Early Muppets Say "Drink Wilkins Cofffee. Or Else."

Hard to believe that Jim Henson, the man behind Elmo and Big Bird, also created these violent (in an "Itchy & Scratchy" kind of way) TV commercials for Wilkins Coffee. Apparently the late Fifties were a more brutal time, at least when it came to the consequences of brand preference.

Of course, there were some freaks on The Muppet Show. And Jim had that whole "Dark Crystal" phase, but still ...


Via AdFreak

Stella Artois Channels Godard (and Amis)

If you're a fan of "film," especially French film, you'll either enjoy or be outraged by Stella Artois' re-imagining of three American movies as films from "L'Hexagone." I'm gonna go with "8 Kilometres" as the best of the bunch. And I wouldn't have bothered remaking "Die Hard 3".



Via Adfreak

Break Out Your 8-Ball Jackets and Your High Top Fades

I'd love to mockingly laugh along at this fellow's poor taste in early 90s rap, but I'm afraid my paying good money to see "House Party" at the theater disqualifies me.

Samesies!

I was born in 60s and had my formative years in the 70s, but fortunately up in my little berg on the frigid Canadian prairie, we seem to have missed out on the whole families wearing matching outfits trend. The image to the right from the '75 Sears catalog would seem to indicate that you could also purchase matching wallpaper.

Avoiding matching outfits requires constant vigilance. My wife always seems to want our family to wear similar wardrobe for important family pictures. I always refuse by saying, "We're not the Osmonds, dear."

Via The Corner

Flashback Friday: T Mobile - Secret Lovers

Remember: you don't give another man's girl a foot massage, and you definitely don't put her in your five.

As fine a payoff as you'll ever see in a commercial.

Saved By Zero, Dead By Tomorrow

As the five of you who read my blog know (okay, it's really more like three), I have an intense loathing of Toyota's "Saved By Zero" commercial, particularly the Fixx knockoff version of the song they use.

While I've been joined in my distaste by thousands if not millions of others, it turns out the commercial won't just make you a little ill, it will actually kill you.



Via BuzzFeed

Kung Fu Clown Commercial ... or Klown Kommercial

Not sure how I missed this one from a couple of years ago, but pretty cool. And funny. And not creepy, which is a refreshing change for the clown genre.

Mad Men: The Way It Was?

When you create a show about advertising like "Mad Men," you have to expect that people who actually work in advertising are going to be paying close attention. In some cases, very, very close attention. To things like typefaces and other design-related items.

Personally, being involved in the writing side of things, I'm not quite as obsessive–or as knowledgeable about such things. I can't even remember the difference between a "font" and a "typeface." But I still found this early-Sixties recreation scorecard interesting.

Via All My Lies Are Wishes

Toyota Comes Up With Less Than Zero

"Saved By Zero" isn't the greatest song from the 80s (I'm partial to "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order myself), but it's a decent pop song. And given that I haven't seen The Fixx at the top of any charts recently, getting the rights to the original couldn't have been that pricey for a company that sold over $200 BILLION worth of cars and other knicknacks last year. But no, instead you have this travesty ...

Tomlinson and Polamalu Have A Fateful Meeting

Cool spot from Nike. As you would expect given the client, content, "actors," director (David Fincher), and virtually unlimited budget (at least to those of us working at mere mortal agencies).

I'm A PC ... Made On A Mac

Apparently at least some of Microsoft's "I'm A PC" campaign, created to counter the "I'm A Mac" campaign, was actually created on a Mac.

This is great for a couple of reasons. One: dedicated Mac users like me enjoy pretty much any opportunity to dis PCs. And second, it's another whoopsie for ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, who most people in the ad world also enjoy pretty much any opportunity to dis (while secretly wishing they worked there). The awkward Seinfeld/Gates spots (hey, let's humanize Bill Gates by ... making him do the robot!) that have already been canned being another example.

Via AdFreak

Charles Bronson's Mandom Is Random

Apparently back in the day, Charles Bronson's evenings consist of hanging out at a piano bar, driving home very fast in a big sedan, grabbing a pipe, removing his shirt, and then dousing himself with some kind of what I assume is a scented talcum powder.

I kept waiting for some winsome lass to show up, but no. It must all just be part of Chuck's "me time."



Via YesButNoButYes

Flashback Friday: Tea Partay

Some old (prep) school viral silliness from Smirnoff.

M.V. Martha's Vineyard: hollaback!

Mmmm, That's Some Tasty Video

Alka-Seltzer is doing a bunch of videos for their summer "Great American Road Trip," and as a lover of barbecue in its many forms, I particularly enjoyed this ode to the many iterations of "BBQ" from south of the Mason-Dixon line. Except for that whole Alabama mayo thing. That just sounds awful.

This "Cheese Rap" is another particularly disturbing part of the series. Personally, I don't want to eat any dairy product that talks, sings, or raps to me.

A Walk In The Park Wherever You Go

Love the feel of grass between your toes? With grass flip flops, you can enjoy that feeling everywhere you go. Well, everywhere you can get away with wearing flip flops made of grass. Unlikely footwear innovator Krispy Kreme is offering them in the UK as part of their "Share The Summer Magic" campaign.

Seems like a very Krameresque idea to me ("It's a cologne that smells like the beach!").

Via The Presurfer

Flashback Friday: Terry Tate

Remember: you kill the joe, you make some mo'! Now get ready, 'cause here comes the Pain Train--Woo-woo! Woo-woo!

Another "What If X Designed Y" Video

An exaggerated look at the interaction between agency and client. Though not our agency's clients, of course. Their implicit trust in our expertise is one of the main reasons I leap out of bed every morning. Well, most mornings.



Via Adfreak.

The Slice Is Strong With This One