Holy crap, those tongues make me want to vom. I can't find the version of this commercial where they aren't talking in foreign accents, but I do find it hysterical that they used the same exact commercial and copy in more than one country.
ick.
3/10: Das Bad Ad
Monday, June 30, 2008
Coke Zero Ads Continue to be Weird
Xerox: Better at Copying
Oh, my darling Das Good readers. Do you feel forsaken? Have you missed the witty banter and daily musings of your cherished editors over the past days? Have you longed for posts only to be disappointed again and again as you refreshed your browser with maddening fury? Well, sorry dudes. Apparently real life - the ones we get paid for where people tell us what to do - had taken over there for a while. I assure you it won't happen again. We really don't value our livelihood that greatly.
How about some great ads to get everything back on track? Ok, sure.
In each of these ads, Xerox depicts two print ads that look eerily similar (cough *copies* cough) that were each made in different years. The tagline brings it together with "Better Copies. Much Faster."
At first glance, I loved these ads. They make great use of other people's work in an inventive way, put a great spin the idea of copying and, frankly, expose VW as quite the idea stealer. The line is just so good for Xerox, and while the visual could have been developed more, you still get the point quickly.
Then after thinking about them a bit more, I doubted about my original sentiment. Maybe these ads aren't that great. Do they really have a lasting idea behind them? Are these ads geared too much towards people who are into advertising and will recognize the work rather than the consumer?
Whatev, I still like them a lot. What say you, readers - yay or nay?
(Click all images to enlarge.)
8/10: Das Superb Ad
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Throwback Thursdays: Be careful how you use it.
Kobe Bryant had Michael Jordan.
Chris Rock had Richard Pryor.
Green Day had The Clash.
Family Guy had The Simpsons.
Everyone needs someone to look up to. This ad proves that our dear friends Axe would be nowhere without Hai Karate.
8/10: Das Superb Ad
Throwback Thursdays: I <3 PBR & so should you.
This awesome classic is from 1947. With a line like "It's blended… It's splendid," how can it fail? What an iconic campaign for a beer that does nothing but win blue ribbons. An amazing source for Pabst ads can be found here. It's well worth looking through the entire collection, especially everything from the 1930s through the 1950s!
9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad
Throwback Thursdays: Oh yeah, ladies…
We here at Das Good Ads care about the empowerment and equality of women, and we love the fact that Foot Locker cares as much about the ladies as we do. This retro delight hits close to home and reminds everyone that females can surely get the same Nike shoes as Das Dudes.
Women + sneakers is always a good thing!
7/10: Das Great Ad
Throwback Thursdays
Today marks the first edition of Throwback Thursdays.
Make sure you visit Das Good Ads each and every Thursday to see some of our favorite classic ads. We're talking about the best, the worst, the weirdest and the most offensive work of the past century, so check back all day and take a trip in the Das Good Time Machine.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
WMF?!?!?!
It's pretty awesome to see a brand take full advantage of its allotted space.
I've seen plenty of infomercials where the knives being sold are shown slicing through hammers, cutting boards and even rocks (see it all in this wonderful German video!). Here's the thing: unless you're a caveman or you happen to be strapped for cash, you're probably not eating hammers, cutting boards or rocks. But show me a memorable, creative ad with actual food at the focus and maybe I'll consider it.
Between this WMF ad and the McDonald's coffee ad from a few months back, it's been a great year for magazine spreads.
8/10: Das Superb Ad
Rot & Roll Vuitton
Louis Vuitton's advertising campaign featuring Keith Richards frightens me (in a good way). The ultimate French luxury brand usually features the likes of Gisele Bündchen. This time, however, the somewhat immortal Rolling Stones guitarist still proves fashion and rock music make a happy couple.
photographed by the excellent Annie Leibovitz
6/10: Das Good Ad
Oh that silly Punisher…
Yes, the toughness begins again with this rugged teaser poster for Punisher: WARZONE, due out December, 2008. It caught my eye, but it makes me sad knowing it was executed in Photoshop. Lionsgate or Marvel should just pony up and create this image with an M16!
6/10: Das Good Ad
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Terrible Tuesdays: Mike check.
This ad deserves absolutely no introduction and will get absolutely no introduction...unless you consider this an introduction.
Where have you gone Mike Myers?
Remember when you made Wayne's World? We loved you!
Remember when you made Austin Powers? We loved you!
Remember when you made Shrek? We loved you!
Remember when you made The Cat in the Hat? We forgive you!
This time there will be no forgiving.
