photo by Al Muya

Here’s what’s making industry opinion-makers cringe this week:

Photoshop Irony

Remember the L’Oreal ad that was banned in the UK for over-Photoshopping Julia Roberts? Adverblog’s Martina Zavagno points out the great irony with the L’Oreal Men’s new video:

The video is rather amusing, and it shows the wonders of Photoshop retouch, an art we all know L’Oreal masters, especially after the Advertising Standards Authority banned their Julia Roberts print campaign for creating a “false impression of beauty.”

– Adverblog

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This print ad for the National Zoo of Brazil says “We can only fit this much ZEBRA on this page… Come see the rest at the National Zoo.”

How can you use the dimensions of your media to inspire great ads? Blogads.com offers 10 ad units in various shapes and sizes. Imagine this ad in a 125×125 button, or a standard Blogad, or a Mini. Is it still effective?

Don’t be limited by limitations. Be inspired. Without landing yourself in the Copycat Hall-of-Shame, that is.

(original ad via homadge.com, example image via mdpettitt)

The Spoony Experiment shares Noah Antwiler’s entertaining video reviews of movies, comics and video games with a multitude of loyal fans.  In addition to becoming one of the many fans of his site, join his nearly 14,000 Facebook fans and more than 20,000 Twitter followers for Antwiler’s latest updates!

Spoony Experiment Blogger Noah Antwiler

A: I started writing and making videos in 2004 primarily to make my friends online laugh.  I never expected that it would catch on as widely as it has, let alone that I’d be able to make a living doing it!  The whole purpose of the site and the reviews is to exorcise the demons (and by demons, I mean bad movies and videogames) from my childhood.  People really enjoy watching me lose my mind and reviewing all the stuff that drove me nuts as a kid.

A: It’s all about personality and style, and my friendship with many of the other critics who often show up in my reviews.  I think a lot of people identify with me and trust that I’m being honest with them.  Well, honest and hyperbolic.  People really appreciate the work I put into the reviews and enjoy the nostalgia trips I take them on.

A: Oh, they’re supportive of the fact that I’m self-employed and working as a comedian, although “bewildered” is probably a more fitting term.  They always figured I’d go into software development after college, not dressing in funny costumes and playing horrible video games for the enjoyment of others.  I can hardly believe it myself! (more…)

image via studiohansa.com

CBS Action is airing Star Trek: The Next Generation in the UK this summer, and wanted to let fans know that they are *the* home of TNG in the UK. London’s Studio Hansa created a campaign that spoke directly to the show’s core audience, and gave a 20+ year-old franchise a bold new look. Here’s how they did it, and what you can do to reach super-fans.

1. Don’t make fun.
Star Trek‘s ardent fans have been the butt of TV and movie jokes for years. To many of them, the word “Trekkie” is derogatory. This campaign avoids the “T-word” altogether, and all other cliches associated with Star Trek loyalists. If this billboard featured a line of convention-goers in Spock ears, the general non-Star Trek-watching public may have gotten a laugh, but would fans tune in?

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It’s been a great week for the 114-year-old art form. While Nokia’s “Gulp,” shot on the world’s biggest stop-motion set EVER, has gotten the most attention, at least 4 other killer stop-motion ads and films have made their own waves across the blogosphere.

Nokia – Gulp (Found on AgencySpy)

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Atlanta — “The Big Peach,” “Hotlanta,” “ATL” — is a straight shot down 85 from our headquarters in Carrboro, NC. It’s the home of multinational corporations like Coca-Cola, Turner, Delta, and UPS, and it’s one of the fastest growing cities in the South. So it’s no surprise that the “New York of the South” has so many great advertising agencies, pumping some of the best campaigns on the East Coast.

Today, in the final installment of our series, we look at the work of four Atlanta-based agencies that made it to iMedia’s East Coast Agencies to Watch list, and which are not headquartered in New York City. (Part 1 | Part 2)

IQ – US Department of Energy “Lose the Excuse”

IQ has a penchant for fun videos and kick-ass web sites. For the “Lost Your Excuse” campaign, the US Department of Energy got both. Along with partner-agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, IQ built a media-rich offbeat site that shows kids how easy it is to save energy. Check out Baron Davis’s hilarious cameo in the “Malcolm” video. Makes you wanna change your light bulbs, doesn’t he?

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So you’ve got a great blog. Your posts are getting retweeted, you’re talking with fans on Facebook, and you’re making nice with other bloggers. But all of this is happening behind a cloak of pixels.

How do you let someone know your passion at the grocery store? Or at SXSW?

Easy. Nerdy T-shirts! Behold, the best blogger T’s on the Internet — and IRL.

1.

photo by Julia Roy

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A self-proclaimed cat lover, Amy Bajalis shares her passion for felines on her blog, Love Meow.  In addition to posting oodles of adorable cat pictures and videos, Bajalis also uses her blog to draw attention to the importance of animal rescues and adoptions. Fans of this addictive blog can also keep up with cute cat news on Twitter and Facebook!

Love Meow Blogger Amy Bajalis

Q: When and why did you start blogging?

A: It was fall 2009 after we adopted Flip into our home. He is a shy black cat with the sweetest heart. A couple months later, we were found by two other cats Jackie and Shadow. Together with Flip and Lucy (our youngest adopted kitty), they became my inspiration for Love Meow, a blog dedicated to spread the love of cats.

Q: How do you think your blog stands out amongst other animal-lover blogs?

A: Most posts on Love Meow have a story behind it. Love Meow has published many amazing and inspiring stories shared by animal shelters, rescuers, foster parents, and cat lovers. They have touched the hearts of so many that now we have approximately 50 thousand Facebook likes and the number is growing fast daily. In an effort to raise the awareness of animal adoption, for each comment my readers make, I put 5cents into a fund which goes to an animal shelter nominated by my readers.

Q: What does your family think of your blogging?

A: My husband is my biggest support for my blog. He is a real cat lover who understands and loves cats with a passion. My blog has brought many interesting topics into our family conversation. It’s been a joy to talk about things we all enjoy. (more…)