrated the importance of this concept by turning their store upside down. Literally. Cool.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:52 AM
3 comments
Monday, November 09, 2009
how to meditate in the middle of nyc
If you went shopping at ABC Home & Carpet over the weekend, you might have experienced a little peace and tranquility in the middle of Union Square.
Sit Down, Rise Up was an effort to raise awareness (and funds) for the Interdependence Project, a non-profit that promotes and educates the public about the benefits of meditation.
The store windows were filled with people meditating in four hour shifts, and drew quite a crowd of onlookers. We could use some of this in big box land on Black Friday.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM
0 comments
Thursday, November 05, 2009
if you see this on the street today, please pick it up
The Blu Dot store is placing sweet designer chairs on the streets of NYC today for people to discover, and take home. What's even better is that many of these chairs are equipped with GPS devices that will trace their journey and be chronicled in a documentary to be released later in the year. Excellent idea.
Be vigilant. If you see something, grab something, and give it a home. From Laura Newman
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:24 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
unilever sponsors street musicians
Axe is sponsoring street musicians in NYC and other places across the stinky states. In exchange for a promotional fee, they display an Axe sign, hand out samples to anyone who wants them, and include an Axe theme song in their repertoire. This idea doesn't stink.
From JW Cannon. Photo: Librado Romero/The New York Times
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM
1 comments
Monday, November 02, 2009
people will stare at a rectangular screen anywhere. really.
Right Guard hired a bunch of models, gave them specially equipped shirts, and asked them to show their armpits.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:33 AM
1 comments
flyvertising. need we say more?
A major breakthrough in advertising technology has now arrived. Flyvertising. Attaching your ads to flies, and then letting them lose on the world.
We wouldn't recommend this for the restaurant industry. Or certain world leaders.
Labels: adindustry, stunts, tradeshow
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:21 AM
1 comments
Thursday, October 22, 2009
keep your eyes to the sky tomorrow
To promote the series "V" returning to tv, ABC is going to sky write giant red "V's" across several city skylines. The skyvertising kicks off tomorrow and continues through November 3rd.
Cities blessed with an invasion include San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia. Expect the local news stations to tease this silly, and expect controversy in NYC.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:34 AM
1 comments
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
how to put 8,312 post it notes to work for your brand
You've seen artists use 3M Post Its to produce stop motion and wall art before, but now 3M has actually caught on to the trend for their own promotions.
The video above documents the over 15 hours of work that went into setting up a 3M fashion show decorated and staged with loads and loads and loads of Post It notes. From Quipsologies
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM
0 comments
Thursday, October 15, 2009
augmented reality outdoor art installation
Artist Chris O'Shea produced an outdoor installation in Liverpool, England that allows his giant hand to play with the crowd that's watching.
Watch the video, and you'll see how it works.
Labels: art, augmented reality, outdoor, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:11 AM
2 comments
Monday, October 12, 2009
best buy: where art and retail meet?
Last week artist Borna Sammak created an art show at Best Buy.
The plan was to secretly take over all of the monitors on their lower Broadway store in NYC. The artist is known for his renegade installations, and this one went off without police or blue shirt involvement...apparently because Best Buy agreed at some point to let it happen. Win/win for both artist and retailer.
See video of his installation at Animal and an interview with the artist at Art in America.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:56 AM
0 comments
sex up your facebook shot
Estee Lauder is running a promotion that's pure sexy genius. Starting Friday, you can stop by your local Estee Lauder cosmetic counter and get a free professional makeover and a photo to post on your profile.
Excellent way for an old-school brand to acknowledge the benefits of their product in a way that their customers could be using it. Hot.
Labels: retail, social media, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:31 AM
0 comments
Friday, October 02, 2009
a robot for the people
Voice Box is a robot that will be installed in Parliament in the UK, and print out whatever you tell it to. A Twitter-esque input box makes it super easy to share what concerns you, and just knowing that a robot will deliver your message is enough to make anyone smile.
The makers of Voice Box will also be sharing the data, and inviting developers to produce new content with it. The effort is part of a campaign to help better understand the concerns of 16 - 25 year olds in the UK, which will ultimately be used to inspire them to volunteer.
Anything with robots totally rocks - and perhaps a robot is just what we need to get the politicos attention. (Or maybe we could just program it to spray ink on the ones that don't.)
