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Opinion
Outlook is cloudy for McDonald’s mood app
If you’ve been on YouTube this morning, you’ve probably been boinked squarely between the eyes by the McDonald’s home page takeover.
If you follow the link, it’s an apparently ambitious digital campaign that looks like its merely fails in the execution. Read more »
Why every agency boss needs to hear how Goodby got its groove back
In the last three years I’ve probably sat through dozens, if not a couple of hundred, industry-related presentations. Just a handful stick with me. Read more »
With a little PR magic from Max Markson, Naomi Robson’s lizard didn’t happen and neither did the cannibals
I had an intriguing press release from publicist Max Markson today.
Naomi Robson is back in front of the camera. Even if it’s only online. And Markson Sparks PR is helping her with the launch of The Naomi Show. Read more »
Coke’s phoney happiness machine is a fail for me
In this guest posting, Tony Richardson argues that the Coke Happiness Machine viral sucks.
The folks at Coke have created a viral video and as hoped it’s being circulated worldwide … but for all the wrong reasons. The main one being that it is possibly the lamest viral ever created. Read more »
Saying no to copy approval
“We’d dash back to the office to knock up a dry, arse-licking account of our “intimate chat” with Peter Andre to email to CAN, who would duly remove every trace of insight or humour, before making us feel sooooo special by perhaps deigning to allow us to publish it. No thanks.”
Will Renai LeMay’s new media business model work?
I’ve been curious for a few days now on what Renai LeMay’s plans are.
Since announcing he was leaving ZDNet, he’s been coy about what he’d be doing next.
Which of course made it all the more interesting. Read more »
Where are our marketing heroes?
“The great Australian tradition of attacking success and anyone that sticks their head above the parapet is stronger than ever. In my recent experiences around the world I can honestly say I have never experienced such collective distaste for one’s own kind.”
The Australian tries to win back Kevin
“One might wonder whether News Ltd feels the need to get on the right side of the Prime Minister, having managed to get itself thoroughly offside with him since the 2007 election.”
Bernard Keane on why Rudd was The Oz’s Australian of the Year
AFR falls four days behind The Oz
On Saturday, we woke up to discover that Wall Street had suffered a big fall. Read more »
Tips for better ideas
While it’s rather cool that Vancouver agency Rethink funds a scholarship for future art directors and designers, the ad they’ve created around it offers even better advice on the creative process. Read more »
Sack the copywriter
Here’s a nice innovation from consumer watchdog Choice, rounding up the best of the month’s Aussie ad blunders. Read more »
If agencies were bands…
The other day I was chatting to the boss of a new agency that’s about to launch.
I asked her what she wanted her agency to stand for. If it was a band, which would the agency be, was my question.
Which then got me to thinking about which bands Australia’s existing agencies would represent. As I began to make notes, I began to realise that it doesn’t look good… Read more »
When a global marketing blunder is a local problem
Sometimes I wonder if being a brand with an international affiliation is more trouble than it’s worth.
Jenny Craig – a weight control brand that’s doing very well in Australia, thanks very much – is the latest to face blowback from an international gaffe. Read more »
Vegetarian and chicken ads prove Sam’s lamb is still the one to beat on Australia Day
When Sam Kekovich’s latest pro-lamb Australia Day address was unveiled last week, a fair bit of the debate centred on whether it was time to change the strategy. Read more »
In defence of disaster journalism
The somewhat grubby tussle between Seven and Nine over who gets credit for rescuing baby Winnie from the Haiti rubble makes an easy target for those who see disaster journalists as vultures.
After all, what can the media do, but get in the way? Read more »
Iris hits up hip-hop star Snob Scrilla in Toyota social media pitch
The final campaign in Toyota’s five-way live social media pitch has been unveiled, with Iris launching a clip on YouTube featuring hip hop artist Snob Scrilla making sound effects, or “Bootboxing”, using the Yaris.
More details of the agency’s overall campaign strategy are expected to be revealed next week. The YouTube clip features four people, including Snob Scrilla, using the various parts of the Yaris, such as its motor, the sound of the indicator, its windows and doors opening and closing, to create a beat, similar to the sound made when beatboxing.
The clip has so far received over 2,000 hits on YouTube.
It is the last entry to Toyota’s social media experiment, which has seen the car company give five agencies $15,000 to create a campaign as part of a live pitch process.
The agencies are Iris, Saatchi & Saatchi, One Green Bean, Hothouse, and a joint effrots from The Population and Oddfellows.
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You can now watch clips of the Mumbrella Readers Choice Awards ceremony category by category.
The first clip is the shortlist round up and winner of media and marketing blog of the year, which went to Ben Shepherd’s Talking Digital.
