Morning Update: Pepsi pranks commuters; Walmart ad confuses haters; Coke celebrates International Happiness Day
This is our Morning Update, rounding up international media and marketing news from while you were sleeping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go9rf9GmYpM
TIME: Pepsi Pranks Commuters With Terrifyingly Real Display Featuring Aliens, Tigers and Killer Robots
“Have you ever watched a movie about aliens invading planet Earth and wondered how you would fare? A new ad from Pepsi Max gave unsuspecting commuters a momentary glimpse of a dystopian future to enliven their morning routine.
As part of their “Unbelievable” campaign, Pepsi Max took over a bus shelter and secretly installed technology that gave anyone waiting for the bus serious cause for alarm. Think: Alien invasion, fiery comets heading towards town, tigers on the loose and rampaging robots all realistically superimposed over New Oxford street station.”
The Guardian: Phone-hacking trial adjourned as Clive Goodman falls ill
“The phone-hacking trial was adjourned on Friday after former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman was taken ill as he was about to enter the witness box for a fifth day.
Goodman arrived at the Old Bailey to be cross-examined for a second day by former News of the World editor Andy Coulson’s defence barrister, but shortly before 11am the judge sent the jury home telling them Goodman had been feeling unwell and was seen by the court’s matron and sent by ambulance to hospital for a check up.”
Mashable: Touching Viral Ad From Walmart Confuses Haters
“What happens when a much-maligned company releases an inspirational ad so heartfelt and genuine that only the made-of-stone among us wouldn’t be moved?
The brand, in this case, is Walmart. But the real star is Patrick, a disabled worker whose physical and mental hurdles haven’t stopped him from becoming a proud assembly-line man.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brjwVz7uE-0
AdWeek: Here’s the Last E*Trade Baby Commercial You’ll Ever See
“After six years of infancy, the E*Trade baby is finally moving on with his life.
This week, the online brokerage began airiring what is said to be the last ad featuring the longtime spokeschild, a Super Bowl staple since 2008. As a bit of an admission that the campaign has started to get stale, the spot shows the baby being subjected to a new sidekick. In true 2014 Internet style, it’s a zany cat.
The campaign’s end was somewhat inevitable, given that the agency behind it, Grey,resigned the E*Trade account in 2013. “
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQgcKroqSZc
Campaign India: Coke celebrates International Happiness Day with free ‘Happiness remix’ download
“Using 17 global artistes, top US music producers and a British music psychologist, the one-off track claims to engineer feelings of happiness.
Two emerging UK artists are used in the track – Laura Steel from Sheffield and Abi F. Jones from Surrey.
The video to the track has been produced using a montage of “happy moments” taken from Coke’s ads around the world.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGujOt-jErY
AdWeek: PETA Turns to Emoji for a Seriously Cartoony Take on Animal Abuse
“People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, well known for its naked celebrity spokespeople and shockvertising, takes a slightly less controversial approach in a new campaign breaking this week.
In video and print ads, PETA tells a story of animal cruelty entirely in emoji, with hammers, hypodermics and handguns making short work of adorable bunnies, monkeys and tigers. Semi-spoiler alert: They turn into skeletons at the end, but there’s no actual carnage depicted. Still, it’s a PETA ad, so there will be blood, albeit cartoonish this time.”
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