Anyone know CPR?

Inching my way back from the light.

Barely (it’s so warm and tingly, here).
And there’s a much needed vacation, soon.

But no promises.

9 comments Email Article Monday, June 11th, 2007 at 08:59pm Mack Simpson

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Staying Alive

Believe it or not, both Adverb and I live.

The last few weeks have been filled with fourteen-hour days working on a new business pitch (we didn’t get it), pre-production for a massive Gatorade shoot I’ll be leaving for in early January, an add-on print shoot that de-evolved into a stop-drop-and-roll process, a full-on agency presentation, an agency holiday party (which I passed on), a fussy baby at home and about a million other things, the algebra of which left X minus infinity for blogging time.

Even today, when the agency closed at 2:00 PM, I’m waiting around for client feedback on a pressing job. There’s never a dull moment in the ad jungle.

Things are looking up, though.

In January, look for me to start posting a blow-by-blow of what it’s like to sweat through a two million dollar film production outside the country.

I promise not to gloat (too much).

In the meantime, I hope you all have a happy, safe and prosperous Holiday and New Year and I hope to catch you all visiting my little corner of the ad jungle after Dick Clark goes to bed.

8 comments Email Article Friday, December 22nd, 2006 at 03:32pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising

Pressure from the She Monkey

Been a little out of pocket lately; working on a new business pitch that’s been keeping me at the office at all hours of the day and night. In the meantime, the She Monkey commented on the video, below, so I guess I’ll have to follow suit at some point.

After you’ve watched the video, think about the bonuses: 1) no cost, 2) super romantic (so you’ll probably get lucky) and, 3) it increases the effects of the anniversary champagne.

Can’t go wrong with that.

2 comments Email Article Friday, December 8th, 2006 at 09:28pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Cool, Anniversary

Sweetness

If all CGC was like this, I’d shut the hell up, send Jaffe a hundred bucks and quit my job.

Presenting “Tony vs. Paul.” (Someone hire these guys.) Enjoy.

5 comments Email Article Sunday, December 3rd, 2006 at 12:00am Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: CGC, CGM, Tony vs Paul

Hijacking the Posse

Shepard Fairey, of Obey Giant fame, in three parts; hijacked, because I could.

Enjoy.

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Respond Email Article Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 at 09:25pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Obey Giant, Shepard Fairey, The Giant Has a Posse

Under the Mistletoe

Sit down, brace yourself, or do what it is you would otherwise do when you’re about to receive shocking news.

Ready? Good.

Psssst. The Holidays are upon us.

Awww. C’mon. Think that was a letdown? Well, let me make it up to you.

This Holiday Greetings video was emailed to me today and it’s too good to be left languishing under the tree in my in-box, so enjoy. It’s a 2005 effort from TBWA\Vancouver.

17 comments Email Article Wednesday, November 29th, 2006 at 08:53pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising, Holiday, TBWA, Vancouver, Video, Fantastic, Woof-Woof

A Nut-crushing Update

Normally if I had updated information on a blog post I’d just edit the entry and be done with it. This nut-crushing update is a special case, however, because so many people have been visiting the original entry. (I’m not quite sure how it happened, but the Doritos Japan Nut-crushing Package Design became the most popular post ever here on Adverb.) So I just couldn’t let this one go with a simple edit.

Most of the traffic is being generated from my new blogging friends over at Pantherhouse’s “The New Shelton Wet/Dry” blog and it is from their efforts I’m able to tell you what the package says, give you some context and show you more examples.

The New Shelton folks are good.

It appears my detecting a “slight, joyful smirk” on the crush-ee’s face was no hallucination (I have been known to hallucinate, just not about this). The Japanese characters on the far right of the package read, “denki anma,” or “revived by an electric nut-grind!” A phrase, it turns out, that comes from the crazy world of Japanese porn.

The chips themselves are black corn, chili-taco flavored and are part of a line called “Tights-kun Doritos,” or “Buddy-boy in tights Doritos.” Mr. Buddy-boy in Tights is a popular (adult) cartoon character in Japan and having a rotating stable of illustrations appearing on Doritos packages has caused people to begin to collect them. You can see a few of the packages in the image at the end of this entry.

