The Best Superbowl Spot Ever: Apple 1984

With the Super Bowl coming up in 72 hours or so, let's take a look at what, to me, is hands down and without rival, the best Super Bowl tv spot ever. Apple 1984, which ran January 22nd, 1984, introduced the world's first Macintosh and immediately took the world by storm.

What's usually not considered in any discussion like this is the competitive context this spot appeared in: Apple had introduced the Apple II in 1977 which became in many people's minds the first mass market, popular personal computer. The introduction of spreadsheets for the Apple II drove the computer into the home and small business market. IBM, then the mainframe computer company accustomed to dictating "Big Brother" style to its users, made the radical decision to take a small group of IBM engineers, sequester them in Boca Raton with the charge of developing a competitor to the Apple II quickly...not confined by the typical circuitous, bureaucratic IBM development cycle. IBM launched their first PC, together with LOTUS Accounting software, on August 12, 1981 with a wily advertising campaign featuring the "Little Tramp" Charlie Chaplin figure which warmed up the cold IBM corporate image and was used to demonstrate how easy the computer was to use.

IBM immediately legitimized the market and was instantly carried by new IBM PC stores...and Computerland stores which sold both Apple and IBM products.

By summer 1983, six months before the 1984 Super Bowl, the IBM PC was on backorder and supplies were so low that the company suspended advertising for most of the summer and early fall. At the same time, IBM continued work on their top secret "home" computer, ultimately called PCjr which was to launch with a 1984 Super Bowl commercial featuring Chaplin in home use...sweet little Charlie continuing to interact with his PCjr, introduced from a baby carriage.

I worked on the IBM PC account as a very young kid (the source of much of the background for this entry) at the time and little did any of us every expect to see the spot which Apple, their agency Chiat Day and director Ridley Scott unleashed on the world that January 22, 1984.

This spot strikes back with a glorious competitive and imaginative vengeance never seen before on a Super Bowl and never quite seen since. IBM is equated to Big Brother (they were know at the time as Big Blue). Hordes of shackled workers/prisoners shuffle toward the telescreen to hear IBM's indoctrination. They are the faceless, lifeless corporate workers who have no choice but to use the BORING computers IBM produces (forget that cute little Charlie Chaplin, please...this Big Brother world is the real IBM).

Apple presents a vivid, athletic and vivacious alternative...an aggressive woman who destroys Big Brother and liberates his followers with a remarkable javelin throw, setting the business world free for a truly innovative, easy to use personal computer.

OK...so that's the backstory...why is this the best?

1. No other spot has ever created such a frightening and exhilarating self-contained world.
2. No other spot has ever been as competitive...or as violent.
3. This is the most beautiful Super Bowl spot ever shot. Gorgeous sets, beautiful lighting, an enormous range of gray tones.
4. The powerful and sexy javelin thrower is a brilliant choice to destroy Big Brother.
5. No ever spot has been as successful at reversing a rival's ad campaign, sending IBM right back to the position they were trying to escape from with Chaplin. Apple bursts right into the lucrative business market. The IBM PC (for business) was on back order and trumpeting a jr computer (why, why, call it that??)
6. And what a way for Apple to enter the business market. They're still there with the a whole line of innovative laptops while IBM no longer even manufactures personal computers...so who has the last laugh now. Well...this was just written on my MacBook Pro.
7. The spot was the first Super Bowl blockbuster. Many followed.
8. Viral...well, in retrospect, this was the one of the forerunners of viral.

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This is a modified version of an entry originally written two years ago for The New Advertising.

Why You Should Read What Lincoln Read

Abraham Lincoln, perhaps our most literate President, grew up as a voracious reader--often walking twenty miles to borrow a book from a neighbor. He read late into the night until his candle burned out and in the fields when he should have been working. What were Lincoln's primary sources? The Bible and Shakespeare. He committed many passages to memory and could draw, at will, on their descriptive language and rich cadences.

Wonder where the Gettysburg address came from? Lincoln's deep reading in classical texts. It's just ten sentences. If only all modern communication could be so brief and so remarkably effective.

The Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate...we can not consecrate...we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

One of my resolutions this year is to follow Lincoln's reading list. Less television, less contemporary fiction, less business books and articles on how to use the latest social networking tools. Sure I'll read them. But I'm going to focus on The Bible and Shakespeare. It's easier than ever...I can carry them around in my pocket on my iPhone or iTouch. Or even my new Apple Tablet. I don't have to walk 20 miles to borrow a copy. Which eliminates a lot of excuses.

