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When advertising goes bad - The bomb squad blows it up!

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I could not love this story more.

As part of the upcoming movie launch, 4500 Los Angeles Times' newspaper boxes were fitted with a digital musical device designed to play the "Mission: Impossible" theme song when the door was opened.

But in some cases, the red plastic boxes with protruding wires were jarred loose and dropped onto the stack of newspapers inside, alarming customers.

So, logically, the county arson squad blew up a news rack, thinking it contained a bomb.

Oh, yeah, that's different that the usual "newsbox experience."

Found at MIT Advertising Lab

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Can you over-target your audience?

Um, yes, when your ad is at the bottom of a swimming pool, I'd say you've over-limited the audience. Not only to people who are down there, but, heck, opening your eyes in all the chlorine is pretty dicey* stuff.

At least they are on target - the ads are, in fact, for scuba (are you for scuba?)

Agency: Dubois Meets Fugger, Antwerp
Found at Flickr

*A word which always reminds me of my favorite literary quote of all time: "They can kill you, but the legalities of eating you are quite a bit dicier." (David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest)

An ad Chicago would love

Opodo, an online travel company, promoted their getaways with heat emitting citylights at transit stations. (Note the snow melting away underneath.) As someone who cowered under the CTA-provided heat lamps, waiting for a late train, three stories in the air, in January, I've gotta say - that's one damn compelling ad.

Credit: Leagas Delaney, Hamburg
Found at: Ads of the World

The promise of never getting lost

Smart strategy - clearly an emotional appeal, but the tagline reads as an almost intellectual choice. Should result in a confident buyer. Nice quick read while still having some depth to it.

Agency: Publicis Frankfurt

History Channel editors

Most of you have probably already seen these (I'm a little behind this week), but still, I had to add these to my collection. Found at Ad Arena, these 2005 Clio winners have great stopping power.

Agency: DDB New Zealand, Auckland

 

Little guys are great advertisers

Great idea: Leagas Delaney used magnetic ads on top of cars to advertise a trucking magazine to long-haul drivers.

Found at: Advertising for Peanuts

Think that's cool? Check out this coffee cup.

OBIE winners

I've passed a terrrible camera-phone-taken version of this billboard around half my agency. I think it's my favorite for the year. And, because of our wonderful industry award process, I finally have a clean photo and info about the agency that designed in - it's a 2004 regional campaign created by Leo Burnett. And, as it turns out, a 2005 Outdoor Advertising Association of America OBIE winner.

See this and other winners at OAAA.
Interesting look at the future of outdoor and more pics at The Ranch.

Stretch your legs in middle class

Interesting new print campaign from United Airlines promoting their more spacious Economy Plus cabin. I really like the art direction - nice to see something a little more playful in a campaign that many would execute with stocky-looking photos of cramped and cranky business men.

Still, there seems to be something missing? Is the only advantage more leg room? Maybe that is compelling enough to buy a higher-priced ticket. For me, I'd rather just have the assurance that a giant human wouldn't sit next to me and spill his girth over my arm rest and into my seat just because I'm smaller than he is. I think I want a plane divided into clever cubicles.

Oh, and, one other thing, in jest or not, can we please do our part as good citizens of the world and never, never use the phrase "out of the box" in ad copy again?? Please?

Agency: Fallon

Hill Holiday creates buzz

Wow. Hill Holiday really knows how to create buzz around themselves and their clients. I've heard more about Dunkin Donuts in the last week than in probably all of the post-Starbucks era combined.

It all started with a really interesting Wall Street Journal article (exerpts here. link for lucky subscribers.) about immersing Starbucks drinkers in Dunkin and vice-versa. Picture unhappy exchange students grimacing at their coffee.

Now the rebrand has launched.

With in-store work, packaging and TV.

Not to mention tons of online buzz.

Oh, and it's a great campaign, too, with a nicely-carved-out, not-really-competing-with-Starbucks niche and very sticky creative. A banner day for HH.

Overview
Doing Things spot
Tree spot
Pleather spot

Early Fishing spot
A Ton of Stuff spot

Big Lots ambassadors

Big Lots must have a BIG media buy - because I've seen these great testimonial spots again and again despite my habitual tivo-induced fast forwarding.

Here's the big idea:

Presumably, Big Lots has a perception problem of consumers thinking it's not "their kind of store."  So, in this series of three spots, they ask real shoppers (all very likeable, attractive people we can imagine ourselves being friends with) to bring a friend to the store. In :30 seconds they find tons of bargains on great stuff they would really buy and at the end of the spot the unsuspecting friend declares herself a convert.

I'm really a big fan of these spots. Great direction for increasing relevancy AND very visually arresting - bright screens, bold colors, good stopping power (for fast-forwarders).

Apparently, "closeout shopping" is all the rage. Check out this primer from last Sunday's New York Times.

Who knew? But, I should admit, because of these spots, I tried a Big Lots store for the very first time. And, I spent $120- on an amazing leather ottomon that would have cost three or four times that at Pottery Barn and some other random household stuff. I never thought I'd say it, but - you should go. (Weird, huh?)

Agency: SBC Advertising