Advice for Ashton on how to make fun of Indian people

Indo-American actress Puja Mohindra has some advice for Ashton Kutcher on how to properly make fun of Indian people:



Kutcher's steretypical portrayal of "Raj" on a since-yoinked online campaign for Pop Chips has been roundly criticized on social media. But this oddball (and somewhat meandering) video is at least the most... ummm...  interesting reaction I've seen.

UPDATE: Ms. Mohindra has listened to critics of her video's pacing, and has edited a new version:

I'm a slut, Rush #FdAdFriday

Comedy music duo Reformed Whores had this response to Rush Limbaugh's characterization of all women who use birth control as "sluts":



On overhearing this song, my wife made the observation that the extremely chaste characters in the song, although used as extreme examples for maximum irony, may unintentionally send the message that some women are more or less deserving of being called "sluts" than others. Interesting point.

#PRmageddon — Post-Valentine's edition

Jezebel has a great little piece about how the big flower industry took a social media beating yesterday due to disappointing product, shabby service, and often complete failure to deliver.

Ouch! FTD may want to rethink that slogan, "say it your way". It looks like their customers already have.

As the article points out, " course, Valentine's Day floral screw-ups have probably been happening for years, but now thanks to the magic of social networking, we have an up close and personal view of the epic fails all of the major online florists seem to be experiencing at the moment."

What Jez fails to mention is the phenomenal "out" this provides to all the men with disappointed (intentionally) flowerless Valentine's dates. "I ordered it from FTD" could be the new "the cheque is in the mail".



No word on whether Teleflora caused Adriana Lima's date to sleep on the couch.

The most unintentionally hilarious metal video you'll see this week #FdAdFridays

Casey sent me this one. I was doubtful that it would be worth a 5+ minute viewing. I was wrong.



Cleveland metalheads Alternate Reality are either entirely without self-awareness or they are the next Spinal Tap.

This quote from Metal Underground suggests the latter:

"I'm extremely excited to unleash our new music video onto the world," says vocalist Steve Delchin, who plays the role of King Arthur in the video. "It's about the legend of King Arthur and his quest for the Kingdom of Metal." 

"The fact that we have two lawyers in the band is definitely unique," comments guitarist Bob Delchin, who also hosts the long-running "This Is Metal" show on Cleveland State University's WCSB radio station. "Our new video certainly has a legal flavor to it. A number of the actors appearing in the video enjoy careers in the legal field as lawyers, paralegals, and secretaries."

This is what happens when lawyers make heavy metal. Let it be a warning to you all.

F'd Ad Fridays: The breast outdoor outfitter in Ukraine

No, this isn't a post about FEMEN. But it does provide some context for why they started using their breasts as their primary medium of protest. Because if these ads for outdoor outfitter Go Free are any indication, consumers there are even more boob-obsessed than their Western counterparts.



The first ad, apparently for helmets, was featured on Copyranter this morning. I found two more on their YouTube channel.

Columbus as Creative?

I'm not sure the payoff is worth it on this short film promoting the Iberoamerican Advertising Festival, but it still rings true as a message about creative frustration.



Unfortunately, Chris's "brilliant" idea was actually terrible. Although the fact that the Earth is round was well-known in his time, he was convinced that the globe was much smaller than the ancient Greeks had calculated. Since nobody knew the Americas were there, the experts at the time assumed that the explorers would starve to death in a vast sea between Europe and Asia. Finding land in the Caribbean was pure, dumb luck. (Although he may have been tipped off about the existence of Newfoundland by Portuguese fishing fleets.)

In other words, comparing Columbus to a brave Creative is like saying we are deluded egomaniacs who occasionally, blindly, land on something we can exploit.

Hmmm...

via Ads of The World

F'd Ad Fridays: Not an ad for boots (or cats) but it should be

Kerry sent me this cool short video:



Admit it, you danced a little while watching that, didn't you? Maybe just twitched your shoulders while sitting at your desk?

Samsung Galaxy Tab ad parody is f*cking awesome

Seen this Samsung Galaxy Tab ad?



Even if you have, you've probably forgotten about it. Until now. Because someone has gone and redone the audio on it.



Result? Awesome.

Via Illegal Advertising

Yoga: not for the weak

Ads of The World's Ivan Raszl shared this online yoga ad that is guaranteed to make men and women alike feel physically inadequate:



Shot for Equinox Fitness, it features Yoga Asana instructor Briohny Smyth showing off what focus, training and discipline can do for the human body. Unbelievable.

1995 AOL commercial

Isn't that Apollo and Starbuck from the first BSG series?

In 1995, I got my first agency job (after 5 years of freelancing). This is how much things have changed since then:



I'm also amazed how crappy the ad is. The acting and production values made me worried they were about to get naked. But then again, what possible connection could you make between the internet and porn?

F'd Ad Fridays: Bottle-feeding in Vietnam

Okay, it's not an ad. But it is effed:



Jeez, dudes, breast is best!

Don't even ask how I found this. YouTube can be a scary place.

The wonderful world of David Attenborough

BBC Nature Presenter and documentary legend David Attenborough is one of my personal heroes. My nature-loving son's too. So it was sad to hear that the aged voice of nature will probably not make another show.

The BBC paid tribute to one of its legends with this compilation of breathtaking footage from some of his shows to that voice giving us a spoken-word rendition of jazz standard "What a Wonderful World":



Mr. Attenborough just recently wound up his last series, Frozen Planet. You may know it from this amazing video that is making the viral rounds:



What a wonderful world. And it's all the more wonderful when described by someone who loves it so much.