Lyngerie...discount prices!

I really don't know if this video is marketing-genious or just so-bad-it's-funny. Usually the way to sell lingerie to girls (and catch the eye of the males) is to create classy piece of advertising, with beautiful women in a (mostly) refined environment.

But sometimes...you get this: basically, a (viral?) video which tries to sell bras and panties like they were used car!

QR Codes: sport and lingerie

QR codes are probably some of the most overrated marketing tools: until now, the lack of a real spread of QR reader has stopped this cool idea from actually....working.

They are useful as attention-getter, but the actual (economic) payback is yet to be verified (even if they've been used for years).

Still, every now and then, the QR codes are used in an interesting way - this means that they're not simple "links" to more informations, but are actually somehow "embedded" in a message, or particularly coherent with the environment.

A couple of examples:

Victoria's Secret: here the QR codes are used to "censor" the naked bodies of Victoria's Secret models, and the reader can actually provide the full image (even though the lingerie shows up!)

Betfair: the betting website had a deal with a duo of professional beach volleyball players, to have the QR code appear on their back - a mix of QR code advertising and ass-vertising, which might actually work due to the fact that during a sport event, people are already receptive and, probably. doing photos: the set up is definitely positive for a QR campaign in public events

Even with these creative ideas, the success of QR codes in the end will be linked more to the diffusion of the technology (I'm thinking about a default integration in the smartphones' camera) and of the internet access...from everywhere, for everybody. Will they survive untile then?

Don't let him strip

A fine example of advertising...for an advertising space! Structured as a teaser with an episodic nature, the campaign is a sequence of images changed during the course of a month, featuring a not-so-fit male stripper who is...quite menacing

Yet another cool AXE commercial

AXE (Lynx) and its over-sexist provides so much material for this blog that an AXE specific tag had to be included (try it) - here's another video that positions itself just like all the others, in an excellent example of continuity which is probably the only reason why the brand is allowed to do this over-the-top virals!

The SEXY FINGER initiative

Cool visual AD to "stimulate" the awareness on HIV test - the picture shows the many possible use in sex that can be done with a finger...

Sexy Finger Initiative

...and questions the viewer to go the extra mile and do something exactly as simple, like taking an HIV test! Take also a look at the ultra-stylish website of the initiative, clearly aimed to the younger audience, both in message and in communication materials - well done!

This AD is a lie

Stupid or genius? Probably both, certainly original: a quick and funny campaign for Blush underwear, that aims to draw attention to this youtube clip in a "cheaty" way.

In the youtube search engines results (and in all the marketing blog were this AD is exposed), the only image of the video shown is, as usually happen, the exact middle of the video, therefore showing this intriguing...and click-catching shot

The truth of the video is quite different, as you can see for yourself - it's a shame that the campaign message is so uninspired, since the eye-catching idea is so original

Say no to fur - Gillette

Here's an aggressive merchandising campaign from Gillette: its "summer initiative" is meant to be a reminder of the...excess fur that more often than not shows up in some..."key areas".

And what better way to highlight these areas than creating a towel with some strategic holes? 

A campaign which will surely work as a reminder, and at the same time, create a good amount of buzz in all the places were the initative took place - and from there, obviously...the web.

AXE: the end of the world is something to hope for

A new Ad for AXE (Lynx, in foreign markets), positioned as all the other AXE commercial, a communication strategy proved to be successfull for the last 10 years

Playing on the viral fad of the end of the world, AXE creates the AXE 2012...cleverly marketing it as "your last AXE": the rest of the ad is exactly what you expect from the brand - lots of beautiful women and a bit of (ironic) sexism

3D sex direct mailing!

Clever initiative by SKY TV, to promote a new 3d functionality...of its "adult" channels: to catch this new arising media marketing opportunity, the following direct mailing was realized

The outside envelope was censored by a pair of jeans...but the genius is inside: a real pair of fabric underwear was interwined with the printed sheet, and to experience the infinite potential of 3D porn, the DM invited who received it to put a conic piece of sheet (also attached!)...inside the underwear

...talk about engagement strategies!

Water crysis solution

This video is so well made that it just begs to be seen: it's a fake social media campaign, in which AXE suggests that the water shortage problem in the world can be solved easily...



...the production values of the video are stellar: the french accent, the highly stilized icon graphic, the idiocy of the campaign, supported by actual numbers...well done!

A new generation of sad prizes: boob job

Here's a particular promotional initiative, in a context in which these kind of marketing drivers aren't seen often: a nightclub (SinCity), during an Ibiza-themed night, it was possible to buy lottery tickets which would grant an original prize...a boob job.

The actual prize is good old money, but the advertising left little to the imagination: it was openly suggested to use them that way.

Why? Partly to keep in target with the club's positioning and audience, and partly to sparkle controversy...which is exactly what happened.

Controversy marketing...now that's a more common marketing driver in this kind of industry, as shown many times on this blog (just click here to see all the articles labeled under the "controversy marketing" tag!)

Put your finger on a random sexy lady...

...there's no way you'll want to point your finger at a guy. Just try, by following the instructions given in this video



This "magic trick" may be the oldest and most spoiled in every noob magician's repertoire, but still it's fun to see it applied in a video, which may hopefully become a niche viral sensation...although the "say my brand name 5 times" payoff is extremely simplicistic: this idea needed a better execution!

It rarely goes like this - MTV condom awareness

Funny old-style condom awareness advertising - a sequence of improbable situations presented as an old comic book is the pretext to remind the young audience of MTV that sex is never an accident...so it's better to remember having condoms close!

Lynx Augmented Reality - angels crashing!

Augmented reality @ Victoria Station (London)!

The term augmented reality is used for those audio-video campaign in which the real world is translated in a virtual one on-screen...sometimes, as in this occasion, by taking the bystanders into it!



The campaign is a sequel of the "angel crashing" campaign already presented here on sex-marketing...but more than a simple video, this is an initiative that's sure to make the people look and most importantly...talk!

What is "sexy"?

Advertising is often subject of controversy and, sometimes, censorship: in these examples for some of us it's not even evident what's been censored...but something definitely has been - take a look at these shots of Gisele Bundchen:

There isn't anything that in the anglo-european culture would be considered obscene here: no exposed skin, no nipples, no genitals...but still in many eastern countries these pictures had been censored - if you look closely you might see that the shoulders and exposed cleavage have been digitally covered.