st-st-st-stuttering

I just wrote recently about how difficult it is for me to pay attention to TV advertising, what with all the clutter and distractions around me, but another one quickly caught my attention, and once again, it's really because of the song.

I love this song! It's so quirky. And cute. And fun. And hard to sing along. I will def. look into getting the album. It's by a British band called Ben's Brother, and the song is called "Stuttering." Check out the ad that caught my attention, and the full song, too!





Ben's Brother

Life Inside the Music Box

I'm an advertiser's worst nightmare, since I'm definitely one of those multi-taskers who will surf the Net, watch TV, listen to music, read a book, AND play on my PSP all at the same time. It's a wonder that anything can grab my attention, or if I can remember anything I've been doing. Through all the noise, on occasion, some ads do catch my attention.

Take this JC Penney ad. The visuals are absolutely magical and whimsical. Day to day, we all forget what it's like to have a wild imagination. I believe that the success in the creative for this ad is that even as adults, we should be able to experience the fantastic in our every day lives.



In addition to the ad, I LOVE the music. There's a fanciful quality that I can't quite explain, but I adore about this song. Sadly for JCP, I won't be shopping there because of the song, but luckily for the singer, Regina Spektor, I like her voice enough to buy her CD. Take a listen, and let me know what you think. Sometimes, mass-produced albums can be so played out on the radio. Very refreshing to hear, this Ms. Spektor.



JC Penney
Regina Spektor

Pretty Brady

This post is for my honey, 'cause he's a HUGE fan of the New England Patriots. While celebrities shilling for fragrances and colognes are a dime a dozen, I HAD to post this because we love Tom Brady, and we're happy that he finally got a sponsorship deal!

It's about time, really. While watching the Pats game last Sunday, we lamented the fact that we see Peyton Manning EVERYWHERE (cocky SOB), but poor Tom never gets anything. All he gets are bad press about his cheating coach, or his relationship woes (child born out of wedlock to an exgf, while dating hot new supermodel gf), etc., etc. But let's face it. He's a talented QB. He's hot. And he's a nice guy. He deserves any money that comes his way. And it appears that someone out there was willing to be that sugar daddy.

Coty Beauty has signed Tommy boy as the face of Stetson Cologne for two and a half years, and the new ads are out! This is a side of him I've never seen. Normally, he's either in his Pats uniform, or nice and clean-cut in a suit. They really went for the whole "I'm-sexy-smell-me-buy-Stetson" look where he's just gazing seductively at the camera (and thinking about how this will help pay for child support). But I digress. I think he looks great. It's the cross between the Marlboro man and an Ambercrombie & Fitch model. Sexy, rugged, innocent, really.

But let's get real. I don't know anyone who actually buys Stetson (do you?!), so is he helping Stetson build up their brand equity, or are they pulling him down? Think he could've done better? Except that this is somewhat of an all-American brand, maybe he could've associated himself with a more luxurious brand? What do you think?

Well, here's to many more sponsorships, Brady! And bring us home another championship!!!

Photo Source

Red Hot Keira

Here are more pics of Keira from the Coco Mademoiselle promotion. I wish that Chanel would just release a collector's DVD so I can watch this "film" and all the behind-the-scenes on my plasma! Karl Lagerfeld, can you hear me?!?!?

Photo Source

Keira and Chanel, Together at Last

I wanted to post about this sooner, but allow to me say how much I'm enjoying the new Chanel Coco Mademoiselle campaign, featuring Keira Knightley. Directed by Joe Wright, it's Pride & Prejudice all over again! No complaints here! (He did after all direct her in P&P, and again in one of her latest films, Atonement. They must love working together. And if you didn't know already, P&P is one of my all-time FAVE films. I've seen it at least 12 times, not including the BBC version. Matthew Macfadyen! But I digress.)

Smile, Keira!!! :P

The film, as Chanel prefers to call it instead of a commercial, is lush, fantasy-driven and immaculate. Unlike the Nicole Kidman ad for Chanel No. 5, which was based on Moulin Rouge and required her to talk at the end, Keira simpers and pouts through the clips, dabbing a bit of the Coco Mademoiselle on a male model, prancing through a soirée, and coming up all radiant smiles and bubbles at the end. She makes us believe that with the right perfume, everything is beautiful and perfect in the world.

I have never tried Coco Mademoiselle before (my favorite fragrance of the moment is Christian Dior's Lily, which was limited, so sadly, is no longer produced), and I'm picky about my scents, but if CM does indeed smell like jasmine, I'm all for trying it.

Joss Stone sings Nat King Cole's version of L.O.V.E. This is also one of my all-time favorite songs, and I think it befits the ad. The ad is about all kinds of love; love for the perfume, love for luxury, love for men, parties, love yourself!, and love for life.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle - $18.50-$120.00

Bottega Veneta is my Dream Fantasy

I am in love love LOVE with the current fall campaign for Bottega Veneta. The photos are by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. When I look at these ads, they don't look like they are selling just purses and shoes. They are selling a lifestyle. Set in an intimate setting, where all the ladies look like ladies and are swaddled in feathers and furs and gilded in gold, it is an absolute perfection that only BV can promise.

Doesn't the male model look like Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5? :P


This is my favorite photo! The models look like they are almost ready to head out, and have some last minute primping to do. This photo looks like a painting!


Capture the mood at Bottega Veneta.

False Advertising?

When I saw this pic of the latest Visionaire venture, I almost fell in my seat! $375 is certainly not expensive to own a gold LV Monogram Miroir portfolio, including a beautiful tome of photographs. I was counting down the days until I could order from Visionaire's site. And I quote:

Guest Art Director Marc Jacobs teamed up with photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott on the newest installment of the coveted fashion quarterly, Visionaire, which comes housed this time in a limited-edition Louis Vuitton case designed by Jacobs. Alas and Piggott photographed a series of intimate portraits of today's most inspiring contemporary icons, traveling to New York, London and Paris in search of their personal muses. Subjects include actors Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson and Selma Blair; singers Jennifer Lopez and Lil' Kim; models Gisele Bündchen, Stephanie Seymour and Christy Turlington; New York City Ballet principle dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied; and fashion designers Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney, to name a few.

Then came this. I surfed onto the Visionaire site and they were accepting pre-orders. Except, the case is now not a portfolio, but a regular, probably-made-out-of-cardboard case!!! WTF?!? Is this sneaky advertising? Or did they decide that production-wise, it wasn't viable to make an actual portfolio?

Anyhow, I decided to subscribe to get an issue anyways, because I can't say no to Lou-ee, even if I know I'm being ripped off. This is the more affordable Louis that will go up in price over the years. And with a subscription, I get 3 other wonderful editions of Visionaire. I'll let you know what I end up getting in the mail. Crossing my fingers here. :P

Visionaire 52. Private - $375