I was going to write a review of the new Tanqueray marketing site Globe Probe. I went to the site and as it took me into an antiquated movie theater I became excited. Why, you ask. Because the Flash was very smooth and the “cinematography” was awesome. Once inside the theater you’re expected to click on the movie screen to watch the film. Unfortunately no matter how many times I tried the film would not load. I know it’s not me because I went to some other flash-based sites and I had no problem. Why am I telling you all this, you ask? Well, as I stared at the new window where the movie was supposed to be playing looking at a screen that said 0% loaded for a good 10 minutes, I looked down at the status bar which was stalled accessing a site called Modern-Publicity.com. I went to that site and it was a static page with the company name, logo and address. Nothing to click, no info. So I googled the domain and found a site named I Have an Idea that had a press release for the launch of My Pleasure Pet. According to the press release “Sugartown developed MyPleasurePet.com with digital design company Modern Publicity. ” (You see, I’m not just rambling, I’ve always got a point. Stay with me.)

Of course at that point I headed over to My Pleasure Pet. Now before I go any further, this site is definitely NSFW. But if you must there is a “Boss” button. You also may want to turn down your speakers because the endless loop of swanky musak. The site was created for Penthouse Magazine and it features a girl named Heather Vandeven, “Your Pleasure Pet”, who tells you, “I’ll do whatever you want as long as you treat me right. The hotter you get me the more I’ll do.” So then you have to give her things from preset choices and if she likes it the pink bar fills. When the pink bar is completely full you get to watch about 60 seconds of porn (but if you haven’t yet found youporn.com or pornotube.com I have no idea why you’d spend time to get a virtual chick turned on for the reward of just 60 seconds of porn.) It’s a lot like Subservient Chicken but with all the naughty the chicken wouldn’t do because that was for Burger King. Since this is made for Penthouse, you can only imagine.

According to the press release:

“MyPleasurePet is a really engaging way for guys to see what the new Penthouse is all about,” said Fritz Westenberger, co-president/creative director at Sugartown. “The Pets in the game are sexy, charming and natural comediennes. It’s like a hot girl who can tell a great joke - irresistible.”

The site is actually pretty good. Playback in the flash interface is smooth and there’s a ton of different interactive things you can do. You can even be un-interactive and let the site just sit. She starts yawning, and looking disinterested, much like I look at my boyfriends when they start rambling on about whatever it is they ramble on about. Definitely has potential to go viral. My only complaint is that you’d have to have a fairly large monitor to view both the girl and the little action button to activate her, my widescreen laptop doesn’t cut it.

Now if I could just get that Tanqueray site to work. If I ever do I’ll write about.

Stats:
PR 0
Alexa 465,617
Compete N/A

Screenshots after the jump. (more…)

~Check out the sexy plumber for Kohler’s at Jo’s Plumbing. While you’re there run your mouse over her boobs or crotch, she say’s “Hehe, stop tickling!” and her blouse opens a little bit. Was that intentional? As intentional as having a hot woman plumber.

~Not new but worth looking at if you haven’t already. Caveman’s Crib, with those annoying sardonic Gieco caveman guys.

~Maybe it’s just me but I don’t get this: Burger Con According to AdWeek, the campaign is meant to encourage young men to “challenge” others to meet and have a burger. Still I don’t get it.

~This one is hilarious. Bodygroom by Norelco has a site with all the “attachments”, hehe. Go have a laugh at Shave Everywhere.

It’s a beautiful weekend here in New York. Sunny, warm and occasional thunderstorms to cool things off. Yesterday I got caught up on my laundry and cleaning while I turned on the Yankees - Mets Subway Series game on in the background. There’s nothing more zen than cleaning and listening to a game, especially when the Yankees win. After their disappointing loss on Friday to the Mets effectively ending their 9 game winning streak I was ready for a win. It was an exciting game, first the Yankees were up then the Mets then the Yankees again, etc. Then a thunderstorm came through causing a rain delay for 40 minutes.

Being a female fan of sports has its advantages. First it allows you to carry on a conversation with guys and they’re impressed with your knowledge of the sport. Secondly the players are hot and a baseball game allows you 3 full hours of unabashed drooling. Especially the Yankees. There’s Pettitte and Damon, even A-Rod, but no one’s hotter than Derek Jeter. Oh Jeter. Nobody fills out a uniform like he does. That butt, mmmm.

I think I need to take a moment…

Ok, I’m back. So anyway, what was I saying? Oh right, the Yankees game. During the rain delay a commercial came on for Ford starring none other than Derek Jeter for the new Ford Edge. I noticed at the bottom of the screen a web address, Jeter’s Ford Challenge, so I checked it out. I don’t own a car nor do I plan to own one anytime soon. With parking and traffic in the NY area as bad as it is I can’t understand why anyone around here would want one. And even Derek Jeter, whom I’d be willing to birth many babies for, couldn’t get me to buy a car (unless of course if he were in it.) The website uses a flash interface that features film clips of Jeter talking about different Ford vehicles. The problem with combining flash and film is that the technology just isn’t up to par. The playback is choppy and most of the time the audio doesn’t match up with the video. After a while it becomes frustrating and no matter how many times you refresh the page the 2 second delay on his mouth moving to the words coming out turns you off to whatever is being said.

