Now check out the Making of the T-Mobile Dance here:
thanks Linda
SantaCon Co-opted
From Laughing Squid, posted by Scott Beale:
Santacon Used As Theme For New Motorola TV Commercial
First Bacardi ripped-off The Cacophony Society”s Breakers to Bay Salmon Run, then Absolut Vodka co-opted the Pillow Fight and now the latest underground event used as the theme of a television commercial is Santacon (Santarchy) with Motorola”s new “Santa Swarm” ad for their bluetooth headsets.
The ad was produced for Motorola by creative agency DraftFCB working with the production company Harold Group. It was directed by Jamin Winans who made the really cool short film “Spin”
that I posted about last year. Thanks to Spacemonkey for the tip!
Ho, Ho, Ho — Chicago Sheriff Cons the Cons
Chicago sheriff baits fugitives with holiday ruse
1010WINS
December 21, 2008
Chicago (AP) — The sheriff’s office in Chicago has arrested more than 60 fugitives with a net of holiday cheer. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said Sunday that the suspects were invited to take a retailers’ survey for holiday shoppers at a hotel earlier this month.
Participants who brought along a scratch-off card that was included with the survey were promised at least $500.
Those who showed up were taken into custody. One man who arrived with marijuana in his pocket was charged with possession on top of his previous charges.
The fugitives had warrants for crimes including forgery and aggravated battery.
image: Michigan.gov
Alternative Ads: Pranking Goes Commercial
Advertisers are trying harder and harder to trick consumers with ads that mimic the work of pranksters, street artists and media activists. Going viral with your ad has become the brass ring, with customers doing all the heavy lifting (i.e., distributing these ad campaigns through YouTube, blogs and emails) for free for the advertisers.
It’s challenging to tell the difference between true guerrilla theater and this new trend of verité advertising. Here’s a hint: listen to the audio quality and watch for camera angles. Frequently, the main character who’s supposed to be the unsuspecting target of a joke is wearing a hidden microphone and there are at least three distinct camera angles, meaning it’s an expensive multi-camera shoot. If it sounds and looks too good to be true — it probably is.
Check out this article On Advertising: Alternative advertising to grab your attention, by Stephanie Clifford of the International Herald Tribune, August 3, 2008.
And, this viral commercial video submitted by Andrew Boyd yesterday:
Hidden Camera Penny Prank in Jewelry Store
This one, picked up from V. Vale’s RE/Search Newsletter, is just a regular German commercial, but fun (and viral) because of its shock value. Continue reading “Alternative Ads: Pranking Goes Commercial”
Verizon’s Fake Flash Mob Viral Ad
Submitted by Dolph Starbeam, who says:
It looks like Verizon Wireless is getting into the viral video game. They recently did a flash mob in some park in Atlanta. It’s actually well executed and pretty funny.
Verizon Wireless Surprises Customer
The Verizon “can you hear me guy” and network show up and follow someone around, just like on TV. He and everyone else in the park were [supposedly] taken by surprise.
[Editor’s note: Exactly how was the unsuspecting cell phone user (who was followed by the entire Verizon “Network” through a city park) mic’d so that his voice is heard so clearly?]