Stoke This

A few years ago, everybody (or at 36 million YouTube viewers) loved Evian’s dancing babies. Now, the water whose name backwards spells “naive” has a new spot – and I think it’s a hit. Launched today, “Baby & Me” is the latest Evian babies effort. Basically, adults see their inner child (literally) in a reflection – and begin dancing around so they (and viewers) can watch the little tykes get their groove on. Does this bottle hold the fountain of youth? Probably not, but hydration is good for any age…and so is this video. Only at 301 views right now (which means YouTube is getting bombarded by views and verifying prior to showing actual views), I’m curious to see how it will compare to the original spot. ~@AdvertGirl 

What to do when you need help? Social media is great, and can be effective. But if you really want to get results (and stand out from the pack of Tweeters, Facebookers, Pinners, etc.)…pick up your phone and call. It’s the best way to ask for help, and it was key to Steve Jobs’ success. It may be even truer now… ~ @AdvertGirl

What are the best ads running during the best show about advertising? I’m surprised at how few good ones there are to choose from, actually. That said, there are two clear winners.

In the category of ads starring a member of the cast, Joan (Christina Hendricks) is the bomb(shell) in the Johnnie Walker spot. Combining elements of her on-air role and her personal love of scotch – and adding in her inescapable classy sexiness that appeals to men and women – Hendricks is the ideal face of the brand, wherever this ad runs (and especially during Mad Men). In one fell swoop, Johnnie Walker has infused all the swanky cool of Mad Men into their brand and their bottle. Great stuff.

As for ads not starring a Mad Men cast member, the winner is Das Auto. The German carmaker’s commercial for the new Beetle convertible features a man wearing a ski mask entering a convenience store – clad as if to rob the joint. He then surprises the owner by paying. And when he returns to his VW parked outside, amidst a winter snowscape, we see his car mates all wearing ski masks so they can enjoy the top-down benefits despite the arctic temperatures. The spot is already great – then to add a little cherry on top, the music playing in the store is Mr. Trololo of viral video fame. What a clever way to tie into pop culture. Sehr gut.

~ @AdvertGirl

Why do women go on diets? For health reasons? No, not according to SlimFast. In their new advertising campaign, SlimFast eschews logic and goes for the pure emotional approach – basically promising the ladies in its target market that they’ll have a nicer posterior after using their product. In the three ads, the payoff lines are as follows:

• I want to show off my new ass.
• I want my jeans to come off easier.
• I want to get into someone else’s pants.

Will this campaign break through? I believe it will, but perhaps not in the way SlimFast is hoping. The brand calls the ads “liberating” – but self-respecting 21st-century women may not find it fits with a liberal perspective. Even if they (we) do want our hind quarters to look as good as possible, overt assvertising that reduces our goals down to that one superficial element is a bit insulting. ~ @AdvertGirl

I happened upon this drawing on DesignTaxi.com from Canadian cartoonist John Atkinson. He waxes nostalgic on the old school versions of social media, which I know many of us remember fondly or not too fondly, depending of course. Thankfully the internet does exist as I might have had some troubles figuring out what imgur was…I mean, what would I do without it? Actually ask someone? ~ Sandy Storey, Account Supervisor, The S3 Agency

Ad with a very clever sound-alike phrase escapes sensors and goes viral, pushing K-Mart a little closer to cool. ~ @AdvertGirl

On a recent visit back to my old college stomping grounds, I was dismayed to find that the local camera shop that I had spent so many hours in while pursuing my degree had closed. As it has done to so many, digital technology had rendered my camera shop obsolete, along with the expertise that the wonderful owners had. While digital photography has tremendous advantages, in my humble opinion there’s still nothing like the snap of the shutter on a 35mm camera. Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so judging by the array of stylish models available from trendy retailers like Urban Outfitters - who, interestingly enough, targets a demographic that is probably too young to remember film photography in the first place. Still, colorful 35mm models from Holga, Lomography and Vivitar dot the store shelves.

