Taxi Cafe

Vancouver--For a long time now there has been a shift in the marketing tactics of companies who are moving away from simply advertising their product or service in favor of aligning their brands with particular lifestyle choices (think Mac vs. PC). A couple of weeks ago we covered the opening of BK Studios here in Chicago in which Burger King has desperately attempted to buy themselves into a subculture with their burger-free art loft. Now comes word that advertising agency, Taxi is getting in on the act by opening Taxi Cafe. I know what you're thinking, "But I work at an Ad agency and we have a coffee bar..." except your coffee bar is most likely hidden away on the 16th floor and exists only to impress clients and serve slacking employees where as Taxi Cafe is situated at street level and serves not only to impresses clients (the cafe itself is decorated with successful Taxi ad campaigns) and serve the occasional employee (no word on the discounts yet) but Taxi Cafe is 100% open to the public (you know, that bizarre outside population of consumers, agencies are supposed to uh, be able to interact with?).

via Ad Pulp

Japanese Ad Council Banner

Every once and awhile a web banner will come along that renews my faith in the creative future of banner advertising. This morning it came in the form of this totally out-of-left-field web banner created by Dentsu Japan on behalf of the Japanese Ad Council. It's simple, it's fun and it's affective. Check it out here.

via Banner Blog.

Immersion

Ever catch yourself in the reflection of your computer screen or TV set and feel like you're staring at a stranger? A couple months ago a friend made a video of me working and though hilarious to watch a nine hour work day compressed into a two minute time lapse, it was also slightly disturbing to see how immersed I had become staring into a computer monitor. Now comes Immersion Blog, a fascinating look at user interaction with the various media that have come to dominate our daily lives. Most shocking perhaps is photographer, Robbie Cooper's Immersion study (above) and Godfrey Reggio's Evidence videos which record the facial reactions of children while interacting with a video game and television set respectfully. It should be noted that advertising agency, Fallon London attempted a similar execution in their CBBC spots a couple months ago that shows the joyous expressions of toddlers immersed in children's programing on the BBC. One idea, three very different results--all of them illuminating in their own way.

via Coups de Pub

Gong Unofficial Video

A great SFX project for the Sigur Ros song "Gong" from Eric Lerner.

via Fubiz.

Spacey On: The Economy

Sure, the economy is in the tank, job markets are dry but somehow hearing it from Kevin Spacey makes it a little more palatable. An amusing typographic take on the film American Beauty from Jessica London. Frankly, I wouldn't mind watching the entire movie this way.

via Scene 360.

The Dynamics

The Dynamics - 7 Nation Army

Censorship

A couple of of days ago I was having a conversation with a friend about SEO and I started to wonder about the challenges facing companies and agencies while marketing their products online overseas. How does a company or agency reach an international online community when governments are filtering your message and is it irresponsible for agencies to find a way to subvert these filters in order to reach their target? The Advertising industry has a long history of pushing the envelop when it comes to public decency but what about political censorship? It's all well and good to run a human rights campaigns targeted at China here in the states in an English speaking magazine, everyone will applaud you, but what about actually using that "web-savvy" agencies are always patting themselves on the back for to actually reach your real target overseas.

Theo Jansen

Theo Jansen's amazingly creepy mechanical creatures were unveiled at last year's Ted conference in Monterey California.

"Since 1990 I have been occupied creating new forms of life. Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the basic material of this new nature. I make skeletons that are able to walk on the wind, so they don’t have to eat." Over time, these skeletons have become increasingly better at surviving the elements such as storms and water and eventually I want to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives.
-Theo Jansen

via Wooster Collective.

Unbranding 101

Burger King Studio: Wicker Park, Chicago


Quarter Pounder: Shibuya, Tokyo

On oct. 12 BK Studio opened in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood at 1904 W. North Ave. A kind of artist's loft/think tank/art space blah blah etc. packed with things the kids are supposed to be into these days like DJ's, silk screen T-shirts, and sneakers. Noticeably absent, were actual Burger King burgers. Now comes word that McDonald's, not to be outdone, has opened "Quarter Pounder," in Tokyo's Shibuya neighborhood. The ultra modern eatery is almost entirely devoid of McDonald's branding even going as far as serving traditional McMeals in unbranded packages. The whole thing smacks of a "Denny's All Nighter" debacle. More information on Mcdonald's Quarter Pounder can be found courtesy of Neil Duckett in Tokyo.

Monday Encouragement

BOOOOOOM! has just launched a new project called Free Encouragement. Simply send your message of encouragement to encouragement@booooooom.com. and see it displayed here after Dec. 5th or just look through the dozens of already uploaded messages and start feeling better.