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Comments
13 Nov 09
1:38 pm
Like it, something that is genuinely interesting.
13 Nov 09
2:30 pm
I rate this. Nice work!
13 Nov 09
2:49 pm
I like it but is it really social media? This is just a TVC that has been put on youtube. The other ideas seemed to have much more interaction with the brand. I’m not a marketer but this is just my layman’s opinion.
13 Nov 09
3:58 pm
Um….OK I think has someone has taken some liberties with the term ‘hip hop star’….
13 Nov 09
4:16 pm
Agree with DD. It’s a TVC on Youtube.
13 Nov 09
4:39 pm
where’s the engagement here? non existent. Granted, it’s better than the Clever filming comp, which is so un original it’s embarassing. The werewolf idea at least drives consumer participation. The 2000 views are probably from all the Iris staff and their mates
13 Nov 09
11:10 pm
I thought this was OK, but lacked any “real” wow factor, I expected more, especially with the use of Snoob – I also wonder whether there was enough leverage of the use of such a high profile artist right now, was it obvious that a personality was endorsing this brand.
Overall, I’m still wondering what it was all about, other than a slightly repetitive slamming of doors – so perhaps its about build quality – thats it – quality build quality endorsed by a quality artist.
i think
16 Nov 09
2:36 pm
Well done … in that this “work” now sets the bar even lower.
Truly, what’s the point of this? That the car has doors that open and close? That the electric windows go up and down, the indicators work, and that when you press the accelerator then engine revs?
16 Nov 09
4:25 pm
@Lou I sprayed my screen with coffee in laughter whilst reading your comment.
I’m really hoping this is a start and they then do something with the beat that was made from it within the social media space. Cause I’m praying this aint the only and final chapter- if so it’s half arsed at best.
17 Nov 09
9:48 am
Im sorry but all of the Yaris ideas are terrible. None of them are targeted, none have mass reach and they definately dont create a conversation.
Why didnt anyone target potential small car buyers than simply let them come and drive the cars on a test day, remember the mini rally thing.
Surely they could have worked social media in to that and created something which actually was interesting and SOLD CARS!
18 Nov 09
4:24 pm
i actually reckon this is the most creative of the lot. its simplicity works and i can see it going viral. the other ideas are too obvious
18 Nov 09
4:38 pm
Its different I agree but I would have thought the Yaris is mainly a female target, this feels definately skewed towards guys. And in the end I still cannot see how it would help the Yaris in any way. I know this is a social media experiement/pith thing but seriously how do any of them help the Yaris surely that had to be in the brief.
Best thing of the whole campaign was is Satchi spending 15K on a piss up lol
26 Nov 09
5:39 pm
Interesting idea? yes.
Good execution? Avg.
Relevant? Not so much.
Really using Social? Viral YTvid is weak/ a stretch isn’t it?
Where are all the fucking awesome social media gurus when ya need ‘em?
27 Nov 09
1:04 pm
I like it, and yea maybe it’s risky, but at least it’s original. And I think it’s got legs.
27 Nov 09
1:09 pm
Strongest idea by far. I don’t know much about cars but I’ve seen Yaris involved in the music scene so so I think it’s a clever way of continuing this in an online environment.
As a music-lover, this is something I’d actually forward.
27 Nov 09
1:10 pm
At least this idea isn’t scamming hits with prizes, the people watching it must actually WANT to watch it.
Good work guys, at least you’re being sincere about the whole thing.
27 Nov 09
1:15 pm
I like this. It’s the only one with an idea in it that could catch on. They’ve effectively created a new form of ‘music’. Probably stretching it a bit far but you could really see this kicking off on line given the right exposure. In the same way that mashups like SnatchWars and Downfall give people a fun ‘tool’ to play with and add their own thing to – I can see Bootboxing becoming one of those. No reason why not, it’s fun and anyone can do it. That’s quite clever from the agency responsible – starting a social tend as it were that people can own themselves and continue the conversation is using social media to the max. Has the potential to be fantastic – don’t think any of the others do.
27 Nov 09
1:19 pm
Totally agree with you Steve, someone’s already given it ago check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy40sQn7YE8. I think this ones funnier than the original!!
27 Nov 09
1:22 pm
Heard Snob Scrilla on the Arias last night. Makes the connection with Yaris all hte more relevant if Toyota want to continue their association with music and connect with the kids. You can’t tell kids that the yaris is cool you have to involve them in it so props to the agency for making the most of this music connection
27 Nov 09
1:30 pm
It’s a good advertising idea, like it. Yeah it’s kinda been done, but hey.
