making tv more real
If you're a fan of the Office, you know that Dunder Mifflin was just acquired on the show, and the characters are going through the typical process of a corporate acquisition.
NBC has a great history of tying the on-screen fun to the internet world, and they haven't stopped with the acquisition. Check out the site for the new parent company, Sabre Corp.
The employee welcome video featuring Christian Slater is especially heart warming. Thanks, RJ!
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:09 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
fly oceanic, tonight
There are ads running on Kayak for a flight on Oceanic 815, the fictional airline featured in Lost. They've worked the creative direction so that the banners actually look like real search results, and the flight details are the same as the one that crashed on the island.
Great work that fans will appreciate (and be reminded of the season premiere, tonight.)
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:30 AM
0 comments
Friday, January 29, 2010
how to produce a news report
Here's a hilarious how-to for producing a standard news report.
A great illustration on how ridiculously formatted our news programs are, and how they're ripe for reinvention.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:21 AM
0 comments
Thursday, January 28, 2010
australia's tv stars get together for therapy
This is probably especially funny if you're familiar with the programming and stars on Australia's Network Ten channel. They've pulled together their greatest talent to produce a spot mocking group therapy, and promoting their 2010 schedule.
It's rare that television networks can pull multiple talents together under one execution, but you can see that when they do, it's extra powerful. Nice. From @daniellewarby
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:57 AM
0 comments
Thursday, January 21, 2010
classic tv remade
Watch this shot by shot fan-made remake of the intro for Perfect Strangers, and you'll know what the show might have looked like in Seattle instead of Chicago. Glorious.
You should do a version for your city.
Labels: creativeinspiration, parody, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
behind mtv's new global identity
Here's a behind the scenes look at some of the design work for the new MTV global identity.
It's really cool to see the storyboards and sketches, and how they've come together to create something that's super wide creatively, but connected philosophically. From iboy.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:23 AM
0 comments
Monday, November 16, 2009
how to handle a brand criticism
Last month, Steven Colbert made some less than lovely remarks about Miracle Whip on his show. So Miracle Whip fought back. In a truly, totally creative, advertising inspired takeover of his show.
Watch the Miracle Whip setup above, and see a clip from Stephen Colbert's show on the Adweek blog. Brands who face criticism could give this a good look and some creative consideration the next time they're faced with a similar situation. Nicely done.
Labels: adindustry, branding, marketing, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:06 AM
3 comments
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
your next tweet could be a new sitcom
If you haven't already heard of Sh*t My Dad Says, you'll want to check it out. The Twitter stream is that of Justin Halpern, who allegedly had to move back into his parent's basement. He makes the best of it by sharing daily hilarious quotes from his dad on Twitter (not all safe for work.)
It's become such a hit that CBS just picked up the concept for a new sitcom. Twitter. Birthplace of tomorrow's tv stars.
Labels: social media, tv, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:00 AM
1 comments
Monday, November 09, 2009
who says local has to be bad?
Yet another beautious piece of television work by the geniuses Rhett and Link, the masters of awesome local spots. If you need a mobile home, you'll know where to go.
Labels: adindustry, ads, creativeinspiration, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
2 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
you can meet anyone on twitter
Jonathan Ames lives in Brooklyn. He just wanted to watch the show that he penned. You see, he's the writer for a new HBO series called Bored to Death - but apparently doesn't have HBO.
So he sent out a tweet to see if there was anyone in Brooklyn that would have him as a guest to watch his show.
Plenty of friendly strangers reached out, and Jonathan got to watch his show. All is well in the Twitterverse.
Labels: social media, tv, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:53 AM
1 comments
Thursday, October 01, 2009
tv spots too loud? the cure for what ails ya
SRS Labs has create a device that sits between the cable box and the tv. The voodoo magic box monitors the volume, and kills the difference between regular programming and annoyingly loud tv commercials.
It's already being included in some Samsung and Vizio tv's. Pure tv magic.
