brandflakesforbreakfast

ad council ads all in one handy place

2009-11-20T07:52:00.001-05:00

Finally, all of the American Ad Council ads are neatly packed together all in one place. Not that searching YouTube was a real chore, but it's cool that they've created a "channel" for anyone who needs quick access to the body of work. Nifty.

free legal lets bloggers take on the man

2009-11-20T07:40:00.001-05:00

The Citizen Media Law Project is launching a new program for bloggers who need legal help dealing with copyright, defamation or other legal issues.

The program looks to help bloggers who might not be able to afford the support they need on their own. There are income and revenue requirements to qualify, but this is an awesome step to help keep blogger voices loud and proud.

(Your lawyer will likely not be sporting a Mexican wrestling mask. But you have to admit that "Chalko" looks like he's ready to take on the man.)

nothing but sugary goodness

2009-11-20T07:18:00.003-05:00

The Cereal Project is your center for everything breakfast. Browse through the sweetalicious package designs, cornball tv spots and loads of other tasty treats. From Flavorwire and @pete_theECA

(Yes, Dinky Donuts was made by Ralston Purina, the same company that's now more famous for Purina Dog Chow. Scrumptious.)

escalator to heaven

2009-11-20T07:14:00.002-05:00

You've heard of elevator pitches: where you have the time of a short elevator ride to share your pitch with the investor that could change your world.

Launch Memphis has taken it literally - with a twist, and created the escalator pitch contest. Eight finalists and three walk on contestants will get a magic escalator ride tomorrow, and a chance to make a pitch to win a $10K marketing package and $1000 in cold, hard cash.

Great idea. You should totally try the same thing at the escalator in your local mall, just to see what happens. From @jameshutto

greenalicious design that tastes great

2009-11-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

Imagine a product design that looks super hot. Then imagine that design could reduce air pollution. And reduce water pollution. And save energy. A product design change that can accomplish all of that?

Meet the "naked" coke can. There are 24 billion coke cans produced every year. That's a lot of Coca Cola red paint. Not only does that create boku waste in manufacturing, but removing the paint adds a step to the recycling process. Eliminate the paint and you reduce manufacturing crap, and make recycling easier.

Gizmodo has all the math proving this is the most awesome greenalicious package redesign ever. Awesomeness times ten.

senior citizen butts = the new hot

2009-11-19T08:07:00.001-05:00

To call attention to the upcoming Master Tennis event happening at Intercasino, Isobel created some ads that explore what a master tennis player might look like...today. Hot.

send this to your geek friends, and they'll kiss you.

2009-11-19T07:55:00.001-05:00

Don't you wish they made a bedside alarm clock version of this scroll bar clock? Pure coding genius.

how to use one of those apostrophe thingees

2009-11-19T07:47:00.000-05:00

If you've ever been confused about when to use an apostrophe, and when to hold back, here's the ultimate guide: How To Use An Apostrophe is a wonderous visual cheat sheet that helps you clarify when it's needed and when it's not.

Teachers and wannabe copywriters: you can even buy a poster version of this guide for your classroom or cubicle. From @damnredhead.

underwater advertising: the next big thing

2009-11-19T07:34:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, a curious story hit Seattle about the Ivars Seafood Restaurant. According to the legend, the restaurant's founder anchored billboards underwater in the Puget Sound, anticipating that in the future, people traveling by submarine would see them.

This week, Ivars raised the billboards. Naturally, the whole thing has been confirmed as a hoax. But a super genius most awesome hoax. Best stunt that we've seen in a long, long, long time.

the history of skateboard art II

2009-11-19T07:20:00.000-05:00

The author of "Disposable: A History of Skateboard Art" wasn't content with his first bible of skateboard art and has published a new tome that chronicles the history of deck design even better than his first.

Cool Hunting interviews the author to find out what makes this book even more awesome than the first. Put it on your coffee table and your friends will automatically think you're a little bit cooler than you are right now.

This comes at a good time and serves as excellent inspiration for those completing their decks for the Bordobello fundraiser. (My board is coming along quite nicely. See the progress here.)

From @charliecurve

need a walk in the park?

2009-11-18T08:07:00.002-05:00

If you're having a stressful day and need a nice walk in the park (but are too lazy to actually get up from your desk), this is for you.

A walk in the park is a video produced from 2,038 still images that photographer Mark Louis Weinberg assembled after documenting his own walk in the park.

The result is a beautious piece of creative self promotion. You'll want to check out his website, blog and learn more about this photographer that just provided a three minute escape from your ridiculous day.

gaming works magic for u.s. army

2009-11-18T07:38:00.001-05:00

Game Politics points out how effective gaming has been for the recruitment of soldiers. The Army even testified to Congress that the America's Army game has been more effective than “any other method of contact.”

Even better, a 2008 MIT study found that “30 percent of all Americans age 16 to 24 had a more positive impression of the Army because of the game and, even more amazingly, the game had more impact on recruits than all other forms of Army advertising combined.”

Sounds like someone's doing their homework, creating media that engages their audience, and getting spectacular results. From the ECA.

never be lost at dutch wonderland again

2009-11-18T07:36:00.002-05:00

Remember the other day when you were saying "what I really need is a comprehensive resource of theme park maps?" Your day has arrived.

Theme Park Maps has just about every theme park map that you can imagine. If that wasn't enough, they also have brochures.

