Friday, October 29, 2010

The "Make it Happen" Challenge

It's baaaack. "Make it Happen", the crowd-sourcing challenge to see if my big ideas can come to fruition thanks to the rich community of creatives, writers, artists, designers, inventors, scientists, architects, pharmacologists, techies, provocateurs, ethicists, military contractors, etc.


MIH Brief 015
OBJECTIVE:
Plot future careers for America's favorite new Tea Partiers like Joe "It's unconstitutional" Miller, Christina "The O isn't for orgasm" O Donnell and Sharron "Man Up" Angle, assuming they all fail in their bids to become senators next week.

They came out of towns called nowhereville and obscurity to win the hearts and minds of the right-wing nation with panache and zeal.

The adorable Sharron Angle beguiled Nevada by not knowing the difference between Latinos and Asians.

Alaska's great white hope Joe Miller had a journalist detained for asking him questions. Just who do these journalists think they are anyway.

The bewitching Christina O Donnell put Delaware on the map with an amazingly cute impression of someone who doesn't know the contents of the Ist Amendment.

Then there is Rich Iott, would be representative from Ohio, who didn't so much do an impression, but rather "acted" out being a nazi. In his defense the black SS Uniforms did make him look a lot thinner.

And finally New York's Carl Paladino emphasized the guber in gubernatorial by emailing videos of women having sex with horses.

If there truly is a god then we'll be seeing all of them take their rightful places in Washington D.C and Albany.

But what if they lose. What then? Once in a lifetime talent like this shouldn't just be allowed to disappear quietly into a November night.

What career platforms can we create for these very special people that will allow them to continue to shine brightly in the hearts and minds of the American public?

THOUGHT STARTERS:
  -  Is there an opportunity for Marvel Comics to create a new band of superheroes featuring our lovable tea partiers. The "Fringe Five" could fight the tyranny of big government, the evils of Obamacare and the sneakiness of Latinos who look Asian.
  -  How about Joe Miller opening up a chain of hunting reserves around the country, where there is only one kind of prey. Journalists.
  -  Is there an opportunity for Sharron Angle to start up a chain of Asian/Spanish fusion restaurants? "Man ge up" could become all the rage, especially with her signature dish Stir Fried Harry Reid with Guacamole and Refried Beans.
  -  Now that Bob Guccione has passed on, perhaps Carl Paladino could step into his shoes to run the Penthouse empire. For starters he could introduce America to a new publication, "Hoares and Horses".
  -  Is there an opportunity for Christina O Donnell to write text books for the Texas school system? Only someone with her specialized skill set, i.e. she thinks evolution is a myth and has no real clue about the amendments to the constitution, could be trusted to fully meet the vision and mandates of the Texas school board. 
  -  Is there an opportunity for Rich Iott to develop his own line of nazi wear specially for re-enactments, Halloween, anti-Obama rallies and government takeovers.

MANDATORIES:
  -  All ideas must first be reviewed and approved by Sarah Palin.
  -  All Fox News, Christian Broadcasting Network and National Review employees will be exempt from Joe Miller's hunting reserves.
  -  Only Chamber of Commerce money can be used to finance any initiative.

Good luck and make it happen, people!

Can't a person rip off without being ripped off anymore?

I am shocked. Outraged. Appalled. It seems Moviefone have ripped me off ripping off March Madness. Have they no shame. As a BBC America colleague says, "Imitation is the sincerest form of...Plagiarism."

Here's the evidence. You decide.

Moviefone - Cinematical's Heroes vs Villains Tournament

Me - September Badness

Thursday, October 28, 2010

I told you so.

In a January 21st, 2010 posting titled, "In lieu of a clever title for this post" I reflected on a Nielsen survey which suggested more than half of the expected viewers for Superbowl XLIV were tuning in to enjoy the commercials more than the game.

It got me thinking as to possible ways the NFL might get even more commercials into its Superbowl coverage. I cheekily suggested that, "coaches would be "encouraged" to use all of their timeouts and challenges during the game regardless of their merits".

