What's In a Name? CASH!

     Jason Sadler sounds like any other typical guy, right? Now what if his name were Jason Nike? Jason Oreo? Jason Panasonic? Ok, I'll stop now, but I'm sure those peaked your interest way more than the original name. In one of the strangest media buys I've ever seen, Jason has started a website auctioning off his last name to a brand for an entire year. His new brand inspired moniker will come up on his driver's license, his social media channels, and whenever he introduces himself. Currently, the highest bid is $34,500, placed by an earphone manufacturer. WHY?! What is this going to do for your brand? This will probably garner a little press after the auction ends on December 12, but afterwards I cannot see anything coming out of this. It's completely pointless, and I can't believe this guy is totally willing to give up his identity to a company that he might not even use. But don't worry, good old Jason has morals. He won't take bids from organizations pertaining to religion, politics, or porn.

     I'm trying to decide if this is worse than people getting brands tattoos on their body. I mean, nothing is worse than the picture above, but is someone's physical identity more or less important than a name? Either way, I don't think these stunts do anything for a company or brand...but what do I know, this Jason guy is currently $34,500 richer than me.

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No Mushrooms, Please

     A new Twitter campaign from Mellow Mushroom has everyone talking...and possibly calling the cops. The idea is extremely simple: If you follow Mellow Mushroom on Twitter, there's a possibility a giant, scary looking yellow blob that kind of resembles a mushroom will follow you. Word of mouth for the execution is spreading really quickly, and I've seen several articles about it on websites not focused on advertising. I just don't get it. The idea is funny, but it doesn't tie into any bigger thought. And it definitely doesn't make me want to order a pizza. It makes me want to change my phone number and delete my Twitter account. I see it as a cool way to get followers, but at the end of the day Twitter followers aren't going to necessarily translate into customers. For me this falls short. I'll stick to Domino's. 

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Instajam

Instagram Music Video

     Above is a link to a music video made entirely of Instagram photos. The video is creative and at times really beautiful, and this is coming from someone who is sick of seeing a ton of filtered photos everywhere. Facebook and Twitter are the big dogs when it comes to social media, but I think Instagram is at times overlooked and is constantly gaining popularity and cultural clout. Instagram as a brand has a personality, a reputation, and although that might not be favorable to some people, it's more than can be said for other social media sites. I think as time goes on people will begin to use Instagram in much more innovative and interesting ways, hopefully some of them the result of advertising. I could easily see the above music video as an advertisement for the site itself, or for several other products. Clients can create photo contests or custom filters, but I think that's just the beginning. We can use the photos people upload to gain insights into how they use other products. We can find stories and interesting people to sell brands. I don't even use Instagram but am still excited to see how it grows as an advertising vehicle, just like its predecessor Facebook and now Twitter. A photo is more personal than a status or a tweet, and I think there is ample opportunity to use that to our advantage. In the future I foresee Instagram being even bigger than it already is, and capitalizing on that to create some very interesting ad campaigns. 

God Bless 7-Eleven

     Originally, I wasn't too compelled by 7-Eleven's "7-Election" campaign, but after reading a little more about it I thought it at least warranted a blog post. This season was inundated with campaigns trying to play off the election, but all of them had the same concept: vote red or blue. Nothing really stood out. With the 7-Election campaign, at least a customer had to make a purchase to actually cast a vote, instead of just clicking a button online. However, the concept is not what I find extremely interesting, it's the results. 

     Unbeknownst to me, the convenience store has run the campaign for the past three elections...and every time it has accurately predicted the outcome. Here are the results from all 7-Elections: 

     Not only that, the company ran the same campaign in the Philippines in 2010, and accurately predicted the winner of their election out of ten potential candidates. To me, that's impressive. The idea of the campaign isn't extremely original, but the accuracy is intriguing. I wonder how long their streak will last until they fail to predict the election...guess we'll have to wait until 2016 to find out. 

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Weathering the Storm

     American Apparel is known for being controversial in its advertising, but this definitely pushes the limits a little too far. While Hurricane Sandy was busy ravishing the Northeast, the clothing store thought it was a good idea to offer discounts on its stupid overpriced hipster clothes. The store received a ton of backlash because of this campaign, and rightfully so. One of the many reasons this was ignorant is because the hurricane knocked out power and access to the Internet for hours or days for thousands of people, rendering their online sale completely and totally useless. Also, I don't think many people were bored during the storm, they were busy staying safe and making sure their loved ones were safe. I think a way more effective solution, and this is if marketers should even be trying to gain attention in the time of a natural disaster, is if American Apparel had donated some trendy hipster coats made out of hemp or whatever material is deemed cool today or some other form of clothing to the many individuals who were affected by the storm. It should be obvious to not make light of a serious situation, but American Apparel was probably too busy listening to that band they like and being original and ironic to ever learn that lesson. 

Snickers Makes Me Snicker

     Halloween is right around the corner, which means it's time for me to pull out a bed sheet, cut out some eyeholes, and scam some people out of some candy. With the sheet over my head, I can pass as a 6'2 middle schooler...maybe. What was I supposed to be talking about? Oh yeah, advertising. So for the past few years, Snickers has been my favorite when it comes to Halloween advertising. Their spots are genuinely funny, and I appreciate that even though the commercial is seasonal it still ties in to the overall big idea of the brand: hunger is bad. I think some brands view seasonal advertising as a completely different entity, but I'm glad Snickers uses the holiday to further what the brand is known for.

     This commercial came out two years ago, and I still remember it. More importantly, it still makes me laugh. The mix of weird and creepy result in a great Halloween spot for the candy company. 

     This year, Snickers released a new commercial, and I think its even better than the Scary Lady ad. It captures that same weird tone and sense of humor and delivers a familiar idea in a fresh new way.

     These ads can certainly stand alone, but also seamlessly integrate into the work Snickers puts out all year long. When I think about it, that can be hard to do, because "It's Halloween, buy this candy!" is obviously the first thought the commercial has to convey, but these spots do a great job balancing that message with Snickers' branding. I'll definitely be buying them this year, and then lying to trick-or-treaters and saying I'm out of candy so I can eat them all myself. Suckers. 

Brooklyn Nets: Slam Dunk or...Whatever a Bad Thing in Basketball Is?

     A year or two ago if someone asked me my thoughts on the Brooklyn Nets, the first words out of my mouth would be, "What are they again? Basketball, hockey, soccer?" I feel that's valid, as I have no knowledge of sports and all of those do incorporate nets... I think. Now, in 2012, if someone asked me my thoughts on the Brooklyn Nets, I would tell them the branding of the basketball team is fantastic. That's right, it's so good I even know what sport is involved!

Brooklyn Nets Intro Video

     I think the video above is the ultimate brand statement and a great culmination of the new image of the Nets. It's classy, sophisticated, but still has that Brooklyn grit and edge. The use of black and white imagery is a callback to all their other brand elements, and the song proves this team is a testament to Brooklyn and what the city can achieve.

     The team underwent a complete image overhaul, and I think the new logo is a definite improvement. The simple typography is modern and elegant, and with the explosion of bright, garish colors used by most sports team, I love the black and white. The endorsement from Jay-Z adds a hip personality to the team (the only thing that could make it cooler is if his wife endorsed it too), and is a lot of the reason why this rebrand is receiving so much press. However, after looking at several other executions, I think the brand certainly deserves the spotlight.

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