Here at Flavorpill HQ, we’ve spent the past hour or so in hysterics thanks to the absolutely brilliant Bad Rave Flyers, which we spotted via Dangerous Minds. The blog is exactly what the title suggests — a collection of hilariously terrible flyers for warehouse parties, club nights, and various other poorly defined events. While we’re tempted to simply point and laugh, we’d be remiss not to point out that the site doubles as a crash course in how to not to promote a party. After the jump, we’ve collected the best of the worst Bad Rave Flyers and reflected on what we can learn from them.
Ferris Bueller is living pretty well in 2012, if the teaser for the Super Bowl ad for an as yet unidentified product is any indication. He’s in a posh-looking (hotel?) room, wearing a fluffy, white robe, and he asks us, “How can I handle work on a day like today?” That’s all we know so far, but it sure looks like Matthew Broderick is going to be giving us an update on the now-40-something Ferris come Super Bowl Sunday. Vulture is already speculating on what Bueller could be selling; we’re more curious about how he’s spent the past few decades, having recently hazarded a few guesses. Anyway, if watching commercials for commercials is your thing, you can watch ten precious seconds of Broderick as Bueller after the jump.
What do the makeup ads you’re used to seeing look like? Perhaps there’s some fresh-faced 19-year-old explaining how a certain foundation keeps her looking young, against a fresh, white background, as some vibrant, focus group-approved music plays? Well, get ready for something completely different. Wong Kar-Wai, the Hong Kong filmmaker known for such slow, stylish spectacles as Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love, was enlisted to make a commercial for cosmetics company Shu Uemera’s Christmas collection — and what he gave them was something slow, glittery, and graceful, featuring a lovely pair of false eyelashes.
Wong says that the 47-second clip is inspired by the Charles Bukowski poem “Burning in water, drowning in flames.” In an interview with the French site Puretrend, he explains, “This poem by Charles Bukowski is a paradox. My film explores this contradiction of passion. I thought that the contrast of red and blue, which reflects the opposition between the hot and cold, was ideal.” That makes sense — but we could swear we see hints of Marilyn Minter-style glamour and damage in there, too. Read More »
Ladies, the creators of o.b. Ultra tampons have something they need to say to you. They’re sorry. They’re really, really, really sorry. If you’re confused, not to worry — so were we. Apparently, o.b. brand Ultra tampons began disappearing from shelves late last year, much to the dismay of their die-hard following (did you know tampon brands could have die-hard followings?). The line’s discontinuation resulted in massive consumer outcry and reports of black market o.b. Ultras going for $100 a box on eBay. Yes, you read that right. But now, o.b. wants to apologize, and apparently a heartfelt form letter isn’t enough — they’ve found a scruffy indie rock guy to sing each and every one of you a personalized song expressing his deep sorrow and affection. Oh yes, it’s as completely cheesy as it sounds, but it’s also kind of hilarious and great, not to mention a very savvy marketing idea. Watch the apology here, and let us know what you think in the comments. [via LA Times]
However unceasing our culture’s push towards modernity, there are, thankfully, some things that stick with us. In Fading Ads of New York City, recently published by the History Press, Frank H. Jump collects photographs of the fading ghost signs of New York, a project that he began after learning he was H.I.V. positive at age 26. Jump wrote, “The sense of urgency I felt every day drove me to document New York’s fading advertisements, and capture the marks left by artists and artisans, most long since dead, who spent their lives painting huge commercial murals over the last 150 years.” There are thousands of these fading signs all over the country, especially in New York. Some are beautiful in design, some are funny, some are almost gone. Click through to see a few of our favorite finds, from Jump’s book and beyond. Read More »
Sharks, cats, zombies and other meme-worthy creatures are all over Adweek‘s countdown of the year’s 10 best TV commercials, but none of them could beat out Darth Vader. Yes, the cute VW ad that found a pint-size Vader startling himself with the force of his own dark powers has been named 2011′s best spot by the magazine’s experts. Rounding out the top three were a stop-motion Chipotle commercial soundtrack by Willie Nelson and Eminem’s Chrysler-sponsored homage to his misunderstood hometown, Detroit. See the rest of the list at Adweek, and click through the jump to see VW’s winning entry. Read More »
On the heels of the UK Advertising Standards Authority’s ban of a “sexually provocative” Dakota Fanning perfume ad, another teenage starlet’s fashion campaign has met with their disapproval. This time, it’s Hailee Steinfeld’s Miu Miu spread, which shows the 14-year-old True Grit star sitting on railroad tracks and looking sad. Really. That’s it. The ASA deemed the ad “irresponsible” for its depiction of a minor in a dangerous setting, despite Prada Retail UK’s disputes.
The Miu Miu parent company stated that the Bruce Weber-photographed shoot was “part of a serious, high-fashion campaign,” “based on the set of an imaginary film,” and that Steinfeld “could have easily moved from where she was sitting because she was not restrained in any way.” Do you think the ASA’s response is reasonable, or are they making a big deal out of nothing? [via ONTD]
Just when we thought the Rebecca Black meme had finally gone the way of All Your Base, it’s back — in the form of a Kohl’s commercial encouraging us to shop on Black Friday, no less. Over the weekend, we saw the ad just about every time we turned on our TV, to our great despair. The ordeal got us thinking about the big business of Internet memes, which are turning up more and more often in mainstream advertisements. After the jump, we look at Antoine Dodson, Honey Badger, and many more online celebrities who became pitchmen. Read More »
November 17th is Guinness World Records Day — which means that aspiring history-makers the globe over have chosen today to tackle their various challenges. Among the new records that have already been set are largest tea bag, fastest time to burst three hot water bottles, and heaviest vehicle pulled by the hair. As impressive as all that is, what really catches our eye is the world’s largest 3D painting — a 9601-square-foot mural in London, painted by Joe Hill of 3D Joe and Max and sponsored by Reebok. [via Yahoo!; Image via Hungeree]
Remember those striking Benetton UNHATE Campaign images we posted yesterday, of (mostly male) world leaders kissing? You know, the ones we referred to as “potentially controversial”? Well, controversy has, indeed, ensued. The first ad to attract a backlash features Pope Benedict XVI making out with Ahmed el-Tayeb, an important Egyptian Sunni imam. As Britain’s Daily Mail reports, Benetton has pulled the image from its website — and removed it from a Vatican-adjacent billboard — in response to the Vatican’s charge that the ad “shows a serious lack of respect for the Pope.” The company has released a statement of apology: “We are sorry that the use of an image of the pontiff and the imam should have offended the sensibilities of the faithful in this way. We have decided with immediate effect to withdraw this image from every publication.” Of course, Benetton had to know that this particular ad would stir up drama, and the choice to place a billboard so close to the Vatican makes it pretty clear they were seeking a reaction from on high. Let us know in the comments whether you find the photo offensive.