So it was with surprise, yet satisfaction that I received this recent headline from Yahoo Sports.

Jeff Fisher was asked to call timeouts for MNF commercial breaks

Who knew my words could be so influential. I really think I have to start charging for them now.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Worst question of the now.



What should Lebron James do? How about something he's never done before. Win an NBA title. Mind you I quite liked the "disappear" answer too.

Boo to Wieden & Kennedy for inflating the James ego even more. But a minor kudos for trying to resuscitate the Miami Vice brand.

Political ad of the now.



Whack. Zapp. Pow. I can hear Meg Whitman squealing from here. Which reminds me I must watch "Deliverance" again.

I imagine one of the first things they teach in political campaigning school is to make sure your candidate doesn't suffer any self-inflicted wounds. Major kudos then to the Brown team for turning Whitman's words against her and creating, maybe, the cleverest, most devastating ad of the political season.

And boo to the Whitman team for being so strategically blind. One hundred and forty million dollars certainly buys you a lot. It seems political savvy ain't one of them.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Tale of the promos.

MSNBC and Fox News have new promos out and both have more in common than you might think.

First off they are both directional based, perhaps a nod to the Foursquare generation.

And secondly their new slogans are starkly different from where they had previously been - MSNBC was "The place for politics" and Fox News, of course, were "Fair and Balanced".

That said while MSNBC clearly has staked out what they hope is a new long-term positioning with "Lean Forward", Fox News' "Move Forward" feels more tactical, like it was cut to counter what their rivals (albeit distant) are doing.

Here's the full breakdown:


MSNBC: Lean Forward

Inherent contradiction: MSNBC doesn't lean. Its philosophy decidedly veers sharply in one direction. 

Direction: Left. 

Tone: Artful, thoughtful, exploratory, hopeful, boring. 

Character it would play in the new Geico commercial featuring a sensitive, namby pamby patient and a tough-assed drill sergeant therapist: Namby pamby patient.

Type of vehicle it would be: Hybrid station wagon.



FOX NEWS: Move Forward

Inherent contradiction: Moving forward is what progressives do. Fox News is decidedly anti-progressive. Their philosophy looks back to an earlier, less complex and more conservative era.

Direction: Back to the pre civil rights era, most probably the fifties. 

Tone: Crude, bombastic, boastful, unapologetic, confrontational.

Character it would play in the new Geico commercial featuring a sensitive, namby pamby patient and a tough-assed drill sergeant therapist: Tough-assed drill sergeant therapist.

Type of vehicle it would be: Chevy truck (Made abroad)

Monday, October 25, 2010

Brain-teaser Monday.

Today's brain-teaser gets into the Halloween spirit. There is only one real agency amongst the following. Which is it?

  • Droga 666
  • Omenicom Group
  • Monster Advertising
  • House on Haunted Hill Holiday
  • Jason Walter Thompson
  • Fallen Angel Wordwide
  • Crispin Porter + Bogeyman
  • Organ Doner
  • Dentsaw
  • Scali Macabre & Sloves
  • Ogilvy & Cotton Mather
  • David & Ghouliath
  • Norman Bates
  • TBWA/Chiat/Day of the Dead
  • Young Frankenstein & Rubicam
  • Amster Graveyard
  • Bartle Boogle Hegarty


Answer to last week's brain-teaser: 1. Lady SpeedStick (bonus point - died)

Friday, October 22, 2010

Julie's back.

Julie Blackmon, one of my favorite photographers and American Photo's "Emerging photographer in 2008", has returned with a great new collection of work.  

"Line Up" does feature lots of kids, but that's okay when you see what she does with them.



Er Mom, your kid may be drowning.


Julie incorporates her stylized twist of color and wit to capture moments that give domesticity a beautifully creepy quality. But enough of my layman's view. Here's what the art guy at Village Voice has to say.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Get tagging.

Between 1910 and 1912 Roald Amundsen dug, crawled, clawed and dragged himself to the South Pole.

