Monday, February 22, 2010
youtube: giving you the edge in college admission



Tufts has added a new option to high school seniors hoping to make the Tufts cut: Send a YouTube video. Making a video is one of eight optional submission options with the new enrollment application.

The results have been fantabulous - clearly giving a handful of students a tremendous edge. Although Tufts says they won't take public comments into account, some student submissions have generated a groundswell of support from existing Tufts students and alumni. They're building fans (and likely friends) before they've even been accepted to the campus.

For colleges, this gives an admissions department a unique look at a student. You can see their talent, their drive, and their comfort with themselves as teens ready for their next step in life.

You can almost imagine that a future progression will be micro-fan-financing. Like my video? Help send me to college.

English teachers: don't freak out. YouTube is an option, after they've completed two 200 word essays. All is right in the universe.

Awesome to see higher education adapting to the world where their audience lives. The internet is here - let's put it to good use.

From @KyleJudah @tsand, @cdorso, @epsteada, and of course, @TuftsAdmissions. (Yeah, they're on Twitter, too.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:54 AM   0 comments



Thursday, January 14, 2010
the definition of "cool" has changed.



Carol Phillips has an interesting take on hipsters and how the personality of trendsetters among the millennial generation has changed.

Carol suggests that today's influencers are the "doers" in their groups. So it's much less about fashion, and much more about what they're accomplishing. Doers are fixing, leading, changing, advocating, and entrepreneuring. So influencers are actually making a difference outside their circles of influence, and thereby gaining influence inside their circle of friends.

The Breakfast Club will never be the same. From @PaughGinney.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:54 AM   1 comments




how to make a campus of students fall in love with your brand



Absolutely awesome experiential work for Coca Cola. And now it's gone viral, too. This will put a smile of happiness on your face.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:30 AM   0 comments



Thursday, January 07, 2010
what do all the kids want?



There probably isn't anything here that will surprise you, but now when you put this slide in your PowerPoint presentation, you can point to an actual list of what kids were searching for in 2009.

I'm just glad that Taylor Swift made the top twenty. From @derickson.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:58 AM   2 comments



Friday, December 18, 2009
meddling kids to share it all on xmas day


The Teens Speech - My advice


Barnardo's, a UK children's charity, has created Teen Speech, an event that shows the view of the world through the eyes of teens. On Christmas Day, they'll air ‘The Teens’ Speech’ a film that features 13-19 year-olds spanning all backgrounds and classes, and intended to give the adult population a frank, surprising perspective on the state of things in Britain.

The film will be broadcast on the front page of MySpace, but things are already developing all across the internets. You can keep tabs on all of the pesky teens through the Teen's Speech Blog.

(Old lady Frank Stacey gives her awesome advice to the youngsters, above.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:08 AM   0 comments



Wednesday, November 18, 2009
gaming works magic for u.s. army



Game Politics points out how effective gaming has been for the recruitment of soldiers. The Army even testified to Congress that the America's Army game has been more effective than “any other method of contact.”

Even better, a 2008 MIT study found that “30 percent of all Americans age 16 to 24 had a more positive impression of the Army because of the game and, even more amazingly, the game had more impact on recruits than all other forms of Army advertising combined.”

Sounds like someone's doing their homework, creating media that engages their audience, and getting spectacular results. From the ECA.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM   2 comments



Thursday, October 29, 2009
where's the cap'n??!!!!



While doing some research on a new report from Yale that says sugary cereals advertise more than the healthier ones, I came upon an internet travesty: THEY TOOK DOWN THE CAP'N.

Possibly the tastiest cereal on the entire planet, and Quaker Oats didn't believe him worthy of an interim internet site. How does this happen? Did the Cap'n fall on hard times? Why is he not on Twitter so that we can ask him all of these important questions?

Please, please, please do everything you can to support the Cap'n. Call Congress. Call our President. Wake up the Quaker Oats marketing department. Introduce them to an agency that would never let this happen. Someone, please do something.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM   0 comments




apply to college through twitter



The College of Charleston is now testing the use of Twitter in its application process.

Here's how it works:
You send a tweet to the College of Charleston illustrating why you're perfect for their college. If your tweet is good enough, the College of Charleston will follow you back and then begin a direct message conversation.

