Okay, so where am I?

I’m digesting the numbers from the Super Bowl and it looks like over 100 million people watched the big game again. I’m pretty happy because the taking the Philadelphia Eagles and plus six points was the steal of the year (uhhhhhm, hypothetically, because I would never gamble, of course). I have the DVR on fast forward trying to look at the commercials again and making sure I hear that Ram Trucks commercial properly.

I mean, was that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stumping for the truckmaker? Was the good doctors speech about about the value of service really being used as a voiceover to sell trucks? Really? Remember when MLK said “I have a dream that one day a recording of a speech I gave about redefining greatness as a function of your readiness to serve your fellow man will be licensed by my descendants for Ram to use in an offensive truck commercial.”

Wait? Whaaaaat? He didn’t?

In a season marked by President Trump battling the National Football League over kneeling during the national anthem, you would think that using MLK to sell trucks is the the wrong mistake. And given everything that is going on in the country right now centering on race, it seems that there too much emotion to go there. In previous years, this high-risk move might have worked. Today? Not so much.

Needless to say, Twitter was set on fire with criticism of the ad…here’s a handful of sarcasm from the Net:

A little checking discovered that Ram Trucks did not release this spot ahead of time like many of the other companies who spent $5 million for thirty seconds of air time. They were clearly looking for the surprise element, but now they potentially have a big problem with people being irked, the King Center for one:

“We need to show everyone that it’s not just for your colleagues in accounting anymore!”

“How about we put a dictionary-definition millennial in front of a yellow brick wall and she can hold a can of Diet Coke Twisted Mango, dance awkwardly, and mumble to herself?”

“We can let the music play for 30 seconds over her inane mumbling and $5 million well spent! Right?!” 

The post Dilly Dilly: Trying to Not to Punch the TV during the Super Bowl Commercials appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Before I get to the top Super Bowl commercials leaked before Sunday, I just want to say that I feel a huge measure of vindication. “Why?” you ask? Because of stories like this from Variety:

Madison Avenue Hopes Super Bowl Ads Won’t Get Trumped by Politics

Analysis: Big Game. Small Ads?

Madison Avenue heavyweights say they don’t want their ads to play off politics or social issues in Super Bowl LII. Will the commercials be as memorable as in years past?

Last year, post-Super Bowl, I said to “Blame Trump” for all of the misguided ads built for the game to combat the President and his perceived (or not-so-perceived agenda). The ads may have resonated for the snowflakes, but those of us who spend money in big quantity on consumer goods were appalled. True be told, I am still a little salty at my colleagues in the advertising world who let these ads push forward. I’ll run down the winners and losers (mostly the losers) next week after I digest them in the moment.

Currently, I’m scouring the prop bets for the Super Bowl on Sunday and pretty thankful I placed a few dollars on the Eagles early and got six points back (the current line as of posting is the Patriots -4). What does that mean? I means the New England Patriots can win by five points and I can still win my bet. I’m feeling good about this since the the Patriots have won five of these recently, all by less than five points. Easy money? Ha! Only Las Vegas, offshore books, and local bookies make money on the big game.

Back to the prop bets, I’m considering a few:

• Grey +120
• Blue +140
• Red +500

• Yes -200
• No +150

Total number of Donald Trump tweets during game?

• Over 5.5 (-115)
• Under 5.5 (-115)

The post LEAKED: Your Guide to the Super Bowl Commercials and Betting Props appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

** – More than a caption – see below

I may or may not be at the Super Bowl witnessing the greatest comeback in the great Super Bowl ever played.

Or I may have just attended the Oscars Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton. No, I’m not a nominee, but a boy can dream, right?

What I do want to divulge is that the commercials this year were nothing short of, uh, capitalistic. Yeah, yeah, I know that what they are supposed to be, but this year all of the commercials touting diversity and equality left me a bit jaded.

I spent the nearly a decade touting Middle Eastern inclusion and rights in the Unites States media for over a decade and until about a year ago, I have story after story laced in ignorance and/or racism. It was a fruitless endeavor to say the least. At the end of it, I couldn’t get anyone to pay attention for very long.

Not a nominee, but a boy can dream!

