Recently in Good Marketing Category

Well, football season officially closed out last night with a fantastic Super Bowl, courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts and the new world champions New Orleans Saints. It was an overall exciting game, albeit perhaps a little low-scoring given the numbers the two powerhouse quarterbacks usually put up. Nevertheless, one can't complain about an epic showdown by two perfectly matched teams who went nearly the entire regular season with undefeated records.

Okay, I take that back. One can complain, and quite vociferously, I might add. Not about the game itself, mind you, but instead the various musical acts surrounding it. And the commercials too (although, they also deserve some praise).

I suppose it all begins with Steve Winwood, an aging rock star whose hits ("The Finer Things," "Valerie") I've quietly championed for some time. I won't lie: I thought he was the best thing ever in 1988, and quite honestly, he'd done little in the past twenty-two years to sway my opinion on that front. Well, unfortunately, that nifty preconception was completely destroyed yesterday when the guy appeared on a Super Bowl pre-show to sing my favorite of his songs, "Higher Love." And by "sing," I mean "butcher," because that's exactly what Steve Winwood did to this beloved song, nay, ANTHEM of my life. His voice, as expected, was not nearly as strong as it used to be, but that wasn't truly the problem. As gravelly as Señor Winwood had become, he still could hit most of his notes (unlike his comrades in The Who). The real tragedy was that he opted to mix up the tune's musical arrangement, giving it a jazzy Latin flair that did little but make the entire experience feel like some ill-conceived lobby act in a suburban Wichita Holiday Inn. Trust me, I did try to fend off all my snarky rebukes of the performance, lest I face the brutal reality that Steve Winwood is now over the hill, but as I watched him growling at his piano, floppy curls blowing this way and that, I just had to admit that the GOW (Glory of Winwood) had passed. It didn't help matters that every backing musician around him looked like they were on break from their real job working as a server at some West Palm Beach retirement community. Meanwhile, the crowd was hardly having any of this disaster. I think I've seen more emotion from the rocks at Stonehenge. It was total, horrific sadness.

Via Vulture

This Super Bowl spot for the upcoming video game Dante's Inferno was rejected by CBS, presumably for the clever tag line "Go To Hell." It's a bit ridiculous that something like this can be jettisoned to the side while Tim Tebow can take the airwaves and push a message by the religious right down our throats. Nevertheless, all controversy aside, the trailer for this game looks pretty cool -- at least from an artistic perspective. It's a hell of a lot more engaging than another round of dancing lizards (which I'm sure we'll see Sunday night).

Here's something short and sweet. One of the latest promos for this month's Grammy Awards assembles a bajillion "Poker Face" Youtube videos into one cohesive cover of the 2009 hit. That's really all it is, but 'tis cool nonetheless.

Earlier today, I posted five Oprah Winfrey Show ads that ran in an issue of TV Guide exactly twenty-three years ago this week. Those were fun and all, but of course TV Guide has more to offer than just Oprah. There's a whole variety of amusing, dated, and amazingly dumb ads to be shared; and so I fired up my scanner yet again this morning, and voila — we now have another handful of goofy advertisements to enjoy from that same issue. If you've ever wanted to see where all the clichés about dumb sitcoms and their even dumber marketing come from, it's all right here

My favorites after the jump...

Yesterday, a friend of mine gave me an old 1986 issue of TV Guide as a joke, and being the cultural anthropologist that I am, I immediately leafed through it to check out the television landscape of yore. Little did I realize that I'd be stumbling on a small treasure trove of classic Oprah print ads. I'm telling you, these things are amazing, and while there are many hilarious advertisements in the magazine (several of which I shall post later today), none compare to what Oprah has to offer. Needless to say, I put my scanner to good use.

After the jump, five Oprah ads from the week of September 27th, 1986 (exactly twenty-three years ago this week)...

This commercial captivates me every time — especially since it's so much more glamorous than what I'm presently doing: lying on my couch with a laptop. Sigh.

