Gentlemen Take Control of Your Facial Hair!

That's what Schick is advocating these days with their clever new ads showcasing men with "squirrel beards."

Schick's "Free Your Skin" campaign, which takes a bold anti-beard stance in this golden age of hirsute ruggedness is pretty darn neat and probably aimed at agency co-workers of mine!

LG Ad Series Features "Real Mom Talk"

LG has come up with a clever campaign that allows real moms to tell it like it is. The new multimedia campaign focuses on what moms really think as they are encouraged to vent their feelings about what goes on in their daily lives.

The new campaign called, "Mom's Inner Voice," includes video and a social campaign leveraging the hashtag #MomConfessions.

The Ballerinas Have Spoken

These days, you just never know who you will offend when you're creating what you think is good advertising.

Free People Clothing created a spot highlighting their beautiful ballerina style clothing and pointe shoes, but the professionally-trained ballet community has an issue with the model chosen for the ad, saying she's obviously not an experienced dancer.

Because of the beauty of ballet you tend to forget its sportsmanship that requires discipline and superior physique. Nonetheless, it's a great ad and I'm sure some of the viewers will just see it for what it is.

BMW's Car Commercial Remix

A series of new BMW ads push car advertising to another level. Ad Week describes it as self-glorifying narration over footage of a luxury car in the desert—and somehow still turn them into something beautifully compelling.

 Van Sant, best known for his Oscar-nominated directing of Hollywood hits Good Will Hunting and Milk, created three new spots for BMW's upcoming plug-in hybrid, the i8.

These ads bring some new perspective to the age-old images of a cutting-edge automobile tearing across barren wastelands. 

Take a look.

 

Take a Swig from a Honda Car's Exhaust Pipe

Yep, they said it and here's why! Honda is making big strides in producing energy and fuel efficient cars that are more green.

Their latest creation, the Honda FCX is the first compressed hydrogen-powered car that runs so clean, you can drink the water from the exhaust.


"They're calling it the most important car, since the invention of the car." I think they might be right!

Take a look at this ad featuring Leo Burnett Melbourne's work.

You Are What You Share!

Neat video, "You are What you Share," from the seemingly anti-social site, state.com. Their mantra is "Quickly state about whatever matters to you, get counted, and connect to like-minded people around the world. No need for hashtags, followers or fame."

Take a look at this video that shows how social media is pretty much taking over our lives. The main moral of this video, stop bragging, start living and use a different part of your brain.

Pretty darn cool!

Cadillac and Spike/DDB Tell A Story About a Brand and a Mother

Spike Lee Proves yet again that not only is he a film genius, but he's showing his strength in the marketing game.

Some of you heard the story on Good Morning America about Teddy Bridgewater. Talented, young football player who made a promise to his mom to buy her a pink Cadillac once he made it to the NFL. Well Teddy made it and he fulfilled his promise to his Mom the week before Mother's Day on national television.

Cadillac teamed up with Spike/DDB Needham to tell Teddy and Rose's story in a short ad film entitled, "Cadillac Presents A Promise to Rose." Great example of successful brand story. Check it out!

CB2 Uses Pinterest to Build Brand Momentum

CB2 has done its homework and found that most of its online visitors come from Pinterest. So, they got to work and created a Pinterest promotion that incorporates social, high level design from top industry designers with huge Pinterest followings and their very own products.

CB2 is allowing Pinterest users to weigh in on decorating a NYC apartment through a promotion called APT CB2. They have enlisted the help of five top notch designers with Pinterest popularity to help decorate the apartment with items from the store. Pinterest users will vote to determine the winner.

This will be the first time an apartment is being designed through Pinterest in real-time.

Last Year at "Brand" Camp

That's what big brands like Ford, Visa and Samsung will be saying next year when they become the master content generators.

In a big push to increase a viable sales outlet, Google-owned YouTube has set its sights on pushing the quality of video content generation with the help of big brand advertising dollars. They are pushing for a large share of the $68billion US advertising dollars up for grabs in the media world.

YouTube has created "Brand Camp," an organized boot came that teaches advertisers how to become better content generators. Brands can pay for distribution, but if their content is good, users will share it and that's free.

