Hey, Bing. Everyone is already loyal to Google. So, stop wasting your money on advertising.

On TERRIBLE advertising, that is.  Other than the supermarket one, this is the worst commercial I've seen in this whole campaign.  I mean, I get the concept: sometimes you can't find what you're looking for right away on a search engine so you're forced to read everything about anything relevant to what you're searching for, and then your mind gets lost in all the somewhat relevant, but also rather unneeded information.  And that concept is a decent one.  But the execution of these ads is so bad that sometimes you don't understand it at all, and therefore don't want to use Bing.  Not only that, but these commercials fail to really show how it is that much better and more useful that its competition (Google).  Everyone is already so loyal and used to Google, so an alternative really has to stick out with major beneficial differences.  These commercials not only fail to do so, but also have become a bit of an annoyance to see over and over on TV.

My most recent campaign.

So, this is what I have so far for my public service campaign.  I chose PAWS because I've always felt like people should never buy a pet when they can adopt or rescue one (much like I did with my cat!).  The was the concept I wanted to go for and I pretty much ran with it once I thought of the line I used for the billboard.  I'm really happy with how this is coming along so far.  I just need to complete it by adding a 30-second commercial, but I should have that done by the end of the week.  So check back soon for that posting.  I hope you like it.

UGH. More terrible concepts and execution.

Let's be realistic here.  So you walk into your house and notice that everything you own has been stolen.  Would you honestly be that calm as you walk around and investigate?  And then when you come across something that they didn't steal, would your first thought be, "Hmm, maybe it's time for a new one?"  Coming from someone whose house was robbed when they were 9 years old, this would NOT be the first thought and the owners would NEVER be this calm.  But not only the concept, the execution sounds so commercial and unrealistic that it really makes what they're selling unappealing.  And I swear, you almost see the guy smirk when he comes across the computer.  Stuff like this just simply cannot be taken seriously.

A bit of an easy concept, but still a great one.

The common reason why anyone would wash their hands or use hand sanitizer is to prevent the spread of germs from other people onto yourself.  So, with a hand sanitizer, there is really know other way to go in advertising and campaigning for it.  However, this ad and the whole campaign does a great job of translating this in a funny and clever way that has the stopping power to make you read and understand it.  I tried to look up some other sanitizers, like Purell, to see a comparison and the concept is pretty much the same, but they are not executed in as clever and humorous of a way as these are.

Hey, I know HTML now, too.

The School of Communications and Theater offers study away opportunities in London, Dublin, Montreal and Los Angeles, which provide enriched academics as well as valuable work experience. Gain a new perspective on your academic studies, experience a different culture and develop skills to give you an edge in today’s competitive environment.

Take advantage of Montreal’s unique position as a hub of video game development in North America. Courses available specialize in the video game industry. Programs available in the summer.	Immerse yourself in a rich culture of musical and literary brilliance, and experience a modern metropolis on the cutting edge of film, design, music, and architecture. Programs available in the summer.
Experience a cultural melting pot and leader of modern styles and trends. Rich in cultural and intellectual life, London is a mecca for students of the mass media and theater departments. Internships are also available. Programs available in the spring, summer, and fall.	Los Angeles offers students an opportunity to study and work in the heart of the film industry. Internship opportunities span from film, television, advertising, public relations and entertainment management. Programs available in spring and summer.

To learn more about the programs, set up an appointment by contacting sctsa@temple.edu.
Or to apply, please visit the program website and contact SCT Study Away Director,
Erin Palmer at erinj@temple.edu.

Right now I'm in a class/student organizations called Diamond Edge Communications in which we act as a full service, student run advertising agency and do work for local clients around campus.  My particular account is the School of Communications and Theater's Study Away program and this is a email I wrote to send out to their Listserv.  Originally, the email the were sending out were about 4 sentences long and contains no HTML, links, images, or descriptions of individual programs.  So, after doing a little research on other successful study abroad programs in the nation, we saw how other school were successful in promoting and tried to mock and tweak theirs a bit to fit our program.  If you click any of the images, it will take to you directly to that part of Study Away's website.  I was very happy to learn how to do this because it gave me another skill to help me in my further professional copywriting endeavors.  Hope you like it.

You're really letting me down, Apple.

Anyone who knows me well knows I have somewhat of an Apple bias, but I really can't stand this commercial.  The concept itself is a good one because the App store is amazing and the things an iPhone can do are pretty remarkable.  However, the execution of the copy is horrible in my opinion.  It's almost reached the point that it is condescending and that asyou're seen as lesser for not sending a lot of money on Apple technology.  Though, my biggest issue with the commercial is the last line.  "Yup, if you don't have an iPhone... well... you don't have an iPhone."  Honestly?  That's the tagline that they're going to end you with?  Well let me be the first one to say it, I TOTALLY want to buy from you after you make me feel inferior for not already doing so.  I simply can't believe Apple actually paid someone for that line.

These are too good.

 I think the one in the hospital is my favorite.  I recently found this on StumbleUpon and, needless to say, I was throughly impressive.  They're just too funny.  And the concept is flawless.  It is a common perception that it is difficult to be approve for a loan by a mortgage broker unless you have excellent credit history, so to position themselves as an tolerant, understanding brand is a strategy that will really attract customers.  And to display this in a clever, funny way that is memorable to people in their advertising makes it even better.  Very, very well done.

Other than AXE and Abercrombie, there are few things worse than American Apparel ads.

