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Much like a previous commercial I discussed, this commercial makes terrific use of disgusting sounds to completely turn off the viewer.

With access to a pretty much unlimited supply of sound effects, one has to wonder why Dannon would use that particular slurping sound for their ad….or, for that matter, any slurping sound. Using the more simple sound of the collapsing plastic under the suction would have made the point and spared me the nausea.

Why have gross outs, pain (see the numerous crotch impacts abound in ads today) and overall cruelty become so prevalent in ads as of late?

Hello, old friend.

Around Januray of this year Tropicana launched its new packaging, which looks (looked) like this.

I like it...except for the vertical text...yuk.

I have certainly noticed the new packaging while out and about. I though it looked fresh and clean. A nice update to a fairly worn out design. I did wonder to myself if the brand was very recognizable as Tropicana anymore. The vertical text makes it hard to read, and the complete absence of the old style of packaging made it seem more like a new product rather than simply new packaging.

For the official take on the reasoning behind the switch, you can look here.

Some snippets:

The design team decided to take full advantage of all of the dimensions of the packaging. A picture of a glass of orange juice spans across the oblique corner of the carton. The idea was to create some perspective on that corner so it is not sharp or angular.

The new packaging has 20 design trademarks and copyrights. It took 30 people five months to develop it. Three alternative designs were scrapped including a revised orange and straw version and a Pepperidge Farm-like depiction of an orange grove.

Well, with all that thought and experience , what was the result?

Within 4 months Tropicana sales have dropped 20%. This leaves one to wonder the most obvious question…What kind of research did they do before rolling out this new design? According to Carol Parish, the new design tested very poorly, but was still put through to the shelves.

It’s hard to believe that, even on the highest of levels, research can be ignored and a redesign can be launched to such pitiful results. According to AdAge, the campaign has cost Tropicana in the tens of millions of dollars. It’s amazing what a package reboot can do for a company, or to their agency. I think it’s safe to say Arnell will not be brought back. Say hello to the new Tropicana packaging!!

Looks a bit familiar...

I particularly like how the trailer not only gives away every twist and angle of the film, but also the ending. At 2:30, it is unusually long for a trailer and seems more like an actual summary of the film rather than just a teaser or thesis statement of sorts. The whole approach was very familiar.

Also, I think it may have been more interesting to see Beyonce in the stalker role…more of a departure. The woman has sung in EVERY one of her previous films…make her a psycho stalker, not a victim wife. BOO!

I do kind of like the poster…sort of..

What is the significance of the black SSE? Is it a play on the interracial nature of the extramarital affair? Is it a random effect by a designer? Is it to show the rift between the two groups...seperated by color, connected by letters... What do you think?

Just to reiterate the obvious: A trailer is supposed to entice you to see the film, not give you reason to avoid it. Regardless, it should be hitting HBO in a couple of months, perhaps I’ll check it out then…or, perhaps not.

The main problem with the ad is that there is no logo or any other indicator visible during the commercial to let the viewer know it is not a real emergency call. The only clue is the bad acting on the part of the female caller (the male 911 operator is actually pretty spot-on).

On the surface, this ad seems like a good idea. It gets the viewer’s attention and it is certainly different than most ads we see for department stores. What I find hard to believe is that it actually made it through to the air in the form we see here. The only explanation I see is that the agency executed a clever usage of viral marketing. They knew this ad would create buzz. They managed to generate that buzz without directly offending anyone and without major repercussion.

The agency responsible for this ad, Devito/Verdi, is a very well established and respected firm. They knew what they were doing. Didn’t they? Oh, to be an insider…

EDIT: It seems Devito/Verdi is also responsible for the dreadful Legal Sea Foods ad I mentioned in a previous post. Time to reboot, fellas!

What, no labels?

I have seen Knocked Up about 5 times this week, and at least 25 times since it came out.

From memory I will list all the product placements (products, services, etc) in the movie. Why? Because it sounds like fun at this moment.

1) Mr Skin.com – They mention this site when FleshOfTheStars.com is discussed between Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd.

2) Cirque De Soleil – Have you seen the movie?

3) Lego Land – Paul Rudd take his kids there.