While some see this as controversial or even ridiculous, it's not so vastly different than an interview with an admissions counselor. Ace that interview, and perhaps your application will get more attention. That's very likely how the Twitter program will work. In essence, the College of Charleston has applied modern tools to an age old process. Nice work. From Chngbkt.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:16 AM   2 comments



Wednesday, October 21, 2009
a visual history of some awesome sneakers



Skateboarding culture has infected pop culture since its birth. So whether you're a skater or marketer, you'll really enjoy a peek at Made for skate, a book all about skateboard sneaker history.

You'll see where trends were born and be inspired by some kicks that have seen their share of paved glory.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:23 AM   0 comments



Monday, October 19, 2009
nike's english tunnel ride



Nike builds a masterpiece BMX dreamland inside a tunnel in England. They hold an event, and then gave it to the BMX/skater community. Everyone rides, everyone wins. Smart. From JKretch.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:54 AM   0 comments



Friday, October 09, 2009
community designed college apparel



Vote for Art is a new site influenced by Threadless, but geared toward the college community. Artists will be able to upload their original college t-shirt designs, the community will vote on their favorites, and the best shirts get sold in college book stores.

Since most college t-shirt designs suck, this could open up some nice business for college book stores and Vote for Art. (The site hasn't officially launched yet, and today they're asking artists to design their logo instead of t-shirts...one step at a time.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:27 AM   0 comments



Thursday, October 08, 2009
ridiculous school mascots



Mental Floss has a collection of the craziest school mascots. Somebody needs to release these as a line of t-shirts. One of my favorites: the Laurel Hill Hoboes. (Which, shouldn't it be "hobos"??)

This makes me pine for my old Bloomingdale Pirates gym shorts. (Because there were probably loads of pirates that settled in the land-locked suburbs of Chicago.) From Coudal.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 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.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM   0 comments



Thursday, September 03, 2009
gah!! teens are on twitter!



Here's a new development in the never ending, non-stop tweeting about who's on twitter.

Teens are not on Twitter.
What??? Teens are not on Twitter?? I thought teens owned the internet??
Nope. Teens don't use Twitter.
This just in...
According to some new data from Comscore, those in the 12-17 and 18-24 year-old demographics – are Twitter’s fastest growing audience segment.

Teens are on Twitter! Quick, hide your tweets!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM   3 comments



Monday, August 31, 2009
fart jokes really never get tired



Here's a cute ad for the release of MySims Racing. (If by cute you mean a guy who can make any imaginable sound come out of his butt.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:21 AM   0 comments



Thursday, August 20, 2009
san fran becomes candy land



Lombard Street in San Francisco was turned into CandyLand, in honor of the board game's 60th Anniversary. The photos and video are pretty awesome. I can't wait for the Mouse Trap version.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM   0 comments




website takes a thrashing and keeps on clicking



Check out the latest Quiksilver site. It gets thrashed away by the Quicksilver skate team.

You've seen the concept before, but this execution is nice and audience appropriate. From Living Brands

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:14 AM   1 comments



Friday, August 14, 2009
boxers or high pants?



This spot puts silly kids with their underwear showing together with silly old men that wear their pants up to their chest. They both get a good laugh at each other and we get to think about boxers.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:20 AM   0 comments



Thursday, July 16, 2009
make your kids geeks, too



Tired of your local tourism board running those stupid "staycation" spots? Looking for something that suits your geek lifestyle for vacation? Check this out: Wired's GeekDad lists 100 Geeky Places to Take Your Kids This Summer.

Some of the items are kind of standard summer spots, but others are totally geekalicious. Like DragonCon. And Atomium.

(Future geeks = more internet for all of us.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:01 AM   0 comments



Friday, July 10, 2009
are you ready for the swedish military?



This site for the Swedish Armed Forces feels very much like a well produced console game. Incredible set design, beautiful Flash work and a series of puzzles that somehow confirm whether or not you're Armed Forces ready.

Clearly, I am not ready for the Swedish Armed Forces. Several failed puzzles and ultimately too short of an attention span to complete the test. You'll certainly do better. Thanks, Devon!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:12 AM   2 comments



Tuesday, July 07, 2009
dad's on facebook. let's bolt.



iStrategy Labs just released some analysis of audience demographics from Facebook's Social Ads platform.

There's an amazing increase of 513.7% of the 55+ users. The bad news? 16.5% less high school students and 21.7% less college users.

If you review census data, there's a drop in population of high school students this year and next year - could this be the net effect? Or, if Facebook has become all about celebrating your past - perhaps kids don't have enough past to make it worthwhile?

