Glad we got that out of the way!

There doesn’t appear to be anything too crazy going on today, aside from the Google + DoubleClick merger, so we’re going to throw you some links in an extended form of…

Boxworthy Items!

The 2007 Johnnies are being released! What are they? Just some dude’s top 5 ads of 2007. #1 & #2 have not come out yet, but #’s 3-5 are quite good…if not a bit unoriginal. Check it out anyway! (Advertising For Peanuts)

We really need to get into “toastvertising.” This spot for SPAM takes edible advertising to a fantastic new level. (Shake Well Before Use)

Don’t expect holiday gifts from TAXI this year, they’re making it happen for over 3,000 homeless people by distributing a custom-made clothing line to the less fortunate. I kinda want one of those hoodies… (CREATIVITY)

If you wanted a behind-the-scenes look @ Whopper Freakoout, check out this interview with Smuggler director Henry-Alex Rubin (CREATIVITY)

This is a chuckle-worthy piece of print advertising from the French folks @ Publicis. Someday, we hope our cleavage will act as a third hand…wait, NO. (Copyranter)

If you you’re tech-savvy, and you care about politics…then you probably already read TechCrunch, but check out this post that invites readers to endorse a candidate. Biggest surprise? John McCain doesn’t use a computer. Yes, the same John McCain that wanted to re-configure our cable systems so that they would be entirely a la cart. It’s alllll making sense now. (TechCrunch)

Tomorrow we’re going to talk about PSA’s in America vs. Canada vs…wait for it…Germany. Oh yeah, get excited. We’re promising severed limbs, ransom notes, and at least one grease fire on a sous chef’s face. Nighty night!

We almost forgot, our favorite “PSA” from last year…

Best Of 2007

We don’t have time to sit around compile the “best of 2007″ for anything. Why? Because we actually work all day. Chew on that. Taste good? Yeah, yummy in your tummy like a fruit cake.

In place of our very own contrived list of work from the year that was, we’re going to link you up to other people’s contrived lists. Sound good? Glad you like the idea, because this will be on-going until Friday!

Stuart Elliot takes a look some of 2007’s best. (NY Times)

Holiday Spots Galore…

Word on the street is that Hanukkah is over and Christmas is right around the corner. Naturally, we’ve been inundated with tons of holiday spots. Here are a few that we actually like…

CK’s Favorite Holiday Spot is the AT&T Gingerbread spot from BBDO. (CK’s Blog)

AdPulp got a hold of Dailey & Associates video card. (AdPulp)

Praise for Apple’s latest Mac vs. PC spot. We say chuckle-worthy at best, but not bad. (ChaosScenario)

W+K London put together this “bad food monster.” Apparently there’s “no good way to glue gun a sausage.” Ha ha. (Welcome To Optimism)

Those spots/whatever are all nice, but our favorite at this point is “Gingerbread” by BBDO NY for AT&T:

Other Boxworthy Items:

I’ll Take Decision 2008 for $400, Alex!

Answer: Most F***ing Definitely!

Question: Will 2008 Presidential Campaigns Waste Millions On Strike-Crippled Network Television? (ThirdWay)

Holidays can be so contrived, at least they picked an appropriate time for this one. Depending on who you ask, tomorrow is UN International Migrants Day, National Roast Suckling Pig Day or Tell Your Landlord That You Love Them Day. We’re going to stay away from Migrant jokes, but under no circumstances will we be roasting a suckling pig or telling our landlords that we them tomorrow. Besides, a pig is a filthy animal…everybody knows that!

Today Is ‘Find An Evergreen Day.’ Bet You Didn’t Know That Did You? (AdRANTs)

TV Week’s Daisy Whitney doesn’t watch Dexter, but she loves the website. We just love how the interview is taking place on a bloodstained set. The sidebar chat application is another cool feature.

The Dirt On ‘Dexter.’ (TV Week - Daisy Whitney)

We found a very well done video on Facebook via TechCrunch today. You just have to watch it, go ahead, we’ll even wait.

Facebook Is MySpace With ADD. (TechCrunch)

That’s All for this FREEZING COLD Monday. Back tomorrow with more lists, holiday spots, and fruitcake-a-plenty.

That Hurt Less Than I Thought!