4) What To Expect When You’re Expecting – The popular baby book is dropped in this several times. It’s also mentioned in Juno, the movie I watch when I’m not watching Knocked Up

5) Under Armour - Jason Segel wears it throughout.

6) Nike – see above
6a) Puma – see above, again

7) Spiderman 3 – It’s mentioned that Rudd saw it without his wife. Then again by Rogen’s friends when it is about to come on tv. Also, James Franco appears in Knocked Up, and he is in SM3 as well.

8 – Other Movies - Besides the various movies shown during the hunt for nudity throughout the film, the movie Munich gets a special shout out. In fairness, many movies get name dropped in this movie. Including: Murderball, Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, Armageddon, Dante’s Peak, Eternal Sunshine,Total Recall, Back to the Future, Swingers, Wild Things (this one is on tv twice in the film) etc…

9) The E! network – This is where Heigl works.

10)Xbox360 - When Heigl’s sister agrees to buy them a baby crib, he asks her to throw an Xbox360 in.

11) Volkswagen – Heigl drives one (new and shiny)

12) Oprah – In one of my least favorite name drops of the film, Mrs. Apatow drops some knowledge from the big W on ‘training’ Seth Rogen.

13) Lexus – Mrs. Apatow drives one (also new, also shiny).

14) Everybody Loves Raymond - Another shout to this terrible sitcom. (The first coming in the 40 year old virgin in a memorable scene)

15) Red Bull – “How many Red Bulls have you had?” “I have had 4 Red Bulls.”

16) Bands/Celebs - Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, Black Crowes, Cat Stevens, Deniro, Eric Bana, Hideki Matsui, Carlos Delgado, Steve Carell, Jessica Alba, Stephen Hawking… too. many. shout. outs.

17) Treasure Island casino – It’s where the boys stay in Vegas (does the extensive mentioning and visiting of Vegas count?)

18) Seventh Generation – Seventh Generation diapers are everywhere, especially in the nurseries.

….that’s all I got for now

These are all just off the top of my head (the way top, I JUST watched it). Granted, the film takes place in the real world. Real world products are a part of this film to help make it believable. I get it. Still, it’s over the top. Honestly, it is clear some money changed hands here. This is normal and perfectly acceptable. I don’t slight them for this, but I would kill to see a breakdown of who paid how much for which placement. Even if these products were in the script in a natural way, the respective companies may still have been coerced to fork over some cash to remain in the film/not be replaced by a competitor.

Oh, to be an insider…

You gettin' this, camera guy?

I thought that was his real name. I really did.

Vince Shlomi

You gettin this, camera guy? v2.0

The greatest TV pitchman of my time (a point that is certainly up for debate) was arrested the other day for punching a prostitute after she bit down on his tongue and wouldn’t let go (allegedly, of course). No charges were filed in the case.

Questions that came to mind when I heard this story:
Why didn’t I realize Vince Offer was too perfect to be his real name?
Who kisses a prostitute?
Will the Sham-Wow suffer for this? ( I saw the things in PetSmart the other day)

For those who havent seen it…Vince’s latest work…

I love me some Ricky, or ‘Gerv’, as Sean puts it.

Sean

Comcast Commercial:

First, it’s over a year too late in the making. It feels like one of those Meet The Spartans movies in commercial form. Have these creatives been watching Juno on HBO as much as me? Seems so. Great movie, btw.

Second, the delivery of the song is so lacking in originality that it not only apes Juno, it immediately brings to mind a FreeCreditReport.com commercial. Strike Two!

Here’s where I seriously consider calling the copycat police while I ring you up with strike three..

The title of this campaign is ‘Dream Big.’

Is anything about this campaign original?

That’s also one of the most popular quotes from the movie:
Bren: When you move out I’m getting two Weimaraners!
Juno MacGuff: WHOA DREAM BIG!

Heck, it has even inspired this novelty shirt:

I wonder how many of these shirts sold...

What might have been interesting a year ago is just lazy and boring today.

Some, do like it. I can’t
get past the stench of the retread. Did Diablo Cody get handed a duffel bag when I wasn’t looking?

Changes abound to both stores.

In the meantime, Spring Break is over and I didnt go anywhere. I did, however, beat Fran at Scrabble about 25 times (she beat me maybe 5 or 6).

btw

Someone please talk me out of getting a second dachshund!