And, as a reformed misogynist, I’ve been on a crusade lately as I rail against the advertising industry on their treatment of women (*see below for some of the latest links). So to see all of these corporations forking out $5 million for a thirty-second spot to concentrate on feel-good messages telling the world that they care in Trump America brings out the cynical in me.

Yeah, yeah, I know that aligning with a message shows they have a point of view and it let’s everyone know they aren’t in their glass towers making commercials in a vacuum but they are aware of the world around them.

But, c’mon…

The diversity and gender equality issues have been at the forefront for years. But now you choose to focus on that because you won’t get slammed for doing it? You’re emboldened all of the sudden by the protests swirling around the Donald Trump Presidency will get the masses behind you?

Two spots spring to mind…

“Daughter” from Audi


In what may be one of the most pathetic commercials in Super Bowl history, Audi put together a gender equality piece that can only be described as propaganda. Seriously, it looked more like a feminine hygiene commercial than a car commercial. The father’s voice over angst is disingenuous at best:

Of course the daughter win the race. Let’s watch…

Of course, the liberal media is celebrating this for taking on the gender wage gap. However, the youtube video has over 50% thumbs down rating and Audi as a corporation doesn’t even embody its own advertising message. Yeah, yeah, blame Trump!

Here is the official overview on the spot from Audi:

“This is a story of a young girl competing in a downhill cart race in her hometown. As the fearless daughter weaves her way through a field of competitors, her father contemplates whether his daughter’s worth will be measured by her gender through a series of provocative questions. It is a reminder that progress doesn’t belong to any one group. Progress is for everyone.

“Progress is in every decision we make, every technology we invent, every vehicle we build. It’s our past, our future, our reason to exist. Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work. A 2016 report by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee found that women were paid 21% less than men on average.”

I found this commercial to be highly ironic as the male to female ratio of Audi employees is somewhere around 2:1 while the median salary for men is about 22%. Yep, higher than the national average.

The spot says that Audi is committed to equal pay, because that’s a stronger message than, say, parent Volkswagen’s tainted commitment to clean diesel.

All of this proves that businesses promoting products that have nothing to do with politics should refrain from pushing their political agenda.

“What should I tell my daughter?” So many things roll through my mind as I hear this guy whining through the spot:

• Tell her that she has to work twice as hard as the average man because the guys hiring you won’t pay you enough and you have to show your value twice as much. 
• Tell her that life isn’t fair and if you’re looking for that, you’ll get bulldozed by the corporate climbers who will frame you at work faster than anyone can say “sisterhood.”
• Tell her that when they drive off in their $45,000 car, they shouldn’t leave the winning soapbox derby car winner on the side of the road. So much for environmental protection.
• Or maybe just tell her that daddy didn’t buy an Audi in 2017 because luxury carmakers should pander for gender equality they don’t fully believe in the cause themselves.

Teaching moments, my brother.

Lady Gaga’s push for Tiffany & Co.:


The New York City jeweler jumped into the Super Bowl advertising arena with its first spot and tabbed Lady Gaga to make a splash. The spot, which aired right before the halftime show she was to star in…

Here’s the official word from Tiffany & Co.:

INTRODUCING

LADY GAGA

IN OUR NEW SPRING CAMPAIGN

As fiercely feminine as the new Tiffany HardWear collection, 

the legendary Lady Gaga captures the spontaneity 

and creative spirit of New York City

She spent the entire thirty seconds writhing on the floor with jewelry on…playing harmonica with jewelry on…and challenging the proposition that “it’s pretentious to talk about how creative you are.”

Also: She likes Tiffany. No ground was broken here.

Before we move on, let’s just say that this was easily the most pretentious spot I’ve ever seen. Here’s a few gems from the commercial:

“I love to change, it makes me feel alive.”

“I always want to be challenging the status quo.”

“(Being creative) is empowering, and I’m coming for you.”

That’s a real tour de force of pretentiousness. Whew…

The spot came at a time where sales are plummeting for the brand. Tiffany has cited lower consumer spending and a slowdown in business at its flagship store as the reason for the decline. Many of you probably know that Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue store is located near Trump Tower, which has been overrun with the Secret Service, tourists, and protesters since the election. Yeah, yeah, blame Trump!

