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FDA targets teens with e-cigarette prevention ads
Today, the FDA launched its first e-cigarette prevention TV ads. Part of "The Real Cost" campaign, they're meant to educate teens on the dangers of e-cigarette use. The ads will target nearly 10.7 million teens, aged 12 to 17, who have used e-cigarettes or are open to trying them. The short clips feature street magician Julius Dein, who turns a vape pen into a cigarette before onlookers. The trick is supposed to highlight the fact that teens who vape are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.
The latest Spike Lee Joint is all about Uber drivers
Uber apparently has a lot of money to fight an ongoing public relations battle. The beleaguered ride-sharing company has enlisted... wait, what? Spike Lee has directed and produced five new short films (also called commercials) for Uber called, wait for it, Da Republic of Brooklyn.
Amazon may add to its ‘free’ TV streaming in the UK
Amazon's next foray into video probably isn't what you expect. No, the e-commerce juggernaut isn't jumping into VR (that we know of), it will potentially start offering more free, ad-supported channels however. At least in the United Kingdom. According to the UK's This is Money (an offshoot of The Daily Mail), Amazon recently posted a job listing for "head of free to air TV and advertising" based out of London. The expectation is that it'll broadcast Premier League soccer next year for free, with traditional commercials running during the matches.
Fox turns ad breaks into dramas in bid to fight ad skipping
There's little doubt that TV's commercial breaks are on the decline. How do you get people to watch ads in an era of ad-skipping DVRs and commercial-free streaming services like Netflix or Hulu? Fox Networks has an idea: turn ad time into mini dramas you might want to watch. Variety has learned that Fox will will start running Unbreakables, or short, sponsored films that highlight people who've overcome adversities like cancer. It's hoping that they'll be less disruptive than conventional ads while giving relevant brands (like insurers, pharmaceutical giants and sportswear makers) a chance at "storytelling."
NBC will cut back on ads during primetime to lure more viewers
If you've been irritated by the increase of commercials into primetime programming, you're not alone. Now, NBCUniversal is doing something about it across its networks. The company is cutting back on primetime advertising during original programming. The number of ads in a commercial break will be reduced by 20 percent, while the amount of ad time in a given show will decrease by 10 percent, according to Variety.
Super Bowl LI commercials were heavy on tech and politics
For people who don't care about football, watching the Super Bowl is mostly about enjoying the overhyped commercials that happen during the event. (That and the half-time show.) Naturally, tech companies see this as an opportunity to connect with mainstream audiences, leading them to spend millions of dollars on cheesy ads. A good example of that is T-Mobile's Super Bowl LI spot featuring Justin Bieber, in which he promotes the carrier's unlimited plans by showing off his "#UnlimitedMoves." Yup, we know.
Nintendo's first-ever Super Bowl ad is for the Switch, of course
When you consider the fact that Nintendo and its mustachioed mascot are household names, it's a bit strange to realize the company has never run an advertisement during the Super Bowl. That's about to change. A new video on the company's YouTube channel touts itself as the extended cut of the company's first-ever Super Bowl ad. The commercial highlights the portable and home console modes of the Nintendo Switch to an intense soundtrack -- but this is more than your average peek at the company's next game console. It's a five million dollar investment toward the Nintendo Switch's success.
CBS All Access commercial-free option costs $4 more a month
CBS announced that its All Access streaming service was making the leap to Xbox One last week and now the network has another subscription option. If you like to watch the likes of Madam Secretary, Blue Bloods and more without the interruptions of commercials, you can pay more to get rid of them. CBS now offers a $10 monthly subscription that will allow you to stream all of that on-demand content commercial-free. That's $4 a month more than the regular option that has been available since late 2014.
ICYMI: The CGI car stand-in and smart pill dispenser
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The Mill Blackbird is a vehicle chassis that car commercials can use as a stand-in, rather than getting to film with an actual new car. The Pillo is a smart medication dispenser that can recognize family members and automatically give their pill dosage. It's up on Indiegogo now. And we wanted you to see both the Converse sneakers made to play guitar with, and the autonomous light show that drums. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
YouTube's looking to cash in early on Super Bowl 50 ads
With Super Bowl 50 set to kick off on Sunday, February 7th, YouTube doesn't want advertisers waiting until then to debut their highly anticipated commercials. As part of a major push for its AdBlitz video platform, which hosts Super Bowl ads and promotes them across Google's advertising network, the company's encouraging advertisers to show content on YouTube before The Big Game even starts. And it wants to make it clear that the strategy really works.
