Advertising
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Andy Warhol famously said that in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. Thanks to the heady combination of reality TV and the internet, he's been proven right. The culture of instant celebrity is both a blessing and a curse. On the curse side: Rebecca Black and Speidi (who may have finally run out the clock). On the blessing side: Isaiah Mustafa (though he's recently been replaced) and that kid from Volkswagen's Super Bowl commercial, who's now being parodied in a commercial for the upcoming action flick, Thor. A couple of weeks ago, we told you that Acura had signed on as one...
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2012 Audi A7 Rolls Into Times Square The Only Way It Can: On A Billboard
Just two days before the 2011 New York Auto Show opens to the press, Audi has launched an eye-popping marketing campaign for its sleek, sophisticated 2012 A7. Today, the five-door coupe will roll straight into Times Square -- not literally, since cars are forbidden in the pedestrian center of town...
Richard Read -
Volvo Gives Baseball Fans Free MLB TV For The Month Of April
Paywalls are a hot topic in mainstream media right now, but they're nothing especially new. The Wall Street Journal, for example, has been hidden behind a paywall for years, as have hundreds of niche news outlets. On the whole, subscriptions to those sites haven't fared well. The New York Times --...
Richard Read -
New Fast Five Trailer: 2011 Dodge Charger Proves That Car Chases Make Movies Better
Every so often, movie directors find themselves in a bind. Maybe their budgets get slashed. Maybe their scripts aren't quite as awesome as they first thought. Maybe they wake up and realize, "Holy crap, we cast VINCE VAUGHN." That's when they start scrambling, throwing everything they can at the...
Richard Read -
Video: Infiniti, Corvette Go On The Offensive With Ads, But Does It Work?
The long-running ad wars between Audi and BMW are just one example of taking the fight to the competition in the effort to sell more cars, and this week both Corvette and Infiniti have thrown down their gloves at respective rivals. But does this sort of advertising pay off in the end? We're not...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: Audi Highlights A6’s Aluminum Construction In New ‘Manipulation’ Ad
The new 2012 Audi A6 is without doubt a technical marvel. Combining such technologies as radar-based cruise control and adaptive brakes, full LED headlights, a touchpad controller for the MMI interface, a range of fuel efficient yet powerful engines--including an eventual hybrid--and of course, the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Et alors, qu'est-ce que c'est? Why, it appears to be actress, model, and object of Jeremy Clarkson's undying affection, Ms. Keira Knightley, perched atop a Ducati in Paris' Place de la Concorde. But you know, we're just guessing. At first glance, we thought Keira might be going through some sort of personal crisis, or perhaps angling for George Clooney's affection. (You know the Cloonster's love of women and hogs.) But then we noticed the cameras and the light reflectors and -- biggest tip-off of all -- the way that the bike is strapped to a rig, making it kind of like the world's coolest...
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If You're A Bearded Weirdo Or A Barefoot Addict, Mercedes Wants You
Do you love to grow hedge-sized facial hair, wear weird hats, and drive classic Mercedes-Benzes? Maybe you like to talk about being an addict while running barefoot down the middle of the street. Either way, Mercedes is targeting you. Believe it or not, these two caricatures are the main...
Nelson Ireson -
Hyundai Returns As Exclusive Auto Sponsor Of The Academy Awards
In case you haven't been paying attention, this Sunday is the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, and it promises to be, well...interesting. The organizers have hired two young hosts, one of whom still lives on the fringes of superstardom and neither of whom is a comedian. In a bid to draw back younger...
Richard Read -
Jennifer Aniston, The Accidental Honda Spokesmodel
Jennifer Aniston dropped by The View several days ago, and the interweb has been in a minor tizzy every since. Not because of anything she said, of course; Aniston isnt' exactly the kind to raise eyebrows with wacko pronouncements. (You want that, you book Jennifer Love Hewitt. Even better...
Richard Read -
Subaru Canada Ditches Skinny Supermodels, Goes Sumo
Don't get us wrong, we're huge fans of pretty women, minimally clothed, in close proximity to automotive hardware. We're not alone in that, either. But it's a bit cliched, and often more than a bit lame. Subaru Canada has taken the eye-candy in an entirely different direction. And we like it. A...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: Nelly Pimps The 2011 Ford Explorer In New Ad
The Super Bowl may be well and truly over but during tonight’s airing of the 53rd annual Grammy Awards, the Blue Oval unveiled a new advertisement for its 2011 Ford Explorer starring hip hop star Nelly. Rather than going the dramatic route, which Chrysler took with its ‘Born of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
First Kylie Minogue comes onboard as a spokesperson for the Lexus CT 200h, and now point guard for the LA Clippers, Baron Davis, is hosting a charity race in the luxury hybrid? It looks like Lexus may have finally dumped that "Dark Side of Green" campaign. Cue the sighs of relief. Davis' event is dubbed the CT 200h Challenge, and it takes place next Thursday, February 17, at 1220 S. Figueroa Street in Los Angeles. Davis and other celebrities -- whom he's challenging on Twitter -- will run a specially designed obstacle course in the CT, and the person who posts the fastest time wins a...