Take a look at YouTube's State of the Art LA Studio Space

Agency Hires Stalker for Intern Candidates

Just when you thought the Ad business couldn't get any crazier, it gets even crazier.
A New York Ad Agency has found a way to creep out potential interns by hiring a man they call "Donald Buscando."

Donald visits the LinkedIn profiles of potential talent and once they see that he has taken a peek into their personal page, they find out Donald's real purpose.

Take a look at the video.

Dove's Quest to Own Beauty Category Takes a New Twist

It seems the world of Advertising is shifting towards even more of a scientific psychological and sociological approach. Dove continues to push to own "beauty" with its new "Patches" campaign, part of the "Campaign for Real Beauty," that highlights women being tricked into thinking they are wearing pharmaceutical patches that will make them feel more beautiful. A seasoned Psychologist talks with the women about their insecurities and provides them with the patch to start them on their journey to increased self esteem.

Critics aren't happy over this ad because they feel its more about Dove branding than women's self-esteem. I question the intent of the any brand trying to sell a product vs. the true humanity of the consumer target.

Take a look and judge for yourself.

I "Heart" J. Crew

Open letters still work to get consumers what they want. Last August, freelance writer Jenni Avins penned a passionate plea  in New York magazine's The Cut blog, asking J. Crew to bring back its scoop back tank swimsuit. 

"What I want is smooth, taut fabric that stretches from my shoulders over my chest and ribcage, with hip-high leg holes and an open back to expose my skin to sand, sunshine, and seawater. I want it available in evocatively named colors like hibiscus, marine, and bottle green (in black, it's simply unstoppable.)"

The letter touched the fashionable heart of J. Crew creative director Jenna Lyons, who immediately responded, saying she'd see what she could do. A few months later Lyons announced the swimsuit return in a two-page New York ad with a sassy, handwritten note that reads, "Dear Ms. Avins, Your wish is my command ... within reason. XO Jenna."

It's an excellent example of a brand listening to and responding to the wishes of a loyal customer.

Graham Crackers Stir Up Controversy & Love

Who ever thought a wholesome snack like graham crackers could stir up so much controversy? I'm sure you've seen it by now, the campaign for Honey Maid, that offered a simple, healthy feel showing smiling families holding hands and playing together.

But the ad took a turn, for what a small percentage would call the worse, when they highlighted biracial and gay families. After receiving a flood of hate-filled comments, Honey Maid did what I would expect any smart marketer to do, stand firm on what they advertise.

Take a look at the original commercial and then what happened next. It's all about LOVE.

Veet Hair Removal Ad Gets Axed

The Veet ad featuring the surprisingly hairy man and his/her boyfriend having an early morning conversation about shaving has already been removed.

I thought it was a cute play on your boyfriend's view on those days when you should have waxed but didn't. The 30-second commercial features a couple peacefully sleeping in bed. A clean-shaven man wakes up, shocked, next to a hairy guy with a woman's voice — meant to imply that women should shave to avoid looking like hairy dudes.

Check out the ad and also the tweets from the naysayers.

Resumes Gone Wild

The ever-changing job market is getting quite competitive, so those who can think outside of the box when it comes to snagging their dream gig will win the prize.

Here's a great example of putting your creativity to work, Crystal Nunn applied for a junior designer position at We are Social in London and snagged the job thanks to a batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

Nunn, an avid baker, prepared a batch of cookies using ingredients from Beyond Dark chocolate, a brand co-founded by We Are Social creative director James Nester. She designed a special box for the goodies labeled "Beyond Ideas," attached a thumb-drive containing her traditional résumé and portfolio, and hand-delivered the package in a brown wrapper marked "Urgent." Within an hour, We Are Social contacted Nunn for an interview and i think you know how the story ends. She got the job!

Genius and Revealing Campaign from Dermablend Professional

Dermablend Professional hit the strategic mark with the unveiling of its new campaign that allows real women to talk about why they use their product.

Typical makeup ads have a hard time inspiring the "every day woman" who is looking for cosmetic products to help her look her best, but within the confines of aspirational goals due to the use of celebrity endorsers or professional models who have professional style teams.