I have no illusions of writing anything like the Gettysburg address. But I do believe I'll have a better view of mankind, both good and bad, when I'm done and, hopefully, be more articulate, concise and engaging. After all, how can I go wrong with The Bible and Shakespeare?

Blogging vs Tweeting: A New Year's Resolution

It's been a very long time since I sat down to write a considered blog post. But I'm back here on my blog at 4:15 pm on December 31st 2009 poised at the precipice of a new decade.

Why am I back? Keith Burtis. You may very well know him. During his tenure at Best Buy he made major strides in growing their online community. Now he's a consultant...helping many other companies. So fine you say. So what? Here's what. He recently left me a comment on Twitter that he enjoyed this blog. Don't we all love unexpected praise from an industry expert?

So, thanks to Keith (to reinforce a growing feeling), I'm back with a 2010 New Year's resolution to blog more and use Twitter less often. And that will not be an easy resolution to keep.

Why? Twitter (and all the various social media sites like it), primarily, are short form social media. You can share your views quickly & easily and get instant fulfillment. You know this. Tweets, at least in my mind, don't demand a beginning, middle and and end like a good blog post.

And Twitter, particularly for me, has become addictive. @scottlackey; @jugularnyc (our communications and social media agency), @nycstories (a multimedia site which includes bizarre true stories, my photos and music--all about New York City); and @nycsongs -- (a nyc music Twitter station). And that doesn't even include client social media pages.

Blogging is different. A well developed post for me takes 45-60 minutes and requires, again for me (maybe not you), a more analytical perspective. It requires commitment and time. But blogging does do one crucial thing. It forces you to evaluate a subject more thoroughly and express your feelings about it in a more organized, and hopefully more detailed, fashion.

And it's time to do that. My New Year's resolutions are to blog more. To write more analytical posts. To do less straight reporting. To be more original. To support assertions. To write about what's on my mind and what we're encountering every day at Jugular, and I'm encountering in my life. Our work with terrific indie musicians in Brooklyn and colleges and the websites we're building in the health field. And much more.

I don't want to leave Twitter entirely...just strike a better balance. I hope I keep my resolution.

And..thank you Keith. Happy New Year.

P.S. Here's an article from today's Huffington Post which I just Googled "How To Keep Your New Year's Resolution (Without Feeling Guilty)" At least I've got #2 down. "How To Keep New Year's Resolutions".

Toyota Prius Marketing. Free Solar Powered Wi-Fi at Broadway & 23rd Street in New York City.

This is smart. Very smart. Take a look at the installation that popped up a few weeks ago in the middle of one of the new enlarged, Bloomberg-inspired traffic islands at Broadway and 23rd St. In fact it's so "noisy" it borders on the invasive. But you can't miss it--no way. Perfect too for the Prius brand energy efficiency positioning...isn't it?

Why is it so good? It helps you and, best of all, it's not literal. Now cars in a special mall display here.




Images by Scott Lackey. Permission required for reuse.

New Chanel No 5 Audrey Tautou TV Ad/Spot/Commercial: Reclaiming the Brand's French Heritage

This is just unbelievable. I think better acting and intrigue than the Nicole Kidman/Baz Luhrmann phantasmagoria (great...but time to move on). And...after all the railway drama--Billie Holiday enters, halfway through, singing "I'm a Fool to Want You" begins. Yup, fabulous stuff. Tautou, who stars here, was terrific in Amelie, whose director Jean Pierre Jeaunet also directed this spot.

I love the forlorn-ness of Tautou, which is not typical of Chanel. More youthful and key to attract a younger audence. Most important, the ultimate Frenchness of the brand is reclaimed...which has been so central to its success.

This is the long version. A 60 second version also exists. Thanks to Denis Florent and his great blog for bringing it to my attention.

PJ Bland's (Chili's) New Campaign: Social Media and TV Spot Attacks Boring Casual Dining Chains.

A terrific new spoof campaign was launched today that reaches across the world of social media from a website to Twitter to Flickr to YouTube to Howcast--and many more-- about a fictitious (and ubiquitous) corrugated burger/casual dining chain called P.J. Blands. Yup, ubiquitous. Wonder who that refers to?

