Last Late Night

Tomorrow will be the last time Conan O'Brien does the string dance at 12:30am. After 16 season's years of making the college kid's laugh, he'll now be in charge of bringing comedy to the 11:30 time slot. The funny has been missing from it for 16 years (since Johnny passed it on to Leno).

After a decade and a half of Pimp Bot's and Masturbating Bears, of Insult Comic Dog's and Money Shot Lincoln's, it's time for the Irishman to grow up and leave all his friend's behind. Going to the new time slot is going to change the schematic of the show. The same general outline will still be there; the monologue, 2 talkies and a musical act or comedian. What I'm worried about is the NBC brass making sure that everytime they sign his check, he promises he won't offend anybody in order to keep the long time advertisers happy. If that's the case, Conan may as well stay in New York. It'd be better for his complexion anyway. Us Ginger's can't handle those U.V.'s.

Conan was ahead of his time, just like Letterman was 20 years ago. When he first started, his "strange" sense of humour didn't resonate with many viewers and he was almost cancelled after his 6th show. What I truly respect is he didn't try to change anything, to please the higher ups. Three minutes into his first showed he was stringing a noose around his neck. I don't think I've ever seen Leno try that, though there's certainly times I wouldn't mind...

The man always did whatever he wanted and knew there had to be people out there that shared his sense of humour. I mean, this guy didn't just come out of nowhere. He was the head writer of Saturday Night Live during one of its more successful eras (1989-1992) and also wrote the infamous "Monorail" episode of the Simpsons. It took time, but he became what Letterman was before him, a comedic icon.

Conan O'Brien will say goodnight for the last time at 1:35am on February 21st, 2009. He returns in May one hour earlier and hopefully will make all of our dreams, a little more hilarious.

Stay cool my babies, stay cool.

Economist

I'm sure virtually everyone has seen some of the economist ads, but I just needed to finally include one for this blog. This is proof of what a very smart headline can do. All of the ads have had the same art direction for a decade or more, but it keeps being topical and ingenious. The ads can be fairly intimidating, and they have no intention whatsoever to speak to the masses. Will they dumb down their message to a grade 8 reading level? Of course not, because they wouldn't be doing their readership justice.

Sham indeed.

As my blogging days are coming to an end, I had to write about how much I hate this guy. His moxy and charisma has actually turned some of my loved ones into sham-wow users and abusers. Honestly, how can this product work? A thin piece of cloth magically soaks up 2L of soda? And removes all mildew from carpets? That is just madness. He's laughing at you. Why do you think the word "sham" is in the product name. He may as well called it, "I'm going to spend your money on asian women, while you go out and buy paper towels". When I first saw that informercial, I was convinced it was a joke. It can't be real. Because it isn't. Don't be a fool. Just don't spill anything and save your money.

Love and Taxes

What a beautiful ad H&R Block. I actually felt compassion for the man covered in receipts. It's shot quite wonderfully, and is very simple. None of that boring banking jargon getting in the way. Too many financial institution ads really bombard with the ins and outs of the industry. Personally, I don't even like thinking about additional charges on my phone bill, nevermind all of that RRSP mumbo jumbo.

I must say however, that I was hoping he wasn't a human being. I liked the thought of a living/breathing paper man. Think of all the recycling he must do! Brilliant.

Are Doritos Delicious? Ask again later.

Amazing Doritos ad from this years Superbowl. They always manage to do things a little bit different, which is the same for the product itself. I wish I had a crystal ball so I could see when they are going to bring back the Taco Bell Doritos. The summer of 1996 was the best time of my life.

Shoot and Score

I can't express how badly I want to walk into a washroom and find this piece of Guerrilla advertising. The ad for ESPN above the urinal says "Soccer is good everywhere, but it is much better on ESPN channels". It's great. I don't like soccer at all, but at that particular moment, I'd become the biggest fan. Anything that can make the dispelling of bodily fluids fun and interactive, is ok with me. I just really don't wanna know what they put in the toilet.

Why does Mr. TV lie late at night?

You have no idea how much I want all informercials to be accurate. Through high school I had trouble falling asleep, so the Magic Bullets and "Set it and forget its" of the world got me through the night. I started thinking about what the informercial is. It's basically a 30 minute long commercial, that's separated by 2 minute mini commercials about how to order (and if you act now!). It's quite clear the reason they need 30 minutes of spin doctoring is because the product just isn't very good. There's no way it can make good of all its claims, because if it did, it wouldn't be airing at 3am. I really really wanted to be able to make Strawberry Daiquiri's and Alfredo sauce in my Magic Bullet, but it just wasn't meant to be.