These ads do the opposite, as the featured women, who have some form of a skin condition, tell stories about why they began using makeup to cover up, but now use it as a tool for self expression.

The emotional testimonials make a simple claim that Dermablend's conealing products don't allow them to hide, but allows them to reveal who they truly are.

Take a look!

The Selfie Slimmer

Seems like "Selfies" are growing into a life all their own and now developers are helping indulgers who take selfies seriously make them as perfect as they can be.

SkinneePix created by a female-led company called Pretty Smart Women, says the app can shave five to fiften pounds off that bloated iPhone self-portrait.

I downloaded it for $.99 and didn't really see a difference but I would be interested to see how it works for others.

I figure a little techie slimming tactics never hurt anyone!

Amazon Debuts New Internet Based TV Option

Options for TV watchers continue to grow outside of cable thanks to the entree of Amazon's new Amazon Fire TV. The Internet-connected set-top box which allows for voice search, was announced during an official launch event today in NYC. The product features are said to surpass both Apple TV and Xbox One and Roku.

Keep an eye out for the official release date to the public.

Don't Call It a Comeback! Just a Cute Response from the "Real Ronald McDonald"

In case you missed the "real" Ronald McDonald's response to Taco Bell's clever breakfast ad campaign, here you are!

 "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," it said, next to a photo of Ronnie petting a Chihuahua.

McDonald's Continues to Push Added Value Breakfast Menu Items

You can always count on the Golden Arches to fight to remain number one in the fast food category. By now, we've all heard about Taco Bell's smart campaign strategy where they hired a bunch of real-life Ronald McDonald's to promote their new breakfast menu offerings.

McDonald's had its say, but now they're moving on to push their McCafe offering even further by offering breakfast customers a free small coffee for the next two weeks. This time, they've got their eye on market share from Starbucks coffee customers.

Let's see how this ends up making an impact on yet another steady revenue margin for the fast food giant.

Kit Kat Takes "Give Me a Break" to Another Level

Kit Kat is famous for its ability to snap off a piece of candy as you eat each piece but now they're taking it to another level. They have created a Lego concept candy product that let's you pull apart the pieces of chocolate to find hidden Lego pieces inside the bars of chocolate.

Once you eat the chocolate, you create whatever Lego masterpiece you dream up.

Taco Bell Enters Breakfast Market with Clever Twist

What do you do when you're a fast food Mexican chain breaking into an over saturated breakfast category? You go all Ronald McDonald on them!

OK, seriously, Taco Bell got it right when they decided to launch their new breakfast offering and advertise it with a clever twist. In order to build buzz, they found a bunch of real-life Ronald McDonald's and filmed commercials with them trying the new "A.M. Crunchwrap and Sausage Flatbread Melt."

Sounds like an opportunity for a great two-way battle campaign between McDonald's and Taco Bell.

Life Just Got Sweeter in NYC

Only in New York City could you find a "Cupcake ATM." Yes, it's true, if you're craving a pretty cupcake pastry, track down one of these calorie filled ATMs.

New York's first Cupcake ATM, can hold 760 cupcakes at a time in 20 different varieties, is located next to the Sprinkles Cupcakes bakery on the Upper East Side.

The cupcakes cost $4.25 each in flavors like red velvet, Cuban coffee, banana dark chocolate and cinnamon sugar. You can also get two special mini cupcakes designed for your dog for $5.

Pepsi Makes Bus Shelter a Sci-Fi Thriller

The Marketers at Pepsi are obviously having a blast!

They came up with this clever way to capture a "waiting" audience's attention by creating end of the world scenes in plain view.

Bus-shelter promotions are gaining momentum and it looks like Pepsi may win over more fans with this stunt.

Take a look.

Personalized Newscaster

Broadcast radio and newspapers around the globe have had a tough time trying to remain relevant and continue the levels of advertising revenue they've been used to for so many years.

Tribune has found a way to leverage technology to keep it's audience informed, but on their own terms. They've built an app that allows users to personalize their news choices, reach them while they're on the go and actually read the stories to them - on their own terms.

Not a bad idea, but we will see how this works for them. There's lots of clutter in the media space fighting for our attention.