You however can get there by writing a tagline. Progress baby.

Thompson Reuters has launched a new crowdsourcing contest to help promote Eikon, its new financial platform that will supposedly help traders and analysts seamlessly gather and use better financial information, or at least that's what the press release says.

Far more interesting is the contest that asks users to come up with a definitive line that best explains this new era of financial markets which presumably Eikon will help usher in.

All you have to do is fill in the sentence "More _______, less _______" and you could get whisked off to the South Pole as part of a Thompson Reuters team that aims to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest overland journey to the South Pole.

To "help" you with your thinking, Thompson Reuters gives you some examples:

More new ideas. Less old traditions.
More achievement. Less entitlement.
More blah. Less blah.

Rather lame. So here are a few far more helpful ones from me.

More structure. Less derivatives.  
More bull. Less shit.
More transparency. Less transsexuality.
More protein shakes. Less blow.
More real time. Less fake boobs.


(Sharing credit to adfreak)

Monday, October 18, 2010

Brain-teaser Monday.

What brand is behind this exploratory print concept. (And a bonus point for guessing if the concept lived or not)
  1. Lady SpeedStick.
  2. Bank of America.
  3. Puma.
  4. Uncle Ben's.
  5. Sky Vodka.


Answer to last week's brain-teaser: Mob Rules; Hoi Polloi; Rome; People are People; The Tea Party

Friday, October 15, 2010

Image of the now.

Gottfried Helnwein: The Disasters of War 24, oil and acrylic on canvas

Gottfried Helnwein is an Austrian artist/photographer/visual provocateur. His stuff isn't for the easily offended.


(Sharing credit to Cosimo Urbano)

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Campaign of the now.



France 24 is not a French drama series staring Kiefer Le Sutherland. It is a French News Television Channel that has just moved its Arabic news service to 24 hours a day.

And to get the word out it has launched this rather simple, funny campaign. Kudos to Marcel/Paris and directors Alexandre Vivet and Gabriel Malaprade.


(Sharing credit to theinspirationroom.com)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

It's my blog so I'll self-promote if I want to.



BBC America recently launched a month long movie event called “Accent of Evil”, which featured films with British actors playing baddies. To leverage the event we created an on-air campaign called “Six Degrees of Evil” that took viewers on a fun journey through relevant movie trivia.

The promotion is being credited with resurrecting the careers of obscure British actors and boosting the DVD sales of certain British films.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Brilliant song, shame about the ad.



Probably my favorite song of the year from one of my favorite bands. "Paradise Circus: Gui Boratto Remix" by Massive Attack for the 2011 Lincoln MKX.

I know what you're thinking. Massive Attack! How could you? Well calm down music lovers and read this. The boys from Bristol have donated all the proceeds to cleaning up the Gulf.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Brain-teaser Monday.

Advertising agencies built on crowd-sourcing platforms are popping up faster than a zit on Kate Perry. And recently I've had the pleasure of working with a couple of the best.

But despite their popularity there are still only a handful to choose from. Weed out the made-up agencies from the following list:

  • Mob Rules
  • Victors and Spoils
  • CrowdSpring
  • Adhack
  • Hoi Polloi
  • Guided Collective
  • Rome
  • Idea Bounty
  • People are People
  • Eeden Labs
  • Tongai
  • The Tea Party


Answer to last week's brain-teaser: c) Ghoul Britannia

Friday, October 8, 2010

Interactive of the now.

Film + Interactive. Could there be a more engaging coupling? Okay, maybe The Captain & Tennille.

But still, please do check out this new branded-entertainment project by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Together with TBWA/Vancouver they've created a short film, "The Warden",  which is cut up into sixteen segments that viewers and users have to piece together to create the complete story.

In effect, it's an uber-cool, highly creative brain-teaser where you have to unscramble scenes to create the film.

Kudos to TBWA/Vancouver and the folks at the Vancouver International Film Festival for finding a new way to actively engage the audience.


