The world belongs to the young, but how young

It's sad but true. The world does belong to the young and it's getting younger as I am writing this post. Take for example the leader of the free world, Barak Obama was elected at 47, Sergey Brin founded Google at 25, Mark Zuckerberg lunched Facebook at 20, Shawn Fanning is famous for developing Napster at 18 and... They may not all rule the world but you must agree the world does belongs to them. Two days ago my wife was putting my 3.5 years old daughter Romi to bed. Right after she finished reading her a bed time story, my daughter turn to her (wearing her pj's with a dummy in each hand) and said: "Mumy, do you want me to explain to you how to rule the world?" Now my first reaction was probably the same as yours, laughter. But when I regained consciousness I realized something. What if while we are laughing our heads off my 3.5 years old daughter is thinking of the next big thing OR she really is thinking of how to rule the world.
Dr. Evil, watch your back

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's a bunny

Know your facts I say. As kids you surly heard from your mom, more than once, the phrase: "Count to ten before you talk". Well apparently some of us didn't listen. Everyone that works or ever worked in advertising knows you must check the facts before publishing anything. I guess Geler Nesis (the ad agency who's in charge of the latest fiasco) didn't think it is necessary. A few weeks ago I've notice a really curious teaser for a new campaign. In the teaser you sew a hare (bunny) with a tag line saying: "Jonathan 35, Raanana", that's all. I found it quiet amusing and intriguing. A few day ago I saw the campaign it self... the same cute bunny appears and underneath some pills and a new tag line saying: "Don't be a guinea pig, buy only subscription medicine", which in Hebrew, the saying is with Hyrax (comes from Greek meaning, shrew mouse, a bunny of a sort without the big ears), instead of a guinea pig. So basically it is like saying: "Don't be a Guinea pig" and use a rat as the main visual.
It's beginning to happen on a weekly basis, that I find myself writing about "Fuck ups" of the Israeli ad agencies. I think we've all had enough being their Guinea pigs.
So next time you guys have a great creative thought, please count to ten

Creative of the week

Face off

Once again our country's leadership is trying it's best to make this place a worst place to live in. This time it's a third coal powered electric power station that's about to be built. Of course most of the people here are oblivious to what is going on or they just don't care anymore. But some of us still do care, not from Zionist reasons but because we still live here. So, Greenpeace Israel came out with a different and creative way to protest, not in the streets and not by chasing boats at sea but in a respectable art gallery. They took celebs and shot them buried in coal.
I must admit some of the photos look amazing regardless of the cause. Greenpeace went even further and put up a web site in which everybody can upload his or hers picture and take part of this protest. But still I think (I believe that Greenpeace do to otherwise they wouldn't have come up with the web site) with all due respect to the celebs it's the real people that should take part in this campaign because they will be the ones who will suffer the most.
That's why I got my little one to join, so at least she can say she is fighting for her future

Creative of the week

Reversal of fortune

Who would have thought. We all know the phrase (I even used it here before): Sex Sells. Through the years we have seen sex being used for advertising all sorts of things from lingerie to cars and even food. It's true recently it has diminished substantially but didn't really disappear completely. But I have got to admit, I was quite surprised when I stumbled upon this print campaign for a web site that deals in live sex chats and other explicit sexual content. Now, this campaign not only doesn't use sex upfront, it actually doesn't use sex at all! What can I say? I am not so sure this ad is very understandable or will even do the job, but I do know it made me look at the site, but hey, I work for the competitors. So I will let you be the judge of that

The Social? Network

On Thursday I saw the talked about movie "The social network", I must admit I was positively surprised. The movie was well made. Great unknown cast (well except J.T maybe) the story is obviously great and even the music worked. It's seldom that a movie sticks with me for more than a day, but this one still does. I admit, the man is an amazing genius and even though he may or may not come up with the idea by himself (i.e Bill Gates) he still created a world changing platform, but... at what cost? The thing that still puzzles me is the fact that he started this as a social thing in which he could basically get some sort of a social life and maybe his girl back in the process (the one he so vividly dist' on his blog). So why the hell and for what reason did he have to fuck his best and only friend.
The same friend who gave him the algorithm for his first site, the only one who put out with his bullshit the all time, the one who believed in him and the one who financed the all thing to begin with.
Well... I think if he is such a genius let him try and explain this, if not to me at least to the world. Because if money is not the object, and friends aren't defiantly it, what is it then...boredom

enough.h.h.h.h.h

It's days like these that make me feel ashamed to be in advertising. Once is a fluke, twice can be coincidence but ... even here on May 20, I posted another copied campaign but this time, not only is it copied but from a running campaign that actually won a prize at Cannes festival (so there is no chance they didn't see it before) but also copied by a leading ad agency here in Israel. I say there has to be a limit to dis'ing us, yes us I am a customer as well as an advertiser. But hey, you be the judge

The original
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUFnH7KYMFE&feature=share

The copy
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=452344512965&comments

Try to enjoy

Creative of the week

Truth be told

I am luck, I have a nephew who leaves in Canada (that's not why I am lucky) he is a young, cool student who thank god is connected to everything that's out there, so every now and then I hear through him of something new (new to me that is) which I should have heard before but DIDN'T! See wolfatadoor's blog in my Blogbuster.
A short while a ago he had told me about a group called The Yes Men. This group claims to deal with Identity Corrections, which basically means (by their own words): "Impersonating big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them". The first time I read this tag-line I fell in love with this group. Of course criminals by their definition are major companies which put profits over anything else, that means the earth, it's inhabitants and so on and so fourth. The thing I love the most (being an advertiser that is) is the fact that they use the exact stage the companies do in order to inflict their damage. Now, if you live in Israel you are not really exposed to most of their work but I am sure you will agree with me that we can supply tons of work for them here.
So go visit them at http://theyesmen.org and start saying no

Creative of the week

Just doing it

No I am not talking about my new job this time, I am talking about the thing I am most passionate about: Basketball. Well after my family, which of course I am the most passionate about. But then Basketball, well OK after sex, but that's it. Hmmm... and after advertising and maybe good restaurants. But yes, Basketball is definitely the thing I am most passionate about. Every week I play with friends in a far away Basketball court which takes me 40 minutes to reach and 20 minutes to return (no traffic at night) and still I do this every week. So what is it then that makes us so passionate about some thing more than others and makes us do almost anything to make them happen?
For me at least, it's all to do with things that make you feel free. Not free in the sense of personal freedom but more in the sense of freeing your mind. A thing that makes you not think of anything but the act itself. Last night I Played Basketball like I do every Tuesday and I had some pretty nice moves. After the game the effect on me was so powerful that it seems like all the drive back my mind was numb and completely at peace (no there is no hidden political message here nor against drugs) I just wanted to see if you are passionate about anything else but my new job

The world after solitaire

I still can't get use to the idea. Usually when you're at work somewhere and you have a bit of free time, you sometimes choose to use it for playing solitaire or surfing the web for porn. Of course you try to do it under the radar. Now if the boss is around, you do your best to hide it well and act busy. Today I set down with my new boss, the company's C.E.O (a really nice guy), it was my first day, so he wanted to show me the ropes. He started going through the company's sex chat sites while explaining to me the company's future changes which I am a part of. You must admit, this is all very surreal. But, I also found it very refreshing. Not the sex sites, (although they can be very refreshing), but the all change of atmosphere, different people, different clients and overall different work. I mean sure, you still have to be highly creative (which I am, sorry for not being very modest) but the outlet will be completely different. Now, instead of selling stuff using sex I will sell sex using different stuff.
I feel this is a beginning of a beautiful friendship