TiVo's 4K-ready, commercial skipping Bolt hints at the future
This new Bolt DVR may not totally remake the recording technology TiVo is famous for, but it introduces a sharp departure in design and adds features customers have asked for since it started in the late 90s. Just like the leaks suggested, the Bolt is a funky arc-shaped white box that looks different from anything else near your HDTV. Despite being smaller than TiVo's older DVRs -- or whatever cable box you probably have -- it's eye-catching enough for visitors to stop and ask what you're watching TV on. Looks aside, Bolt's main claim to fame will definitely be its ability to bypass commercials with a new SkipMode (No more hidden 30 second skip! We've been asking for this since 2009). That's actually an old trick, and while it's appreciated, where I see evidence of TiVo looking towards the future is the way it's connecting the DVR to Amazon's Fire TV.
The 10 most-tweeted commercials from Super Bowl XLIX
It was a great night for Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots, but it wasn't so good for our friend Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. It also was a great night for brands trying to hold your attention for seconds with ads to get you talking on Twitter. From the usual highbrow suspects selling soda and beer, to toe fungus medication and superglue, here's our take on the most-talked about spots from last night's big game.
More Mercedes madness in new live-action Mario Kart ads
Remember that wonderfully oddball Mercedez-Benz Japan commercial that accompanied the OMG GLA DLC Mario Kart 8 revelation? You know, the one with the hard-as-nails, real-life Mario climbing out of the GLA all super-cool before walking into a Goomba? No no, you didn't dream that, it really happened. Well, ahead of Mario Kart 8's first major DLC pack later this week, Mercedes-Benz decided to double dash with another pair of live-action GLA commercials. This time, the insanity not only stars a muscly Mario, but similarly surreal versions of Luigi and Peach, too. Head below the break to watch a princess hop and a plumber brother bop.
What the deceptive Samsung "wall-hugger" ad doesn't tell you
I have to admit that of all of Samsung's TV ads, I kinda like the "wall-hugger" ad seen below. It's funny, and quite realistic if you've ever walked through an airport and seen people desperately seeking a charge before they get on their flights. While watching the ad the other day, I noticed that the phone of the young woman showing that she has a full day of usage available on 10 percent of a charge also notes that the phone is in Galaxy S5 Ultra Power Saving Mode. Being an all-out Apple fanboi, I smelled that something was rotten in Samsung-land, so I googled "Galaxy S5 Ultra Power Saving Mode" to see exactly what that entailed. The best response was from a Galaxy S5 fan site (who knows, perhaps it's owned by Samsung) appropriately named GalaxyS5Guide.com. Let's see what the Galaxy S5 Ultra Power Saving Mode gives those smug Samsung fans: Samsung claims that Galaxy S5 ultra power saving mode can provide up to 24 hours of stand-by with 10% battery. Don't confuse this 24-hour standby time with the standby in specifications. This 24 hours standby means you can turn on all network connections, and receiving all notifications. While in the hardware specification sheet, the 390-hour standby means voice only. With the Galaxy S5 ultra power saving mode on, S5′s display will show only black and white colors and offer access to a certain set of applications. The ultra power saving mode also shuts down all unnecessary features in your S5. No other mainstream smartphones provide this feature yet. Some users definitely will find this feature is a life-saver. Yeah, I don't know about you Galaxy S5 owners, but I bought my iPhone 5s for its high-resolution Retina color display. Frankly, I don't think that "black and white colors" are going to cut it in Apple-land, where everything is colorful and happy. And it also shuts down "all unnecessary features in your S5" -- hmmm, I wonder what those could be? How exactly does Samsung provide all of this amazing battery life in ultra power saving mode? In addition to measures in power saving mode, Galaxy S5 ultra power saving mode saves additional battery in the following ways: Change the screen from color to grayscale; Limiting the number of usable applications; Turning off mobile data when screen is off; Turning off WiFi and Bluetooth So, let me get this straight. If I put my amazing Galaxy S5 into ultra power saving mode, I'll see everything in grayscale, I'll only be able to run a few apps, mobile data will be turned off when the screen is off, and WiFi and Bluetooth are totally disabled. In other words, not only do I have a boring grayscale device in ultra power saving mode, but I can only run a few apps. What apps are those? In ultra power saving mode, you'll have access to some basic apps, like the ability to send text messages, make phone calls, and browse the web with Samsung's browser. You can add some other apps available when your Galaxy S5 is in ultra power saving mode. Of course, the apps are limited to some stock apps only. This includes, Phone, Messaging, Internet, Calculator, Google+, ChatON, Memo, Voice recorder and Clock. So I can't use Twitter or Facebook, take photos or shoot video, edit documents, write posts and upload them to the TUAW CMS, or do anything else very productive? I think I'll take my iPhone 5s and just carry a couple of big battery packs with me, thank you. And almost 15 million people have watched this video on YouTube? Must be a lot of Galaxy S5 users who are wishing they'd waited for the next iPhone to appear... Gee, I can attach an external battery pack to my iPhone and don't have to pop the cheap plastic back of my phone to do it... Here's the original video for your viewing pleasure. By the way, is anyone up for asking the FCC to ban this deceptive ad from TV?