C'mon, honestly? What are the creative director's reasoning when he pitched this? "Well, we all know sex sells so we just threw up a picture of a cute girl with her ass hanging out, a headline that simply says 'Hello,' and a list of store locations as the body copy."  And it almost makes me hate advertising to know that he and his team got paid millions to make this crap.  This is the same exact problem I have with Abercromie & Fitch, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, and so on: a clothing brand that is promoting themselves by displaying a lack of clothing and an overall sexual ostentation.  It's almost like they're selling how great it feels to take off your clothes after you buy them.  Other than senseless sex appeals, I don't really know what they're going for, but, like I've said before, I don't get it.  And I really really hate it.

This is a rough draft, but I'm liking the concept.

However, I do think it needs to be somehow improved a bit.  What I was going for was having the driver in the car ignore all signs of updated technologies because he's too interested in all the incredible new features of the car.  I am still working on it and the entire campaign, but your feedback would be much appreciated!

Mind blowing.

This may be the best use of a technology in a given medium that I have ever seen.  First of all, the technology itself is quite impressive.  Secondly, the concept that is built around the technology is even more remarkable.  The message resonates so well with anyone reading it that has ever encountered domestic violence, whether directly or indirectly, at any point of their life (almost all of us have).  I was simply blown away by this when I first saw it on StumbleUpon last night.  However, my only concern is people may not see the image on the left if it changes when the camera detects your eye.  My guess, though, is that there is a small 2-3 second delay once the camera does detect your eye.  If that's the case, is deserves more awards than those stupid Olde Spice ads.

Possibly the best beverage concept I've ever seen.

After all, nothing is worse in the morning than hearing bad news.  Especially bad news about the rest of the day.  So, to display the product as a sort of a morning stress reliever and refresher is a very strong concept in my opinion.  Also, I love sarcasm and the sarcastic undertones throughout make it pretty darn funny.  Though, with that said, although I think these commercials are great, I also think they can be improved a bit.  For one, the brand itself is a bit forgotten in the end.  People remember the commercial as "that orange juice commercial," not that "Florida orange juice commercial."  If it was for Tropicana, this may be a bit of a different story, but "Florida Orange Juice" isn't really remember as a brand product as much as it is a common beverage.  I realize there's not much getting around this, but it's just how I see it.  Maybe they should consider rebranding with a new name.

Are we endorsing stalkers here?

I'm sorry, I just don't really think its ethical to recommend a phone based on its ability to stalk the personal life of someone you're menacingly obsessed with.  Sure, we all might be guilty of our fair share of Facebook creeping, but should we be boasting about it?  Or, better yet, selling a product based on the ability to do so?  I see what they're going for, but I would kinda feel like a stalker after buying this.  I mean, the features are all cool and it comes at a great price, but this commercial almost displays the benefits of the product in a pretty negative light.  Unless, of course, stalking is in now.

I can write websites, too.

This is a big element of my final project in Interactive Media in Advertising.  We were asked to pick a local business in Philadelphia and remake their website in an effort to make them more interactive and customer-friendly.  So, here are two homepages for our client, Mugshots Coffeehouse, and the interactive element we established called, the "Mugshot of the Week."  This was the main selling point of our website proposal because it allowed customers a fun opportunity to feel one with the brand.  Basically, how it would work is a customer could upload a picture of their "mugshot" to the website, and then fellow customers would vote on which mugshot was the mugshot of the week.  The winner would win a free cup of coffee as well as their own mug with their mugshot printed on it.  And like everything else on the web today, links to Facebook and Twitter were added to allow these funny pictures to be shared through those websites.  Personally, I like the second mock up better than the first, but I'd like to know what you think also.

Wow, a beer ad that I actually like.

Product placement is, in my opinion, the most subtle, yet most alienating form of advertising that there is.  And a lot of other people are with me on that one.  So what better way to advertise for your product than to satirize this bad form of advertising in an effort to show how appealing your product is?  That is exactly what is going on here.  The more product placement they have, the more free Bud Light they get, so they start to base the movie around the product placement of the beer.  I wish I could say that this isn't ever the case in real life, but we've seen it in the case of Macgruber (Pepsi) and the new animated movie, Gnomeo and Juliet (Travelocity).  It's a terribly pathetic form of advertising when movies like these are made, but I'm glad someone has taken notice and parodied it in their own advertising.

I'm surprised that the Bengals DON'T want to trade him after this.

Please comment with as many oral sex jokes as you can come up with.  There's just so much to be said here that I don't even know where to begin.  Carson Palmer is not only an overpaid, overrated professional athlete, but also a complete sell out.  Sure, you're getting paid.  But you're really willing to circulate a picture of you putting a sausage, that is advertised to be longer than most, into your mouth?  It's amazing how some people are willing to sacrifice their reputation for a little bit more money.  Outside of the embarrassment of this endorsement, John Morrell as a company has the most stereotypically awful advertising.  To really see this in action, check out the Carson Palmer endorsed John Morrell commercial.  It's equally as horrible or an ad, and just as embarrassing as any bad celebrity endorsement out there. Go enjoy.

More Buick ads.

These are two more ads that I'm currently doing for my Buick project to rebrand them as a young, hip vehicle.  The first one is an animated Internet banner ad and the second one is a billboard.  And like I've said before, I know how to use Photoshop, but I'm no art director.  But I tried.  Again, I like the ideation and copy of these ads, but polished art direction can really make them a lot better.  So, please.  Get at me, artists/graphic designers.  I could use your help as well as your opinion.