Cool guerrilla stunt launches TNT in Belgium

Vincent sent me this:



It's an awesome guerrilla stunt to launch the TNT network in Belgium. Awesome work by Duval Guillaume. Let's just hope it's not as staged as that Red Light District dance number.

Coke's latest ad tactic too dirty for New Orleans #FdAdFriday

Adland put me on to a New Orleans blog called NOLAFemmes, in which Coca-Cola is accused of defacing the city's Historic French Quarter and Faubourg Tremé with illegally stencilled road ads.

Blogger Lunanola writes:

"It is my opinion that the City of New Orleans is being pimped out promoted at an unprecedented level (to a degree that gives rise to what could be described as “neighborhood fatigue”). Such heavy promotion rarely occurs without unintended consequences: for example, illegal, ugly, and damaging guerrilla marketing campaigns. This kind of defacement is unconscionable and must be addressed immediately...  

Stated simply, the most significant difference between historic beauty and hazardous decay is cumulative, uninterrupted neglect. The continued degradation of the historic heart of New Orleans cannot remain unaddressed, particularly if one considers that our amazing city will be in an ever-increasing spotlight while hosting the 2013 Super Bowl and celebrating its 300th Anniversary in 2018."

I like the comment by Adland's kidsleepy better:

"It doesn't take much effort to realize why the woman would be upset. But I'll just go ahead and add more reasons to the list. Like: the lines suck. There is no idea here. And the advertising is a complete wank fest. 

If law-breaking is involved don't you think it would be worth the effort to, oh, I don't know, do something creative and smart and even conceptually relevant to the media 'buy?'"

I would just add that they should leave the outlaw marketing to real activists, and go back to exploiting polar bears and Santa Claus.

MILFs for sale #FdAdFriday

Ads of the World featured this interesting guerilla campaign by O&M Buenos Aires for womwn's organization AMMAR.

Apparently, 93% of the country's sex workers are mothers trying to make ends meet. The campaign aims to raise awareness for the need to protect these women with more progressive prostitution laws.

At first blush, however, the campaign seems like more of a way to scare clients away. Argentina's callgirls advertise using business cards left in public places. O&M created surprise fold-outs that showed the maternal reality behind the sexy promotion.

I'm not sure targeting clients is the best direct strategy, but of course these days innovative campaigns are all about indirect reach through PR and social media.

Are these golden arches untouchable?

We've seen logos done with flowers on embankments before. But with this evil-minded idea, Sean Click proposes a guerrilla form of brand creep that leaves a permanent mark on the landscape.

According to his site, he would design the logo using seeds of the California poppy, and:

"Since the California poppy is the state flower, the legislature has protected the plant. It is illegal to pick, destroy, or dig up a California poppy."

 Ha ha ha. But the joke is on Sean. Just like the trillium here in Ontario, the California poppy is no more protected than any other plant on public land. (You're not supposed to pick anything there, unless you are authorized to do so.)

Not to mention that poppies are prolific self seeders (like McDonalds, they are an invasive species in Europe). Even if left alone by state landscapers, the M would turn into a big yellow blob pretty soon anyway.

Tip via Buzzfeed