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Here’s That Awesome Walking Dead Time Warner Ad

Chris Crum — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:28:45 +0000

There were a lot of commercials during the Super Bowl that got people talking, as usual. For some reason, I haven’t heard much today about this one, when it was easily one of the best.

AMC has uploaded it to its YouTube channel for The Walking Dead fans to enjoy, so here you go:

The show returns this Sunday.

More The Walking Dead fun here.

Dell Dude (Slacker Steve) Thinks He’s The Cure for Dell’s Ailments

Josh Wolford — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:49:35 +0000

Last week, it was announced that former force in PC manufacturing Dell was participating in buyout talks, which have included rumors of Microsoft throwing a few bucks at the deal. Dell clearly isn’t what it used to be. But a figure from Dell’s past says that in order to get back to where they used to be, they need to revive an old strategy.

Dude, you’re getting a computer with speakers, a monitor,a keyboard, a year of MSN internet access, and a Pentium 3 processor – for $849! Dude, you’re getting a Dell!

That’s right, the Dell Dude has spoken. Ben Curtis, also known as Slacker Steve from those early 2000s Dell commercials, thinks that all Dell needs to do to return to their former glory is kick the “dude, you’re getting a Dell” ad blitz back into gear.

“I think they’re making a huge mistake and simply need to bring back the Dell Dude!. That’s it. That’s all they need to do. If they brought me back, their sales, stock and media presence would skyrocket. That is by FAR the smartest move they could make,” he told Bloomberg.

It’s hard to tell just how serious he is. Since being let go from Dell in 2003 (after being busted for buying pot, although he was already on the way out before that arrest), Curtis has acted in a few off-Broadway shows and done some minor work on a couple of network dramas. He also worked as a waiter at Tortilla Flats for a little while.

It’s doubtful that even the power of ~~Stoner~~ Slacker Steve could fix all of Dell’s problems. But I wouldn’t be opposed to some new duderiffic ads.

Upon watching that relic of the past, did anyone else notice who’s riding in the car with Steve?

[Photo via IMDb]

Make Your Kids (And Potential Employers) Think You’re Smarter Than You Are With The Google Search App

Chris Crum — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:57:09 +0000

Google has put out a couple new ads for its Search App. The last time they did that (in November), we saw a little girl and her mother figure out how to come up with a Martin Van buren costume and an umpire use Voice Search to look up the strike zone in a baseball game.

In the new ones, we see a dad explaining Mars to his son, using info from Google to answer all questions without hesitation, and a guy getting ready for a job interview using search by image to figure out what his potential employer’s painting is, so he can start a conversation with him.

James Franco Multitasks With His Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 In This New Ad

Chris Crum — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:55:40 +0000

Samsung has put out a new, nearly three-minute commercial for the Galaxy Note 10.1, featuring (and apparently directed by) James Franco, showing us how James Franco uses the device.

Franco is presented as “the ultimate multitasker”. He engages in numerous activities while using his tablet, including a pillow fight with young girls and making breakfast.

As Samsung notes in the description, “James Franco, the ultimate multitasker, reveals how he’s able to do so much with his time and how the GALAXY Note 10.1 helps him accomplish it all.”

A Different, Funnier Take On That Martin Scorsese Siri Commercial

Chris Crum — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:01:31 +0000

Last week, we showed you an a new iPhone 4S commercial featuring Martin Scorsese using Siri. While much tamer, we couldn’t help but be reminded of a certain uncomfortable scene in Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.

Now, there’s a funnier take on the ad. AppJudgment has uploaded the following parody to YouTube (via 9to5Mac):

This video is even funnier considering that a real Siri ad was recently called out for delivering bogus information.

This New Martin Scorsese Siri Commercial Is A Lot Tamer Than Taxi Driver

Chris Crum — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:12:27 +0000

Apple has put out a new iPhone/Siri commercial featuring famed director Martin Scorsese. This follows ads featuring Samuel L. Jackson, John Malkovich and Zooey Deschanel.

Watching the new one, I can’t help but think about a classic scene from Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, where he is also riding in the back of a cab talking like Martin Scorsese. The biggest difference is that in the Taxi Driver clip he is playing a homicidal racist talking about murdering his wife with some pretty disturbing dialogue.

Here’s the new Apple ad:

Here’s the Taxi Driver clip (contains NSFW language):

People have been pretty fond of Apple’s other celebrity Siri ads for the most part. People apparently really liked the Zooey Deschanel one in particular.

What do you think of the new Marty ad?

Google’s Nexus 7 Is The Perfect Dinosaur Hunter

Zach Walton — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:49:39 +0000

We were pretty impressed with Google’s Nexus 7 tablet. It’s a great piece of hardware that’s complemented by the always impressive Jelly Bean. If anything, it’s only fault is that of Google Play and its somewhat paltry offerings.

Well, Google is now kicking the Nexus 7 marketing machine into gear with the device’s first ad. It’s pretty cute and does a good job of selling the Nexus 7 as a device that’s ready for any occasion. Check out how the Nexus 7 can be used on a camping trip:

Does the ad make you want to buy a Nexus 7? I already want one after playing around with the tablet here at the office, but the ad only terrifies me. It’s one thing to go on a camping trip, but the Nexus 7 also confirmed the existence of velociraptors in suburban backyards everywhere. I guess it’s a blessing in a disguise that Google was the first to document the proliferation of violent dinosaurs.