Labels: adindustry, technology, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:24 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
mad men as an advertising history lesson
There's a new blog called The Footnotes of Mad Men that chats about advertising in the era of Mad Men, and ties real world topics to themes from the show. It's like a fun read about your favorite tv show, and a history lesson all in one blog.
The concept has already been picked up by Harper Collins for a book! Light up a smoke, pour yourself a scotch, and sit back and enjoy.
Labels: adindustry, blogging, publishing, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM
0 comments
Monday, August 24, 2009
local tv news is ready to die now.
We've seen the music industry implode. Newspapers close down. Local TV news is the next industry deserving a nice kick in the pants.
Local news stations have a bunch of issues:
+ Their stories were reported on the internet yesterday
+ Their weathermen think we're amazed at maps that zoom into a street as if we've never seen Google Maps
+ Video of a house fire every day is only so exciting, year after year
This clip from WJW in Cleveland is either a hilarious joke or proof that local news needs to be replaced by re-runs of Facts of Life. Or the A-Team. (That would be awesome.)
Labels: creativeinspiration, trends, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM
2 comments
Friday, August 14, 2009
life before don draper
If you're counting down the days until Sunday's premier of the new MadMen season, this should buy you some time: A complete retrospective of Jon Hamm's television and movie career. Before he was Don Draper, he was a fireman, a boyfriend and a guy with bad facial hair.
Labels: adindustry, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:03 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
using facebook connect to create a personal brand experience
This is one of the best uses of Facebook connect that we've seen yet. (Click on the buoy on the far right.)
This wins because it uses your personal information to create a more personal experience. That's the way to capture attention without leaving users feeling icky or taken advantage of. Shark week wins.
Thanks, Rob!
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:17 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
people don't learn much from banner ads
A new Harris Interactive poll shows that 37% of Americans say that television ads are most helpful in making their purchase decision while 17% say newspaper ads are most helpful and 14% say the same about Internet search engine ads.
Interesting...but let's be careful not to mis-interpret here...this is a comparison of ads. Not online research, engagement, social interaction, branded tools or other experiences that users partake on the magical internets. Shouldn't be a huge surprise - when was the last time you learned anything from a paid search ad??
(The photo of coworker @spadachris getting dizzy on a spinning teacup has nothing to do with this post. Just an interesting graphic to keep you entertained while you read a bunch of boring numbers and statistics and attempt to make sense of it all.)
Labels: adindustry, trends, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM
2 comments
Monday, June 22, 2009
syfy brings free wyfy to nyc
Broadcasting and Cable has a nice overview of the new brand launch for SyFy, The SciFi channel makeover.
The majority of their efforts will center in NYC, (SyFy City?) and include year-long free WyFy at Union Square and Times Square, an interactive Imagination Park at Rockefeller Center and a presenting sponsorship of the Museum of Modern Art's Tim Burton retrospective in November.
They had me at free wyfy. From Steve Lettieri.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:52 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
now you can stay in the "my name is earl" motel
This may prove to be a valuable tool during the upcoming Plaid tour. A pop culture treasure map.
Want to know where Laverne and Shirley's apartment is? Or the Christmas Story house? Or the I Am Legend apartment? It's all there.
You can submit new spots, or just bask in the branding that made it all happen, from AOL and Visa. Fun. Found on Make the Logo Bigger
Labels: film, music, plaidsummertour, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM
0 comments
Friday, June 12, 2009
ummm...it's for your comfort
I think it's real. I called the number. If you're on my Secret Santa list this year, watch out. From the Denver Egotist.
Labels: ads, creativeinspiration, productdesign, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:30 AM
6 comments
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
twitter tv?
Reveille, the company responsible for producing tv hits "The Office", "Ugly Betty" and "The Biggest Loser" is apparently developing a Twitter TV show.
Twitter's Biz Stone says that "we have a lightweight, non-exclusive, agreement with the producers which helps them move forward more freely."
(And you thought tv was dead.)
