Commentary

Out to Launch

I've heard the term butterface but not "Butter Shoes." Foot Locker explains what's what in the first of two TV spots that launched last week. Two high school friends check out the new girl entering class. "She is super-fine," says one guy. His friend disagrees, calling her a butter shoes. "Everything is hot but her shoes," he explains. Her shoes are pretty awful. The spot ends with another girl entering class, wearing a pair of Nike's. Needless to say, both guys approve. See it here. "Art Class" is funny. A nude model proudly drops his robe while a roomful of students describes their first thoughts. Sturdy, leathery and crooked are some initial student findings. It's not until a woman asks to touch the subject that viewers see the star of class is a pair of sneakers. "It's a sneaker thing," closes the ad, seen here. SapientNitro created the campaign.

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Heineken has created a great TV spot that takes home improvements to a higher level. Aesthetically pleasing, it's not, but I'd probably scream like a girl, too, whenever a cold beer was delivered. The ad is similar to other Dutch Heineken ads from the past two years. Remember "Walk-in refrigerator," which gave men a reason to shout, and "Men with Talent," a spot that made reality-TV appealing to men. "Beer Tube" follows a can of Heineken thorough a series of heinous tubes installed throughout a house. There's a drop-off next to the bathtub, sofa, dining room table and outdoors, next to the grill. I love how the can travels through a baby's room, where the tubing has been padded, so as not to wake the baby. The tube distorts framed pictures on the wall, travels through the kitchen and outside, where it looks like the gopher from "Caddyshack" made a burrow. When the beer reaches its final destination, three grown men scream with delight. Watch the ad here, created by TBWA/Neboko.

Tatra Beer launched a completely different type of beer ad, this one starring a man and a horse. The spot opens to a horse stuck at the bottom of a canyon. He's wild and nervous and a man with a weathered face is trying to rein it in. The man takes a swift kick from the horse, and continues to pursue it. Once successful, the man wraps his jacket across the horse's eyes and slowly guides him safely through a forest fire. The ad closes with the horse drinking water and the man drinking Tatra. Talk about calm under pressure. I'd need more than a beer to quench my post-forest fire thirst. See the ad here. Change Integrated, Poland created the ad, edited by Cut+Run.

Emergen-C launched an amazing Facebook app, "Share the Good," allowing users to send friends actual packages of Emergen-C, based on their status updates. For example, my friend's status read: "I'm still tired from yesterday." She'd make an ideal candidate. Once users "like" Emergen-C, the sharing can commence. In addition to free product, a personalized video is created, based on your status and profile picture. The video plays like a game show, complete with smarmy host and buxom blonde assistant. The host explains that you're in need of an energy boost based on your status. The assistant comes out carrying a sign with your actual status. The audience boos. The hostess demonstrates how to prepare Emergen-C while the host reads its ingredients. The app, created by Walrus, then takes your profile picture and sets it in motion. I danced near a disco globe and rode a unicycle. Start sending!

Vibram FiveFingers launched a bare bones Web site to promote its latest shoe. The brand's shoes fit runners like gloves; each toe has its own pocket, allowing runners to experience the benefits of barefoot running. Since I'm a runner, I spent a lot of time exploring the site.  It begins by removing all the technology found in most running shoes. Some are familiar; others, not so much. Users are left with a naked man and woman, clad only in Vibrams and countless, clickable tattoos that debunk running shoe claims about the differences between barefoot running and traditional running shoes, that could potentially alter your running form. The accompanying music makes for quite a hypnotic experience. Nail Communications and Coolfire created the site.

Domino's Pizza wants YOU to submit a Pizza Proverb, or poetic pizza words of wisdom, in 140 characters or less. If selected, your proverb could make its way onto a batch of Domino's pizza boxes. Users can submit proverbs online or via Twitter, using the hashtag #PizzaProverb. The nugget I wrote was short, yet expressed my profound love for a certain topping: "Everything's better with bacon." Crispin Porter + Bogusky created the campaign.

Google launched two online videos that invite users to "Search On." "New Baby" seems to pick up where the search engine's Super Bowl spot, "Parisian Love," left off. A first-time father researches the cost of raising twins, baby names, the job of a doula, minivans that don't look like minivans and everything baby-related. The final search question asks: "how soon can we try again." Watch the ad here. "Brother and Sister" plays on sibling rivalries. I love how the search box changes from pink to blue, depending on who's doing the searching. Questions consist of buying a diary with a lock, how to pick a lock, introducing your boyfriend to your brother, background checks and having your brother walk you down the aisle. Sweet. See it here. Google Creative Lab and Johannes Leonardo created the ads.

The Ontario Veterinary College's Pet Trust Fund has committed to raising $10 million to building a new Animal Cancer Center. To date, $8 million has been raised. In an effort to reach its goal, the college launched a print campaign, running in the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail, emphasizing the odds of a dog or cat being diagnosed with cancer, and their chances of a longer life. See the ads here and here, created by Vopni Parsons Design.

Random iPhone App of the week: Promoting the upcoming movie "Piranha 3D" is Piranha 3D: The Shredder app. Users can upload a picture from their photo library, Facebook library, or take a new picture. The app makes people in the pictures look like soon-to-be piranha victims, without the blood and pain of a real-life encounter. The movie hits theatres Aug. 20. The Visionaire Group created the app, available for free in the App Store.

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