Labels: outdoor, politics, stunts, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM
0 comments
Friday, September 25, 2009
a car with creamy filling and icing on top
If you could drive any car in the world, what would you drive? How about a car with icing on top?
Little Debbie, the sweetest girl on the internet, is looking to give away one million cupcakes. Rather than take the easy way out by sending a truckload to our agency, they've decided to drive a bunch of Little Debbie cars around the U.S. in a cupcake share-a-thon. It's like the Plaid Nation tour, but with cupcakes on board. Yummy.
Labels: plaidsummertour, streetteams, stunts, yummyfood
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM
1 comments
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Nike releases your inner boarder
Ryan, Darryl and skate freaks in the Plaid Flex, this clip’s for you. There’s a new hi-def digital short film called Debacle that Nike is letting you download for about a week more. It does a lot of cool things. Nice angles and shots, good flow to the skating and some impossible-looking tricks, worth checking out.
While some of those stunts are sick and well beyond my short-lived skate career of two weeks after a nice faceplant, I couldn’t help but think Spike Jonez nailed some of this stuff in more stunning fashion for Lakai. Or that Jackass is the danger these riders want to be.
There are only a few brief moments throughout where spills happen. In some cases, fake confrontations with people seem forced. When Jackass takes someone on, it feels real.
The other thing that undermined it for me was the standard disclaimer at the end: “Don’t try this at home” and “No property was harmed, skate responsibily.” It feels so disingenous. Nike’s about pushing yourself, no matter the sport, right? One thing I never felt they were about was being subversive.
No matter how much some of this felt “not” dangerous, I got this vibe from the riders that they could care less about where they were skating and if they trashed something. At the risk of sounding like Patrick Swayze in Point Break, living for the moment is one thing, but this seemed to go against any skate responsible ethics.
I don’t think you can depict some of the damage shown in this clip and then imply “We didn’t mean it—oh by the way, skate safe.” Maybe it’s the expectation of having seen so many skate vids where faceplants are the norm and not the exception that I kept waiting for some of these incredible stunts to end that way. Few did, but I imagine they really did—they were just edited out.
Why? I get that you’re after the perfect ride, unattainable is it may be. This is where it felt like a commercial because every ride seemed perfect, and only a few spills added in later to “keep it real.”
So I’m not sure how I feel about it because i think they opened the door to another issue with regard to the negative side of sport. Great footage and amazing skillz on display here, no doubt, but it’s hard to ignore that other issue. Nike though usually does, except when they flip the negative around and become apologists for controversial athletes like Bode Miller or Kobe Bryant.
The issue becomes simply: Do you embrace the negative side in some of your messaging and do you do it for all sports? Maybe they’re testing the waters here by aligning with a sport that while mainstream, is still on the outs with church elders.
Still, I can see Nike Hooligans—a series on futbol fanatics who go too far. Nike Hoops—The real story about recruiting practices in college and high school.
Where do you draw the line?
(Via Cool Hunting.)
Labels: sports marketing, stunts
posted by mtlb @ 4:56 AM
0 comments
Thursday, July 02, 2009
a micro niche audience that's totally hot
So the people at Vans are doing something a little different. They've opened a Model Lounge at the Delicatessen Restaurant in NYC.
Here's how it works: Access is limited to female fashion models at invited Top 10 Agencies. They get an all-access card. They get to hang with other beautious types between casting calls, shoots and cigarettes. They get a bunch of cool gifts (and Vans gear) that they could totally afford to buy on their own. They see the entire Vans Girls line.
And just maybe, hot models start wearing the Vans Girls product. And then other girls follow suit. And guys like hot girls that wear Vans. And so they buy more Vans product. Hot girls are happy, guys are frustrated and Vans sells product.
Genius? Weird? Proof that hot people live better than you do? All of the above?
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:47 AM
2 comments
Monday, June 08, 2009
giant puppet man invades france
French marionette street theater company Royale De Luxe has staged another you've got to see this to believe this puppet show. This time it's about Jules Verne.
This street performance looks to be nothing short of stunning. Check out the photos and play by play over at Socyberty. Wow.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:56 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
bikinis and bathing suits hit grand central. for no reason.
We don't know what it's for yet, but someone produced a fun stunt at Grand Central Station the other day. A bunch of people came to the station in swimsuits.
I thought it might be a ImprovEverywhere production, but BrandFlakes friend Casey points out that "it's not really good enough" for an Improv production. Agree.
