Advertising Is Good For You

Magazine Cover: Howler

As the tag line says, Howler is, "A magazine about soccer."

Saucony is raising money with #BostonStrong lace medallions

Saucony's headquarters is located just outside Boston. So it makes sense the athletic shoe manufacturer wants to help raise funds for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Suacony is selling #BostonStrong shoelace medallions for $5 each. 100% of sales will be donated to "those most affected by the tragedy in Boston."

I ordered five — one each for the kids in my life who live in the Boston area. If you'd like to order one (or two or three or...) click here to visit Saucony's website.

Sports Illustrated cover features the Boston Marathon

If you saw the video of yesterday's blasts, you saw the runner above collapse as though he'd been hit with shrapnel. Thankfully, it was just the force of the blast that knocked him off his feet. He suffered only a skinned knee.
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All of my friends survived the marathon with no serious injuries. Unfortunately, that means someone else's friends didn't.
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On my way to work in Boston this morning, Reservists in full combat uniform were keeping an eye on things in the subway station. Later in the morning, my colleagues and I heard barking dogs, looked out our office window and saw three SUVs from the K-9 squad getting ready to patrol the area.
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We can't help but obsess about what happened yesterday. Don't get me wrong, we feel pretty safe. We just can't stop thinking, talking, texting and emailing about what happened.
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I honest-to-God can't imagine how the people of New York and Oklahoma City managed to function in the days following their much bigger massacres.

Chilling Oscar Pistorius ad

2011 Nike ad featuring sprinter Oscar Pistorious.

The headline reads, "I am the bullet in the chamber."

Tragic in light of the fact that the "Bladerunner" has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Click image to enlarge.

Via AdAge

Super Bowl ad preview

Here's a preview of some of the commercials you'll see during today's Super Bowl.

Space Babies from Kia Sorento (Cute.)

Get In, Get Happy from Volkswagen (Some consider this racist.)

Perfect Match from GoDaddy.com  (Cringe-worthy.)

Kate Upton for Mercedes (Sexist with a twist.)

Coke Chase from Coca-Cola (Invites you to vote for how the spot will end.)

The Brotherood for Budweiser (The one with the Clydedale. Embarrassed to admit I almost cried. It's THAT sappy.)

Wish Granted from Toyota (The one with Kaley Cuoco from Big Bang Theory.)

Prom from Audi (Because sexual assault is okay if you're driving an Audi, apparently.)

Party from Pepsi (Good clean fun. May be my favorite.)

Image If it's hip, it's here

Dikembe Mutombo for Geico

I'm not a fan of Geico's most recent TV campaign. But I love this spot featuring the very charismatic retired NBA player Dikembe Mutombo.

Click here to watch Dikembe Mutombo star in a Geico commercial.

Wicked good truck

Pepsi understands New Englanders.

Via my friend Jane Carey

This made me laugh out loud

My nephew, the very talented ice hockey goalie, is on Facebook. Today he Liked Total Goalie, "Your source for all that is goalie!"

C'mon, you have to admit that is an awesome tag line. Awesome in a so-bad-it's-good kind of way. Am I right?

Unfortunate logo placement for UK Olympian

Whose idea was it to write 'British Gas' over Olympic diver Tom Daley's ass?

The Singapore water polo team had a similar problem with their trunks a couple of years ago. Click here to see.

Via BuzzFeed

Synchronized swimming is on Google's homepage today

Love today's Google homepage image.

It's nothing like this controversial Google homepage image.

Celebrity Saturday: Olympics competitor Oscar Pistorius a.k.a. Blade Runner in ads for Thierry Mugler

"I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes."
— Oscar Pistorius, sprint runner

For a gallery of ads featuring Thierry Mugler, click here.

Nutella wins for the most adorable Olympics-themed ads

The peach in the second ad is especially cute considering that the creator of the game of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, nailed a peach basket to the wall for the first games.

Marshalls has some Olympics fun

Today's Facebook post from Marshalls:

My first thought was, "Cool."

My second thought was, "Why isn't every brand on Facebook doing something like this?"

Then I remembered how viciously the Olympic Games copyright lawyers defend anything to do with the Olympics, including the rings logo.

Lawyers take the fun out of everything.

Click here to see how lawyers took the fun out of tag line.