viral or youtube

This is either Rickrolling jumping the shark or fantabolous cheez at its very best depending on who you ask. Pleasing to kids who love Foster's, moms who like harmless cartoons and everyone in on the rickroll joke (ie, us internet hipster folk who watch adult swim) at the same time. Plus, Rick gets to show off that he still has all that wavy hair and can belt out the notes and be cute just like in the eighties. Is it a freudian slip that the voice over guy pronounced "phenom" as feNOM?

Signs that youtube has turned into a media channel: "Advertising claims made in videos on YouTube are subject to the same standards of truth and accuracy as ads that appear in traditional media, according to a US advertising watchdog". The ASA doesn't hold youtube up to the same standard as other advertising media... yet. But that may change soon. from Out-Law:

ASA spokesman Matt Wilson told OUT-LAW: "If [an advert] was appearing on YouTube and was not pushed elsewhere, it might not be covered. If it's on YouTube it's not in paid-for space."

"Adverts on YouTube or on a company's own websites are not in our remit," he said. "For example, Tesco could say something on their website [that breaches the CAP Code] and we can't do anything about that, but the same statement on a billboard is within our remit."

Wilson said the position only changes if a company 'pushes' the video, such as by email, or encourages users to 'pull' the video from their own website, for example by making it easy for users to download the clip and circulate it among friends.

UK industry body the Advertising Association set up a committee to review the remit of the ASA earlier this year. Its Digital Media Group was convened to put forward proposals for future-proofing the industry's self-regulation of advertising on digital media and its report is expected in 2009. A spokesman for the DMG said that the group expects to make recommendations "within the course of 2009."

Please note that the assumption "If it's on YouTube it's not in paid-for space" is not always true, now that companies can buy channels on youtube.

This is a pretty cool promotion. The King is dropping wallets full of cash and a Burger King gift card. Don't run out into the streets just yet though! The promotion is just happening in Chicago and Orlando right now.

All ads that go viral are destined to be mocked and this here might tell you how easy it is to do kinetic text these days. The Motrin ad gets mocked with babywearing versus boob-jobs. Indeed one of these things may make your back hurt (being naturally top heavy sure does, the help for that is to get a decent bra fitted - big girls please remember that bravissimo is your friend, they even have pyjamas with support. Man they should pay me or least discount my cute set habit for always telling my friends about them. ha!)

Hat tip to brand new adgrunt a_mayer. Tack.

Blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction was what artists Robin Hewlett and Benjamin Kinsley wanted to do - what if Google re-shoot a Pittsburgh street, with quirky things happening along the way as hidden as easter eggs within the hood. The artists approached the Mattress Factory for help, and they were all surprised when they asked Google if they would join them in staging a google street view event, and Google said "yes".

Firemen rescue stuffed cats, garages host live bands, runners fake a marathon, and it all ends when all the neighbors join in a parade for you - here is a list of arranged scenes that you can find in Google Maps. Users want to play with your new toy? Let them! Google gets it.

I'm not sure which easter egg is my fave, the narrow escape or the giant chicken? The Mad scientist laboratory is pretty funny as well.

To my fellow Americans who are going to rock the vote tomorrow, think about the future!

The Simpsons will air its Halloween Special this Sunday and one story is a parody of Mad Men! Don't miss it!

The Viral Factory (UK) mock all those youtube films where people unbox their latest tech gear. So far it's been viewed 650,000 times.

Here's a follow-up to that poster with the puking gorilla which nods to the serial award winning Cadbury Gorilla - except this one is created by DDB Stockholm for the ad awards Roygalan.
Hat tip to Swedish ad-digg site Researcher

This idea probably formed faster than anyone can say "Vista", this comeback was practically handed to Apple on a silver platter - summation: Microsoft spends more money on advertising Vista than fixing it. Ha ha ha....