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.
Labels: outdoor, stunts, yummyfood
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM
3 comments
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!
Labels: fashion, newyork, retail, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:06 AM
0 comments
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!
Labels: art, newyork, stunts, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:06 AM
1 comments
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
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
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.
Labels: art, google, search, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM
0 comments
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
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
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.
Labels: streetart, stunts, viral
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
0 comments
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.
Labels: art, green, nonprofit, politics, streetart, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM
0 comments
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
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!"
Labels: art, streetart, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:02 AM
1 comments
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!
Labels: branding, marketing, outdoor, stunts
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
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
new trend in window displays: women on hooks
Earlier this week, some posh shop in London hung a woman from hooks in their store window. Don't worry - it's not a new line of bras by Victoria Secret. It's an effort to promote a cause for Sea Shepard, and raise awareness about the plight of sharks.
It seems that when sharks aren't chewing up surfers, fishermen are catching them, cutting off their fins and throwing them back in the sea to die a slow death. That's mean - even for a shark. So performance artist Alice Newstead painted herself with ugly makeup and got hung up nicely in a shop window. Yeesh.
Labels: nonprofit, retail, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:13 AM
2 comments
alien crash site in london
Someone's put together a cool looking stunt at the foot of the London Bridge. A crashed thingamajig, that obviously fell from the sky at an extremely high speed. And it's being guarded by men in cool suits and skinny ties.
From the looks of it, I'm guessing it's one of the following:
+ A promo for a new Schick 72 blade shaver. It'll shave your face off in six minutes.
+ A new Dyson hole drilling machine. Perfect for drilling tunnels or backyard bunkers.
+ An airline industry plan for saving fuel. Drop an engine mid flight, and reduce weight and fuel consumption, while producing wonderful lawn sculptures, for those on the ground.
We'll find out what it's really promoting shortly, I'm sure. Thanks Devon!
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:24 AM
3 comments
batman is in town
They've turned on the bat signal in NYC. We would assume to promote the new Batman film.
So if you see someone in leather tights and a mask this weekend, it's probably only Batman, responding to the call. Buy him a drink. From the Gothamist and Johnny Bones, via Twitter.
Labels: film, newyork, outdoor, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM
0 comments
how could you add a little willy wonka to your brand plan?
Brian Shaler points to Nate Westheimer's story about Gary Vaynerchuk's wonderful 'Wonka' style marketing.
While traveling together for a tech conference, Gary went into a Borders, searched for his book on the shelf, and hand wrote a note in the book. The note includes a secret password that if emailed back to Gary, will get the recipient a special prize. Wonka-freakin-licious.
Labels: creativeinspiration, marketing, publishing, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:04 AM
0 comments
jetpacks just totally rock.
Not just for cool blogs. Some dude actually got to ride a jetpack, for a promotional stunt for the new movie, Iron Man.
Dude. The coolest stuff really does happen in Austin, Texas.
Labels: film, streetteams, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:15 AM
0 comments
the sky is waiting
This is the coolest invention of the week. A device that spits out foam and gas in the shape of type and artwork.
Flogos lets users publish their artwork and ideas to the sky. The gas blaster can send art into the sky at a rate of every 15 seconds. Who needs Twitter or Microsoft Word, when you can just type your message across the atmosphere?
They're affordable too - renting out at about $2500/day. Not a horrific expense to the right event budget. They come in versions that produce 24", 36" and 48" flying logos.
This has so many fun possibilities - from retail, event promotion and creative art installations. We need one for our agency's roof. Oh, the fun we could have.
Labels: creativeinspiration, outdoor, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM
0 comments
giant shoes bring together east coast and west coast. all is well.
Part art project, part street-team, part promotional stunt. This Adidas promo rocks. (Stupid Flash site won't let you link directly. Click on "superstar.")
Two giant (no really - GIANT) adidas shoes get painted by street artists. One on the west coast (the left shoe), one on the east coast (the right shoe). They meet in Venice Beach, and live happily ever after.
Only one thing leaves me uncomfortable. Why does the east coast shoe have to travel to California? Was the left shoe too lazy to meet halfway? Couldn't the giant shoe meet-up take place in Chicago? Over deep-dish pizza?
From mmcgreevy, via Twitter.
Labels: fashion, outdoor, sports marketing, streetart, streetteams, stunts, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM
0 comments
mark lives at ikea
Mark Malkoff, the same dude who visited 171 Starbucks in a day has a new stunt.
He's living in Ikea. It's not clear if this is an Ikea promo or not. It claims not to be. The Ikea brand identity is incorrect, and the link to their site is broken - so maybe that is indeed the case. (Although supposedly, he's being played on video in Ikea Sweden, so who really knows.) Cute idea, regardless. We should go over there later, and play Xbox.
From Brian, via Twitter
Labels: branding, retail, stunts
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM
0 comments
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