So, everyone remember the Billboard Magazine kickass Cannes Grand Prix winning "Icons" ads, where the images of famous musicians would be made with red, yellow, blue and black images of other musicians? Yeah, it was tres clever, especially the little photo booths where you could get one of these images made from a photo of you.

Kind have an itch to scratch here. It reminds me a tad of the Spiegel campaign from DDB Dusseldorf made in 2006. Hundreds of wee icons would make the images of Bush, Mao and the iconic portrait of Che - little bombs, oil drills, that sort of thing.

Just me? Either way, they're still a little different.

In his latest spot for Ad Council, Biscuit Filmworks director Bo Platt takes us on a visual journey of how barriers can be overcome by getting your GED (General Educational Development).

Dickies has hired Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to make them more famous, and the first campaign put the their 874 Work Pants to the test to prove they're so tough you have to "Earn Them". In this ad there's direct reference to Levi Strauss old logo with the horses, but Dickies are tougher and have the 874 meet 1850cc. Ouch.

See also, Dickies vs The Hill

To get the gaming world psyched for the release of its new motion-sensing controller PlayStation Move, electronics giant Sony teamed up with San Francisco-based creative studio TEAK to concept, produce and handle post-production on "Move", a three-minute film that premiered at the annual E3 video game conference this past June.

The short combines original 3D modeling, live action and videogame footage to show how gamers of all ages can use the motion joystick to experience the console's immersive onscreen worlds. TEAK Creative Director/Director Greg Rowan came up with the original idea for "Move" and with the support of motion designers Frank Glinski and Josh Miller, crafted the concept from inception to completion.

"We pride ourselves not only on our technical prowess, but in being equally adept at the creative process that precedes and enhances those capabilities," said EP Greg Martinez. "Greg is in many ways the prototype for a TEAK director: incredibly innovative, technically sound, and absolutely brimming with ideas at every stage of production."

On working with TEAK, Sony Video Assets Manager/Producer Michael Brynteson adds, "We brought TEAK in to partner with us on this project based on their ability to handle all aspects of the production from concepting to finish. It's hard to integrate live action and gameplay well, but they did an amazing job as usual, pulling it all together into a fun and cohesive piece."

Rowan shot actors playing with the joystick over two days on a three-walled green screen in Los Angeles using a high-speed Phantom camera and a techno crane to capture the action at creative angles. The animation team then built original 3D environments in Maya and keyed in the live action footage.

Shots begin by focusing on a character from an overhead or far-off view and then spiral down to show them gripping solid controllers surrounded by wire-frame weapons, paintbrushes, golf clubs or boxing gloves.

"All of the transitions and environments were created from scratch," said Producer Emily van Nierop, who oversaw the project from pre-pro to delivery. "Figuring out camera movements that worked with the CG and game capture required a strong DP and post-supervisor on set who could provide continuity for every step in the process."

TEAK also worked closely with Sony's ad agency, Deustch LA, to ensure the E3 teaser complemented PlayStation Move's overall 'This Changes Everything' campaign. "They gave us considerable creative latitude, and the final product I think really appealed to the diverse crowd at what is really the premiere showcase for the gaming world," said Rowan.

This is the second E3 launch film that TEAK has handled for Sony in as many years; it was also responsible for the brand's Home project in 2009.

Read more: http://www.trustcollective.com/portfolio/content/teak_sony.php#ixzz0v40B...

Over ten years ago, Sidney Frank created something that is now as well-regarded as “The Grey Goose effect” and that has forever altered the spirits category. Rather than price competitively, the notion was that, “Americans will and want to pay more - you just have to give them a good story.” Retailers like 1-877-SPIRITS currently lists a 1.75 liter bottle of Grey Goose at $109.00.

Fast forward to 2010 when "Snooki" Polizzi and "The Situation" Sorrentino rule Jersey shore, a recession hits and "budget" is on everyones mind. Cheap is hawt, y'all.

So, while the global premium vodka volume remains stable, the overall revenue in the category is on the decline. Americans still want quality, but they don't want to throw money away. New strategy!

Enter Wódka vodka, a premium Polish rye spirit which retails at $15 per 1.75 liter bottle and is rated as the top-value vodka by SpiritsReview.com. Promising “Hamptons Quality, Newark Pricing” - you can’t miss the Wódka billboards if you’re driving through Times Square or coming out of the Holland tunnel from, well, Newark.