I shouldn't need to tell you how disastrous The Love Guru is, but here's the deal: it's a compilation of every joke we've already seen Mike Myers perform crammed into 90 minutes. The problem is that these jokes aren't funny the second (or third) time around. And if the trailers weren't bad enough, Mike Myers whored himself out to new lengths when he hosted the MTV Movie Awards.
All things considered, The Love Guru's promotional strategy makes me want to vomit, do a little jig on top of my vomit, and fall face-first into my vomit. Now excuse me while I remember the glory days.
1/10: Das Disastrous Ad
Terrible Tuesdays: You probably could have made your point without making my eyes bleed.
Holy crap that ad is making my head spin. Not only does it feature the most airbrushed, unnatural looking Bill O'Reilly I've ever seen, but the inordinate amount of diagonal lines is unbearable. Seriously. Why is the whole thing on an angle? I got a cramp in my neck just trying to read it.
Also, notice the audacious half crossed out lines through the bottom two shows. HOW DARING! Although, I don't think you can count CNN's Election Center, considering they probably don't intend for it to be a permanent fixture. Just sayin'.
Pick up this week's copy of Ad Age and check out the latest ridiculousness from Fox News for yourself.
2/10: Das Pathetic Ad
Terrible Tuesdays: Screw my quiet neighbors, I'm moving in with these guys!
Please forgive my photography - this was taken while I was driving, waiting to make a left turn, during a thunderstorm.
Anyway, this ad is for The Residences at Dockside a new condo community on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The community will be a 16-story tower with condos ranging from studio-sized to three bedrooms. Also, they are not going to be cheap.
So, if I'm considering paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to live in this luxurious community, are seagulls really the one resonating image I want to see? I think not. Seagulls are disgusting. I once saw one snatch a french fry right out of a woman's hand. They are the last thing I want to be surrounded by.
And, dudes, your "noisy neighbor" joke is stupid. Seagulls are insanely noisy, and they make one of the worst sounds on Earth. Wouldn't it have served you better to show serene sail boats on the river? Maybe just birds flying calmly through the air? Even an ocean liner is more quiet than a seagull at times.
This ad is dumb, and I think those birds are conspiring to steal my lunch.
3/10: Das Bad Ad
Terrible Tuesdays: Taco Hell
I'd rather be trapped on a deserted island with the Taco Bell chihuahua than subject myself to this commercial one more time.
This ad feels so out of place that it comes across as awkward and offensive. On top of that, the rap itself is absolutely abominable. Here's my favorite line:
89-cent cheesy double beef burrito.
Why pay more? That's big and cheap.
Rhyming "seat" with "beans" is one thing, but "burrito" and "cheap" is just too much. I'm no rap prodigy, but I'm sure there are better ways to get the key messages in there.
I'd say this ad belongs in a different era, but honestly, it doesn't belong in any era. Whatever 46-year old wrote the rap should be forced to walk through Harlem while it blasts from a boombox.
2/10: Das Pathetic Ad
Terrible Tuesdays: What? Your ads suck? Let us do more sucky ones for you!
"If your ads look like this, please call us, we will give your brand a fresh look."
SIKE!
So here's the premise: Guys, our first quarter really sucked. We need to step it up! Let's run some ads to drum up business for ourselves. And ya know what? Let's keep doing the shitty work that hasn't won us any new clients in 6 months. That'll win them over!
blech.
2/10: Das Pathetic Ad
Terrible Tuesdays: GET AWAY (from Ford) Advertising!
Yet again,The Ford Motor Company show their fundamental creative incompetence with their new Ford Fiesta Trail 2008 "Get away fast" campaign.
"Getting away from work" is an utterly stupid concept for a car and brand who wants to reposition itself as a lifestyle automotive icon. Maybe the F150 Pick-up truck could be associated with an idea like this, but the Ford Fiesta is no rebel!!! The Fiesta will never even be as sarcastic as the Mini Cooper.
As for the formal critique, its erratic and colorful, yet meaningless graphics appear as "cool looking" devices for pure surface treatment. Icons of spreadsheet charts, keyboard keys and instructions on how to tie a tie are more than irrelevant… I hope someone at Ford knows how to tie a noose. The whole thing seems to be a mishmash of rejected stock vector art. Finally, the best thing about this ad, you can barely see the car at all!
In the end, Ford is still left in the dust of Audi, BMW, Chrysler, GM, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, etc...
4/10: Das Mediocre Ad
Terrible Tuesdays
Welcome one and all to the first installment of Terrible Tuesdays!
Each and every Tuesday, Das Good Ads is your source for the absolute worst in advertising. We've scoured every medium known to man to bring you the ads that make you think, "Wow, someone thought this was a good idea? And they paid good money for it?! And no one had the guts to tell them how bad it was?!!"
