A lighthearted texting conversation comes to a grim end in Honda’s PSA for Distracted Driving Month. The ad dispenses with the typical scare tactics associated with such advertising but delivers an equally sobering message via sound effects. Honda is also launching “#thumbsup,” a Twitter hashtag campaign, to get the message out to the target millennial audience. Honda launched the campaign, which also includes two Spanish-language ads, to support the National Safety Council’s designation of April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month effort, which features a carload of teens perishing in a texting-and-driving accident, is now up to 1.7 million views on YouTube. YouTube’s Most-Shared Ads of March 1. Wren Clothing: First Kiss Shares: 1.44 million The viral video that spawned a thousand sequels racked up nearly 2.5 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours. It became even more buzzworthy when it was revealed to be a viral marketing stunt featuring actors and models — people experienced in the art of kissing strangers and making it look good. Video: YouTube, Tatia PIlieva 2. Save The Children: Most Shocking Second a Day Shares: 866, 365 This unforgettable video by the UK arm of Save The Children gives the “one second in a day” video trope a terrifying twist. It depicts a young British girl whose life transforms from family gatherings and innocent playtime to a harrowing struggle to survive. The message of the video: “Just because it isn’t happening here, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.” Video: YouTube, SaveTheChildrenUK 3. CoorDown: Dear Future Mom Shares: 718,900 CoorDown, an Italian advocacy group for children with Down syndrome, released this touching video in honor of World Down Syndrome Day, in which 15 children comfort a mom-to-be who learns her child will have Down syndrome. Video: YouTube, CoorDown 4. Pepsi Max With Jeff Gordon: Test Drive 2 Shares: 423,204 When a reporter questioned the veracity of Pepsi’s original test drive stunt, the brand — and NASCAR racer Jeff Gordon — decided to put him in his place. Video: YouTube, Pepsi 5. Samsung: Galaxy S5 Official Hands-on Shares: 384,551 Samsung fans were clearly raring for a first look at the new Galaxy S5, as evidenced by the 3.1 million YouTube views this hands-on demo received… Video: YouTube, Samsung Mobile 6. Samsung: Galaxy S5 Official Introduction Shares: 342,962 …not to mention the 23 million views racked up by the official product introduction. Video: YouTube, Samsung Mobile 7. Failte Ireland: St. Patrick’s Day 2014 — #IrelandInspires Shares: 224,495 There’s more to Ireland than St. Patrick’s Day. That’s the message behind “Ireland Inspires,” a tourism video created by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, which showcases the nation’s countryside, history and industry, set to an Irish folk artist’s cover of “Higher Love.” Video: YouTube, FailteIrelandTV 8. Chanel: Coco Mademoiselle — She’s Not There Shares: 214,089 This video for Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle fragrance stars Keira Knightley as an elusive, fashionable woman who turns […]
Image: Patrick Fallon/Bloomberg Diet Coke’s new ad campaign, which features the tagline “you’re on,” is drawing criticism for appearing to reference drugs. But the company dismisses such talk. “Diet Coke in no way endorses or supports the use of any illegal substance,” a statement from the company reads. Instead, “you’re on” is meant to remind young achievers that “Diet Coke is there to support them in the moments when they are at their best,” according to the statement. “Every single day, young people around the world experience ‘You’re On’ moments big and small. It could be a job interview or a national TV interview, a first date or a final exam, a presentation to your boss or a performance in front of thousands.” A TV ad in the campaign, which features Taylor Swift, underscored that theme. The ad features a montage of moments, such as a best man’s wedding toast, in which young people assuage their performance anxiety with a sip of Diet Coke. The ad culminates with Swift, sitting in front of a mirror, being told it’s time to perform. The cola giant launched the campaign, created by Droga5, in early February at the launch of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Droga5 is know as a somewhat edgy agency; some of its past projects include “Hot Malms,” a fake porn site for IKEA beds, and a 2006 Mark Ecko campaign that was designed to trick fans into believing someone tagged Air Force One with graffiti. After the launch, several people alleged that the agency and