I haven’t had a chance to investigate this further, but I’m definitely noticing a trend with hands being used as a canvas for art and for advertising. What could be the underlying impetus for this wave? Inspired by body art in general, tattoo art? Or, is it that in our blasé -ness for all ordinary medium, hands are presenting a fresh… face? Do hands add a more “human” touch to the product presentation? Whatever the inspiration behind this trend, I like it!
For example, this Animated Hands collection called “Animani” from the artist Mario Mariotti

And this campaign by AT&T:

I love the simple and oh-so clear visuals of this campaign. Even if trying to have any addict make the switch from a venti-caramel-frappuccino-with-whip to a green tea that one needs to prepare themselves is quite the stretch, the campaign still has merit.  It  does illustrate the consequences of drinking the Starbucks frothy brews very effectively. It simple and clever and highly visual. Might just take Celestial Seasonings a little time to meet their converts…

For those of us not born with a laptop on our laps… It took me a second to realize that there was something incongruous with these images. The younger set might never notice…
This campaign announces that broadband television is now eligible for the Primetime Emmys.

Maybe it’s my “duh” but it never occurred to me that the Adidas brand was actually named after a specific person.  I love this Adidas campaign. There is nothing better than a real story to make a brand come to life and have it mean something.

Enjoy!

Humor at work to create a memorable and effective campaign. We immediately understand that this radio station – which will most likely be remembered in the viewer’s mind – is one that will inspire you to groove and rock.  Too clever.

via longtail.com

I’ve been seeing lots of interactive Christmas games this season (you’ve probably seen the Elf Yourself game by Office Max? That’s actually a cute one too although it takes foooooooorrrrreeeeeeever to load). In an attempt to be humorous or flippant, I found most agencies that put out these rich media cards or games have created perfectly distasteful work, focusing on bodily functions (yes, we have seen ALL of it, pooping elves included). I may sound prudish and old fashioned here, but I don’t think that one needs to focus one bodily waste or sawing off reindeer’s head to be funny. [...]

Leave it to 3iying, an all-girl strategic and creative think tank that helps mass-scale brands become more relevant to girls (aged 15 to 23).Today most of the marketing that targets young females is rooted in ideas that actually turn off the very audience they to which they are looking to appeal.  In their words:
“If we, as an industry, want to be professionally accountable to brands and their investors then we have an obligation to make a change. Over the past couple of years 3iying has watched countless girls be turned off by media that directly targets them. They flip past [...]

I have a 10 year old daughter. I understand. And living in Las Vegas, where the “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas” mentality is now pushing behavior and all visuals beyond the limit of what is acceptable, I get the importance of this campaign.
I do talk to my daughter on a regular basis, telling her that she should not think, for a single second, that she ever needs to look like those undressed-surgery-enhanced women that adorn billboards and the back of taxicabs here in Las Vegas.
Please talk to your daughters and pass this on to anyone who has a [...]

I love the concept of using personas to convey the personalities of brands or products and how these should resonate with their intended target markets.  We all saw how Apple did such a great job of these with the Mac and PC personas. Brilliant and I always look forward to seeing the new ads as they are released. I love all the tacky puns.
Here’s a European version of another persona representation.  As you are watching this,  try guessing who the actor  represents.

Pure genius! And, where did they find this actor?
Via  if.psfk.com