As I ramp up the restructuring of my blog, let's keep it entertaining. Here are some of the most interesting videos I came across this week:
Catching a Kangaroo
I don't know what this is, besides a very odd 30 seconds.
Cookie Monster: Share it Maybe
Between this and Mr. Rodgers, PBS has it going on. Sounds like a blog post on viral media and public television coming up.
Beagle Flips Out Over Lemon
Exactly what it sounds like :)
Pee Wee Herman Voices the Dark Night Trailer
From Jimmy Fallon
Have a great weekend!
Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts
Friday, July 13, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Badvertising: Dr. Pepper
I like Dr. Pepper; I have since I was a kid. And Diet Dr. Pepper? Really, it tastes darn close to its regular, HFCS-laden brother. But in the last couple weeks I've seen both of the following advertisements for Dr. Pepper and thought #FAIL. Let's take a look.
Always One of a Kind
Here we begin our journey with the greyed corporate masses, the herd, and the single break-away man stripping down (revealing his true self) to the iconic maroon Dr. Pepper shirt. He's a pepper!
But then everyone gets in on it. Suddenly, people are popping up in pepper tees like Sneeches pumping through the belly star-stamper machine. NO!
Yes. By the end of the commercial, the message that flowed through the first fifteen seconds of the spot or so has completely lost its weight; everyone is wearing the shirt. Everyone is One of a Kind. Except for fat people; I suppose no overweight people were harmed in the making of this commercial - but they also cannot be peppers :(
You too can be unique...just like everyone else.
Dr. Pepper TEN: It's Not for Women
(Action Movie)
(Man Shed)
Somehow, the marketing folks here managed to insult both women and men. And miss the point.
The desire, clearly, is to take something you would not normally associate with diet soda - men and "manliness" - and suffocate it with testosterone tropes until it taps out in the target consumer's head as "must be manly." The problem is they're attempting to rent a room in the house that beer - and sometimes whiskey - owns, and has ...forever.
It doesn't work, even on an underlying psychological level. I would argue that the absurd juxtaposition of forcing diet soda into these masculinized shop/action movie/bar/potato gun situations is actually working in reverse. "Diet soda at the bar? Why not just carry a purse. Wait, where are those guys' purses?" And suddenly the men are feminized and the message by the end is that Dr. Pepper TEN will make you more lady-like.
Misogyny
Sidenote here: you can do all those man things without the endcap comments. Okay, "Keep your romantic comedies" is quaint because haha women like romcoms. But "Keep your gardening"? That rides a little too close to the edge of domestic stereotypes for good taste. "Yeah, keep your gardening, as soon as you make me that sammich! You have that baby yet? Shutup! I'm in my shed!"
Yes you are, manly-man. Drinking Diet Dr. Pepper out of your purse.
Always One of a Kind
Here we begin our journey with the greyed corporate masses, the herd, and the single break-away man stripping down (revealing his true self) to the iconic maroon Dr. Pepper shirt. He's a pepper!
But then everyone gets in on it. Suddenly, people are popping up in pepper tees like Sneeches pumping through the belly star-stamper machine. NO!
Yes. By the end of the commercial, the message that flowed through the first fifteen seconds of the spot or so has completely lost its weight; everyone is wearing the shirt. Everyone is One of a Kind. Except for fat people; I suppose no overweight people were harmed in the making of this commercial - but they also cannot be peppers :(
You too can be unique...just like everyone else.
Dr. Pepper TEN: It's Not for Women
(Action Movie)
(Man Shed)
Somehow, the marketing folks here managed to insult both women and men. And miss the point.
The desire, clearly, is to take something you would not normally associate with diet soda - men and "manliness" - and suffocate it with testosterone tropes until it taps out in the target consumer's head as "must be manly." The problem is they're attempting to rent a room in the house that beer - and sometimes whiskey - owns, and has ...forever.
