This was fantastic. Happy New Year. Make it a good one.

via creativecriminals

I came across two ads for Smart Cars the other day and thought they were genius. The first one blew my mind and while I was made aware of the fact the ad was there, I assume many people never notice it. But, for those who do, I have a feeling they appreciate it even more than I do (if they get it of course). See the ad here:

The ad is so simple, but clearly the placement was thought out and in effect really drives the point home. I'm not sure you can convey the convenience of the Smart Car's size any other way. I do find it interesting that there are two car ads on the sides. It creates a great visual that implies parking spots, but I wonder what happens if the ads on either side change to another product. Much of the humor and message is conveyed by being between two other cars and not just a small advertising space. 

The second piece is one right up my alley. I am a huge fan of extremely creative outdoor and guerilla advertising. This display does a great job conveying the idea that the Smart Car is fun and powerful despite its small size. Here is this ad:

I find this one funny because I could see myself driving by day after day when the bridge is down and thinking to myself "what is so special about this ad." On the day I drive by and see the bridge up I know I would laugh pretty hard maybe even get a legitimate LOL out there (and I can use LOL because I actually would be laughing out loud). 

I didn't know it, but Smart Car does some really great advertising. This probably has to do with the fact that they are relatively new to the US. You can check out more of their ads here. I look forward to seeing ads her in the States because I think those face an interesting challenge; we love our big cars. 

So this is this guy named Brian. He is pretty much copying my idea of how to get a new girlfriend. He is going about it a slightly different way, but ultimately his idea is the same. Except that he is actually doing it (I did make a good faith effort however). 

Here's his shtick…

So, basically his 5+ year relationship ended and he wants to find a new girl. I don't blame him. His goal is to go on thirty dates with thirty girls. I'm not sure if it is thirty different girls (what if he hits it off with one?), but hell I'd take 10 dates with qualified women.

It's like my idea in the sense that you are using some medium to broadcast the fact that you are single and ready to mingle. My method was website and billboard. His happens to be website and Twitter.  

He's a bit of an oddball IMHO, but I applaud his effort. I know it's hard to bounce back and I know I did some crazy things after my relationship ended. More power to the guy. 

And Brian, if for some crazy reason you get around to reading this, I highly suggest sky diving. It'll shake things up. 

Just came across this clip on YouTube: 

It kind of gave me chills. I don't know why except that I know I love finding and sharing clips. Maybe it is the thought of all the fun times I've had huddled around a computer screen with friends and family watching the clips. It is amazing to think that YouTube has only been around for 5 years. It seems like it has been a part of our lives forever. 

In related news, YouTube will soon add a button allowing you to skip the ad before a video clip. At first this seems crazy, but it is actually a really good idea (IMHO UPDATE: and apparently others). The benefits are that you will be able to track how many people actually watch your ad (a statistic very hard to come by), advertisers will not pay for ads that aren't watched, and ultimately it will mean ad content that is better targeted to the viewer and hopefully pretty interesting. 

Via MakeUseOf