If the ad has you wanting a Nexus 7 for camping (or dinosaur hunting), you can pick one up right now at Google Play. The tablet will also be available at select retailers like Staples and GameStop. You might want to wait on buying the tablet from the Play Store, however, as the 16 GB model is sold out.

Are Toshiba’s New Device Commercials Unnecessarily Sexist?

Chris Richardson — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:53:00 +0000

Sex sells. If you’ve been around any commercials that are shown during sporting events, this is readily apparent. Whether it’s Budweiser girls in swim wear or Miller Lite girls wrestling it out to see what catchphrase best applies to the beer, the use of titillation in mass advertising is nothing new. However, when these advertising methods leave the world of beer-drinking and move to the tech industry, the level of outrage exponentially rises.

Take the latest commercials from Toshiba, for instance. In an effort to better compete in a mobile computing industry dominated by Apple and Android, Toshiba decided they would take things up a notch by using an attractive spokeswoman doing yoga to help pitch the products. The idea is to cut down on stress in the fast-paced business world by buying reliable technology, but the final product come across as more of an advertisement for the attractive woman doing yoga (and her boobs) as much as it does for Toshiba’s devices.

I mean, what else is the following freeze-frame trying to advertise?

The actress’ chest or the tablet beneath it?

What’s being sold here? The actress’ ass or the copier she’s apparently staring longingly at?

Is Toshiba being light-hearted or overtly sexist? Or are they making fun of the sexism used in commercials be featuring some of their very own, done in a over-the-top manner? Take a look at all the commercials for this campaign and you decide:

There’s even version for those who speak French:

So, do these work or is Toshiba’s self-awareness approach miss the target and offer only sexist content? Are the “My Toshiba’s getting hot” responses to these commercials the kind of reaction Toshiba was hoping for?

[Via Buzzfeed]

Durex Commercials Push The Envelope, Still Fun

Chris Richardson — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:31:07 +0000

When making a commercial, or, well, any attempting any big marketing push, the goal is to get people talking. Talking about the product, the commercial it appeared in, and any fallout that occurs from it. Face it, if a commercial accomplishes any of these things, it’s done its job. That is, as long as it’s not lambasting negativity, but then again, following the Marilyn Manson approach to marketing, all pub is good pub.

While there’s truth to that, if you’re selling a consumer product–and not an image–perhaps people trashing your product isn’t the best way to attract potential consumers, but the point does remain. If a commercial can generate a buzz-worthy reaction, it, in all likelihood, accomplished its goal. Take the new Durex condom commercials for example. Focusing directly on the “sex AND titillation sells,” the company has introduced two new commercials that are playfully risque, while incorporating a little bit of misdirection.

Take a look at both of them:

The second one, while playful, doesn’t quite nail it the way the first one did. Of course, when you adding the idea of orgasms to your misdirection, you’re doing it right. In other news, another publication referred to these commercials as “vulgar.” Now, the second definition Google uses to define the word is as follows, “Making explicit and offensive reference to sex or bodily functions; coarse and rude: ‘a vulgar joke.’” Yes, these commercials are incredibly suggestive, but do they feature an “offensive reference to sex or bodily functions?” Or does the fact that, especially in the first commercial, a bodily function is suggested make it vulgar? If so, perhaps a lighter approach to such subject matter would be better.

Finally, the lead image is courtesy of Durex’s Facebook page, which features a map called “The United States of Durex.” From here, visitors can discover their state’s official sex position. For Kentucky, the official position is, as the image suggests, the derby. Consider Kentucky’s connection to the horse industry, that only makes sense. What about you? What is your state’s “official” sexual position? Let us know in the comments.

Google+’s First Commercial For the UK

Chris Richardson — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:55:38 +0000

While Google+‘s commercial with The Muppets has been on in the United States since the Oscars, the search engine introduced the ad copy to the United Kingdom, making it Google’s first ad campaign for that particular region. Apparently, the tag line for this particular campaign is “That’s a plus.”

I, for some reason, am happy Google didn’t capitalize the “plus” when it appeared. As The Guardian points out, Google+‘s reach in the United Kingdom is lacking, at best:

Meanwhile Facebook remains the monolith of the web – taking almost 18% of people’s entire internet time in the UK during January. None of the other social networks managed more than 1% of UK “user minutes” for the same period; the blogging site Tumblr.com managed 0.55%, followed by Twitter, with 0.27%, and the “business social network” LinkedIn with 0.22%. Google+ and Pinterest both had 0.01% of total internet time, by ComScore’s figures.

Will The Muppets help save Google+ in the UK or will it remain an also-ran to services like Facebook and Twitter? As The Next Web indicates, a few the UK’s major media outlets have joined Google+–The Financial Times and The Telegraph–as have Prime Minister David Cameron, Nick Clegg (the liberal leader) and Ed Milliband (leader of the Labour Party). Does the presence of political leaders make Google+ a more attractive service to use for UK citizens?

Let us know what you think.