Modern Retro ads for latest Newsweek issue

The latest issue of Newsweek has gone retro with Mad Men on the cover. To celebrate the 1960s theme, several advertisers such as Allstate, Lincoln, Tide, Mercedes-Benz, British Airways, Johnnie Walker, Benetton and Spam redesigned their ads in a 1960s style.


Via Adage. Vote for your favorite ad.

What a $4,500 in-house commercial looks like

It turns out the guy in the video really is the founder and CEO of the new start-up, Michael Dubin. What’s more surprising, though, is the fact that he made the ad himself. “The world is filled with bad commercials and people who are marketing too hard," Dubin says. "I think what we wanted to do is not take ourselves too seriously, and deliver an irreverent smart tone." Dubin wrote the spot last October and shot it with his good friend and co-director, Lucia Aniello. It cost about $4,500 and the team managed to bang it out in a single day, shooting on location at the actual factory warehouse, at their fulfillment center in Gardena, California. Not every CEO is cut out for making Funny or Die quality sketch-like ads, obviously. When he was living in New York, Michael Dubin took classes at beloved comedy training grounds, the Upright Citizens Brigade theatre, and has long dabbled in funny business.

Via Quora. Read entire background story at Co.Create.

Invisible Mercedes Benz car

What an awesome street marketing idea.

über-cool Chiquita Banana stickers

Many design, marketing and advertising blogs have already covered the redesign of the famous Chiquita Banana stickers. However, I saw them for the first time only recently.

These are a good marketing idea because

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Advertising and PR Speed Networking Event This Thursday

Advertising and PR Speed Networking Event, Nov. 12

Event: Advertising and public relations students and alumni are encouraged to bring their business cards and elevator speeches to a Speed Networking event hosted by the Department of Advertising.

When: 6 to 8 p.m., Nov. 12, 2009

Where: The West Atrium of the University of Texas West Pickle Research building (formerly the MCC building) at the corner of Mopac (Loop 1) and Braker Lane. A map is available online.

Background: This networking event is intended to foster quick introductions among students, alumni, faculty and friends of the Department of Advertising.

Attendees bring business cards and their "elevator speech." In a timed, organized rotation we'll introduce pairs of people. Each pair has three minutes to "elevator speech" each other. Where mutually appropriate, they exchange business cards. A timer sounds and the cycle repeats itself.

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Contact:
Gene Kincaid
Department of Advertising Lecturer
AdGrad Founder

Video from Rebecca.

Would this make you take the stairs?

"...in Stockholm’s Odenplan subway station, the staircase has been retrofitted to resemble giant piano keys, which produce real sound, to encourage commuters to climb the stairs rather than ride the escalator. According to this video — which seems to be part of a Volkswagen marketing initiative, though it’s unclear — it’s been a raging success."

Via Freakonomics.

Beer Ad in back of Taxi

ZhuJiang beer has a really clever ad placed on the windows of taxi cabs. I agree with the original blog post author in that the brand gets lost as the window rolls down. The message of "it's ok to drink as long as you get a taxi" may be hard to understand too.

Via Little Red Book.

Balls, Paint, Play-doh, and Foam

Here's a wonderful recap of the Sony Bravia "like.no.other" campaign. It looks like all the youtube videos have been taken down so here's the obligatory wikipedia entry.

How big is a whale?

Something to brighten your day with.

"We snuck out into the middle of Broad Street to snap a pic in front of City Hall and all the crowds. When Will raised his hands for the picture, cheers erupted. So he continued to repeat the gesture, getting wild response from the crowd on both sides of the street up and down the street as far as we could see. We couldn't have planned this if we practiced and practiced. I wish the video was longer."

via it's Nice That

TAG in Dallas

"A group of Texas Advertising students will be making a trip to Dallas to tour some ad agencies. On Thursday, TAG is hosting a happy hour. We'd love for you join us! Feel free to extend this invite to others (yes, even non-Texas grads!)

October 2, 2008 | 6-8 p.m.
Texas Land and Cattle | 3130 Lemmon Ave. Dallas, TX 75204
Appetizers and drinks will be provided!"

Things are not always what they seem

Thanks to Elizabeth, The American Creativity Association - UT Chapter President, for the link

Amen brother

Created by 22-year old Misssissippi State Univ. student Will Bryant.

Via BySoandSo and HOW Blog

Photoshop Disasters

I just found the funniest blog ever... for art directors. I was laughing out loud at my desk and some account people were like "I don't get it."

Anyway, enjoy Photoshop Disasters

You Rock

I found this online somewhere and didn't bookmark it. Anybody know who designed this?

Mark lives in IKEA

My boss sent me this and suggested I post it here so therefore I'm going to post about it.

By the way, Rule #1 for you college students: In the future, when your boss suggests you do something, it's a good idea to do what he or she suggests.


Mark Malkoff, a comedian who works for the Colbert Report, is living in IKEA for a week. My boss said that this is brilliant and cost-effective marketing because all they have to do is allow him permission to film and post on youtube and give away some products.

I'm going to have to agree with him.

Merry Christmas

At first I was too traumatized to post this. Thanks to GBostwick ('06) of Point to Point for the link.

Close to perfect sub-branding

This is brilliant sub-branding.

Found at Brands of the World.

Mano-a-mano

Directed by Peter Rosch and John Hobbs for Samsung.

Hopefully PETA hasn't seen this yet.

Paper cutting to the max

We never did this kind of paper cutting in elementary school.

The work of Peter Callesen.

via Good Magazine.

And you thought J. K. Rowling was creative

The magical minds at Leo Burnett Colombo/Sri Lanka came up with a super simple way to promote Harry Potter 7. Watch as captivated individuals take pictures & video with their camera phones and even flip through the book, as if it is powering the bewitched object. Perhaps it is? Who knows!



Credits: Ramesh De Silva, Lalindra Amarasekara, Ifaz Bin Jameel, Selonica Nalawansa