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Update: Mercedes-Benz Teases 'Big' Unveilings In Super Bowl XLV Ad
UPDATE: We just received a tip from an inside source that two very big model reveals will be featured in the upcoming Super Bowl ad spot. Stay tuned between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST for the full details. --------------- We're just two days away from the big game, and as we stock our refrigerators...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: Chevy Camaro Gets Spotlight In Second Super Bowl Ad
Earlier this week, Chevrolet released its first Super Bowl XLV ad, featuring Bumblebee and an unfortunate rodent mascot. Today, we get an unofficial release of the second, focused on the Camaro. Almost a meta-commercial, the ad itself lives out the stream of consciousness brainstorm of two guys...
Nelson Ireson -
VIDEO: Another Chevy Super Bowl Ad To Feature The Camaro
Another day, another Chevrolet ad featuring the Camaro. Like the other one we profiled this week, this one is set to air during Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. This one mocks the thought process behind car ads, and like the first, has a slight...
Tim Healey -
Video: Audi Taps Kenny G (Figuratively Speaking)
Not so long ago, Kenny G was a major threat to the civilized world. Sleepy, innocuous notes rolled out of his saxophone and onto the world's airwaves, lulling us all into a false sense of comfort and security. Things could've gone terribly wrong, but Kenny's unearthly talent was, in fact, his own...
Richard Read -
Video: Chevrolet Super Bowl XLV Ad Features Transformers, Burnouts
"Never mess with a Chevy, dude." That's the moral of the story of Chevrolet's latest Super Bowl XLV ad. It's also a cross-promo for the new Transformers movie. We'll leave the details to the video, but here's a teaser: it includes a giant woodchuck getting thrown through the air, Bumblebee, and a...
Nelson Ireson -
To the casual observer, it might seem that there are plenty of TV shows for Manly Men to watch. Need explosions? Try any of CSI's 31 flavors. Detective sleuthing? There's an entire Law and Order franchise waiting. Hunting and sports are featured on dozens of cable channels (plus the new The Drivers TV show), G4 covers gadgets and games (as does the new "Mo Show"). There are even a number of food-related programs for guys -- usually the sort that involves corn-fed types downing stomach-churning meals, but hey, it's a start. But despite all the televisual testosterone on tap, General Motors...
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Oprah, Tiger, Snookie, & The Donald: 2010's Best & Worst Celebrity Endorsements
Once upon a time, hiring a celebrity to endorse a product was considered a magic bullet: run an ad with Cary Grant driving your sports car or Jack Benny buying your gasoline, and you could pack your bags for Easy Street. But does that still hold true? A new study from Ace Metrix shows that...
Richard Read -
Video: Audi Super Bowl Commercial Says Goodnight To S-Class
There's nothing wrong with a little friendly ribbing, but Audi has been known to get right up in BMW's and Mercedes' faces with its ad campaigns. The latest, a 60-second spot for the Super Bowl, does it artfully, if less obviously. Based on the 1947 children's book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise...
Nelson Ireson -
VIDEO: 2011 Audi A8 Commercial Sends the Wrong Message
Audi has released a new commercial for the all-new 2011 Audi A8, taking on "old luxury and all of your wares" with a twist on the classic bedtime story, "Goodnight Moon." When it comes to German luxury sedans, Audi is widely regarded by reviewers as the smartest kid in the class. But despite its...
Keith Buglewicz -
Snoop Dogg, Bret Michaels, Now Answering Your Questions About...The Ford Explorer
Last time we saw Snoop Dogg, he'd rented a battalion of Packards for his wife's 35th birthday party. Last time we saw Bret Michaels...well, we haven't actually seen BM around here, though we did catch him taking a spin at the Tonys. Apparently, both have recovered well enough to help shill the 2011...
Richard Read -
Laurence Fishburne: The New Voice Of Cadillac
Whether it's from The Matrix, CSI, or any of his dozens of other works, you probably know Laurence Fishburne. Now you'll get to hear his familiar voice as the backbone of Cadillac's new ads. Fishburne's mellow yet authoritative voice will no doubt give the classy underpinnings Cadillac is after...
Nelson Ireson