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:42 AM
3 comments
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
fool your friends on the internets
Here's another one of those "make a video with your friend's name and photo in it and fool them real good" promotions. This version promotes the Graham Norton show Psychoville, and puts your friend into a segment on the show. (These are always better when hosted by real celebrities.)
As tired as this promo concept is, these still get great attention. Everyone loves to see their name on the internet.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
social media to replace microwaves?
A new study from those uber smart research dudes at Pew shows that fewer people claim TV to be a necessity. In fact, today's study shows the smallest share to call a TV a necessity since the question was first asked over 35 years ago.
What Adverlab fails to point out is that people also no longer consider microwaves a necessity. Clearly, people have replaced their microwave use with Twitter.
Labels: social media, trends, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM
2 comments
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
why so serious?
Philips gets serious about the clarity of their Philips CINEMA 21:9 Television by taking you for a ride inside a scene. This is a pretty freaking impressive piece. They've re-created an entire scene from Dark Knight, and walked you through to inspect the details.
And there's a campaign site, too, where you can explore more interactive versions of the clip. Joker/Batman/big screen TV fans, rejoice.
Labels: ads, creativeinspiration, technology, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:01 AM
0 comments
Monday, April 20, 2009
if you were here before oprah, say "yeah."
You've been on Twitter before Oprah. Tell the world about it. Or at least the Twitterverse. From Dabitch.
Labels: pop culture, social media, tv, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:48 AM
1 comments
Thursday, April 09, 2009
television studio sets designed for very little people
This is amazing. On the Set has created miniature versions of countless television show sets. Entire sets. You've got to see this to believe the level of detail and the number of studio sets featured. Awesomeness.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, photography, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
because a good stache never goes out of style
If you have nothing to do today, you should review every cover to every issue of TV Guide. That's the best way to find out what JR wore on Dallas, or to remember the good ole' days of Moonlighting.
Kids: In the old days, there was a magic box that played your programs for you, instead of your laptop. And people had to watch their programs on a pre-determined schedule. It was so confusing that they actually printed a weekly instruction manual to help you find your way. This was called TV Guide. Think of it as Google, for TV.
Thanks, Steve!
Labels: pop culture, publishing, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:21 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
dharma initiative advertising
If you're not a Lost fan, just move along. Nothing here to see. But if you're one of those people that wonders what the Dharma Initiative is really up to, then you'll love this attempt at creating Dharma Initiative advertising.
This is what their ad campaign would look like. In all its 1973 gadget loving, put more copy in the ad splendor.
Labels: ads, creativeinspiration, parody, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM
0 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
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
lost gets the most tweets for tv
NewTeeVee is using Trendrr to track the number of tweets on major television shows. Last week, Lost was the big winner, although the Grammy's had a nice night of Twitter glory. (You can bet that MIA's maternity dress generated a significant portion of those tweets.)
It's cool to see TV tracked by the power of internet conversation. Hopefully the network Brand Managers are paying attention. Regardless, you should add some sweet Trendrr graphs to your next PowerPoint presentation, and impress your coworkers.
Labels: social media, trends, tv, twitter, web2.0
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:11 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 27, 2009
watch the superbowl with your social media friends
Because your friends are all about the game. And your extended family is just annoying. And you want to talk about the ads. And comment. And see what other people like you are saying.
Not to worry...during the Superbowl, turn on your Twitter machine of choice and add the hashtag #superads09 to the end of any superbowl ad related tweet.
Then turn to the handy Adrants Twitter channel and see what all of your cool friends are saying. Details here. Start now.
(Or, if you're one of those people that's all "they don't make Superbowl spots like they used to,", then go check out the AdLand archive of every superbowl spot. Ever.
Labels: adindustry, ads, pop culture, social media, sports marketing, superbowl, tv, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:00 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
history and tweets, side by side
If you ever get the opportunity to tour the CNN Center in Atlanta, you'll see a really cool exhibit that charts CNN viewership alongside world events. The graph is a pretty sweet way of illustrating history.
