I want a crummy tin of Vaseline.
Posh advertising
Proof that high end products and clever advertising are not mutually exclusive.
Famous last words
DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE.
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*Cricket is like a really long baseball game, and I hate baseball. Meatloaf is gross, especially with that nasty baked on crust of ketchup. Blech! Time zones mess with my head. Shannon spent the majority of our flight to Hawaii trying to explain the International Date Line to me. Trust me, I would make a lousy Time Lord.
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Adopt a shelter pet, no Sarah McLachlan required.
Zombie apocalypse!
It’s almost Halloween. Time for a zombie ad!!
We’ve all seen before and after ads. It’s a common technique in advertising.
Before: Zit faced teenager
After: A perfect peaches and cream complexion!
Before: Overweight housewife
After: MILF in a bikini!
Before: Normal looking guy
After: Zombie Boy!!
WHAT?!??
Meet Rico Genest, also known as Rico the Zombie or Zombie Boy. Eighty percent of Rico’s body is covered with tattoos of a skeleton and decomposing corpse as part of a full-body tattoo project.
Meet Dermablend. If you’re not familiar with Dermablend, it’s a line of professional makeup known for its ability to cover just about anything, and still be wearable.
Bring the two together and you have one crazy-amazing before and after ad.
And yes, there is a behind the scenes video as well.
I love the fact that the video is done backwards. We see Rico as a normal looking guy first — which is the whole point of Dermablend. You’re not supposed to know it’s there. This wouldn’t have nearly the impact if we saw the process then saw the reveal. It’s one more thing to consider when you’re working on any creative involving a timeline. Where’s your greatest point of impact, and what’s happening at that point?
It’s what’s inside that counts.
I’ve seen several ads as of late that deal with inside versus outside. For those unfamiliar with the concept, watch this episode of Monsterpiece Theater. Now let’s look at some ads.
Yin Yang Martial Arts School, Slovenia
What’s inside is more than what you see outside. I’m in print ad heaven! Love. These. Ads. This is such a clever way to show the intangible benefits of martial arts training.
Nutripro Cachupin, Chile
What’s inside doesn’t have to cost a lot. Somewhat the opposite of the Yin Yang ads, these use a similar approach to demonstrate value.
Pro Infirmis, Switzerland
What’s outside shouldn’t matter at all. WOW! Such a simple concept, but such a powerful message.
So the next time you hit a wall brainstorming, try the usual tricks — look at the problem from the opposite angle, make the problem bigger, make the problem smaller — and try looking at it from the inside versus the outside.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
The following spots defy explanation, which is probably why I’m inexplicably drawn to them. Judge for yourself.
Bug spray ads shall now cease for they have been done to perfection.
No idea what kind of critter this is, but I’m fairly certain you shouldn’t feed him after midnight.
Things you never considered, but should, when selecting ceiling board.
And because Christmas ads seem to start earlier and earlier every year, the strangest holiday ad you’ll ever see.
Sometimes the ad just writes itself
Most people think of creative as, well, creating — commercials, catchy slogans, logos, print ads, etc. But sometimes creative is about recognizing an opportunity. Take for example the following spot for Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
Alamo Drafthouse is a small chain of movie theaters in Texas, with one lone theater in Virginia. They have a strict no tolerance rule when it comes to cellphones. Talk or text in a theater, and they kick you out.
When one patron didn’t follow the rules, she was indeed kicked out of the theater. She then proceeded to call and leave an angry voicemail. Alamo Drafthouse turned the voicemail into a viral ad for the theater.
The production of the ad was cheap as chips — super simple text over the voicemail recording. As for the voicemail, you couldn’t write a more dead on strategic ad for Alamo Drafthouse. Take this line, for example —
“I’ve texted in all the other theaters in Austin, and no one ever gave a f— about what me — I was doin’ on my f—— phone.”
What does this line communicate to the listener? One, you don’t want to be in a theater with this person. Two, every other theater in Austin let her get away with it except Alamo Drafthouse. BAM! An angry voicemail just set Alamo Drafthouse apart from every other theater out there.
So, before you start cooking up creative from scratch, do your research. Even if the ad doesn’t write itself, more knowledge makes for better ads.
And should I find myself in the land of the burnt orange, I’m going to make sure I catch a film at Alamo Drafthouse. Let’s just hope the theater doesn’t have a no tolerance policy when it comes to crimson Sooner shirts. BOOMER!