Whatever - in the meantime, realize that most marketers of 55+ products and services AREN'T doing anything valuable in Facebook. Opportunity is knocking.

Thanks Ben Kunz!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:23 AM   1 comments



Wednesday, July 01, 2009
teens love events



A new study by Fuse Marketing and University of Massachusetts Amherst shows that teens see event sponsorship as adding credibility to a brand. Even more interesting - according to this survey, teens still know what "radio" is. Hmmmm.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:31 AM   0 comments



Friday, January 30, 2009
champion remixes a hoodie



Champion just launched a new campaign site called Hoodie Remix. You can design your own hoodie, and submit to a contest. They're going to actually produce one lucky designer's creation.

This would have been hoodie-AWESOME if you could actually buy the hoodie that YOU designed. Or, if they produced a new design every single week, and sold them as limited editions. Hoodie-lovers need more hoodie love.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:10 AM   3 comments



Wednesday, January 28, 2009
when i was a kid, gi joes were dolls



OK, maybe they were action figures. But they weren't anything as kick ass as these posters for the new GI Joe Rise of the Cobra video game.

This is a total badass re-branding of GI Joe. Smart move, to capitalize on the brand recognition yet updated to today's gaming universe. Oh - and bonus - they've included badass female GI Joe's, too!

The Boy Scouts of America should hire the agency that did these, and rebrand themselves as adventure dudes.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM   1 comments



Wednesday, January 21, 2009
would love to see the powerpoint deck that accompanied this pitch




"And then...we'll explode your product all over the place. It'll look like guts, or that poop scene from Trainspotting."

These spots are funny, but we have to agree with Adrants. Does it make the product seem appetizing? In any way at all?

Maybe we shouldn't care. Because they did feature an awesome robot named Gary in one spot. And when it comes to microwaveable pizza-like products, Robots are all that matter.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:05 AM   2 comments



Thursday, January 15, 2009
stuff to dew when you're bored



This is really ha-ha funny, hilarious, cool and awesome right up until some idiot actually attempts to duplicate this stunt, and then Mountain Dew says "what??? we clearly said don't DEW this at home."

Oh, and why do they pile on top of each other in a hugfest after watching the spot?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM   0 comments



Wednesday, January 14, 2009
have ball, will travel.



The next video in the Rayban Never Hide series is here. This time, we're traveling along with the disco ballers.

Every workplace should have a disco ball that you can mount on your crotch to throw instant dance parties. Guaranteed fun.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:13 AM   1 comments



Friday, January 09, 2009
frat guys find new air transport



Adrants points to a couple of fun spots for X-Travel, an agency that apparently delivers frat guys to the lands of bikini girls. The newest spot plays on the age old urban legend of a fire helicopter picking up surfers, and there's an older spot featuring a plane crash. Woohoo.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:21 AM   0 comments



Thursday, December 18, 2008
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.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM   2 comments



Wednesday, December 03, 2008
peter pan dies if kids don't read



Old man Peter Pan is part of an ad campaign to promote reading - and keeping imagination alive in kids.

Stunningly beautiful art direction, photography and campaign. Although one could argue that there's more imagination magic in a single episode of Yo Gabba Gabba than any chapter of Peter Pan. Not that a book would hurt...just saying.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:05 AM   0 comments




testvertising: the new way to reach kids



School budgets are being cut. Teachers don't have enough money to make copies for tests. One teacher is making ends meet by selling ads on the bottom of calculus tests and quizzes.

Awesome. Calculus - the borefest that separates the engineers from the art students could use a little livening up. Bring on the half dressed Abercrombie models and let's make this interesting.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM   0 comments



Monday, November 24, 2008
college students: we don't need your lame .edu address



Boston College has realized that students don't even want a school email address anymore. They've already had an email since they day they were born, and have no need to switch to a college email address.

Instead, Boston college students will get their communications forwarded to an address of their choice. That they probably won't check too often. ;)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:06 AM   0 comments



Thursday, November 13, 2008
forget the economy. the teens are here to save the day.



Worried that layoffs, bailouts and the stock market will keep people from buying your products this holiday season? Market to teens. Retail Design Diva points to a new survey by Junior Achievement about teens and their retail confidence.

76 percent of them plan to spend way more this year than they did in 2007.

