Thursday, November 29, 2007

Playstation account won by Deutsch.

TBWA is out of the Playstation business according to Agency Spy. The 150MM dollar account was being pursued by incumbent TBWA, Publicis & Hal Riney, Publicis West, Grey, Young & Rubicam, and JWT in San Francisco; and independents 72andSunny in El Segundo. Hopefully we can see some new stuff that doesn't involve tons of graphics special effects, and celebrity endorsements in favor of something that will help SELL THE PS3!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Ever wanted to smash a rabbit with a slab of tempered steel?


Well if you do im sorry for you. However this microsite for Stanley Tools new all in one Thor like hammer from hell dubbed FUBAR, which is a great name for this tool, is a great way to roll out a tool that looks like it belongs on Jason or Micheal Myers tool belt.

Great idea from Mullen. What better way to show a tool designed to break, smash and completely annihilate everything than a group or construction workers wailing on toilets and pianos. I particularly like the head cam option and the sound of constructions workers cheering your brutal demolition on.

Try smashing the cute little bunny you sicko.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Mac vs. Windows Vista web banner.


The Mac vs. Windows ads have definitely lost their steam in my opinion. They were played out, over run and worse, parodied. I didn't think there was a way to keep them going. And once again its saved, for now.

This is a web banner running on certain sites that plays when rolled over. There are two sections so keep watch up above for the payoff.

Kudos to TBWA for finding another medium to run this under. Who knows the possibilities here. Will the apple machine ever topple Windows? It could. Rumors of Apple and Google talking behind closed doors to take down the giant are everywhere.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Pushing the world down one election at a time.



When politics and Norris combine. You almost have my vote.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Sony Playstation Worldwide account up for review.



After ten years at TBWA worldwide, Sony looks like theyre about to ask for client pitches from around the world for their Playstation 3 account. This was going to happen, but not because of TBWA and their lack of effort. Its mostly Sony's fault for not inventing the Wii first.

They have a great product that nobody wants. No amount of advertising can fix that. TBWA has done some great things with Sony and has won shopping carts full of awards with them, including a Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004, but unfortunately have lost a lot of their top talent to other agencies. I don't think this is the right move for them but you have to shake things up with sales so low. Maybe they should save their money and concentrate on Playstation 4.

Does anyone else think that the PS3 logo is too close to the Spiderman movie logos?

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Imitation is the sincerest form.



Eat that Cadbury! At least this is selling a product.

Monday, November 12, 2007

User Submitted Content, The Debate.

Everyone is doing it these days. Companies are letting Joe public throw their hat into the advertising ring for their favorite brands. Its a good idea. It creates a two way street of conversation between the product and brand. It also gets people who are passionate about the product a platform to get their message out there. And lets face it sometimes actual consumers know more about the product than the company itself.

Doritos did it famously for the last Super Bowl. User submitted commercials were aired during the most expensive air time on earth. Were they polished, on target, message specific, funny, entertaining commercials we expect when we turn on the TV?

No.

They were terrible.

See below:



It seems so easy to do this when you're 5 beers deep looking at the Head On ads but the reality is that its not.

Doritos little user submitted adventure did nothing but five minutes of fame for the people who made them. No increased sales. No market gain. Failure. However they didn't learn their lesson. Nope. Doritos is the One Show sponsor. What better way to follow up horrible commercials made by people with no experience than to ask people with little experience to do work for you.

Don't get me wrong, ill be working on Doritos One Show along with everyone else, but if I was the CMO of Doritos I would be looking through Craigslist ads for new jobs. Leave the job to the professionals. Cheers on endorsing Colbert for President though. That was a great move.

There is a better way to do this experiement, Apple and Red Bull with their great marketing machines are taking the lead. They take work that's good, polish it up and send it out the right way.

TBWA cought wind of this little video made by Nick Haley:



And turned it into this:



Not much but a little gloss, but success. For TBWA and for Apple by looking like they love their fans and their passion for the company.


Red Bull's new plan is user submitted stories that will be turned into commercials. They don't want videos or scripts, just broad ideas, funny stories, myths legends, and then give those to their marketing machine. This is a great idea. Let the agency do what it does best, while getting ideas from the outside.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Wachovia Retirement

3M Magic Tape.


In honor of the Scotch Tape ad that I passed every day for three months in the adcenter. (Click for a larger image).

Monday, November 5, 2007

Google will change the phone market now. Prepare.


No google didn't reveal a new phone like the press thought they were going to do. A big sigh of relief came from across the bay at Apple. Instead they did what they do best, create amazing open software people love to use.

Android is Google's open source program designed to work on a wide variety of phones set to be out the first quarter 2008. 34 companies signed up with Google to provide phones and service compatible with Android.

The big news behind this is the 3rd party capabilities. This new software will let everyone design programs for these phones. Imagine being able to completely customize your phone to your every whim. Not just ring tones and colors but games, maps, or if you want, to create something yourself for your phone no one has seen.

Once again Google capitalizes on a their best talent. Taking existing technology, making it easy and fun to use. Even though their name won't be plastered across the phones. Google will be the leader in mobile software for phones for years to come.

This is exactly what customers have wanted from phones. Companies have relied on the fact that they buy phones based on the features they have, this will break that connection, and hopefully get phone manufacturers to step it up as well.

Switching Into Strategy

Another week another Don Just project. This time was different though. It was the first time I tried the strategy hat on. The requested media was not on target with what I felt was the core audience. I changed the assignment to better fit the core audience.

This previous paragraph is not one you usually hear from Art Directors. Its all where's my brief I've got to make this pretty STAT!

Thats the difference behind Adcenter. Its not just about creative, its about learning to make decisions that are the best for the specific client. Its a weird feeling to act this way. I never came here thinking I would learn some business. I like making things pretty, but its nice to touch the other side for once.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Has the tide turned?

First it was Don Just:

"You are all progressing sufficiently."

Then it was Wayne Gibson:

"Everyone is definitely getting better."

And then it was Mark Fenske:

"I thought the pumpkin work was good."

I'm confused. I don't feel like I'm getting better. But every week i come in and am amazed by the results. People are moving forward. Some in giant leaps, some in half skips, but all forward.

Some of the art directors have never touched Illustrator before coming here and are already producing amazing work. Our commercials are crisper, smoother, and visually great. With a few extra bucks some would be broadcast ready.

I give the copywriters alot of guff. I tell them they have attitudes and that they need us, but truth be told, its mostly jealousy. I live with two of them, they amaze me every time I see their work. They see the world in ways I never though.

This place does make great creatives, hopefully I'm one of them.

P.S. Sorry writers about all the shit I give you, I respect you from a distance.