Wear our product OR ELSE

Question: How do you make a 22-year-old guy fear the consequences of unprotected sex?

Answer: Have him spend a weekend babysitting my children, one of which is going through wake-up-at-3am-and-scream-mommy and daddy-phase.

Well Durex, a top name in condoms, not too long along ago put the age-old truth of kids being the ultimate deterrent to having kids into action. Their motivation, of course, was to sell some product. The video below explains how they combined this well-established scare tactic with today's technology. They basically created a Baby App where through some "unprotected" contact with another smartphone, your iPhone would find itself giving birth to a child. "Wahhhhhh!" Like all babies, this little guy would cry late at night, need morning feedings, want tickling, cuddling, burping... all the joys of parenthood, all the time.

Now to become baby-free, you simply had to head to your local pharmacy, find a Durex package and take a picture of a QR code located on it. All in all, this is a really well-thought out idea. My favorite part being how one friend knocks up another. It's not only the ultimate motivator for condom-use, but the ultimate way to violate your buddy's iPhone. Hate to think what their STD App might look like. 

One Shoe, Many Looks

"Hold on, I'm swapping shoe covers," is probably a phrase I will never actually utter. However, this new footwear concept by Podi is still quite ingenious.

Instead of buying countless shoes for countless occasions and color schemes, you can purchase just one and then accessorize it with a variety of covers. Simply zip off the old, and zip on the new. Podi also gives you the option to express your own artistic flair in their Tattoo Parlor. Create your own one-of-a-kind shoe or design a new one for each day of the week... Monday's being beige and boring, of course.


Whether it's those beat-up Chuck Taylors you refuse to take off or a fancy-pants pair of fire-engine red Manolo Blahniks, shoes have always been a way to show off one's personality. Podi has a wonderful, bank-statement friendly method of letting that trend continue. Their line, as of right now, does not have great breadth, but I imagine they'll continue to add to it. And while these may not be a hit at your local plumber's union, I think a certain teenie-boppin' crowd should jump for joy over them. And perhaps their moms, too.

Also, here's a fun commercial shot in my hometown for these very shoes.

Approved by YiaYia

From Kellogg's Tony the Tiger to All State's Mayhem Guy, 
advertisers have long searched for interesting characters to help define their brand.  Athenos, a Kraft line of Greek foods, has now entered that domain.

Her name is YiaYia (pronounced yaya.) And technically, she's not one character. Yiayia is the Greek word for grandmother and in this new campaign, each spot features yet another Yiayia. As you'll see, Yiayia comes from a different time, place and culture. She speaks her mind. And just about the only thing she might agree with you on is your enjoyment of Athenos hummus.

Oh, and she just might call you a "prostitute" if your cocktail dress shows off too much knee.

The spots were meant to go viral. And while they may have not achieved huge success in that goal, I find them very well done. Yiayia makes me laugh. She seems like a character you could really do a lot with it. And the idea behind these spots is clever. They also create a nice feeling and connection with Athenos, a name that until now just felt like any other brand of hummus. Opa to that! Now let's go throw some plates.

Excuse Me, Are Your Pants On Fire?

While many of the images in this new Wrangler campaign fall into the dubious category of WTF, overall I have to commend their spirit of "let's try to be different."  From lighting their jean models on fire to throwing them out windows, they've taken the typical fashion shoot and really blown it to pieces.

As a brand with heritage in the stunt person world, especially old cowboy movies, Wrangler can justify the craziness of it all, too. Certainly the creatives behind this campaign may have simply been motivated by the idea of having fun with explosives, but perhaps developing a modern version of their stunt legacy better explains it.

For those who see Wrangler only as the jeans Brett Favre wears,
it offers up a new perspective. Take one look and it's pretty easy to see this is not your retired quarterback's pants. It's bold. It's eye-catching. And it has a great behind-the-scenes story. Check it out in the video below.

Whether you view Wrangler's latest evolution of We Are Animals as a stunt work of art or just a stunt, it certainly works to grab your attention by exploring a unique approach in the fashion arena.

7 Billion Peeps

Pretty soon the global population will hit a whopping 7 billion. 

So what exactly does it mean? How should we think about that number? Does the 7 billion number include the cast of the Jersey Shore or are they classified as a separate species?

Well, National Geographic, as they do, is taking a deep dive into this number. And to get the word out, they've put together a couple of very interesting videos. The first one takes a collection of statistics and facts to give some perspective both on the number 7,000,000,000 and our overall population growth. Created with only type and graphics, this video really sparked my interest to see more of what National Geographic has to offer on this subject.

They also asked the question: "Of these 7 billion peeps, what does the typical one look like?"

Is it a he?  A she? What's the age?  

How much money do they make? 

Do they listen to Katy Perry? 

Are they lucky enough to share Charlie Sheen's Adonis DNA? 

Take a look at the second video, where they attempt to answer those questions, well not all of them. This video, as you'll see, carries the same type treatment as the first. With the use of statistics, it delivers an interesting picture of who that typical person is... and then literally shows us his/her picture. Pretty cool.