Unless you’re fan of the mercinary twins, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, or you really enjoy lousy utility infielders who couldn’t hit a beach-ball (Yes, that’s you Neifi Perez), then you were probably semi-relieved by George Mitchell’s report.

On this day of doom and gloom for our national pastime, we’ll start with some good news: The next Jackass move will be released online…for FREE! (kinda).

On Dec. 19, [Paramount Pictures] will make “Jackass 2.5” available in connection with Blockbuster’s Movielink service. The hour-plus film has original material and previously unseen outtakes from the second “Jackass” movie in 2006. The new movie, made for less than $2 million, will stream for free but will have 15- or 30-second commercials before and after it plays.

Viacom will simultaneously launch Jackass World.

The site is billed as an online community offering blogs, original video content and an archive of the 24 episodes of “Jackass,” which ran on MTV in 2000 and 2001, as well as its longer-running spin-off “Wildboyz.”

“Jackass Number Two” was actually better than the original “Jackass Movie” (in our ever-so-humble opinion). It really raised the stakes and the “Holy Shit!” quotient was at a new high. Hopefully “Jackass 2.5″ delivers the goods!

TechCrunch is with us on this one:

As much as it sounds like a marketing ploy from Paramount, any move to debut a movie online for free has got to be a positive in the overall progression from the traditional media model to one that reflects the realities of the internet age. Of course it will take all of about 5 seconds for the movie to be ripped from the site and put onto BitTorrent, but maybe at least in this example, Paramount, unlike many of its competitors, may not be jackass’s after all.

Cute!

A Chapter Of “Jackass” As Web Test (NY Times)

New Jackass Movie To be Offered Free Online (TechCrunch)

New Jackass Movie To Hit Internet (HuffPo)

Success Breeds Success…Viral Breeds Viral?

AOL News nailed it with this viral spoof promoting their online news service. We love that they don’t just make the joke, they keep it going for a truly uncomfortable amount of time. Well played, AOL.

AOL News: Where Are They Now? (Adverblog)

Holiday Shenanigans? Hmmm… Nope, Nope… We don’t know anything about that…

We post this because we know that you’ve been looking for an excuse to upper-deck some of your pesky clients…

Enter AdRants Holiday Party Shenanigans Contest (AdRants)

Kontent: Still King

Everyone is raving about Burger King’s latest piece of branded content, Whopper Freakout. Aside from the fact that it’s funny, it’s a well executed piece of Jackass-lite. It also has elements that show brand loyalty, which tell a bigger brand story that interacts with the consumers.

But really, we just love to see people getting tricked, fooled, duped, and other synonyms…such as. It’s human nature, right?

Burger King: Whopper Freakout (CREATIVITY)

Daily Strike Round-Up:

Strike Central (TV Week)

MTV To Let Freelancers Stay On Its Insurance (NY Times)

Other Boxworthy Items:

Former Nas manager Steve Stoute recently sold his brand image company, Translation Marketing, to IPG. Looks like he’s on the move again…

Is Stoute Starting Another Agency? (AdAge)

Go ahead and link us up, we want to get invited to the party!

Top 25 Marketing Blogs (The Viral Garden)

Something tells me we’ll look back on this and be slightly embarrassed by our culture…

Top Videos Of 2007 (Truveo)

Interesting take on an old marketing technique being revamped by brands like Apple.

Branding Your Competition - Choose Your Enemies Wisely (Chaos Scenario)

Boy Shoot Bear. Bear Die. Boy Eat Bear. Yum.

Normally we would lead off with something “important” or whatever, but Davey Crockett’s 5 year-old Great (x10) Grandson shot and maimed killed a 445 black-bear! The toddler at large, Tre Merritt, is quoted as saying”Paw-paw I squeezed the trigger and I didn’t close my eyes. I killed him.” This reminds me of the time I caught a 3lb large-mouth bass when I was 5 years old, except I didn’t have a gun and couldn’t feed the entire population of my hometown with the catch. Oh well.In a completely unrelated story, PETA rips the Olsen twins for their habitual wearing of fur garmetts. Olsen twins + Michael Vick = cell mates? You betcha, ff Alicia and Eva Mendes have anything to say about it!