The following blog is rated G

Movie posters are rarely considered a part of advertising for some reason, at least when I hear discussions about different media. How a movie poster differs from a transit shelter or a billboard is beyond me. They are an excellent way to build awareness about a film, and also offer a great addition to the creativity of a flick. It does much more than just state the release date. It can build suspense, or perhaps offer a lasting image in someone's mind that the movie trailer can't provide.

From what I understand, movie posters are created in-house by the production studio, much like the movie trailers. This is smart, because if I made a film, I wouldn't want a person with a different vision trying to sum it up in 2 minutes. Fact of the matter is, in the near future I can see trailers and posters becoming another skill set of advertising agencies. With factual research, they'll be able to decipher just what it is about a movie that makes people want to see it. It goes beyond impressive visual effects. There's a single hook. Who better to find it then an advertiser?

Keep whites their whitest (Racism?).

A fairly excellent advertisement for laundry detergent. I always enjoy the simplicity of ads. Ones that don't require any explanation or 'hit you over the head' images that gets the message across. They say that all advertising is designed for a grade 8 student to be able to understand it. Is that because you want the largest amount of people possible to view/understand your ad? You want 14 year olds to spend their allowance on your product? Or is it because society as a whole just isn't that intelligent. Separately, we are all great smart people. In groups, I feel pity for the human race. There's a reason we are called sheep. You want us to go over here? Ok. You want us to chew 24 times before swallowing? Ok.

Overall, this is a great ad that proves this detergent keeps your colours as bold as they can be. My only worry is that this may send everyone into mass hysteria, worrying that we've all become colour blind. The Terrorists have won. They took away our tints and hues.

Big City Dreamin'

I suppose I'm going to have to grow up rather soon and prepare to wear uncomfortable shoes for the rest of my life. Look out homeless people. Here I come.

Abnormal Size Matters

If you really don't understand this print ad for Durex, I feel sorry for your girlfriend.

Graphic Geurrilla

I'm a big fan of Geurrilla advertising. It's the only medium that can break through the clutter whether it's a good idea or bad idea. The unexpected always attracts attention, especially this ad for Kill Bill's syndicated release. I just really hope this photo isn't taken in a women's bathroom, or it has a whole new meaning altogether.

Stretch Marks

I can't believe this one. I mean, it's a great ad that makes a lot of sense. It's on strategy and it's catches attention. But am I again the only one still stuck on the playground? I really have to grow up.

Sour Apple

I recently watched the new Kevin Smith film, "Zack and Miri Make A Porno" and I had to ask, "I wonder what Apple thinks about Justin Long's career choices."

Justin Long came into the enormously famous Mac vs. PC campaign just as his career started to take off. It can be argued that the commercials are a success partly because of Justin Long, or Long's only successful because of the commercials. Chicken or the Egg? It doesn't really matter.

Lately, Long has been making more adult choices regarding what movies he'll make. It started off with awful family comedies like "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks". Lately however, that boy has been hanging around with a tough crowd (which includes people like Seth Rogen & Bruce Willis). In "Zack and Miri Make A Porno", Justin Long plays a character by the name of Brandon St. Randy, a gay porn star who introduces Zack to the idea of making money by bumping downstairs ugglies on camera for money. Now, my issue isn't that he's gay. It's that he's a pornstar. The porn industry has been getting a lot of attention these days, but I wouldn't say it's at all mainstream. The things Brandon St. Randy describes doing to people isn't something the casual porn viewer has probably ever witnessed, or would at least honestly claim to others.

Does a separate character which isn't at all related with the Mac brand have a negative influence in Apple? Or is it simply creative expression? I suppose it's also a form of synergy. Amateur porn is on the internet. Mac computers access the internet. Mac is porn. Wow, Algebra is easier than I thought...

All I can say is if Justin Long were a PC and not a Mac I bet his career would be very different.

Now let's see what this Mac can find...

Spontex Sensitive Dish Gloves

I had no idea the blind were so germ conscious. Though, they do say that 99.9% of germs aren't visible to the naked eye. Maybe they can hear them? That would be awful. You'd never get any peace and quiet. You'd start wishing you were deaf. But that might hurt Spontex sales. It really is a cruel cruel world.

