Green Trash

The Mottainai series of trash bags features images of teary-eyed penguins, seals and polar bears, which turn the neighborhood trash heap into a friendly reminder of the fragility of our planet. A portion of the profits go to the Green Belt Movement (a grassroots environmental NGO established by Kenyan political activist, environmentalist and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai), which has planted millions of trees across Kenya to prevent soil erosion. Get yours here.

Thanks Tanaka!

via Pink Tentacle

BMW Freediver

Production Company: Velocity Films
Director: Greg Gray
Producer: Helena Woodfine
Co-Production Company: The Talkies
Co-Production Company Producer: Hani Eskander
D.O.P: Rob Malpage, Didier Noirot
Advertising Agency: Ireland Davenport, Johannesburg, South Africa
Executive Creative Directors: Phillip Ireland, John Davenport
Art Director: Gina King
Copywriter: John Davenport
Agency Producer: Chantal Kriel
Post Production: Upstairs Post Production
Editor: Kobus Loots
Facility co: Blade Post Production
Music / Composer / Sound Designer: Alun Richards, Cut & Paste
Aired: August 2008

via ads of the world

Thanks Banks

Unfortunately, there are a lot of self-obsessed people in advertising too.

UNICEF Landmines

Copy: In many other countries you would now be mutilated! Help the victims of landmines!

Friday Inspiration

irregular flow from 4khz on Vimeo.

Li'l Gordon Nightmare

I'm loving these new viral ads for Caterer.com. The kid cast as a little foul mouth 9-year-old Gordon Ramsey is spot on and the writing is fantastic.

Inspirational Design

Inspirational design posters via make make make.

Pontiac's Sin (City)

Frank Miller's The Spirit in theaters Christmas 2008

Imaginary Forces ad for Pontiac

Leo Burnett's spot for Pontiac

Imaginary Forces, Leo Burnett & Pontiac channel Frank Miller in a slew of new ads. I say "channeled" because Miller apparently had nothing to do with the spots. When I first saw this campaign I thought it seemed like a really cool idea. Release the spots to coincide with Miller's upcoming film The Spirit due out this Christmas, cross promote with the movie, media buys to attract a new audience to the flailing car industry, product tie-ins, micro site etc, etc, etc. Except, instead of seizing what could have been an amazingly integrated campaign, Pontiac seems to be content with simply dipping their pen in Miller's ink.

More on the Frank Miller "inspired" campaign here.

Good Advice

Anthony Burrill Print 1: Concrete Hermit

OMG KEWL URL!

Every client wants an online component these days. A list of unfortunate businesses that attempted to make the leap to a URL where unfortunately, there is no space bar...

1. A company named ‘Who Represents’ lets you find the name of the agent that represents celebrities. Maybe appropriately, the website is www.whorepresents.com

2. A knowledge base for programmers is called ‘Experts Exchange.” Programmers, not being known for their branding prowess, chose this URL:
www.expertsexchange.com

3. For the ultimate selection in pens from around the world, you need to visit ‘Pen Island’. It can be found at…
www.penisland.net

4. One of the best online resources for finding a therapist in your neighborhood is ‘Therapist Finder.’ Hopefully the therapists aren’t as scary as the name implies:
www.therapistfinder.com

5. We all know the rumor about Italian guys and their specific genetic endowments, but this Italian power company takes it a little too far:
www.powergenitalia.com

6.’IP computer’ software gives you the freedom to go just about anywhere…
www.ip_anywhere.com

7. I really really feel sorry for ‘The First Cumming Methodist Church.’ Not the greatest name to begin with, but this website makes it all the worse:
www.cummingfirst.com

8. There are some great designers at ‘Speed of Art’ and their work has nothing to do with either swimwear or Mexican food.
www.speedofart.com

A final message to anyone starting their own company. Think twice before you buy that URL.

via Trend Hunter

Brand Wrangling

Advertising Agency: FFL Paris, France

I'm not sure what the brand positioning is for Wrangler in France but it must be radically different than here in the states. Perhaps hoping for the same European demand for Levi's years ago, Wrangler seems to be tunneling a vision more familiar to Diesel. Part of what raised Levi's standing in Europe was it's long tradition not a rebranding for a new consumer. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the effort but this is one campaign I don't think the jeans maker will be bringing across the pond.

Art as Advertisng?

Australia

Chicago
I'm not a big fan of "guerrilla" advertising. I think for the most part it comes off as invasive and lacks imagination. Of course there are exceptions, executions that make an immediate connection with the client, service or product being advertised or promoted. Like anyone, I've found myself scouting environments that seem to lend themselves to the product or service being advertised but never once have I ever considered defacing a public work which is why this seemingly new trend of "logo slapping" seems so offensive. In 2005 to mark the Chicago White Sox World Series win, a White Sox hat was placed on the Picasso horse in Dealy Plaza in downtown Chicago. In 2006 another baseball hat was placed on the artist's sculpture to announce baseball week. In March, advertising agency De Pasquale slapped an ad on a public sculpture in Australia. It is unclear as to whether De Pasquale had the artist's permission to do so but in the case of Picasso's sculpture we can pretty much guarantee that they did not. Certainly people would raise objections if someone where to deface a painting in a museum, why is it that the rules change once the art has moved outside? Is it because it was commissioned as a public work? That makes the piece of art as much mine as it is yours. Create your own sculpture and do whatever the hell you want with it but stop vandalizing the work of others.