(The Magnum PI photo reflects only my laziness in looking for an appropriate teen shopping photo. And I wanted you to be dazzled by the magic of the Magnum PI mustache.)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:44 AM   2 comments



Wednesday, November 12, 2008
mobile gets awesome in capetown



Good mobile promotions are hard to find. Most suck, don't get adoption, and don't provide real value for the participants. But Cow Africa has done something awesome.

Cow created Mobikasi - the first ever geo-tagged documentary. It's a 25 minute documentary - but realizing that no human on earth has a 25 minute attention span anymore - they've made the film available in 25 individual downloads.

And here's where it gets good. Each minute of the documentary is based on a different topic relevant to the youth in Soweto, and it's geo-tagged to the location where it was shot. They feature cool stuff like the street fashion crew Smarteez, pictured above. So kids can experience the production, and then go check out the area where it was shot. Genius.

(And how do I start my own street fashion crew?? Anyone want to join?)

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:15 AM   0 comments



Monday, November 10, 2008
scabs and itchiness are so hot



Just in case you were about to head to the company bathroom and juice up on some sweet meth - you might want to give that another thought.

MakeTheLogoBigger points to yet another gross out campaign showing the implications of meth use. Attractive.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:39 AM   2 comments



Friday, October 10, 2008
gay = cool. that's so gay = not cool.



Since tomorrow is National Coming Out Day, (can't you just come out on any day now?), let's remind friends that it's not cool to say "that's so gay". Think Before You Speak has created a campaign that educates teens on how saying something is gay when you really mean that something is stupid, is wrong.

Nice work, although since I still hear people using the word 'faggot', we probably have a ways to go here. From AdFreak.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM   2 comments



Tuesday, October 07, 2008
send this to that person in your office who isn't registered



Maybe you've already seen this video. But there are probably five people that are in your circle of friends who haven't seen it. And since the deadline to register for voting is quickly passing, you might want to give them the inspiration to do so.

(Just don't send it to anyone that might be offended by hearing the word sh*t or f*ck once or twice. Because this is the uncensored version. And that could make the prude in the cubicle down the hall's head explode.)

Thanks for the inspiration, Missy!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:42 AM   0 comments



Thursday, October 02, 2008
facebook. old people are coming.



Smart dude Matt Dickman has some pretty sweet analysis to share about Facebook's audience, pulled from Facebook's advertising management system. He's even put it all together for you in a free eBook.

If you're too lazy to click through, here's two juicy nuggets for your next PowerPoint presentation:

+ The 30+ audience is the fastest growing segment
+ The 18-21 group is the current largest population

Let's hope that everyone gets along.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:19 AM   1 comments



Thursday, September 25, 2008
red alert remix. it's got a good beat.



Video game freaks will be stoked about the new release of Red Alert 3. And there's no better way to celebrate than a mix of boobs, guns and military dudes set to a good dance beat. Wins every time.

Red Alert remix features a host of B-listers, including Jenna McCarthy, George Takei, Tim Curry, JK Simmons, and other names you might not recognize. Come for the guns. Stay for the party!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:56 AM   0 comments



Wednesday, September 24, 2008
how to do youtube advertising



This is the kind of advertising that I don't mind watching with YouTube videos. Totally awesome. From Sean Howard, via twitter

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:30 AM   1 comments



Tuesday, September 23, 2008
how to talk to your kids about drugs



This series of videos for the Partnership for a Drug Free America made me chuckle. Not sure who I like more - Uncle Ron, or Patsy. Both equally awesome.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:56 AM   3 comments



Friday, September 05, 2008
army: we're the new hot



Who's the new agency for the Army?? They're doing some really breakthrough things. We posted earlier about their new recruitment tactic in malls. Apparently, that's only the start of the mall invasion.

In a joint venture with Sears, the Army is licensing official army apparel and launching the All American Army Brand's First Infantry Division clothing collection. This is a winning idea. For Sears, it's a product that you can't get anywhere else that's well suited for their demo. For the Army, it's taking advantage of an existing need in the marketplace (army surplus and surplus look-alike gear has been in style forever.)

Awesome concept. There should be a promotional website for the apparel. Like now.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM   2 comments



Wednesday, September 03, 2008
army: we kick hollister's ass




The Army is setting up shop in the mall. "A place for the American public to get educated about the Army and for us to show that the Army is very high-tech and relevant" says Army chief marketing officer Edward Walters.

This is smart. Really smart. They've thought about their target audience and set up shop where they're likely to be. They're presenting their message in a method that's less intimidating, and doesn't require a destination/special trip like the local recruitment center.