the brand might be offering a subliminal cocaine pun. Stark outdoor ads appear to highlight such a possibility. Is it just me or does this ad for Diet #Coke do a better job at marketing #cocaine by reading as “You’re on coke”… pic.twitter.com/azk1fKsAaF — NewYork TaxiCab (@aNYTaxiCab) February 26, 2014 “You’re on coke.” I see what you did there, @DietCoke! pic.twitter.com/P3QsWOkLEg — John McDermott (@mcdermott) February 24, 2014 Gothamist and Adweek both amplified such sentiments, which had been scarce, at least on social media. Diet Coke sales fell 3% by volume in 2012, according to industry tracker Beverage Digest. Across the board, sales of diet sodas are down as consumers grow wary of artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which is used in Diet Coke. The concern prompted the brand to launch a campaign last year reassuring consumers about the sweetener’s safety. As sales are falling, the brand faces an environment in which some marketers are trolling consumers and executing elaborate pranks to get attention. YouTube’s Most-Shared Ads of February 1. Budweiser: Puppy Love Shares: 1.16 millionBudweiser’s tear-jerking puppy ad is still basking in its post-Super Bowl glow with more than 1 million shares. Video: YouTube, budweiser 2. Learn for Life: Set Yourself Free Shares: 540,887The most no-holds-barred “stay in school” ad you’ll ever see comes from Australia (where they apparently use their pristine and beautiful beaches as explosive testing sites). Video: YouTube, henryandaaron 3. SOS Mayday: Would You Give Your Jacket To Johannes Shares: 456,769A campaign […]
Are you a fearless digital warrior? Can you contribute real-time teamwork? Exhibit creative thinking under fire? More importantly, are you good at Diablo 3? If you are and if you’re a programmer who’s interested in working for an Israeli ad agency, then you might want to check in on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Israeli time this month to square off with Yossi Lubaton, CEO of BBR Saatchi, a.k.a. “Yossilubaton#2572.” If you fare well against the level 60 Barbarian, he will invite you into his office for a job interview and will give you Warmonger, the legendary sword, one million gold coins “and maybe manager’s insurance.” Lubaton’s strategy makes sense: Likely candidates will be on D3 anyway. But it’s also pretty savvy marketing by the agency. Either way, it’s a nice change of pace from the usual, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” style of traditional interviews. What do you think? What’s the oddest job interview you’ve ever been on? Let us know in the comments. [Via Creativity Online ] Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/03/diablo-3-job-interview/
The Media Summit is just around the corner on Dec. 5, and we’re excited to announce the topics we’ll be focusing on this year. All sessions have themes of storytelling in the digital age, and we’ll be analyzing trends like big data, scalable video, global social media and more. Stay tuned for new speaker and session announcements daily. Ticket prices increase on Thanksgiving, so make sure to secure your spot early! The 2014 agenda Overview of Media and Marketing Trends for 2015 – Pete Cashmore, Founder and CEO of Mashable Conversation with Joanna Coles – Joanna Coles, Editor-In-Chief, Cosmopolitan Magazine Inspiring Change: Creating Viral Moments – Jason Harris, CEO and President of Mekanism; Kyle Lierman, Associate Director of Public Engagement of the White House Office of Public Engagement Talking About the Weather: Telling Extreme Weather and Climate Change Stories in the Digital Age – Andrew Freedman, Senior Climate Reporter of Mashable Worn Stories: Telling Tales Through Objects – Emily Spivack, Artist, Writer and Editor of Worn Stories; Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator and Director of R&D at MoMA of Architecture & Design Victory Over Video Woes: Creating Compelling Video Content That Scales Storytelling with the Real Piper and Larry from Orange is the New Black – Piper Kerman, Author of Orange is the New Black: My Year In a Women’s Prison; Larry Smith, Founder and Editor of Smith Magazine Storytelling Gets Visual with Imgur – Tim Hwang, Head of Special Initiatives of Imgur Conversation with Jill Abramson – Jill Abramson, Lecturer at Harvard War Stories: Covering Conflict and War in the Social Media Era – Louise Roug, Editor of Global News at Mashable; Brian Ries, Real-Time News Editor at Mashable; Emily Feldman, Journalist at Mashable The Power of Collaboration: Creators and Companies – Adam Block, President of Legacy Recordings of Sony Music Entertainment Data Driving the Next Wave of Powerful Media and Marketers – Chris Wiggins, Chief Data Scientist at the New York Times; Haile Owusu, Chief Data Scientist at Mashable Wha’ts Old is New Again: Lessons from Old Mediums for a New Age – Eileen Gittins, Founder and CEO of Blurb; Aaron Shapiro, CEO of Huge Media on Mobile – Jason Abbruzzese, Business Reporter at Mashable Online event registration for Mashable Media Summit: Formats of Creativity powered by Eventbrite Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/11/19/mashable-media-summit-agenda-2/
