PETA smacks a bitch up for veganism!

First, here's the TV ad that everyone's getting beat up about.




The commercial is another floor-buster in poor taste for militant ethical rights group, PETA (or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

I didn't catch this on TV and I'm not sure what media buy PETA has for this, but it may go viral for all the wrong reasons. When I clicked on a link to PETA's YouTube channel and watched this PSA parody for the first time, the PETA name immediately raised my BS meter - and with good reason.

The voice over is narrated by former SNL comedian, Kevin Nealon, and reads:

"This is Jessica.
She suffers from B.W.V.A.K.T-BOOM...  

'Boyfriend Went Vegan And Knocked The Bottom Out Of Me.'

A painful condition that occurs when boyfriends go vegan and can suddenly bring it like a tantric porn star.

For Jessica, it's too late.

(Boyfriend) 'Oh you're back... you feeling better?'

Please go to bwvaktboom.com and learn to go vegan... safely."

In this ad, titled "Boyfriend Went Vegan", the scantily clad girlfriend in a jacket, Jessica, is all battered and bruised complete with a fake neck brace. The premise is that she is in this state from repeated roughhousing and non-stop sex as a result of suffering from a fictitious condition - "B.W.V.A.K.T.-BOOM" or Boyfriend Went Vegan And Knocked The Bottom Out Of Me.

But I really think it's PETA that have "knocked the bottom" out of taste and decency for their cause. In a lame attempt at controversy and humor, the boyfriend is the cause of all this mayhem. "Jessica" gives off a faint smile at the end, as if to say it's all worth it.

And viewers are then urged to visit the website URL to find out more information on going vegan. And here there's such pearls of wisdom to protect a woman from this syndrome, including tips such as: 

* Wearing a helmet (“strap it down, hop in bed and hold on tight”).
* Wearing goggles to “protect your corneas from his turbocharged loads”.
* Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles so you can handle his ‘superpower’.


At the end of my initial viewing, I have to say I was a little puzzled. I had never heard that going vegan turns you into a horny sex fiend (or violent misogynist) who can then manipulate your partners (or victims) into going out to grab some more fruit and veggies and then coming back for more.

And so the whole set-up becomes a stretch... a WALLOPING stretch - which isn't unusual for PETA, who continually manage to drop the bar of ethical standards for the sake of headlines. PETA have already come out to defend the ad stating that its "tongue-in-cheek", "humorous" (by whose standards?) and because the girl gives a "mischievous" smile at the end, she must like it. And so this must mean that its OK (especially if its in this fictitious far-fetched hypothetical scenario).

I believe I've heard rapists use a similar line of defence.

The ad agency responsible for this battered piece of waffle, Matter (who don't appear to have any online presence), most likely managed to convince PETA's marketing department that the controversy and headlines this will generate will outweigh the criticism. The convoluted sell will do little to persuade people to try veganism. Some will say that its generated a lot of word-of-mouth and "buzz". Sure. Maybe a few gullible people might take on the belief that not eating chicken and eggs gives your hormones a boost. Are there any scientific studies backing this up?

This is where the whole thing becomes offensive. PETA would rather have guys munching celery sticks and granola than steaks or cheese so that they can then slap girls around in the bedroom. To them, that is a forgivable trade-off.

This has nothing to do with veganism or vegetarianism but everything to do with PETA's shitty name as an "altruistic" organization which I feel has shamelessly peddled violence against women in a humorless vignette. The fact that PETA's President is a woman makes the irony all the more hard-hitting.

The impression many people get is that PETA will defend the rights of animals at the expense of the rights of women.

The impression I get (and have for quite some time now) is that PETA is a PITA.

Greenpeace: Attack of the VW Ad Clones

During this year's Superbowl Weekend, Deutsch launched "The Force," a successful TV spot for the 2012 VolksWagon Passat.



It ranked highly on the Superbowl Ad Meters. The video above was a huge viral success with over 40 million views to date. It also won a Gold Film Lion at Cannes.

It found success through the use of nostalgia (the iconic Star Wars Imperial March Theme by John Williams) combined with a storyline involving a cute little Darth Vader who's having a hard time mastering "The Force" - until his father helps him out with the VW Passat beeper.


THE GREENPEACE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Fast forward to this week, where Greenpeace - unable to conjure up any original message of its own, decided to target VW.