Please Feed The Animals

Please Feed The Animals is a new blog for the recently unemployed advertising professional. We predict that it will be getting a lot of hits in the coming weeks.

via American Copywriter.

Friday Inspiration

Jemapur - Maledict Car
Directed by Kosi Sekine

Mad Women

Forbes Magazine writer, Juliann Sivulka has just published AD Women: How They Impact What We Need, Want, and Buy. An interesting look into how women have shaped the ad industry.

via 5 Blog Before Lunch

Freelance-to-Fire

In news-I-could-have-told-you-first-hand-last-Thursday, Agency spy is reporting this morning that Citigroup is predicting that Advertising in the U.S. may not recover until 2010. In an eerily relevant post a little more than an hour later Agency spy reports that Chicago's Mayor, Richard M. Daley, has told reporters that ...

"both city and private sector workers should get ready for a clusterfuck. The Mayor says that chief executive officers have told him to expect huge layoffs in the next month and into the new year. Hopefully, those execs that spoke with Daley do not include CEOs of agencies. Crossed fingers that Chicago's advertising industry can weather the storm and holding companies can assist where necessary."

For those who think Agency Spy, which is sponserd by Job resource site Media Bistro, is simply driving traffic to their job site, let me tell you that everything they have reported this morning is true. Believe me, it's true.

Minneapolis says moNO!

In a perfect example of how people are willing to sign anything, Agency Mono stomped around my old neighborhood in Minneapolis and soon to be Mono's new neighborhood, in an attempt to gather signatures to ban the agency from moving in. Sound confusing? Watch the video. See you at Christmas Mpls!

via Adgabber.

Operation Homecoming

An animated sequence based on U.S. Army Specialist Colby Buzzell's story, part of the film Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. Animation by Christopher Koelle, Portland Studios, Inc. Operation Homecoming is a unique documentary that explores the firsthand accounts of American soldiers through their own words and is part of PBS's America at a Crossroads series.

Thanks Andrew!

Kraak & Smaak Get Flipped

Thought you'd seen enough flip books in your time? Me too and then I saw this one. Kraak & Smaak will be appearing in Chicago this Friday 11.14.08 @ Subterranean (Hey, that's just down the street!)

Saved By Gimmicks

There has been a lot of talk within the industry lately about how people find Toyota's Saved By Zero ads so irritating. It's legitimate, the ads combine an ear-bleeding jingle with lame computer animation of Toyota vehicles rotating around a giant 0%. But for me, and at least a few others out there, Charles Schwab's rotoscope ads are even worse. Chuck Schwab is my Saved By Zero. Why? Because rotoscoping went out of fashion and was only briefly interesting in 2001. It was visually bland then and it's visually bland now. Combine Rotoscoping with depressing financial whining and you get a cringe inducing spot. During a time where everyone has something to complain about when it comes to finances, the last person I want to hear it from is charles Schwab. For this reason, watching this morning's episode of 3min Ad Age was particularly difficult.

via The Ad Feed.

Originally I had credited the Saved By Zero Ads to Ford, they are actually from Toyota. Thanks for the correction Andrew.

And to Think I Saw it on Sampsonia Street

The Making of Street With a View

When I first learned about Street With A View it reminded me of one of my Dad's favorite books, the Dr. Seuss classic, And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street in which a rather mundane street becomes the scene of an unbelievable impromptu series of events. In this real life Mulberry Street, the street is actually Sampsonia Way in Pittsburgh and the medium is Google Street View.

Cat-vertising

Corolla 2008

There is no way I could watch an ad this bizarre and not post it. Reminds me slightly of the Harvey Nichols ads from London last year. Similar ad, similar response WTF?!


Harvey Nichols 2007

Pot-O-Gram

Larger view
Agency: Le Bureau, Stockholm

Bouquets of hemp (the kind without the THC) were sent out like a flower gram to press and media agencies to promote the premiere of the TV series Weeds.

via adgoodness

Help Me Obama1 Your My Only Hope

CNN, the Mother Ship of election touch screens and indecipherable graphs unveiled their brand new technology last night... holograms? Taking the field out of field reporting, musician Will.I.Am beamed up to CNN live from...an isolated sound proof tent? And talked to Anderson Cooper on this historic night about...himself? Good lord.

Thanks Roger!

Rumble in the Park

Late last night I scored a last minute ticket to what will either be a historic election celebration or a historic election riot in Grant Park. Either way Critical Intent will be ring side at tonight's main event to capture the madness or memories of what will surely be history in the making.