It doesn't work, even on an underlying psychological level. I would argue that the absurd juxtaposition of forcing diet soda into these masculinized shop/action movie/bar/potato gun situations is actually working in reverse. "Diet soda at the bar? Why not just carry a purse. Wait, where are those guys' purses?" And suddenly the men are feminized and the message by the end is that Dr. Pepper TEN will make you more lady-like.
Misogyny
Sidenote here: you can do all those man things without the endcap comments. Okay, "Keep your romantic comedies" is quaint because haha women like romcoms. But "Keep your gardening"? That rides a little too close to the edge of domestic stereotypes for good taste. "Yeah, keep your gardening, as soon as you make me that sammich! You have that baby yet? Shutup! I'm in my shed!"
Yes you are, manly-man. Drinking Diet Dr. Pepper out of your purse.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
United Healthcare: Prostitute Message?
Recent commercial from United Healthcare:
This is a great example of an unfortunate (or purposeful) advertising experience. The ad is fine, the message works, but then there's the music behind it; it's Lykke Li's "Get some" and the music at the end applies to the lyrics:
What?
In its own right, it's a catchy song and Lykke Li a talented artist I've been listening to for a while. But does United Healthcare really want to posture itself with the refrain of a song that includes the word "prostitute?"
Your thoughts and comments are welcome.
This is a great example of an unfortunate (or purposeful) advertising experience. The ad is fine, the message works, but then there's the music behind it; it's Lykke Li's "Get some" and the music at the end applies to the lyrics:
Like the shotgun need an outcome
I'm your prostitute, you gon get some
What?
In its own right, it's a catchy song and Lykke Li a talented artist I've been listening to for a while. But does United Healthcare really want to posture itself with the refrain of a song that includes the word "prostitute?"
Your thoughts and comments are welcome.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Chocolate Sex?
Perhaps you've seen this Hershey's commercial:
Yay! Cute song! Chocolate love! Get me a Hershey's bar right now!
But some (most) of us were around when Modern English released "I Melt With You" and some might even remember the intro lyrics:
Wait, what?
So Hershey's has clearly positioned themselves into a sexual reference.
My question to you: on purpose or by accident? Does the child-like cover of the song make it worse?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Yay! Cute song! Chocolate love! Get me a Hershey's bar right now!
But some (most) of us were around when Modern English released "I Melt With You" and some might even remember the intro lyrics:
Moving forward using all my breath
Making love to you was never second best
Wait, what?
So Hershey's has clearly positioned themselves into a sexual reference.
My question to you: on purpose or by accident? Does the child-like cover of the song make it worse?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Video Friday: Catchphrases that Stick
Because of io9.com's list of 10 catchphrases you swear you never use, I was inspired to snag some videos with famous sci-fi quotes (at least famous to me). Let me know what you think!
"Make it so."
This is Unix...
That's no moon...
Three seashells
Three seashells - in French?
Have a great weekend!
"Make it so."
This is Unix...
That's no moon...
Three seashells
Three seashells - in French?
Have a great weekend!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday! Snow FAIL, Scrollwheel, Starting Line FAIL
Things still snow-covered? Don't try to remove it like this:
I love helping others in understanding technology and the internet. But sometimes it's even worse than this:
And I guess we can close it out with one more FAIL:
Have a great weekend!
I love helping others in understanding technology and the internet. But sometimes it's even worse than this:
And I guess we can close it out with one more FAIL:
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
MyCleanPC.com - Buyer Beware
Here's an edited version of the commercial with a humorous end, but the only bit I could come up with on short notice:
Now this has been around for a few years, and that tells me that someone's making a heap-load of money because it's become even more prevalent on television in the past few months. Or maybe I'm watching more late-night television.
More Than 3 Seconds
So aside from the spokesman looking and sounding like he's nursing a nasty cold (purposeful? virus?), the line that always bugs me is "Does it take more than three seconds for your email to load?"