I found it on my Twitter stream this afternoon as @PJBlands engaged many of the Twitter elite that I follow in comic repartee about it's "bland" food (please click to enlarge to full screen):



This led to a terrific, expensive, and well executed web page which signaled you weren't in Kansas anymore--but you were dealing with a sophisticated company mounting a major campaign and putting some serious dollars behind it. Featuring a bland (of course) pitchman , the site is deep and filled with video links to food stylists, the history of the company and more.
Take a look by clicking here.

Or...take a look at this new "behind the scenes " YouTube video on the filming of their newest commercial.


There are still shots on Flickr which set up the line of attack on burgers very clearly:

And there are numerous other specialized sites on the list too..some empty shells waiting to receive P.J. Bland's ammo.

What's the point you say? The campaign is being run by Brinker International, who owns Chili's Grill & Bar, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and Maggiano's Little Italy.

Why advertise cardboard fast food? To set up a straw man strategy that their "high flavor restaurants" offer an alternative. P.J. Bland's = the good, old boring burger chain/casual dining restaurant devoid of flavor (hyperbolically corrugated cardboard) versus a "hot" and "spicy" alternative. Where does Maggiano's fit? We'll see. Maybe not.

Smart start. Let's see how it rolls out and how the Chili's, On the Border and (maybe) Maggiano's brands enter the fray. The web site promises a spot on this week's Saturday Night Live (4/11). Perhaps the battle will start there.

Update: Sunday 4/12 at 12:41 AM. P.J. Bland's did run a spot on Saturday Night Live (SNL) tonight. P.J. Bland wandered about a "casual dining" restaurant showing his bland, cardboard entrees and interacting with customers and showing his entrees.

Update: Sunday 4/12 at 1:35. Here's the the YouTube "PJ Bland's Official SNL Commercial" spot which I was sent directly from PJ Bland on Twitter a few moments ago (with a kind note thanking me for "the great coverage.") They work late at P.J. Bland's. But this isn't the actual Chili's spot that aired on SNL because the jokes never stop with P.J. Bland. I'll get to that. Take a look first.



What's missing is the ending from Chili's, the real sponsor. Why? Because the real spot that aired is ultimately critical of bland food. The actual SNL spot THAT AIRED ends with a wham, as a bright red Chili's logo is quickly stamped on the screen--together with a flavor line. I'm looking for the an embed code to post the spot that actually aired here. It will be up as soon as I find it.

Monday 2:10 pm. Someone helpful (you guess) just sent me the actual Chili's Saturday Night Live spot: Take a look:


So at this point the P.J. Bland's campaign looks like strawman campaign only for Chili's, without reference to any other Brinker International restaurants (especially On the Border).

A problem I had with the media buy is that the spot appeared in position 1A, the first spot immediately following the opening monologue. Frequently, spoof spots appear there. The P.J. Bland's spot appeared as if it was a SNL spoof, particularly since the Chili's logo appeared for such a short period of time that many people may have missed it.

So...despite the massive social media plan there's still a role for television...you bet. Why. The number of eyeballs and the ability to build reach quickly.

Let's see what follows. My bet...more detailed Chili's spots building the comparison. And more fun stunts.

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Getting College Students to Watch a TV Series: Choose The Right Day & Wait for Word of Mouth

Please welcome our guest blogger, Katie Milot, Lafayette College '09.


What gets kids hooked onto certain TV shows? And how can cable networks market their shows to reach the college audience? After asking my friends what they thought, some definite trends started to emerge:

My friend Val, a 21-year-old senior, said: “I think college kids watch whatever their friends are watching...more often than not, they're sharing a TV so they have to compromise with their roommate or if it’s a common room in a dorm--their floor mates. I would have NEVER watched a single episode of Girls Next Door if my roommate didn’t make me watch it with her freshman year. Since I know what’s going on now, I don’t mind it as much and I’ll watch it once in a while.”


Each person I interviewed attributed watching at least one TV show to their roommate or their friends. Watching TV seems to have an underlying social component: it gives people a reason to get together.

However, when it comes to marketing a TV show to the college student, the key is the day it is broadcast. Most channels don’t broadcast their hit series on Friday and Saturday nights because it’s a TV show graveyard. Well for a college student, this TV graveyard extends into Thursdays and maybe even Wednesdays. With the stresses and pressure of school, college students may be going out with friends on Wednesday or Thursday nights to let off some steam. Therefore, if you want to market your TV show to the college audience, your best bet is to broadcast it on a Monday or Tuesday night. Earlier in the week, students are typically staying in to do work and are looking for an excuse to put down the textbook and pick up the remote.