The Trollsen Twins (PETA2)

5 year-old Descendant Of Davy Crockett (ESPN)

Saturn Drop-Top, Watchu Talkin’ Bout?

Get your Gary Coleman car! Yeah, that’s right Gary “Rock Bottom” Coleman is at it again…selling his swag on Ebay. Get that Saturn drop-top while it’s hot!

We at Slayterbox1748.com would like to congratulate Gary, for he has now created “The Coleman Zone.”

We’re not even sure that that is, but we just know that we laugh uncontrollably every time we hear that he’s involved in, well, anything.

“Did you hear who is going to be the next James Bond? Yeah, Gary Coleman!”

Just insert any big, recurring movie character…it’s funny. Feel free to use this joke without discretion.

Gary Coleman Selling Car — And Dignity — On Ebay (TMZ.com)

Duuuuude, How About A Box Inside A Box…Inside A Box…Inside SlayterBox1748…!!! Whoaaaaaaa…

Better get crankin’ on that hot piece of viral media you and your stoned buddies have been smokin’ dreamin’ up since the YouTube launched in 2005. The Google-owned video host site is now accepting applications to their revenue sharing system. Get that shit up and make some scrillaz, yo!

YouTube Expands Revenue-Sharing Model to North American Content Builders (MarketingVOX)

Other Boxworthy Items:

If you don’t want your Facebook account disabled, quit posting those naked pictures of yourself!

Facebook Stirring Up Anger For Disabling Accounts (TechCrunch)

Best wishes to our favorite Canadian played by Will Farrell, here’s wishing you a speedy recovery Mr. Trebek! How many days will it take for a publicity-deprived politician to use this as an example of why our health care system pales in comparison to our Brothers & Sisters in the Great White North?

Alex Trebek Suffers Mild Heart Attack (HuffPo)

The Aussies from Saatchi & Saatchi rock out (quite literally) in this new Toyota Campaign.

Toyota: Born Of Earth (CREATIVITY)

Love those ESPN ‘This Is SportsCenter’ spots? Well, ESPN is the network for you, pal!

ESPN Focuses On Its Own Classic Spots (ADWEEK)

Tis’ the season to strike! Or at least walkout of the office with middle fingers a blazin!

Viacom Walkout #2 (Gawker)

File this one under “most ridiculous item of the week month.” Either way, something tells me a) ESPN can afford to over pay Rick Reilly and b) Jonathan Papelboner will get his ’straight cash, homie.”

Rick Reilly Makes Eight Times As Much Money As Jonathan Papelbon (Deadspin)

We said it before, we’ll say it again: We can’t keep track of this WGA strike. We just know it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Boo.

Writers Strike News Round-Up (TVWeek)

Ben Silverman is making waves @ NBC Entertainment.

It’s Ten O’Clock. Do You Know Where Your Network President Is? (Esquire)

…And The Strike Goes On…

The Huffington Post and TVWeek can get you your daily update on the WGA strike. It seems like a pretty massive deadlock at this point, and we’ll continue to link updates…but honestly, there’s not much to say at this point.

What we find interesting is stuff like this: NBC Rings Up Holiday Refunds (ADWEEK)

Short of offending the struggling writer living off Cup Of Noodles right now…it really looks like this strike is hurting the networks and studios more than it’s hurting the writers.

E’rybody Makin’ It Rain - This Time With A Little Cherry Chocolate…Mmmmmm…

You might remember Tay Zonday’s original track titled “Chocolate Rain.” Well, the good folks @ True Entertainment & Dr. Pepper decided to do a bit of long form viral in the vein of Tea Partay. Sure, “Cherry Chocolate Rain” isn’t necessarily original, but we love how it sexy-fies Dr. Pepper’s newest flavor.

AdChops is all up in arms about this for no good reason.

When critiquing an ad, I feel it my responsibility to watch the whole thing before casting judgment. I cannot tell you how hard that was on this one. I just wanted to reach through the monitor and choke the little bitch.

Sounds like a touch of bitterness towards a pretty funny piece of content. Then again, where would we be without a little misplaced anger every now and then?

