You probably remember the absolutely epic ad from Nike last year, featuring Shawne Merriman and Steven Jackson. This year, there's another installment, featuring Troy Polamalu and LaDanian Tomlinson. This year's version isn't nearly as awesome as last year's, mainly because Tomlinson kind of sucks this year and I thought Polamalu was a girl for the first half of the video, not to mention that the ending isn't open-ended, but whatever: it's cool and deserves to be mentioned. The ad follows the two from birth - no, really - all the way through school, Pop Warner, college, and NFL superstardom. It climaxes with the two colliding, but I won't spoil the secret of who won.

Link

On October 10th 2008, Youtube introduced full-length network television shows interpsersed with advertising, right on the heels of pleasing music companies on October 7th by integrating retailers like Amazon and iTunes with click-to-buy buttons.

According to New York Times, Youtube made a deal with CBS (go CBS!) to introduce “Dexter,” “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Star Trek” although I couldn't find Dexter on CBS's full episode playlists and I found Mac Gyver.

If you're used to watching full episodes of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, South Park, Prison Break, The Office, Grey's Anatomy then you know how this works.

The video ads you see on television roll before, in-between, and after the TV show. You can't scroll out the ads; clicking on the video during the ad takes you to the sponsor's website. Youtube added a Theater View feature that enlarges the video and darkens the rest of the screen. You can still go full screen unlike some network TV web sites.

So, what could the implications of Youtube adding TV shows with ads be?

1. More entertainment at office.
2. Youtube becomes a stronger competitor to Netflix. (Netflix made a deal with CBS to stream modern shows like Numb3rs and CSI last month link)
3. Networks could cast niche shows on Youtube that didn't make economical sense before.
4. Media planning becomes more dynamic; at least in a small pie of broadcast there's more precise viewer statistics now.
5. To be a better creative brand manager, communication strategist, media planner, copy writer, art director, and adfilm director we'd have to be "in the online state of mind". Expect more actionable spots.
6. Your webmaster and your video commercial people must be bffs (for the uninitiated, that's best friends forever). If someone clicks through the youtube ad to your Web site, they better get the impression that you were expecting them and know where they came from and make them feel comfortable. A link to www.domainname.com won't be enough.
7. On the other hand, many brand messages don't require that you click to go to a Web site. I see many ads I would like to go back to, it is not important to me when I see it, but some other time I think, "Hey I saw an ad for this thing that I'm considering to buy, damn, I don't quite remember when they said the sale ends; wish I knew." Here there's an opportunity for a bookmarking company. Delicious, Reddit, Digg and the ilk should start thinking about helping us out here. Imagine Youtube integrates your favourite bookmarking tool so while you are watching a commercial that is semi-interesting you hit any key on your keyboard and the ad or link is saved without disturbing you. Youtube would please advertisers even more.
8. Projecting the future on the basis of Google's intent with its deal with NBC to sell ads on NBC's behalf for NBC's cable channels like MSNBC, Oxygen and the Sci Fi network, you can see that Google will become a stronger player in the video ad sales business. While I don't think I understand the intricacies enough to suggest that this threatens network companies, I think it's a good news for producers. If you are a small, independent yet professional producer who believes you can make good content but tired of pitching your shows to TV giants who ask you to "suit it for the masses" then try Youtube with ads. I once worked for a start-up production company in India started by a bunch of inspirational intellectuals capable of content a lot smarter than they were producing for national TV. I think it is imperative that Youtube enables independent producers to insert ads in their content just like Adsense to keep the You in Youtube relevant. I have no doubt Google is thinking about that (and I don't mean ads in each and every video).
9. Are you an ad salesman? Google will probably be hiring hundreds more soon.
10. While all that is awesome, the big issue for Google is how they maintain the internet without borders. Most of the comments to the Youtube blog post about the news bicker about the feature available only in the US. Sure, international media rights licensing can be very complicated that doesn't allow Youtube to open this out to the world. But netizens don't care about it, why should they, it is the INTERNET stupid.

People, what other implications do you think are possible? Do you agree/disagree with the ones here?

After weeks of negative ads against Senator Obama Sentor John McCain has to stand up for Barrack Obama. In a townhall meeting Senator John McCain had to correct several of his followers after the effect of his negative ads.

I like the Greens' little girl poster. But I knew someone had done it before. My old art director Elwyn Pugsley reminds me it was us! - for the Board of Trustees Election campaign 20 years ago.