Lauren, a 20 year old sophomore, expressed why her social schedule has prohibited her from watching a particular show: “I wanted to watch The Starter Wife, but its on at 10pm on a Wednesday nights, nights that I am usually out.”

There is an outlet for those shows whose broadcast interferes with the schedule of the avid social butterfly: Post the episodes online. Many TV shows are posted online after the original air date. Not only does it allow students to catch up on the shows they miss, but many students I spoke with also have started watching particular shows online, and are now devoted fans.

Kristyn, a 19-year-old freshman, stated, “I watch Lost because I could watch every season online.” Similarly, Sarah, a 21-year-old junior, said, “My roommate got me hooked last January and made me watch all four seasons of Lost on abc.com and now I can’t wait for the new season to start this week!”

Abc.com isn’t the only place people are watching TV. Hulu is a big go-to to catch up on shows, or a place to start watching them. Family Guy, Lipstick Jungle, and The L Word are all shows people said they started watching online.


In addition to the time of the broadcast and the online availability of shows, there are also some similarities in what kind of shows some college students enjoy watching: Entourage, Gossip Girl, The City and The Hills. What do these shows have in common? They all portray the celebrity life, filled with money, fame and attention from the opposite sex. Perhaps the lives portrayed in these shows appeal to the typical college kid because it’s a life they secretly wish they had.


Hawley, a 22-year-old senior, who is a fan of The City and the Hills said, “ …I watch these shows because I like the clothes and their completely absurd lifestyles. I also find them to be aesthetically pleasing.”

Chris, a 20-year-old junior, who watches Entourage on Sunday night religiously with his fraternity brothers said, “ I mean these guys live the life. They are rich and they get the girls. While they live the high life, I can still relate to them through their humor and the friendship they have with each other.”


There seems to be a fantasy component that contributes to the appeal of these shows, yet they preserve aspects of reality, allowing one to believe that you too can attain this lifestyle. The shows that preserve reality and make them relatable to the college audience seem to be the ones students continue to watch.

From the feedback I have received, it is relatively easy to turn a college student on to a particular TV show. For example, Carolyn, Rachel and Nicole, all 22-year-old seniors, started watching Summer Heights High simply because they saw humorous clips of it on YouTube before it premiered on HBO. They are now avid fans.

For most of these students, it didn’t take a brilliant ad campaign to capture their interest: It took one person to tell them they enjoyed a show, or they randomly came across the show online where they could watch it for free. Perhaps a way to spark interest among college students is to post the pilot episode online or even distribute DVDs of select episodes on campus. Bottom line: It doesn’t take much to distract students from their work, especially if the episode can be watched for free at the convenience of the student.

Guest Columnist
Katie Milot
Lafayette College '09

News Networks and Online Video: ABC News, CBS News. Plus a Jeff Jarvis Video Book.

News networks are shifting resources to online video projects and the results from some are promising, reports Daisy Whitney in this week’s episode of the New Media Minute. ABC News offers a 15-minute version of its evening newscast online and views are up five times over last year. Other networks are reaching for new viewers online too. CBS News recently launched a 15-minute weekly Webcast hosted by Bob Schieffer called “Washington Unplugged.” The introduction of a Web-only show fronted by the news icon is a big indication that networks are eager to figure out the new business models of online video for news. You’ll also learn about Harper Collins big video book bet.

Broadcast Networks Original Programming for the Web, Book Publishers & Online Video, Disney's take180.com.

Does anyone know where the broadcast networks stand when it comes to making original series for the Web? You’ll get a different story if you talk to CBS, ABC or NBC. CBS pulled the plug on original Web series WallStrip and Moblogic in recent months, so what exactly are CBS’ plans for original Internet fare? The New Media Minute will tell you.

This episode also reports on emerging developments in the book business for branded video and also gives viewers a heads up on a cool new online video site from Disney that’s generating laughs and views.

Pepsi Super Bowl 2009 Ad "Forever Young" Anthem Spot with Bob Dylan and Will i. am. Includes Video.

Great news! Pepsi has their mojo back. With quiet confidence they've hit one out of the park with their brand new 2009 Super Bowl spot. It's a then/now format built around a "Forever Young" mashup sung by Dylan and Will i. am. This is a great use of celebrity in the Pepsi tradition...upbeat and positive. Contrasting scenes and split screens cascade across the years from Vietnam to Iraq from lighters to mobile phones. Unlike so many other :60s in the game this one never dulls, as you're carried through a land of fantasy, optimism and the last 50 years of American culture. Pepsi accomplishes a hell of a lot here. They reclaim the Pepsi tradition, restore their celebrity culture, and preemptively reach out to capture the category. Kudos to Pepsi & TBWA Chiat Day. Cool.



