You didn’t think they’d actually do it, did you? Neither did I. But with the help of some high school-aged rocket scientists, they did.

Soon the Discovery Channel will be chronicling the adventures of 8 high school students chosen to participate in Sony’s Rocket Project. The stories are inspirational, the filming is very well-done, and overall, it’s a moving experience. Check out the video below for a glimpse.

However, in the teaser, Sony does imply that their laptop will be used to launch a “real” rocket. Though the opportunity they’ve given to the students who help build their rocket is amazing, I can’t help but think that it was a cutesy way for them to avoid having to actually live up to their claim. The rocket the students build is impressive- 1,110 lbs., and manages to get 147,000 feet into the air at a speed of Mach 2.8. The students have been offered jobs and scholarships to some of the best schools in the country. But does Sony actually keep their promise? And most importantly, what is this going to do for their brand?

I’m all about the Make.Believe campaign. I think it’s inspirational, creative, and speaks to the capacity to make imaginary things real that technology affords us. However, they’re not well-publicized ads, and they haven’t gotten the viral claim to fame that other brands have (*cough* Old Spice *cough*). Thus, this project, while, as stated before, very touching, probably won’t serve to increase sales or even really brand awareness. Which further begs the question: why was it worth it? What are they hoping to accomplish?

Perhaps I’m speaking too soon. We’ll talk after the documentary airs on the Discovery Channel, but in the meantime I’d love to hear what you think. Until then, loyal readers- nothing is impossible, so make believe!

AdAge’s Viral Video chart for this week shows an intense face-off between Old Spice’s “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” commercials, and a new campaign by Gillette called “Perfect Length.” What’s it about, you ask? Check out the videos below.

While the ads themselves aren’t incredibly well-made and don’t share the same copywriting genius that the Old Spice ads are famous for, they nevertheless play off of an integral part of human nature, and one that is increasingly becoming a double-entendre norm. Plus, they’re just entertaining. Over the last week, Gillette gained 123% in views of their campaign (up to 2,159,215 views) while Old Spice declined by 70% (to a mere 11,309,342 views). In today’s world of viral madness, no one can expect to be famous for long.

Frightening? Not so much.

Scary? Depends on how you see it.

Really, really cool? Heck yes.

In a follow-up to their “Voyeur” campaign launched by BBDO New York, HBO has possibly created the coolest Web site ever.

The site is set up in the grid shown above, and users can watch short films, read “police reports” view mug shots, hear police radio broadcasts, etc. It all adds up to an adventure tale in which thugs, yes, perform a teddy bear heist. It’s engaging, intriguing, and extremely fun. BBDO has truly outdone themselves in creating “The Affair.”

Check the site out for yourself at www.hboimagine.com, and feel free to browse some screenshots below.

The iPad itself has long been touted as the end-all “consumption” device. Users can look at, use, and interact with as much content as is available on the World Wide Web; however, they can’t necessarily create it. This has led to many perceptions of the iPad as the “ultimate consumer device,” a “glorified iPhone” that lets us consume, but not create. The repercussions of this aren’t seen as yet, since most of the available consumer market uses their iPads as a sort of supplement rather than a means in itself; however, the app above- Flipboard- will change this sort of content consumption in an entirely new way. By turning social networks into a condensed type of magazine, users will not only be able to see, read, and interact with content that their friends post on all the networks they use, but they’ll also be able to keep up to date with almost everything happening on the web. It’s the ultimate updater, especially if one uses it for topics he/she is interested in.

Notably, however, the narrator in the video above says explicitly that you can use the app to read information that your friends post, but you can’t really upload your own content (presumably because you’ll be so busy looking at theirs). I have to wonder what this means for the general market- both for news sites who are facing declining profit margins, and for advertisers who target their marketing efforts to key “influencers” or “opinion leaders” within their consumer base. How will this change the definition of what it means to set a trend, or lead an opinion? Will the overwhelming amount of content suffocate those who have a large number of friends/followers, to the point where they stop using these networks altogether? Does the iPad really have, or will it potentially gain, that much power over how we interact on social networks?

And, most importantly, who’s going to be creating if the rest of us are consuming? 

Hmm.

This is the original commercial, created by Fallon a few years ago for the launch of the Sony Bravia TV, in a campaign entitled “Colour Like No Other.” An utterly fantastic piece of work.

And then we have Nissan’s version, launching the upgraded Qashqai. Amazing or terrible, funny or depressing? Who can say?