Let's face it, terrible ads can be more entertaining than terrific ones, so check back all day (and every Tuesday) to get your fix.
Monday, June 23, 2008
JCPenney Hearts Teen Fornication
Let me preface this by saying the following:
Mom,
I did not have sex in high school. I never did it on any of your couches/beds/floors/walls/what have you. Whenever a boy was over I always kept the door open like you asked.
Love,
Jessica
Ok, moving on. The spot below is absolutely fantastic. (In fact, a lot of the work Saatchi & Saatchi has done for JCPenney of late has been uncharacteristically good.)
I love the decision to go for more of a branding-based message rather than product-based. It's a route very few department stores venture to take. JCPenney is doing itself a huge favor by stepping out of the norm and differentiating.
I would have loved to be a part of these concept meetings. I really want to know how this idea was born. It's a pretty great insight that you'd never expect to see picked up by a brand like JCP. Enjoy your bronze Lion, dudes.
(The sound in the video above is actually a bit off. You can watch a better version of the commercial here.)
9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad
UPDATE: Apparently JCP is as lame as we all thought and wasn't on-board with this ad at all (or were they until they got cold feet over it?). The JCP CMO claims it was Saatchi and film company Epoch Films that put this spot together "after hours" and slapped their brand on it without consent. Lame-O.
By the way, best quote from the article:
It's not going to reflect well on the brand in Middle America, but the ad is nicely done and the people in it are attractive; young people in New York and L.A. will get a kick out of it- Alan Siegel, chief executive of New York strategic-branding company Siegel + Gale.
Right, because if you don't live in New York or LA you're a Puritan with no interest in sex or humor. Duh.
Fuser friendly.
The Brooklyn Brothers aren't from Brooklyn, nor are they related, but who cares? They created some mighty fine TV spots for Fuse. All 5 are winners, but these 2 are the cream of the crop.
7/10: Das Great Ads
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Play nice.
Condemned 2: Bloodshot, a videogame for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, is rated "Mature" and can only be purchased if you're 17 or above. Want to know why? Let's take a look at the box.
- Blood and Gore
- Intense Violence
- Strong Language
- Use of Drugs and Alcohol
For a better idea of the carnage, visit the website. But proceed with caution. After clicking around, I think I'll be sleeping with a night light for a while. Anyway, now that we've completed your crash course in Condemned 2, here's the ad.
Not what you expected, right? The concept of "Offsetting the Evil" you commit is hilarious, and from a strategic standpoint, it feels completely unique. The copy has the ideal level of wit and the color-by-numbers (or letters) image is perfect. In an age where videogames are so often classified as unnecessary sources of violence that negatively influence children, it's refreshing to see an ad that makes light of the situation.
8/10: Das Superb Ad
Friday, June 20, 2008
Derrie-Air: Not a Bad Business Plan
So, last week, there was all this hoop-la surrounding the Derrie-Air "campaign" that ran in two Philadelphia newspapers - The Inquirer and The Daily News - as well as on the website Philly.com. In the (probable) case that you don't know what I'm talking about because you don't live in Philadelphia, here's the story:
Basically, ads for an airline called Derrie-Air were placed in the two largest Philadelphia newspapers. The ads touted the airline's "green" qualities and motto - Pack less. Weigh Less. Pay Less. The concept being that you only pay for the weight you need to fly. Kate Moss? $125 for you. John Goodman? Take out a personal loan.
Derrie-Air also claimed they were planting trees to offset every last carbon emission their flights produced. How environmentally conscience of them!
Both newspapers are owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings. The "ads" were produced by Gyro Worldwide, who just happens to do the advertising for PMH. If you haven't yet figured it out, the airline is a fake.
The reactions to the ads ran the gamut. Some people didn't even realize it was an intentional placement. They chided PMH for the "gaff" of actually running FPO ads. Others were actually appalled and felt the need to question the ethics of newspapers. A good number of people were able to take it in stride and have a laugh about it, however they didn't realize the actual goal of the ads.
Most reports on it have claimed that the ads were for market reasearch - PMH wanted to test the response rates to their ads. This isn't exactly true. The actual plan was that this week, Derrie-Air could do this - turn around, out itself, and say, "Hey, see how much buzz and traffic advertising in PMH papers drums up? Maybe you should buy ads!"
I have to say, it might be my favorite thing Gyro has ever done. The idea behind the "scam" is pretty solid. People don't believe what we tell them, so let's actually show them our products - PMH online and newspaper advertising - in action. It's definitely worked to create PR and news about the company. Whether it will actually bring in ad sales remains to be seen.