Would have been better if this was released with a payoff. Or a brand association. Or something to connect to something somewhere. Thanks, Casey!
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM
1 comments
Friday, May 08, 2009
300 tons of advertising
This "bus" was created and parked outside of Sweden's biggest airport, as a part of a campaign titled 50 cars = 1 bus. The installation reminds drivers that they're being carbon pigs, and that things would be so much nicer if they just rode a Flygbussarna bus to the airport.
Apparently the stunt was so successful that it caused traffic jams at the airport. A campaign site helped complete the story. Some cool shots of the build and links to the media coverage are featured on CR Blog.
Labels: ads, automotive, outdoor, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:34 AM
0 comments
Thursday, May 07, 2009
buy another creative person's crap
Why anyone would want to part with a waffle maker is beyond me. But that's what writer/designer Megan is doing. She's moving from Detroit to Alabama, and getting rid of all of her stuff before she goes. Even her waffle maker.
Megan is actually a participant of Operation M Lab, a permanent Design Lab built by Project M, meant to facilitate design projects that benefit Hale County. Goodbye Wafflemaker looks to be part art project, part fundraiser, and part social experiment intended to send Megan on her way south.
Let's just hope that they have a good Waffle House in Alabama. From swissmiss.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, nonprofit, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:57 AM
0 comments
some girls won't fit in carry on
This haunting piece for Amnesty International was done to raise awareness about human trafficking. Even if you can't read the sub-titles, you'll get the message. Yeesh. From The Denver Egotist.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM
1 comments
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
drinks for hugs
When I'm in charge, this is the way things will work:
+ Nice people will get whatever they want
+ Grumpy ass stress balls will get what they deserve
+ You'll be able to buy a super large chocolate chip cookie with a hug
It's great to see that the folks at Absolut are in the same camp. They've even launched a new campaign around the concept, that explores what life might be like in an ABSOLUT World. They're actually staging surprise events where people can get a taste of the new kinder (intoxicated?) world. There's a kindness campaign site, and a Twitter stream that you can follow to find the next kindness event.
Why wait for the official event? Let's head on down to the liquor store and give the guy behind the register a big hug.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:33 AM
0 comments
Friday, April 03, 2009
pop up stores made easy
Here's a cool new concept in real estate.
Pop up stores and events have been huge in major markets around the world, for some time now. Usually, the agency needs to find empty space and negotiate a short term takeover, and things can get complicated and difficult.
In NYC, that's now a breeze thanks to OpenHouse. They've taken a space that's a clean slate on Mulberry Street and made it available to producers of PopUp events. Just schedule it, dress it, and make it happen. Smart.
Labels: architecture, newyork, retail, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:11 AM
1 comments
Friday, March 27, 2009
turn your lights off tomorrow
Earth Hour happens this weekend. Tomorrow night you can celebrate and "vote earth" by turning your lights off for one hour.
Or, you can turn your entire building into a candle, like they did in Sydney. From ANGUS WHINES.
Labels: creativeinspiration, green, nonprofit, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:57 AM
1 comments
Thursday, March 26, 2009
the colonel is coming to fix your roads
KFC just launched a promotion where they'll send the Colonel to five major cities across the nation. To fill potholes.
KFC wants to promote their ability to fill bellies with fresh meat by filling holes with fresh tar. It's a part of their "Fresh Tastes Best" campaign.
Freshening city roads is a cool idea that's sure to make everyone happy. Picking up the cost will make five cities very happy. And the Colonel in road-working safety gear will make the press photographers really happy. Everyone wins. Let's get chicken.
Download the Colonel's open letter to Mayors here: http://senduit.com/bdbc8b. (That link will be live for one week, thanks to the folks at Senduit.)
Colonel: call us. You need a campaign site that tells the story. A big promotion without a url is a missed opportunity. We know people.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM
2 comments
Thursday, March 19, 2009
free std's
Here's a cool way to promote safe sex. Show how easy it is to get STD's.
Labels: outdoor, streetteams, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:07 AM
0 comments
subway station art gallery
Art is everywhere. Or that's what the latest Improv Everywhere stunt will have you believing. These guys rock.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, newyork, outdoor, parody, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:51 AM
1 comments
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
how to blend in at retail
You have to try this out at Staples this weekend. How could you dress, to blend into your surroundings? If you're the type of person that is worried about an impending attack, then you'd better study up on how to do urban camouflage.
SwissMiss points to a sweet collection of the ultimate camo suits . (Yes, there's a person in the photo above.)
