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Amazon flashes Prime Air drone delivery in its Super Bowl ad
The game is over, but Amazon managed to stand out with a brief (if also disgusting) 10-second spot. Unfortunately, other than the voice-controlled shopping via Echo, it needed a disclaimer that "Prime Air isn't available in some states (or any really). Yet" but Prime Air is looking surprisingly realistic these days. Until then, though, it may be easier to prune your Super Bowl party guest list carefully.
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.
Spotify ads briefly served malware to your PC
Some Spotify listeners got more than just free music with their ad-supported software. Multiple users report that the streaming service was serving malware-laden ads that would pop up your default web browser in a bid to compromise your system. Reportedly, some of these didn't even require your input to do damage. And they weren't specific to any one platform, either -- Linux, Mac and Windows users all saw the same behavior, although it's not clear that the hostile code could damage all three platforms.
Google will downplay mobile websites with intrusive pop-ups
It's bad enough when you deal with third-party pop-up ads, but it's that much worse when the site itself shows pop-ups. Do you really want to subscribe to that newsletter before you've even read a single word on the page? Google wants to put a stop to this. As of January 10th, 2017, its mobile search results will downplay sites with "intrusive" interstitials and pop-ups. It'll accept content that asks for necessary info or takes up a "reasonable" amount of space (such as the app install banners in Android or iOS), but "click to continue" pop-ups and first-party sales pitches won't curry Google's favor.
Mercedes pulls confusing autonomous car ad
Mercedes has pulled its 2017 E-class sedan ad after critics pointed out that it could mislead people into thinking it's an autonomous vehicle. In the commercial, you'll see the E-class sedan on the road, overtaking the automaker's F015 autonomous car concept -- the same futuristic car we previewed last year that looked like it came right out of Minority Report. A voiceover then says "Is the world truly ready for a vehicle that can drive itself? Ready or not, the future is here" You'll also see the sedan's driver taking his hands off the wheel while the car is in motion.
Google slips ads into its image search results
Google is going to extra lengths to make sure that you see its shopping links. The internet firm is introducing Shopping ads to image search results -- look for pictures of a nice couch and you may see a link to buy it. Google says this is largely about enabling more on-the-spot purchases, but there's no denying that this is partly about snubbing Amazon. After all, your first instinct may be to search Amazon when you spot that must-have item; you won't have to do that after today.
EE disputes Three's 'undisputed' reliability claim, wins
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a billboard advert for Three's mobile network, after a six-month complaint from rival carrier EE was finally upheld. The ad, which features a purple Muppet-like character called Jackson being held aloft in a Rocky-style pose, featured the tagline: "The undisputed. UK's most reliable network. Again." EE claimed Three couldn't state it was the "undisputed" market leader without saying it was based on YouGov sample data and the ASA agreed.
KFC-flavored nail polish gives new meaning to 'chicken fingers'
KFC is taking its "finger lickin' good" slogan a bit too far. The fried chicken fast food chain made two "edible" fingernail polishes for its fans in Hong Kong. Teaming up with ad agency Ogilvy & Mather and food experts at McCormick, two shades were created that incorporate the restaurant's top secret blend of 11 herbs and spices: Original Recipe and Hot & Spicy.
Super Bowl 50: the ads, not the football
You've probably seen plenty of this year's Super Bowl ads already, especially as YouTube offered many companies the option to get their videos out in advance, hopefully ensuring more views during the barrage of The Big Game itself. So, we've already covered Pokemon, PayPal and Amazon, but if you're looking to fly to Gotham with Turkish Airlines, musing on a Walken closet, or need a Marvel universe trailer (or two), here's our highlights. Yes, there's Drake too.
Pokémon's Super Bowl ad is the very best
We're still a few weeks out from Super Bowl 50, but we've already been blessed with one of the most absurd — and amazing — ads of the season. To commemorate the franchise's 20th anniversary, The Pokémon Company shelled out millions of dollars to create a Super Bowl ad that'll run at the beginning of the game's third quarter. Go ahead, take a moment to wrap your head around that one. We'll be waiting.
Intel's latest ads move beyond the PC
There's no doubt that the PC market is in trouble. And for Intel, that's a real problem -- how do you market yourself when your bread-and-butter processor business is on the decline? By showing what else you can do, apparently. Intel is starting an "Experience Amazing" ad campaign where PCs are just one part of the tech giant's larger picture. The promos show off everything from RealSense cameras (adding flair to the dance you see above) to a dress with Edison-powered butterflies. "See," the commercials shout, "it's not just a computer chip company!"
Yahoo restricting Mail accounts if it detects ad-blockers (updated)
Yahoo is reportedly preventing some of its users with ad blockers installed on their computers from accessing their email accounts. Digiday has spotted a thread on the Adblock Plus forums with complaints from a couple of people who couldn't access Yahoo Mail on both Chrome and Firefox. One of them posted a screenshot of the message he got asking him to "disable Ad Blocker to continue using" the service, which you can see below the fold. If you take a close look at the URL, you'll see that it says "reason=ADBLK_TRAP." Update: A spokesperson told us: "At Yahoo, we are continually developing and testing new product experiences. This is a test we're running for a small number of Yahoo Mail users in the US."