What exactly does that mean?
That's just my off-the-cuff process. Many people watch that commercial and respond "Yeah, slow email: bad."
And then they've got you.
But here's a tip: the whole thing is meant to be vague, indirect, and misleading, especially to people who find computers to be a little complicated and confusing.
What's the Harm?
You're going to go to their website and you'll see the giant green button and the word FREE all over the place and OMG you computer's so slow *click* and you're downloading and installing the executable file which will scan your registry. And it will tell you that you have registry errors. Want to fix them?
Oh, that's easy. We just have to discuss the little issue of purchasing the activation for the software so it can fix your computer.
Ah, but you're savvy, so you looked ...all over ...two links? Why won't they tell me how much it is before I scan and then have to buy it?
Exactly.
MyCleanPC.com is shilling for a program called CyberDefender. I don't care if it's the best dang registry scanner in the fracking world: The deliberate misdirection and manipulation of people who very simply may not know better is a SHADY practice and something to be abhorred.
Feel free to contact them to let them know they're shady.
But What Can I DO?
I know. I understand. Your computer is still slow and the most obvious solution on the teevee is actually a potentially dangerous bogeyman. Why not take a look at my post on The FREE Way to Clean & Protect Your Computer. It is completely legit: It highlights truly free programs that I have found work quite well and I get absolutely nothing for telling you about them. This is about making you a more savvy consumer.
That's one down. What scams or shady practices have you run into recently or in the past? Hit me in the comments and don't be afraid of the sidebar - I'm always available in a variety of ways and happy to take the time to chat about your thoughts or questions.
P.S. Depending on the branch of science, jiffy has several definitions as a length of time.
Now this has been around for a few years, and that tells me that someone's making a heap-load of money because it's become even more prevalent on television in the past few months. Or maybe I'm watching more late-night television.
More Than 3 Seconds
So aside from the spokesman looking and sounding like he's nursing a nasty cold (purposeful? virus?), the line that always bugs me is "Does it take more than three seconds for your email to load?"
What exactly does that mean?
- Should I be clocking Outlook to see if the program opens in 3 seconds?
- Should I be clocking the email load once Outlook opens?
- Should I be clocking how long it takes to complete a send/receive request?
- Is it how long it takes my browser to open in the process of checking online email?
- Maybe the length of time it takes to bring up Gmail?
- Does typing time count?
- What's a jiffy?!
- I'm so confused!
That's just my off-the-cuff process. Many people watch that commercial and respond "Yeah, slow email: bad."
And then they've got you.
But here's a tip: the whole thing is meant to be vague, indirect, and misleading, especially to people who find computers to be a little complicated and confusing.
What's the Harm?
You're going to go to their website and you'll see the giant green button and the word FREE all over the place and OMG you computer's so slow *click* and you're downloading and installing the executable file which will scan your registry. And it will tell you that you have registry errors. Want to fix them?
Oh, that's easy. We just have to discuss the little issue of purchasing the activation for the software so it can fix your computer.
Ah, but you're savvy, so you looked ...all over ...two links? Why won't they tell me how much it is before I scan and then have to buy it?
Exactly.
MyCleanPC.com is shilling for a program called CyberDefender. I don't care if it's the best dang registry scanner in the fracking world: The deliberate misdirection and manipulation of people who very simply may not know better is a SHADY practice and something to be abhorred.
Feel free to contact them to let them know they're shady.
But What Can I DO?
I know. I understand. Your computer is still slow and the most obvious solution on the teevee is actually a potentially dangerous bogeyman. Why not take a look at my post on The FREE Way to Clean & Protect Your Computer. It is completely legit: It highlights truly free programs that I have found work quite well and I get absolutely nothing for telling you about them. This is about making you a more savvy consumer.
That's one down. What scams or shady practices have you run into recently or in the past? Hit me in the comments and don't be afraid of the sidebar - I'm always available in a variety of ways and happy to take the time to chat about your thoughts or questions.
