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we’re working on new tv ads for bassett furniture

Like the one shown here. We’re happy to be back in the furniture biz, and especially thrilled to be working with the fine folks at Bassett. After all, you can’t beat fine American craftsmanship.

the goog spanks viacom, viacom reacts like spoiled brat

Hey hey hey–remember when Viacom was all “wah wah wah copyrighted content wah wah wah google is the suxx0rz” and the Goog was all “we r0xx0rz and own teh internetz” and then everyone decided that the best thing to do was to get very expensive lawyers involved in the process? Well surprise, folks: Google wins, Viacom loses, and everyone’s favorite site is allowed to continue its operations without fear nor hindrance. Yesterday, a federal judge in New York sided with The Big G in a $1 billion copyright lawsuit filed by Viacom, stating that the service was following the DMCA to the letter and that Viacom should find better things to do, like helping orphans and rescuing stray kittens. Thus, the geniuses at Viacom decided that the smartest reaction was to throw even more money at more lawyers to appeal the decision, based on the grounds that they really, really like spending money on lawyers. [read more]

the new mcdonald’s ad is actually great. too bad it’ll never run in the states

Often, there are companies that have grown so large that advertising is not used to increase sales or raise awareness–rather, their ads are used as PR damage control or to ensure that they don’t sink under the public radar. At some point, you made a choice to drink either Pepsi or Coke–is a great ad going to change your opinion on the matter one way or another? Similarly, you already have an opinion about McDonald’s, and no ad is going to convince you that the company is anything other than what it is. [read more]

undressed woman uses cleavage, pouty looks to save the world from evil robots

According to AdFreak and Movieline, lingerie model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will make an appearance in the next Transformers flick, in a blatant bit of product placement for Victoria’s Secret. Apparently, giant city-crushing robots can only be defeated by a woman who is mostly known for A). being naked, B). being silent, and C). walking.

Trivial, you say? We don’t necessarily disagree. However, this does give us an excellent excuse to post Michael Bay’s absolutely epic Victoria’s Secret ad, which features everything that makes advertising SO AWESOME and SO, SO TERRIBLE. It is at once the pinnacle and absolute nadir of American artistic achievement, pushing self-parody so far over the edge that it has actually entered the strange, rarefied realm of self-aware Duchamp-esque cultural criticism.

Cleavage! Explosions! Epic camera angles for no discernible reason! Excess has never looked so good.

cato increases march 2010 same store sales by 24%

posting facebook pictures of your awesome kegstand technique is not in your best interest

Social media? It’s a great way to frame your own personal narrative. But watch what you post. The world is transparent today. [read more]

we hired someone new!

This is Brittney Lunsford. Say “hello.” Kindly, softly, so we don’t scare her away.

Brittney’s originally from Louisville, Kentucky–making her spiritually related to Muhammad Ali, Thomas Edison, Tom Cruise, and Dian Fossey. Speaking of! We’re not entirely convinced yet that’s she’s just not here to quietly observe the rare homo vendus adverticus in its natural habitat. We’ve seen her take pretty extensive notes as she made her initial rounds, studying each of us with the cold, steely gaze of a surgeon, or a farmer.

So! Our brave Ms. Lunsford worked in ad sales in a newspaper for several years, before joining the media department for Sheehy + Associates–the Louisville ad agency that handles the Kroger account. She says that she left her hometown for her significant other, but we’re pretty sure that Sheehy just couldn’t handle the sheer awesome radiating from her office.

But their loss is our gain, as she’s joined our media department here on the ranch. As we’re (as in “us,” as in “I”, as in “the boy who is writing this entry”) part of the creative team, we’ve never been 100% sure what the media department does, except they make things WORK and they occasionally threaten us with bodily harm and they receive all the cool tchotchkes, while we only get artsy over-produced portfolio books and commemorative glasses. But the media department? They get CANDY. And TICKETS. And did we mention the CANDY?

Oh wait. Where were we? Right. Hi Brittney! We’re glad to have you here.

• flickr'd!

  

  

  

  

  

  

• tweet!

  • McDonald's releases brilliant gay ad in France, manages to avoid PR firestorm. We're just as surprised as you. http://bit.ly/aDGT1x 03:14:54 PM June 02, 2010 from web
  • M. Bay, hero of our times. http://bit.ly/b6QQrk 02:42:11 PM June 01, 2010 from web
  • We love Lady Luck. Really. But the image of Lady Luck "bustin' out all over" is one that no sane person should readily entertain. 02:37:10 PM June 01, 2010 from web
  • Sometimes, this industry gives you the opportunity to do great work. http://bit.ly/9ahOJe (via @AdFreak) 01:45:25 PM June 01, 2010 from web

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