Wearable Technology - It's Here!

The world of technology is developing at lightening speed. Android Wearable Technology is opening new opportunities for developers to enable us to incorporate technology into the items we wear everyday.

Take a look at this video.

Pizza Gone High Tech

Build Your Own Computer Generated Pizza

That's right. Pizza Hut unveiled a new Concept Table that allows you assemble your pizza one ingredient at a time all via technology.

You no longer have to go through your waiter to place your order, you can do it all on your own. Once you're done placing your order, you can play games while you wait.

Not sure if I want to go high tech with my pizza experience but glad it's an option.

Arm Pit of America - Really Dove?

New Jersey Billboard Backfires on Dove

Unilever's Dove marketers thought they were doing a good thing by "creating an opportunity" for New Jersey to redefine its reputation for being the "Armpit of America."

While Unilever executives thought the ad was clever, New Jersey residents thought the ad was the pits - literally. 

That's How They Roll...The Bourbon Life

Woodstock Bourbon is allowing the folks in its hometown, Woodstock Kentucky to clearly illustrate, "how they roll."

The ad, while pretty funny, gets the point across that good, barrel-aged, bourbon should be rolled on a consistent basis. Although a bit exaggerated, what better way to illustrate this tradition than by having real, authentic Kentucky folks integrated into the way the product comes to life.

Ikea Does Big Things with Small Spaces

Ikea continues to demonstrate they get it. They really get it.

They've come up with a clever ad that reinforces their entire business model - making the most of small spaces.

German ad agency "Thjnk" and "Production Studio I" teamed up to create Ikea's RGB Billboard, which makes the most of limited space. It's all in German, so look at the sub titles.

Pretty clever. Check it out!

Coke Says...Don't Like It, Love It!

Life that is...

After two clever commercials that send a message of "Anti Social Media," well, sort of, Coke is challenging us to live life and essentially stay away from Social Media!

Last week I posted Coke's video that provided a human "dog collar" solution for staying off Social Media. This week, it's all about not settling for "liking" your life but loving it.

I think the ads are clever, but if you're going to go down the road of living life authentically, I'm not sure that includes having a Coke!. Just saying.

Can't wait to see what they've planned for next week.

Great Song and Singing Cats - That's Advertising!

Every now and then we need an ad that really isn't an ad. Does that make sense?

The British mobile network has the most fun-loving advertising slogan around: "We all need silly stuff." And Wieden + Kennedy in London makes the most of that promisingly vague positioning. 

Now, it's time for the singing cat.

Check out the video and when you're done, you can upload your own picture and start in your own music video.

Work Space Evolution

As the Ad World pushes to become more collaborative, work spaces continue to shed big offices for management and siloed cubes for other team members.

The Barbarian Group has created probably one of the coolest spaces and a desk is at the center of it all.

The "Superdesk," as they call it, is a 4,400 square foot desk that is literally shared by everyone in the company.

Take a look at how it all came together for them. It's all about Collaboration!

Coke's On a Mission to Save the World from Social Media Overload

Coke is using the one thing they want to keep us from to spread the message that we all could use a bit more time away from Social Media and our mobile devices.

They've come up with this clever ad that highlights a fake product (for now) called the "Social Media Guard." It's a human-sized, Coke-red, dog collar that keeps you from checking your phone every few seconds. But of course you can still drink a Coke!

Great concept and catchy. I predict they will start selling the "Social Media Guard" soon.

 

I'm All for Inspiration

Thanks to Lacoste We Can "Live Beautifully"

With the hectic lives we lead today, who doesn't need a bit more inspiration. Lacoste launched their tumblr site today, which intertwines their ultra preppy clothing with lifestyle moments to match.

I think it's awesome!

Check it out!

 http://lacoste.tumblr.com/

Is Big Brother Tracking Your Every Move? Literally?

Not sure if you can call it "Big Brother" but Nike+ FuelBand is providing its users with a year in review of sorts, but for fitness.

The FuelBand gives you a snapshot of your year, hopefully filled with personal activity, I said hopefully!

But if you find you're not quite where you want to be, they give you the ability to use your chart for inspiration to get you moving again.