P.S. Depending on the branch of science, jiffy has several definitions as a length of time.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Friday Videos: Fried Gnocchi, Metrodome, Worst Web Meeting Evar
Fried Gnocchi
A cautionary tale. Don't fry your gnocchi. Really. Don't. Evar.
(via urlesque)
Metrodome Roof Collapse snOMG!
If you haven't seen it yet, here's your chance.
Worst Web Meeting Evar
A little creation of my own, collecting all the head-shaking moments as a web developer in one meeting from hell.
A cautionary tale. Don't fry your gnocchi. Really. Don't. Evar.
(via urlesque)
Metrodome Roof Collapse snOMG!
If you haven't seen it yet, here's your chance.
Worst Web Meeting Evar
A little creation of my own, collecting all the head-shaking moments as a web developer in one meeting from hell.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Social Media: State Farm, Tempur-pedic, and Leveraging PR
Tempur-pedic & State Farm have both been doing something in the past several months that I have seen NO other companies doing and I wanted to bring it to light.
Perhaps you've seen this commercial from Tempur-pedic?
"Ask me," they tempt you. "Go to Facebook," they say.
Or perhaps the "People Trust People" commercial from State Farm:
"Talk to State Farm ...but not yet."
Both of these commercials are taking a single idea, leveraging social media, and coming out more transparent and credible for it.
The idea is this: The guy/gal selling you something has words staged to sell. If you hear "X Company is awesome" from them, it doesn't carry NEARLY the weight of hearing "X Company is awesome" from a friend, friend on Facebook, or as a testimonial from an existing customer.
And these companies are taking a chance: if you're looking for negative views of Tempur-pedic or State Farm, you can find them on the internet. They're staking a claim on the positive reviews of their clients, and because they both have a solid product that people are generally happy with, they have faith that YOUR friends or other people you don't necessarily know will speak wonderfully about what they have to offer.
(Side Note: the psychology behind justifying a large purchase that's better than what they had [Tempur-pedic] or "nothing going wrong when nothing happens" [State Farm] is not being addressed here.)
The great thing about these campaigns is that it's a design every small business can emulate (as long as you don't have a backlog of unsatisfied clients).
How does it work for small business? Easy.
When you're networking, when you're selling yourself, when people ask (and they should): Why should I choose you? You answer them by saying "Here's what makes us special..." AND "We can do what you need to increase value to your company, but here are a couple people/companies that know what we can do. Talk to them first. If you're still interested, my number's on the card."
You, too, can leverage organic PR to grow your business. You just didn't know you needed to do it yet. Now you do. Make it happen.
Perhaps you've seen this commercial from Tempur-pedic?
"Ask me," they tempt you. "Go to Facebook," they say.
Or perhaps the "People Trust People" commercial from State Farm:
"Talk to State Farm ...but not yet."
Both of these commercials are taking a single idea, leveraging social media, and coming out more transparent and credible for it.
The idea is this: The guy/gal selling you something has words staged to sell. If you hear "X Company is awesome" from them, it doesn't carry NEARLY the weight of hearing "X Company is awesome" from a friend, friend on Facebook, or as a testimonial from an existing customer.
And these companies are taking a chance: if you're looking for negative views of Tempur-pedic or State Farm, you can find them on the internet. They're staking a claim on the positive reviews of their clients, and because they both have a solid product that people are generally happy with, they have faith that YOUR friends or other people you don't necessarily know will speak wonderfully about what they have to offer.
(Side Note: the psychology behind justifying a large purchase that's better than what they had [Tempur-pedic] or "nothing going wrong when nothing happens" [State Farm] is not being addressed here.)
The great thing about these campaigns is that it's a design every small business can emulate (as long as you don't have a backlog of unsatisfied clients).
How does it work for small business? Easy.
