Click & Read:
Apparel
by Aaron Baar With the NBA season already delayed (and unlikely to start anytime soon) thanks to a labor dispute, Adidas is prepping a new marketing campaign featuring last year's league MVP Derrick Rose as it launches his signature shoe, the adiZero Rose 2. Plans for the shoe's debut were made well in advance of the current lockout. ...Read the whole story >>
Retail
by Tanya Irwin
Neiman Marcus will hide 15 Nancy Gonzalez clutches (which retail for about $1,400) in secret locations throughout its stores nationwide between noon and 4 p.m. Participants will engage in a hunt for the clutches by unlocking a message when they check into Neiman Marcus stores on Foursquare. ...Read the whole story >>
Beverages
by Karlene Lukovitz A seasonal "Got Milk?" campaign from the national Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP) is bringing Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy and Schroeder together in a print ad for the first time in 15 years. The campaign continues recent years' efforts to make chocolate milk "the official drink of Halloween." ...Read the whole story >>
by Karl Greenberg
Someone's making Googles of money in the ad business this year. Online ad revenues in the first half of 2011 more than doubled versus the period in 2010, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The firm, whose report on first-half ad revenue was prepared with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, said revenue from online marketing efforts rose 23.2% to a record $14.9 billion in the first half. ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg Chrysler's Fiat brand is heading to Las Vegas. The division is promoting the 500 at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) annual convention as an after-market accessorizing machine for Chrysler's Mopar. ...Read the whole story >>
Sphere: Related Content
Really, what IS that unintelligible line in Elton John's "Rocket Man," that I've been singing incorrectly for years? A ride in a 2012 Volkswagen Passat will answer my question, not Google. In the first of two new spots, a hodgepodge of amateur singers belt out "Rocket Man" lyrics while showering, riding an elevator or making coffee. The song is butchered as people interpret the lyrics differently: musty motor home and cheap cologne are two possibilities: I always thought the line ended with "ever known," so I'm just as bad as the folks in the ad. It's not until a couple riding in a 2012 Passat, with a Fender sound system that the answer becomes clear: "burning out his fuse up here alone." 
Xerox is back with two TV ads for its "Ready for Real Business" campaign, highlighting how brands hire Xerox to handle business -- which allows them to handle real business. Michelin Man has little time to worry about accounts receivable numbers when he is busy fighting a gas pump with multiple nozzles for arms. Take it away, Xerox. 
Fire down below! Science World launched "Beach Time," the latest ad in its "We Can Explain" campaign. This is your go-to source for strange-but-true facts. Did you know that bellybutton lint makes great kindling? One poor sunbather learned the hard way when he awoke on the beach to see smoke emerging from his bellybutton. He blows at the smoke, starting a fire in his belly, forcing him to think fast and flop atop the sand for relief. 
"Dragons aren't the only monsters," closes a chilling ad for ECPAT-USA (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking). The 60-second PSA begins with a young girl reading a book under a blanket. The story begins with a girl falling in love with a prince, who sweeps her off her feet and takes her to live in his castle. The story then takes a horrific turn with the young girl describing abuse, rape and being held in captivity. A disturbing statistic: roughly 100,000 American children are at risk of being sold into the sex trade each year, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 
Dragon speech recognition software launched a trio of TV spots highlighting the product's ease of use. Just talk, no need to type. A young boy, writing a report on Blackbeard, decides the pirate isn't scary enough and embellishes a smidge. The updated Blackbeard has no eyes, an eggbeater for a hand and steals children. The last bit hits too close to home, prompting the boy to yell, "delete, delete." 
Honda TV ads have a new voiceover. Gone is Kevin Spacey, replaced by actor Jason Bateman. When I first watched the ad, I hardly recognized Bateman's voice, though. His debut ad promotes the Honda Accord. In it, Bateman describes the lessons learned from the first Honda Accord made, along with strides in racecars and private airplanes. Information from these realms is implemented in the latest Honda Accord. 
Think of this as the Vagina Monologues: 2.0. Or, if your vagina blogged. The Colony produced a 2-minute Web film for Johnson & Johnson China called "Gyno." The ad is voiced by a woman's vagina. CG animation quickly lets that cat out the bag, with a voiceover offering further confirmation. "At times I am your charm, at other times, your wickedness. I can make you proud or embarrassed. At times I am tender, sweet, at times I am wild." The film drives viewers to a 
I am a huge fan of "Top Chef." That being said, I'm 100% convinced that season 5 favorite Fabio Viviani has a faux Italian accent and speaks better English than I do. Fabio stars in an ad for Domino's new line of Artisan Pizzas: Spinach & Feta, Italian Sausage & Pepper Trio and Tuscan Salami & Roasted Veggie. The ad plays off Fabio's too-cute accent and takes viewers through a set of multiple takes, as Fabio fudges his lines. Cue the shot of an actual Domino's chef, who's unconvinced that Fabio's charm will sell pizza. 
