A Fiat Seduction

So, does anyone know if the spot for Fiat above is actually a preamble for a porno? I realize that sex sells, but can you be anymore obvious? The spot does try to tell a story about a man lusting after the Abarath, to the extent that he actually visualizes the beautiful Catrinel Menghia. She does a great job of acting the role of the temporarily angry, Italian woman. By the way, Menghia is actually Romanian. 

The element that I think really saves the spot is the one sided Italian conversation between the two characters.  A rough translation of the conversation is as follows:

“What are you looking at? Uh? What are you looking at? (slap) Are you undressing me with your eyes? Poor guy… you can’t help it? Is your heart beating? Is your head spinning? Do you feel lost thinking that I could be yours forever?”

The translation is courtesy of http://www.fiat500abarth.us/.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the spot but the sexual innuendo comes on a little to strong for my taste. I should note that this spot's initially aired during the Super Bowl so it must have tested well for the agency. 

This is one of those spots that the viewer remembers the commercial but not necessarily the product it was advertising. What do you guys think?

The agency behind this spot is The Richards Group out of Dallas.

Best,

-A.B.

Inside That Ad Presents its Top 10 Ads of 2011

It is finally here! Inside That Ad’s top 10 ads for 2011. I realize that it is almost the end of January 2012 but it took me a while to create the list. I also needed to plan out how to display the ads a bit more then usual because there are 10 of them and the list begins in descending order.


10. Weetabix Cereal - Street Dancing


The spot above features dancing phenomenon, Arizona Snow street dancing her way through a sophisticated routine in her bedroom. The routine along with the dancing bears will blow your mind. Arizona is reportedly only 9-years old. But from what I can see she could hold her own against any seasoned, pro dancer.

Read the rest of the list after the jump.

Smirnoff's Pure Campaign

The spot above focuses on music and bringing in the different elements of sound, just like an orchestra to make beautiful music. The commercial features Pharrell and the idea of a blank canvas to bring together different musical elements to make music that sounds great when working in harmony. Pharrell brings different musicians, with different musical styles together by simply snapping his fingers.

A surprising bit of information I discovered is that this campaign or at least this particular spot was aimed at the Australian market. This could explain why the ad agency behind the spot is Leo Burnett in Sydney, Australia. Supposedly, Pharrell takes the audience on a journey of discovery on how his mixes are created. Giving them a behind the scene view on how his music is created.

The origins of the campaign’s basic idea lie in how one bartender mixes drinks beginning with “Pure Smirnoff vodka.”  They use the metaphor of a blank canvas as pure. Smirnoff Australia also has its very own Facebook page that you can like.

What do you guys think of "Pure" as the big idea in an ad campaign?

Best,

-A.B.

Disability Series: Ads Featuring People with Disabilities

I wanted to do a series of posts that feature people with disabilities. To see if the majority of the ads focus on the disability also known as “pity ads” or do they focus on the person as an authority or the product. Also, I want to see if most of the spots that feature a disability are advertising a product related to disabilities in general.

The ad below is for overstock.com, besides being all about the O the spokesperson in the ad is Briana Walker. Walker uses a wheelchair but the wheelchair is never shown in the ad. I am ok with the fact the chair was never shown that way it doesn’t take away from what is being advertised.

This is a great brand awareness spot and Walker did a great job in it. This is defiantly not a pity ad.

Brianna Walker Overstock Ad




Ad agency: Ads done in-house.

Stay tuned for more disability related ads in the following week.

Best,
-A.B.

Allstate Road Rash Spot

Client: Allstate
Brand: Allstate Motorcycle Insurance
Agency: Leo Burnett, Chicago

Aussie Rum Part 2

The spot above is a continuation to the Aussie Rum post I discussed 6 days ago. Enjoy! Again, the ad agency is Leo Burnett, Sydney.

Best,
-A.B.

Aussie Rum

Another weird commercial comes out of Australia. But this time the advertiser is Bundaberg Rum. The first weird Aussie spot I discuss was in a post titled Dirty, Dirty Dishes. In the spot in this post, a crew of sugar millers from the 19th centaury begin to heckle a modern day golfer because he chooses to shoot around the gigantic crocodile sitting in the middle of the green.

My question is, why are all these elements together in the spot and what do they have to do with the rum being advertised? I can’t make a connection between any of these elements. As a matter of fact, all these elements take away some of the focus from the product being advertised.

Anyway, Leo Burnett, Sydney, created the spot above.

Best,
-A.B.

Become A Girl Toy

Really don’t have much to say about the spot above except it was really funny and well executed. The agency, & Co from Denmark made me think it was some sort of PSA to stop violence. But really, Jack & Jones is a jeans store.

Anyway, who wouldn’t become a girl toy?

Best,
-A.B.