That’s perhaps more than you ever wanted to know about “Revived By Mr. Buddy-boy in Tights’ Porn-derived Electric Nut Grind, Chili-Taco-flavored, Black Corn Doritos (from Japan)™,” but I’m sure you think it was worth it. (And thanks again to the nice folks over at “The New Shelton Wet/Dry Blog.”)

You guys make Fark’s outflow traffic look amateurish.

12 comments Email Article Tuesday, November 28th, 2006 at 10:39am Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising, Japan, Doritos, Frito-Lay

Doritos Japan Nut-crushing Package Design

Back in 2003, when Adverb first hit the blogosphere, I learned a quick lesson: when in need of adverblog content, always look to the East. It’s pure gold.

Take this for example: the image you see– and you can click on it for a larger, much less knocked-out view– is a Frito-Lay “Doritos” bag from Japan. How seeing a nut-crusher-of-death illustrated helps sell corn chips is beyond my marketing prowess, even if the nut-crush-ee doesn’t seem too put out by it.

In fact, I detect a slight, joyful smirk on his face. Now that’s advertising.

Found on the not-safe-for-work photography art blog, “Tokyo Undressed.”

How do you top a post called ‘Doritos Japan Nut-crushing Package Design’? With a Nut-crushing Update.

13 comments Email Article Saturday, November 25th, 2006 at 10:25am Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising, Japan, Doritos, Frito-Lay

Holiday Stuffing

We’re in the middle of editing a spot for one of my group’s clients, Chiquita Banana, that was shot in Miami when I was in the middle of my whole I’m-having-a-baby thing. Except for the overages caused by a weather day, and the problems with the production company, and the problem with the director and the… I’m sorry I missed the shoot.

Half sorry is more appropriate. There’s no way I would have/could have missed out on the screaming throes that come with new Daddy-hood and, even though I’ve never shot in Miami, this would have been my sixty-something’th film production and “been there, done that” has taken on a whole new meaning.

Still, you pay for it on the back end. Our agency closed for the Holidays at 2:00 P.M. yesterday, which, because of the editing, meant I was home by 7:00. Good times.

And that’s my Thanksgiving Holiday Stuffing.

Happy Thanksgiving, all– at least those of you who are here in the U.S.– and I hope everyone else has a safe weekend that sees you spending quality time with your families.

Respond Email Article Thursday, November 23rd, 2006 at 10:34am Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising, Thanksgiving, Chiquita

Wal-Mart Whoopsie

See Wal-Mart. See Wal-Mart come under fire for keeping downward pressure on employee wages… and health care… and paid leave… and even lunch breaks.

See Wal-Mart hire mega-P.R. firm Edelman to handle the problem.

See Edelman create “Jim & Laura,” two bloggers who were supposedly traveling across the country and parking their R.V. in Wal-Mart parking lots.

See Edelman being outed as having created, almost whole-cloth, “Jim & Laura” as part of Wal-Mart’s P.R. effort, under the guise of “Working Families for Wal-Mart“– a breach of WOMMA ethics.

See Edelman not register the “Working Families for Wal-Mart” domain name.

See Edelman say, “oh crap.”

3 comments Email Article Saturday, November 18th, 2006 at 04:41pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Wal-Mart, Edelman, Public Relations, Marketing, Jim and Laura, Working Families for Wal-Mart

Beware the Moustache of Understanding

I’ve made my opinions on Consumer Generated Content pretty clear. Specifically, I’ve made my opinions clear on unfiltered consumer generated content and on, well, off-brand consumer generated content. (And even on stupid positions taken to advance the consumer generated warwagon.) And I have to admit that, when I made those posts, I felt somewhat alone in the wilderness, surrounded by the glowing eyes and strange hooting of the Marketing 2.0 monkeys invading the ad jungle.

So it’s nice to see the conversation has begun to balance somewhat.

I’m speaking about the AdAge article, “About Consumer-Generated Ads: Have We Gone Mad? Why Our Agency Has Decided to Pass on This Fad,” by Marc Brownstein, an article that’s made even more interesting by the flood of comments it’s generated.

Now I have a feeling of community. I just don’t think it’s the community the Marketing 2.0 drum-bangers had in mind.

(Click on the image to see the cartoon in a readable size.)

3 comments Email Article Saturday, November 18th, 2006 at 12:39pm Mack Simpson

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Technorati Tags: Advertising, Marketing, Consumer Generated Content, CGC, CGM