When you're networking, when you're selling yourself, when people ask (and they should): Why should I choose you? You answer them by saying "Here's what makes us special..." AND "We can do what you need to increase value to your company, but here are a couple people/companies that know what we can do. Talk to them first. If you're still interested, my number's on the card."
You, too, can leverage organic PR to grow your business. You just didn't know you needed to do it yet. Now you do. Make it happen.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Friday Videos: Star Trek Sitcom, Papa Johns Freakout, Transformers, Google Search 2010
Star Trek: The Sitcom
A few years old, but bumped into it again this week. Brilliant.
Papa John's Freakout
Pizza can never be completed quickly enough for college-age Veruca Salt.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Official trailer!
Google Zeitgeist 2010
How the world searched in 2010
Have a great weekend!
A few years old, but bumped into it again this week. Brilliant.
Papa John's Freakout
Pizza can never be completed quickly enough for college-age Veruca Salt.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Official trailer!
Google Zeitgeist 2010
How the world searched in 2010
Have a great weekend!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Videos for Monday: Star Wars, Catnip Tigers, Piggies
This week, let's start it off with some videos. Little thinking, lots of smiling.
A couple years old, but classic.
I've always wondered this...
...and the last commercial that made me LOL:
Make it a great week!
A couple years old, but classic.
I've always wondered this...
...and the last commercial that made me LOL:
Make it a great week!
Monday, June 28, 2010
MONDAY Videos: Hat Cat, YMCA Classic, Gandalf, Snowboard WIN
Missed the post on Friday, so what better way to start out the week than with those interesting videos?
Kitty + Hat + Cat = Hilarity!
YMCA: Christophers
This one's a few years old, but good all the same.
Gandalf Goes to the World Cup!
And a WIN!
I know we usually focus on FAILs, but this is just too cool.
Have a great week!
Kitty + Hat + Cat = Hilarity!
YMCA: Christophers
This one's a few years old, but good all the same.
Gandalf Goes to the World Cup!
And a WIN!
I know we usually focus on FAILs, but this is just too cool.
Have a great week!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Friday Videos: Pakistani Grover, Butter Jesus, Church Biker Fail
Pakistani Grover
This is amazing and worth every second.
"An incredible mash-up from Pakistan. Grover and friends do some shaking to a 'Sufiyan English' song from a 1970s Pakistani film."
h/t to BoingBoing
Big Butter Jesus
And if you've been at all conscious this week and live around Cincinnati (or caught it on various national news programs), Touchdown Jesus, a.k.a. Big Butter Jesus went up in flames when it was struck by lightning Monday evening. Here's Haywood Banks' classic to some video:
Church Biker Fail
And since I know and you know you're here for a decent FAIL, let's keep with the religious theme and give you the church biker:
Have a great weekend!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday Videos: McDonald's Old Style, Hockey Guys, Pool Jump FAIL
4-year Old McDonald's Burger
I watched Super Size Me and it did not do what this video did for me. I will NEVER touch McDonald's (or much other fast food) ever again. Evar.
Hockey, Guys!
I feel kinda bad for this guy, guys. Guys?
...of course that's not as bad as the legendary Boom Goes The Dynamite!
Pool Jump
And since you're actually here for a serious FAIL, here you go:
Have a great weekend!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Videos: Awesome Chemistry, Pacman, Wedding FAIL
The Awesome of Chemistry
Science!
Pacman Ghosts Discuss TV
...and because it's just not Friday without some FAIL,
Wedding Photo FAIL
Have a great weekend!
Science!
Pacman Ghosts Discuss TV
...and because it's just not Friday without some FAIL,
Wedding Photo FAIL
Have a great weekend!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Friday Videos: Tiger After Dentist, Old Spice, Trampoline + Pool FAIL
Tiger After Dentist
I was going to post the original Tiger Nike commercial here, but after finding out the audio was pulled from a 2004 DVD and (unsurprisingly) that his father wasn't really addressing the problem at hand, I was left only with the fact that Nike sees more profit than liability in the long-term investment in Tiger, to the point that they will exploit a recording of his own dead father. Boo.