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, retail, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:19 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
skittles: was it good for you?
The Twittersphere was all-a-tweeting yesterday about the new Skittles site that launched last week. The site features a dashboard over popular social media sites set to Skittles. So there's a live Twitter feed of what people are saying about Skittles, a Skittles Flickr page, Facebook page, etc.
Yesterday the site generated a significant portion of all twitter conversation. The Skittle chatter has largely been centered around two points:
1. The Skittles site was inspired-by/ripped-off-from a popular industry agency Modernista site, launched over a year ago.
2. The site's content is now largely influenced by the community. Want to tweet that your coworker just choked to death on Skittles? It'll appear on the front page of the site.(Just like the Modernista layoffs appeared on the news page of their site.)
I say:
So what: No candy consumer has ever heard of Modernista. As long as the creators of the Skittles piece (Agency.com) acknowledge the influence - who cares?
Yummy: When was the last time you spent time on a candy website?
Big deal: Generating a single digit percentage of the Twittersphere conversation is a big deal. But in reality, a speck in the landscape of consumerville. I'll bet the average Skittles target hasn't even heard about all of the hub-bub. Yet.
What about you? Feeling the Skittles love?
Labels: adindustry, food, marketing, social media, stunts, yummyfood
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:04 AM
1 comments
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
the government is not watching you.
Or, at least not from your cable box. There's been a conspiracy theory going around that the government is putting cameras in the DTV converters that they're giving away as a part of the DTV switch.
Software Engineer Adam Chronister decided to have a little fun with that, and made a video "exposing" the camera. As you might imagine, it quickly went viral and fueled the conspiracy theories. He's since come out with his story - which you can now read at Wired.
Labels: pop culture, stunts, technology, tv, viral
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM
4 comments
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
how high is the water, mama?
Sea levels are rising due to climate change. Ever wonder what that means to you?
The Watermarks Project documents what that could mean to the residents of Bristol, England - with light projections of possible water levels. Awesome. From BLDGBLOG.
(Oh - and for uninitiated, the headline to this post references this little ditty.)
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM
0 comments
Monday, February 02, 2009
polar bears on the thames
An outdoor stunt with the dual purpose of promoting EdenTV, a new UK-based natural history channel, and the plight of the polar bears. There's a Captain Sully joke in here somewhere, I swear.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:54 AM
3 comments
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
flash mobs for fun and profit
Nothing could possibly be more fun than a spontaneous dance party. This one was produced as a promotion for T-Mobile, but that doesn't mean that you can't start your own, wherever you are at this very moment.
Labels: mobile, streetteams, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM
1 comments
Thursday, January 15, 2009
what happens when you think outloud
If I had a thought bubble following me around, it would undoubtedly get me into some really embarrassing situations. HBO created a similar scene by placing actors with real thought bubbles over their heads.
One hundred and fifty actors displayed their "innermost thoughts, desires and secrets" on the streets of Los Angeles, Philadelphia Chicago and NYC. If they were asked about their thoughts, they'd hand out a flyer promoting the url for Big Love, a new show on HBO.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM
1 comments
Thursday, December 18, 2008
cool material, begging for an outdoor concept
There's an amazingly magic new material called Scotchlite 680 that looks black in the daylight, but reflects white in car headlights. Sure, it's awesome for safety...but what about outdoor stunts and promotional opportunities?
How about...Roadvertising - messages in the middle of roads (certainly illegal, but c'mon)...or...cover a building and then put on a flashlight show to music...or...the most awesome reflective promotional vehicles...so many ideas...
Labels: creativeinspiration, outdoor, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:11 AM
1 comments
women run for man in axe
At a recent women only road race (?) Axe pulled a pretty awesome stunt. They had a dude with an Axe t-shirt spray himself with the magic Axe sauce, and started running just ahead of the pack.
(Coworker David claims it doesn't work. He's tried Axe several times, and the girls in the office still think he's gross.)
Labels: fragrance, sports marketing, stunts, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM
2 comments
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
making positive change with positive shopping
Carrotmob is a new group that's organizing consumers to shop strategically. They're organizing flash shopping mobs to spend their money at a retailer who agrees to spend a percentage of the day's sales on energy improvements to their business.
You can watch a video about the concept on CarrotMob's site. They started in San Francisco, and now have chapters in Kansas City, Bristol England and New York. What started as an experiment is delivering long lines of passionate customers to retail, while making effective energy change neighborhood by neighborhood.
