Just… Damme.

Okee, it’s hard to believe it’s not a fake. And that’s a hell of a lot of makeup. But god-Damme if Jean-Claude doesn’t still have it. And a nice slow clap in fingerless gloves for the brand guys at Volvo for trying something different than a “Dad-saves-his-kids-by-swerving-to-avoid-deer” safety spot. Fresh. Cool. Ouch.

Adtoberfest

In Munich, the city shuts down for the last two weeks of September so that the locals and visitors can down industrial-sized mugs of bier and sing traditional Bavarian songs like Sweet Caroline and Country Roads.

With this little city of a million swelling to fit another 5 million tourists, there’s no shortage of bloodshot eyeballs just waiting for crafty advertisers to catch. Generally it’s the “big six” breweries that do much of the heavy lifting.

After all, a funny ad on the U-Bahn might make the different whether you go into a Spaten or a Lowenbrau tent more than it will help you decide between a Siemens or Bosch ultrasound machine.

And with that, a gulp of the OOH advertising from the ’13 edition of bierfest. Prost!

Yo, Flo

There are certain products that, well, generally don’t get the primetime advertising spots due to the nature of what they’re pettling. They make us nervous, they make us giggle, they make us feel a little bit less like Greek gods and more like the dirty little creatures that we are.

But why can’t we take a good angle on even the most uncomfortable subject matter in order to get its very valid benefits across? With that in mind, say “Hello Flo.”

This little startup won’t even launch until September, but they are already making waves by pre-empting the delivery of a much-appreciated product to a very niche crowd. As they put it: “Tampons, pads, and candy delivered right to your door. Simplified, Period.” See what they did there? Sure you do.

And that’s the point *wink, wink*.  They’ve turned this taboo topic on its head and made it commonplace… and even a bit funny. They’re getting rave reviews from their first spot, *wink wink* which went viral online in a matter of days. You know, the internet, that place where most likely their target audience is whiling away four or five uncomfortable days.

Marketing walkabout

Advertisers love to pitch “guerilla” tactics to their clients. After all, when done right, these tactics can draw major attention, cost little (plus more profit goes into the creative agency’s rather than the media agency’s pocket) and look reeeeeeeeally dope in a creative’s portfolio. Believe me.

The problem is that generally these tactics are pipe dreams. Any commercial activity that takes place in a public area tends to fall at the mercy at any dozen municipal codes, requirements, approvals and reviews. It’s basically impossible to realize easily.

So when I stumbled upon some greenman-like clad gentlemen with OOH posters stabled to their back, a thought occured: hey, that might work. Not only do they attract attention, but they are in and out of any space before any bureaucrat can raise a stink.

I just wonder: what happens when they have to take a leak?

Taste the Manhood

Say what you will about the idea of a “diet soda targeted at men,” but at least Dr. Pepper 10 got one thing right: hilarious man-tastic commercials.

These spots of a burly mountain dude harken back to the good golden days of beer commercials, when a man could still pull a frothy brew out of a flowing stream. I’d still take the Busch Light over a 10-calorie soda, but at least the nostalgia is delicious. And hilarious.

My only regret is that the casting director couldn’t nail down the obvious talent for this spot: Mr. Will Ferrell.

Tasteful Spots, Tasty Shots

Maybe it’s due to the week I spent drinking my way through Ireland, but it seems like Jameson is one of the few liquor brands successfully finding a way to reinforce a stale brand image.

It’s par for the course for more established brands to lean on their ‘history’ when battling new competitive upstarts, but only Jameson does it with such a high level of wit, humor and blockbuster-caliber cinematography.

Plus, every schoolboy needs an idol. Go get ’em John Jameson.

The One That Got Away

Like a game of “duck-duck-goose”, Axe takes a left out of Usualville with this haunting, clever — and in a way, sweet — spot. Instead of scantily clad babes clawing at dorky, unwashed dweebs, this ad actually takes a bit more human approach (Okee, superheroes and fireworks notwithstanding) to address the USP of their product.

Actual showering not required.

More Positively Awesome PSAs

I’ll go on record: I love PSAs.

Especially the clever, the outstanding, the shocking, the unique. Because if there’s one example of how even the most boring messages (and public service announcements are most certainly that) can be turned into something special, than this is it.

Perhaps the best I’ve found yet is the catchy jingle, dark humor and adorable animations that are used to convince dumb Aussies not to die on Metro trains. Sounds like a real winner, right? Just press play.

Advertise Fire with Fire

Was just talking about this oldie-but-goody. Kaboom!

Fonts for the Masses

The revolution will not be televised.

But it might very well be printed in hella cool fonts. At least, that is, if the minds behind Lost Type Co-Op have anything to do with it.

Lost Type is the first of its kind: an online library of original font types contributed by its users, where shoppers can download their selection and then choose how much they’d like to donate directly to the designer.

No more price tags, no more bazaar-style haggling; just pick your font, pay what you think it’s worth and be on your merry, typesetting way.

It also helps that these are some of the dang-nam slickest types available today. See them all here.