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Is This Obscure European Sock Company the World's Worst Advertiser?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 16:39

There's dark humor, and then there's morbid humor. And then there are these French-made ads for Burlington socks, which likely don't qualify as any sort of humor whatsoever.  The brand's newest ad opens on the deathbed of a weeping grandfather clinging to his last threads of life. When his initially sympathetic grandson notices the dying man is sporting some nice socks, he decides to mock Grandpa's suffering and then gleefully murder him.

Can an Ad Campaign for Women's Rights Succeed by Only Featuring Men?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 15:16

Women earn 30 percent less than men for the same work. Some 64 percent of the world's illiterate people are women. Almost 800 women die every day from preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth. These are just some of the mind-boggling global injustices cited by UN Women on a new website, HeForShe.org, intended to motivate men to act against gender inequality and violence toward women. Created by Publicis Dallas, the campaign asks men to upload YouTube clips of themselves speaking out in support of women.

Ad of the Day: Robert Redford and Will Ferrell Ludicrously Debate How to Help the Colorado River Delta

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 13:31

Robert Redford wants to restore the Colorado River Delta, which has dried up severely over the past century, to its former lush glory through the "Raise the River" project. Will Ferrell wants to tell him where to stick it. Ferrell, you see, has his own plan. He doesn't want to bring the river back to the ocean. He wants to bring the ocean to the river—for the sake of the surfers.

Ad Campaign Seeks to Help Widow Whose Husband Had Hollywood's Most Famous Scream

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 12:38

Sheb Wooley comes screaming out of the mists of pop culture into the commercial mainstream in FCB's new campaign for pay-TV channel Canal+ in Spain. Wooley is the voice actor who performed the "Wilhelm scream," a ubiquitous sound effect that debuted in the 1951 adventure Distant Drum and has since been dubbed into more than 200 movies, including Toy Story and the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones series.

This Branding Agency Helps Clients Diverse as WWE, Fathead and Lord & Taylor

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 11:40

Specs Who (Clockwise, from top) Bill Gullan, president; John Ferreira, vp of brand strategy; Daniel Erlbaum, CEO; Jordan Goldenberg, creative director What Brand design and strategy firm Where Philadelphia office In 2011, Fathead approached branding firm Finch Brands with a dilemma. The company was well-known for its oversized vinyl decals of NFL stars, but its other offerings weren’t being properly leveraged.

Cruise Ships Now Depend on Parents Bringing the Kids Along

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 11:39

In the summer of 1951, a passenger aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth had plenty of things to do. There was shuffleboard, deck tennis, books to borrow from the library. The Berlin Philharmonic performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in the ballroom; waiters served poached turbot with sauce Dugléré; and a fella could set down his highball just long enough for a spin around the dance floor with his wife.

Unapologetic Fitness Mom Turns Her Polarizing Facebook Photos Into a Movement

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2014 - 01:25

When Maria Kang posted a picture of herself looking fit and trim while surrounded by her three young sons last year, she became a lightning rod for debate over realistic body images and "fat shaming." But despite all the criticism it generated, Kang has remained unapologetic and even launched a site called NoExcuseMom.com.

3 Agencies Vie for TD Ameritrade's Creative Account

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 03/12/2014 - 20:17

TD Ameritrade has narrowed the field in its creative review. Three agencies have advanced to the final round, according to sources. Sources identified two of the shops as FCB and DDB; the third has not been revealed to the other contenders, as the agency has business that conflicts with TD Ameritrade, said sources. The online brokerage spends about $100 million annually on media, according to Nielsen.