Other than that the site is cute. I say cute not just because of Jeter but because it’s very kid-friendly. There’s some animated interactive games and a section on tips, like how to break in an infielders glove (including parking the back tire of your Ford F-250 on it.) There’s a section with outtakes from the commercials. There’s also a giveaway, which oddly enough never mentions what the prize is, only says it’s a “chance to instantly win a great Derek Jeter prize.” I know what a ‘great Derek Jeter prize’ means to me but I doubt that’s what they’re giving away.

Stats:
PR 0
Alexa N/A
Compete N/A

Screenshots after the jump. (more…)

Does my Tivo get me? Sometimes it does. Other times while looking through the Tivo Suggestions folder I’ve wondered if we’ve been watching the same television. I mean, anyone who knows me knows that I’m not the kind to watch Lifetime or those baby/bridal shows, yet somehow Tivo seems to think I should be watching these shows. Maybe it’s trying to send me a message. You know, like that I need to be more girly. Um, not gonna happen.

So, I clearly have a love/hate relationship with my Tivo. Here’s what I love about my Tivo. I love that bloop bloop sound it makes when you press the buttons. I love being able to listen to Live 365 and podcasts on it. And LOVE that I can download any show I record to my computer. I hate that I can’t watch one program and record another (even with the new Tivo machines which I found out the hard way are not compatible with my digital cable.) I hate that I can’t get a new machine without signing a new (read=more expensive) service agreement.

The other day I got one of their monthly email newsletters and it had a link to a new site they’ve developed, My Tivo Gets Me. It’s designed to create Tivo brand ambassadors. You go on there and create a profile complete with a flash application to upload a picture and put the signature Tivo antennae on your head. Cute. Then you fill out the form to join their community and pass on valuable marketing data. Brilliant.

Is this the new trend in social media marketing? Uploading pictures and branding yourself with their antennae, moustaches, or baby-making? It’s a marketers dream come true. Everyone wearing the company logo. Good stuff.

So the site is cute, and it creates passionate users. Will that make non-believers drink the kool-aid? Doubt it. But it definitely gives the air of exclusivity. Yay, I’m in the Tivo club! Whatever that means.

Here the problem. Tivo has a great brand. They were they first to create the technology. But somewhere along the way they went the way of Sony (as in walkman), not wanting to accept that they needed anyone else to grow or wanting to merge technologies, always wanting to be the innovators. If Tivo had approached the cable companies before everything went digital perhaps a deal could’ve been worked out. But instead the cable companies went and developed their own DVRs. No matter how awesome a company’s branding campaign is, if they can’t keep up with the technology the consumers will not follow.

All the cool features that Tivo offers are great but they forgot the reason people buy DVRs. To record and watch TV. If they gave as much focus to what the consumers really wanted they’d still be leaders. And if the customer service guy didn’t try to tell me that I had connected the box wrong and was upfront about the compatibly issue with Tivo and digital cable I wouldn’t now be seriously considering switching to cable company’s DVR.

Oh, and what’s with the 2nd guy from right who looks like Andy Samburg? Can someone pass him my digits?

And I just have to ask: what’s with the US Army recruiting commercials on the Tivo Central panel? My Tivo SO doesn’t get me.

Site Stats:
PR 0
Alexa 380,926
Compete 41,019

Screenshots after the jump. (more…)

Oh great, just what the world needed, another Energy drink. Whoopie! Right on the heels of the recall of Cocaine. In fact, the other day I was reading in amNewYork that a guy was suing an energy drink company for causing an extended erection (how much you want to bet the stock in that drink rose immediately.)

A man has sued the maker of the health drink Boost Plus, claiming the vitamin-enriched beverage gave him an erection that would not subside and caused him to be hospitalized.

The lawsuit filed by Christopher Woods of New York said he bought the nutrition beverage made by the pharmaceutical company Novartis AG at a drugstore on June 5, 2004, and drank it.

Woods’ court papers say he woke up the next morning “with an erection that would not subside” and sought treatment that day for the condition, called severe priapism. *_{[via Forbes]}

So now in a completely saturated Energy Drink market you have a new one trying to sell itself as the woman’s feel-good energy drink. With taglines like “Spread Good Energy” and “Real fruit, antioxidants, calcium and full serving of optimism.” I’m already getting all warm and fuzzy on the inside. But what about an erection? Oh right, it’s for women.

Ad agency Maiden Lane in San Francisco is responsible for the campaign for Bloom Energy. They are targeting the campaign in print, outdoor and online. Online ads are running on iVillage, Daily Candy and CitySearch; outdoor ads can be found in transit shelters and shopping mall kiosks. Bloom Energy is targeted to women 25-40 years old and is owned by Del Monte Foods. Ads show women in a number of energetic activities. One ad has a group of women in yoga class; another shows a teacher interacting with her students; a third stars a mom adjusting her young daughter’s costume. Three women take the afternoon off and bike at the beach in the final ad.

The website is all flash and allows you to even look at the nutritional facts on each drink. The design is nice, very feminine. It even has links to blogs (something corporate sites RARELY ever do), I applaud them for that. But is all this enough to compete in the Energy Drink marketplace?

We’ll see.

Site stats:
PR 0
Alexa 5,754,454
Compete N/A

Screenshots after the jump. (more…)