LOVE! This Ad!

Click here and you'll see why. Happy Valentine's Day!

Energy Efficient Bulbs Never Looked Better

Ikea found a clever way to bring an eco-friendly commodity - energy-efficient LED lightbulbs to life. After watching the spot, you actually feel inspired to fill your home with these bulbs of the future.
Ikea created the video to build awareness around their plans to sell only energy-efficient bulbs by 2016. Sustainability is all the rage and Ikea will be a leader in the space.

Check it out!

The One Hour Agency

Instant Ideas or Strategic Way to Work?

"One Hour Agency" in Sweden promises to give their clients great ideas in just one hour. The brainchild of interactive art directors Ben Langeveld and Ingmar Larsen want just 60 minutes of your time. "You give us one hour. We generate quality ideas," they say.

They believe 60 minutes is plenty of time to "build relationships by showing how you work, who you are and what you can do."

OHA has a handy pie-chart that breaks down the first hour: 10 minutes each for greetings, evaluation and presentation, and 30 minutes for ideation. That's pretty packed. 

 http://www.onehouragency.com

Home Depot Strengthens e-commerce Efforts

Ready to order your home repair supplies online? The Home Depot thinks you are.



Avoid the huge big box retailer and order your supplies from the comfort of your own home. With Amazon on the tails of all big and small retailer chains, THD must remain competitive. Should be interesting.





Fulfillment/Delivery - Home Depot opens the first of three e-commerce fulfillment centers - Internet Retailer

Heineken's "Date in a Box" Promo

Are you Ready for Valentine's Day?

If not, you should tap into the new social-media campaign created by Wieden + Kennedy for Heineken.

Starting tomorrow, you can tweet at @Heineken_US to request a #DateInABox—which is an actually red, glittery vault containing a certificate for a prearranged date for two. (Examples include "a jujitsu lesson for two, couples' tattoos and an improv class.")

But there's a catch, in order to get the code to unlock the vault, the guy in the relationship must publicly share a picture of the #DateInABox on Instagram.

Get your Guy to post and try the promotion. Let me know how it works for you!

Happy Almost "V" Day!

Long Live the French!!

French Beauty Prevails

You've got to love the French when it comes to making a statement. In this case, it's a beautiful statement.

French Artists began a series entitled "OMG, Who Stole My Ads?" that allowed them to replace 22,000 ads with classical paintings.

They've shared inspiration everywhere, including train stations, outdoor billboards and neighborhoods. Classically French!

Check it out! Oui Oui!

http://www.fubiz.net/2014/02/07/artist-replaces-billboard-with-art-in-paris/

 

Fashion Week Picks for Marketers

In honor of fashion week, I will post some high fashion inspiration that totally cool marketers could wear. Because we're creative minded folks, I think we should stretch the limits a bit to make a statement with our clothing.

Conversation wardrobe pieces are a must when trying to keep things interesting with your clients and teammates.

Amazon Flow - New iPhone App

Amazon continues to take over the world with "Flow."Last week they released an updated iPhone app that allows users to find items within their online store by simply holding the item in front of the iPhone camera.

Once the camera identifies the product, it updates your shopping list in just seconds and you can complete your purchase from there.

Video Credit
Marin - Into Mobile

Google Glass is Awesome!!!

Augmented reality is finally accessible to the masses. I got to test out the latest Google invention, Google Glass and it's pretty darn cool. The lightweight headset is a wearable computer that allows you to get directions, play music, take pictures and connect to any other smart device.

You can even get a full-framed version if you're a prescription eyeglass wearer. My favorite feature is its compatibility with Apple. 

Retails at $2,999, $1,500 if you attend a "Google Glass" event and ask to purchase at the event Photo Booth. Set to release to consumers this month.

Social Currency on the Rise

Do you Tweet or post on FB? Your tweets and posts could bring you
good fortune as top retailers find new ways to market their products.

This weekend, Marc Jacobs is getting press buzz for setting up a "Pop Up
Tweet Shop" that will invite shoppers to see all of the latest "Daisy"
line products and tweet about them.