Fries + Mayo = Blasphemy

I always love the ads that need a few seconds to understand. This is great use of a simple idea meeting even simpler art direction.
I was almost tempted to purchase some Miracle Whip to put on my french fries, until I realized I'm no monster. Ketchup. Gravy? or course! Vinegar? maybe so. Mayo? A BIG NO NO.

More proof that advertising has the power to change.

Pink Taco?

Perhaps I've spent too much time in the schoolyard and haven't exactly matured yet, but am I the only one who thinks selling a Pink Taco is a bad idea? I realize it's called the "Volcano Taco" and the word "pink" is never uttered, but come on now... There has to be at least one immature person left in the industry.

Sony Style?

I'm usually not a fan of Sony and it's advertising. Their products are greatly expensive, but don't at all differ from their competition. The last Sony ad (that wasn't Playstation related) that I can recall is the rebranding they did for their flagship stores. They changed their logo from "the Sony Store" to "Sony Style", a big mistake in my opinion. The ad's featured a young child's head on the body of a suited man. "Discover the Wonder". Not impressed.

This ad however, represents what Sony thinks of itself. A forward thinking company. It's a simple ad that takes a few seconds to fully understand. The same amount of time it would take for me to think, "I'm going to buy a Sony... wait, no I won't".

8 years of fun..

Sorry Philips. You've just run out of material. You're not alone. Think of the late night comics that have to depend on typo's in newspapers in order to get some sort of laughter from their captive audience. I enjoy the political nature of this ad, but it also seems as if they are piggy backing on someone else's idea. It was George H. Bush's idea to have a dimwit of a son, that way he looks a hundred times better by comparison.

Non-Specific Guerrilla Advertising

Clap clap clap to Capcom. Guerrilla marketing? Or simply a public service announcement. Anyone who doesn't know Resident Evil 5 is coming out for PS3 in a month, will either scratch their head with confusion, or they'll realize the army of the undead is finally upon us. I love how this advertising has respect for its audience. There isn't anything that confirms this is for Resident Evil, I'm just assuming.

Respect your Elders.

Today is my birthday. Today I am old. Today I will begin to take notice of alka setzler and ultra-matic adjustable bed commercials. Today the clapper is a brilliant idea. Today I am afraid of icy sidewalks and teenagers.

What's the deal with Microsoft?

I cannot even begin to describe how disappointed I was with the moderately recent Windows/Seinfeld campaign. It seems as though they had a team of 15 writers on that campaign, with the hope and desperation of trumping Apple. Well guess what... There's no trumping the fruit.

When I first heard of the idea, it seemed brilliant. Seinfeld has had great success with his stand-up career, his sitcom, animated feature films, and his previous advertisements. Everything he did was Gold Jerry! Gold! The Windows campaign could very well be the beginning for the end for the man-about-nothing.

The viral ads produced 4 years ago with Jerry and Superman for American Express single handedly started the interactive revolution. The ads were well thought out, lengthy, and hilarious. Nothing seemed forced. It seemed straight out of Jerry's act. That's the problem with Microsoft. They attempted to make Bill Gates funny. That's a problem. It would be like trying to get Andy Dick to design some sort of operating system. The public may be stupid, but it's not that stupid.

I'm A PC! And I have a virus!

The Bible on a Billboard

If the Catholic Church advertised with mass mediums, I think abortions and gay marriage wouldn't ever be considered. Advertising is that persuading.

As of right now, it's simply an ideal. It's an opinion based upon archaic thoughts of thousands of years ago. If catholicism had billboards and transit shelters of fetus' being saved, no one would ever consider the 'unholy' actions.

I think I may be on to something.

I want to swim in a pool of Catsup.

Heinz has must have been watching my family for the past 24 years.

There's many things you can buy discounted. No name mayonaise and fabric softer, budget versions of ice cream or toothpaste. But you can never never ever ever ever buy cheap ketchup. There's no such thing as imitation ketchup. It wouldn't be ketchup. It's simply red food dye and vinegar. Do yourself a favour. Bathe in a pool of ketchup.

Ikea

I'm usually a fan of the off-beat Ikea advertising, but this holiday season, somewhere over in Sweden there's a ball rolling around (cause someone sure dropped it).