Yesterday, I was leafing through the Hollywood Reporter when I came upon the above ad for some shlocky thriller that will be screening in Cannes this week (surely out of competition). The film's name is Burning Bright, and while the title might suggest some sort of reference to Hanukkah or the Shoah Foundation (or at least a much deserved sequel to the 1992 masterpiece, Shining Through), a closer glimpse of the ad copy reveals that there's much more at work here than just an enigmatic name.

Hope has come to cigars. The other night I stumbled across this ad for the new Obama cigar from Granada Cigars. I'm really not quite sure how it relates to our current Commander In Chief (a Clinton brand might make more sense — heyooooh 1998 humor!), but according to the poster, "Change Has Come," and apparently that goes for cigars too.

Nevertheless, I'm slightly tempted to try the Obama cigar, if only so that I can then speak the Granada Cigars tagline with full authority: "If you're not smokin' the G... ...then what are you smokin'?" A QUESTION FOR THE AGES!

For more information on the Obama cigar, check out the Granada website here.

An excitable IndianJones forwarded me this video today, which is a British spot for, well, you'll see. Needless to say, I think we can all agree that IndianJones loves a salacious pun.

Well, apparently my pick for the best Super Bowl Ad of 2009 never actually aired, which certainly was an embarrassing revelation for me. However, last night's thrilling game (congrats Steeler! Sorry, Larry FitzP) did see a good number of funny, engaging, and generally well produced ads (unlike last year's sorry crop).

My picks for the best and worst after the jump...

I know this may be premature, but this new Human Giant-flavored ad campaign by Pepsi may already be my favorite of Super Bowl Sunday. I mean, it's Will Arnett and scallops. How could that not be funny?

Turns out this spot is one of several Pepsi produced and put up on YouTube. I'm not sure which one will air during the big show, but they're all worth taking a look at. Based on this and the three MacGruber-themed ads during Saturday Night Live last night, it seems as though someone in Pepsi's marketing department might actually have a sense of humor...

To check out all the spots, click here.

Well, I have finally sacrificed ten Facebook friends in pursuit of a free Angry Whopper from Burger King. You've all seen who I've cut. Now it's time to reveal the final piece of the puzzle.

Who could be more deserving of a sacrifice than Sherayay? The answer after the jump...

Sacrifice #9: It's none other than Sherayay from The Real Housewives of Atlanta! And who better to go down in flames than the genius behind She By Sherayay? Well, actually, I can think of one more deserving person, but that won't be revealed until tomorrow. I suppose I could tell you today, but that would be like throwing a fashion show with no fashions. And how the hell are you supposed to do that?

In the meantime, let's hope that Sherayay doesn't take this fiery dismissal too harshly. At least she'll still have that big ol' house to live in. OH WAIT.

We're getting close to the end here. Today I sacrificed Teri (and a wax version of The Rock), which means I only have two more people to destroy. Who will they be? Stay tuned...

In the meantime, BURN, TERI, BURN!!!!!

As I mentioned last week, Burger King has this nifty new promotion for its new item, the Angry Whopper. Just drop ten friends from Facebook and get a free sandwich! How can I turn that down? Last week, I dispensed of two hapless souls. Over the weekend, I managed to drop four more people. Their identities after the jump...

Second to go down: "Squirtle Squirtle"

Reasoning: This Pokemon-esque creature added me a while back, and for some bizarre reason (probably drunkenness), I added it. I always felt I should drop it, but I knew I'd have to wait for the right moment. I'm glad I waited. 20% there!

First up in flames: the mysterious Lisa!

BURN IN HELL!!!!!

Back in the fall of 2007 while on holiday in Berlin, my friends and I encountered a most amusing item: the ANGRY WHOPPER from Burger King. Back then, we thought this was just some amusing German-to-English translation idiosyncrasy, with the intended descriptor being "Hot & Spicy," not "ANGRY!" We laughed at the name, took a few pictures, and later retold the story many times, chalking it all up to intense Teutonic severity.