Here is the viral video launched at the start of the week.



A second segment was released on the same day.

These videos were released in several different language versions.



OK. So the little Chewbacca, Leia and Lando are also cute. The VW logo is displayed on the recreation of the "Death Star". The clips use real imagery and footage from the Star Wars films.

A few questions... If they went to all this trouble to make these clips, why is the Death Star ray still green?

And why did Greenpeace single out VW in this "Dark Side" campaign?

Looking at the statement on Greenpeace's website, it is clear this was aimed at a European audience - and yet they chose to parody an American viral / TV spot. The message they are attempting to convey is that "VW is opposing key European laws that we need if we are going to save our planet from climate change".

Greenpeace "Dark Side" Guerrilla Banner
for the half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerf herders.

Greenpeace have also taken to guerrilla tactics by throwing banners over existing billboards advertising other unrelated brands such as Budweiser and Schweppes in London. The VW logo is positioned over Darth Vader's mouth.


MAY THE LAWS BE WITH YOU

Unlike Deutsch and VW, Greenpeace failed to get the rights to Star Wars copyrighted material from Lucasfilm.

As a result, the two "Dark Side" vids were pulled from their site and YouTube (the ones I have embedded above are reposts from other YouTube users and may not last). There are also copies posted on Vimeo but these will most likely be pulled again due to copyright infringement.

The use of the VW logo may also be a breach of copyright laws.

It appears that Greenpeace never completed their training in legal issues. Their viral videos didn't even last a full week - granted there are "shadow" copies still floating around. The billboard banners have most likely already been removed.

If this planet is really headed towards the dire straits "sky-falling-in" catastrophe that they've successfully labelled as Climate Change, why are they resorting to cheap, underhanded tactics to get their message across?

Did it work?

Will VW be persuaded to change their perceived anti-environmental policies?


IMHO this is a poor effort by Greenpeace. Unoriginal and unimaginative. Did they employ an ad agency or did they come up with this all by themselves?

Their campaigns are becoming more and more militant around the globe.

To Greenpeace, I offer these words of wisdom, as delivered by Yoda in "The Empire Strikes Back" -

"Wars not make one great."

On Yer Bike! Pt.III: Bike Hero

Another blog entry relating to bicycles in a series which strangely hovers on this topic.

Here is a viral video (yet another as seems to be the most cost-effective way to get a message out) titled "Bike Hero", that hit the YouTube network late in 2008.

On first glance, the clip appears to be a well-crafted homemade live recreation video that melds the features of the "Guitar Hero" console game with the real live action of riding a road bike around neighborhood streets at night.

The song in the clip features the song "Prisoner of Society" (as featured in the game) Australian trio punk rockers, The Living End.

At the time it went up, the video was said to be uploaded by a guy named "Kevin" in Fort Wayne, Indiana. But it didn't take long for fans of the clip and gamers to sense something dead in the tracks.

The viral video is actually a promotion by Activision - the gaming company behind the Guitar Hero game. They employed ad agency Droga5 to create some buzz for their then upcoming "Guitar Hero: World Tour" edition.

Drago5 didn't intentionally set out to deceive and I don't think many felt like they'd been taken for a ride. It turns out the lights on the bike are done using CGI effects and there are certain moments in the clip where the video is spliced together - its not a single, long, continuous take.

I think its a pretty fun viral vid to watch and successfully crosses over biking in the real world with the virtual gaming atmosphere of Guitar Hero quite well. Both of these activities have a strong resonance with the game's target audience.

When Advertising Originality Goes Blind

Another interesting viral video recently flashed across my screen.

Take a look below at "The Power of Words."

This is a tightly edited piece, both filmed by and advertising for the services of Purple Feather Online Content Specialists.

The U.K. based company has promoted a touching video which tells a story that draws you in. The "power of words" is illustrated through the effective re-write of a blind man's "plea for help" sign. This plays directly to Purple Feather's perceived strengths in copywriting and content generation.

The clip is further enhanced by a slow piano musical accompaniment that effortlessly tugs the heart strings.

But after digging up a little research, my initial vision on this has become somewhat clouded. In fact, Purple Feather may have ruffled somebody else's feathers in creating this online piece.

Below is the Short Story Winner of the 2008 Cannes Festival.