(Sharing credit to creativity)

Thursday, October 7, 2010

"Dead Ideaville"

This death really, really hurts. In fact I'm still in the anger phase of the grieving process. Why oh why Ralph!

To coincide with the opening of his refurbished "Mansion" flagship store in the upper east side of Manhattan, Ralph Lauren wanted an innovative digital idea that would build on the buzz that the opening would no doubt generate. Razorfish were asked to explore ideas and they brought me in to help out.

Teamed up with amazing people we came up with an idea that I think is one of the best I've ever been part of. Augmented reality, mobile, social networking, crowd-sourcing, interactive - it had it all. And a bloody good story to boot.


Ralph Lauren - "Augmented Reality Drama"


When you walk into the Ralph Lauren Mansion, it’s like stepping into a residential home from a different era, rich with old-world tradition and charm. 

Each room looks like it is still being lived in. We can almost imagine the inhabitants and the life they must be living.

Through mobile, in-store and web components, we bring this world to life as an augmented reality drama that gets played out through every room in the Mansion. Here's how we saw it.

The Storyline:
The Mansion is preparing for a grand ball. Within the rooms various characters are getting ready for the ball. Surprising twists and turns to follow.

A/R App:
The A/R App activates the characters in each room. Users can observe them, dressed impeccably in Ralph Lauren clothes, acting out their scenes. Users can also access more information on their clothes, like price points as well as shop via mobile.

Mansion Portal:
A large display encased in a picture frame will allow customers in other Ralph Lauren stores to view the drama in the Mansion. Shoppers can get more information, like price points on the clothes being worn by the characters. A URL link will allow customers to go to the Mansion site to see the full story play out from all the rooms.

Mansion Control:
The Mansion site will not only allow users to see the full drama, but also to control the direction it takes. Through crowd-sourcing technology and real-time voting, users can influence the characters’ behavior and even what clothes they wear.

Audience Participation:
In the dressing rooms of the Mansion, interactive mirrors can take ambient video of customers in Ralph Lauren clothes. This will allow them to be included as extras in the drama. Customers can notify their family and friends of their theatrical debuts via Facebook and Twitter.

Social Engagement:
To add to the reality of the drama, some of the characters could have profiles and status updates on Facebook and Twitter. These updates would be influenced by the choices the users make for them.


Now do you see why I'm taking its demise really badly. Okay, acceptance is slowly beginning to seep in.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Nice shoes.

More good stuff from Lernert & Sander. Take it away gentlemen.

"To help celebrate the launch of their epic new Shoe Galleries, Selfridges called on us to create 11 sculptural installations that take iconic shoe design to surreal extremes. We have taken the most mundane of household domestic appliances and comedically refashioned them into divine creations. A humorous take on fashion as an ideal escape from the daily grind."

On a graceless, self-promotional aside here is a print ad I did a few years ago for a Procter & Gamble product that also takes shoe design to a surreal extreme.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Brain-teaser Monday.


What is this BBC America movie promotion called?


Answer to last week's brain-teaser: 2. BBC America

Friday, October 1, 2010

Do your parents know what you do?

I've long suspected that my parents don't really have a clue as to what it is that I've actually been doing all these years in advertising.

My suspicions arise from my mother's insistence that I'm somehow involved in show business, while my father thinks I'm a tool for the corporate state. Okay, so maybe my father's figured me out.

But to this day I'm still not sure they truly understand what advertising or rather what the creative process behind advertising is really all about. And needless to say it has been a source of major frustration.

At least now I know I'm not the only one who has been suffering. A new, charming documentary series called "How to explain it to my parents" explores this frustrating world of clueless parents and their very non-conventionally creative off-spring.


How to explain it to my parents - Bart Julius Peters from Lernert & Sander on Vimeo.

Kudos to the directing/artistic team of Lernert & Sander. And looking forward to their follow-up, "How to explain dressing up in women's underwear to my wife."


(Sharing credit to brainpickings.org)

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