Sharks, cats, zombies and other meme-worthy creatures are all over Adweek‘s countdown of the year’s 10 best TV commercials, but none of them could beat out Darth Vader. Yes, the cute VW ad that found a pint-size Vader startling himself with the force of his own dark powers has been named 2011′s best spot by the magazine’s experts. Rounding out the top three were a stop-motion Chipotle commercial soundtrack by Willie Nelson and Eminem’s Chrysler-sponsored homage to his misunderstood hometown, Detroit. See the rest of the list at Adweek, and click through the jump to see VW’s winning entry. Read More »
On the heels of the UK Advertising Standards Authority’s ban of a “sexually provocative” Dakota Fanning perfume ad, another teenage starlet’s fashion campaign has met with their disapproval. This time, it’s Hailee Steinfeld’s Miu Miu spread, which shows the 14-year-old True Grit star sitting on railroad tracks and looking sad. Really. That’s it. The ASA deemed the ad “irresponsible” for its depiction of a minor in a dangerous setting, despite Prada Retail UK’s disputes.
The Miu Miu parent company stated that the Bruce Weber-photographed shoot was “part of a serious, high-fashion campaign,” “based on the set of an imaginary film,” and that Steinfeld “could have easily moved from where she was sitting because she was not restrained in any way.” Do you think the ASA’s response is reasonable, or are they making a big deal out of nothing? [via ONTD]
Just when we thought the Rebecca Black meme had finally gone the way of All Your Base, it’s back — in the form of a Kohl’s commercial encouraging us to shop on Black Friday, no less. Over the weekend, we saw the ad just about every time we turned on our TV, to our great despair. The ordeal got us thinking about the big business of Internet memes, which are turning up more and more often in mainstream advertisements. After the jump, we look at Antoine Dodson, Honey Badger, and many more online celebrities who became pitchmen. Read More »
November 17th is Guinness World Records Day — which means that aspiring history-makers the globe over have chosen today to tackle their various challenges. Among the new records that have already been set are largest tea bag, fastest time to burst three hot water bottles, and heaviest vehicle pulled by the hair. As impressive as all that is, what really catches our eye is the world’s largest 3D painting — a 9601-square-foot mural in London, painted by Joe Hill of 3D Joe and Max and sponsored by Reebok. [via Yahoo!; Image via Hungeree]
Remember those striking Benetton UNHATE Campaign images we posted yesterday, of (mostly male) world leaders kissing? You know, the ones we referred to as “potentially controversial”? Well, controversy has, indeed, ensued. The first ad to attract a backlash features Pope Benedict XVI making out with Ahmed el-Tayeb, an important Egyptian Sunni imam. As Britain’s Daily Mail reports, Benetton has pulled the image from its website — and removed it from a Vatican-adjacent billboard — in response to the Vatican’s charge that the ad “shows a serious lack of respect for the Pope.” The company has released a statement of apology: “We are sorry that the use of an image of the pontiff and the imam should have offended the sensibilities of the faithful in this way. We have decided with immediate effect to withdraw this image from every publication.” Of course, Benetton had to know that this particular ad would stir up drama, and the choice to place a billboard so close to the Vatican makes it pretty clear they were seeking a reaction from on high. Let us know in the comments whether you find the photo offensive.
In an alternate universe, Barack Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez don’t just get along — they make out, as do Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Although Pope Benedict XVI is about as anti-gay as it gets, here he is, locking lips with Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayed, one of Sunni Islam’s most important leaders. Hell, even Kim Jong-Il and his South Korean sworn enemy are getting in on the action. These are the bold and potentially controversial photo manipulations that make up the UNHATE Campaign, a Benetton-sponsored project that kicks off today and seeks to replace the “culture of hatred” with a vision of love between the world’s nations, cultures, and religions. Read more about UNHATE at its website, and check out its first, arresting images after the jump. Read More »
While we’re no strangers to incredibly creative advertising for pens around here, we have to admit that this campaign for Faber Castell by Singapore-based art director and designer Chan Hwee Chong is truly breathtaking — especially when you see the man in action. Click through to watch a video clip of him miraculously recreating famous works of art out of ever-widening spirals. Insane!
There’s Dr Pepper. There’s Diet Dr Pepper — which, as many have noted, tastes almost exactly like the original. Then there are the countless variations (Cherry Vanilla, sugar-sweetened Heritage Dr Pepper). And now, since there apparently aren’t enough beverage options for those who like their carbonated water to taste like 23 unidentified, proprietary flavors, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group has unveiled Dr Pepper 10, a ten-calorie soft drink that is supposed to serve as the male alternative to the hopelessly girlie Diet Dr Pepper.
So, besides the token “10 bold calories,” what makes Dr Pepper 10 a drink for dudes? Hey, maybe it’s the ad campaign that insists the beverage is “not for women” and the terribly designed, matte gray can. (Then again, perhaps the benefits of this aesthetic are as undetectable as a dog whistle to those of us who possess two X chromosomes. Could it be that a metallic can carries, for your average heterosexual male, the ghastly connotations of silver lamé-clad drag queens?) Over at the Dr Pepper 10 Facebook page, they’ve posted “10 Man’Ments” to police the behavior of macho men on Facebook, which apparently “has a way of making even the boldest guys act like gossiping schoolgirls.” We’ll post those ridiculous tips — which include the exhortation not to use the abbreviation “OMG” or “post furry animal videos” — after the jump, in case you didn’t want to go to the trouble of “liking” the page to get a good, bitter laugh. Guys, let us know how you feel about being condescended to in the comments!
Every college student dreams of getting to work with the leaders of their industry, but this rarely happens, especially as an in-class assignment. But for the design students of the School of Visual Art in New York, a handful of students lucky enough to get into the Visual Identity and Multimedia course dreams do come true.
That’s because for three hours a week, these students get the opportunity to work directly with legendary design firm Chermayeff & Geismar, who has been responsible for creating such well-known logos as those used by PBS, NBC, National Geographic, and many others. As if that weren’t enough, the students get to balance class assignments with actual client work for M&T Bank.
That’s not to say the class doesn’t have interesting non-client assignments though. For one of the student’s biggest projects, they were asked to create a poster design that illustrated two opposite issues, objects or concepts. The results are impressive, so be sure to click through to enjoy the best of the projects.
Come next year, the erstwhile Brenda Walsh will be starring in her very own WE TV reality series, The Shannen Doherty Project, which will follow the preparations for her upcoming wedding to photographer Kurt Iswarienko. But don’t you worry, “I Hate Brenda” contingent — you won’t have to wait until the new year for an excuse to chuckle derisively at Doherty, because we’ve got one right here. The folks at Warming Glow have spotted her in a fairly humiliating, decidedly low-budget ad for the online university search service EducationConnection.com. Not only is the script weird (“I’ve played the girl next door and the girl and the girl not-so-next-door”), but it also includes some cheesy costume changes and Doherty’s admission that she was so clueless about how to find the right online college for her that she needed a whole different website to help. Finally: Shannen, girl, why did you let them put pastel makeup on your face? Sigh. Well, enjoy the ad after the jump. If you’re mean.