I believe that we can now do the same with Twitter. According to their own blog, there were 5x normal tweets-per-second and about 4x tweets-per-minute during the inauguration yesterday. The graph tells the story.
Labels: cnn, social media, trends, tv, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:22 AM
0 comments
Friday, January 16, 2009
ashton kutcher takes social media geeks to sundance. you can stay home and freeze.
Ashton Kutcher is getting together with Digg founder Kevin Rose, and they're creating a web-based reality show. They're taking a handful of super lucky bloggers, and putting them head to head for wacky insane tv challenges!! I just made that last part up, but it's not too far from the truth.
Watch it all go down live at 24 Hours at Sundance, starting this weekend.
Labels: social media, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:16 AM
0 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
Monday, January 12, 2009
CES. more than big ass flat screen tv's.
Tired of the CES coverage that's limited to just flat screen tv's and mobile phones? NOTCOT has covered the other side of CES. Actually, the other side of Vegas.
Be sure to check out their visit to Alien Fresh Jerky or The Griffin when you're in the humdrum "I'm bored" part of your day today.
Labels: blogging, lasvegas, technology, tv, yummyfood
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM
0 comments
Thursday, December 11, 2008
where they get all of the furniture on madmen
The latest issue of Interior Design has an interview with Amy Wells, the designer of the MadMen set. Amy shares where she shops, what's custom and why the set isn't filled with foofy foof expensive mid-century modern designer pieces.
What they didn't ask her: do you come home smelling like smoke??
Thanks, Michele!
Labels: adindustry, interior design, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:12 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 06, 2008
star wars is here
There's something that's been the topic of every conversation in every workplace the last couple of days. Something that millions of people watched live on Tuesday night. Of course, we're talking about the holographic reporters on CNN.
If you didn't see them, imagine that Star Wars technology exists. And that Wolf Blitzer is Luke Skywalker. (And if that's true, then Larry King is definitely Darth Vader.)
Anyway, Wired has an excellent rundown on all of the amazing television political graphics witnessed during Election 2008, and the technology that makes them possible.
Labels: 3d, politics, technology, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:33 AM
0 comments
Monday, November 03, 2008
the future of tv is here
Too bad it's being wasted on sports. Ben at Thought Gadgets posts about how NBC TV has changed the football viewing experience online.
You can choose camera angles, submit questions to reporters on the sidelines and otherwise interact with the program. That's awesomeness beyond awesome.
Why can't we watch the Colbert Report or the Sarah Connor Chronicles in this way?? My day will come, and it will be glorious. You'll see.
Labels: sports marketing, television, trends, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:28 AM
2 comments
video displays that are almost paper
These would be sweeeet at retail, in store displays, at the gas pump, and a marketer's delight. Imagine retail shelf talkers coming to life, point of purchase displays animating and marketers rejoicing.
Labels: marketing, pointofpurchase, retail, technology, tv, video
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM
0 comments
Thursday, October 30, 2008
simpsons now smoking, dressing nice.
MadMen fans will absolutely love this Simpsons version of the MadMen open. Awesomeness. Thanks, Devon!
Labels: adindustry, parody, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:15 AM
0 comments
Friday, October 24, 2008
opie and richie say go obama
It's awesome when big time celebrities take time out of their schedules for political messages. Ron Howard believes it's so important that you vote for Obama that he's willing to dress up like Opie and Richie Cunningham to get his point across. While the conceptual idea is better than the production, this is still worthy of a watch. If nothing else, you'll get to see Ron Howard remove his hat.
We tried to keep all things fair, and find an equally funny video supporting McCain - but couldn't. So we'll link to another piece where McCain calls Obama a terrorist. Hilarious.
Labels: ads, politics, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:16 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
batman predicts election?
This is freaky weird. One of the greatest television shows of all time, Batman - foreshadowed events in the current election.
In a debate between the Penguin and Batman, the Penguin promises "no mudslinging" and then goes on to slam Batman with "who is Batman?" and talks about the types of criminals that Batman pals around with.
