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St. John Ambulance Hits the Pool for Its Latest Shocking First-Aid PSA

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 14:47

St. John Ambulance, the first-aid teaching and awareness organization, has put together some incredible, horrifying PSAs through the years. We've covered many of BBH London's ads for the group. Last year, they won a silver Film Lion at Cannes for "Helpless," a two-minute film based around the statistic that first aid could prevent 140,000 deaths a year—the same number who die from cancer. They followed that up with the heartbreaking "Save the Boy" spot last fall. Now, here's a new spot—for St. John Ambulance in Australia.

Mini-Documentary Looks at Advertising's Most Unsung Artists

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 13:39

It's easy to forget that for every flashy, handpainted wall advertisement you see in a city, there are a handful of people who endure discomfort (and risk death) to put it there. Online tabloid Vocativ made this mini-documentary about these painters, who call themselves "wall dogs," and it's a refreshingly straightforward and unglamorized piece of work. The painters mostly talk about how they prepare for a job where they spend most of the day hanging from a chain, at the mercy of the elements and unable to step back and get better perspective of their work until it's complete.

Don't Drink and Drive. In This Powerful Ad, It Really Does Sound Like a Broken Record

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 13:05

This is what it sounds like when you drink too much, then get behind the wheel. Surprise: It does not have a happy ending. A new PSA by ad agency La Chose for French road safety organization Association Victimes et Citoyens uses a very simple, very effective single shot of a vinyl record player to offer a fresh version of a familiar and important point. Perhaps counterintuitively, the absence of any violent footage actually increases the power of the message.

Samsung Ad Introduces the Cutest, Pluckiest Smartphone Memory Card Ever

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 12:50

A Samsung SD smartphone memory card morphs into a cute, miniature robot action hero in this engaging 45-second clip from Cheil Worldwide in Seoul and Museum Film. The ad, running exclusively online at present, targets smartphone users in the U.K., North America, Europe and Japan. RoboCard's adventures, directed by J.M. Lee, illustrate product attributes. He soars with a jetpack (demonstrating speed), repels thumbtacks and paperclips (the card is impervious to magnets) and makes a splash by riding a tropical fish rodeo style (it's waterproof). The details are great fun.

Pennzoil Unveils Doc About Hot Rodders to Launch a New Motor Oil

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 10:00

Though there will be ads around the launch of Pennzoil's new Platinum line of motor oil, the centerpiece of the product push is an hour-long documentary about hot rodders who chase land speed records. Produced by MediaCom and the Bandito Brothers, Breaking Barriers will premiere in three weeks on National Geographic Channel. With a voiceover and on-camera appearances from country music star Tim McGraw, the doc looks back at the history of hot rodding with street legal cars and culminates in a team from Hennessey Performance setting the current speed record of 270.49 miles per hour.

Ad of the Day: Maxwell House Says Its Coffee Is Good, Not Great, and Means It

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/15/2014 - 19:33

In an age where you can find a Starbucks on every block and a trendy café frequented by coffee snobs who wouldn't be caught dead in a Starbucks on every other block, the task of making old-school home-brewed coffee appear even remotely cool would seem nearly impossible. And that, presumably, is why Maxwell House isn't even trying. The 122-year-old, Kraft-owned brand is undergoing a major overhaul in its marketing strategy.

Join a Conversation Headed for Catastrophe in Honda's Anti-Texting Ad

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/15/2014 - 16:49

On the heels of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's sobering scenario announcing National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Honda and agency RPA bring us the latest campaign in the effort to curb texting and driving.  This spot (and accompanying print ad, below) pull the viewer into a text conversation happening on a mobile device, presumably on a road somewhere in America.  The dialogue is an authentic glimpse into the life of a young adult, replete with the usual s

Klondike Bar Plays Doctor With a Hot Candy Nurse, and a New Product Is Born

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/15/2014 - 15:59

Best ice-cream bar ever conceived? That would be the Klondike Kandy Bar, born an indeterminate number of months after an illicit tryst between a regular Klondike Bar and a tall, striking, chocolatey candy-bar nurse—according to a male shopper's adult-movie-addled brain in this sweet spot from The VIA Agency. It's a fun idea, brought to life quite nicely. In particular, the visual look is pleasantly unique, blending real-world footage and animation. "A ton of ads use animated characters.

Southwest Shines With Flight Attendant's Viral Video as Social Media Sours for Other Airlines

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/15/2014 - 15:58

It's been a weird week for airlines in social media, and it's only Tuesday. On Monday a Dutch teen was arrested for tweeting a threat to American Airlines, and US Airways accidentally tweeted a photo of a woman using a model airplane as a sex toy.  But here's one airline that's actually getting some positive attention this week: Southwest. Known for being the goofy uncle at the airline family reunion, Southwest (or at least one of its employees) is the star of a video that's quickly gone viral, tallying more than 1.2 million views in two days.