Noise inside my head

I read on Brand Republic (well what I could, as I lack a subscription) that Antoine Bardou-Jacquet (of Honda Cog fame) is directing a spot for Ogilvy for the Ford Fiesta called "Pinball". I'm curious to see the spot - was wondering if anyone has seen it. It's possible it hasn't broken yet. While looking for the spot on line, I found an Ikea spot "Unlimited Possibilites" that he directed for the Karmarama agency. It's pretty funky. Think it's the 3rd one down on the page. I also found some odd/interesting spots for the Ford Fiesta UK.

Some random TV/media news...coming to a boob-tube near you. From media.guardian.com:

Survivor creator Mark Burnett is teaming up with DreamWorks and Sylvester Stallone to develop a reality show that goes in search of the next boxing superstar. Burnett hopes to launch a new boxing organization in conjunction with the show in January 2005.

From tvbarn.com:

Comedy Central has ordered eight episodes of a new animated series called Odd Todd, based in part on the life of Todd Rosenberg, a laid off dot.com-er and the creator of somewhat autobiographical cartoon shorts that can be seen on Rosenberg's website, oddtodd.com. The network has added two other series to its group of premieres this year. One is a UK sketch comedy show (think Monty Python) called Hollow Men. The second is a series spoofing traditional topical debate shows called Crossballs. Hosting this show is comedian Chris Tallman.

Interesting stuff. I think the Stallone show sounds funny. And the oddtodd show seems like it's the next step of online memes going to the small screen.

Ads in Spaaaaaaace."Although the vision of astronauts donning Hooters baseball caps while performing experiments on the space station or stepping off the shuttle to announce they’re now going to Disneyland may make some NASA officials a little queasy, the notion has its supporters." Is turning NASA into a cross-promotional, billboard, ad partner a good idea? Maybe it will help them get the funds they'll need to get to Mars. ;-)

Lawsuits brewing for Anheuser-Busch and Miller From the article:

Anheuser-Busch and Miller face claims that TV ads starring cartoon frogs that croak "Bud . . . weis . . . er," the introduction of malt-based drinks with sweetened citrus flavors, and other actions are proof of a concerted marketing effort aimed at people younger than 21.
"This is about pitching your product expressly or implicitly to underage people," said Robert Carey, an attorney with the Hagens Berman law firm, which filed the suit earlier this month in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The Seattle-based firm has built a reputation as one of the nation's top tobacco litigators.
Both Milwaukee-based Miller and St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch have said the suit is without merit. While both companies are reluctant to comment on the suit's specific claims, Miller spokesman Mike Hennick said the brewer's ad campaigns and sales practices are aimed at people who are 21 and older.
The suit against Miller and Anheuser-Busch was filed on behalf of Lynne and Reed Goodwin, a California couple whose 20-year-old daughter, Casey, was killed in a March 2003 traffic accident involving an 18-year-old man who was drunk on beer and high on methamphetamine. The suit seeks class action status in claiming the two brewers violated California law by marketing their products to underage people.
The suit asks a judge to halt the marketing practices. It also seeks damages equivalent to the money it says Miller and Anheuser-Busch received by selling alcohol to underage consumers. That could be $4 billion to $5 billion, attorney Steve Berman said during an appearance on the "Today" show the day after the suit was filed.

So because this guy was high and drunk...it's the beer companies fault? This seems like an awfully large stretch to me. And why those two brewers? Or rather why *only* those two brewers? Deep pockets would be my guess. Screwy.

From the NYTimes:

The campaign, by the longtime Nike agency Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, Ore., which also created the "Bo knows" ads, carries the theme "What if?" The commercials, in lengths of 15, 60 and 90 seconds, offer these unlikely crossovers by Nike endorsers: the tennis star Andre Agassi playing baseball for the Boston Red Sox; the cyclist Lance Armstrong boxing; the pitcher Randy Johnson as a professional bowler; the runner Marion Jones as a gymnast; the football players Brian Urlacher and Michael Vick as hockey teammates; and the tennis star Serena Williams playing beach volleyball.
"The basic premise for 'What if?' is what they all have in common other than hard training and dedication," said Nancy Monsarrat, United States advertising director.

If you're a superadgrunt over at Adland view the spot here. It's a very nice spot. Although, last night when I saw it on telly, I was slightly distracted, and if I hadn't read the article about it, I don't know that I would have caught that it was athletes playing sports than what they do. So it's not dead obvious, but like I said I was distracted, so maybe it's clearer if you're watching it and listening to the copy. ;)

Guinness launches a £6.5 million campaign with an the first ad called "Moth" set in the Brazilian jungle, introducing their new tagline/strapline "Out of darkness comes light".A second ad will follow in the autumn. See the ad. (probably will require age info to get there)

From USA Today: "While banner ads have become passé and pop-ups a nuisance, the use of so-called rich media ads is poised for rapid growth, industry experts say. Rich media combines animation, video and sound with interactive features." (thanks Clay.

Revolution Magazine tells of a new viral campaign for RunnersNeed.com: "Leap Day is traditionally the one day every four years where it is acceptable for a woman to propose to a man. In the viral campaign, called "Leg it" and created by Lowe for the website RunnersNeed.com, a woman goes through a series of unappealing ablutions as she prepares for her lover to come over for a romantic dinner. Once she is ready she is then shown descending a staircase in overly high shoes and an underly modest frock to prepare a dinner of gammon steak and pineapple. For desert is a cream bun with a wedding ring concealed in the cream. The spot ends with the woman opening the door to her unseen boyfriend while the words "February 29. Time to start running lads" appear on screen. The spot was created by Simon Brotherson and Steve Paskin and directed by Matt Follows through 2am Films. See the film here.