Mario Kart 8 commercials make "flippin' fun" a reality
There's something very 1990s - albeit spruced-up - about the new real-life commercials for Mario Kart 8. I'd say it works, too. 90s game ads were big, bold, ridiculous and above all fun, and hopefully that's what the Nintendo racer proves to be when it hits Wii U on May 30. Also, look at that spiny little nightmare shattering into tiny little pieces, thanks to the super horn. How good is that? While you're basking in the glory of blue shell death, head past the break for a few more ads including a couple of Mario Kart classics from down the years. [Image: Nintendo]
The first Moto X TV spots hit the snooze button in more ways than one (video)
When it came to the Moto X, Google gave us a masterclass in how to build hype, but sustaining it is proving to be a much trickier endeavor. Motorola recently debuted two new commercials on its Youtube channel that aren't nearly as thrilling as they could be. One clip showcases the Glass-inspired "OK, Google Now" command, which lets you dictate notes and set an alarm verbally. It's a neat trick, but it's not exactly seducing the money right out of your wallet. Similarly lacking in earth-shattering impact is the TV spot highlighting the Moto X's 10-megapixel camera. The Quick Capture feature is nifty, but the promise of "fewer photo fails" isn't the most rousing endorsement we've ever heard. To see for yourself, check out both videos after the break.
Rockstar shares the Grand Theft Auto soundtracks on iTunes and Spotify
Rockstar, the developers of the very popular Grand Theft Auto series, has kindly set up playlists for every one of the series' radio stations, for use in both iTunes and Spotify. The GTA series is well-known for its music, and when Rockstar ported both GTA3 and GTA: Vice City over to iOS, we were fortunate enough to get the great soundtracks with them. But, of course, you can't always be playing the game, so if you want to listen to the music on your own, you can load one of these up in iTunes, and listen away. Unfortunately, the games' commercials are not available in iTunes. Rockstar has set up a special "Advertising Council" site to let you listen in directly to the hilarious parody commercials from the series instead. And of course this is all done in prelude to the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 5, expected sometime later on this year. No word yet if there'll be a Mac (or even an iOS) release for the newest game, but we'll keep an ear open. [via Joystiq]
CALM act goes into effect today, should keep TV commercial breaks quieter
After waiting a year so broadcasters could get ready, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act is officially in effect. That means ads and promos are required to remain on par with the average audio levels of scheduled programming, hopefully bringing an end to jolting transitions in the middle of the reality TV drama you were enjoying. At the time it enacted the measure, the FCC said complaints about loud ads had "diminished" since 2009 (R.I.P. Billy Mays) when it was originally proposed, hopefully this will eliminate them entirely. The only problem now? Finding a new wake-up reminder for those times you happen to doze off in front of the TV.
WoW Archivist: WoW's craziest TV ads
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? Nefarian swallows a truck. Two women duke it out in a supermarket. A trio of singers shouts, "No means no!" Mr. T introduces a new race and Chuck Norris roundhouse-kicks a kodo. Those responsible for advertising World of Warcraft have hit on some crazy ideas. This week, Blizzard debuted its first TV ads for Mists of Pandaria. As I'm writing this, I've just watched them air live on Monday Night Football. That's a big-time slot for a commercial here in the States and runs a cool $325,000 per nationally televised spot. The ads feature clips from the official trailer. If only the Bengals had put up as much of a fight as that panda. But not all of WoW's commercials through the years have been quite so ... straightforward. Let's take a look!
YouTube heralds arrival of in-stream ads, built-in annoyance for mobile devices
If you've made it a habit of viewing YouTube videos on your mobile device in an effort to flout the site's pre-roll ads, your days of bliss are quickly drawing to a close. Today, the site implemented TrueView in-stream ads for the mobile platform, and like you've become accustomed to on the desktop, you'll begin to notice these commercials on your smartphone and tablet. Now, we get the need for content producers to make some coin, but the move certainly represents the end of an era. Fortunately, just like on the desktop, you'll have the ability to skip these ads after five seconds. Maybe now, you can take pride in making an independent producer rich beyond imagination -- or, at least helping them buy some lunch.