Random iPhone App of the week: Get your motor running: next week is Advertising Week in NYC. Deutsch updated its Advertising Week app from last year, providing real-time event updates, customized scheduling, local info and directions. This year, look for a new social media capability where users can tweet, post to Facebook and check-in with foursquare, all from within the app. Download it for free from the 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Tanya Irwin 
by Karlene Lukovitz 
by Aaron Baar 
by Tanya Irwin 
by Sarah Mahoney 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Aaron Baar 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Karlene Lukovitz 
by Karl Greenberg 
Legal Sea Foods managed to create three TV ads that reference the issue of seafood sustainability while mocking it at the same time. In one ad, a lone crab is shown on a beach as a voiceover says: "Save the crab. Save it to show that every creature is sacred, no matter how small. Or just save it so we can chop it up into tasty little crab cakes." Ouch. 
eBay launched a trio of funny ads to promote its mobile app. "When it's on your mind, it's on eBay," shows consumers buying items on the fly, and saving one woman from wearing mom jeans. A daughter, on the hunt for the perfect pair of jeans, shares her dilemma with mom. Next thing you know, mom tells daughter to save her money since she has a bin of jeans lying around. Mom jeans. Nice and loose. The daughter quickly scoops up three pairs of jeans on eBay and thanks her lucky stars she's not driving home with a trunk full of mom jeans. 
"Because you're not truly alive until you're out killing the undead." So says the voiceover for the final ad promoting Thursday's launch of "Call of Duty: Black Ops Rezurrection." The Zombie Lab is again open for roving eyes to see mind-blowing experiments. Heads will roll, so scientists must have stomachs of steel to work this lab. Ever wonder how zombies react to the moon's low gravity or extreme G-force? It's a very detached experience. 
"Dust to Dust" is a 60-second ad promoting the launch of "Gears of War 3," which hit shelves yesterday. The final game in the GOW trilogy follows Marcus Fenix, his fellow Gear Dominic Santiago, and the other members of Delta squad, as they work their way through a war-torn battlefield. The ad is perfectly set to the song "Into Dust" by Mazzy Star and features historical markers from past GOW games, like Emergence Day and The Flooding of Jacinto. The ad ends with Marcus and Dominic, side-by-side, looking at a frenzied battlefield. "Brothers to the end" closes the ad, 
Meet Tad, a salesman for the tech company VMlimited. Tad sells outdated tech solutions from his mobile office, a tricked-out van from the 1970s. Look for tight pants, a Rolodex, and felt pictures of animals. Tad conducts serious business about cloud computing and unlimited pricing plans, things his consumers want but he can't deliver. "Clouds aren't bad, but they're a fad," says Tad. The online video promotes Microsoft's cloud offerings. 
Samsung launched "The Way We're Wired," a 60-second spot promoting its latest Galaxy phone. "Never Settle" shows mobile users watching videos on their phones, ranging from a child taking first steps, the iconic running scene in "Rocky," to a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech and a motocross tournament. The voiceover within the spot says: "Nobody ever set their sights on second place. Who aspires to be almost remembered? There's a reason there are no giant foam fingers that say we're number three." Essentially: nobody's perfect, but we all aspire to be. 
The Zippo hand warmer might be ideal for hunters, ice fishermen and skiers, but it should be required for all doctors for use pre-patient examinations. Brunner created an amusing TV spot for the product, starring a farmer and his cow. The first time the cow is milked, it lets out a moo that screams: Hey, warm up those hands, pal. The farmer goes back to his house, retrieves his hand warmer and presents the cow with warm hands the second time around. The spot, 
SmartWool launched a 
Random iPhone App of the week: Fans of FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," get ready for some Flipadelphia flip cup action with a free app created by HUGE. The app is based on "The Gang Reignites the Rivalry" episode, and places Paddy's Pub and the game of flip cup close by at all times. Users can play solo against a timer or use Bluetooth to play against friends in the "versus" mode. Miss your flips and expect to be berated by the show's cast. Players can share scores and challenge friends via Facebook, Twitter or email. 
by Karlene Lukovitz 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Tanya Irwin 
by Sarah Mahoney 
by Tanya Irwin 
by Karl Greenberg 
by Sarah Mahoney 
by Karlene Lukovitz 