7/10: Das Great Ad
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Jeep digs deep.
You shouldn't be surprised when I tell you this ad received a gold in the outdoor division at Cannes Lions 2008.
Take a bow, BBDO Proximity, Malaysia, because this ad is brimming on perfection.
Jeep makes vehicles for all conditions – everyone knows that – but this time the message is conveyed in a completely unique way. No winding roads. No snowy highways. No muddy detours. No treacherous mountains. No. None of that. Just a stunningly simple, brilliantly executed ad that makes Venn diagrams look cooler than ever.
9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Ad Focus: Heinz Hot Ketchup
We'd like to thank our friends at Leo Burnett Brussels, Belgium for submitting their Heinz Hot Ketchup work.
Since this is our first installment of Ad Focus, let's take a second to explain how it will work. Whenever an agency sends in work for a critique, each Das Good Ads staff member will give their take and provide a score. Then we'll take the average and wrap up with a final score. Now, without further ado, Heinz Hot Ketchup.
(See the other two ads from the campaign here and here)
These ads live somewhere between cavalierly brilliant and slightly unfinished. I appreciate how the thought-out landscape's details (color, utensils, and plates) allow the content to appear random. Also, it's a nice touch that the only copy/message is the label of the product. This may be me being a bit too particular, and could be something that is out of your control, but I hate the plastic bottle. I think these images would be complete if the ketchup was in a glass bottle instead. Overall, the humor delights me and I look forward to anything else you send our way.
8/10: Das Superb Ad
- dk
___________________________________________________
Ads for spicy/hot/fiery foods or condiments are always circulating around, and all too often they end up with scorched, singed, or flaming visuals (see here, here, and here). This campaign works because it deviates from "the norm," allowing the ads to exist on a higher level. Better yet, it doesn't rely on copy to explain it. Still, the production work holds these ads back from being great. I think they could be a bit more polished and the desaturated color seems a bit unnecessary. I'm also having a hard time determining whether these images were photographed or if they were heavily edited and the scene was created. Overall, the campaign works well though. I see it, I get it, I like it.
6/10: Das Good Ad
- jms
___________________________________________________
The first thing these ads made me think about was another execution for Heinz Hot Ketchup. Hot dogs are the first thing that come to mind when I see Heinz, so that version resonated stronger with me initially. But after comparing the different executions, I realized that the frozen food concept is far more inventive. The idea feels unique, and from a strategic standpoint, I love how they portray Heinz as a natural part of your table setting. In doing so, they justify the idea that ketchup can be used for many different meals (not just hot dogs). My only complaint – and it's relatively minor – is that the frozen food looks so unappetizing that I have some trouble picturing the food in its unfrozen, perfectly cooked state.
7/10: Das Great Ad
- riman
___________________________________________________
FINAL SCORE
7/10: Das Great Ad
Credits for the Heinz Hot Ketchup work:
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett Brussels, Belgium
Creative Director: Jean-Paul Lefebvre
Creatives: Alex Gabriëls, Wim Corremans
Photographer: Marc Paeps
Retouching: Yelle@livingroom.be
Monday, June 16, 2008
Das Good Dads
Sorry dad, these ads are a day late, but definitely not a buck short. Canadian Club restores the toughness to the father image one drink at a time.
7/10: Das Great Ad
On a personal note, Das Good Ads wishes every dad a very happy Father's Day.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Hey girl. Can I hit you back?
I'm sorry. I'm a sucker. This baby absolutely slays me. He's hysterical. The writing in all of these commercials from E*Trade has been on point. (The baby ones that is, the others are pretty weak.) The voice is a great choice also. I get such a kick out of them.
Like they say, babies and puppies are where it's at.
Evil Knievel, EAT YOUR HEART OUT.
I remember my childhood, smashing small die cast metal cars against each other! Today, I am extremely glad to see Hot Wheels encouraging children of a younger generation to do the same.
6/10: Das Good Ad
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Deep breaths aren't always relaxing.
I can't tell you why the Vick's brand goes by "Vick" overseas, but I can tell you that I like this ad for their nasal decongestant.
The copy reads, "Sometimes it's better not to use it."
Communicating the benefits of not using the product? That's an interesting approach, and it works especially well with such vile imagery. Sure, my juvenile side wishes this ad showed the outside of two occupied bathroom stalls; but kudos to Vick's for choosing a more mature execution.
Check out the other ads from this campaign here and here.
6/10: Das Good Ad
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Wouldn't they rather play bingo?
Miriam, a reader from New York City, found this ad on MySpace and lovingly sent it to dasgoodads. Calling this web banner bizarre could be the understatement of the century.