Adland

You said “Til death do us part.” You’re not dead yet.
http://rescuemarriage.org/ have decided to tackle the issue raised by last years Proposition 8 by doing the classic "zig-zag" Luke Sullivan favors. If those who argued for Proposition 8 last year were saying that gay marriage should be banned because it ruins the sanctity of marriage and the family unit - then clearly divorce must be made illegal in California. Zing! In order to get this proposed voter initiative on the 2010 ballot, supporters of the initiative must collect nearly 700,000 signatures in order to qualify it for a vote.

Two talking head PSA's in the style we're so used to have been created and are currently making the rounds. On the site rescuemarriage.org you can pick up banners, t-shirts and help rally support in various ways as well as keep up with all the press mentions. The site is done entirely with a straight face, and I must say: well played sir.

Paranoid US Directors AB/CD/CD Create the First In-Theater Live Advertisement
AB/CD/CD collaborated with agency Johannes Leonardo NY on an ad that paired a live performance with live action footage for the retailer, Daffy’s. The directorial collective, a recent addition to the Paranoid US roster, conceived an entertaining scenario that encompassed the agency’s vision in relation to the screen.
“The agency wanted direction that captured a new, fresh style. AB/CD/CD was a perfect choice as they pulled from their extensive music video background and trendsetting lifestyle”, said Producer Janice Biggs. The collective recently directed Lily Allen’s “Fuck You” and brought a similar upbeat mindset with strong color palette, scheme, and casting.
This new take on an advertisement was a challenge in more ways than one. While the production crew was given a two-month execution time, they ended up with three jobs on their hands: a stage production, a multi-camera shoot and the task of synthesizing the two.
Additionally, costume and choreography played an essential role in AB/CD/CD’s cutting-edge concept. With a synchronized dance arrangement incorporating layers of clothing, the directors and designers paid significant attention to costumes that impacted the way the dancers moved. Choreographer Noemie Lafrance, a frequent contributor on Feist’s music videos, brought a professional artistry, concentrating significantly on timing and demanding rehearsals.
The performance ran at The Ziegfeld Theater in Manhattan in late October, most recently October 30 and 31.

To be honest, I don't think this is much of a Badlander, but I hafta keep up my title of most hated person on the ad-intarwebs in order to keep my rightful place on your dart boards, so here ya go.

The recently released HiFi-klubben hamster ad created by Lowe Brindfors, Stockholm and shot by Bacon, Copenhagen has been accused in emails to the hostmaster of borrowing its murderous hamster legs from G4/Midnight Spank. Lets watch, shall we. Get the the popcorn.

And, as it aired back in April, the G4 midnight spank from BBDO/ New York and shot by Daniel Kleinman at Kleinman Productions.

Fair enough, they both have deadly hamsters in it. Had they been white bunny rabbits with pointy teeth the Rabbit of Caerbannog comparisons would never end. What do you think, total coincidence or borrowed idea?

This spot , directed by Johnny Kelly of Nexus for Cole & Weber United & IOC, uses stop motion to animate hundreds of individual paper collages, each hand-cut and torn. In one continuous shot, we are taken on a journey as each Olympic symbol seamlessly segues into the other. Plus the flute music reminded me of the whistling in "Five Years Time" from Noah and the whale so now I'm humming that song. damn earring that one

Techcrunch sounds the alarm regarding those shady shady games online: Scamville: The Social Gaming Ecosystem Of Hell

....And some users aren’t dumb, either. For every user who gets tricked into some fake mobile subscription, there’s another who can beat the system. That’s where the legitimate advertisers, like Netflix and Blockbuster, get hit. Users sign up for a free trial with a credit card, get their game currency, then cancel the membership and start over. Netflix has a policy of only paying for a user once. But game developers use a complex set of partner chains to launder these leads and try to get them through for payment. Netflix sees an overall lowering of quality and pays less for leads. Game developers, desperate to monetize, then search for ever more questionable offers to make up the difference. In the end, the decent advertisers are out, and only the worst of the worst remain.
Left alone, the system really will slide into a full blown disaster.

Techcrunch is right, and advertisers should take a good long look at this before we "let it go" unchecked like we did with email marketing in the nineties. We all know how well that turned out. The techcrunch post has many updates and extra links - check it.

Watch Anu Shukla from Offerpal Media responds to Michael Arrington's questions that were challenges the ethics of virtual goods offer providers at the VG summit Oct. 24th 2009. "We should get some advertisers here next year" they say, yes, they should.

When BARS+TONE Productions were set to change locations, they decided to leave not with a whimper but with a proper KABLOOEY-bang, and blew up their old offices.

"The office building at 550 Bryant Street exploded after charges were set off. In the wake of the destruction it was discovered that BARS+TONE, the former tenant of the building, demolished the property to leave no trace of its move to a new location. The explosion and escape were caught on film, but no charges have been filed at this time."

Of course, it's all the magic of film and not real, but the people of Bars+Tone are strutting their stuff in sleek black outfits and riding motorcycles in mock Hollywood chases down the streets. Makes you wish you worked there doesn't it?

This evening a new 90 Guinness spot premiered on UK telly. A spot that had a "rocket scientist" on set working with the special effects team. A shoot that got so cold at one point while shooting the forest scenes in Canada, -30 degrees Celsius, that some of the trees actually snapped. "It took 45 women, 6 days to hand stitch the artificial grass" the trivia sheet doesn't mention how long it would have taken had they used men. (hardyharhar).

Yes, it's a move away from ‘Good Things Come to Those Who Wait’, and it's not Noitulove, in ‘World’ hard working men bring the world to life in visuals that echo that surge and settle motion seen in a glass of the black gold after its poured.
Marketing Manager, Paul Cornell said; “To mark the start of the Bring it to Life era, we wanted to create a truly amazing campaign which will graphically illustrate the life, energy and passion of the brand, its drinkers and found within every great tasting pint of Guinness.”.

Guinness launches its most ambitious ad yet. In a parallel with the way a pint of Guinness is created, the ad shows a group of men bringing "a world to life."
Taking on the extreme challenge of creating this epic ad, Director Johnny Green recruited an elite team including Oscar winning set designer Grant Major and Oscar nominated Director of Photography Wally Pfisher.

Green comments; “This was one of the toughest and most exciting shoots I have worked on. The locations were so remote and extreme that it took days to even get to the site. From high altitudes to underwater shoots, freezing temperatures of -30 combined with the burning glare of the sun off of the snow, every element brought its own unique challenge. With only three weeks of shooting the team pulled together to create this incredible piece of work.”

This PSA is making waves in Canada as part of a new campaign to demand action from Canada’s Prime Minister at the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen. I hate to say that kids joining en masse in demonstrations reminds me of the punk-soundtracked ad for KPA Pension stop talking, but there you go, it does. Not surprising that the same thought forms the base-idea for two ads, after all there is an old saying that we only borrow the earth from our children.

Wanna drive your dream car? You can now.

In this spot you'll find a wide variety of beautiful cars waiting for you with an open door, in the end, all you have to do is pick one.

This ad airs in the following markets - US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan...Media Buying is handled by Universal McCann.

A unique opportunity to consummate the car lust that has been building up inside all of us since we were kids. It’s a siren song that calls us headfirst into the world of all things motorsport, and it must be answered. Because whether you’re a racer, tuner, painter, designer or just someone who straight up loves cars, there is something waiting inside this game that will fuel your passion.