Workspace Ozzfest
‘I’m the f&*%ing Prince of Darkness!’ Who wouldn’t want their computer to greet them like that? You could soon experience something along those lines thanks to a new animated ‘Desktop Ozzy’ produced by new media company Skinkers, of London, U.K., to promote season two of The Osbournes on MTV in the U.K.
Fans can download the co-branded desktop suite from the show’s Web site and get gossip, swearing, live news and even a Jack-and-Kelly-fighting game. Watch miniature Ozzy lurk over your documents like that annoying paper clip in Microsoft Word – only this ‘assistant’ scratches his crotch instead of outlining how to format documents.
Where O-O-H meets desperation
Unemployed and looking for work in the ad industry? Give yourself some big exposure by posting your resumé on a billboard, just like German advertising expert Marco Duehrkopp. The jobless German received about 100 job offers after he posted his biz qualifications across nine square metres of space in the busiest media district of Hamburg, Germany. Though most of the responses were for door-to-door sales jobs, he said there were ‘a couple of very interesting offers.’
Tom Cruise: crank caller
How cool would it be to pick up your cell phone and find Tom Cruise on the line? Alas, most of us will never know. But a few hundred Brits found out last month when they heard the Hollywood heartthrob breathing heavily and screaming: ‘Where’s my minority report?’ It was actually a film clip, timed to promote the video and DVD release of Minority Report in the U.K. via the increasingly popular medium of mobile phone advertising.
No word on whether they spilled their tea or dropped their crumpets, but nearly two dozen recipients of the phone ads ratted out the film’s distributor, complaining to the British Advertising Standards Authority that Tom’s febrile rant had upset them.
The message wasn’t heard in Canada, says Kelly St. Onge, director of publicity and promotions for Universal Home Video. ‘We’ve looked into this [technique] and…it doesn’t seem to be practical yet in Canada. But we definitely might use something like this in the future.’
Eight ball, corner pocket
New York-based Encompass Outdoor Media – the people who brought us coffee-cup and pizza-box advertising – are now offering up ad space directly on pool tables, and even on the pool balls themselves.
Pool tables are usually located in bars – so it’s ideal for hitting up the 21-to-24 crowd. Encompass says the top advertising categories are liquor, entertainment, automotive and, where permissible by law, smokes do well too – dirtcheapcig.com, for instance, is already taking part.
But do logos imprinted on the green felt break your concentration in a heated game? ‘Absolutely not,’ says Encompass partner Don Winter.
Outrageous fortune
You’ve just finished a good batch of almond soo guy and chicken fried rice and you crack open your cookie, hoping the fortune inside will inspire you to go after your dreams. But you can’t help but be disappointed when the fortune reads: ‘Never wear your best pants when you go to fight for freedom.’
Now, advertisers can do a little fortune inspiration of their own by placing ads on the backs of cookie fortunes. Buzzmarketing of Media, Penn. (yes, Media) has scored exclusive ad rights to more than seven million cookies a week in the U.S. – reaching more people than Time magazine reaches on a weekly basis. (Encompass Outdoor is also exploring the fortune cookie ad route.)
It’s a good medium to break through clutter, according to Buzzmarketing, since the fortunes get 96% readership – and people tend to discuss their fortunes with others at the table.
With files from Terry Poulton