Look familiar?

Running at almost six minutes, the film titled "Historia de un Letrero", 2007 (The Story of a Sign), bares an almost identical resemblance to Purple Feather's viral video.

This version was created several years earlier by Wama Films and produced by Alonzo Alvarez Barreda - without a budget, in Tampico, Mexico. Along with the Cannes award, the film has won a swag of other awards as well.

After seeing this, I have several criticisms to make about Purple Feather's effort.

• Clearly there has been a lack of any creative thinking (which is evident if you do a little research) and the story is virtually directly copied.
• There is no evidence anywhere in the viral video recognizing the original. This is poor form and bad ethics.
• After seeing the original, the rewritten sign in the story makes a lot more sense. The sights and sounds of a beautiful day in picturesque Tampico are a much more compelling motivation than the more-often-than-not drab, gloomy grey days which plague the U.K.
• On visiting the company's website, it becomes strikingly clear they are a company full of writers. I just think they would be able to make their site more visually appealing by employing the use of a single art director / web designer. This is poor production value and fails to integrate the message of their viral campaign.

They say "good advertisers borrow, great advertisers steal." But when they're trying to sell their creative abilities, Purple Feather really should have made an effort to at least alter the story with some sort of twist. I feel like I've been sold a cheap imitation of a service. 

It leaves Purple Feather looking like a blind bum on the street - begging others for any imagination and originality.

"Mr. W" finds new breezy purpose for EPURON

The viral video clip, featuring "Mr. W", won many awards and offered new perspectives.

Watch and see why and how below.

The two minute video, which was also used as a TV commercial on business and news cable channels, is for German renewable energy company, EPURON.

This clip, titled "Power of Wind", dates back to 2007 but it only happened to chance across my radar this week. And I have to say it blew me away.

The concept and delivery is quite powerful. It doesn't take long to figure out that the Marceau-like figure, Mr. W, is the personification of wind. In this highly intelligent and sophisticated portrayal, Mr. W is cast as a forlorn, lonely and isolated figure with no recognition or true purpose. He is only someone who gets in the way and makes a nuisance of himself. Finding a way he can work to be productive is the final twist at the end.

"Mr. W"

During my initial viewing, I gathered he was the wind fairly early on. I just assumed this was some arthouse film noir style short film somebody had linked. The piano accompaniment in the background really gives the video a European style feel. The linking to wind power generation at the end quite was striking.

CREDITS

Epuron combined forces with the German Federal Ministry of Environment to create this. The Power of Wind ad was developed at Nordpol+ Hamburg, Hamburg, by creative director Lars Ruehmann, copywriter Matthew Branning, art directors Bjoern Ruehmann and Joakin Reveman.

Filming was shot by The Vikings and are also represented by Big Fish, Berlin, and Rokkit, London.

Power of Wind won a gold at Cannes in 2007, three gold at the 2007 London International Advertising Awards, a gold at Epica 2007, Grand Prix and Gold at Eurobest, two golds at the International ANDY Awards, gold and silver at the 2008 Clio Awards, and gold at the 2008 Golden Award of Montreux among others.

Will & Kate in the Royal "House Of Love"

EXCLUSIVE:

Dress Rehearsal for the Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William at the end of the month.

Watch below.




OK. So it's not the real Royal Wedding.

All In The Royal Family.

It's actually a viral video called "Wedding Dance" that was just launched this week by T-Mobile UK as part of their "Life's For Sharing" campaign. You may have gathered this if you watched the video clip all the way to the end.

Ad Agency Saatchi & Saatchi used royal phoneys to help advertise T-Mobile's phones.

They are cashing in on the hype and lead-up to Will & Kate's real wedding at the end of the month. The original viral video from 2009, "JK Wedding Entrance Dance" became an international phenomenon amassing over 64 million views to date. It was parodied quite successfully in Season 6 of The Office.

"With this T-Mobile Ring, I thee wed."

The song used in the vid is East 17's 1993 dance hit "House of Love."

"Chuck" and "Camilla" bump 'n grind down the red carpet.

Most of the look-a-like actors do have a striking resemblance to the people they portray. The "Archbishop of Canterbury" and "Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall" are almost dead ringers. This particular version of "Prince Charles" had a little too much chin, too much hair and not enough ear on show. The mismatched and amateur choreographed dancing works with the awkwardness of the characters themselves. Unusually, "Prince Harry" seemed somewhat restrained, but "Will" & "Kate" sell their parts well.