Designs on the Back of Coke Cans

When I first started this blog about two years ago I wanted to share with people more information about the people that actually created the ad. I am finding that the traditional T.V. spots and print ads are relatively easy to find who created them. It’s the more obscure forms of advertising that I am struggling to find details on the creators.

For example, the design on the coke below, who designed it? The abstract design of the coke bottle and the soccer ball on the back of the can shown below, I think I can safely assume that the soccer ball was selected in celebration of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa but again who created these abstract designs? Should I be satisfied with knowing that the company either did the designs in-house or contracted the work to a traditional Madison Avenue agency?

The Coke T.V. spots are relatively easy to find who created them, but not who created the artistic designs on the back of the cans. It’s those obscure ads that I wanted this blog to provide more information on. Traditional TV spots and print ads are easy to find information on but not this type of advertising. Shedding some light on obscure advertising and designs is how I wanted Inside That Ad to differentiate itself from the other advertising blogs out there on the web.

Do you guys have any suggestions as to how to find information on advertising that is displayed on non-traditional media?

Best,

-A.B.

RIP Goes Out to the King of POP

I am sure you all know by now that Michael Jackson, the king of pop died today at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. The news of the tragedy caused some site to temporarily crash due to so many people logging on to read about the tragedy. A lot of famous people have been dying off recently and I don’t know what its all about.

The ad above is a commercial Jackson did for Pepsi. Where a freak accident occurred and his hair caught on fire. I think that may have been his most famous advertising moment. It’s a bit mean spirited to say about a person who just died today but it’s the first thing that came to my mind.

The agency behind the commercial is BBDO. I wonder what the agency did to convince Michael to keep doing the commercial even after being burned. Do you guys think they made as much money back in the eighties for a TV spot as they do today? I’d love to read your comments.

Jackson was certainly controversial throughout most of his career but he is by far one of the greatest entertainers ever to live. He did his last moonwalk. The king of pop is now gone forever, 1967 to 2009.

Best,
A.B.

Increase Currency by Making Love

Bontrust Bank in Germany takes the idea of multiplying your money to a whole new level in the spot above. The spot shows Abe Lincoln who is on the $5-bill and the German pianist Clara Schumann who is on the 100 DM note (getting it on). Eventually they multiply aka have babies that look just like their father but everything must always must come to an end and the pretty lady on the 100 DM note falls for Chairman Mao the first president of China.

The main message that the Bontrust Bank is trying to send is that banking with them will cause your money to multiply. Multiplying is the metaphor for "getting it on." The thing I can’t quite understand is why the German agency felt the need to use the image of a well-respected American president for this creative execution? To me it is disrespectful and somewhat of a political statement. I know that they don’t like us but there is no connection between the two people they used in the ad at all except that they appear on currency. What do you guys think? Also the ad is very racy and suggestive.

Why does almost everyone think that sexually suggestive ads are worthy of a discussion, myself included of course? Starting today, May 11th I will not discuss any ads with sexual innuendo for at least two weeks. I think it will force me to find new points of discussion for every ad I post on the blog.

By the way, the agency behind the ad is, or in this cast the “agencies” Grabarz and Partner, and Optix Digital worked on the animation behind the ad.

You should also know this is another ad I discovered on Adfreak,

Best,
A.B.

Pepsi’s I’m Good

I saw the above Pepsi Max spot during last night’s Laker game against the Jazz and must admit I fell out of my chair because of laughing so hard. The ad is more of a slapstick comedy routine versus true promotion of a product. Several guys from the commercial would have severe brain damage if the ad was “real.” I should probably feel bad for finding humor in grown men hurting themselves and then quickly proclaiming, “I’m good.” But doesn’t our culture condone watching people hurt themselves for our amusement? I mean that why the ad above is so funny, right?

The ad agency is once again TBWA Chiat/Day, I seem to be discussing ads for clients they work on a lot the past few weeks. The spot apparently appeared during this years’ Superbowl but I don’t remember seeing it at all. The ad barely shows the product until the last two seconds of the commercial. Pepsi must think that they will be in the forefront of the consumer’s mind simply by being funny. Never mind that they won’t recall what product was being advertised.

As stated earlier, I seem to be discussing Chiat/Day’s work quite a bit the past few weeks. And I know that there is some great advertising out there with agencies that deserve some recognition. So if you have some campaigns or ads that you would like me to discuss please let me know.

Best,
A.B.

Cavs Playoff Proposal

I thought the spot above was extremely funny. It a parody on the Heineken commercial created by TBWA\NEBOKO in the Netherlands. Except in the Cleveland Cavaliers commercial they are screaming about shoes while the ladies in the other room are going wild about an engagement. I prefer the Cavs version a lot more then that of the beer brand. It a lot more humorous then its beer counterpart. I feel like I've seen so many beer spots that I've actully grown tired of them.