A year and a half later, the ANGRY WHOPPER has made its way stateside, and now our story has lost all its caché. Turns out the Angry Whopper really IS called the Angry Whopper. It's not some weird German thing. Oh well. That being said, as part of a clever new promotion, Burger King is giving out free Angry Whoppers if Facebook users are willing to drop ten friends.

You know where this is going.

When it comes to free food, I'm pretty ruthless. But the notion of dropping ten friends is harsh. What to do? Well, I came up with a plan. I'm going to add ten people and then drop them immediately. It's a bit impersonal, but hey, it's what one has to do. The question is, do I seek out randoms or solicit them instead? I've opted for the latter. So here we go: if you know anyone that you think would be a good candidate for me to add and then drop, let me know (I'll keep your participation anonymous)! If I get more than ten, I'll put the names in a hat and see who wins my de-friending lottery!

What's in it for you? Nothing but perverse entertainment. I'll document the process though for a future post.

I've been seeing a lot of commercials for the Debbie Meyer Green Bags lately, and for those of you not in the know, it's a product that purports to lengthen the freshness of produce by up to three weeks. The ads tend to crack me up, if only for the presence of Debbie Meyer, who's reminiscent of a modern day Muriel from Too Close For Comfort.

Unfortunately, the geniuses behind the campaign haven't put the commercial on YouTube (although you can still see it here at the official website), but I have the next best thing: intrepid Pittsburgh reporter Andrew Stockey trying out the green bags with the help of friendly old lady/cucumber enthusiast Karen Ogilvie. The two put the bags through their paces, and the results — well, who really cares about the results? It's all about watching this odd couple interact — from Karen's enthusiasm for putting veggies into the fridge to Andrew's fervor for old salad-munching. I particularly like the final image of Andrew, casually tilted and smiling at the camera as if to say "Well look at my consumer report!" Now that's a news segment I can get behind!

Just under eight weeks ago, as part of a Hills promotional tie-in, I posted a contest imploring people to state their worthiness to win $25 of free Sonic fast food. I really didn't expect much of a response, but I must have vastly overlooked the draw of free food and perhaps underestimated the quality of Sonic (which I still have not tried). Anyway, I received many submissions, and they were all well-written, well-stated, and well-imbued with the sort of sentimental stuff that really pulls the heartstrings.

I had a very difficult time choosing a winner, but alas, the time has come.

The winning entry after the jump...

Avid followers of The Hills may notice Sonic's various parody ads scattered throughout the telecast on a weekly basis. This is all part of the fast food chain's serialized spoof, titled The Stalls, and in an effort to promote both the ad campaign and their restaurants, the good people of Sonic have sent me a $25 gift certificate for use at my discretion. But not only that, they've included a second $25 gift certificate to give away to my readers. Well, if there's anything I like more than free food, it's giving away free food (except to doe-eyed orphans. Why they gotta be so needy, yo?).

So here's how this will work. If you want the gift certificate, write in with a heartfelt plea, and whoever makes the best case for themselves will win it. Be advised that I may publish your email.

Now, for no reason other than me being bored, please enjoy several photos from The Hills, photoshopped to include milkshakes.

Back in May, I posted about my semi-awkward encounter with Lenny Kravitz in Prague, and I'm happy to report that the commercial around which the whole debacle centered has finally made it to air. Above, check out the new spot for Kohl's, and know that in one of those windows behind Lenny's head, my mom and I are standing there wondering what in the hell is goin' on with all these crazy people in the square (we couldn't see Lenny from our viewpoint). Oh if only the Museum of Decorative Arts had received a close-up — we coulda been stars!

The Sunset Strip gets a lot of unique billboards, the most recent being this one advertising the upcoming Judd Apatow posse movie, Pineapple Express. As you can tell from my camera phone pic, the pineapple actually emits smoke. Kind of cool. Unfortunately, just as I snapped the photo, a gust of wind blew the smoke over, making it look like a passing cloud, but trust me, it's smoke (or rather, fake smoke).

Of course, it probably won't be too much time before confused drivers think the actual billboard is on fire. My friend, IndianJones, revealed yesterday that he almost crashed his car when he first gazed upon the ad. Then again, an errant leaf could cause IndianJones to crash; so that's not really saying much.