Perhaps this is a reflection on just how silly political campaigning has become. Or maybe we should ask Obama and McCain to debate in costume. Thanks, Matt!
Labels: politics, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:16 AM
0 comments
Thursday, October 09, 2008
girls: pay attention to this old woman
Since girls no longer have role models available to them in Hollywood or celebrity culture, they could get confused. Not to worry. Because Sharon Osbourne is here to save the day. She's here to teach your daughter important life lessons. Like that it's not ok to get drunk and show everyone your hoohoo. Or to drink a bunch of tequila and act like a pirate. (what's the harm in that one?)
The new show is called Charm School, airing on VH-1. (For those teen girls that still watch tv.) Should be a hoot. From Adrants.
Labels: ads, music, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:51 AM
0 comments
Friday, September 26, 2008
how to watch the debates tonight
If you've watched any major televised event while also watching your Twitter stream, you understand that it brings the viewing experience to a whole new level. Imagine a tv viewing party with about 600 of your favorite friends.
CurrentTV realizes the value, and will be broadcasting a tweet stream simultaneous with their broadcast of the debate. Holy sweetalicious social media TV!! (I swear this was my idea, btw.)
You only need to add "#current" to the end of your tweet, to have it broadcast. I'll definitely be trying this out (although I'm not really sure if we get CurrentTV at home).
If that zombie dude shows up, this is going to be a blast.
Labels: politics, social media, tv, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:50 AM
0 comments
Monday, September 15, 2008
dread: the next big thing in advertising.
It seems like over 60% of your local tv news is now weather. And their focus (whenever possible) is always dread. How can we make the heat sound more oppressive? How can we make this snowstorm sound more dangerous?
Dread keeps people watching. And dread drives the news (today's financial news is a perfect example.) Ben over at Thought Gadgets has an interesting question - how can dread be used in advertising?
(He also speaks of a bunch of existential stuff that's way outside of our league. We're lucky just to understand that he meant dread, not dreads.)
Labels: adindustry, trends, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:56 AM
1 comments
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
jj abrams understands engagement
Fringe, the new JJ Abrams scifi show premiered last night. A great show for sci fi/Abrams fans to be sure - but another Abrams lesson in content development for everyone else.
Old school content producers continue to struggle with how to incorporate the internets into their work. JJ Abrams has taken the same approach with all of his productions - and created a winning formula that gives his fans something else to consume, explore, and chat about. He gets that the "show" doesn't end at 10p eastern.
Last night's episode featured a company Massive Dynamic. Well of course, there's a Massive Dynamic website . And I'm sure there are countless hidden jems within the site for fans to discover.
Way to go, JJ. Are you extending your brand as far as you can?
Labels: branding, television, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:09 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
madmen not the real madmen?
We've posted before about the MadMen using "tools of the future."
You've got to start following the cast. This is becoming more entertaining by the minute. Alan Wolk reports that it's not an AMC project. And that characters are being taken down, likely at the request of AMC. (Like my girl @peggyolsen - who has re-appeared as @peggy_olsen. Because she's got tenacity like that.)
Perhaps it's all the work of a fan? If that's the case, AMC needs to admit they missed the opportunity and let it go. Punishing the fans for doing what you could have been doing in the first place won't make it better. Embrace brand fans. Don't be bitter because they beat you to the social media party.
Labels: adindustry, tv, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM
0 comments
Monday, August 18, 2008
madmen using tools of the future
Are you a fan of MadMen, the retro tv show dedicated to the advertising industry of the glorious 60's? Back when people smoked and drank and had sex in the workplace? Back when people used phones and paper?
Now you can stay in touch with one of the show's characters, Don Draper, by following him on Twitter.
This is a very clever use of Twitter, and other television/film properties should pay attention. Well done. From BrandNew, via Twitter. Duh.
Labels: adindustry, social media, tv, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:11 AM
2 comments
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
if this featured girls and boobs, people would be in an uproar.