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2009 Super Bowl TV Spots/Ads Grades and Reviews. and Selected Video.

Just like last year, all the 2009 in game Super Bowl spots will be reviewed here before, during and right after the game. No reliance on other opinions (no Twitter surveys, USA Today or advertising profs). I grade hard and you won't find grade inflation here. C's are average. Period. Unlike Harvard, just cause you got into the big game doesn't mean you get a bye to A's and B's.

No studio trailers have been included. Or local spots. Let me know what I'm missing. And argue away...that's part of the fun.
On The day of the Super Bowl I included videos of all the spots. I just deleted everything that received a grade under B...the post was loading like molasses. This will help.

Pepsi "Forever Young/Refresh Anthem": A-

This is the spot I've been anticipating most of all, and it delivers. It's smack dab on the "Taste of a new generation" celebrity strategy here contrasting old and new. Woven together by Dylan's "Forever Young" the spot is a compelling mashup of Bob Dylan and Will i. am vocals, tracking like lightning from tableaux to tableaux. Split screen to split screen celebrating both celebrity and pop culture now and then. By the end Pepsi owns the history of the last fifty years of youth culture and, by implication, the history of soda. Most of all, Pepsi's got it's mojo back. Cool.


Monster.com "Elephant": A- (No quality video available)

Great, great spot, The sweeping single shot contains a fabulous reveal when the guy sitting in the back room is revealed. Stylish and fun. Excellent production. Unlike so many spots this year, despite the humor, restraint is present.

Coca Cola "Heist": A-

Another fabulous Coke production. Animals ( a common theme this and every year) run riot and steal a Coke. Gorgeous imagery. What's amazing is the subtle (and intended I believe) implication that Coke is a natural product. The amazing achievement here: making me like a spot with bugs? Will squeamish anti-bug people? Definitely pays off "Open Happiness."


Kellogg's Frosted Flakes "Plant a Seed": A-

Perfect for the spirit of the time, Kellogg's hits a home run here in a spot about doing good and community involvement. Besides all that, it's beautifully shot. And, unlike many other spots this year...drives viewers to the web. Kudos to Kellogg's.


Pedigree: B+

Fun, big fun right out of the gate when a woman, leash in hand, calls to Rusty to come for a walk. Rusty the Rhino (love the alliteration) busts right through the door. Rusty may get the Super Bowl best actor award, animal or human. Bruno the ostrich, an unnamed pig and a boar (?) are equally difficult. Great way to deliver the "Maybe you should get a dog" Pedigree adoption program message. This spot should do well

Doritos "Power of the Crunch" and "Crystal Ball": B+

"Power" is a compelling, attention-getting ad. Right from the first crunch where the woman is stripped to her underwear to the surprise ending this is a lot of fun. Crystal Ball delivers the same values...and is even more kooky. Memorable and good stuff.

GE Ecomagination "Scarecrow", "Wind": B

I'm a huge fan of this campaign. Difficult, hard-to-understand subject matter is treated in a lighthearted, magical way.
The smartest move...don't explain it, just establish that GE is the leader in the green/eco world.

Cash4Gold “Ed McMahon/MC Hammer”: B

“Here’s money.” Ed McMahon, perfectly cast (sadly) launches into what Cash4Gold claims to be the first direct marketing spot ever run on a Super Bowl. If ever their time has been right it’s now. MC Hammer (sadly too) lightens things up with quick cuts featuring some of his more eccentric possessions. Fun. My guess. This will work. Creatively, it worked better than a bunch of other ads out there this year. Surprising, no?

Denny's "Thugs/Free Grand Slam Breakfast": B

A huge promotional idea, giving away a free Grand Slam breakfast Tuesday morning/early afternoon. Strangely executed...although the Scorsese look-alike is amusing. Somehow it seems as if the offer was added late.

E*TRADE: B

Great campaign. Realistic treatment of the economy. Smart idea to add the "flex the golden pipes" baby. Key question? Is E*TRADE getting investors who will be highly profitable...or a young target starting out?