This past weekend's This American Life (recently oddly re-branded) rebroadcasted the Origin Story episode featuring Julian Koenig's battle with George Lois over credit for advertising campaigns.

Yeah, the episode ran last year (was traveling and didn't get to hear the whole thing) and has already been covered, but the new player makes it an easy listen. Worthwhile for a bit more of advertising history, of Koenig's take on what advertising did (or didn't mean) to his life, and some thoughts on what it takes for something to become factual in this day and age.

And Act Three is pretty awesome, too.

Tomas Mankovsky, creator of the much copied "Sorry I'm late" video just sent me his latest work, and it's like made for me. He's got flame throwers and slow motion going on, and has wisely thrown in a couple of very unattractive hillbillies so that I don't die from a major case of the thigh-sweats. Yes, these men duel with a flamethrower and a fire extinguisher. It's aggressive, it's gorgeous. It makes me tingle.

Thomas says;
“Duels fascinate me. It used to be a popular thing, but in modern days it has died out. So I thought that probably somewhere in the States, some hillbillies are still doing it, their way.”

Shot almost entirely on the phantom camera at a 1000fps, threw up its own difficulties.
“The next tricky thing was getting the exposure right where Adam Frisch, the DP, did a great job. Since we shot at high frame rates we needed a lot of light, but I wanted to shoot it at night, which made it difficult. And on top of that, the main element in frame was a huge fireball that was really bright.”
Shooting in camera was a conscious decision to create a more real and visually striking film.

”It was difficult to know how this shootout would look like in superslowmo. We did some tests with a gas-flamethrower but the flame was only 2-3 meters and it looked quite bad in slowmo, so the special effects guys had to build a new flamethrower from scratch. They made one with liquid fuel, and that one was much better, firing out 10-15 meter flames. But the first time we saw how the flamethrower and fire extinguisher looked and behaved in slowmo was on the day of the shoot.”

This is part of Diesel:U:Music, the brand's ongoing program supporting new and upcoming artists, Blink and former Fallon London creative/director Tomas Mankovsky crafted this new video for the Dancing Pigeons track Ritalin, which, in its own way, illlustrates the Fire & Water theme of the brand's current collection. The video is also accompanied by a set of prints, and a longer, short film version will soon be released on Diesel.com

This post comes from a discussion me and Joelapompe had over email regarding the Bottle voodoo between Bavaria and Brutal Fruit badlander. Seems we're not quite done with the hypnotic bottles quite yet as we've found a brand new ad, created in India that has such a bad case of Demo Love it looks like it's an adaptation ad.

Lets watch Denver Deo, shall we?

Denver Deo - Bottle Voodoo - (2010) :30 India

Bikini babe comes out of the water just as Denver Deo guy lifts deo-can out of his bag, then everything he does with the bottle mysteriously affects the woman as well. Until the point where he takes the cap off, and she teasing begins undoing her bikini-bottom, but *zing* she was just teasing him all along.

Gee, where have I seen that before? Oh wait, I know I know *waves hand in the air* pick me pick me! The Marca Bavaria ad that aired in 2003 in Canada, that's where!

Bavaria - Beach Babe Bottle Voodoo - (2003) :30 (Canada)

Same scenario here, except with a beer bottle - and when the beach bum rips the label off, she does not rip her bikini-bootom off. What a tease.

We've even badlanded this before, in Bottle voodoo between Bavaria and Brutal Fruit we compare the above ad to the Brutal Fruit ad, where bored babe in a bar tries ye old bottle-voodoo trick. She's feeling naughty.

Brutal Fruit - Bar (2005) :30 (USA)

Behance and Linkedin have connected together so now all ye graphic artists can upload your portfolio to your resume on Linkedin. Awesomeness.

If you haven't befriended me yet, you'll find me under the name Dabitch, of course. Unlike facebook, linkedin are not idiots.

Humongo nation are still driving around the states, and have now reached Atlanta, Georgia - a.k.a the city I want to live in so bad I make sure to have 6 hour layovers there.

In Atlanta they meet up with Trend Influence the brand influence agency in Atlanta. Then they meet Brandon ( @texturl ) - the very same School of humans co-founder who showed me around little five points. I'm telling y'all now, Atlanta is a happening place. It's where the Coke Happiness machine creators Definition6 reside! Videos inside.