1988 - Department of Education

 2008 - Green Party

I'm not accusing the Greens of bubonic plagiarism. (A phrase I pinched from Austin Mitchell.) Most creative people are too proud to steal ideas.

More than likely, it's just a case of two people downloading from the ether the same logical solution to a similar brief.

I remember our little girl was found by director Gaylene Preston for our TV ad. She'd now be old enough to be the Green girl's mother. It looks like she might be!

PROPOSED UPDATE

While I'm casting nasturtiums at the Greens, excuse me if I amend their ad slightly to clarify the effects of their economic policy...

Morgens zum Bleistift. Morgens ist, das muss ich wohl erläuternd vorweg schicken, die Zeit vom Aufschlagen der Augen is zu Latte Nummer 4. Morgens also geht es los mit Körperteile sortieren und diese hinsichtlich Funktionsbeschreibung in ein geordnetes Zusammenspiel zu überführen. Man sollte meinen, dass ein Logistikzentrum mit je zwei Beinen, Armen und Augen schon arg feordert ist. Aber scheint meistens zu klappen. Zumindest höre ich erfreulich wenig Unfallberichte aus meinem Bekanntenkreis.  Bei uns ist das etwas...hmmm... anders. Wobei ich nicht sicher sagen kann, ob es zu viele Extremitäten sind oder zuviele desorganisierte Schaltzentralen, die sich um die Koordination meiner Sinneswahrnehmungen prügeln. Fakt ist: Irgendwie passt da was nicht.

So wird der Gang in die Küche zu meiner kleinen, heißen Süssen bereits im Ansatz zur Fahrt ins Ungewisse. Zwar war die Türzarge gestern nichts breiter, dennoch aber: Bodycheck. Aua! Immerhin, ein wenig wacher macht der plötzliche Schmerz. Mit dem nackten, eh schon malträtierten Zeh noch kurz unters Türblatt eingefädelt,  stehe ich drei Stolperschritte später mit verzerrtem Gesichtsausdruck vor der Maschine. Nun aber alle zusammen: Nachdenken, konzentrieren, feinmotorische Bewegungsabläufe initiieren. Klappt ganz passabel. Beim Herausdrehen des Siebträgers aus dem Bajonett knallt mir das Sieb mit dem finalen Prütt von heute nacht auf den Boden. Da mein Fuß ohnehin schon stark in Mitleidenschaft gezogen ist, suche ich ihn reflexartig vor neuem Unheil zu schützen. Ein fast schon elegant zu nennender Sidestep bringt den gewünschten Erfolg, dank eines die Bewegung nicht ganz auffangenden linken Unterams die nahezu volle Milchtüte aber gleichfalls zum Sturz.

Ich könnte ein wenig Wasser auf den Fußboden schütten, dann wären alle Zutaten dort vereint.

Für meine Verhältnisse unfallfrei gelingen mir die nachfolgenden Handgriffe. Espresso ins andere Sieb, Träger ins Bajonett zimmern, Milchtüte aufheben und Rest-Flüssigkeit ins Gals entleeren. Alles prima. Bis hierher. Zwei Knöpfe, jeden Morgen zwei Knöpfe. Und doch, die Vielzahl an Verwechslungsmöglichkeiten erstaunt mich immer wieder. Statt heißem Dampf zischt nicht minder heißes Wasser aus der Düse, statt Milchschaum im Glas moderne Milchkunst im Umkreis von nahezu einem Meter. Um den GAU noch in einem zu bewältigenden Rahmen zu halten, schnellt mein Finger auf den Kippschalter. Den falschen. Nun pröddelt, sabbert, blubbert und pfurzt mein Espresso aus dem Sieb, ungeachtet des Umstandes, das sich kein Behälter darunter befindet...

Etwa 15 Minuten später halte ich eine phantastische Latte macchiato in Händen. Und, wen wunderts - wir genießen sie in stiller Eintracht.

41 million dollar TV ad writen/produced/directed by Baz Luhrmann. According to the ad, in order to enjoy life to the fullest, sometimes we need to get away [to Australia] and re-connect with nature.

This ad (along with an Asian version launched in Shanghai) ties in with Luhrmann's latest film 'Australia', due to be launched next month, which has been descibed as a 90 min ad for his come country Not only does the theme of outback romance carry thorugh, but the same aborigini boy is used in the ads as well as the film.