Hyundai “Commitment”: B-

As a promotional idea this is an A. “If you lose your income in the next year” you can return the new car to Hyundai without penalties. Fabulous recognition of just what it might take to get the target to buy a car now. But like Monster.com, the execution suffers, filled with random uninspired shots and music in a minor key that never resolves. Tough to walk the serious line without becoming morose.

Hulu "An Evil Plot": B-

Fun. May have been the riskiest spot given the tongue in cheek attack on TV. But Alec Baldwin overwhelms the content. Hard to follow so much activity at the end of the game. Better as a :30.

Gatorade "G": C+

A Nike like spot that's attention getting by dint of the ambiguous use of the letter G. Good to drive interest...perhaps bad for clarity.

Monster.com “Looking for The NFL Director of Fandemonium”: C+

A fun, promotional idea with some great giveaways including a $100,000 signing bonus, calling a play at the 2010 Pro Bowl (so much more fun if it awas a real game). My problem is with the visuals, which are dark and uninspired. And, to me a U2 fan, that track vaguely resembles “Where the Streets Have No Name.” No?

Sobe Lizard Lake: C+
Kudos for 3D innovation, demerits, big ones, for an uninspired ad. Think how good this could have been with great creative. To me, bad luck on the placement during the bathroom break between the 100 yard interception runback and Springsteen's awesome display of energy.

Audi "Chase": C

A L'homage to Hollywood car chase scenes culminating in a new Audi. Despite all the sturm and drang and a car star, this spot disappoints. Been there. Done that.

Coca Cola Avatar: C

Coke introduces their optimism line ""Open happiness" following Obama's/Pepsi's optimism strategy. Cute but too long. Do you need to do avatars to seem relevant? Then resort to the historical soda bar with straws and cute kids to establish your brand heritage?

Cheeto's "Chester the Cheetah": C

Food as revenge...now that's an interesting strategy. Amusing and fun...but doesn't stand out from the crowd.

Bud Light "Swedish (w/Conan)": C

Conan is funny here and helps things out somewhat....but it's still sorta a spot about drinkability. What's drinkability?

Bud Light "Drinkability/Meeting/Ski Slope": C

My guess is that Bud Light has done some research and has found out that "drinkability" is a confusing concept at best.
So...why not discuss it in a business meeting? Or illustrate it via comparisons between skiers. More pratfalls and broad comedy. The key question remains: is drinkability relevant or believable? One great line, though: "does my pen have drinkability?" Love that.

Budweiser "Clydesdales" (multiple spots): C

Something was off this year with the Budweiser Clydesdale spots. They were shot just as beautifully (if not more so) than ever.
Ironically, though, the attempt to try something new faltered. Personifying the horses made me uncomfortable. Freeing the circus horse too. The "Grandfather" that arrives from overseas seems strained. Stretching the format somehow made it seem tired. It's a great tradition. But they may have to find a different forum for innovation.


Toyota Verza "Super Bowl 2009": D

Dull, dull, dull. Static, predictable. Car ads have so much potential to be fun.

Heineken "Warrior": D

John Turturro offers more big thinking (Lao Tse “Art of War” style) on life and beer. Love the Village Vanguard. Love the track. Too much talk to break through the Super Bowl noise. Too bad.

Castrol Edge "Grease Monkeys" D+

Well...someone had to bring the monkeys to the party. But the Iron Butterfly music?


GoDaddy "Enhanced"/ "Shower": D

I'm not a fan of these spots creatively. But they definitely have established godaddy.com...so it's hard to indict them. No surprise here as Danica Patrick returns in the now familiar Congressional hearing format, about "enhancement," read boob jobs. With a vague allusion to domain names. GoDaddy has been very smart about driving viewers to the web.

Hyundai "Genesis": D

If you're worried about being heard during the big party, shout. Unconvincing. Too little to late. Almost 20 years after Hyundai's US intro now we're hearing how to pronounce the name. Think most of us already know.

Pepsi "Pepsuber": D
Not sure how you can put together an inspired spot like 'Forever Young" and then follow with Pepsuber. I've never been a fan of the SNL MacGruder skits, this only seems more foolish. And...if Pepsuber has to explain the "refresh everything" themeline, even worse.

Bud Light "Lime": D

How many times has the black and white to color been done, as well as the cool guy wandering through the streets?Uninspired.