Last week they were in North Carolina, and managed to meet with Bob from thebeancast, and you can see for yourself why the beanlogo has a pony-tailed bean on it. Bob's got hair. Lots of long hair. In their chat a well kept secret was finally spilled, it was Bob who tweeted from the @BogusBogusky account. Aaaaaaah, I feel so much better now that there's one secret less for me to keep, only twelve billion to go!

Humongo North Carolina from Humongo Nation on Vimeo.

This is creepy Facebook Lets Publishers Contact “Likers" reports allfacebook.com

This is the second step of Facebook providing all pages on the internet with the same tools that all Facebook Pages have. For example, let’s say you “like” this article. I will be able to send a news feed story to all Facebook users who liked that page. The impact of this is significant. Imagine the ability for any object that you like to be able to communicate with you directly through the news feed. In other words, all webpages on the internet immediately have become two-way communication channels.

Ironically, 1,233 people "liked" that article.

Here's Facebooks developers post:

Publishing to Connected Users via Graph API

We encourage websites with objects that people may want to more permanently connect with, such as a brand or product, to publish relevant updates to its connected users. For example, publish a special offer to users who have liked a specific product. Simply add a few Open Graph tags to your Web page and click on the Admin Link (only visible to admins) to use the Publisher.

Here's the latest from Biscuit Filmworks’ director Tim Godsall for DirecTV via Grey, New York.
Edited by Goeff Hounsell, Arcade Edit. A russian rich man surrounded by gold, lavish furniture and beautiful women declares: "opulence, I have it"

This ad has a bad case of Sony Bravia Balls envy.

diamond geezer rips a press release headline to shreds using math and logic. The headline "Half of north Londoners never cross the river for work or play" is a great example of fudging the data.

I'd like to apologise wholeheartedly and unreservedly for my post on Sunday in which I accused arts collective CultureLine of telling lies in a press release. I have since engaged in email conversation with the good folk at Colman Getty, the PR Agency responsible, and they've made me aware that one of my underlying assumptions about the survey was incorrect. By jumping to conclusions without seeking the facts, I have entirely misrepresented how the headline in the press release was obtained. Sorry, that's unforgivable. So on their behalf I feel it's only right to set the record straight. Because it turns out that the truth is much worse than I previously thought.

In the end, 93% of north Londoners sometimes cross the river for play.

Yes, I just posted this on Brandflakes as well, but it's just too good not to share everywhere. The Google Alarm Firefox addon will visually and audibly alert you to when your personal information is being sent to Google servers, which is practically all the time. If you weren't paranoid before this, you will be after using it for ten minutes. Heck, even I've gotten dressed and stopped picking my nose in front of the iSight.

Here's your homework kids - install it, then take a walk around the web and your usual suspects, twitter, vimeo, wherever. Then come here and enjoy the silence. This is the best way I've found to explain my aversion to embedding youtube films. Do you get it now?

The Google Alarm was developed by Jamie Wilkinson during FAT Lab's "FUCK GOOGLE" week in Berlin, Germany during transmediale 2009.

Google Alarm from Jamie Dubs on Vimeo.

The Old Spice campaign smells like success - I knew that, which is why I want to marry it - as brandweek reports their numbers are going up.

According to Nielsen, sales of Old Spice Body Wash—the line touted in the Wieden + Kennedy-created campaign—rose 11 percent over the past 12 months and since the effort broke in February, sales seem to be gaining momentum.
Over the past three months, sales jumped 55 percent and in the past month, they rose 107 percent, also per Nielsen.

Not bad! The Old spice campaign stinks no more.

“Since the ‘Smell Like A Man, Man’ campaign broke in February, Old Spice has month-over-month strengthened its market position,” said Norton in an e-mail. He added that Old Spice is now the No. 1 brand of body wash and anti-perspirant/deodorant in both sales and volume with growth in the high single/double digits.

Even Adage agrees the campaign is a rocking success, with some reservations. Gillette body wash has been gaining too, 277% and 3.9 share points.

Before we cork open the champagne and call this concluded I'd like to point to something that Hot Tomali said:

So, for anyone out there with a bad case of creative-phobia, hear this: you cannot measure the ROI of a successful viral campaign in weeks or months.