Once you tweet or post, you walk out with nice gifts to suit any fashionista's taste.
Love how the tide is changing giving consumers more say in their top product picks
than ever before.

Retailer Technology

The New Retail Experience

We've heard about Apple's new "iBeacon " technology that allows shoppers to get more information on their product picks at the Point of Sale. Now there's more room for digital offerings in the retail marketplace thanks to "BitTag."(http://www.bittag.net)

Some of you may be wondering, "what is a Bitcoin?" It's a digital currency that was created to control the creation and transfer of money. Although created in 2009, Bitcoin's don't come to light much in the brick and mortar retailer space, mainly because before now, it had no need to. But now, in order to compete with the likes of Amazon, retailers will be challenged to find new ways to align their in-store shopping experiences with their online offerings.


Here's how it works...

1.  A physical price tag is placed on the product and updates itself automatically. The hardware shows the name of the product, price in real currency and cost in Bitcoin. Think of Bitcoin as a new universe that allows product prices to fluctuate based on different variables.
2. The tag is managed by the retailer using an iPad app. Once you're ready to purchase, you simply shake the tag, which enables a QR code. Once you scan the code, you can complete your transaction.

This technology should stay on your radar as technology continues to change the way retailers sell their goods and shoppers purchase them.

Facebook - A Look Back

Most of you know Facebook celebrated its 10 year anniversary yesterday. From a marketer's perspective we think of Facebook as a tool that connects people, but most importantly, they collect data that helps to model consumers more precisely and leverage it to gain clout in the digital community.

When I saw the "A Look Back" posts shared by many of my friends, I thought, "Facebook is up to it again." Getting people to emotionally connect to the brand, which has been the guardian of many of their life moments. It's a smart move and I must say it makes you want to spend another 10 years sharing, laughing and posting political satire with your friends - or so called friends.

Yes it is great marketing and could help to prolong the mass move to another popular social vehicle, but for now, I will enjoy my "A Look Back" page.

Superbowl Ad Letdown

The unofficial American sports holiday is over and unfortunately, there isn't much to talk about.

The obvious winner was Budweiser's Puppy love and the social stats were off the charts with more than 23million views and 400,000 social shares.

One of my picks for worst ad was Squarespace, the new website solution that totally rocks.  In my opinion, they wasted their coveted ad spend on a lackluster commercial that did not show the true beauty of their product.

If you've been on their site, you have seen all of the beautiful templates they have for the novice website builder. squarespace.com

No Bueno Square Space. Better luck next year!

Superbowl Ad Review

If you'd like to check out all of the Superbowl ads that ran tonight click on this link.

http://adsoftheworld.com/taxonomy/awards/super_bowl_2014

My Top Superbowl Picks...So Far

1. Tim Tebow T-Mobile - His agent is brilliant! Promoting what he's been doing all year will get him his next contract. Strategic.  
2. M&Ms - Candy commercials should be silly. The end. 
3. Beats Music w/Ellen - Great story showing how to use the product. How can you lose with Ellen?
4. Chevy - They didn't show a car the whole time but we get it.. they're part of the American DNA - everyday. 
5. COCA COLA - They Get it!! One soft drink, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 

It's Superbowl Eve!

It's Superbowl Eve!

The one night out of the year when everyone gets to be the "Ad Expert." I'm looking forward to seeing all of the ads tomorrow night, good or bad, but I have to admit, I took a sneak peek to see if there were any standouts, and so far, I've found one.

This controversial Cheerios ad is back despite some of the feedback from a few negative folks who don't believe in colorblind love.

Take a peek!

North Star for Inspiration

Hello There!

Thanks for checking out my new blog about the world of advertising and marketing from my perspective. I eat, sleep and breathe marketing and see something relevant to my work life just about everyday, so I thought it would be good to share.

My goal is to build a community of "like-minded" folks who recognize that marketing is a lifestyle. You don't shut down after you leave the office or log off your computer, you see everything in a different way - that's if you're paying attention.

I took this picture during a recent innovation trip to NYC. This image signifies all we hope and dream for - the North Star. In that one NYC block, I found so many things that inspired me and that's what I love about taking the time to observe my surroundings. A wealth of excitement is all around us!