Next, they should feature giant photographs of shirtless army dudes, play the music really, really loud and turn the lights down. Kids will walk in looking for some Abercrombie cargos and walk out signed up four years.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:10 AM   2 comments



Friday, August 29, 2008
what's hot on campus: popups.



Pop-up stores have hit the college scene, big time. Temporary retail locations for the right brands, at the right time, at the right place.

When I was your age, we didn't have pop up stores. Just Pop Tarts. And we had to walk to a grocery store, uphill to buy them. Without our parent's credit cards. And without shoes.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:55 AM   1 comments




sears: we don't understand you.



Profits at Sears fell 62%. A brand that's lost it's brand.

Their advertising has become a billboard to the world proclaiming "we're clueless about you, but will you shop here?"

Check out their print ad attempting to appeal to college students and gamers. So many inconsistencies that it would be impossible for this to connect with it's audience. A headline about "playing hard", while the student relaxes in a chair. A Sony Playstation game - yet the kid's using an Xbox controller.

A wonderous two page spread that screams: "We don't understand you." Maybe it's time they ask "who's our audience?" and really spend some time getting to know them - and defining the 'soul' of the Sears brand.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM   3 comments



Tuesday, August 26, 2008
how to make a snowboard video fun



You'd think that just about everything has been done in the world of snowboard videos. And that watching dudes ride rails would get boring after a while.

Mike Benson proves otherwise, and re-imagines the snowboard video by adding a single wonderous effect. Totally, totally awesome.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:50 AM   2 comments



Wednesday, August 20, 2008
an entire movie about posters



There's a movie opening at the Montreal Film Festival next weekend that you really need to see. It's a movie. About posters. Rock posters. Died Young Stayed Pretty.

I started in this business doing rock posters, so I'm obligated to see this. You don't have to - you can go see Tropic Thunder instead. But if you really enjoy pop culture, music inspired work and street art, I suggest that you get in a car and drive to Montreal. Or just wait for the DVD.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM   0 comments



Tuesday, August 12, 2008
there's no surfing in ohio.



Here's a really engaging article about Hollister - and how they've basically 'stolen' the surf industry...from the surf industry. With branding.

Many don't know that Hollister is a product of Abercrombie. And that they're not an age old surf brand from California - but instead a manufactured story from the Abercrombie headquarters in Ohio.

What's weird is that Hollister really gets branding. And they've done a stellar job at creating, building and promoting a lifestyle brand to kids who now believe they're a legit surf brand. So much so, that they're eating sales away from the real surf brands - or the other chain retailers like Zumies and PacSun - who carry gear made by actual surf companies. They've made surf style popular with mainstream youth before the real surf brands could fully capitalize on it.

This is an interesting trend in retail. It used to be that indie brands could start with a fringe audience and grow into mainstream. Plenty of skateboarding, snowboarding and earlier surf brands have built their businesses on this. But now big business is watching - and they're getting adept at identifying a trend, and building a private-label brand to satisfy the need. They're doing this even better than the indie brand could, for a mainstream audience. Which will likely stunt future growth opportunities for independent brands.

If you're in branding, read the whole piece in TransWorld . If you're in the surf industry, get off the beach and start a campaign outing Hollister as "fake." It's a huge anti-brand opportunity waiting to happen. If you're a Hollister kid, don't worry. Keep shopping.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:50 AM   5 comments



Friday, July 18, 2008
this dude will not be at roger's picnic



Roger's Wireless is putting on a big music festival that they call Roger's Picnic. And they want to let everyone know what kind of cool bands are playing there. And motivate the audience to check out the Roger's Picnic website.

So M30 in Toronto created a campaign that promotes the festival by showing you what kind of bands WON'T be there. Who won't be there? This totally metal dude. Or Bomb Bay. Or Roulette.

What a cool way to build curiosity, and drive traffic to the site. Nicely done.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:13 AM   3 comments



Thursday, July 17, 2008
nike dunks based on the color of your neighborhood



This cool application for Nike lets you take a snapshot with your cell phone, and then create a custom pair of Nike Dunks based on the color scheme in your photo.

So awesome, you could be rockin' a new pair every week. Or for every favorite scene in your life. Like urban camo. This is a great idea that could be applied to a multitude of situations and brands. From Three Minds.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:26 AM   0 comments



Wednesday, July 02, 2008
you can't get a girl this hot



But maybe almost as hot. Hot girl illustrates the level of hottness above. She's the high mark, and you're not even reaching her left hand. But she's going to teach you how. It's apparently as easy as brushing your teeth. And wearing Converse sneakers.

