AdJab http://www.adjab.com AdJab http://www.adjab.com/media/feedlogo.gif AdJab http://www.adjab.com en-us Copyright 2012 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Alka-Seltzer announces jingle winnerhttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/23/alka-seltzer-announces-jingle-winner/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/23/alka-seltzer-announces-jingle-winner/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/23/alka-seltzer-announces-jingle-winner/#commentsFiled under: ,

A while ago we brought you word that Alka-Seltzer was reviving their "Plop plop fizz fizz" campaign and that, as part of that revival, they were looking for people to submit their own versions of the famous jingle. Well the company just announced that a guy by the name of Josh Anderson has won and will have his version of the diddy used in a spot directed by Nigel Dick that will air during the pre-game Super Bowl broadcast. Anderson is a Greensboro, NC radio DJ. You can check out the press release for Anderson's lyrics and go to PlopPlopFizzFizz for a preview of the tune.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>alka seltzerAlkaSeltzercindy laupernigel dickChris Thilk2007-01-23T10:00:00+00:00Just because it's on YouTube doesn't mean the rules have changedhttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/22/just-because-its-on-youtube-doesnt-mean-the-rules-have-changed/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/22/just-because-its-on-youtube-doesnt-mean-the-rules-have-changed/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/22/just-because-its-on-youtube-doesnt-mean-the-rules-have-changed/#commentsFiled under: ,

Just because you put your video ad on YouTube does not mean you don't have to meet guidelines for truth and accuracy according to the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. The watchdog agency for the first time ruled on the existence of ads on video-sharing networks and said the rules aren't all that different. The ruling came as a result of a complaint from Euro-Pro, a vacuum cleaner maker who said that videos on YouTube from Dyson were inaccurate when making comparisons between the two brands. Dyson pulled the ad before the ruling. The case established an important precedent as more marketers use video sharing sites to connect with their consumer base.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>youtubeChris Thilk2007-01-22T11:00:00+00:00Super Bowl Wrap-Up: 1/20/07http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/20/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-20-07/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/20/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-20-07/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/20/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-20-07/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If the TV networks think long and hard enough and convince themselves that the Super Bowl will remain untouched by DVR ad-skipping and that they can still charge outrageous prices for ads it just might come true.

It's a little hard to reconcile the two main points of this article, which is that on the one hand CBS is having a hard time selling the in-game inventory it has but, on the other hand, ad time is expected to rise in terms of sheer minutes.

As I'd mentioned before, Toyota is buying a pair of Super Bowl spots to promote their Tundra pick-up. That's just part of a $100 million campaign to try and double sales of the model.

Yes, the point of Chevy's contest for consumer-generated ads to air during the game is to attract real people and not necessarily suck up to other ad folks. Thank you. We know that.

Try and convince me - just try - that the announcement of Katie Couric's inclusion in the pre-game broadcast doesn't have something to do with boosting viewership as well as ad prices.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>Chris Thilk2007-01-20T12:00:00+00:00Dove now reaching out to beautiful peoplehttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/19/dove-now-reaching-out-to-beautiful-people/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/19/dove-now-reaching-out-to-beautiful-people/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/19/dove-now-reaching-out-to-beautiful-people/#commentsFiled under: ,

Dove is moving away from the "Real Beauty" campaign that has brought it such great press in the last year or so and instead is focusing on glitzy award shows. The brand is heavily sponsoring the awards season coverage sections of Moviefone (which, like AdJab, is owned by AOL). continuing with the awards ceremony theme, they've also asked their audience of "real women" to create an ad that will be aired during the Academy Awards broadcast. The winner will announced next week by "Grey's Anatomy" star Sara Ramirez. Dove is obviously hoping that this connection with celebrity glamour will pay off for it as much as their featuring of real women with non-model bodies.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>academy awardsAcademyAwardsdovereal beautyRealBeautysara ramirezSaraRamirezChris Thilk2007-01-19T12:00:00+00:00Pepsi messes with the packaginghttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/16/pepsi-messes-with-the-packaging/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/16/pepsi-messes-with-the-packaging/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/16/pepsi-messes-with-the-packaging/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Pepsi has announced two new campaigns, one revolving around the Super Bowl and one not, but both involving futzing with their packaging.

