Articles from AdWeek Advertising and branding

Primary tabs

Diversity PSA Misses the Mark by Saying Two-Man Luge Is 'a Little Gay'

Prepping for a two-man luge race looks like two dudes humping, says a new PSA from a Canadian equal rights group protesting Russia's anti-gay laws ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The spot, created for the Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion by agency Rethink Canada, shows a pair of spandex-clad sledders rocking back and forth before launching down the track, all to the tune of synth pop classic "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League.

These Snacks Taste Sweet as a Bag of Kittens and Puppies in Odd British Ads

In a loopy but memorable attempt to symbolize the sweetness of its biscuits and tea-cakes, McVitie's new British TV campaign shows cute, cuddly critters emerging from its snack packages. Ordinary folks open their boxes and out pop puppies, kittens and, most disconcertingly, a wide-eyed, Yoda-like primate called a tarsier. (They're getting pretty lax down at the packaging plant, I guess.) The snackers, unfazed, snuggle with their new furry friends, which vanish once the biscuit-munching begins. Oh, and classic TV themes—from Murder She Wrote, Fawlty Towers and the U.K.

Sites I Visit Are Now Following Me on Twitter, and It's Super Creepy

Yesterday, I had a turkey and ham sandwich for lunch. I know that's incredibly uninteresting, which is why I didn't mention it online. But then, 30 minutes after browsing their menu, @FirehouseSubs followed me on Twitter. That afternoon, I was researching some Shorty Awards winners from recent years (again without mentioning anything about it online), and 30 minutes later, @shortyawards followed me on Twitter.

Diet Dew Helps You Hunt Ducks with Dale Jr. and Rail-Grind a Horse

One of my favorite ads from Super Bowl night actually ran before and after the game, when Diet Mountain Dew bought some slightly discounted time for its new spot, "Dale Call." We see a duck hunter pull out his trusty turbo-powered call, which sounds like a Nascar engine and summons Dale Earnhardt Jr., regardless of location or time of day. I can't think of too many scenarios where that would be useful, which might be why it's a bat signal solely reserved for duck hunters.

Where Teens Spend Their Time Online When Not on Facebook

Despite reports that young people are moving away from Facebook, they’re still using the social network in big numbers—fully 66 percent of people 14-34 say they’re frequent users, according to The Cassandra Report, Fall/Winter 2013 edition. Further, usership rises as people get older, suggesting that the youngest teens aren’t moving away from Facebook as much as using other platforms along with it. Nevertheless, other platforms are challenging its dominance, chiefly YouTube, which is frequently used by 68 percent of those 14-34.

Flickr Flips Its 'About' Page Upside Down, Revealing Fossilized Job Ad in the Source Code

Back in the aughts, when Google wanted to recruit developers, it famously put up a billboard with a complex math problem that led to a website with an even more complex math problem. Last year, when Flickr, owned by Yahoo, wanted to recruit developers, it less famously hid a link to its jobs site in the page's source code—which unlike some superhuman math problem, any old muppet from the non-coder underclass can access using the menu bar or keyboard hotkeys. Last week, the buried ad—"You're reading.

Tegan and Sara Sing the Latest Oreo Commercial, and It's Pretty Great

I never thought I'd hear Tegan and Sara in an Oreo commercial, but I also never thought Tegan and Sara would make bouncy dance pop, so everything's up in the air at this point. The Canadian duo provided a pretty awesome version of the "Wonderfilled" jingle for this "Dare to Wonder" ad from The Martin Agency (it first aired during the Grammys) promoting a series of limited-release Oreo flavors including berry, peanut butter, lemon and mint.

Ad of the Day: Newspaper Brilliantly Re-enacts Scenes From Art, Music and Film in One Take

In marketing, sometimes the greatest obstacle to greatness can be attempting to re-create greatness. Advertising seems to know only how to cheapen art, making it incredibly rare to find an homage that doesn't feel like a commercialized cardboard cutout of the original. So it was ambitious enough for The Sunday Times and agency Grey London to attempt this ad devoted to iconic moments in art, music and film. But then they doubled down by choosing to create one seamless take that brings each of these masterworks to life.