Converse has launched an all out campaign of hotness and other stuff. Because everyone loves hot girls. And sweet Chuck Taylors. Makes me want these just a little more today.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:53 AM   2 comments




world of warcraft: so yesterday



World of Warcraft, the world's most popular MMORPG is about to lose its number one status to Habbo.

Habbo boasts 9.5 million active monthly users, compared to World of Warcraft’s most recently reported 10 million subscribers. Habbo says they'll pass WOW in the next 30 days. That's a lot of kids that won't see their backyards this summer.

We're not players in Habbo yet, but love the fact that they have a tiki area. We don't ask for much. Just tiki mugs and torches.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:25 AM   0 comments



Thursday, June 19, 2008
daddy! ryan's choking on the legos again.



At first, you'll think this can't be true. Kellogg's could not produce a candy that looks very much like a small toy from the real world. But they did.

I've seen corporate environments that refuse to let a good idea escape the boardroom - but how did 47 committees at Kellogg's approve this instead?

Why stop here? Here's some fun ideas for new Kellogg's products:

+ Juice in bottles that look like bleach!
+ Soda that looks just like auto anti-freeze! Or blue "windshield wiper" flavor!
+ All new razor blade chewing gum!
+ New handgun candy dispensers! Just pull the trigger for full flavor!

Mmmmm. Tasty.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM   6 comments



Monday, June 02, 2008
are buses hot again?



A few of us recently drove to New Hampshire for a couple of meetings. We passed a handful of Bolt Buses, and were intrigued with their branding. Cooler looking than your average buses. Now people are talking about it.

This is a mode of transport that has largely been ignored by great branding, unique service, and for the most part, just left by the wayside.

Bolt Bus has taken a super cool approach to busing. They sport cool graphics. They're cheap. They're only available in select routes. THEY HAVE WIFI ON BOARD. Let me say it again. THEY HAVE WIFI ON BOARD. Something that trains and most planes are still scratching their heads on.

I'm loving the concept. Build a powerful brand, offer a unique service, and have fun. Go Bolt, go.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:51 AM   1 comments



Thursday, May 22, 2008
turn hate into love



Producers of video game On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness are using a very bad review of the game to promote the release.

Snakes on a game? Awesome.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:12 AM   0 comments



Tuesday, May 20, 2008
wacky packs celebrates 35 years



Wacky Packs is celebrating their 35th anniversary! To commemorate this very special time in history, the Topps Company has released a Wacky Packs coffee table book. Or kitchen table book.

Wacky Packs were the ultimate slap in the face to all things branding, and a celebration of irreverence for a generation of Mad Magazine readers.

The clip above is a cornball teevee show that details what a Wacky Pack is, for those of you that were born yesterday. From Kristin Gorski.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:05 AM   2 comments



Monday, May 12, 2008
meet the next big agency



This weekend, I attended the CT Innovation Expo, a pretty cool program that the state sponsors for high school students. The event took place at the CT Convention Center, and featured some of the brightest students from across the state. Lots of future coder geeks, gaming geeks, engineers and....creatives.

It was pretty cool to meet the crew from Woodland Regional High School, who have created their own high school ad agency. Called AMP, they provide agency services for any school event.

You probably remember the handmade, lame-o flyers that your friends made for the high school dance. AMP creates, prints, and distributes cool flyers. They'll create MySpace pages. And they'll get the word out, for the events they promote.

What an awesome idea. For the event planners that hire them (who better to target teens, than TEENS?), and for the students. These future creative superstars are getting a real-deal look at what it's like to work with a client, while building their pre-college portfolios.

Kids weren't this smart, when I was in high school. Nice job.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:14 AM   1 comments



Thursday, May 01, 2008
how to handle sex ed



How do you produce sex ed, without being stupid, still be relevant, and be entertaining in a cool way, not a "this is ridiculous" way?

Take Care Down There has done exactly that. Send the link to your teen. They've successfully covered the major topics in just enough detail, to answer any of those questions. Or to set straight some misconceptions.

And, you may learn something too! I learned a few new names for condoms. (Boner bucket. That's a good one.) From AdRants.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM   0 comments



Friday, April 18, 2008
unexpected licensing that makes sense



Two licensing deals this week caught our attention, and are great examples of brands coming together to produce greatness.