Guess the swimmer guys' abs. Is this the kind of Olympic content that NBC can be proud of? Wasn't it enough that Matt Lauer and his silly sidekick blabbered all over the opening ceremony?
Here's how this likely happened: A bunch of corporate types got in a beige colored conference room at NBC and said "we need to do one of those viral things."
Here's the thing, NBC: Regardless of what you're doing online - it still has to be on-point with your brand.
There's no problem with a 'guess the guy's abs' contest. And for that matter, no problem with a 'guess the girl's boobs contest. But neither seem appropriate for the NBC brand, nor reflect how they're promoting or claiming to cover the Olympics. Bad brand decision.
Labels: sports marketing, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM
0 comments
Friday, August 08, 2008
i am donna
Dr. Who is one of those shows that I always meant to be a fan of, but it never really happened. So I appreciate the fandom that exists around the show, even if I've never seen any of the new episodes.
But that shouldn't stop us from determining what character we'd be in the show, right? The Gas Agency (awesome name, btw) and 2 Entertain created a simple quiz that helps you determine which character you would be.
I'm Donna. Since I haven't seen the show, I don't know if that's good or bad. Judging by the sour puss on her face, I think it's bad. She looks to be just a little bit of a crank. And wears a pretty lame leisure suit. Clearly, the Dr. Who calculations are flawed.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:33 AM
0 comments
feel the burn of advertising
To promote their coverage of the Tour De France, SBS setup their own cyclist to pedal power the animated billboard every day for 21 days, from 8am to 4pm. Really cool.
I wonder if the media buyer stood out next to the rider coaching him. Faster! We need more turns on the board!
Labels: ads, sports marketing, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:26 AM
0 comments
Monday, July 07, 2008
danny's not here, mrs. torrance.
Shining fans will wet their pants over this promo for Britain's Channel 4 Kubrick season. They've recreated sets from the legendary film, peppered with characters and put it together in one long, seemingly unedited "tracking" shot. Beautious. From YesButNoButYes.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:27 AM
1 comments
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
another reason to be jealous of seth macfarlane
Seth MacFarlane, creator of “Family Guy” has just struck a googlelicious deal for a new series titled "Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy." Here's the cool part: His new show won't appear on tv - but instead will be viewed from inside Google AdSense ads.
In the first program and ads of their type, Google will distribute the content (via Google video, inside ads) to sites that fit the demographic for which MacFarlane's show would like to be distributed to. Genius.
From Johnny Bones, via Twitter. Photo via NY Times.
Labels: adindustry, ads, google, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:33 AM
3 comments
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
breakthrough direct mail: body fluids
Wanna get some attention with a cool direct mail piece? Try sending blood.
HBO is launching a new vampire show titled Tru Blood. So they're sending bloggers blood to get the word out. YesButNoButYes has all of the details, and pics of the piece. (And he drank the blood.)
Unexpected surprise: check out the Google adword that pops up in the YesButNoButYes post. I wonder if HBO had "diarrhea blood" in mind as a keyword for their promotion?
Nice piece, great idea. What body fluids could you be mailing your clients?
Labels: directmarketing, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 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.
Labels: adindustry, beverage, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM
0 comments
Friday, May 23, 2008
pictures of tv
Mike Sacks has assembled a lovely collection of photos of television. Out of context, some of them are hilarious. Found on Truemors.
Labels: art, photography, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:12 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
the electric company. awesome returns to tv?
The pinnacle of groovy kids tv is coming back for a new generation. They're shooting new episodes of the Electric Company in NYC. The show is slated to return to PBS in January of 2009.
For those not familiar, the original Electric Company was a seventies fest of visual glory laid upon kids who were glued to PBS TV, back in the days of 13 channels. (Oh, the horror.)
Thankfully, the new show will feature an online component, since today's kids only marginally pay attention to the 600 channels on their magic box.