Sort of reminds me of this little bit of D&B genius from Mistabishi too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
27 Nov 09
1:38 pm
surely it depends on what the agencies were briefed on. launch a cool idea online? launch something to get interest and high forward rates? actually start a conversation? if anyone knows then we might get a relevant debate going. lego men on an adventure is pretty pointless for me, i think of the lot this bootbox idea at least has a new concept that can grab attention and run and run.
27 Nov 09
2:28 pm
This idea out of all of them has the biggest potential to go viral which surely is one of the main points for any social media campaign. I know my little brother (22yrs) who is probably the target market for this was pretty impressed with it and he and his mates have been trying to replicate Snob. If that isn’t particpation I don’t know what is.
27 Nov 09
4:02 pm
Hate hip hop – love music
LOVE this idea
30 Nov 09
10:10 am
I love this. Its something different and reckon you could create a whole series of different clips using this concept.
30 Nov 09
10:10 am
Didn’t know Yaris had it in them to be cool!
30 Nov 09
10:20 am
Didn’t you, Gary J? Do you think they’re cool enough to help you with gender confusion too? I see that you and Lucia share a common IP address.
And now that I take a look, so do most of the positive comments that have been posted over the previous week or two. including Byron, Arob, POQ77,Steve, Rich, Kelly and JLM.
That’s crappy enough, but what’s even more cynical is the way you’ve claimed to be “DD” and “Phil” who commented earlier to try to give the impression those critical people had changed their minds.
of course, you could argue that this is lots of enthusiastic people working within the same company with the same IP address and it’s all a coincidence. That wouldn’t really explain why most of the postings have submitted an identical (presumably fake) email address though, would it?
Still, thanks for your comments.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
30 Nov 09
10:39 am
Im sorry there are too many purely positive comments here…. Do we think the agency may be adding in a few here?
Sorry this still does not work for me, I have no idea what the brief is but I cant see any of these even slightly pushing a consumer towards a vehicle and if the brief was to just do something cool than shame on the agencies for not challenging that.
Oh and a few thousand views is not a success….
30 Nov 09
10:44 am
Hi Phil,
About the moment you were posting that question, I think I was answering it in the comment above.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
30 Nov 09
10:49 am
lol good work Tim, im sorry guys but you cant even stack the story with positive comments without getting caught. Dont do digital unless you do digital…..
Oh and did anyone go to Saatchi & Saatchi’s $15K party
30 Nov 09
11:02 am
A clever campaign goes viral through its own merits – trying to tailor something to go viral inevitably seems to fail.
When they then go about fluffing the piece they’re compounding their failure with douche, and that’s a cocktail I’d rather avoid.
30 Nov 09
11:03 am
ahhh roflmao.
(sorry i have no intelligent comment to add!)
30 Nov 09
11:05 am
hilarious. nice pickup tim/phil.
If they read your site frequently they’d know that you’ve named and shamed others, like Tounge.
It’s sad but funny.
30 Nov 09
11:07 am
Another way to spot astroturfers is the arfully deliberate typos and poor spelling/grammar. Apparently ‘real’ people don’t know the difference between its and it’s, etc.
30 Nov 09
11:18 am
The idea was done better – in my opinion – with more humour and with less wank by Vinnie for the Smiths campaign.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVi8-AdU_IQ
30 Nov 09
11:49 am
Yep, and that right there is why I love Mumbrella. Keeping us ad folks honest since 2008.
30 Nov 09
11:51 am
@ Josh Mehlman. Or they’re just Art Directors… haha.
30 Nov 09
12:35 pm
Pssst …. Sarah. Didn’t Mumbrell launch in January 2009 – well that was my first email from Tim. Or is it a clever test to see how honest Tim wants to keep us ad folks?
30 Nov 09
1:03 pm
Hi John,
Our first posting on the website was on December 9 last year – we didn’t start up the email til early next year…
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
30 Nov 09
1:12 pm
Thanks Tim. Full disclosure at it’s best! Sarah … props to you!
30 Nov 09
4:34 pm
Any agency people that use the word ‘hits’ should never be allowed to work on anything digital. Oh and also those that don’t understand the concept of IP tracking. Come on people, how hard is it to go to a couple of internet cafes and use your phones?
The eye of the tiger ‘remix’ was also pretty crap. Anyone thinking this will create a new ’social trend’ is dreaming. Don’t mean to be harsh but it’s a pretty weak concept and the ‘celebrity’ factor used here is only appealing to a rather small segment and can’t see too many snob scrilla fans cruisin in their yaris’
30 Nov 09
6:53 pm
While we’re tearing this campaign apart, I’ll say that I’m a pretty massive hip hop fan I personally think the ‘music’ they’ve created is…. um…. lame?