Levis is partnering with snowboard apparel company 686. Snowboard culture and 686 brand awareness bring much needed cool factor to Levis. 686 gets a unique product line, and credit for helping to reinvent Levis in a new category. Win-win.

Burton is partnering with Playboy. They've done this before, just not at this level. Their new fall line has some pretty sexy boards that are sure to get attention. And melt snow. Burton makes Playboy relevant, in a world where magazines no longer matter. Playboy bunnies look super hot on boards. Win-win, again.

What brand could you partner with, to create unexpected success?

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:28 AM   0 comments



Thursday, April 17, 2008
those are some mighty sweet slacks



This is either a great idea or licensing gone too far. Apparel with over the top Kellogg's cereal brand licensing.

I never would have thought that kids would trick their cars out in tribute to brands either, but they do. So maybe somewhere, there are people who will really, really dig Froot Loop pants. Or a Honey Smacks hoodie. I might like them if they came in the skinny fit, instead of the sooper baggy style. (Toucan Sam and I go way back, so that's me.)

Thanks David's sister!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:13 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.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM   0 comments



Monday, April 14, 2008
montana: not the best place to get your meth anymore



I always thought that Montana was filled with beautiful mountains, trees and bears. Turns out, that until recently, it was also filled with Meth addicts. That is, until the Montana Meth Project launched their campaign a couple of years ago. Meth use is down substantially.

Thanks to their really disturbing print ads, tv spots and a campaign that has you reaching for anti-bacterial gel, the campaign says that meth use has declined 45% and adult Meth use has declined 72%. That's an ad campaign that's done something great. Which means that we can think of Montana for trees and mountains and bears again. Nice work.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM   0 comments



Tuesday, April 08, 2008
blow energy drink. cheap shot at a quick buck.



The latest ridiculous energy product aimed at capturing tween dollars is Blow, a product made to look exactly like cocaine. The white caffeine powder comes in resealable white vials, so that kids can put "blow" into their drinks.

The cheap promotional site features strippers and poorly designed gear sure to turn the average 14 year old onto the product. They can even by it in bulk, and become neighborhood dealers of...blow.

Sure to get loads of free publicity on the local news, featuring protesting parents. I'd love to know what they paid for the rights to use the Cult's song WildFlower on their site. Or if they paid. I know some pretty large brands who don't have that kind of licensing budget. ;)

Thanks Suzy!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:30 AM   4 comments



Monday, March 24, 2008
vbs tv really rocks



If you haven't checked out VBS.tv yet, you should kill some otherwise productive time today. Led by Creative Director Spike Jonze, they've really built a wonderful dashboard of content, and some awesome films. I got hooked on the North Korea episodes this weekend. Once you start watching, you won't stop. Thanks Devon!

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:25 AM   1 comments



Tuesday, March 04, 2008
packaging saves the day



The special edition of Grand Theft Auto comes with some pretty sweet packaging that even includes a GTA safety deposit box.

And the new NineInchNails release is available in special packaging, too. You can download the release for free - or spend more dough on NIN goodies. This gives a real reason for fans to spend money on something they can't download or trade for free. Sweet packaging. The $300 version even comes packed with a Trent Reznor autograph. Cool.

Who says package design for content is dead??

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:22 AM   0 comments



Thursday, February 28, 2008
why you should start a social network



Chris Brogan points out the massive opportunity sitting in front of you. A social network that helps your audience connect. Not for every audience - and this shouldn't be done on a whim, without some longer term planning, but as Chris indicates, a social network can work anywhere that you have a population of like-minded people.

Think about that for a second, as it applies to your universe. What do your customers have in common? What could they learn from or share with each other? Chris goes on to give you relevant examples of opportunities that haven't been realized (yet) in some other industries. You could create a conduit of connectivity that doesn't yet exist in your industry.

Basic marketing also comes to play here, too. A new social network won't likely be successful if there's already a winning network providing value to the same audience. The Walmart debacle of a few years ago comes to mind, where their agency actually convinced them they could replicate MySpace. Check out the cheezy actor-teens they thought would pass as the real thing, above. Uh-huh.

For some, this is a fantastic opportunity. But beware of bandwagons. Plan. Strategize. Be genuine. And work with an agency that participates in the sphere you're about to enter.

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posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:34 AM   0 comments





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