Taco Bell "Overated": D
The appetizing food as hero shot at the center is surrounded by a very flimsy plot. Funny? Well...not very.

cars.com "David Abernathy": D

Feels a lot like creative we've seen before from Dougie Howser. But, just like so many spots this year, this is way too long. Unless it's the internet version. cars.com this time is expensive. See the Pepsi or Coke heist spots for guidance.

careerbuilder.com: D

A great contrast to Pedigree's wry, witty use of animals. careerbuilder.com struggles to be humorous. Repetition (especially the headbanger and dolphin rider) quickly wears thin rather than reinforcing the message of "if you're annoyed about your job, try us." Annoys. Compare this to Coke's "Heist" above. Way, way too long.

Coke Zero: Mean Troy: D

Dear Coke Zero. Never, never redo one of the best Super Bowl spots of all time, "Mean Joe Greene", for a cheap joke.
Not fun at all. And, the Coke brand managers intruding on the spot just adds to the confusion. Perhaps the worst spot this year.


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The Power of the Word Free: Macy's Free Cosmetics Giveaway

It's the oldest saw in the advertising playbook that two words "free" and "new" are the most motivating words you can use.

This morning Macy's gave away free cosmetics staring at 10 AM...and just take a look at the lines at their 34th Street and Herald Square store this morning. I'd estimate 1,500 to 2,000 people.




The free cosmetics giveaway is all part of a massive legal settlement for price fixing in the cosmetics industry. Here's a detailed explanation.

I spoke to a few of the people in line this morning. What was most amazing to me was that they couldn't answer what brands were being given away...just that they were free.

So...are these bread lines for cosmetics a sign of an economic downturn? Or just the proverbial desire to get a product without having to shell out for it? Tell me, please.

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Is Online Video A Threat to Traditional TV Viewing?

Our new media contributor Daisy Whitney writes:

The New Media Minute is back in 2009 and I’m asking the question of whether online video viewing helps or hurts old-fashioned TV. Recent research from Starz and One Touch Intelligence suggests the Web is less of a threat than previously thought. But the New Media Minute asks if that’s a smart assumption to make. This edition also covers a new effort by NBC to hire local video bloggers to produce online reports for its owned-stations, a move that could help attract a younger demographic.

A New Type of Obama Inspired Advertising: Tropicana Squeeze Ad with Obama & Kids Lookalikes.

This is amazing to me. Tropicana has joined the Obama inspired marketing bandwagon. It's becoming a crowded field with Pepsi leading the way, followed by Ikea's welcome signature book and a host of others.

This, though, is different. Pepsi's new "optimism" campaign was inspired by the big, lofty ideas that Millennials hold. These ads are just slick attempts to imitate the Obama family album. It's Dad & the kids. Obama family values

There are multiple ironies here. As far as I can tell Pepsi owns Tropicana. Are they planning to employ the optimism strategy with multiple brands? These Tropicana ads were created by Arnell...the agency that redesigned the Pepsi bottle to more closely resemble Obama's campaign logo.

Given all this admiration, I hope the clients and the agency/ies are going to be on the Plaza Tuesday...or at least giving everyone the day off.


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Photograph by Jugular Advertising.

HBO's Big Love Advertising and Promotion Goes Underground and Innovative.

HBO's great show, Big Love, set to return on January 18th, 2009 for its third season, has furthered its reach in the Times Square spectacular world by going underground with an innovative approach to posters. HBO has bought every--yes every-- poster that spans the tunnel which runs between Times Square and The Port Authority Bus Terminal.


The posters are unique because you can plug headphones into the people portrayed on the poster and listen to their secrets, an allusion to the governing story line that HBO is focusing on in positioning Big Love as a show about "secrets." (That association is a bit tenuous for my taste in this advertising).


It's a fun approach, these audio posters. If people figure out what you're doing and know to plug in. And, ironically (if you're into numerology), there are exactly 42 posters running side by side. A subtle tie into the 42nd St and Times Square station? Or am I over-reaching?

HBO is going to get a lot of credit for innovativeness here. The real trick is 1.) making the technology work 2.) making sure to tell people clearly to plug in and 3.) finding enough room during rush hours to listen. Does it matter... or is the PR what it's all about?


For a look at the wide range of above ground Big Love posters and billboards and a further analysis of the campaign see Cable Marketing

Times Square is becoming a breeding ground for innovative new campaigns from high profile clients. See what Pepsi is Doing with their Refresh Everything campaign here

What do you think?

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Photography by Jugular Advertising

Information Overload: Feeling Overwhelmed and Unable to Stay Current.

