28 January, 2010

Mucho Local: Balloon Angioplasty Cabaret

Just in case you were wondering why there aren't more local TV ads for strip clubs?


EMBED-Worst Strip Club Commercial Ever - Watch more free videos

I'm not sure what's more disturbing: the commercial or the fact that the place has a respectable restaurant rating on Urban Spoon.

Other local commercial catastrophes: God the Bounty Hunter; Car Dealer Interpretive Dance; Video Game Careers for Losers; Lawyer Sues Piss Out of Insurance Companies.

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22 January, 2010

Who Could Ask For Better Publicity?

I never wanted an iPhone. I didn't want to be one of those people--phone always out, talking about apps no one else cares about, showing off their fancy features, uploading uninteresting pictures to their Facebook wall 20 times a day, simply because they can. Then, last summer, I became one of those people. Now I play Skee-Ball during layovers at the airport. I show off my RedLaser barcode scanning capabilities, even though I never actually use it for price comparisons.

I felt pretty guilty about spending so much money every month on something so, well, cool yet unnecessary. Until I saw this article. Think the iPhone's worthless? See what you think when you're injured and trapped under a few tons of rubble. Because, yes, there's an app for that.

The people at Apple are most likely feeling pretty good today, as well as those life-saving folks at Jive Media. And as an iPhone user, I'm feeling pretty good about my phone and my app store investments, Jersey Shore Party App and all. Hey, they can't all save lives.

If you can't view the video below, click here.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcmiami.com/video.



--Alicia Taft, Copywriter/Course Developer/One of those people

UPDATE: Looks like someone's been reading the news. I just received an email from AT&T, encouraging iPhone users to shop the App Store. Coincidence?

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21 January, 2010

FINALLY! A Sneaker Company That Understands My Nerd Needs







This promo video is all for a new line Adidas is launching, called Adidas Originals. It's supposedly a collaboration between artists, athletes and celebrities to produce a variety of new lines of shoes and apparel (yes, they go way beyond shoes--note the sweet Darth Vader chest box windbreaker the guy is wearing in the spot). There's also a neat "Death Star" application on the site as well, but I'll let you all find it yourselves.

Now I'm not sure the styles are anything mind-blowing, except maybe the Yoda moccasins, not to be confused with the Luke High Tops (although personally they remind me more of Wedge Antilles). They're definitely different, but honestly, someone would have to explain the inspiration behind most of these shoes for you to understand the Star Wars connection.

They may reach a new market or they may just make some sweet collectors' items. It all depends on if the fanboys love them or if the general public thinks they're too geeky. But I ask, how did Nike miss this opportunity to put out some sweet "The Force One's"?


Anyway, I appreciate Adidas for trying something different and for putting in the extra effort for the promotional execution. And thanks to fellow geeks at toplessrobot for the intel. All I know is I'm gonna look badass in my TIE Fighter Tennis.



--George Convery, Copywriter

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14 January, 2010

Office. Submarine!

Thanks to the Kids in the Hall, the best sketch comedy show to come out of the early 90s (You heard me, In Living Color), and to actionjaxsun for posting this on youtube. You'll recognize a young Dave Foley, News Radio and Celebrity Poker, and my favorite "Kid," Kevin McDonald, whose talents you may have seen/heard in Epic Movie or Lilo and Stitch.

I don't know how many times I've wanted to bust out this phrase in meetings and on client calls. I'd actually been trying to find this clip since I got hired at Renegade in 2006. And this time, I found it with the first search. Maybe now someone will get the joke...or maybe I'll just get the blank stares I'm used to. Do yourself a favor and order the first season of Kids in the Hall on NetFlix. If you're sense of humor is as offbeat as mine, you'll love it.

Anyway, here's to the dream that was "Creative Possibilities." Enjoy.



-George Convery, Copywriter

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13 January, 2010

Are You Sure About This Warren?

It looks like outspoken former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Warren Sapp is now doing commercials for National Car Rental.



I distinctly remember another ex-football player doing some silly spots for a rental car company.



Um.

--George Convery, Copywriter

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11 January, 2010

Saftey Frist

Being that I started at Renegade as a proofreader, this is a topic of discussion I hold close to my heart. Here's a picture of the warning label on the "Cheetah" Stun Gun my friend received this Christmas.


You'll note it reads, "Compact Size, Saftey Switch, Free Holster."

The spelling mistake alone wasn't enough for me to explore this product further, but then I thought, what does a cheetah have to do with a device that can administer 1.5 million volts? Other than the next time you're being mugged, making you think, Man, I wish I could run like a cheetah, rather than have to trust my life to a stun gun manufacturer that can't spell safety right.

So I visited www.cheetahstunguns.com/, and here's what I found. Click to enlarge.

1) Safety isn't the only word they can't spell right. They twice refer to the product as the "Sun Gun." That's like Nike saying they sell speakers. 2) Apparently geocities still does web work, because it looks like this site was designed in 1997. 3) An important selling feature of this Sun Gun is the "cool Cheetah logo." I understand asking to see the label for a premium product and all, but did Smith & Wesson advertise their logo or did they advertise the ease with which someone might "cap" a would-be assailant?



There's a small, obvious lesson to be learned. If you proofread and no one remarks, "Hey, they took the time to proofread," no big deal. If you don't proofread and no one notices, again, not a problem. But if you make a small mistake and your client takes big notice after you've printed two million copies, that's gonna cost somebody a lot of money, and even if your client foots the bill, you may not be the first company they call for their next print job.


Also, when a company gets little details right, it gives you more faith that they'll get the big details right, like halting a mugging and not electrocuting yourself.



I've already begged my friend to never use this product. I say give it to the mugger and wait for him to shock himself with it. Or better yet, carry the $100 this costs with you, and just give it to the guy mugging you. At least you'll know it was well-spent.



--George Convery, Copywriter



PS I'll give a bonus fact if someone can spot my spelling mistake in the body of this post. Good luck. Alicia, you're not allowed to play.

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07 January, 2010

Cameo!


If my adding a little andouille to The BeanCast gumbo weren't enough, I had a chance to stop by AdVerve, a new podcast hosted by Make The Logo Bigger's Bill Green and peripatetic ad diva Angela Natividad.

I channeled my inner-Busey for a five minute segment/stream-of-conscious essay on the devolution of consumer preference. Yeah. That's what that was.

So give AdVerve a download, give it a listen, and definitely give it a review. Disclaimer, this is not the Oldsmobile of advertising podcasts. There's cussin' and swearin', pardners, so if you work at a place where they've never heard the eff word or the bee word or the ess word or whatever word, wear headphones.

Or blast it real loud and give 'em a vocabulary lesson. After all, this is how people naturally talk about the industry.

AdVerve on iTunes HERE.
AdVerve direct download HERE.

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