This awful holiday campaign looks like it's been taken with a Google Earth satellite. Everything looks extremely staged and awkward. And is it necessary to have car keys placed on the couch in a place where you couldn't find them? Oh, that's right. We should buy a storage system.

"Decorate the city with bland advertising for the Holidays."

Adbook.

I've just read that Facebook is experiencing low-ad revenues because of the new format that was released last year. Clients are complaining that the new setup doesn't allow for as many 'click-ins' as before. Considering every company in North America is losing money, I suppose we can expect a new, in your face, morbidly annoying facebook design soon. One that allows me to see how to have a getaway for $99, and which of my friends is a fan of waterfalls.

In Game Advertising

A great thing I have stumbled upon is NHL 09 for the Xbox 360. It's probably the best hockey game I've ever played 'cause I'm kind of awesome at it (just ask Ian Graham...). It actually feels like you are playing hockey, plus it looks fantastic. From an advertising stand point, it's also breaking ground.

Much like "real" hockey, there are advertisements up and down the side boards of the hockey rink. They advertise for companies such as Reebok and Powerade, until you connect to the internet. Every week, EA Sports designs new board advertisements that change within the game. Just recently I saw one for Kevin James' new movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which had an image of James plus the release date of the movie. It's a really subtle way of getting ads out their, but clients know they are going to have a captive audience. A broken/strained thumbs up!

Shove it in your Mouth! Wait.. No. Don't Shove it in your mouth.

I've had this stuck in my head for the past 17 years, now you deal with it!

Sirius TV

I wonder how long it will be until a service like Sirius and XM enter the digital cable marketplace. I realize PPV, HBO, TMN, they don't have commercials, but I'm talking about network TV. With product placement becoming more and more profitable, I can see it happening in no time. Which would be a shame. I'd never know when to pee...

Times are a changin'

Some days I wish I was still working. I wish I was still making $25 an hour for a job that required me to push a single red button, followed by two black buttons, every seven minutes. It was the least amount of stress I ever had, and probably will have experienced. It was a great job, that I loathed since the day I was hired. The pay was great. The people were entertaining. The job was numbing. Some days, I really wish I was still working.

It's strange that the only days I think this, is when a major assignment is due. If only I could install a single red button, and two black buttons in my mind.

I need a concept.

*Push mind button*

Eureka! I think I have it!

Jingle Jangle

A great holiday ad out of Britain. If the commercial had started with the microwaves 'singing' right of the bat, I don't think I would have seen this to the very end. The suspense that is built during construction is phenomenal.

This proves Ricky Gervais isn't the only good thing to come out of England. You're welcome, Steve Carell. 

Do yourself a favour. Rent the hilarious romantic comedy "Ghost Town", or subscribe to HBO Canada to see Ricky Gervais' Stand-Up special entitled, "Out of England". Brilliant. Just brilliant.

You're welcome, Ricky Gervais.

Are you the Keymaster?

Ray Stantz: Where do these stairs go?!?

Peter Venkam: ...They go up. 

Thank you Becel, for giving me a reason to quote the classic film, Ghostbusters. 

Ghostbusters Blu-Ray DVD & Video Game: July 21, 2009 to coincide with the 25 Anniversary of the film's theatrical release (not to be confused with the 25th Anniversary of my literal release [My birthday - January 26th, 1984]). Thank you yet again, online advertising.

Your suicide bomb is not welcome here...

If it wasn't for advertising, we'd all have nothing. I'm not talking about those of us trying to break into the industry. I mean everyone. We'd ALL have nothing. Literally. We'd have no possessions. We'd all be cuddled together in a dark, dank basement doing everything we can not to swallow our own tongues. We would embrace each other, in search of warmth and acceptance, under a single swinging lightbulb. How did we get the lightbulb you ask? It was there when we get here.

Without advertising, we wouldn't know what to buy. Plain. Simple. It's not a matter of persuasion. It's a matter of " you need this to stay alive/to want to stay alive". I can't say for certain I've ever bought anything solely on my own. Everything has convinced me. You want this. Yes I do. You need this. I'll take two, please. 

Just think of it... if you work in advertising, you control the world. Billions of people are sitting on the edge of their theoretical seat, waiting to be told what to do.

I don't understand what all these fundamentalists are doing with all their time. Put down the shoe bombs. Pick up the pen. 

Now THAT'S how you can change a country for the better (see: Iraq). 