* – Reformed Misogyny Links:


The Happy Couple / Natan Jewelry
Enjoli: A 30-Second Capsule of Sexist Advertising
The Dreaded Casting Call
Ride Me All Day
“You can almost taste the Bush”

** – More than a caption:

Fifteen years ago, I played golf in the foursome behind New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick. He was much different from his press conference persona, cracking jokes and generally portraying the face of a happy man. He told me to always be prepared and plan everything meticulously. I fell in love with the process of everything and it benefitted my advertising career.

After he guided another Patriots team to an NFL championship, he actually said this: “As great as today feels and as great as today is, in all honesty we’re five weeks behind in the 2017 season.” The comment drew laughs, but Belichick was being serious.

Technically, he’s correct that his team’s 2016 season lasted longer than those of all other teams except Atlanta. But, dude, come on. You just became the first coach ever to win five Super Bowls — and you did it in dramatic fashion.

Isn’t that what all the work is about? Why not take a minute to appreciate what you’ve accomplished? Belichick said Monday that he and his coaching staff will take some time off, but not until this summer. “Now is not really the time to do that,” he said. “If you don’t do a good job with your football team in February, March and April, you’re probably going to see that in November, December and January. We have some catching up to do. But it’s where we want to be.”

What can I say, the man loves the process. You gotta love Coach Belichick because, hey, if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying!

The post Blame Trump! Misguided Super Bowl 51 Commercials appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

My recent talk with Daniela the Flight Girl spurred my nostalgia about what flying was like back in the day. I remember those Mad Men episode with Don Draper was winging it to the coast with Roger Sterling with the suit coats still buttoned and stewardess with gloves on taking drink orders.

Today is a little different, right? You know the drill, show up three hours early, get frisked by TSA, beg for an upgrade (or pay a fortune for business class), and share sodas with your seat mates. So, what was it like when airline travel became a romanticized mode of transportation? I’ll tell you, it was smokey, dangerous, boozy, expensive, boring, racist, and sexist.

Expensive Tickets

In the fifties, a roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles to Chicago would set you back about $1,200 in today’s dollars (when adjusted for inflation). A one-way trip to Rome would have cost you $3,000!

Smoking

During the fifties, smoking (cigarettes, pipes and cigars) was acceptable (and to a large degree encourages) in flight. However, you couldn’t smoke in the terminal. Senior management at the airlines and the FAA were deathly (pun intended) afraid that fuel fumes could be ignited. Reform came in 1988 when smoking was prohibited on short domestic flights. In 2000, a new law banned smoking on all flights department from and inbound to the United States.

Baggage Claim

Back in the day, you would wait for a skycap to organize the luggage and after that laborious process, you would point our your suitcase and tip the man.

Lots of Drinking

Mile High Club aside, the only in-flight entertainment used to be alcohol. Everyone was served as much free alcohol as they could handle. And not handle. It was pretty common to disembark the plane totally hammered.

No ID Needed

Even as late as the nineties, you could board a plane with only your ticket. Showing up at the airport a few minutes before your flight was the perfect pre-flight timing, you didn’t take off your shoes, belt or hat, and your girlfriend could walk you to the gate to make sure you were going to where you said you were.

Danger!

In the Golden Age of Flying, your chances of dying were five times greater than today (and a patch of turbulence could snap your neck). Nice-looking dividers separated first class from coach. The only drawback was that they could shatter and spray you with glass during turbulence. Walking to the bathroom could be fatal. Trip and you could find yourself landing on a sharp edge or jag of a chair or table. Safety was not a priority once upon a time.

AD OF THE WEEK/MONTH/WHATEVER

In the sixties, sex sold everything. Today, you’d be called a misogynists or Donal Trump. I’ve detailed the AirStrip campaign quite a few times in the quasi-pages of the Media Guy Struggles. For those of you that missed it read the story. I’m excited to write that I finally found the vintage television spot.

In the commercial, a “hostess” (a new term coined by the advertising folks) casually strips off layers of her Emilio Pucci uniform to classic stripper music while the dominating male voiceover narrator uses not-so-subtle sexual innuendo to describe her action. Note the concluding tag line:

“The AirStrip is brought to you by Braniff International, who believe that even an airline hostess should look like a girl.”