How PayPal stole Christmas (according to 233 Brits)
Halloween has passed and November is here. For advertisers, that means it's about time to debut this year's festive adverts. PayPal jumped straight in, airing its own during an X Factor ad break on Sunday night, but for hundreds of Brits, it's already destroyed the magic of Christmas. The Guardian reports that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has received 233 complaints from viewers arguing that PayPal's advert implies that Father Christmas isn't real.
This ad is how Twitter is introducing itself to the world
You read Engadget, so you're probably familiar with Twitter even if you're not a regular user. For most other people -- who apparently aren't joining fast enough to please investors -- it's just something occasionally mentioned on the news or Sportscenter. Those people are the ones who the social network's first TV ad is aimed towards. Predictably, the (baseball-focused, since it premiered a few minutes ago during tonight's World Series game) advertisement is all about the new Moments feature intended to organize and slow the flow of information for new users. I felt more confused than ever about Twitter's purpose after watching the 30-second spot, but maybe the intended audience will have a different reaction -- you can check it out after the break.
'PC Does What?' commercials take you right to the danger zone
That "PC Does What?" ad campaign from the likes of Dell, HP, Intel, Lenovo and Microsoft isn't a rumor anymore. As Business Insider notes, each of the five spots highlights a different aspect of modern Windows PCs including their svelte designs, gaming prowess and convertible configurations. The series of 30 second ads will start airing October 19th, but if you're the impatient type you can hop past the break and see them embedded below. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Toyota wishes the Prius was a 'Final Fantasy' chocobo
In Japan, Toyota has a history of tapping classic Japanese role-playing games to sell its latest vehicles. The company has previously used the music from Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter in its TV ads, and now it's leveraging Final Fantasy to promote the petite Aqua Urban-X (known as the Prius C in the US). As Kotaku reports, the unique commercial shows three yellow cars tearing around the countryside, while the Chocobo Theme plays jubilantly in the background. For fans of the franchise, it's a clever nod to the beloved flightless bird, which often feature in the games as mythical modes of transport. But how many Final Fantasy fans are in the market to buy a new car? Probably not many -- Toyota is presumably banking on the idea that such an iconic Japanese franchise will be recognisable to even the most casual of video game enthusiasts. It's certainly more effective than this terrifying Mercedes-Benz ad featuring Nintendo's popular plumber.
Spotify ads cater to the mood of your music
Targeted advertising isn't a new concept, and Spotify is looking to examine your playlist habits before serving up those messages. The streaming service offers a library of curated mixes based on genre and mood, and eager advertisers can now leverage a listener's state of mind to sell their products. Playlist Targeting is the official name of the feature, with collections of tracks for Chill, Party, Workout, Romance, Sleep and more providing the opportunity for brands to woo would-be customers. Spotify says 41 of its top 100 playlists are context related (like the mood options), and users spend an average of nearly 2.5 hours listening a day. That's a lot of time for Trojan ads during the Bedroom Jams playlist.
Charity ads subvert Facebook to highlight the UK's lonely elderly
If you live in the UK, you've probably seen Facebook's new "Friends" ads on TV or the London Underground. They're refreshingly simple and focus on what the goliath social network was originally designed for -- staying connected with the people that matter most in our lives. However, soon you might see some new billboard ads, featuring a few subtle but incredibly powerful tweaks: namely, the use of the phrase "No Friends." They were designed by the J. Walter Thompson London communications agency for the charity Age UK, and highlight the loneliness experienced by many older citizens. We suspect more than a few passersby will do a double-take after seeing these, and hopefully they'll raise awareness for an important issue and the organisation trying to tackle it.
YouTube's ad-free video subscription could arrive before year's end
Google announced YouTube's Music Key streaming subscription last fall, and an ad-free video service is also said to be on the way. Bloomberg reports the paid plan that nixes those pre-roll advertisements will launch before the end of the year, citing a source familiar with the project. The company sent a letter to YouTube partners today painting the broad strokes, including a mention of the upcoming paid tier and updated terms. "By creating a new paid offering, we'll generate a new source of revenue that will supplement your fast growing advertising service," the letter explains. Details are scarce at the moment, but we'll certainly hear more about things like pricing and offline playback in the weeks to come. The aforementioned Music Key service launched late last year, and there was a pilot program for paid channels in 2013, so the idea of paying for YouTube content isn't new. It also offers a Kids option, and there's likely a ton of folks who'd pay a (small) fee to skip those awful Progressive ads.
Tinder's first video ad is here and it's all Bud Light's fault
"There's a lot of synergies between the Tinder audience and the audience we're looking for," said Bud Light's Director of Marketing to Ad Week. And for that reason it's selecting 1,000 swipe-righters -- although you can also enter through Twitter and Facebook -- to party in their fictional town of Whatever, USA, with presumably ample supplies of one of America's most... unassuming libations. The video will appear to those aged 21 and over (presumably there's no upper limit), like a typical profile within Tinder: you'll then be able to play and pause the video, or jump out to the official site if you're really into digital ad campaigns. (WE ARE!) The company has apparently prepped several video lengths for the ad run, which will likely act a barometer for future advertising inside the app -- even if the beer they're trying to sell you is a definite left-swipe.