In a recent report from NPR, listeners confirm that while digital has its place, film photography still has an allure – thanks to its “possibility of failure.” One interviewee puts it best when she says, “…you’ve dropped off that roll, you have no idea what’s on it. You have all these hopes of, you know, having captured just the right moment. And sometimes they’re very disappointing, what you get back. And sometimes it’s like a miracle. You discover it’s even better than you remembered.”

For the full article, click here.

~ Trish Salge, Sr. Art Director & Shutterbug, The S3 Agency

By the time you finish reading this sentence, your email will probably have received several urgent reminders from work, a few notifications from your social networks, and thousands of Groupons you never asked for the in the first place. Wading through these emails can seem like a chore, but mobile application company Orchestra Inc.’s new free “Mailbox” app for your iPhone aims to change that (at least for Gmail users).

Unlike traditional email apps, Mailbox treats each email more like a conversation than an individual piece of mail. The app is designed to allow users to use different swipe gestures to delete and archive messages. In addition to these standard features, Mailbox also offers users the option to organize messages into customizable lists to read later, or set reminders for messages to be reviewed at a later date or time. The app also rewards users who empty out their mailbox conversations with a new daily photo that can be shared on Facebook and Twitter. 

Unfortunately, with so many people looking to download the app, there is a waiting line to set up your Mailbox. Something else to note: when Mailbox synchronizes with your Gmail account, all of the changes made on the Mailbox app will occur across your entire email (including mailbox applications on your computer, other mobile apps, and Gmail itself). Although this may cause a bit of confusion in the beginning, if you commit to it you’ll find that Mailbox will help you handle your email more efficiently than ever before.

 The S3 Agency give Orchestra Inc’s Mailbox app 2 “S”s out of 3!

~ Matt DiCiero, Social Media Coordinator, The S3 Agency

Just when you thought Skinny Jeans couldn’t get any skinnier…

A few weeks ago, American Eagle Outfitters got a jump on April Fools’ Day on when they “launched” a line of “Skinny Skinny” jeans – pants that are literally painted on. (Spray painted, that is.) The brand launched their Skinny Skinny jeans in store, with male and female models showing off their jeans – leaving precious little to the imagination. The real reactions of real customers, filmed ambush Punk’d style, are hilariously captured in a YouTube video. I especially like the girl who says “His junks hanging out, man” and the guy doing lunges to show ease of mobility. Then there’s the comment from the woman who wishes this was a real product… *sigh*

~ Meredith Aman, Account Supervisor, The S3 Agency

Years ago, many companies didn’t think to register URLs with their business name – then found themselves paying cyber-ID-thieves (IMHO) a pretty penny to claim their name, either to launch their site or just to protect themselves from someone else owning it. But did we learn that digital lesson? Apparently not, since the same thing is happening on social media sites. So today – right now – take 30 minutes to go on each of the major social media networks and claim your name…for free. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to start using all (or any) of those sites now (or ever). But you do want to stop someone else from doing it, trust me.

Start with these currently most popular social media sites (listed below, with convenient links – no excuses!). Then as you hear buzz about new sites starting, add them to the list. Oh, and speaking of lists, be sure to keep a list handy of your email addresses and passwords for future reference. You may even want to start a special email address (such as “social@[yourcompanyemail.com]” that will be dedicated to this purpose.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• YouTube
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• MySpace
• LinkedIn

Or just ignore it and see if someone (a disgruntled vendor, competitor, ex-boyfriend) claims your name and starts Tweeting, Pinning and Facebooking as you / your brand – in a way you never would. Then spend tons more time trying to handle damage control, proving to customers and other professional / personal contacts that you didn’t do it…and spend even more time trying to wrangle your name away from these cyber thieves.

I opt for the proactive reputation management route – and hope you’ll take the time today to Stop Social Squatting!

~ Denise Blasevick, @AdvertGirl & CEO, The S3 Agency