Hey, it's almost Friday!

In honor of that fact, here is an ad series that made me laugh (continuously, helplessly, publicly). Perhaps my sense of humor leaves something to be desired, but I found these ingenious and enjoyable. Created by Ogilvy Brazil, found on AdFreak.

Dour Recession-Era Fashion Ads

I recently discovered these ads for Tim Hamilton's debut women's collection on the independent style hub Refinery 29. The refinery ladies admit to swooning over the upcoming colection, and describe the threads as "dark, mysterious, and gorgeously reminiscent of the sharp tailoring and bold approach the designer has infused in his menswear". I agree that this is an apt decsription for the collection as presented on Hamilton's website (in fact, the collection is an arresting tour de force: bold shapes and fearless tailoring, with delightful Sphinx-wink touches of the ludicrous). More's the pity that the choice of model, lighting and styling for the above ensures that these ads are dull, oppressive and immature. Black fabric is notoriously difficult to photograph, and the monotone background does nothing to engage the audience visually. These neither showcase the product nor do justice to Hamilton's skill in design and execution. The result is merely a sullen, uninspiring cliché.

First Outdoor Graffiti Museum

Public Relations was recognized for the first time at Cannes this year, and for those who lapse into thinking that the sole functions of PR are to draft press releases and field phone calls, this should be a wake-up call. I'm a bit late to the party, but luckily AdRants archived a few of the best efforts submitted at Cannes. A particular favorite of mine is the Museu Efemero. This unconventional, open-air museum is composed of various streets of a Lisbon arts district, Bairro Alto. The Pampero Fundación heard that the area was going to be repurposed and the walls painted over with no discrimination between vandalism and art. The Fundación converted the area into the Museu Efemero, in which visitors walk between specifically catalogued examples of street-art accompanied by a map and free audio guide (download at museuefemero.com). The effort was launched in conjunction with Pampero rum, and has generated widespread brand awareness and attracted interest in the rum, the Fundación, and the value of street art. Who knew PR could do so much? Video below chronicles the process.

Wanted: Hand Model

This terrifying ad is pasted on a billboard beside north-bound I35 in Austin. Evey time I see it I wonder where in the world the ad people found that yeti, and why they shaved its hand, painted its nails and photographed it groping a pineapple. Or it's some awful Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario: a real hand reproduced horribly wrong.
The limping execution aside, I am also unsure WHYY they thought the inclusion of a hand was appropriate in the first place. Even if the hand was, I don't know, proportionate and realistic, I would still be put off by the idea that someone had had their hand all over the pineapple used to make my drink.

Just sayin', SKYY.

A Sizzlin' Summer Scorcher

These ads are succinct, evocative and clever. It is forcasted to reach 104 F here in the Dallas area and this ad was instantly appealing because of the subject matter.

Incidentally, Ads of the World is also a a great site for those interested in seeing marketing efforts from around the world.

I Could Be Next

Always lowest on the totem pole, the position of intern can be a nerve-wracking one. Witness this: Crispin, Porter + Bogusky is selling the services of their interns on eBay! Advertising Age gives more details to satisfy your morbid curiosity:

It seems a bit counterintuitive to farm out your own talent, but Mr. Bogusky said he doesn't really see it that way. Each year, the interns work for Crispin clients, but a portion of their time is carved out to work on special assignments that are typically pro bono. Now they'll just work on this instead. "It would be great if the high bidder is a cause-related thing," Mr. Bogusky said. Who isn't welcome? The likes of Pizza Hut and Philip Morris. The fine print on the online auction page states that Crispin, which works for Domino's, "reserves the right to decline services in the event of a conflict with any of our existing clients or for any other reason (like if you sell cigarettes) in our sole discretion."

On second thought, I really like the idea. Publicity for CP+B, potentially interesting work for the interns and an interesting experiment that will show what interns should be paid (Although if the $5,400 is going to be divided between the 28 interns, I'm getting paid more than they are at the moment!).

Baby Boom

The world has been infected by extreme precious-ness, judging by the success of the E*Trade babies and efforts like the shamelessly adorable (I check it regularly) mymilktoof.blogspot.com. Now Evian is jumping on the wagon with a commercial featuring roller-skating, computer-animated babies. See for yourself.