Copyranter has a retrospective on the man he calls “the greatest American copywriter”: You won’t find much information about Tom McElligott online. He didn’t give very many interviews. He doesn’t have a Wikipedia page. And his Minneapolis start-up agency, Fallon McElligott Rice, made its mark in the pre-internet years of 1981–1988. This was smack in … Continue reading Cool Ad Watch
Copyranter chronicles the storied history of Apple commercials and their sudden crappiness over the past few years.
Ze Frank’s commentary on the natural world wins silver for Mental Health Break: Paul Krugman was close second for the Dick Morris Award. He was nominated for his remarkably incorrect 1998 prediction about the Internet: The growth of the Internet will slow drastically [as it] becomes apparent [that] most people have nothing to say to … Continue reading The 2013 Dish Awards: The Runners-Up
Edie Windsor had the Face Of The Year: Edith Windsor, 83, acknowledges her supporters as she leaves the Supreme Court on March 27, 2013. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case ‘Edith Schlain Windsor, in Her Capacity as Executor of the Estate of Thea Clara Spyer, Petitioner v. United States,’ which challenges the constitutionality … Continue reading The 2013 Dish Awards: The Winners!
Below are the finalists we’ve selected for the 2013 Cool Ad Of The Year, please review them and then vote for your favorite at the bottom of the page. 1) Smartphone Glass Coasters: A clever way to get people put down their fucking iPhones already: The Offline Glass from Mauricio Perussi on Vimeo. … Continue reading 2013 Cool Ad Of The Year Nominees
Copyranter claims that one of the reasons he was fired from Buzzfeed was blowback from advertisers: Because BuzzFeed had grown so big so fast, they didn’t want some loose cannon highlighting the shitty ads of potential or current big name advertisers. Yeah, that’s a pretty good reason to fire me. Being a visionary, I brought this point … Continue reading An Ad Critic At Buzzfeed Doesn’t Work
Adam Corner traces how advertizing agencies co-opted anti-consumerism and irony to create more effective copy. He writes, “It seems almost quaint, now that popular culture is riddled with knowing, self-referential nods to itself, but the aim of advertising used to be straightforward: to associate a product in a literal and direct way with positive images … Continue reading The Rise Of The Anti-Ads
Copyranter considers it “the only 9/11 ad to ever get it right”: It’s not an ad in the traditional sense, but it is an ad, make no mistake— but you can call it “branded content,” if it makes you feel better. And granted, it’s a lot easier to be classier with a ballet 9/11 ad than … Continue reading Cool Ad Watch
Copyranter proclaims that “New Zealand produces the best PSAs in the world”: Titled “Blazed — Drug-Driving in Aotearoa” (Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand), this spot is an instant Advertising Hall of Fame Drugs PSA classic. The ad was just launched on Māori Television. These kids are so perfect, so natural — this is … Continue reading Cool Ad Watch
The twist at the end gave Copyranter goosebumps. Likewise:
The Dish 