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Diddy, Snoop Dogg Pop Up in Even More Ads You Never Thought They'd Do

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 17:20

It's flashback week for fans of 1990s hip-hop, with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and Snoop Dogg making advertising cameos that would have seemed inconceivable 15 years ago. Combs, known these days as Diddy, headlines a new 60-second spot from Fiat and ad agency Doner. In the ad, we see two men wandering the desert in a delirious haze, unsure if they're really being saved by a celebrity or just imagining a mirage. Meanwhile, Snoop, who has gone by Snoop Lion lately, has popped up in, of all places, a British auto insurance ad.

Organic Food Makers Hilariously Take Down Bogus 'All Natural' Labels on Packaging

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 16:47

Hey, professional truth-benders. Here's a sweet mockumentary-style PSA about professional truth-bending. Extra bonus if you also happen to be a tree hugger. In addition to fairly broad swipes at snake oil salesmen (you must have known the advertising industry was a popular punching bag when you got into it), the spot—funded by organic businesses—is aimed at illustrating how the use of the word "natural" on food labels is pretty much meaningless.

Ad of the Day: Love Is in the Details in the Year's Most Romantic Commercial

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 15:50

What's more difficult than making a commercial that's funny or sad? Making one that's earnestly romantic. As we're reminded each year in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, marketers are practically incapable of conveying love without falling into a handful of stereotyped scenarios and coating them in a thick lacquer of cloying cheese. For a refreshing alternative, check out this two-minute spot by BBDO Germany for European hair-coloring product Schwarzkopf Nectra Color.

Caribou Coffee Builds Five-Story-Tall Pinterest Board at the Mall of America

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 14:59

Caribou Coffee, whose previous out-of-home ad stunts have included heated bus shelters in Minneapolis, is back with another special campaign—a giant, five-story-tall Pinterest board built (with help from ad agency Colle+McVoy) at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. Caribou used pinned images from fans as inspiration for its new Real Inspiration Blend blend of coffee. That sounds like a stretch, but the giant Pinterest board is pretty impressive.

No Means No, but What Means Yes? Ads Say Sexual Consent Must Be 'Loud and Clear'

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 14:30

When it comes to sex, a reluctant "yes," "OK" or "sure" doesn't qualify as a green light, according to a Canadian campaign encouraging "enthusiastic consent." "Real consent is mutual and sure. It is not muted, frail, hesitant, or afraid.

Q&A: How Cards Against Humanity Won the Holidays With a Whole Load of B.S.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 14:04

Cards Against Humanity's promotions are as bitingly sarcastic as the game itself—whether they're charging more for the game on Black Friday, experimenting with a "Pay what you want" model (which outright insulted anyone who chose to pay less than cost) or teaming with Netflix just this week for an already sold out House of Cards pack. But the card game's recent "12 Days of Holiday Bullshit" promotion w

Here Are the 2014 Products of the Year

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/12/2014 - 14:00

Quick—what do the Xbox, Eggland's Best eggs and Adams flea and tick spray have in common? For the record (and before your mind wanders too far) they’re a few of the 23 winners of the annual Product of the Year honors. Yes, we know, a nice bonfire could be had with all of the awards and trophies out there. But getting named one of the POY is actually a very big deal for a brand—not only for the boasting rights, but for the marketing. The winners will appear on the cover of Parade magazine, and the halo effect of a POY translates to an average sales bump of 10-15 percent.