July 03, 2009
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Subway Puts Phelps Back in Its Advertising Pool

New Spots Finally Break With Superstar Olympian

So you heard the one about the world's fastest swimmer and the bong? Michael Phelps, infamously, admitted to an ill-advised toke at a party and a pictures was shot 'round the world last winter that potentially jeopardized millions in sponsorships.



Modernista Puts a Price on Ideas -- and Gets $45

Agency Auctions off 12-Pack of Beer-Commercial Scripts on EBay

What's with agencies and eBay these days? For nearly as much money as a case of suds, Modernista used the site yesterday to auction off a pack of 12 commercial scripts suitable for a beer marketer.



Karl Malden Never Left Home Without It

He Always Delivered on One of the Ad World's Best Taglines

Karl Malden, who spent 21 years as a pitchman for American Express, died today at age 97. The Oscar-winning actor is most famous in the advertising world for his earnest delivery of the AmEx tagline: "Don't leave home without it."



Want Some Piping Hot Snoop in Your Bowl?

The Doggfather Suggests Campbell Soup Partnership to Conan O'Brien

We've written plenty about the likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Diddy being hip-hop stars who are also savvy marketers. But don't underestimate the marketing prowess of the Doggfather.

Last Friday on "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien," Snoop Dogg talked about plans to venture into virtually every sector. Fast food? He's got frankfurters called "Snoop Doggs." Cars? There's the Cadillac "Snoop Deville." Kitchen appliances? The barbecue Snoop de Grille. He's even working on a supermarket concept dubbed "Snoopermarkets," and, of course, he has a Snoop-branded iPhone app.

And he's not done. Asked what's next, he used the opportunity to pitch a co-branded deal with Campbell Soup Co. for "Chicken Noodle Snoop" ... "Holla at me, Campbell!"

[Via Nah Right]



So, Crispin, How Do You Like Bing?

Agency's Revamped Website Takes Directions Courtesy Google

Crispin Porter & Bogusky joined the Web 2.0 website bandwagon today with its revamped site. The general idea is the very same one displayed on Modernista's site, launched over a year ago, and more recently, what Agency.com assembled for Skittles.



Microsoft Ads Keep Pushing the Boundaries of Weird

New Internet Explorer Spots Are Nothing if Not Odd

If you found Bill Gates' parking lot shimmy a bit strange in last fall's Seinfeld-starring Windows ads, check out the oddball Dean Cain-starring ads Microsoft is using to push Internet Explorer 8. (Via idsgn.)



Twitter Is a Realtor's World, We Just Tweet in It

More Great Moments in Real-Estate Advertising

Earlier this month, Marissa Miley rocked the world of real estate with her eye-opening piece on real-estate companies using the web to promote their business. As someone who "just can't let go" of print, I found myself in tears by the end of her article, simply by the mere thought of my beloved real-estate advertisers moving away from bus benches and billboards. Rather than curling up in the fetal position and crying myself to sleep, I've decided to give this web thing a look-see and explore what real-estate pros are doing on Twitter. Below are just a few of my observations:



Michael Jackson's Brief Career in Advertising

King of Pop Wasn't Exactly King of Madison Avenue

It's hard to overstate the impact Michael Jackson had on pop culture from music to videos to movies to fashion to weird prison dance routines.



Hardee's Ups Ante in Fast-Food Smutfest

Announces 'Name Our Holes' Campaign

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Didn't I tell you yesterday that Carl's Jr./Hardee's wasn't going to be outdone when it comes to using sexual innuendo to move product? Didn't I? Well, get a load of Hardee's latest effort. It's called "Name Our Holes." And if you think I'm just projecting my own perversions onto a harmless little bit of biscuit dough, check out the teaser campaign from ad agency Mendelsohn Zien Advertising, Los Angeles.

This raises a few questions, among them: Have they no shame? Since when do biscuits have holes? Could they get any more testicle jokes into that spot? Speaking of bad genitalia jokes, why do people in the teaser spot seem to be confusing genders -- aren't they supposed to be naming holes?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take a shower. Oh, and if you want to know what Biscuit Hole is, keep reading.



Dear Fast Feeders, Please Keep Your Meat Away From the Ladies

Sexualized Sandwich Bits Are Getting Tired, Disgusting


There was a time where if you wanted overtly sexualized or misogynistic advertising (I'm looking at you Bacardi), you had to turn to the liquor ads in Maxim or Playboy, or Calvin Klein ads -- well, just about anywhere. But this ongoing trend of centering sex jokes around sandwiches filled with meats of mysterious origin is getting to be a bit much.

Why, just look at this disgusting effort from Burger King, which not only includes a reference to the length of the meat-filled sandwich, but also features the word "blow" and the wide open, red-ringed mouth of a shocked young lady. Makes me wonder why they didn't go with 9 inches as a tribute to Alex Bogusky's diet book. Perhaps 7 inches was cheaper and had the added benefit of not making the target audience feel like it didn't ... wait for it ... measure up. (Actually, according to Burger King, the ad wasn't created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky. UPDATE: According to BK, "this advertisement is running to support a limited promotion in the Singapore market and is not running in the U.S. or any other markets." Which totally makes it all OK, then!)


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