The first is this push, scheduled to launch in February, that will have the soft drink company changing the look of its packaging every few weeks in 2007. Considering that's three times more than the look of the drink has changed in over 100 years, that's a big deal. The constantly shifting packaging is part of an attempt to become more of a "cool kids" drink and will also include asking people to design a billboard that will be displayed in New York City's Times Square in April.

The Super Bowl-related promotion also involves Pepsi's packaging, but in a much different way. As part of its sponsorship of the game's halftime show it's asking people to register and get a code at SuperBowl.com/pepsi. The person with the winning code wins not only Super Bowl tickets for life but also a jewel-bedecked can valued at $100,000. That's right, a $100,000 piece of Pepsi bling. If this is the rec room conversation starter you've been waiting for go register and good luck to you.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>pepsiChris Thilk2007-01-16T08:00:00+00:00Super Bowl Wrap-Up: 1/12/07http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/12/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-12-07/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/12/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-12-07/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/12/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-12-07/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Wall Street Journal gives a high-level recap of all the consumer-generated commercial contests being launched right and left. Some of these companies are doing it better than others but they're all at least trying to tap into this phenomenon.

Unfortunately the NFL ad created by Arkansas student Vanessa Rouse did not make the cut. Rouse, though, is thrilled with the exposure she's already gotten by making it to the top 12 in this particular contest. The description of the spot makes it sound really cool though, about a deaf boy getting to see his first football game.

The Lexington Herald is holding a contest of their own looking for people to create their own 30-second spot talking about how much they love the state.

The Daily Illini profiles the creator of the "Checkout Girl" spot for Doritos contest, a spot which did not make the cut for the final review process.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>Chris Thilk2007-01-12T17:00:00+00:00Inside look at one of the Doritos Super Bowl ad contestantshttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/11/inside-look-at-one-of-the-doritos-super-bowl-ad-contestants/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/11/inside-look-at-one-of-the-doritos-super-bowl-ad-contestants/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/11/inside-look-at-one-of-the-doritos-super-bowl-ad-contestants/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Ball State Daily News profiles Franklin Hines, an alumnus who entered Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl Contest" and, because he was selected as among the top five entries, has already won $10,000. He's also still in the running to have his spot aired during the big game on February 4th. The final winner won't be known until the game actually airs and the spot debuts. Hines and the other finalists will be together for the unveiling since Doritos is flying all of them down to Miami to watch the game together.

Would it be too much to ask to get an awards-show-style camera in that screening room? I want to see the reactions of not only the winner but the false graciousness of the losers when the winning sput is unveiled. Someone needs to make this happen.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>crash the super bowldoritosChris Thilk2007-01-11T15:00:00+00:00AdAge In 60 Secondshttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/10/adage-in-60-seconds/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/10/adage-in-60-seconds/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/10/adage-in-60-seconds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

  • The NFL has selected the winner of its fan-made Super Bowl commercial contest. In true corporate style the winner is a marketing professional from Maine. The winner was selected first by fans and then by a bunch of judges but ultimately by the NFL itself.
  • Mother, the incumbent agency for Virgin Mobile, will not be participating in the review the company just announced as they begin a search for a new creative ad agency.
  • CBS CEO Les Moonves announced a deal with Sling Media that will allow users to upload segments of their favorite shows and share them online. A contract was immediately put on Moonves' life. (Just kidding about that last part.)
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>cbsles moonvesLesMoonvesmothernflvirgin mobileChris Thilk2007-01-10T09:30:00+00:00Super Bowl Wrap-Up: 1/9/07http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/09/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-9-07/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/09/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-9-07/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/09/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-9-07/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Time for another Super Bowl round-up.

