Nike usually does some impressive work across the board. This time around, it’s no different.
The posters, signs, and wall pastings started showing up around Boston last week. Then the blog chronicling the dangers of this hazardous blue lobster showed up, complete with some fairly impressively produced video clips, and the usual smattering of viral-style clips like this one:
Then today, Boston skateshop Concepts announced the release of a limited edition shoe, the Nike SB Dunk Low “Blue Lobster.”
Last summer, the original Concepts Lobster Dunk made quite a splash, without quite this much Nike/Concepts hype.
While a cool concept (no pun intended), it seems a bit overhyped, a bit over-viraled, if you will. And to go from first viral leak to final announcement of the shoe drop in less than 2 weeks feels a bit rushed. They’re still releasing viral concept videos after already announcing the shoe… just seems a bit rushed and not fully put together. The blog is just a simple wordpress blog (not that there’s anything wrong with that… just look at this blog) and a few clicks lead to logos of both the skateshop and Nike SB. Not that I’m not looking forward to the shoe… it should be an interesting drop. It just seems like a ton of faux viral hype that doesn’t really do all that much.
Viral is definitely being pushed, and evolving. or at least being utilized more frequently. evolution may be questionable.
And full detail on the shoe over at real Concepts blog.
There are so many ad campaigns that try to do nifty/kitchy/etc./etc. kinds of executions that usually seem to fall a bit short. This McDonalds’s billboard at London’s Picadilly Citcus acually pulls of a bunch of interactive advertising stuff pretty well. And there’s actual proof… not just hypothetical connections and interactions.
Done by Shiny Red, it proves that every now and then McDonalds can still do some cool stuff. Definitely an interesting use of Flickr. Sure, some of the connections don’t really make much sense, and the YouTube page isn’t quite hitting on all cylinders, but all in all, it’s pretty cool.
Automotive advertising is no stranger to occasionally blatantly competitive marketing techniques… but this one just may take the proverbial cake – or the King, if you will.
Happy Easter to all those celebrating today (and chag sameach to all those celebrating Passover as well… I don’t want any of my posts to seem exclusive!). This piece entitled “Easter AIG Hunt” from stencil artist Above seemed depressingly poignant, and made me smile a bit.
via the always fascinating WoosterCollective. If you want more close up shots, check out the video clip that goes with it over at Above’s Vimeo page.
I’m all for a crazy billboard. but this one may be a bit far. I applaud the simple, easy to read copy. But I’m not sure what the message is. “Go humans go” could imply a few things… from extoling the laxative properties of oatmeal to proclaiming that the Quaker Oat guy is actually a cybernetic creature from the future coming to eradicate the planet of our species. Either way, the giant Quaker dude is freaking me out a bit. The Quaker Website sheds a bit of light on the subject, but fails to make the billboards any less creepy.
I keep seeing this billboard on my way to work, and it bewilders me. Not necessarily clever enough for me to chuckle, it feels a bit contrived and a bit forced. Plus, it’s on the side of a highway in Beaverton, OR, home of Nike, Tektronix, etc… not exactly the urban basketball hot-spot… Then I see this:
I want to find it funny, but I just can’t quite. It just doesn’t go quite enough into the bizarre, and just kind of flounders around in some gray area between weird, funny, and boring. Other billboards, OOH, and commericals in the new “Snacklish” campaign include “Put Your Hunger in a Nougaplex” that will run as :05 TV bumpers during wrestling programming, and “Get a Degree in Snackanomics” in, yup, financial districts, and “ride four hourses of the satisfocalypse.” what?!? It all just feels a bit contrived and like first round ideas that somehow got pushed through. I’m still not sold… maybe I’ll change my mind with time. But personally, I miss Mr. T yelling “GET SOME NUTS! ARRGH!“
I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the “thinking Arby’s” campaign… at times, it just feels contrived and forced. But this piece kind of changed my mind just a bit. Done by Fletcher Martin in Atlanta, billboards were hijacked with giant Arby’s “thought” balloons. This is the kind of idea I can get behind.
This is one of the more interesting competitive campaigns of late. Pretty self explantory, really. McDonalds erected billboards across Western Washington, including the one above which is visible from Starbucks corporate offices. The other billboard in the set reads “Large is the new grande.” Simple and clever way to promote McDonalds Espresso. It’s a more direct and more in-Starbucks’-face approach stemming from their Unsnobby Coffee campaign. Supposedly, Starbucks won’t retaliate with counter-advertising… although I think there’s room for some interesting creative there.
As if Starbucks didn’t have enough problems already. Check out the full story from the Seattle P-I.
Sometimes the most simple ideas can be the most intriguing. Check out this clip of street artist Aakash Nihalani. And take a look at his website as well… some pretty simple yet pretty awesome stuff.
Oh. and I want to have a bag with all that tape in it. but that’s just the art nerd in me.
Last summer, the original Concepts Lobster Dunk made quite a splash, without quite this much Nike/Concepts hype.