This area is monitored by audio/video surveillance.

While in New York, standing in Rockefellar Centre I received this text message: 

"Always late for class? Why not head into TAG Heuer for great deals on watches for your new semester." 

I was at first appalled that I was receiving spam text messages while on the AT&T Network in the states, but then my frown turned upside down. As I continued walking down 5th avenue, not but 3 stores away from where my phone vibrated, did I see the TAG Heuer store. Now that's direct response advertising. And by the way...

...Big Brother is watching.

I Heart New York.

It's been several weeks since I've been in New York City and I am still going through withdrawal. I've always heard people say that NYC is the greatest city on Earth, but I just assumed it was just a very pop-centric thing to say. There couldn't be any merit. A city is a city, is a city, is a city. Well wasn't I wrong. 

As soon as I stepped onto 8th avenue after the 10 hour bus ride, I felt a connection with everything that was around me. The buildings, the people, the yellow cabs, and the pizza. Everything felt like there was an electric pulse running through it, and the static energy was built up around me. I have never been so fascinated by walking down random city streets. Everything had a story. 

New York City is the advertising capital of the world. It's home to all of the top agencies, and of course the world famous Time Square. I thought that in this day and age, advertising would blanket that city like a horny ghost. That wasn't the case at all. Advertising was certainly present, but it seemed as if it was toned down. As if those in charge had to much for respect for the beauty of New York to tarnish its image for the schilling of a new soft drink. With the advertising not being right in your face, it was more impactful. The message had respect for itself, the city, and the viewers. Each billboard instantly achieved cultural acceptance once its plastered to the sky. How can something synonymous with New York City ever fail? Well... I guess there is always the Knicks.

I'm headed to 37th and Broadway. Anyone want to split a cab?   

Pepsi Relaunch

Pepsi is currently delivering a multi-million dollar re-branding campaign. The logo is different. The message is different. Everything old is new again. The 80's is back. Personally, I thought that was one decade incapable of experiencing a recurrence. 

What I want Pepsi to do is not waste its time on changing the advertising. I want them to relaunch the product, and bring back Pepsi Clear. Consumers are willing to take a risk nowadays. Much more so than in the early 90's. Just look at how many different flavours we accepted into the mainstream. Pepsi Blueberry, Pepsi Vanilla, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Cherry/Vanilla Pepsi. I never thought any of those flavours would actually take off, but I was very wrong. Try it again Pepsi. Bring back the translucent soda.

In the horrible economic climate we are currently living in, I can't think of a better way to bring some much needed joy into people's lives. Stop worrying about mortgage payments and 401k's. Think about Pepsi Clear. Think of how much money consumers would save. "No need to purchase Coke and Sprite this week, dear. We can just get Pepsi Clear and have the best of both worlds. I like staring diabetes in the face, and you enjoy tricking yourself into thinking your having something healthy (soda vs. water). I think Pepsi just saved our marriage." There's nothing like a rebranding, capable of putting a little "pop" back into holy matrimony.  

The Revolution Will Be Televised Without Commercials

Technology is advancing how we live our lives everyday. Ipods allow us to listen to over 10 million songs wherever we want, whenever we want. I have an alarm clock that projects the time on the ceiling so I don't have to strain my neck to the left once I wake up. It's all rather quite impressive. 

Once piece of technology that may put us all of out of work being we ever get in it, is the DVR (Digital Video Recorder). This device allows for 30 hours of television to be downloaded to a hard drive, to allow the viewer to watch their favourite program at their leisure. This device has more than likely increased viewership of many television programs over the last few years, considering that consumers don't have to parked on the couch at the initial time of the program airing. 

The DVR could perhaps ruin the advertising industry, because the most profitable and expensive form of advertising is being neglected by a large part of society. Viewers before could simply change the channel when a commercial break started, but there was at least a slight chance they would land on another channel, where a commercial could be waiting for them like a disheveled man waiting in a desolate alley with only a trenchcoat and some candy.  Now, everyone has the power to neglect every commercial ever made with a simple push of the fast forward button. Could this be the beginning of the end for the industry everyone loves to hate?

Your Life Just Got A Lot Worser..

If Bell Canada's poor customer service, product performance and signal strength didn't lead me towards a Rogers kiosk...

...their new advertising sure does. 

Test Drive

I have officially entered the interweb. 

You have been polluted. 

Thanks for stopping by.