BA says NO to flying during the Olympics
On a recent trip to London, there was Olympic messaging everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE. While most of the messaging was forgettable there was one ad that made me do a double take. I was shocked to see British Airways is telling people to NOT use their product/service during the Olympics.
Are they missing out on a huge market of people fleeing the city? Or will BA’s loyalty to the Games and the British people pay off in the end?
Viva Pymlico!
The other day I was catching up on the June 4th issue of AdAge, and I nearly spilled my tea all over my keyboard after reading an article regarding the upcoming Olympic Games. Now, I may be a little late in the game (pun 100% intended) here, and I know that sponsors pay a lot of money to be able to leverage the Olympics for their brand, so I understand restrictions on using the word “Olympics” in non-sponsor marketing– even the word “games” I understand – since there are big corporation who intentionally try to create the false impression that they sponsor the games. But the “clampdown on ‘association,’” as AdAge puts it, also restricts the use of the words “two thousand and twelve,” “2012” and “twentytwelve” to sponsors only. And “unless you are prepared to face criminal charges, it’s best to avoid using the words ‘medal,’ ‘gold,’ ‘silver’ and ‘bronze.’”
What if a small company like ours merely wants to show its support of the O*****c G***s, but it can’t afford a sponsorship? I guess we’ll have to do so with this image instead.
Can autotune make PBS cool?
PBS recently hired video mash-up artist melodysheep (given name: John D. Boswell) to create “Mr. Rogers Remixed: Garden of Your Mind,” a video compiling moments in the iconic kids’ show that always encouraged us to use our imaginations. And the video is, surprisingly, really cool. Perhaps it tickles my nostalgia bone just enough to be effective, but upon finding out that this is the first of many PBS mash-ups, I can’t help but get excited.
The video, released on PBS’s Facebook page today, is the beginning of a campaign to raise awareness of PBS, broaden its appeal and to celebrate the people who have been featured on the network. And the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Countless requests of an mp3 of the song have been submitted, in addition to the enthusiastic comments and re-shares.
In fact, I’m tempted to “Like” PBS on Facebook right now. Do I dare? Either way, props to PBS for reminding us of how great it was to be a kid when Mr. Rogers was our neighbor.
That’ll Do Pig. That’ll Do.
Do you constantly make plans with your friends to enjoy a simple pint at the local bar, only to have each of them cancel on you at the last minute? Are your friends choosing a night of watching television, dancing with hotties, or pigging out on Indian food instead of a nice, thick Irish stout?
If so, Guinness has tapped into a hilarious and entirely unpractical way to wrangle your friends for a night at the pub.
In a new two-and-a-half minute spot posted on their Facebook page, Guinness shows an elderly Irishman who has trained his sheepdog to corral his ‘mates’ and divert them from potential distractions on their way to the pub. The dog guides the friends through several obstacles, most notably a comfy sofa and television, an enticing Indian restaurant, and a dance floor filled with attractive girls.
While the spot is somewhat reminiscent of Electronic Data Systems “Herding Cats” ad from the 2000 Super Bowl, it’s an original and laugh-inducing take on how hard it can be to round up a group of people for a simple night out together. With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, do you think Guinness’ long-form advertisement will remind people to drink like the Irish on March 17th?
Dropping G-bombs
Glitter bombs. What a compelling way to make a statement. How out of the loop am I that I only just now found out about these?
If you, like I, have been living under a rock (#fernFAIL), you might wonder: What exactly is a glitter bomb? Let me explain. It is a form of protest by gay rights activists in which the protester will shower his or her victim with rainbow-colored sparkles. My guess is that it was inspired by Glee’s Slushie Facial, yet it happens to be a little less hostile. And it doesn’t stain your clothes or give you brain freeze. These glitter bombs have been directed for the most part at republican political candidates, such as Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachman and Rick Santorum, presumably because of their views on gay marriage and gay rights in general. They happen at all kinds of events, including book signings, speaking engagements, campaign rallies and town hall meetings. They’ve become frequent enough, in fact, that Romney even has his secret service protecting him from the “attacks”.
The brilliant thing about glitter bombs is that they are completely benign, nonviolent, nonthreatening – a statement in and of itself. The harmless act of dousing a person in rainbow glitter, in my opinion, says more even than a protest poster. To me, it says that there are ways to draw attention to certain issues without encouraging hate or promoting aggression.
So what do you think? Is glitter bombing a clever and effective way to make a statement, or is it just plain unproductive?
