Entries from May 2011 ↓

Here's an amusing little browser widget from Axe. It's called Axe Sprayaway, and you use it to spray away Web content that stinks. Just go to the Axe Sprayaway site, drag the Axe can to your browser toolbar, then use it to unload on malodorous sites anywhere. Dreamed up BBH Asia Pacific. Certainly the most useful product of its kind since the Billy Mays-endorsed Chipotlaway.

The week veered toward extremes. BMW's gigantic, 18,000-pixel-long banner ad practically dared you to read it. Volkswagen advised you eat a print ad. McDonald's slapped you with lascivious udders. Throw in some Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Rhett & Link, and it was a carnival of sorts. Step right up for the recap below.

1. The World's Longest Banner
   
   And you thought long copy was dead. Not in Toronto agency Cundari's giant banner ad for BMW, it's not. The damn thing is 18,000 pixels long, with more than 5,500 words of copy. Don't cheat by scrolling straight to the bottom. They figured you'd do that. BMW Banner Ad Is 18,000 Pixels Long … and Not a Bad Read
2. McDonald's Creepy Udders
   
   What on earth is going on here? Your guess is as good as ours. This print ad from Finland is somehow intended to get you craving a milkshake. But don't feel bad if you've lost your appetite. McDonald's Print Ad From Finland Confuses and Frightens
3. VW's Edible Print Ad
   
   Another ad that might turn your stomach a little—this Volkswagen print effort from South Africa, which is literally crying out to be eaten. "Eat the Road," reads the copy. "Seriously, eat it." The ingredients are listed on the side as "glutinous rice flour, water, salt, propylene glycol, FD&C colour, glycerine." Propylene glycol, eh? The same propylene glycol that causes brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities!? I'll pass. Hungry? Why Wait? Try Volkswagen's Edible Print Ad
4. Scent of a Bieber

   Justin Bieber dropped the first commercial for his new fragrance, Someday, this week. It shows him flying around and smelling on a girl. The Beliebers were in heaven. Everyone else had profoundly the opposite reaction. Justin Bieber Flies Around, Sniffs Girl in New Fragrance Ad

5. Gaga for Chrome

   Google's "The Web is what you make of it" campaign for its Chrome browser is churning out a truly impressive series of spots. The latest high-profile spot stars Lady Gaga, with homemade clips from fans sprinkled in. Google Mashes Up Fan Videos for Lady Gaga Spot

6. Rhett & Link Hit It Big

   Rhett & Link, the Internet musicians/comedians who've attracted a huge following with their parodies of local commercials, are getting their very own show on IFC, premiering June 24. As a nice preview, they released a new spot this week for a trash company—starring a large man riding a Trashicorn. Rhett & Link Return With New Local Spot, Whole Show on IFC

7. Embrace Life (Again)

   The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, whose "Embrace Life" seatbelt PSA stunned the world last year, returned with a sophomore effort—this one a motorcycle PSA. You can't improve on perfection, but the new spot holds its own in the category. 'Embrace Life' Campaign Returns With Motorcycle Spot

8. WTA: 'Strong Is Beautiful'

   Goodby, Silverstein & Partners released this striking new campaign starring the gutsy and glamorous women of tennis. Some viewer complained about exploitation, but these ads, simply put, kick ass. WTA's Striking New Ad Campaign: Exploitative or Just Awesome?

9. Muppets and Make-Believe

   Disney built buzz for the next Muppets movie by pretending to advertise a (fake) romantic comedy called Green With Envy. Left us a little blue. Next Muppets Movie Wrapped in Ads for Fake Romantic Comedy

10. After the Rapture
    
    You almost forgot about the Rapture that never happened, didn't you? This past Monday, we asked @AdLawGuy if we could sue the Rapture people for false advertising. He advised against it, and joked: "To be safe they should have put some disclaimers on the billboards—like 'Date subject to change without notice,' 'Additional terms and conditions apply. See Bible for complete details.' " Can We Sue the Rapture People for False Advertising?

Here's a great new 60-second spot by Nissan for its all-electric Leaf. The automaker, with help from TBWA\Chiat\Day, imagines a world in which all appliances run on gasoline. While the environmentally minded might point out that U.S. electricity still overwhelmingly comes from fossil fuels, the ad at least helps you appreciate the fact that only 1 percent of our outlet juice is powered by petroleum. (Activists can feel free to work on their own "If Everything Ran on Coal" commercial, which would probably be even funnier.) Notice that the spot ends on the driver fueling up a Chevrolet Volt, which is itself a plug-in vehicle but requires gasoline to go any farther than 50 miles or so. While Nissan could have shown almost any car getting gassed up, I like that they used the opportunity to ding the Volt as a pretender to the electric throne.