Out to Launch
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Paris Hilton returns to Carl's Jr. ad. Heineken, Fred Armisen encourage "routine interruptions." Let's launch!
  • slimjimThe only thing missing is Macho Man Randy Savage. Slim Jim has revived its beloved "Snap Into a Slim Jim" tagline with a series of slapstick ads illustrating the fun meat sticks bring to an otherwise ordinary day. In "Goat Sticks," a casual day at home watching TV and playing basketball with the guys is elevated to another level when Slim Jims join the mix. The guys meet a group of girls who also love meat sticks, and a fun day ensues, concluding with a party on a pontoon boat with a hard-partying goat. See it here. Fun guess: This is probably the only male-themed ad that will ever pay homage to "Lady and the Tramp." The remaining ads run 15 seconds and pit Slim Jims against the competition. Would you rather see the midriff of a Slim Jim-eating- woman, or a beer-bellied man eating imitation meat sticks? Watch it here. Would you rather hang with an older cat-loving woman, or attend a happening party? See it here. The final ad involves a possum. I'll let you see it yourself here. DDB California created the campaign.

  • tideA nun sees the light when confronted with a "Dirty Little Habit." Why do the other nuns walk away when approached by this nun with a dirty habit. Does her attire look dirty? No, but it smells dirty. Turns out, all the nuns were wearing dirty, smelly habits because the nun in charge of laundry never cleaned the washing machine. It was a breeding ground of sinful, smelly grime, until our nun found Tide washing machine cleaner. She uses it monthly and now everyone's habits are clean, and our spokesnun has been invited to play croquet with the other nuns. Watch the ad here, created by Saatchi & Saatchi New York and directed by Matt Smukler of Community Films.

  • Favourite Child DetectorThis test should be required for every kid who felt forced to accept a friend request from Mom and Dad. It's time to see which child they favor more. To promote the new season of "Modern Family" on Prime TV in New Zealand, FCB New Zealand created the Favourite Child Detector, a nifty device that analyzes mom and dad's Facebook behavior based on their comments, photos and "likes," to determine which child they like best. Since the site promotes everyday modern families, users can test anyone -- friends, co-workers, your neighbor's dog -- to see if they rate high.

  • texasTime flies. Can you believe that it's been nine years since the infamous Carl's Jr. and Hardee's ad with Paris Hilton, a dirty Bentley and an oversized hamburger? Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have created a Texas-sized version of the ad, starring the company's latest #sexyspokesburgereater, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, and Texas native, Hannah Ferguson. "I Love Texas" promotes the Texas BBQ Thickburger, a beef patty loaded with smoked beef brisket, spicy mesquite BBQ sauce, crispy jalapeno and onion strips, and American cheese. I have agita just from writing about the burger. Since this is a Texas version of the ad Hilton made famous, Ferguson is scantily clad in a black bikini, washing down a pick-up truck and noshing on a BBQ Thickburger. Ferguson drops an onion strip on the shiny, clean truck, just as Paris Hilton enters, in her black bathing suit and black Bentley, to pick it up and say: "You missed a spot." The ad includes a rerecording of "I Love Paris" from the original ad, performed as "I Love Texas." See it here, created by 72andSunny.

  • snoozeradioPiero mattresses launched a radio campaign in Argentina to prevent sleeping. Strange, right? In actuality, it serves more like a PSA than ad campaign, for it only runs in the middle of the night and aims to prevent drivers from falling asleep behind the wheel. It targets cab drivers, truck drivers and bus drivers in a country that sees numerous deaths each day due to traffic accidents. During the 4 a.m.-5 a.m. hour, Piero has an alarm clock ring on the air every nine minutes, similar to if you pushed the snooze button at home. Each time the alarm goes off, it's followed by a voiceover stating: "Don't drive tired. One of the leading causes of traffic accidents is drowsiness. Piero mattresses. Sleep safely. Sleep at home." Music returns and nine minutes later, the same alarm. One of the most creative radio campaigns I've seen (or heard) in a long time. See how it worked here. FCB Buenos Aires created the campaign.

  • heinekinHere's a fun reason to step out of your comfort zone, when you are in the company of a group of friends. Not sure if I'd do this one alone. Heineken, with help from Fred Armisen, launched "Routine Interruptions," the brand's latest phase of its Cities of the World campaign. "Routine Interruptions" falls under the belief that city residents are set in their ways and rarely veer from their regular routines. With Armisen's help, "The Payphone" was born. The comedian began calling a payphone across the street from The Comedy Cellar and those that answered were invited across the street, to an unmarked door, but the catch was they didn't know what they would be stepping into. New Yorkers have no problem answering the payphone, but going across the street to meet an anonymous stranger took more effort. Only five people went across the street, where they joined Armisen onstage at The Comedy Cellar. See the video here. The video also invites people 21 and over to visit www.RoutineInterruptions.com, where visitors can enter their phone number for a chance to receive a mystery phone call this summer. Those that say yes to the mystery call will be treated to a unique experience in their city. Those interested can also follow @wherenext, a social compass that reads the pulse of a city, using real-time social activity to discover what is happening and possibly off the beaten path. Wieden + Kennedy New York created the campaign.

  • visaVisa has launched a quick toll that makes online shopping faster than usual. Visa Checkout lets consumers pay for goods online, on any device, with just a few clicks. This is perfect for last-minute gift shoppers, as seen in two 15-second spots that launched last week. In "Last Minute Gift," a man really waits until the last minute to buy a bride and groom a wedding gift. The just-married couple are walking down the aisle when the man hits purchase. See it here. A woman is "Out of Time" when she makes a last-minute purchase on an airplane. That wrap dress could not wait until she landed at her next destination. Even her husband was ready to report her to the flight attendant. Watch it here. BBDO New York created the campaign.

  • reedsgingerbrewReed's Ginger Brews has launched its first national cable advertising campaign in 25 years. The low-key, laid-back ad stars the company founder describing his love for ginger, promising viewers that once they try his ginger brew they will never drink ginger ale again. The monthlong campaign is running on Bravo, BBC America, Cooking Channel and HGTV and follows Reed around his beautiful home while he describes the fresh ingredients found in his ginger brew. The spot ends with consumer testimonials and Reed doing a back flip into his pool. See it here, created by Evans Media Group and Fusion Idea Lab.

  • thumbsofgloryRandom App of the week: Love bicycling but hate sweating? Looking for a less exhausting workout but at the same time want to challenge yourself, or at least your thumbs? Look no further than Thumbs of Glory, an app that turns your thumbs into your thighs, forcing them to "pedal" as long as the Tour de France cyclists. For those like me who have no idea how long that is, it's three hours a day for 21 days. The app will take contestants through 3,664 kilometers of the exact course of this year's Tour de France, with every thumb stroke taking riders one pedal stroke closer to Paris. Contestants who ride all 21 stages are entered into a contest to win a Specialized S-Works Tarmac (a $9,500 racing bicycle). My head was already exploding over the price of the bike, but remember, to ride all 21 stages, you would have to devote close to 3 hours a day playing the game. Who has that kind of time? There are also prizes for stage winners as well as for winners of shorter sprints and climbs. The app was developed by Cookie in collaboration with GS&P's in-house developers, the BETA Group. Download the free app from iTunes and Google Play.