No doubt the critics with have a field day with the sentimentlity and extravagent film-making ...and the timings not great (right in the middle of a recession) but I think its incredble. I love it. It's beautiful and it certainly strikes a chord with me. It's a 90 sec epic and every ad should be like this.

Ad on second thoughts maybe it isn't such bad timing. Afterall, if there's one good thing to come out of the credit crunch its got to be that we are starting to question our relationship with money and the way we spend our time. It might be just the right time to remind everyone that there's a lot more to life (they'll just have to save up, in the meantime, to realise it)  ;)

more here

1. Yahoo! Local Clothing -- Fredericksburg VA

   Yahoo! Local Clothing -- Fredericksburg VA. Hyperion Espresso. Homecare America. Dancer's Wardrobe ...

   local.yahoo.com/rss/browse?csz=Fredericksburg+VA&ycat=96936071

2. Topless Dancers Face New Dress Code In Va.

   CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) - Starting in July, the dancers at two clubs in Chesapeake ... last August found that a Virginia law prohibiting lewd conduct at establishments ...

   www.wtopnews.com/?nid=600&sid=1366206

3. WTOPnews.com

   Washington's only all-news radio station with traffic and weather together every ten minutes ... Topless Dancers Face New Dress Code In Va. 03/16/2008 2:06pm ...

   www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=527&arc=25&timex=1205647200

4. Historic Fredericksburg, Virginia - Specialty

   Specialty stores in historic downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia. ... Irish Eyes of Virginia. 725 Caroline Street. 540-373-0703. The Dancer's Wardrobe. 107 William St. ...

   www.downtownfred.com/business-category.php?category=21

5. Historic Fredericksburg, Virginia - Merchant Index

   Commonwealth Lighting of VA. 811 Caroline Street. 540-899-5524 ... The Dancer's Wardrobe. 107 William St. 540-899-9880. The Flower Shop. 415 William Street ...

   www.downtownfred.com/business-merchant-index.php

6. Paragon Training Center, Fredericksburg, VA (540) 548-4966

   Dancer's Wardrobe. 907 Caroline Street. 540-899-9880. FedEx Kinko's. 540-548-3114 ... 1410 Central Park Blvd., Fredericksburg, VA 22401 (540) 548-4966 ...

   www.paragongymnastics.com/sponsors.php

7. Connecticut Ballet | DANCERS & ARTISTIC STAFF

   Virginia Horne. Kate Loh. Raul Peinado. Eugene Petrov ... Wardrobe Supervisor. Rima Day. Company Photographer. Ben Gancsos. Wig Mistress. Peggy de la Cruz ...

   www.connecticutballet.com/company.html

8. Recitals

   ... only and open to dancers who are currently enrolled in ... The established wardrobe for The Nutcracker is a major factor in LBC's yearly cast selections. ...

   www.loudounschoolofballet.com/recitals.htm

9. Discover Your Dance! - Pants

   ... and fabulous, these pants are a must-have for all Middle Eastern dancers! ... Add a little va-va-voom to your wardrobe with these basic black pants! ...

   www.beledibellydance.com/pants

10. Bellydance by Anthea (aka Kawakib, Atesh) Annual Show

    Upcoming Bellydance Shows in Central Virginia ... The Dancer's Wardrobe. SITE MAP. ANTHEA'S RESUME | ARTICLES | CLASSES | DRUMMING | HAPPENINGS ...

    www.kawakib.com/recital.html

11. Bellydance by Anthea: Happenings

    Iesha (right) and me at First Night/VA in Fredericksburg. ... what a great night for dancing (above, in front of The Dancer's Wardrobe) ...

    www.kawakib.com/happenings2007.html

12. Atiras Fashions 04

    4 - Tahia Alibeck's Bras A decorated bra of some kind is one of the essentials of a Middle Eastern dancer's wardrobe. You may prefer the style encrusted with beads ...

    scheherezadeimports.com/items/atira~39-s-fashions~35-/...