Labels: green, marketing, newyork, retail, streetteams, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:42 AM
0 comments
Friday, November 21, 2008
where does a wallet go, in tights?
I thought that the king wore tights. And everyone knows that tights don't have pockets. But apparently the King does have a wallet. And he's been lurking around various cities, dropping it on the ground.
All in good, flame broiled fun, for Burger King.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM
3 comments
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
robot humans working in giant machine
Uniqlo had a fun stunt in Times Square yesterday. A ginormous vending machine filled with human robots. To give away samples of their new super-duper-keep-you-warm t-shirts.
Watch the poorly shot video at Gizmodo. Thanks, Devon!
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:06 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
the perfect thanksgiving starts with blood splattered plates
If It's Hip It's Here has a ton of pics and details on an apartment at Gramercy Park, NYC that was decked out all Dexter style, to promote the hit Showtime show.
The promotion was a partnership with a group of designers and Showtime that took place over the summer. Now you can buy a lot of the items from the scene. What a wonderful way to surprise your mother-in-law on Thanksgiving Day!
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:06 AM
1 comments
Thursday, November 13, 2008
even better than the real thing
There was a fake New York Times distributed across NYC yesterday. And it only featured dreamy, good news. If you're feeling sad, you can even check out the website. Nothing but good news, all the time.
Gawker gets to the bottom of the stunt, which was pulled off by notorious pranksters the Yes Men. Even the NY Times likes it. Good news, all around.
Labels: newyork, publishing, stunts, viral
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:00 AM
3 comments
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
mcdonalds now just a quarter pounder, in japan
McDonalds is doing some weird stuff in Japan. They've opened two new stores - called Quarter Pounder. No golden arches. No McDonalds name.
There are two things on the menu: A quarter pounder and a double quarter pounder. The stores were opened with some attempted fanfare, a fake secret service type security guard and "Top Secret" signs.
The store design looks beautiful, and the graphics and package design are equally well designed - a departure from the poor/cheap/please everyone design that MCD's is known for elsewhere.
New micro retail concept? Marketing stunt? Only that freaky red headed clown knows for sure.
Labels: design, hospitality, japan, retail, stunts, yummyfood
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM
2 comments
Monday, November 10, 2008
google's coming. get out your costumes
Street with a View is billed as the first ever artist collaboration with Google's Street View team. Google came to Pittsburgh, and artists Robin Hewlett and Ben Kinsley set up an art installation along Sampsonia Way.
The view includes a marching band, a fake marathon road race, a garage band, and yes, a sword fight.
There's a even a video documentation of the event taking place. Pretty cool if you've ever wondered what a Google Street View photo capturing session looks like. From swissmiss.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
attack of the giant pinatas
What if every city had giant party pinatas filled with candy, dancing in the streets? Why not? Maybe our new president could make that happen.
In the meantime, there's the Carnival Cruise Lines promotion, featuring a ginormous pinata filled with 8000 pounds of sugary delicious goodness. About a week ago, they produced the world's largest beach balls, and now they're cracking open the world's largest pinata, all over the streets of Philadelphia.
(We should send these to countries in need of aid. Giant food pinatas, filled with essentials like Mary Janes, Milk Duds and Pixie Stix. We'll air drop them, like pinata bombs.)
Here's some behind the scenes footage of the Philly pinata being built. Sounds like a giant party, which I guess is the point.
Labels: hospitality, streetteams, stunts, travel
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:07 AM
3 comments
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
i read the greatest building the other day
Even though everyone and their brother apparently has a library card, you don't need to read things in big heavy books anymore. Sure, ipods and Kindle are awesome, but the really cool people read buildings.
And if you're into the whole reading buildings instead of books movement, then you'll love the latest Diesel effort. After the massive success of their "safe for work porn" (safe depends on how your company draws the line), now they're projecting stories on buildings. That you read. Without pictures. Hmmm.
Labels: architecture, fashion, newyork, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:17 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
what happens if you have a flash mob, and nobody shows?
Here's one man's take on the flash mobs that Improv Everywhere has made so famous. It's only funny because it's on video, and he "announces it". Otherwise, he would just be that freaky guy that's always hanging out down the street from your office.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
polar bears protest in d.c.
To raise attention to the plight of the polar bears, GreenPeace erected a series of homeless bear statues. Communicating their message in their own way.
