Was walking through Detroit the other day on my way to get some delicious wings from Sweetwater Tavern (post to come later), and saw this BRILLIANT advertisement.  Well done, Colt 45.  Well done.

What up Billy D.!

I have to admit that I am hooked on HBO’s vampire series, True Blood.   Usually I’m not a huge fan of vampire related entertainment, but this show has it all.  So far this season there has been murder, orgies, human sacrifice, adultery, werewolves, shapeshifters, and Jesus camps dedicated to killing vampires.  Put all those together and you have a great show.

If you’ve seen the show a few times, you’ve seen Bill Compton drinking his Tru Blood which satisfies his cravings for blood and prevents him from having to kill good ol’ Sookie.  Well guess what?  You can buy True Blood now too!  HBO  describes it as a blood orange flavored soda that is slightly tart, lightly sweet and subtly carbonated. Designed to taste great while matching the appearance of Bill’s favorite drink, the drink pours like a regular soda, but with the standing appearance in a glass is stormy and mysterious.  You can even make alcoholic drinks out of it!

• The Fangbanger – Tru Blood, Vodka
• Death on the Beach – Tru Blood, Peach Schnapps, Pineapple Juice, Vodka
• Plasmapolitan – Tru Blood, Citron, Cointreau, Fresh Lime Juice

Pretty clever, HBO.  A 4-pack will cost you $16.00 so they’re a bit pricey, but being like Bill Compton is no easy feat.

If you really want some Tru Blood and have $16.00 to spare, it will be available on September 8th from the HBO on-line store.

Sometimes when I see advertisements, I try to picture in my head a round table of executives listening to the advertising departments’ recent ideas.  I also try and think of the other ideas that get left behind when they pick an awful idea such as the following…

Apparently this is Bacardi’s new Hebrew advertising campaign.  According to Copyranter, Israeli ad agency McCann Digital launched the “Get An Ugly Girlfriend!” site in Hebrew and English along with a Hebrew-only facebook group to promote the fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages. The site suggests that like Bacardi Breezers, ugly friends come in several different varieties and women can use them to appear more attractive in social situations, such as at the beach:

Or at the mall…

Or even a BBQ…

While I find this kind of funny, it’s also a little ridiculous.  Bacardi is somewhat of a large company, so it’s confusing as to why they would release this campaign and not expect a bunch of bitching from women’s groups.  It’s also really confusing that they chose to market this concept to women instead of men.

I do have on question though.  Will people do anything for money?  I can imagine casting sessions for this advertisement:

Casting guy: “So Sally, we are making an advertising campaign telling women to get ugly girlfriends to stand next to if they want to pick up some more studs.  We think you’re perfect for the role of the ugly girlfriend!”

Sally: “Am I getting paid?”

Casting guy: “Yes, you will be paid $750″

Sally: “Ohhhh sheeeeit, that’s my car note, collections payment, diapers for the twins, and a bottle of Goose to celebrate.  I’m in!”