13. Atira's Fashions (35)

    ... is located in Oilville, VA --- just west of Richmond, VA. Click for more ... bra of some kind is one of the essentials of a Middle Eastern dancer's wardrobe. ...

    scheherezadeimports.com/items/atira~39-s-fashions~35-/list.htm?1=1

14. General Trivia

    How did their dancers get punished? What famous Dane made his ballet debut in Armida at age 16? ... Who was the dancer who was so ugly his teacher told him to ...

    www.balletmet.org/Quizzes/BelieveIt.html

15. Professional Dancer .Net - For Dancers By Dancers

    Seeks motivated male and female dancer interested in performing the Nutcracker. ... Audition Location: Fairfax, Virginia ... Wardrobe / Costumer ((Touring) ...

    www.professionaldancer.net

16. Virginia Ballet Theatre - without ballet, whats the pointe?

    assist wardrobe staff in the Costume Shop ... VIRGINIA BALLET ACADEMY - Address: 134 W Olney Rd Norfolk Va 23510 - Phone: (757) ...

    www.virginiaballettheatre.com/newpage/volunteers.html

17. New Dress Code? / Winchester - tv3winchester.com

    Winchester Virginia News, Weather, Sports, Winchester Local News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings ... face new dress code in Va. come July ...

    www.tv3winchester.com/home/misc/16729471.html

18. .:: Q94 | Richmond, VA ::.

    ... 500 wardrobe elements, 36 clothing designers, 100 pairs of kneepads, 12 ... Romani group the Kolpakov Trio, 18 dancers and one set of Swarovski crystal ...

    wrvq94.com/cc-common/mainheadlines3.html?feed=104650&article=4340211

19. .:: Q94 | Richmond, VA ::.

    The second suggestion would be to try a dancer's trick... Having a wardrobe crisis? Can't figure out what colors and styles to splurge on this fall? ...

    www.wrvq94.com/pages/Fashionista.html

20. Bill would force a return of topless dancers' pasties in Chesapeake ...

    Breaking news, weather, sports and entertainment for Hampton Roads, Virginia - Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News...

    hamptonroads.com/2008/03/bill-would-force-return-topless-dancers%E2...

21. Creative Design Jobs (National) [Archive] - MyModelTalk Free Casting ...

    ... and FEMALE DANCERS (CA) Boston Celtics Dancer Auditions (CA) ... MUA / Wardrobe / Hair Stylists Needed (GA) Photographer Needed (FL) BREAK DANCERS (SoHo) (NYC) ...

    www.mymodeltalk.com/jobs/archive/f-23.html

22. The Daily Colonial - Dancing away at Cubik

    After a quick wardrobe change and a twenty minute metro ride I was standing ... some of DC, MD, and VA's top dancers and breakers enjoying themselves amongst ...

    www.dailycolonial.com/go.dc?p=3&s=443

23. Occupation Profile - America's Career InfoNet

    DANCERS: VIRGINIA. Occupation Description. Perform dances. May also sing or act. Career Video ... Costume and Wardrobe Specialists, Learn More Resource Center ...

    acinet.org/acinet/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&...&stfips=51&jobfam=

24. Actors and Dancers Headshots, and Bodywork, New York City

    Photographer Peter Krogh serving Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, and the world with advertising, corporate, and editorial, photography, in the studio and on location

    www.peterkrogh.com/Pages/headshots/actors_headshots.html

25. FOXNews.com - 'Topless' Dancers Shock Japanese TV Viewers After Pseudo ...

    Out There: 'Topless' Dancers Shock Japanese TV Viewers After Pseudo Wardrobe Malfunction, Viewers in Japan were shocked over New Year's by what appeared to be a full ...

    www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,241260,00.html

26. Ballet West: Ballet West Blog" Blog Archive " Collaboration Station

    Seven of the ten Ballet West II dancers will be new to the organization this ... only giving you a small sampling) : a casting/costume consultation with wardrobe ...

    www.balletwest.org/blog/?p=35

27. products - dance etc. Dance and Fitness Boutique

    ... in our area as well as the Wardrobe Departments ... Trust a Dancer to know Dancewear... Dance etc. KNOWS dancers! To check out our Newest Additions, ...

    www.shopdanceetc.com

28. The Big City (1928)

    ... Gibbons; Wardrobe: Lucia Coulter; Titles: Joe Farnham; Wardrobe: Lucia ... Two of the dancers, wearing masks, pull out guns and demand everyone's jewels. ...

    members.aol.com/ChaneyFan/150.htm

29. The Model Connection, Inc.

    ... hair stylists, wardrobe options and 24 hour toll free number, make your casting ... Ballroom Dancers. Production Assistants. Merchandisers. Bartenders ...

    www.themodelconnection.info

30. Pull On Lace Skirt

    Instant Gifts - In Stock. Gifts for Tiny Dancers. Dance Jewelry. Gifts for Teachers ... A little fashion for your young dancer's wardrobe. Pull On Lace Skirt ...