See for yourself…

The post The Golden Age of Flying appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

First Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the DPRK, First Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, and Father of Dragons (I made that last one up!) Kim Jong-un has outlawed sarcasm, a method of satirical wit that has long plagued the esteemed workers of the great North Korea.

He really did ban it, reportedly because he was getting sick of people agreeing with him “ironically.” The Twitterverse was aglow with this unexpected gift from our friend in Asia, my favorite being:

On a related noted, there’s apparently some truth that the paranoid leader plans to call The Simpsons to enforce his well-thought ban with this little baby:

The ban makes me wonder if this tourism ad is real or a the actual hoax that spurred Kim to consider if his people take him seriously:

Dear Kim Jong-un…you might want to click away from this column because it’s all sarcasm, all of the time from here on out as I look at some of the tourism ads I’ve stumbled across recently.

It’s a pretty sad lot. I am sure you will agree. (And to the folks at Emirates Airlines, I didn’t touch one of your ming-boggling advertisements!) So, like I did last week, let’s jump into some of the ads and see what’s game-changing and what’s not…

REACTION: It’s not so much that Mary and her little lamb have been oddly-Photoshopped into this ad with a passenger train roaring toward her that bothers me. What strikes me as as truly odd is that if children walking around the Himalayas is a thing in North India, the ad agency could have hired an actual girl for a few rupees. And what of the poorly-worded slogan? I don’t want to typo-shame anyone (goodness knows I need 10 proofreads and there are still mistakes in my writing) but “A new surprises at every step” is an automatic hall of shame inductee. Skip the five-year waiting period. You’re in!

REACTION: That’s not creepy or anything. All that’s missing is the call to the BAU Unit in Criminal Minds in the next scene. Aside from that, I really don’t know about sleeping in a room where the headboard table lamps are an inch away from the ceiling. Note to Swiss Deluxe Hotels: We don’t want creepers stowing away in our freshly cleaned rooms and ceilings lower than seven feet. Check and check.

REACTION: Why doesn’t the ad just say, “Let it burn Mr. Fireman!” Meanwhile the old guy with the dog is on fire, the little girl’s hair is on fire, and the guy in the Dodgers hat is also on fire. All I can think of is the stupidity of the people who conceived this one. If Donald Trump were evaluating this ad in The Apprentice boardroom he’d be screaming “You’re Fired!” until his face turned purple.

REACTION: I looked at this ad maybe 101 times and I have nothing. Not a word speechless. I am completely clueless on what’s going on in the Swiss Alps with a guy and his tools and a line of cows.

REACTION: Simply the most racist ad I’ve ever seen.

REACTION: I thought sexist airline ads were a thing of the past. Last year when Nikki Minaj took my seat in business class, I covered a bunch of misogynistic ads from days past. It seems that one of those Mad Men can muster up some SMH ad concepts when this one hit the travel magazine pages. Based on what I see, the Firefly flight attendant’s derrière is half off. Is that before you land or after? Needless to say, I’m not the only one who was offended. Facing mounting pressure, Firefly deleted the ads from its Facebook page and made a public apology:

The post Intolerable Sarcasm featuring Stupid Tourism Ads appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

These days, Rima Fakih has one rule for her life: Don’t put
encumbrances on her. And who can blame her! The first Arab-American queen in
the history of the Miss USA pageant was put under clamps by the Miss Universe
organization when she later ran for that title. She was restricted from
speaking her mind about her culture and heritage. She was hounded by the media
on a daily basis and haunted by the fact that there was a groundswell of narrow-minded
thinkers who wanted her reign to end prematurely and with controversy. It was
fitting that we met up with her at an event at Eva Longoria’s Eve Nightclub in
Las Vegas, where Fakih and boxing champ Floyd Mayweather hosted a standing room
only evening. Perhaps it’s “the gloves are coming off” attitude that prepared
her for a tumultuous, yet rewarding year as Miss USA. Read on to find out how
tough–and thoughtful–this beauty queen can be.

The post MGS CHAT: MISS USA 2010 RIMA FAKIH appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.