The death of Osama bin Laden dominated the week's news, but others things did happen! Gerry Graf told mothers to get off Facebook. Progressive's Flo did some un-Flo-like things. Google made people cry with its Chrome ads. And Uma Thurman revealed that she'll have Schweppes with just about anyone. Let's have a look back at the week on AdFreak.
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Osama bin Laden
The al-Qaeda leader didn't have a great commercial history—mostly popping up in hack ads as shorthand for evil, often alongside Hitler. We did post one of the more amusing ones—a condom ad from Germany (see top) from a few years ago that urged you to use protection to be sure you don't bring the next bin Laden into the world. In other bin Laden news, CNN had a contextual-advertising flub, posting an ad for life insurance news of the man's death.
Osama Bin Laden Sold Condoms, Among Other Things CNN Ad Fail: Did Bin Laden Have Life Insurance? -
The Navy SEALs
Bin Laden's death at the hands of the Navy SEALs also led us back to the great 2006 SEALs commercial from director Stu Maschwitz and Detroit ad agency Campbell-Ewald. Truly, one of the great military ads ever made.
Classic Navy SEALs Recruitment Ad Sneaks Up on You -
Gerry Graf vs. Moms on Facebook
Graf, the longtime TBWA\Chiat\Day and Saatchi & Saatchi creative director who recently opened his own agency, Barton F. Graf 9000, whipped up an odd musical PSA urging mothers to get off Facebook and play with their kids. The week before Mother's Day, it wasn't what many of them wanted to hear.
Gerry Graf Wants Moms to Get Off Facebook, Already -
Flo Goes Rogue
Speaking of Mother's Day, Stephanie Courtney, who plays Flo in the Progressive Insurance campaign, starred in an amusing, unbranded Mother's Day video called "Dad's New Girlfriend," a side project from Biscuit Filmworks director Clay Weiner. It's odd seeing her outside the whitewashed Progressive world, but she shows how funny she can be in this clip.
Progressive's Flo Lets Hair Down in Mother's Day Video -
Chrome Makes You Cry
The tear-jerker commercials of the week came from Bartle Bogle Hegarty for Google's Chrome browser. One new spot supported Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" project to fight bullying against gay teens. Another showed a father using Google products to create a scrapbook of his daughter's early years. Sniff.
Google Kicks Off TV Campaign to Promote Chrome Google Chrome Spot Captures Girl's Entire Life in 90 Seconds
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Uma Thurman, Schweppes Addict
The celebrity commercial of the week: Uma Thurman huskily explaining her wanton desire to have Schweppes constantly, with anyone, anywhere. Shot by fashion photographer David LaChapelle.
Uma Thurman Likes to Have Lots and Lots of Schweppes -
Land Rover's Pathological Liar
The funniest ad of the week, from Young & Rubicam. A guy seeks refuge in the safety of a Land Rover as he confesses to his girlfriend that he's a pathological liar who's fibbed about every single detail of his life throughout their relationship.
Pathological Liars More Comfortable in a Land Rover -
Pepsi's Social Vending Machine
Are you surprised? Vending machines are getting into social networking. Now it's Pepsi who wants to be friends.
Pepsi's Social Vending Machine Wants to Be Friends -
Microsoft's Home of the Future
Texts and tweets on motion-activated digital wallpaper? Someday, it might happen. Microsoft took us on a tour of its impressive yet somewhat creepy "Home of the Future."
Take a Tour of Microsoft's Home of the Future -
Honda Exec Gets Fan Tattoo
This is what consumer outreach has come to: Some guy named Dustin got a Honda tattoo, so Honda's vp of marketing, Steve Center, had to get a Dustin tattoo with the guy's name and face on his arm. Is this not madness?
Honda Marketing Chief Tattoos Fan's Face on His Arm