    www.dancegear.com/puonlask.html

31. GoTricities.com > CYB to debut A Christmas Carol'

    They are led by senior dancers Anna Daught, Edith Dunbar and Gwynn Root, who ... The Tri-Cities, TN & VA ... A Great Place To Call Home! ...

    www.gotricities.com/content/article.dna?idNumber=5104

32. Body Wrappers

    ... dance apparel is once again the featured wardrobe for the dancers on the newest ... Dancer's Toning Workout (15 minutes) � Music Only Option. PROGRAM INFORMATION ...

    www.bodywrappers.com/presspage.php

33. Pasties bill irks clubs' owner - - Breaking News, Political News ...

    The Washington Times Metro: Starting July 1, the dancers at J.B.'s Gallery of Girls and Headlights will be making an addition to their scant wardrobes. Pasties that ...

    washingtontimes.com/article/20080317/METRO/657999247/1004/METRO02

34. Washington Times - Pasties bill irks clubs' owner

    CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Starting July 1, the dancers at J.B.'s Gallery of Girls and Headlights will be making an addition to their scant wardrobes.

    washingtontimes.com/news/2008/mar/17/pasties32bill-irks32clubs32owner

35. Miss America's Outstanding Teen

    Favorite Wardrobe Accessory: An outfit isn't complete without the perfect pair of shoes! ... I would have prettier feet (I have dancer's feet!) State Competition: ...

    www.maoteen.org/states/CT/titleholder2008.htm

36. BOBCATS: Stacey Proud To Be Representing Lady Cats

    ... Stacey, who takes pride in her roots from a one stoplight West Virginia town. ... It was a really big step for us as professional dancers. ...

    www.nba.com/bobcats/feature_stacey_070212.html

37. University of Mary Washington | 2000s

    ... Va. Suzanne Perry Wallis was married this summer in Virginia Beach, ... King George, Va., runs her own business, The Dancer's Wardrobe, in the Galleria ...

    umw.edu/publications/umwtoday_spring2007/class_notes/2000s/default.php

38. EastCoast > Bobby and The Aristocats

    Their choreographed dancers add that "special" touch to any event, and they are ... Beautiful stage wardrobe (Formal, Semi-Formal, Casually Hip, Dazzling ...

    www.eastcoastentertainment.com/artist/Bobby_and_The_Aristocats.html

39. SignOnSanDiego > Burlesque in San Diego and beyond

    ... keep the girls safe from serious wardrobe malfunctions. ... The dancers share a love for all things retro, from flirty eyelashes to seductive pinup poses. ...

    www.signonsandiego.com/feature/595/?cslink=cs_generic_1_0

40. SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Features -- The show of shows

    There are gymnasts, ballerinas and belly dancers. ... Only an inch or two of fabric and finery keep the girls safe from serious wardrobe malfunctions. ...

    www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20060803-9999-lz1w03burlesq.html

41. All Toes Point To the Picket Line

    In the past 24 hours I've been embarrassed to be a dancer at the ... dancers had been joined by members of the stagehands union, the wardrobe union and others. ...

    washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/.../AR2005121502067_2.html

42. washingtonpost.com: At Wolf Trap, Trapped In a Sting Operation

    The company's fine dancers had a brief chance to perform something meatier in ... This was the wardrobe motif of Kevin O'Day's contribution, "Sting/ING Situations, ...

    www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A34137-2004Aug25?language=printer

43. MySelebriti.Com " Costume Designer Virginia Chu Set To Make Fine Birds ...

    Costume Designer Virginia Chu Set To Make Fine Birds Of Swan Lake Dancers ... Kong costume designer has seen her fair share of wardrobe malfunctions: From a ...

    myselebriti.com/2007/12/19/costume-designer-virginia-chu-set-to-make-fin...