The police (and bomb squad) removed them, fearful that they were...packed with explosives. Couldn't they have just sent Ms. Palin with a butcher knife, for a field dressing? AnimalNewYork has more funny pics and a video.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
chucky takes manhattan
This sounds like a typical brainstorm at our agency. "Let's get a bunch of little people, dress them up like Chucky, and let them loose across NYC with knifes."
Well some agency actually got the opportunity to implement such a plan. How else would you celebrate Child’s Play, the 20th Birthday Edition DVD? The video is equally cute.
Labels: newyork, streetteams, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:23 AM
0 comments
Monday, September 15, 2008
art vandals
Here's a unique art project. Set up a few cars, get a few friends and start bashing. Vandalism as art.
I'm thinking this might be a good creative exploration. Maybe later today, you could head down to the mall with some coworkers and smash up a few cars.
You, to the police officer: "What?? It's art!"
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:02 AM
1 comments
Friday, September 12, 2008
how to do halloween
Agency friend Casey IM'd me yesterday with details about the most awesomely engaging marketing campaign that you've ever seen.
He's done such an excellent job describing the campaign, that I've just pasted our entire IM conversation for you to enjoy (it's long, but worthy of every word):
Casey:
so this is their annual halloween event, this is like the 18th year i think. their site has usually been a flash game sort of thingie.
this year it was a doctor's office where you could read a case book, with a new case being added every week since july
ultimately each case was one of the haunted house themes, based around a fear
each case featured photos, an audio recording of the doctor, case notes and other goodies and the date aug 27, 1958 all over the place on aug 27 a matchbook appeared on the doctor's desk that said "kitty kat club, 7 pm"
kitty kat club is an actual place at universal, so some die hard fans went down there and found 2 things:
1) was the office of private detective who was sending e-mails out (if you signed up for the list) with a for rent sign and a phone number on it
2) was a group of paranormal ghost hunter actors handing out fliers in front of the club
the phone number was the detective's answering machine, but the phone is picked up by the doctor who then proceeds to say really really creepy stuff over top of music box music
the paranormal group told people they'd be entering the old doctor's office, which has been closed for 50 years, at around 8 pm
on the nose a cell phone appears on the doctor's desk on the site, which has a phone message from the group saying they hvae located the office, are preparing to enter and expect to send another transmission in an hour
and again, like clockwork two more messages on the phone including a photo of the haunted house's fascade (which somehow hasn't leaked even though all the other house fascades have) and another which is some information about them going in the office at 11 to record video
mind you there is probably a VERY small group of people who would care to follow this, but we were following it intently
at 11 there is video of people entering a building, very dark and staticy, with a group of voices. they are attacked by something and that's the end of that.
at midnight they replace the entire site with another incredible flash site introducing the mascot, the television commercial and final information on the event
Darryl Ohrt:
HOLY CRAP. That's amazing.
Casey:
And they were texting people the whole time too, if you provided a cell number
Darryl Ohrt:
do you have link to the site?
Casey:
Halloweenhorrornights
If you check out the clock in the upper right hand corner you can see the other site, the doctor's office
(image featured above)
They bought 85 billboards in orlando alone. Those eyes light up and the Mary Mary Mary lights up in succession.
THANKS CASEY!
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:19 AM
1 comments
another cool party we didn't get invited to
MINI just had a series of sweet rooftop parties to highlight the creative use of space. It it looks like awesome fun, and a classy brand event.
We have a rooftop patio at our agency. Only it's not filled with loungy beds or seating pods or hipster models. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe that means it's time for a renovation. (How do they keep pigeons from crapping all over those rooftop beds??)
Anyway, Cool Hunter has some nice pics of the glorious MINI rooftop, and the party that they did get invited to.
Labels: automotive, newyork, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:34 AM
0 comments
Thursday, September 11, 2008
super cool art festival starts now
Looking for something different to do? The Conflux Festival kicks off today in NYC and rocks through the weekend. What's Conflux?
"over one hundred local and international artists will transform New York City streets into a laboratory for exploring the urban environment"
It's a four day festival of street art, performance art, walking tours, bike tours, workshops, lectures and so much more. It all sounds like fun. Here's a schedule where you can see all the events in one handy place. Many of them are free! There's also a Flickr photo set from last year's event.
Any event where pink space helmets are welcome is alright with me. From Guerilla Innovation.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, newyork, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM
0 comments