Below is a "Making Of" video showing behind-the-scenes footage. The London church used in the filming, St Bartholomew's Church, was also used in the movie "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

Now, alot of the common folk of Greater Britannia may cringe and cower at the attention this might receive. Perhaps many find that anything to do with the Royals is cringeworthy. The real upcoming royal wedding will give the Queen's British subjects a chance to celebrate their serfdom in true style. How often do you get to throw a wedding laden with pomp & circumstance that you would normally never be able to afford?

T-Mobile's spoof wedding could prove to be a lot more entertaining, shorter, sharper, and with a lot more punch than the long drawn out actual wedding / possible yawnfest. One thing it will definitely be is a darn sight cheaper than the real one at the end of the month - which in a time of "British austerity" could be a good thing.

Rend(er) It Like Beckham

A YouTube Video popped up on my radar in the last few days.

First, take a look for yourself.

Here, we see international football star and former England captain, David Beckham, having several highly skillful pot shots with some soccer balls on a beach in Los Angeles. Beckham spends time in LA as he is signed to the LA Galaxy team in Major League Soccer.

So what exactly is this 69 second viral video all about? I had to watch it a few times before I figured out where the product placement was.

It's not the soccer balls. There's a few different brands there.

It isn't the clothing he's wearing...

Or the beach he's at...

Straw deal?

It's the can of Diet Pepsi in his hand - which he sips at before and after taking those "amazing" kicks.

A few points arising from this:

• Who drinks a can of Diet Pepsi with a straw?
  
• Who comes to the beach with three soccer balls?
  
• Is Beckham really that good?

I can't answer the first two questions definitively. But as to the third, it is quite obvious that some visual effects or CGI is being deployed here. If Beckham really was that talented, even at his career peak, he would have booted England to successive World Cup victories off his own (bare)foot!

But neither he (nor England) are that good.

Beckham sweats over the "Latina Heat"

Apparently, Beckham was on the LA beach filming a TV ad spot for Diet Pepsi's new skinny cans with Modern Family star, Sofia Vergara. Diet Pepsi, under the stewardship of ad agency TBWA\Chiat\Day, decided to shoot this viral video component and add it to their campaign.

It's yet to be seen whether this viral video attempt will generate any buzz (and I realize I'm raising its profile by talking about it here), or if this film will die in the can.

Flying Air NZ? You've been RICHROLL'D!!

Oh Yes... or is that Oh No!!  It's finally happened.

Air New Zealand has just launched their new safety instruction video, "Fit to Fly," for all their domestic and international flights - starring the fanatical fitness freak himself, Richard Simmons.

Gone are the boring demonstration videos of the past - with faux-smiling flight attendants wearing caked on make-up going through the motions. The new style is neon lycra, disco balls. dance floors, crotch close-ups, puns, sight gags and a camp workout all rolled into an entertaining three and a half minutes.

Glitz. Glamor. Schmaltz. Short shorts. This video has it all. And it has gone viral. In just one week, the official clip on Youtube has accumulated over 1.7 million hits. The air safety clip is presently the number one most viewed video on YouTube in Australia and New Zealand, number two in the US and a staggering number four worldwide. 


That's great value and exposure for a relatively cheap video production.

This is a strong piece of branding by Air NZ. Rival Qantas may have John Travolta as a celebrity captain but Simmons keeps Air NZ's global profile "fighting fit." What better way to reinforce your airline brand as being "youthful", energetic and full of fun than to capture your passengers' attention when you have them buckled in to your plane seats. It also has that special Kiwi brand of humor.

Keep an eye out for a special cameo by Phil Keoghan from "The Amazing Race." 

As someone who crosses the Pacific Ocean regularly, I recall an earlier instructional video on an Air NZ flight which starred New Zealand's All-Star All Blacks Rugby team. The clip received chuckles of laughter as it was displayed, making it both informative and entertaining.

Assuming the "Brace Position" has never been so much fun with Simmons on board.

The spot was produced by .99, Air New Zealand’s chief creative agency, and directed by Miki Magasiva from Curious in Auckland. A stellar effort!