But to see a pro sports team making fun of themselves, that's not something you see everyday.

The one thing I can't find about the Cavs spot is who created it? Do the Cavs have an in-house marketing department or did they work with an outside agency?



Best,
A.B.

Sprint's Present to Twitter

The spot above created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners must have been Sprint’s gift to Twitter. What other reason could they have for giving them free product placement in their television spot that I believe is airing nationally. The spot gives a shout out to several Web 2.0 product and services such as YouTube and Google. The question is why are they doing this in a nationally aired spot? Are these other Internet companies helping pay for the spot?

I read a few blogs that claim the mobile phone network provider wanted to show that their network and can be used for more then just making phone calls on the go. Almost everybody now has a device that that makes calls, browses the net, sends email, and connects to social networks. But the question still remains, why give those other companies free advertising? The title of this post is “Sprint's Present to Twitter” and that’s because they get a name mention and their stupid birds flying all over the screen. No offense to Twitter, of course.

Usually when products and services other then the one being promoted are mentioned, they are a direct competitor and they aren’t usually mentioned in a positive light. Also, the other social networks mentioned in the spot are mentioned quickly unlike Twitter and its blue birds.

Anyway, if anyone can find solid reasoning for all these product placements in this ad please comment and I’ll thank you and link to your site on my blog if you have a site.

Best,
A.B.

TNT's Trust Me

So I've been extremely ill this weekend. I've been in my apartment pretty much the entire weekend. Since I cannot be out gallivanting around in my van due to my obnoxious cold, I decided to check out a relatively new TV show titled Trust Me. A show about the goings on of an ad agency. it revolves around the lives of 2 friends, the primary Art Director and Copywriter at RGM, the fictional ad agency. It shows how the two main characters balance their careers, private live, and friendship with each other. The main rival is the ARC Mobile account that is constantly in jeopardy of being lost.

I think this is a great show for cable television, I appreciate it a bit more then Mad Men the show on AMC. Mad Men gives the me the feeling that I'm watching a show that provides a cultural analysis of the 50s. Maybe be how men and women interacted with each other at that time and advertising is simply a secondary story line. Trust me is the show for the year 2009. I feel it reveals more of the business side of advertising as it is today and it actually focuses on "Advertising." Advertising is what we are all here for, I am sure everyone agrees.

The one thing I would change about the show is how TNT decided to present it online. In my opinion their video streaming technology is sub par and they should have simply authorized Hulu to show it online. The site is a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp.

Anyway, I still like the show. I get to be inside of an ad agency even if it is just on TV.

Best,
A.B.

Viagra in the Mid-East

A couple of days ago I thought of an ad I once saw in Saudi Arabia many years ago (2002, I think). So, trying to be the best ad blogger I could be, I tried to find that particular TV commercial. The commercial I saw was a spot for Viagra but even that I am not sure of. All I know for sure is that it was a commercial promoting some erectile dysfunction medication.

Now before I tell you about the commercial you should know that television in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general is highly censored. You should also know that I can’t recall every exact detail of the commercial but I do remember the important points of the spot. The spot involved a vending machine and some Saudi dollars not being accepted by the machine until they get some Viagra.

The main point I am trying to make with this story is that in countries like Saudi Arabia and others in the Mid-East agencies must be very clever and creative to get around cultural taboos. It is not permitted to display affection between the sexes like what is shown in Western media. Therefore, to make people understand the message of the Viagra commercial, the message is often cloaked in metaphor.

Now I could never find the spot involving the dollars and the vending machine but I found another spot involving fast food soda cups and straws. Please remember I saw the vending machine spot many years ago. It’s a similar idea in that Viagra gets its point across without using men or women only inanimate objects.



I Believe the ad agency is Young & Rubicam, Jeddah, but I am not certain how accurate that information is.

Best,
A.B.

Australian Cancer PSA

I ran across a rap music video on cancer of all things. I discovered the piece on another advertising blog and thought I should share some of my opinions on the video. Oh and by the way that other blog I follow is adfreak.



As you can probably tell it is a Youtube video, the title on YouTube claims that it was too hot for TV. The music video was made by Australian rapper Al Bino as a PSA, as a reminder to protect yourself from the sun. It is currently summer time down under. According to adfreak the video was meant as a PSA.

But why would the music video be too hot for TV I wonder? The video did feature a vile looking sore with hideous teeth singing about the dangers of the sun. Was it too graphic for Australian TV? Would this have passed the Federal Communications Commission’s standards (FCC)?

I think the video will serve its purpose and that is to help young people remember to protect themselves from the sun? The graphic images will definitely grab their attention. So why not show it on TV?

Best,
A.B.