44. WTKR NewsChannel 3: News, Weather and Traffic in Hampton Roads and ...

    VA Receives Nearly $2 Million In Energy Assistance ... Starting in July, exotic dancers in Virginia will have to add something to their ...

    www.wtkr.com/global/story.asp?s=8025654

45. WTKR NewsChannel 3: News, Weather and Traffic in Hampton Roads and ...

    ... Clubs' Face New Dress Code In Va. Come July. Posted: Today's News. More > ... Starting in July, exotic dancers in Virginia will have to add something to their ...

    www.wtkr.com/global/story.asp?s=8023956

46. NBC 29: Count on Us - Murder Suspect to Avoid Death Row?

    nbc29.com | Charlottesville and Central Virginia News, Sports and Weather. ... AP: 'Adult Clubs' Face New Dress Code in Va. Come July ...

    www.nbc29.com/global/story.asp?s=7964218

47. Reason Magazine - Virginia is for Pasties

    The ruling in August found that a Virginia law prohibiting lewd ... He said his dancers will comply if Mr. Kaine signs the bill, though he might challenge it. ...

    www.reason.com/blog/printer/125527.html

48. elan Magazine, Northern Virginia, Great Falls, McLean, Art, Painting ...

    elan is in its fourth year of chronicling talented Northern Virginia artists--painters, potters, weavers, writers, photographers, dancers, musicians, singers and ...

    www.elanmagazine.com/novella_06.html

49. 1140 WRVA | WRVA.com | WRVA HD | Richmond, VA

    ... 500 wardrobe elements, 36 clothing designers, 100 pairs of kneepads, 12 ... Romani group the Kolpakov Trio, 18 dancers and one set of Swarovski crystal ...

    wrva.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104659&...

50. Dance Spirit Magazine

    ... Birmingham Royal Ballet is performing The Sleeping Beauty in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Win "Meet the Dancers From Ballet, Broadway and Beyond" ...

    dancespirit.com/blogs/1072

Tool to help take the hassle out of organising footie games....

Set up your game

Create a fixture, find a pitch and invite the players. Playmaker automatically sends game invites to your whole team by text or email. Teammates can also reply via email or text.

Manage every fixture

Your games are automatically updated when players reply. Sign in to see who’s playing, who’s out and who’s a maybe.

There are nicer ones out, like this one, which is really sweet:

Or this one, which is funny as hell:

You can watch them all here.

As for Key . . . well, the less said the better.

All the smaller parties were on tonight, jammed together in a one hour segment that was probably watched by about seven people. TVNZ should have been forced to distribute the ads throughout normal advertising times in regular programming. Isn't that what they used to do?

One thing I noticed is that the non-parliamentary parties all seemed to have better ads than the main parties. Here is my review of the night. In the interests of fairness, I don't review the Alliance Party ad – but I am pretty stoked with it.

Greens.

Another advertising disaster for the Greens. Despite their copious cash and supposed platoons of hip inner city creative types, how do they manage to get it so wrong? 

The first seven seconds of their ad was the highly produced, branded and slick extract where the young girl is standing by the harbour. So far, so good. Trite, emotional, but nonetheless picking up votes.

Then suddenly everything grinds to a halt. We are inflicted with close up, wavering headshots of Green Party MPs staring into the camera with an air of desperation. Russell Norman wanders past in a bizarre camel-coloured suit with a karitane yellow tie, dragging a refuse bin across a lawn. More close up footage of Green Party teeth – dental care policies should be a priority here. Many pictures of trains. Keith Locke is the only one who comes across as vaguely convincing. A video game soundtrack bleeps in the background. Graphics and production poor. Teeth grindingly bad.

4/10

New Zealand First

Winston spends his allocation in a rambling monologue about the media and other shadowy forces working against him. However now that the National Party have foolishly cut him off, he has tacked left on economics. What were they thinking? Winston would cut a deal with anyone. This shameless phoney would cut a deal with Lucifer to keep in the game, and probably come out ahead in the transaction.

The immigrant bashing has disappeared, Winston probably realizing he needs all the friends he can get these days. 

The theme from "Exodus" plays in the background while Winston tries hard not to burst out laughing at his own outrageous chutzpah. 

The sad thing is that 5% of the population will swallow this codswallop and vote this Ageing Impresario back into Parliament.

2/10 for content, 8/10 for sheer nerve

Maori Party

Pita Sharples as Billy T. James. Probably the best soundtrack, sounds like Herbs jamming in Wairoa in 1983. Light on policy as always, lots of feel good rhetoric and all about what great things the new Maori capitalist class are doing. Not sure what this all means for the brothers stuck on the minimum wage but Pita is selling it good.

8/10 for feelgood reggae vibe, 1/10 for specifics

ACT

Impressively slick, although I preferred the old, round, cheery Rodney to the new slimmed down "power" Rodney. As predicted they go light on their 19th century economics and stick to crime and punishment. Dickens wrote novels about these type of people back in the day: mean, pinched, moralistic, in love with money.