MediaPost reviews some of the consumer-generated ads commissioned by Alka-Seltzer, Chevrolet, Doritos and the NFL itself that are competing for a Super Bowl spot. Nina M. Lentini, who writes the article, really likes some of the work being done for the NFL and Doritos, saying they show a great deal of talent and professionalism.

Jeff Beringer at the Golin Harris agency blog Next Fifty Years is talking about all these contests, wondering how the Super Bowl will exist as an ad platform 50 years from now. (My guess: Underwater)

AdAge reminds us for the 4,398th time that some big companies have some big money to spend.

The Northwest Indiana Times has some details on an Allstate spot that was shot in Chicago by director Phil Joanou. The commercial will feature a Cutlass Supreme that takes a header off the famous Marina Towers and into the Chicago River. It's an homage to the Steve McQueen movie The Hunter and there also might be footage reminiscent of The French Connection's L chase, also shot in Chicago.

Once again the question gets asked as to whether or not the money spent on a Super Bowl ad is actually worth it or not. The conclusion of this article would lead to the "Yes" answer to that question. [via Kate]
Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>Chris Thilk2007-01-09T15:00:00+00:00Super Bowl Wrap-Up: 1/6/07http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/06/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-6-07/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/06/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-6-07/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/06/super-bowl-wrap-up-1-6-07/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Oooo tons of good stuff today regarding the upcoming Super Bowl.

First, Jon Fine reminds us all that the only reason we in the ad industry still cling to the Super Bowl like a surrogate mother stand-in that is made of carpet as opposed to the one that is barbed wire but gives food is because it's the one TV program that still draws a large audience. Peter Himler uses Fine's piece as a starting point for his comments.

There's another omnibus piece from the New York Times that manages to use a lot of words to say very little that's actually news.

Doritos has announced the five finalists for its "Crash This Spot" campaign where it was looking for consumer-generated commercial submissions. The Random Culture blog isn't a fan, though, saying that the finalists obviously are professionals and not the non-professionals that are usually associated with CGC.

Finally, Andrea Learned spells it out in a very clear and easy to understand way what advantages there are for the brave company that sponsors the "My Super Proposal" guy's bid to pop the question to his girlfriend via 30-second Super Bowl spot. Specifically Learned points out that this is a great opportunity for a company looking to connect with the female audience.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>Chris Thilk2007-01-06T08:00:00+00:00Coke and mentos: explosive marketinghttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/05/coke-and-mentos-explosive-marketing/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/05/coke-and-mentos-explosive-marketing/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/05/coke-and-mentos-explosive-marketing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Coke and MentosWhat, no agency? No client? No billion-dollar red carpet cigar-smoking creative suits to tie it all together. Nope, not a one. It has more to do with Time's person of the year, you. Power to the people! Mentos and Diet Coke and flying off the shelf because of a simple video you have most likely seen. The one with the guys in white coats who shoot off a bunch of mentos and diet coke rockets for "science." This form of non-advertising is boosting the sales for the products because people watching are having fun with the stuff. The other reason sales have gone up is that "it's cool." This explosive phenomenon gives people the feeling of danger, being a bit reckless, and does it all quite within the law (most times). As marketing professionals, we should take note of the simple yet powerful evidences in this video when we are creating advertising and trying to reach the masses. Here they are for those who are just joining us:
  1. If it is clear that you can have fun with this product (perhaps in unconventional ways) people will buy it.
  2. If people can do something themselves, hands-on to see how cool your product is, whether it is supposed to or not, they will buy it. This is a bit oldskool, like back in the fifties, when product demonstrations were all the rage. This example is just a bit more homegrown.
  3. People crave adventure, danger, fun, and genuine excitement. Another movie explosion won't do it. A real-live backyard explosion will do it, and not just once. Several times. I can't imagine how many teenage kids (and dads) are outside in the yard right now shooting the next 100 videos of domino-type mentos explosions, because they can.
  4. Obviously, don't encourage consumers to break the law, very bad idea. Since this doesn't break the law, you're good here.


