First off, lets give credit to Jimmy Fallon and his staff for starting this craze when, with the help of their wonderful house band The Roots, Jimmy “Slow Jams” the news.   However, the idea was taken to the next level with this clip.  It speaks (futuristically at that) for itself.

Ladies do Love Cool James.  Why?  Because of his swagger.  But where does one acquire such swagger?  Finally Old Spice provides the answer.  Here’s one reason marketers should keep paying top dollar for tv commercials and celebrity talent.  If your spot is good enough it gets the viral treatment on the web.  And the clip doctor can’t help but give a nod to our colleague Neil Patrick Harris in his take on Old Spice…

Do we really need yet another new technology to communicate with?  Are cell phones, email, and facebook just too slow?  Do I really need an update on what my friend had for lunch?  Look, some people are using Twitter for cool things that relate to REAL LIFE (see jetblue, Obama, the NBA), but for the rest of you, put your phone down and go set a dumpster on fire, eat a foot long, get naked.  This clip from current.com points out just how out of touch we may have become.

Men are always looking for guidance when it comes to being cool.  They might not admit it, but guys are extremely impressionable and have shown over the years a willingness to buy into cool.  I never remember seeing a Dos Equis add in any form before this campaign and for a first time effort, I think they have’ve got a hit.  The Most Intersting Man in the World seems like a latin version of Magrum PI.  he’s handsome, welcomes adventure, and falls into beautiful women simply by existing.  He’s smooth and sophisticated yet not afraid to do some heavy lifting.  Its the guy every guy wants to be but so few of us are.  So if even if you can’t walk the walk you can still drink the drink.

This jingle was in my head for a week before I even realized where it originated from.  Upon seeing the commercial again I realized it was the genius of Denny’s.  This simple, childish song is beyond catchy.  Added to the infectious tune is the simple, rainy day afternoon style banana puppet.  I love that it’s eye falls out within seconds, yet ol Nannerpuss keeps chugging along.  Upon searching for the clip on YouTube I was pleasantly surprised to see all the remixes people had made.  That’s what makes the song / jingle such an effective viral tool today.  With more and more people creating and posting their own videos, a catchy song is a great thing for them to work with.   From Baby Nannerpuss, to the Asian Nannerpuss, to Nannerpuss On Fire – Denny’s actually had people participating in their campaign.

The one setback to this campaign was it was for a one day event.  So even though people continue to participate in the marketing effort, the actual product being sold is no longer available.  I wouldn’t be surprise to see Nannerpuss surface again for Denny’s, and if they’re smart it’ll be for something a little bit more long term than a one day offer.  People like the Nannerpuss, it’s time to let him swim in bigger waters.

Before there was Monsters Inc., before there was The Never Ending Story, there was the Maurice Sendak classic Where the Wild Things Are.  I remember in elementary school kids racing to our library’s copy of this book during reading time.  The story, the pictures, it was the perfect blend of intellectual adventure and visual stimulation.  That’s my take now.  Back then I just knew I liked it.

It should come as no surprise my reaction to seeing the trailer for Spike Jonze’s movie version of this book was much the same.  The visuals draw you in immediately.  Rather than morph the classic into some CGI dominated computer project, the filmakers decided to take a more Jim Henson / Michel Gondry approach.  The construction paper-meets-glue art direction is right out of a 5th grade art class.  This choice instantly romantasizes the movie even more.  The honesty and crudeness of the characters and sets speaks directly to the child in all of us.  Couple that with a brilliant, new, stripped-down version of Arcade Fire’s anthem “Wake Up,” and you’ve got a commercial for something I can’t wait to buy.