So how about a parody instead? The audio is pulled from the monstrously viral David After Dentist, and is oddly relevant.
Odor Blocker from Old Spice
Have you seen the new commercials? Me neither. But they're Awesome. I guess it's not a coincidence they're directed by Tim & Eric from the Tim & Eric Awesome Show. Awesome. Here's the channel, and here's a few examples. Did I say Awesome?
Flex
Punch
Pool Trampoline FAIL
Because it all comes down to the FAIL. But wait, you say. How can a pool and a trampoline possibly combine into a fail scenario? Allow me to show you...
I was going to post the original Tiger Nike commercial here, but after finding out the audio was pulled from a 2004 DVD and (unsurprisingly) that his father wasn't really addressing the problem at hand, I was left only with the fact that Nike sees more profit than liability in the long-term investment in Tiger, to the point that they will exploit a recording of his own dead father. Boo.
So how about a parody instead? The audio is pulled from the monstrously viral David After Dentist, and is oddly relevant.
Odor Blocker from Old Spice
Have you seen the new commercials? Me neither. But they're Awesome. I guess it's not a coincidence they're directed by Tim & Eric from the Tim & Eric Awesome Show. Awesome. Here's the channel, and here's a few examples. Did I say Awesome?
Flex
Punch
Pool Trampoline FAIL
Because it all comes down to the FAIL. But wait, you say. How can a pool and a trampoline possibly combine into a fail scenario? Allow me to show you...
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday Youtube: Animal Power Moves, Shocked Kitty, Mortal Kombat
Animal Power Moves!
Animal strength in one clever or gross or strange way or another.
The Shocked & Appalled Kitty
It's just shocked and appalled. Nothing more.
Oregon Trail vs. Mortal Kombat
Anyone who grew up with Oregon Trail in any capacity also grew up with MK. Exactly what it sounds like.
And that'll be it for this Friday. Have a great weekend!
Animal strength in one clever or gross or strange way or another.
The Shocked & Appalled Kitty
It's just shocked and appalled. Nothing more.
Oregon Trail vs. Mortal Kombat
Anyone who grew up with Oregon Trail in any capacity also grew up with MK. Exactly what it sounds like.
And that'll be it for this Friday. Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday Videos: Grizzly Bear, Regeneration, FAIL
If you've never heard of Grizzly Bear, take a minute and check this out. The video is a little odd (meaning I love it) and vocals are fantastic.
Regenerating bodies from New Scientist. Always something to drop your jaw, those guys.
...and an obvious, thoughtless end to the week: Backflip fail.
Have a good one!
Regenerating bodies from New Scientist. Always something to drop your jaw, those guys.
...and an obvious, thoughtless end to the week: Backflip fail.
Have a good one!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday Inspiration: Smile On
Motivating yourself is not just a Monday thing, but an everyday thing.
I think I found my daily motivation anthem. Humorously enough, it's by a band called Anthems. You may know it from a commercial advertising San Diego. It's called "Smile On."
You're in the place you're in. You can change that place if it's bad. You can be that place, if it's good. Either way, it will be wonder or misery.
You make your place in life. You make your reality. You make your joy or feed your pity. The only difference is how you decide to see it.
Make it good.
Make it your own.
Enjoy the song. Think on it. And smile!
I think I found my daily motivation anthem. Humorously enough, it's by a band called Anthems. You may know it from a commercial advertising San Diego. It's called "Smile On."
You're in the place you're in. You can change that place if it's bad. You can be that place, if it's good. Either way, it will be wonder or misery.
You make your place in life. You make your reality. You make your joy or feed your pity. The only difference is how you decide to see it.
Make it good.
Make it your own.
Enjoy the song. Think on it. And smile!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
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