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:

I believe the word you're looking for is "anyways"...

So I haven't posted anything in quite a while mostly due to the fact that I have been in Europe since the end of January and posting to my blog isn't a main priority. Also, it probably has something to do with the fact that I am generally unimpressed and fairly disappointed with the advertising I've seen while here. The one ad that did catch my attention and amuse me was a billboard for a job finder website on the way from the airport to the hotel that read "Quit faking it, try a new position." Yes, I'm sure some people including my Portfolio I professor would be unamused and unimpressed but I thought it funny. Anywho, since I don't like much of the advertising I've seen here I wanted to catch up on some past things done elsewhere while I've been abroad.

First is the Super Bowl. Yes, it was a month ago. However, I did not get to watch the commercials during the Super Bowl because apparently Sky TV thought viewers would enjoy their terrible "round table" analysis instead from the likes of Tiki Barber and someone with a British accent. I did go online the next day and watch every single ad that I missed though, and these are some of my favorites:

Volkswagen scored big. Loved the Darth Vader one, I have a friend who probably did the same thing as a child, but what the ad really does is adds a human factor that I think car companies try to have but often never achieve. The ad takes a nowadays common places car starter and makes it something more. Also, the one for the Beetle was great, again a very unique take that I think was memorable especially in a long line of car ads that attempt to make the car into something else.

The Kenny G Audi commercial? Hilarious, instant classic.

Overall, slightly disappointed in Bud Light. They have had so many great commercials that I think this past year was a bit of a let down for me. I did like the product placement one though, and it's even funnier when I watch a music video now because they are becoming rife with blatant product placement, and the home hack job one was ok even though I don't think it was well received for the most part. Not a fan of the dog sitting one.

Commercials not the greatest for the big game, but it was one hell of a game so I can't complain too much I guess.

I also found this print ad while perusing Ads of the World and thought it was a great and fresh new way to advertise a medical product like this

Dating Site Commercials Meet the Challenge

I hate dating site commercials for the most part, but this one is hilarious. Everyone else, step up:

Don't Be Silly Adrian Peterson

I can never remember exactly what the ad is for, my fault more than the ads, but it's a great spot: