The Affari Blog

So, we’re about to wrap up the first quarter of `09 and I feel inspired to write a Top Adthings of `09 blog. I think I just want to highlight some things I haven’t had time to blog about, but we’ll just call it ‘Nick’s Hotlist: 2009 Adthings‘.

Ballin’
(Adthings that have been successful or pleasing to me this year - in no particular order)

1. HIGHLIFE!
- My last blog entry was about Miller High Life’s one-second ad that was rumored to run during the Super Bowl. After it ran, my entire living room lit-up with laughter. It was perfect. Literally two commercials before it ran, a friend of mine shouted, “Hey Nick, has that one-second ad run yet?” I replied, “I don’t think so, guess we could have missed it - if it’s even real.” Literally one minute later, with this dialogue still fresh in everyone’s mind, the screen switches to a warehouse with a large man screaming “High Life”. Then it cuts off. Two seconds pass before we realize what just happened…then we erupted in laughter. The timing couldn’t have been better - love it!

2. Twitter
- Yes, I have a twitter account. Yes, everyone I know has a twitter account. Yes, every media outlet, TV show and retail outlet has a twitter account. That’s why it makes this list - I just cannot deny its buzz. Unfortunately, I’m not sold. I’m a facebook guy so updating my status on facebook is like tweeting to me. I’m not sold on the search features of twitter - it takes too long to find everyone (again).

3. Five, Five Dollar Footlongs
- Don’t act like you don’t know the song. It’s catchy - catchy like the F-R-EE-CREDIT-REPORT-dot-COM-BAY-BE commercials. It works, too. I’ve ordered more footlongs from subway in the past few months than I have in the past 5 years. Is it lunch time yet….

4. Because We’re Aliens and That’s How We Roll
- Hulu is huge. It’s awesome. Remember when you couldn’t find that scene from SNL or The Office on youtube to save your life? Those days are over. Hulu has some of the best internet content, ever. Pretty much any clip or episode of any TV show. Check out some of the SNL Digital Shorts if you get a chance. Plus, running commercials featuring Alec Baldwin and Seth Green are automatic hits.

5. Tell Me Who’s Watching
- Oh, that? That’s just the money you could be saving with Geico. You know those weird commercials with two stacks of bills with a pair of eyes on top? Those commercials made my list. Mainly because I like the techno version of that “Somebody’s Watching Me” song that they use to tag out each spot. I also like thinking about the process of selling that idea. In my head I see somebody at the agency playing around with a few stacks of bills, eventually putting eyes on it and sarcastically saying ‘we should just pitch this’….I guess I love how fun and playful it seems.

6. iPhone lite Apps
- The iPhone apps really make the phone a toy. Some of the games they have on there are impressively detailed and complex. Usually they end up costing 5 or 6 bucks. These apps usually offer lite versions that allow you to play a fraction of the game…just enough to get you hooked. I know people who purchase $5 games on the reg after playing lite versions. I’ll stick to the lite versions for now, but I love the concept: Bait `n Trap.

7. Cash4Gold.com + HammerTime
- MC Hammer has a sledgehammer made of solid gold in this commercial. Enough said.

8. Tiger
- Tiger Woods returns to the PGA tour just in time for the Masters. PGA sponsors and ad buyers can breathe easy again.

9. The NBA’s MVP Race
- Superstars are assisting the NBA as it inches back on the radar. Amazing seasons by Kobe and DWade are propelling the league while Lebron is posting one of the best seasons in NBA history. I think it’s a good thing - just not sure if it’s really an adthing…ratings are up, there.

10. PoP. oHLALA. Yo. HoWDY. ALL FoR oNE. HoPE. XoXo.
Pepsi word play is one of the most recognizable campaigns out there right now. These brightly colored ads are stamped throughout cities across the nation. You know - the outdoor campaign with hip and inspirational words that insert the new Pepsi logo for every ‘o’. I like them. They’re a fun and a quick way to roll-out the new logo (which I also like). My personal favorite? Fo SHo.

11. woot!com
- woot! is probably my favorite website > especially shirt.woot!com. woot! is a webstore that sells one item everyday. The item is usually listed at a very good price and most days items sell out. shirt.woot!com sells one tshirt each day…they’ve become a niche-guilty pleasure of mine as of late. Visit: shirt.woot!, woot!com.

Not Ballin’
(quick list of my least favorite Adthings of `09)

1. The World Baseball Classic
- Boo.

2. Sobe TV Spots
- I guess I just don’t like dancing lizards.

3. Esurance Campaigns
- I don’t think I want to buy car insurance from Kim-possible. I’d rather hang out with two stacks of cash or even that guy with the deep voice who does the All State spots.

4. Myspace
- Everything I wrote above for Twitter applies here, only the lag and creepy Live Chat ads bother me. Facebook is better at everything Myspace does. In fact, I only use myspace these days to keep up with bands I like. Myspace should just dump a bunch of money into Myspace music….or lose the HUGE, creepy ads.

5. The Word ‘Bailout’ used in the Media

Yey for Adthings. Step it up Q2!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 at 9:52 am and is filed under Advertising. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.