Cherish this wonderous moment. From SandwichRich.

microsoft stores: kind of like eating at chilis

2009-11-18T07:20:00.002-05:00

So Microsoft has stores now. Don't feel sorry for them because their stores look like carbon copies of the Apple store. Or because of their fragmented marketing campaign.

Feel sorry for them because some employees in this store were forced to participate in this most uncomfortable "spontaneous" moment.

Now buying a PC can be almost as much fun as your birthday at Chilis. (Sorry Chilis - I really do love your chicken tacos.)

business loves social media

2009-11-18T07:03:00.000-05:00

You already know this. But if your boss is still clinging to the year 2002, and you need yet another study showing that people are using social media for B2B, well here it is. Complete with a PowerPoint friendly graph that's sure to enter the skulls of even your most old-fashioned board members.

Impress the entire management team with factoids like:
+ B2B use outpaces B2C use on YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter
+ B2B use is nearly equal to B2C use on Facebook
+ Professionals working on this devote 21% of their time to it

From CKSays

the gap introduces upside down retail

2009-11-17T07:52:00.001-05:00

By now you've probably seen the cheerleading lumberjack models that the Gap has laid upon us. Love them or hate them, that's not important. Check out what they've done in Vancouver, to introduce a new loyalty program:

The "Sprize" program promises shoppers that if they buy something at full price and it goes on sale within 45 days, they'll automatically credit the difference to their account.

Gap demonstrated the importance of this concept by turning their store upside down. Literally. Cool.

not all hospitals produce lame ads

2009-11-17T07:40:00.001-05:00

The health care industry is soooo ripe for heart touching creative campaigns, yet most hospitals opt instead for pictures of their doctors or tv spots about robot surgery. Blech.

So when a health care provider does produce fantastic creative, it stands out even more. Such is the case with this new print campaign by the Credit Valley Hospital. Nice work.

save your friends with just your hands

2009-11-17T07:31:00.001-05:00

This is a great idea. I have a feeling that I'm not alone in my lack of perceived CPR skills. I took a course 200 years ago, and I vaguely remember something about the importance of rhythm and breathing. Pretty sure that if you were on the ground dying, I might have a hard time remembering the details.

The American Heart Association is doing something about this - with a new Hands-Only CPR technique. The instructions are SIMPLE and easy to remember:

Push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

There's even an iPhone app to help you, if that's too confusing. Hooray for realizing that some kind of CPR is better than no kind of CPR, and that most people don't get to practice or refresh their real CPR skills very often. (And I was never really going to put my mouth on yours, anyway.)

more pr about esquire's augmented reality experiment

2009-11-17T07:11:00.002-05:00

Everyone's raving (and complaining) about the new augmented reality issue of Esquire. Regardless of what side of the fence you're on, you may really appreciate this behind the scenes interview with the issue's creators.

traffic graphics don't have to be boring

2009-11-16T07:31:00.000-05:00

The city of Winston-Salem, NC commissioned artist Peter Gibson (otherwise known as "Roadsworth") to create some custom installations around town. The effort is a part of their Inside Out: Artists in the Community series.

You'll be inspired by Roadsworth's work now installed all over the world, and the city of Winston-Salem who has proven that you can put art in the most pedestrian of places. Found on Wooster Collective

zombie shooting fun for the family

2009-11-16T07:21:00.002-05:00

Check out this trailer for the new Resident Evil video game: you get to shoot zombies within the trailer. What better way to get users into your product than to actually give them the product experience?

(Tell your boss that you're not just shooting zombies...you're doing marketing research.) From BrandFreak.

not everyone loves the olympics

2009-11-16T07:09:00.003-05:00

Madrid has made the bid in 2012, 2016 and now 2020 for the Olympics to come to town. Some people aren't so happy about the resulting construction and hoopla (and lack of completion) as a result of the city preparing their pitches.

Artist Luzinterruptus created an installation called "surrender" that places white flags on the the most notable public works projects, pleading that they finish things up, or just give up.

how to handle a brand criticism

2009-11-16T07:06:00.001-05:00

Last month, Steven Colbert made some less than lovely remarks about Miracle Whip on his show. So Miracle Whip fought back. In a truly, totally creative, advertising inspired takeover of his show.

Watch the Miracle Whip setup above, and see a clip from Stephen Colbert's show on the Adweek blog. Brands who face criticism could give this a good look and some creative consideration the next time they're faced with a similar situation. Nicely done.

how to make war history interesting

2009-11-13T07:17:00.000-05:00

The Imperial War Museum has just launched What Lies Beneath, which shares the British experience during the Cold War. The site lets users explore British war history while the world was going through that evil commie phase.

There's also an accompanying video, all of which you'll find more engaging than the 43 pound history book your teacher forced you to read. If only high school could be this easy.

the holiday cards are here

2009-11-13T07:06:00.000-05:00

The Gap has released their holiday greeting card just in time for Thanksgiving, and it lets you send a customized cheer (with annoying lumberjack style models) to your friends. The dancing lumberjacks tie to the tv campaign that just launched with the same theme. (Everyone knows that lumberjacking cheerleaders are the new hot.)

What's really smart about this piece is that the recipients get a 20% off coupon code. That's not a bad thing to send to a friend. (If they like the Gap.) So is it a holiday card? Or an entertaining coupon?