Labels: newyork, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:07 AM
1 comments
Friday, April 18, 2008
what the pope is doing for fun this weekend
If you're looking for a reason to stay indoors this weekend, (and live in the northeast,) here you go: New York Comic Con. A festival of geekiness about comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, television and other nerdy gems.
A handful of the dorks from our agency will be there, so keep an eye out for us. If you're too cool for this level of geekdom, then we'll do our best to give you the highlights here on BrandFlakes. Or on Twitter. Or Flickr.
(We hang with geeks, so you don't have to.)
Labels: anime, illustration, japan, newyork, pop culture, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:24 AM
1 comments
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
product placements: ten stories.
AdFreak points to stories behind ten television/movie product placement deals. Some cute behind the scenes stories. Like here's the memo that Staples released after Dwight left his job at the store, in the show.
Labels: branding, film, television, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
0 comments
Thursday, February 28, 2008
twitter tv
TweeVeeBETA.png)
Earlier this week, as I was watching the debate on television, and my Twitter stream simultaneously, (and laughing harder than I have since SNL was funny thanks to mtlb), I realized that for the Twitterverse, television is relevant in a new way. I experienced the same thing during the SuperBowl, the Oscars, and other significant televised events.
This is an opportunity. Someone needs to produce television that I can add my own Twitter sub-titles to. Why couldn't a broadcast be streamed, and then allow a user to choose the Twitter buddies that appear as sub-titles? Every cable channel in the world is looking for a way to interact with the audience they're losing....let's produce this together.
We'll call it TweeVee. It will be huge. Where's my VC money?
Labels: social media, trends, tv, twitter, web2.0
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:58 AM
7 comments
Monday, February 11, 2008
previously on lost...the band
Missed Lost this week? No problem. Now there's a band, called Previous on Lost, that posts a new song each week, detailing what's happened in the latest Lost episode. Can your brand inspire bands? From BuzzFeed.
Labels: music, myspace, social media, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:13 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
watch nothing but commercials between now and superbowl
Firebrand, the site/channel/brand that's all about commercials and nothing else, celebrates what we love most about the Superbowl. Screw the Giants or the Pats, you know why we really watch.
Firebrand has organized a week long commercial celebration to lead up to the game, and their nationally declared day, Firebrand Monday. Anyway, here's how you can organize your viewing schedule (or your TIVO, to the ION channel) this week:
Tonight: "CHICKS IN CHARGE" IN CLASSIC BIG GAME COMMERCIALS.
Thursday Jan 31st: "BIG TIME CELEBRITIES" IN CLASSIC BIG GAME COMMERCIALS.
Friday Feb 1st: "BIG TIME BRANDS" IN CLASSIC BIG GAME COMMERCIALS.
Sunday: Watch the game, I guess.
Monday Feb 4th: IT'S FIREBRAND MONDAY, THE DAY AFTER THE BIG GAME – CELEBRATE THE HOLIEST DAY IN ADVERTISING WITH THE OFFICE LINEBACKER, CARMEN ELEKTRA AND CLASSIC BIG GAME COMMERCIALS!
(Sorry for all of the CAPS, I copied right from their press release, and I'm too lazy to change it.)
Oh yeah - their promo spot, above is pretty damn funny. Geez, I wish that Firebrand would produce the Superbowl. Then we wouldn't have to deal with all of that sport crap in-between our commercials.
Labels: adindustry, ads, superbowl, tv
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 AM
0 comments
Friday, January 25, 2008
gamers: leave us alone...
Psychologist Cooper Lawrence went on a Fox News program, and ranted about the “full digital nudity and sex” featured in the Mass Effect video game, for the Xbox 360. Turns out that there isn’t any full digital nudity and sex in the game.
Sounds like Cooper didn't actually play the video game she was denouncing - or at least check her facts beforehand. And gamers went wild. Her book soon saw more than 500 one star reviews on Amazon. It got so out of hand, that Amazon had to intervene. Gamer's revenge. Sweet.
Labels: gaming, tv, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:44 AM
4 comments