It’s an understatement to say that this paper is worth reading. Though marketers have long been aware of the clout that females hold in the marketplace (for specific numbers, see the report), they haven’t realized as yet that their female customers are, more likely than not, employed in some manner outside the home. Yes, they may have kids, and the article cites this as the working woman’s constant struggle between a work-home balance, but marketers insist on placing women in ads featuring domestic products, in domestic settings, doing domestic things. In some ways, during commercial breaks it’s like the feminine revolution never happened, though shows such as “30 Rock,” “House,” and “24″ feature women in positions of authority quite often. The refusal/denial of marketers of their changing female demographic is what will (and sometimes already has) lead to the downfall of many, and mixed opinions rage over ads for products such as Swiffer, in which a woman in generic “sensible” clothing is always featured. The study itself suggests that men now do just as many household chores as women; however, the failure of marketers to quell this stereotype only serves to propagate it, to the shaking heads of women everywhere.

I myself not an avid feminist by any means, although my career, as you may have noticed, is extremely important to me. But I do have to admit that I’m always a fan of commercials that feature independent, professional women, and I can’t help feeling an intense revulsion to commercials that imply the fact that I should be making someone a sandwich.

How can marketers integrate these changing perceptions into their campaigns? I think it will take a lot of re-analysis, and probably an entire re-evaluation of their carefully-established market demographics. It’s no longer a question of should they do this, but when they will- because products that originally catered to the concept of the 1960s stay-at-home mom just plain won’t work anymore.

Below is a short film by JC Penny that aired during the holiday season in 2008. It doesn’t feature the concept of “working women” as discussed above, but it does show the reigning power over men that our kind maintains, and in a smart, very funny manner.

Marketers, you know you love us. Now all you have to do is bow down. Or else.

The first commercial below is from Virgin Mobile in an attempt to rebrand themselves from the “pay-as-you-go” phone to one that can stick with you throughout your life, no matter how crazy it gets. It’s a great commercial, and I love all the different scenarios it plays out; however, I’m wondering how the phone itself, with its late launch, will be able to compete with already established smartphone brands, especially the iPhone, Droid, and Blackberry. It seems that it’s most likely playing into the affordable-but-still-useful segment, where they’ll be contending against Boost Mobile, MetroPCS, and Go Phones. Either way, I can’t wait to see how the campaign plays out, and how effective it will turn out to be for them.

Next up, Nike’s new spot from the now-legendary Weiden + Kennedy. We all know the agency is amazing, and after its sweeping victories at Cannes last month, I can only assume they’ll keep doing the incredible work that’s gotten them as far as it has. In keeping with that is this commercial, featuring Lance Armstrong racing up a mountainside, driven by the voices of cancer survivors announcing their goals, hopes, and dreams. It’s a goosebump-inspiring spot, and you have to watch it to get the full impact.

1. The Man You Man Can YouTube.

Old Spice’s social media campaign, a spinoff of the famous ads “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” features manly man Isaiah Mustafa recording hundreds of video responses to comments Tweeted/Reddit-ed/Facebook-ed, and generally noticed. Watching these has taken up most of my free time during the past week. Below, I’ve posted 3 of my favorites – Reddit’s voice mail, a marriage proposal, and Mustafa’s oh-so-sad farewell (Goodbye, ladies!). Revel in the abs of manliness. I’m pretty sure I’m in love.

2. Another entry in the ongoing “Fun Theory” campaign by Volkswagen features a slide built next to stairs and escalators in a subway station that calls it self the “fast lane.” This further goes to show the lighthearted nature of the Volkswagen brand; however, I have to wonder if it’s helping to increase awareness, loyalty, or sales of the brand.

3. Pepsi is revisiting their old classic campaigns, but with a modern-day, TBWA Chiat/Day twist. The original of the spot below was created by BBDO in the 1980′s and features truck drivers for Pepsi and Coke who decide to switch drinks in the name of friendship. Does it work out for them? Check it out below.

4. A really awesome campaign by Honda in London features a completely crowdsourced short film. In the name of advertainment, more and more advertisers are turning to these mini-films in order to compete in a niche that isn’t the clutter-filed TV spot market. That said, this film, airing online in New York, London, and Berlin on July 21, gives 12 people the chance to have an “open road and an unlimited tank of gas.” What do they do with these opportunities? The trailer below gives a teaser of the documentary.

5. In a wonderful permutation of their white-background, generic product-demo ads, Apple has created an emotional tie to their recently launched iPhone 4. The campaign focuses on the phone’s ability for face-to-face calling, and this ad demonstrates the effectiveness, and potential for emotional impact, the phone that “changes everything, again” has.

See you soon!

I wanted to take today to post some of the winning campaigns from the currently ongoing ad festival, Cannes. It’s one of the most well-recognized advertising festivals in the world, and those who have already won have displayed campaigns that demonstrate the best in creativity, effectiveness, and impact on consumers. Enjoy!

1. Gatorade’s “Replay” campaign

2. Nike’s “Chalkbot”

3. IKEA’s “Facebook Showroom”

4. McDonald’s Interactive Billboard

5. Billboard’s “Music. See What It’s Made Of.”