Big Red, For Better or Worse

My House episodes on Hulu are periodically interrupted by a Verizon Wireless commercial that seems to have the theme of "better with Big Red" (you can view the commercial at AdFreak here). Initially, I placed the spot at approximately the level of Diesel's "Be Stupid" campaign and couldn't imagine who the commercial appealed to. Not only is the jingle a ferocious ear-worm, the commercial seemed to send a message that is, um, pathetic. The kids are stuck on the phone at the campsite rather than participating in what is going on around them, the porter makes his "boring job much better" and you can "download stupid stuff much better" with Big Red (and Verizon is now Big Red? Seriously?). I find advertising that implies--or asserts!--that its audience/consumers are idiots incomprehensible. I reason that if users of a certain product or service are idiots by the company's own admission, then it's better to self-select out of that group. The Verizon users in the spot do seem like people I'd rather avoid, on the level of people who text during dinner parties or who are on their phones in museums. I was ready to mute my computer during the commercial's Hulu interruptions and condemn Verizon to ad purgatory.

Luckily, I decided to do a bit of research to determine if the "Better with Big Red" spot was truly as bad as it appears. Imagine my surprise when I discovered what has probably been obvious to my older readers from the beginning: the commercial is a parody of a classic Big Red gum commercial! Further, "Big Red" is apparently a nickname given to Verizon by its customers, rather than manufactured by the company itself. Sigh of relief! Now I can finally bear to give Verizon credit for the single thing I liked in the commercial: the "YouTube on a horse" moment, which seems to be a reference to the famous Old Spice commercial which is rapidly gaining the status of classic in its own right. If this isn't a reference to Old Spice, ignorance is bliss.

Walkin' Round the World

Johnnie Walker is a brand whose advertising has caught my attention before, and the newest effort by BBH London caught it and held it (for 6:28 minutes, to be precise). I've never tasted Johnny Walker whiskey, but I might make the effort after seeing this mini-movie: narrated by Robert Carlyle, whose craggy face and rolling brogue match the stark Inverlochlarig landscape featured as the canvas on which the single continuous take paints its story. In addition to this brand history given legs, I also enjoyed watching the credits and seeing how many heads and hands were needed to make this spot (even an animal handler for the cow!).
I have included one of my favorite older Johnnie Walker ads...the one that first piqued my interest in the brand, all those months ago.
Keep walking, Johnnie.

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.

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.

...and now for something Completely Different.

Two differing opinions of advertising.

"Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill pail." Thank you, George Orwell (for more of this sentiment go here.)

"Advertising is a career for the strong of mind and spirit, and for those who think winning should occur swiftly and without great ceremony."
That's from Jo Muse, courtesy of AdAge.com