This is just a terrific video related to information overload and its causes--a topic I plan to write further about in 2009 (Happy New Year by the way). Increasingly, I've been felt the absolute difficulty of keeping up with the mountains of new content (or slightly revised and re-calculated information) flooding my computer screen and the airwaves. Even in the world at large, more and more physical space is subject to "takeovers" (an advertising word for dominating a media space...i.e. Pepsi's Times Square takeover on New Year's Eve).

The psychology of information overload is a topic I'm looking into. I'm feeling snowed...I'm know others are too.

Because every piece of communication we generate, from emails to tweets to posts is affected. From my perspective here at Jugular the emerging question I see is how we can best put together effective communications for clients in this environment.

I'll be back with more as the year proceeds.

In the meantime, what do you think?

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Click here to visit our group blog Cable Marketing.

Pepsi "Refresh Everything" Times Square Billboards for New Years.

So...we decided to go for a lunchtime stroll up to a bumper-to-bumper Times Square filled with people and, across from MTV, found this remarkable collection of vinyl boards of all shapes and sizes for the new Pepsi "Refresh Everything" New Year's campaign. Take a look at these images shot this afternoon. Then imagine these posters translated to neon signs at night pulsating across a Pepsi takeover. Optimists unite! Pessimists desist!





And...just for a bit of the historical text, why not vote for a soda aligned with President Elect Barack Obama. And...I sense a Pepsi category exclusive on the inauguration. If you don't have it. I'd get it.




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Pepsi "Refresh Everything" Website and Video for New Years.

Please click image to enlarge

Pepsi has just launched part two of the "Refresh Everything" campaign which snuck out there quietly via wild postings (a story we first broke here) a couple weeks ago. There's a brand spanking new website refresheverything.com.

There's also a spot designed to break on New Year's Eve that will accompany a massive Times Square program.


All this is carried out with relentless optimism for the future...aimed squarely at the Optimistic Millenials identified by the Pepsi Optimism Project. They're the generation that, whenever we do research with them, expresses an enormous longing for the optimism of the sixties.They envy the generation's protest, music, dress, sexual mores and so much more. They believe they missed a critical period in relatively recent history. See a earlier blog post from The New Advertising on the 60's & 70's generation vs Pepsi's New Millennials.

So it's no surprise that the look of both the site and the video is 60's pop-art-like. Just take a look at Roy Lichenstein 1962 painting "Art"

You'll also see provision for a link to reach Times Square images...something we'll see more of.

I'll be back with some more thoughts. Wanted to get this post out since it's newsworthy and an important new campaign from a major advertiser and their new agency TBWA Chiat/Day.

Update: here are many more details on the New Year's Eve program including the Times Square domination program. Electronic signs with the words from the spot, IM'ing camera phone examples of personal "optimism" for potential inclusion in MTV/Pepsi video (used first that I know in U2's Vertigo tour where audience shots were included on the video screens). From yesterday's AdAge.com or a similar story in Adrant.

Please leave me your contact info if you have any further information about the campaign.

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Five Predictions for 2009 from Daisy Whitney on the New Media Minute.

Wondering what's on the horizon in the new year? Never fear, the five predictions for 2009 are here. From the New Media Minute, keep an eye on mobile phones, Netflix, international Web distribution, George from Grey’s and a newly formed army of cord-cutters.

Daisy Whitney is a noted new media expert who writes for TVWeek, and numerous other publications. She also produces podcasts and the New Media Minute (which will return here the first week of January '09).

You can follow Daisy on Twitter at Twitter.com/DaisyWhitney

Barack Obama Disappears from Twitter.

Daisy Whitney got me started on this one in a TVWeek Post:

Here's some more detail. Barack Obama bowed out of this Twitter campaign site the afernoon after he was elected. I don't know if he ever posted an alternative. Never a good idea to abandon an audience in the middle of the program.

Even if it's not presidentially permissible...extend communications and move to a new site/blog/etc. (And no dead links please). Yes, you're busy...but have your people take it down David Axelrod.

I hope back...I strongly believe he will be back in some progressive online form (beyond YouTube speeches) around the Inauguration. Watch! Let's see.

Final 2 Twitter posts at BarackObama.

We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks

2:34 PM Nov 5th from web
Asking you to help Get Out the Vote in these last few critical hours of our campaign for change. Visit http://my.barackobama.com/f... 5:42 PM Nov 4th from web

What'cha'think?