The Ex Files

Another Lite Brite Idea

Happy Jan. 31! Here's how some Boston-based artists are celebrating the one-year anniversary of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Gate.

How Low (Tech) Can You Go?

Cartoon Network/Adult Swim went decidedly low-fi to market the sixth season of cult TV show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, lest communications be mistaken for high-tech terrorist threats in this, an election year. The marketing medium: a handwritten, faxed-upon-request press release. Note to Bostonians: Any mysterious powder residue you see is likely toner, not anthrax. (bebenkamp@brandweek.com)

1st Rule of WWE's Fight Club: Do Talk About Fight Club

I'm going to blame a recent fender bender (not my fault!) for my inability to fully comprehend all the deets of WWE's multifaceted viral visit to Habbo Hotel. Sure, I could learn more, but I feel like such a perv when I roam the halls of this for-kiddies virtual community. The Jan. 21-26 activities at Habbo promote the WWE's Royal Rumble, which airs on pay-per-view this Sunday. Basically, here's what's going down:

* Habbo Hotel residents are invited to pick a WWE Superstar
* A Royal Rumble "TV commercial" airs in Habbo
* Players roam around the Hotel to promote their chosen Superstar to get votes from other residents; widgets are involved
* The top 30 Superstars are selected
* Players vote and the winner is announced "live" during an event in the Hotel Basement Lobby (Saturday, Jan. 26, 5 p.m.)
* A correlating kid--chosen through a sweepstakes--gets tix to Wrestlemania '08

Becky "Scramblehead" Ebenkamp
(bebenkamp@brandweek.com)

PS: Just to check if anyone's reading... First person to correctly identify which member of the Manson Family was nicknamed "Scramblehead" gets a prize.

The Silent Pepsi Generation

Here's a vying-to-be-viral vid on the making of a Pepsi Super Bowl commercial, which was filmed entirely in American Sign Language. (It'll be captioned for those who don't "speak" ASL.) Created by agency BBDO, the silent, 60-second ad chronicles a joke that is well-known in the deaf community. On the Scene, Los Angeles, is in charge of the YouTubery. Becky (bebenkamp@brandweek.com)

Don't Read This if you are Easily Scared...

Paramount has tapped into the Internet for teaser ads, ARGs and other experiential stuff to promote the shrouded-in-secrecy-till-last-weekend Cloverfield. Were warnings posted at some theaters in Arizona the next clue in the mysterious campaign? Nope.

A journalist noticed a sign posted on windows outside AMC theaters, warning moviegoers that they might get sick from watching Cloverfield. At first, it sounded like J.J. Abrams was following in the footsteps of the late, great William Castle, who used wacky marketing stunts to "scare" people into seats. Castle would station nurses outside theaters to hand ticketholders life insurance policies in case they "died of fright" and rigged movie seats with buzzers that went off during scary scenes. But, unfortunately, Cloverfield's creator wasn't that clever: Apparently the theaters themselves put the warnings up as there had been "some upchucking and retching" due to the horror film's handheld cam jostling.

What to Buy/Eat While High

Dude, seriously? Me, too!
signed, 1979-era Becky

Oh, My Word!

Classy! First Domino's debuts a "BFD" pizza, and now Reese's is "whipped" and "proud of it." Can't wait until some brand makes a reference to The "C" Word in an ad. Now that would be a BFD.

While the ad is on YouTube, I had more luck viewing it here.
Becky (bebenkamp@brandweek.com)

 

Led Zeppelin Jeeps

Here's something for Monday's mag. I figured I might get more entries if I posted it here, too. Becky

When we heard that a UK vehicle-branding company launched Limited Edition (seven only) Led Zeppelin Jeep Patriots "each boasting a full range of refined extras as well as stunning graphics that pay a wonderful tribute to one of the most highly regarded and documented bands" that meant just one
thing: Tagline time! Below are mine--send yours to bebenkamp@brandweek.com (or leave as blog comments so everybody can see 'em) and if I get enough for a column I'll print them later.

* Whole Lotta leg room
* Great for those daytrips to Bron-Yr-Aur
* Because you need 4WD When the Levee Breaks
* Other SUVs will be Trampled Under Foot
* Babe I'm Gonna Leave you... in my dust
* Boogie With Stu's Stick Shift
* What is and What Should Never Be
* The Lemon Song

Photo caption: Jimmy Page hands over the magick, invisible Zep Jeep keys, which once belonged to Aleister Crowley, he'll have you know.

PS to those under age 25: "Led Zeppelin" was a rock band your grandparents used to listen to while reading the Hobbit and toking on their Bicentennial bong.

Fancy Me...

Wow, look at me! I'm at the top of BW's talking-head totem pole! Not quite sure how that happened--but I'll take it!

Back soon (I hope) with some wow-inducing alt-marketing stories. I'm digging myself out from an exhaustive feature on microtargeting/microsegmentation for the mag. That'll be in Monday's ish. Becky (bebenkamp@brandweek.com)

P: Is anyone following the new Lost ARG? I thought ABC's initial foray into that terrain, 2006's The Lost Interactive Experience, was kinda assy, but I haven't had time to check out the latest online game.

May the Force be With USC

 

Recruiting people to the dark side is so much easier when you add beer to the marketing mix.

To promote the Jan. 15 DVD release of Family Guy’s Star Wars spoof Blue Harvest, Fox Home Entertainment is sending Lil’ Darth Vaders and Stormtroopers out to a dozen college bowl games and nearby bars to reach everyone from casual sports fan to full-on facepainter.

Playing to Family Guy’s base of college-age dudes, Fox is dispatching “little people” in Stewie Vader costumes to tailgating parties, where they hand out stickers, posters and masks (each side portrays one of the film/TV villains) to revelers. Materials plug joinstewiesdarkside.com, a site that touts the DVD and a sweepstakes that offers entrants a chance to get drawn into a future FG/SW spoof. The initiative launched on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl and the Cotton Bowl.

A.D.D. Marketing and Advertising, Los Angeles, created the program. “Blue Harvest” refers to a phony film title/operation that was concocted to cloak the filming of Return of the Jedi in the early ’80s.

Faster, Marketer! Shill! Shill!

With today being the start of the first full, productive week of the new year, a little Rolodex-updating project was in order. (Yes, I still have a paper version.) Well, I couldn't have been more correct, as one of the first cards I came across was a hot pink little number showcasing the digits of one "Tura Satana." Don't know her? Don't worry, she's not some mover and shaker on the brand scene. Tura was one of the three buxom beauties who starred in Russ Meyer's 1965 exploito film Faster, Pussycat! Kill, Kill! I have no idea why I have her business card. (Did we meet? If so, why don't I remember this momentous occasion?!) And more to the point, I am clueless as to why she was filed away in a sea of marketers, consultants and agency types. I guess this cleaning stuff does have merit.

Welcome back, everyone. I will be back very soon with some real alt-marketing chatter. If you've got something cooking, drop me a line anytime at bebenkamp@brandweek.com

PS: Tura's Web site is www.turasatana.com if you wanna check her out.