Awesome Advertising

These days, product placement is all over movies, TV shows, sporting events, and even video games. Cheddar looks back at some of the earliest examples of products being featured in entertainment media, how important it’s become a crucial marketing tactic, and how it’s only going to become more prominent in the future.

From Chiquita to Count Chocula, from the Geico Gecko to the Jolly Green Giant, mascots have long been a staple of the advertising industry. Author Warren Dotz’s two-volume series is filled with characters from the iconic to the obscure, from the lovable to the downright weird.

A hilarious short film about the “important” work that goes into commercial production, as a duo of micromanaging marketing execs try to coax exactly the right mood from a voice actor. It’ll hit close to home for anyone creative who has to pay the bills with a “real job.”

Studio Smack envisions a future in which advertising goes beyond billboards, banner ads, and product placement, and brands devise a technology to invade our dreams with not so subtle promotions for their products. For some reason, we’re craving a can of Coke now.

Zulu Alpha Kilo shines a light on the ridiculous process that many creative folks have to endure – the creation of free sample work on “spec” during the RFP process, which seems completely ridiculous when seen in the context of other professions. (Thanks Greg!)

British Airways is getting creative with their ‘Look Up’ campaign to promote the airline. They have installed digital billboards that show footage of cute kids who recognize, point out and announce their arriving flights.