In conclusion (yes, I am trying to write my ad thesis here, if you were wondering) if you can get your potential customers to see the adventure or fun in your product in a unique, creative, organic way via a medium that speaks to them (video, etc) you will win big in the ad game. Isn't that what we all are trying to do?
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>adcokeexplosionmarketingmentosRyan Carter2007-01-05T07:00:00+00:00Creativity crisis catapults convenience to kinghttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/04/creativity-crisis-catapults-convenience-to-king/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/04/creativity-crisis-catapults-convenience-to-king/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/04/creativity-crisis-catapults-convenience-to-king/#commentsFiled under: ,

Oh my goodness, what are advertisers to do?!?! There's a crisis they're facing in a new media world where consumers sometimes create better ad messaging, companies are looking for specific tasks to be performed as opposed to all-encompassing media planning and the tools to do all of that are cheaper than ever before. Yes, there are still limitations but they'll likely disappear inside of a year or so. And besides, even the biggest, most full-service agency has some limitations, if not in their offerings than sometimes in their thinking.

As I've said before, creativity is to be applauded but it needs to be tempered by the ability of created content to effectively sell the product being marketed. A creative campaign that results in no sales is a flop, even if it wins some naval-gazing industry awards. A boring campaign that sells products is a success, even if it is generic in nature and lacks flair. It's not that tough.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>Chris Thilk2007-01-04T15:00:00+00:00People's stories help others stop smokinghttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/03/peoples-stories-help-others-stop-smoking/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/03/peoples-stories-help-others-stop-smoking/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/03/peoples-stories-help-others-stop-smoking/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In an attempt to bring the "quit smoking" message to smokers in a more personal and hopefully relate-able fashion, GlaxoSmithKline cast real former smokers to share their stories. The spots are for GSK's Commit nicotine lozenges. The company equipped four Los Angeles area residents with video cameras and had them document their efforts to quit smoking over the course of 13 weeks during 2006. Those videos are going to be edited and purposed for use as TV spots, internet videos and even a feature-length documentary. The consumer-generated tactic is born of research that shows that smokers respond more strongly to the stories of others who have tried multiple times before successfully quitting.

The TV spots will take a serialized form. The series of spots involving Lisa, one of the people who quit on camera, will air during specific programs, with the next "chapter" in the series airing each week. This is being done so that a targeted group of viewers is sure - or at least as likely as possible - to see the full story. A fifth person was filmed but he eventually started smoking again and so will not appear in any Commit ads.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>glaxosmithklinequit smokingQuitSmokingsmokingChris Thilk2007-01-03T10:00:00+00:00AdAge In 60 Secondshttp://www.adjab.com/2007/01/02/adage-in-60-seconds/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/02/adage-in-60-seconds/http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/02/adage-in-60-seconds/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

  • Advertising Age wakes up to this past October, when we first covered the story, of a man who's trying to get a Super Bowl commercial spot that he can use to propose to his girlfriend. He's shifted his strategy some and instead of raising the money himself he's looking for a sponsor to front the cash.
  • I'd be shocked by the admission that "Lovemarks," the book by Kevin Roberts on brand identity building, was really meant to be a new-business building tool for Saatchi & Saatchi, his agency, except for the fact that I figured this out as soon as I looked at the book.
  • Volvo has created a series of 16 short films showing various consumer reactions to their cars, some of which aren't complimentary. For daring to do this, we are all supposed to marvel at the nerve of the car maker.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>kevin robertsKevinRobertslovemarkssaatchivolvoChris Thilk2007-01-02T08:25:00+00:00Toyota drafts real people for new campaignhttp://www.adjab.com/2006/12/28/toyota-drafts-real-people-for-new-campaign/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/28/toyota-drafts-real-people-for-new-campaign/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/28/toyota-drafts-real-people-for-new-campaign/#commentsFiled under: ,