... basically Wait for it. /LifeOfBrian

Old Spice - @Alyssa_Milano 3 - (2010)

Edit I'm blind as a bat in the mornings, AlphaSquirrel points in the comments here to the articles over at Adfreak and Ad contrarian that are weighing in on the backlash against the data. Or backlash against the backlash.

“Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning," developed by Maryland-based Big Huge Games, is a new single-player action-RPG sprung from the minds of three of today’s greatest creative visionaries: New York Times best-selling fantasy author R. A. Salvatore, renowned artist and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, and Ken Rolston, lead designer of the critically acclaimed RPG “Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.” “Reckoning” promises to redefine the action-RPG genre with a brutal, fluid combat experience, immersive open-world exploration, a vast narrative and rich character development.

The premiere trailer, “Well of Souls” is an intense, action-fueled sneak peek into the chilling world soon to be unveiled by EA and 38 Studios, with Todd McFarlane’s creative genius at the helm. For Zoic Studios, the project was one of the most rewarding to date, offering the unique opportunity to collaborate closely with McFarlane on a high-profile experience that pushes the animated game trailer to new cinematic heights.

Here's an endorsement nobody wants: Tampa Bay reports that a man stole his neighbor's car, then went to a McDonald's drive-through where he tried to trade marijuana and prescription drugs for cheeseburgers. Clearly a very bad case of the munchies. I mean, everyone knows that Wendy's greasy burgers are the only cure.

Ad agency OLSON relied on the comedic talents of Twist Director Grady Cooper for a new ad campaign for Minnesota State Lottery. The two new spots feature Vikings fans desperately stranded before a game, when one scratch of their Minnesota Vikings Scratch Game turns them into NFL legend John Randle, who literally saves the day and gets them on their way: “It’s Game Time!”

For Twist Director Grady Cooper, this was the fourth project he has worked on with the creative team from OLSON. “I love working with them,” notes the Director, “because they are so collaborative. Particularly on this project, they were very open to the complete goofiness that ensued and really embraced a broad series of jokes. We also used some low-fi film techniques. The end result is very funny, and just pure silliness: Stupid comedy for smart people.”

In fact, Twist’s Cooper and Director of Photography Jeff Stonehouse shot the campaign with Canon’s new 5D camera, shooting all exteriors with existing light only. They juggled a Celebrity talent, a Vikings Fan Van, special effects, pyrotechnics, and a whole lot of purple velour! And enjoyed every step of the production.

In addition to these new spots for Minnesota State Lottery, Twist’s Grady Cooper has just wrapped a national advertising campaign for Capital One, due to air in September. A Director-Editor, Grady is about to embark on editing the next season of the FX series “The League” about Fantasy Football, directed by Jeff Schaffer, who has also directed episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Grady recently directed and edited “The Last Comic Standing” with Craig Robinson of “The Office” and “Hot Tub Time Machine” fame.

Twist’s current directorial roster features the diverse talents of Grady Cooper, Matt Pittroff, Rich Michell, Chris Stocksmith and Marc André Debruyne. Recent Twist projects include work for McDonald’s, Union Bank, Burger King, Target, White Castle, 3M, Goodyear, Namco, (Wii), and Toro.

So, I was staying up all night to get together with fellow brandflakesforbreakfast babysitter Bill Green ( @mltb ) of makethelogobigger, George "fuck that shit" Parker from AdScam and David Burn ( @davidburn ) from Adpulp to talk about Alyssa Milano in a towel, Facebook hate and the gulf restoration campaigns Unfuckthegulf & the Hollywood starstudded "be the one" commercial.

Due to the name of the un-Eff ad, we were allowed to cuss in the beginning of the show. Naturally, we kept it up the entire episode, with added dosage of giggling at words like "tool". Download or listen to the Boobies and kittens episode on the Beancast, and below are the promised boobies and kittens to take the edge off.

Also, your homework this week is to work "brass ovaries" into conversation.

Update For interlinking fun, here's what the other guests had to say about the show.

Bill at makethelogobigger and then Bill at Brandflakesforbreakfast. Davids post on Adpulp and ... Hmm, George hasn't said a fucking thing about it yet. He's probably still mad I haven't sent him that bottle of Bäska Droppar. Yep, he's crazy, since he likes a vodka spiked with wormwood and tjärpastill (a very distinct type of liquorice). The drink is like George, either you love it or you hate it, so it suits him proper.