Other Boxworthy Items:

If you’re mildly (or wildly) pissed off about your cell phone service, you’re not alone. (MarketingVOX)

ZUNE keeps making really cool ads that don’t sell MP3 Players. Score one for the agency! (CREATIVITY)

” In 2007 I learned that making a viral is like trying to make a fire on a deserted island without a lighter.” That’s Panos Sambrakos, Business Unit Director at OgilvyOne Athens during an interview with Adverblog last week. (Adverblog)

Stuart Elliott draws connections between ad campaigns in the 1960s and the creative coming out of agencies this decade. (NY Times)

Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s first crack…

…at the Nike account “(mostly) pleases” says ADWEEK.

We think the story is good, and the brand position is clearly communicated. But in terms of authenticity, it lacks something.

Watch this…

…and then tell us that Russians don’t know anything about American football…or Rugby…or candy bars…or whatever… IT’S BAD ASS. Big ups to BBDO Moscow for showing the rest of the world what we already knew about SNICKERS.

Yeah, we know the Vicky’s Fashion Show was several days ago…

…but a recap is better late than never.

In case you missed it, we’ve done humanity a great service by watching, re-watching, and watching again in slow motion Tuesday night’s annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on CBS, which we have graciously broken up into only the most important segments. It’s a tough job, and no one really has to do it, but we did it anyway.

Does anyone else think of Tom Brady EVERY time they see Gisele? Ah, TomGis, amazing. Thanks, HuffPo.

MTV Freelancers are walking out @ 3pm on Monday…

…reports Gawker. The 2008 Fall is really shaping up as a fun time to strike, isn’t it? Internal memos are always fun!

UPDATE: 401k plans have been returned to some freelancers…stay tuned…

Thirdway Blog says that…

…Truemers is craigslist meets wikipedia. We say, is that even necessary?

Adverblog gets some hot interviews…

…they recently chatted with Martin Cedergren, Executive Creative Director at AKQA Amsterdam.

Advertising For Peanuts brings the obvious to the table…

And while we award them a big “duh,” we still like the post. The most telling tidbit is the first comment:

Wait, I’m confused. I thought interactives role was to come in at the last minute after the “real” creatives came up with the campaign, and to create a cute site that takes 1 month to make with a 1 week deadline. And the creative directors are supposed to give them the direction of “do something like subservient chicken, but different” and then the client is supposed to slash the budget. Am I wrong?

So true, yo…so true.

Those agency guys are such assholes!

AdRANTs directs us to the musings of Ken Convoy. He’s wicked ticked off about big agencies and their alleged arrogance. This supposed arrogance is news to us…pshhhhhhhh! Where do these agency people get off?!

Convoy oughta know that if you want to beat ‘em, you gotta become one of ‘em…and the morph back…but by the point you don’t want to lose your stock options, hot wife, and endless supply of booger sugar…ah fuck it…

Will Smith’s new movie is going to be…

…banned in China. Bummer, man. Apparently China is putting the kabash on all US films in an attempt to bolster their own film industry during the holiday season. I guess they do this every year, who knew?

Chinese consumers should probably be happy they won’t get to see “I Am Legend.” Wasn’t Will Smith jumped-the-shark at this point? How is he any different than Jack Nicholson? They both play themselves and they have both been sticking 41 cent stamps on their performances since 2004.

We say that the Chinese would be better off picking up Richard Matheson’s short story by the same title (think less-verbose Hemingway + Zombies). The book is always better than the movie, everybody knows that!

We dig this Belvedere spot…

…out of Berlin Cameron United. We guess it’s like a hipster holiday party for vodka lovers, right?

We’re loving the comments @ CREATIVITY Online: “Belvedere - for angry, sloppy, drunks who spread chaos and herpes with equal abandon.” -Dukker

We would be remiss to not take this chance to personally thank Mr.Vincent Gallo not only for keeping his pants on, but for also keeping “it” in his pants. Thank you Mr. Gallo, thank you very very much, kinda sir.

The newest Apple store…

…opens today just up the street from SlayterBox1748’s top-secret headquarters (located in a West Village cave). Our insider information indicates (alliteration, anyone?) that this store is going to sell…the EXACT same stuff as all the other Apple stores. Crazy, we know.

Gawker thinks the place looks cool. Good for them.

But we have some sage advice. Be careful on those stairs. They’re tricky…especially after four or five martinis…we have the bruises to prove it. Safety first, kids.