In an attempt to bring together the small but loyal and powerful community of hybrid car owners, Toyota has created a site devoted to their hybrid models that features testimonials from some actual owners and encourages others to submit their own. Toyota, a spokesperson says, is monitoring and filtering but not editing the videos that are submitted.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>hybridtoyotaChris Thilk2006-12-28T16:00:00+00:00AdAge In 60 Secondshttp://www.adjab.com/2006/12/28/adage-in-60-seconds/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/28/adage-in-60-seconds/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/28/adage-in-60-seconds/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Been a while since we had one of these.
  • Intel has taken over the Reuters and Nasdaq billboards in Times Square and is allowing people to upload photos to the screens. Those photos then break into hundreds of smaller ones, which makes sense since the campaign it supports is called "Multiply."
  • Credit card company Visa and other are lowering their estimates of how the Christmas shopping season panned out. Sales are being called "soft" and reports are finding that people spent far less than had been previously expected.
  • The sale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune by McClatchy, especially when you consider that it was for less than half of what they paid for it, is a big deal no matter now you look at it.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>intelmcclatchyminneapolis star tribuneMinneapolisStarTribunenasdaqreuterstimes squareTimesSquarevisaChris Thilk2006-12-28T09:32:00+00:00Put your face on a Levi's modelhttp://www.adjab.com/2006/12/21/put-your-face-on-a-levis-model/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/21/put-your-face-on-a-levis-model/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/21/put-your-face-on-a-levis-model/#commentsFiled under: ,

Very neat little promotion from Levi's. Upload your own photo and all of a sudden your the star, either male or female, of the jeans company's "Walk the Line" ad. There's even a public gallery of previously uploaded images for you to choose from if you don't want to go through the hassle of the uploading.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>levisChris Thilk2006-12-21T15:00:00+00:00Southwest wants to know where you want to get away fromhttp://www.adjab.com/2006/12/16/southwest-wants-to-know-where-you-want-to-get-away-from/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/16/southwest-wants-to-know-where-you-want-to-get-away-from/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/16/southwest-wants-to-know-where-you-want-to-get-away-from/#commentsFiled under:

Southwest Airlines has been running the "Wanna get away?" series of ads for a while now and they're finally getting around to asking the rest of us what we'd like to get away from. That makes Southwest the latest company to solicit content from the general populace and, as Ben McConnell says, it will likely get a number of entries from people who just love the company. Winners will have their ads added to the campaign as well as a vacation for a family of four.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>ben mcconnellsouthwest airlinesSouthwestAirlinesChris Thilk2006-12-16T12:00:00+00:00AdAge In 60 Secondshttp://www.adjab.com/2006/12/15/adage-in-60-seconds/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/15/adage-in-60-seconds/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/15/adage-in-60-seconds/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

  • Procter & Gamble says they will not cut marketing budgets haphazardly in order to meet goals for profit margins. Instead they'll simply focus on making sure they're getting the best ROI for their dollar, which is sort of smart.
  • Dove is asking its customers to submit their own ads for possible airing during the next Academy Awards broadcast. Specifically, they're looking for 30-second spots about their Dove Cream Oil Body Wash that are submitted to DoveCreamOil.com.
  • Following a disappointing ad performance in 2006, Primedia is considering selling off its Channel One educational broadcasting network. They've reportedly been talking to companies such as Disney and others about taking over the station, which is sent to classrooms around the country.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>Chris Thilk2006-12-15T12:29:00+00:00Vote on your favorite version of "Baby Back Ribs"http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/08/vote-on-your-favorite-version-of-baby-back-ribs/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/08/vote-on-your-favorite-version-of-baby-back-ribs/http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/08/vote-on-your-favorite-version-of-baby-back-ribs/#commentsFiled under:

First is was Alka-Seltzer asking people how they would sing their "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz" theme song. Now Chili's is asking for submissions of people singing their Baby Back Ribs diddy. The voting is going on over at a MySpace page. The winners get to meet with a record label about their future.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
]]>baby back ribsBabyBackRibschili'smyspaceChris Thilk2006-12-08T16:30:00+00:00