Archive Page 2
Fairpoint’s freakish furby
Fairpoint has a campaign out now wherein the word “bundle” (as in your cable TV, internet and phone bill) becomes personified by an adorable little creature that customers evidently just love having in their homes.
Except that the little critter is an unholy abomination, and we don’t trust it for a second. Don’t let that evil little furby near your chopping knife, argyle sweater man! No good can come from it!
Being from Vermont, we can say that around these parts, Fairpoint has some serious brand image issues to sort out. Last year major technical problems caused a tidal wave of complaints from customers. And then the regulators came in. And then, rumors of a possible bankruptcy.
And with recent revelations that Burlington Telecom dipped into the city coffers to the tune of $17M, (results of that report apparently forthcoming) we seem to be having some serious communications breakdowns in our little corner of the country these days.
Oh well. At least we’ve finally got 3G.
Point is, if you’re trying to get back into the good graces of the public in New England, maybe this spot isn’t the best use of your dough. We know it’s supposed to be cute-weird, but it’s actually more weird-scary-dumb. How about you stick to fixing your service problems before you try to get precious with us, hm?
Via AdFreak.
Filed under: Fun Marketing Blogs, Fun Marketing Videos | Leave a Comment
Tags: bankruptcy, budget, cable, cell, communications, Fairpoint, internet, ISP, New England, New Hampshire, phone, problems, regulators, service, TV, Verizon, vermont
I guess they chose the name “iTrust” because “iHaveNoTrust” wasn’t as catchy…
So, let’s assume for the moment you’re extremely mistrustful of your significant other. But to put a passcode on your phone would be tantamount to advertising that fact. Now there’s a handy little app that not only tricks your partner into thinking your phone is frozen, but tracks their every move when attempting to snoop on your phone.
Okay, so if they’re smart they’ll push the home button and the app will close out, but not before you’ve recorded their attempts to mash a few buttons.
Then, it’s as simple as confronting the person, explaining that you’ve downloaded an app to confirm your suspicions about that person messing around on your phone, and then engaging in a knock-down, drag-out fight about how insulting it is to each of you that neither person trusts each other.
What fun!
The whole concept feels a little like entrapment to me. On the other hand, if they’re snooping, I suppose they deserve it, right?
On the other hand (yes, this person has three hands), if you need this app, maybe you need to reevaluate your dating criteria. Or at least keep incriminating data off your phone altogether.
Filed under: Fun Marketing Blogs, Fun Marketing Videos | Leave a Comment
Tags: app, boyfriend, catching, cheating, girlfriend, husband, iPhone, relationships, snooping, spouses, technology, tracking, wife
Our first instinct when we saw this was, “Cool. Very cool.” After all, wouldn’t it be great when you are out at a friend’s house or a dimly lit bar to pull out your phone and display photos and video of your trip to Turks & Caicos on the wall for everyone to see? At least two companies (LG and Samsung) are well on their way to offering this technology.
Of course, as cool as it is, we can think of plenty of people we would want to keep far away from this kind of thing. Including:
- Uncle Bill. “Bill, it’s Thanksgiving. Nobody wants to see pictures of your genitals. Put the phone away, Bill!”
- Your kids’ friends’ parents. “Hey, great to see you! Guess what, Madison just had her dance recital! Want to see it?”
- Teenagers. “Everybody listen up! Anna just dumped me! Check out this nudie pic she sent me 2 months ago!”
- iPhone Users. “Ha. What do you have, the Samsung? The iPhone is so much better. More intuitive, better visual quality – no comparison, really.”
- Your mother. “Everyone sit down. Switch off the lights. Oh, it’s not working. I pushed the button, it’s not working.”
- Bosses too cheap for a real projector. “C’mon, crowd around, all 300 of you. Can you all see? Good.”
Of course, these people are going to get their hands on this innovation whether we like it or not, so we might as well accept it. We’re going to start collecting embarrassing photos of them now, to use as blackmail whenever they whip out their projector phones in the future…
Samsung:
LG:
Both:
Filed under: Fun Marketing Blogs, Fun Marketing Videos | Leave a Comment
Tags: cell phone, CES, display, LED, next generation, photo, projector, tech, technology, video
PUMA has a bit of fun
Dang. If you’re theater geeks like we are, this is exactly the kind of ad that gives you chills. In this PUMA series, “The Games We Play,” director Jared Eberhardt creates a carefully choreographed “stage show” interpretation of the PUMA factory (one we’d actually like to work in).
It looks a little like what might happen if Wes Anderson directed a production of Noises Off! with a mod theme and a corporate sponsor.
Click here to read an interview with the director and watch all the videos.
Here’s our fave:
Via The Denver Egotist & Brand Flakes.
Filed under: Fun Marketing Blogs, Fun Marketing Videos | 2 Comments
Tags: ad, commerical, fun, marketing, PUMA, quirky, sports, spot, stage, theater
We’re big fans of Ricky Gervais around here, not just because he co-created one of the best TV shows ever, but because the projects he does – particularly those with his longtime co-conspirator Stephen Merchant – are nearly always fresh and funny. Not to mention, it serves as great inspiration to us that the man didn’t get his big break until he was 40. (“Hey, that means it could still happen to us,” we say. Until we turn 40 and it doesn’t, and we have to find a new role model.)
After listening to all the hilarious podcasts Gervais did with Merchant and their pal Karl Pilkington, we’re curious about HBO’s animated rendering of the podcast. It’ll be interesting to see if the addition of animation to an improvised radio show augments the hilarity or distracts from it. From the short clips we’ve seen so far it’s difficult to tell.
It’s certainly getting enough press – Gervais has been all over the place lately to promote his hosting stint of the Golden Globes, and never fails to mention the upcoming HBO show and the forthcoming DVD release of The Invention of Lying.
Here are a few clips – check ‘em out and let us know: are you having a laugh?
Filed under: Fun Marketing Blogs | Leave a Comment
Tags: animation, extras, flanimals, funny, gervais, ghost town, golden globes, hbo, karl pilkington, out of england, stephen merchant, the invention of lying, the office
We’re pleased to report that Asgood & Better has been contracted by an extremely promising startup in Burlington called WinWin Apps; we will be providing them with marketing strategy and communications services.
WinWin is in the testing phase now, but their launch is coming up in April. We are working with a talented designer named Corey Machanic on developing the website/interface and promotional materials for the business.
When WinWin is live, non profits and other organizations (and individuals, too) will find a slick, one-stop shop for everything from fundraising, event registration, ticketing and auction services to email communication and surveys. (And the best part? It’s gonna be basically free for users. Sweet.)
We’re looking forward to building a comprehensive strategy for this innovative business; stay tuned for more details!
Filed under: A&B News | 2 Comments
Tags: Asgood & Better, communication, design, email, event planning, fundraising, marketing, messaging, monitoring, nonprofits, registration, surveys, tracking, win win situation, winwin apps
-
Market This! is a blog about cool stuff in the worlds of marketing and popular culture. It is written (mostly) by Nathan Hartswick, co-founder of the virtually-based marketing firm Asgood & Better.
You'll find everything from commentary on ad campaigns to music and film reviews here. Check it out, subscribe, and if you're moved to do so, leave us a comment! subscribe (rss)