Looks like it’s game over for Jerry Lambert, the guy who played Sony PlayStation executive Kevin Butler in that brand’s ads over the past few years. Sony is suing Lambert, Bridgestone and production company Wildcat Creek over a misappropriation of the Butler character. Though the lawsuit is vague about the reasoning, a Sony rep told Kotaku that the suit was related to an ad for Bridgestone Tires that featured Lambert playing a Wii. Lambert’s presence in the ad was edited out after Sony filed the suit on Sept. 11. In the ad, which is shown above, Lambert plays a Bridgestone scientist who is “testing” the Wii for a promotion. Lambert had played Butler since 2009. His character was an executive at Sony who wryly responded to various “Dear PlayStation” letters. In the first ad, for instance, Butler batted away a rumor about PlayStation pricing by responding, “You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet. That’s how World War I got started.” To relive the campaign’s total eight and a half minutes of ads, see the video below. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/09/sony-commercial-actor-sued-wii/
Google unveiled its new lineup of Nexus devices Monday, as well as the first video spot promoting them. The lineup includes a Nexus 4 smartphone, a 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet and a 10-inch Nexus 10 tablet. The one-minute ad, developed in collaboration with Boston-based ad agency Mullen, touts the devices’ educational — or rather explorative — capabilities. Various individuals are shown using the new Nexus devices to run voice and text-based searches, to navigate a street using augmented reality and to investigate a famous landmark (the Coliseum) via satellite imagery. The devices were scheduled to be unveiled at a press event in New York City Monday, which was cancelled on account of an impending storm. Google decided to go ahead with the announcement online. All three devices run Android 4.2, which Google describes as “a new flavor of Jelly Bean.” The Nexus 4 smartphone is priced at $299 for the 8GB version and $349 for the 16GB version (unlocked). The 7-inch Nexus 7 is priced at $199 for 16GB of storage, and $249 for 32GB; an HSPA+ version with 32GB of data is also available for $299. The 10-inch Nexus 10 tablet is available in a 16GB version for $399 and a 32GB for $499. Both tablets will be available beginning Nov. 13 in the U.S., UK, Australia, France, Canada, Spain, Germany and Japan. Google’s New Nexus Lineup Google Nexus 10 Starting at $399 (for 16GB), the Nexus 10 has an ultra-high-res 10-inch display, with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 — even more pixels than the Apple iPad. Google Now on the Nexus 10 Nexus 10, Back Nexus 4 Made by LG, the Nexus 4 costs $299 and runs Android 4.2, which includes new features like 360-degree panoramas and gesture typing. Clock on Nexus 4 Gesture Typing on Nexus 4 Updated Nexus 7 Google’s Nexus 7 tablet, which now starts at $199 for 16GB, is also getting an upgrade to Android 4.2. Gesture Typing on Nexus 7 Navigation on Nexus 7 Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/29/google-nexus-ad-video/
ESPN‘s long-running line of “This Is Sportscenter” ads take a whimsical and bizarre angle on the legendary show’s behind-the-scenes productions, imagining scenarios and backstories that, for all we know, could actually be true. They’ve produced some really funny spots over the years. But the latest offering — which purports to reveal that straight-laced NFL analyst John Clayton actually rocks a gnarly ponytail, head-bangs to Slayer and still lives with his mother — may be SportsCenter’s best ad yet. That was the chatter on the social web after the spot instantly started spreading in sports circles upon hitting YouTube Thursday morning — high praise considering the campaign’s hilarious history. So kudos to ESPN on another successful spot. But it may not match this ad from April, which showed why it actually sucks to be Michael Jordan. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/06/sportscenter-john-clayton/
