Not your parents' PSAs

Ok, so they're not all PSAs so to say but they are socially conscious ads that are really driving the point home (no pun intended, you'll see what I mean).

Absolutely fantastic, love this ad. It is one that I can truly say would resonate with a younger generation especially considering older people wouldn't likely know what "checking in" is. It's straight to the point, but fresh and original. There are numerous don't text and drive ads and the like, but this one really stands out. Agency is N=5.

Not as good as the first one, and there's something not quite right about the copy, but the art direction is a fresh expression of an old idea. The image really draws you in and the copy does just enough not to mess of the message.

Like the execution but...

...it's just the Absolut concept and I actually wish Absolut had done it because it could've been a classic. Absolut Genius? Absolut Man? Could of been something special, oh well.

Simplicity wins, and humor if I have anything to say about it

Had some down-time at my internship today so I perused Ads of the World as usual and these two really stood out to me.

Absolutely love Hot Wheels advertising as of late. So simple and amazingly powerful without slapping you in the face with their product. This one really reminds me of a print version of their outdoor ad when they placed a Hot Wheels track loop cut-out on an overpass. There is another ad in this series where the fuel is milk and cookies instead, but just a great idea.

Juvenile? Maybe. Funny and to the point? Definitely. I'm a sucker for advertising that makes you laugh even if it is kind of childish humor. I find that ads with humor are the ones I remember best and talk about to other people; everyone likes to share in a laugh. This ad for the Effie Awards is part of a series and i think it successfully conveys the message that creating ads that actually reach the audience are tougher, and should be rewarded.

I know it's at the top of my resume...

Dos Equis: solid beer, solid commercials. win-win

Continued

The two I was trying to think of the other day, both very funny (which seem to be the ones that I like)

I'm back, from outer space....or something like that

So, I have been back in the U.S. for about a month now and it's starting to finally hit me that Europe was pretty cool. Especially when compared to upstate New York which is nice and home and all, but kinda boring. I have been going in a couple days a week to an internship at Cenergy in East Aurora, N.Y. - they work on some pretty cool projects and you should check them out: http://activatingbrands.com/ . Other than that, bored. Here are some ads that have caught my eye as of late.

Fantastic Volkswagen ad. The pay off at the end is great, I think they didn't even need the copy "built like a Volkswagen" but that might just be me. Either way, awesome.

Haven't seen any of these on t.v., but a funny set of viral ads featuring two hilarious men: John Krasinski and Alec Baldwin. A real soft sell that is more entertainment than advertising.

Pretty old, for sure, but still funny:

There were a few others but I'm having trouble remembering them at the moment, I'll post 'em when I do.

Guinness is Good for You

So....I was in Ireland over St Patrick's Day, which isn't too long ago, and I had plenty of Guinness. More importantly for the likes of this blog, I went to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin where they had a full display of some of Guinness' past ads and I thought I'd share some here with you. Enjoy

and then two of my favorite t.v. spots of theirs, especially the second one: