One cup of coffee down

+ A beauty company is finally listening to it's customers- women. Tired of being bombarded by stick-skinny models, women have spoken out in a survey in which "Dove found 83% of women were concerned that models in beauty adverts did not actually use the products they were promoting. Over half wanted more curvy women in adverts and 56% said they felt better about themselves when they saw adverts featuring women with figures similar to their own."
This new ad campaign, which breaks today in London, features billboards showing a curvaceous woman in white underwear and the line: "New Dove Firming. As tested on real curves."
From ananova.com:

Dove's new ad campaign for Dove Firming moisturiser was "designed to celebrate real women and boost their body confidence."
Women of different shapes and sizes are pictured in their underwear for the Dove Firming advertising - and the company says the images have not been retouched in any way.
Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopolous, an expert in women's body attitudes, said: "Women are constantly bombarded with images of often unrealistic and unattainable perfection. When the girl in the mirror doesn't look like the girl in the magazine or on the TV, it's not surprising that women's self esteem can be affected.
"It's great that companies like Dove are starting to listen to real women's concerns and talking to them about feeling good rather than performing miracles or selling the beauty myth."

It's about time for a campaign like this, and on this large of a scale, after decades of women being shown unrealistic airbrushed images of women. It's great that a company, especially a beauty company, is finally listening.

+ An advertising platform in the shape of a giant telly set is being built on one of Guam's busiest street corners. May 1st, the giant tv will start airing high-resolution, full-motion video advertisements. The set is 9 feet tall and 12 feet wide.

+ A not so short, but not too long article about The Martin Agency. Interesting to see how they've weathered, or attempted to weather, through stormy times.

+ From Adage.com:
The Asia-Pacific Advertising Festival ended a 3-day event last week with a total of 160 awards given out in the film, print, outdoor/poster, best of show and special recognition categories.
"AP AdFest's biggest winner this year was Omnicom Group's TBWA Worldwide with 13 awards, ranging from network of the year to best of show for both print and outdoor. Havas' Euro RSCG flagship in Bangkok won the best of show for film for its work for Soken Electronics of Bangkok, a marketer of DVD players.
The Asian city that was home to the most awarded agencies this year was Singapore, particularly in the print and outdoor categories -- a total of 53 awards. Thirteen awards went to agencies in Tokyo. The best of show print winner, for example, drew inspiration from global news coverage of the war in Iraq to market collectable action figures for Singapore's Sphere Action Figures. The campaign was titled "As Real As It Gets." "

View the winners for Best of Film, Best Direction and Best of Editing here.

+ Sky+ uses celebs in their new campaign. From Brand Republic:

HHCL/Red Cell has extended its 'odd couple' advertising campaign for the Sky+ personal video recorder with a new pairing that has brought together 'EastEnders'' Mike Reid and 'Baywatch' legend David Hasselhoff.
In the new ad Hasselhoff and Reid live together in a chintz-laden suburban home. The ad opens with Hasselhoff reaching the end of the book he is reading, 'Animal Husbandry for the Small Holder'. He tends his baby yukka plant and turns to Reid, who is blowing up a pink gym ball, and asks him "Can you milk a pig?".
Reid then suggests that they see what's new on Sky+ and Hasselhoff is surprised because he does not think they watch enough television to warrant having Sky. Reid replies "Talk to the hand" and explains that the service allows them to cherry-pick their favourite programmes and watch them whenever they want.
This works for Hasselhoff: "So I can watch late night telly in the morning with my cornflakes!", which brings the rejoinder "Cornflakes and pig's milk" from Reid.

And then there's this from the mad.co.uk weekender: "The TV push marks the latest in a series of celebrity "odd couple" slots to promote Sky+, which have seen Alice Cooper living with Ronnie Corbett, Bruce Forsyth shacking up with Kelly Brook and Noddy Holder sharing a pad with Simon Callow. Yet this latest unlikely pair is undoubtedly the funniest of all."
I'm curious to see these spots but have yet to find them online.

+ Every week day in April Corbis will be giving away an Apple G5! More info on this here. Very cool! (Hat tip to Tracy.)

+ The art of the fruit crate label. Very cool shizzle. (via memepool & Clay.)

+ If you like fonts, check out this swell site full of typographic illustration set to music. (Detective credit to Dab.)

+ Flash back to childhood with Simon.

+ The Exorcist in 30 seconds, as reenacted by Bunnies. (HT to Clay.)

+ Adidas slug viral flick. (Via Dab.)

+ If you like colors, this site could be for you. Colors are sorted in groups to help in great design. (Hat tip Dab.)