Which one of these is not like the others...

in

Long week for me as we head into the end stretch, but there were some interesting or instructive ads that I wanted to point to. Each one could have it's own post, but don't have the time for that, so I'll give you the ad infinitum version. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSQozWP-rM&feature=player_embedded]

Wow. Great production values, I wonder how much they spent on this ad?  Good ad, tells a story, is unexpected and clever, love the iPadish display of Wall St.  Makes me almost believe what they're saying.  Funny how much more powerful a story can be than straight facts. Also I appreciate that they stuck with the concept and subtitled the ad rather than doing it in english.  Top stuff here.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb8jH-cVti8&feature=player_embedded]

A really clever execution, following one woman through her life and how Sharron Angle would effect her. Great graphic design behind the woman.  Wonderful ad.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNzwehop3ns]

This ad is a gimmick, and serves as a great contrast to the two earlier ads. While the others have a concept that accentuates the message, the opera frame in this ad basically goes... nowhere.  It's like two ads in one, yes you get the nice pay off at the with the face the music line, but really, it feels like a lot of sound and fury signifying... not much. If they really followed the concept, the singer would have sung an aria about Fiorina, that would have been awesome and also appropriate -- the tragedy of HP.

Four Ads, six words each.

in

There's a slew of ads that I've been looking at for a few days now to post something about.  In the spirit of ad infinitum, rather than caught up saying the perfect thing about each of them, I wanted to pass them along.  Taking Six Word Memoirs as inspiration, I decided to try and limit my comments to six words each. I wish I had six ads, there's more symmetry there, but never let the perfect be the enemy of the good: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BfjpU_yHw0&feature=player_embedded]

"Wasn't as harsh as I thought." Or "Serious sin?  A prostitute? Say it."

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eioIyFv9gHw&feature=player_embedded]

"Good quotes. But over the top."

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP48TzxZuzQ]

"Interesting idea. Mediocre execution. Pretty good."

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0mp99eEaic&feature=player_embedded]

"Clever. Cute? Good script. Ok execution."

"A friend did this, pretty clever."

Get what you pay for

in

Bear with me, this is my first post on my iPad, and I can't figure out how to paste the video into the post other than this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4IQ_kj9eDM&feature=youtube_gdata

[Editor's note: What do you know it worked. Go iPad.]

DCCC announced it's target states and this :30 ditty. I like the idea of the contract on America, and they deliver an incredible amount of information in thirty seconds. But I find the execution incredibly pedestriation and overdone. [Editor's note 2: The site that pointed me to said said it was a thirty when in fact it is :50, still a lot of information, but not nearly as impressive as I thought.]

The music is way over the top, and for a spot without VoiceOver, music is especially important.

The spot was obviously done on the cheap no v/o, simple pictures and graphics, probably cost no more than $3-$4K.

Sometimes you get what you pay for I guess.

Ad Infinitum: Hard to believe

in

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIAGXvAjQiE] I think these quick ad checks are going to become more common as there are more ads out there, and my time to post becomes less and less.

Great ad in my opinion.  Hard to believe it's only 30 seconds, it tells such a powerful story.  Nice visuals, good juxtaposition of the CG's on the screen adding depth and the voices of the people. It's a small thing, but a big pet peeve, but I hate it when the words on the screen match the voice over.  Here they complement each other, and the one time they match (over Foley's line) works well -- the exception that proves the rule.

This ad reminds me of the famous Ted Kennedy ad attacking Milt Romney in 1994.  It always great when you can turn your opponents strength into a weakness.

Ad Infinitum: Or stuff I want to post, but don't have the time to talk about

in

You may find it hard to believe, but I really think about what I want to write about each week. It takes time and energy, both to find an ad that interests me, but then to actually figure out why it interests me and put those thoughts down on paper. In any given week, there might be 2, 3, 4, 5 other videos or ads I see that I think are worth showing, but I don't have the time, energy, or clarity of thought to actually write something insightful about.  But, yesterday a friend suggested I start a micro-blog, call Ad Infinitum.  As he called it, “Immediate Ads Catching My Eye Right Now." (For reference, this is the same friend who's Daisy ad I dissed on in my previous post).

So as a new feature, welcome to Ad Infinitum.  With thanks to my friend, here's an interesting piece he sent me:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pqwidkN9_I&feature=player_embedded]

As a Ward One resident, I like this guy, the video feels real and authentic, even if they lose the gimmick half way through.

Here's the original:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qLSITd6_Ug]