The ad goes well until they kneecap themselves by wheeling out a ghastly vision from the past, a toothless, gibbering "Sir" Roger Douglas who looks like he has been pulled out of a retirement village and dosed up with cheap speed. He chews on his lips and raves on about the Government spending money (wasted on roads, schools and hospitals, no doubt). 

6/10 reduced to 3/10 after Mad Douglas appearance.

United Whatever.

High production values but Dunne AKA The White Rabbit is a wet. He pompously drones at the camera then the ad cuts to a random selection of vox pops of passersby saying whatever comes into their heads, which may or may not reflect United policy. Apparently they keep the major parties honest, which is a bold claim considering they have absolutely failed to do this whatsoever in their entire existence. Their logo resembles a defecating PacMan.

No rating, not worth effort.

Jim Anderton's Jim Anderton Party.

Jim presents an updated version of the Mainland Cheese ad. He talks about how his experience has taught him a few things. Good things take time, over the years he's picked up a few tips for you young folk. Once again, it's all about Jim, everyone's boring great uncle who wants to set you straight about how it all works. 

Jim really has a super opinion of himself, which is of course the only reason he doesn't rejoin the Labour Party, because then there would be other egos to get in the way.

What will the Progressive Party do when Jim is no longer there to guide them? Probably wander off in sheep like fashion. Baaa! Baaa!

5/10

The Family Party

Probably the most well-produced ad (of course I'm not reviewing the Alliance ad here.) Super slick but absolutely bizarre. A heavy metal soundtrack features heavy looking dudes in leather jackets wandering around at night time in what looks like downtown Chicago. May attract 18 year old males but will terrify everyone else. They look like exactly the type of people they claim they want to lock up or convert to the Destiny Church or whatever wacko cult/pyramid selling scheme they subscribe to.

Remarkable that this hard right, fundamentalist, anti-youth culture organization has produced a Shihad video for their election address.

9/10 for presentation, 0/10 for appeal to their fellow fundamentalists.

Aotearoa Legalize Cannabis Party

Professional appeal from the mullet-coiffed leader Appleby to give them your protest vote, and a few wacky graphics showing a picture of a petrol station pumping hemp oil. How anyone could devote their energy in life to this is beyond me but a perfectly acceptable advertisement.

7/10

RAM

RAM go for the downhome appeal with a man in a paper-mache mask scaring children in a Four Square and a bluegrass soundtrack  that sounds like the Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Would be more convincing if I didn't know that 90% of their candidates are revolutionaries masquerading as middle of the road reformists as part of some weird new strategy. Oh well.

RAM the LabNats is a slogan that needs some more work.

6/10

Workers Party

A relatively smooth presentation from New Zealand's revolutionary communists who at least admit they are revolutionary communists.

However I am disappointed that the Workers Party seem to be suffering from a bashful approach to electioneering, and don't get down to nitty gritty with a blow by blow video presentation of the final showdown between the proletariat and the boss class complete with armed militias, secret police and burning buildings. They seem to be going a little soft: could a compromise sell out be on the cards? Watch this space.

7.5/10

Democrats for Social Credit

Anodyne presentation, marks off for the ludicrous flying turkey that appears on all their advertising.

6/10

When I first looked at this ad for Redline Princess, I read: A NEW BREAKTHROUGH DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN and then looked at the photo. Then I tried to figure out what the ad was for. Was it a skin cream? I had no idea.

Then I saw the smaller print: THE WORLD'S MOST EFFECTIVE ENERGY DRINK!

Oh, it's a drink. Redline Princess sounds like it might be the name of a nail polish, or a phone from the 70's. The name doesn't say energy drink.

Then there's the claim. Redline Princess claims to be the world's most effective energy drink. Really? According to whom? And what exactly makes an energy drink "the most effective?" The most effective at doing what? This claim is so vague that it's meaningless.

And how is this product "designed especially for women?" Does it react with female hormones in some special way? If a man drinks some by accident, will he grow breasts?

It seems that nowadays, a company can write an ad about their product and make whatever unsubstantiated claims they want, because they know that  the FTC isn't going to hold them accountable. If you read an ad that makes specific claims, it might not be a bad idea to start out by assuming the claim is either a lie or an exaggeration.

hahahaha! this is the funniest thing! :D

Another McCain Multitasking Ad: Obama, ACORN, and the Subprime mess.

A piece here, a piece there, and all of a sudden you can see the Taj Mahal.