Anyway, the point of the story is that if you see this billboard smoking, don't worry. There is no fire. Just good old fashioned marketing.

The hype for Mad Men has been out of control, and it's only been augmented by its recent Emmy nomination haul (not to mention my own gushy praise). Still, amidst all the buzz (which kicked up a notch a few months ago with cover stories on Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times Magazine), the show hasn't been terribly easy to find. Sure, it's been released on DVD, and people with On Demand can download episodes, but you'd think with the season two premiere approaching on July 27th, AMC would have been running the season nonstop for the past three weeks to get as many people hooked as possible. But they haven't, which is sort of their loss (I guess they're looking to drive DVD sales).

The good news, however, is that tomorrow (Sunday, July 20th), AMC will be airing the entire season in marathon form, starting at 12 PM EST. It's worth checking out — or at least Tivoing. Thirteen hours will never go by so quickly.

For the full schedule, check out AMC's website here.

It was only a matter of time before the big companies decided to capitalize on The Hills. Take for example this silly commercial featuring Lauren Conrad and Brody Jenner babbling away with the assistance of their AT&T cell phones. It's actually not a particularly impressive spot (nor is it very funny), but hey, the welcome return of Warrant on the soundtrack is always a plus. And here I am posting it in the blogosphere; so the gambit worked. Thanks to reader Rachel for the heads up...

I don't even have houseplants, but for some reason, I want the Aqua Globe. It allows you to leave your plants unattended for up to TWO WHOLE WEEKS. Wwwhhhaaaa?? Actually, the only reason I'm so impressed with this bad boy is because the science behind the Aqua Globe seems so simple, yet so right (assuming it works). Granted, the downside is that it'll look like a hot air balloon got lodged in your fern, but hey, that's a small price to pay for what will surely be a wonderful conversation starter!

From left to right: Funny, AWFUL, strange.

After that thrilling Super Bowl, it feels almost silly discussing the accompanying ads —  the combined entertainment value of which paled dramatically next to the big game. However, it's hard to for me to go three seconds without voicing my opinion on one thing or another, especially when so much hype is involved; so here goes with my roundup of this year's commercials.

Overall, it wasn't a great night for commercials. Bugs and rodents and critters in general seemed to dominate the airwaves, which wasn't always a good thing. You'd think marketing execs would know better, but then again, these are the same people who bring us a talking baby year after awful year. Why? WHY? Nevertheless, very few spots were noteworthy this year, and there didn't seem to be any instant classics in the bunch, but there were some gems that deserve accolades. My reviews of nearly all the Super Bowl ads after the jump.

The Machines Are Here. And They Bring Cupcakes.

When you think of the intense, bloody, testosterone-fueled Terminator franchise, only one thing comes to mind: cupcakes. It's a pairing as old as time itself. Well, banking on that classic robot-cupcake association, Fox is promoting its new series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles by giving away free cupcakes at venerable Los Angeles cupcake institution, Sprinkles. To some it might seem like a strange tie-in, but when I first read the notice in Eater LA, I was out the door so quickly you would have thought a T-1000 was charging down the hallway after me.

Photos of this adventure after the jump.

When I went to Trader Joe's tonight, I wasn't particularly in the mood for corn chowder, but when I came face to face with a towering display of these little cans, I found myself instinctively reaching for one — and for a very simple reason: its bulbous midriff. Had the corn chowder been packaged in merely plain old cans, I would have gone my merry way. But these soups were in miniature kettles!!! Or rather, miniature kettle-type cans. I don't know if kettles play a prominent role in the world of chowders, but I knew one thing: I HAD TO HAVE ONE.

Sadly, packaging masked a mediocre product. The chowder wasn't that bad, but it was just entirely too salty, almost like a chicken broth, minus the chicken. Some black pepper helped matters out, but overall, I'm not sure I'd buy this product again.

And for no other reason than I was bored/procrastinating, some bonus pics of my dinner after the jump...