Nicorette wouldn't be a hard product to work on – after all, when your audience is literally dependent upon the thing you make, it ain't real hard to get them to buy it. Still, most companies would take that knowledge as a License To Suck. Nicorette did not. Great job.

Via Adrants, who probably never smoked.

"Make the logo bigger! I hate you! Waaaaaaaaaaah!"

OK, clients. We promise never to complain again.*
While we have gotten some wacky briefs in our time, we've never gotten anything like author Bill Zeman gets from his client daughter, 5 year-old Rosie: "A sick crocodile." "A bone dinosaur eating a baby." "A cat killing a rat." "I don't even want a drawing.  Do whatever you want." It's genius, and it's called Tiny Art Director, and you can buy it from Amazon, or check out his blog here. 

Via Boing-Boing.

*Offer not valid in the continental United States, Canada, Israel, or on the Mysterious Island Of Open-Minded Flight Attendants. All rights reserved. May cause the gum disease known as gingivitis.

The Last Advertising Agency On Earth from FITC on Vimeo.

Yeah, yeah, we know – you've seen this by now. But we're giving it some (more) gratuitous play because it has semi-nudity and people wearing bear heads not because it has semi-nudity and people wearing bear heads, but because we liked what this fellow Adam had to say about it:

"Statistically dubious, mildly patronising and about 3 years too late to
be relevant. The internet isn't going to destroy the ad agency. Blogs
aren't going to destroy TV. The internet forces a more open dialogue,
sure, and makes it harder to cover up a bad product with a good ad.
The internet is the world's largest communications tool, connecting you
with thousands of people you wouldn't otherwise be able to connect with.
Good advertising understands this. Bad advertising doesn't."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Wait, maybe we could have: Use the internet (and all the other media at your disposal) to talk with your audience, not at them. Right?

Via Adrants, yes, again.

So, why is this Kotex spot notable?
Because it's funny? Well, yes. Of course. This is the Mortarblog. But that's not the biggest reason. This spot is notable because it doesn't treat its audience like idiots. Forgetting for a moment how sad is it that Not Being Treated Like An Idiot is frickin' miraculous, let us say this: if your competitors are all doing one thing, consider doing the other. Especially if "the other" involves being honest with yourself, and with your audience. You'll know you're doing it right when you get this weird feeling of exhilaration. It comes from trusting your audience. It comes from having nothing to hide. It comes from being proud to make or sell or do whatever it is you make or sell or do. You'll be amazed at what you get in return. Well done, Kotex.

Via The Dog And Pony Show.