It's not going down well
December 15, 2009 4:54 AM   Subscribe

A couple of years ago Connected Ventures produced an office miming video to Harvey Danger's Flagpole Sitta. Lots of people liked it. Now London advertising agency Publicis has also made their own office version of I Got A Feeling.
posted by mippy (33 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Now I'm not at the risk of editorialising: some think it's somewhat cringey.
posted by mippy at 5:02 AM on December 15, 2009


It's got a way to go before it makes it all the way up to "cringey".
posted by The Ultimate Olympian at 5:09 AM on December 15, 2009


Nice to see Greenblatt being quoted in a mefi thread. The video has been replaced with a green, ray-traced head that does not move.
posted by mecran01 at 5:39 AM on December 15, 2009


The one it's 'paying homage to' most closely is this one from l'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).

But the one from UQAM is good...

I do feel sorry for Publicis though - apparently (according to YouTube comments) it was just a bit of arsing about before their Christmas party, and not an official agency Christmas card or anything. It wasn't meant to be seen outside the agency, but someone got hold of a copy and uploaded it.
posted by DanCall at 5:50 AM on December 15, 2009 [3 favorites]


Wow was I suprised. I was expecting this

The video its self…ehh
posted by ShawnString at 6:24 AM on December 15, 2009


The traditional ad agency model is so hopelessly out of touch in so many ways that it's hard to know where to begin the discussion. Until now.
posted by tighttrousers at 6:26 AM on December 15, 2009


I would have thought a professional advertising company would have done a better job to be honest. It's fun, but not a patch on the UQAM one. I give Publicis 6/10.
posted by jonesor at 6:33 AM on December 15, 2009


Greetings everyone!!!

As the holidays approach you may remember last year the little fun video that Paul and his "gang" in Accounts Receivable created as a surprise for the 2008 Holiday Party. It was a big hit!! We thought we should have another one this year and we are asking everybody in the 3rd West office to chip in!! We're trying to find a song that symbolizes the "spontaneous", "fun-loving" spirit of Foster/Umbrage & Assoc., and that's where you come in! We need volunteers to come up with a song and also a dance for each department.

1. Consult your supervisor if you would like to be Dance Lead for your crew.

2. Song choices must be submitted to Sandy by EOB Wednesday. Songs must not contain questionable lyrics or any other material which may be detrimental to the image of Foster/Umbrage. Let's keep it clean!!

3. Marketing has requested that the final song be in a major key. Minor keys sound sad or upset, and this year, as you'll remember, our rebranding gave us all new goals to "push forward" in a "major" way!!

4. Dance moves performed on camera must be cleared with both Lisa in HR for appropriateness and Lester, the office safety leader, to ensure you will not injure yourself while "busting a move". Just think of Lisa as Paula and Lester as Randy. Don't worry, there's no Simon!!

5. Paul will split the lyrics among each department. You do not get to pick which lyrics you'll sing. Be sure to memorize them as soon as you get them, because the cameras will be rolling and nobody should have paper in their hands!!

6. Lisa will also be checking costumes for appropriateness. Please be aware there is a 24-hour TAT for costume approval. If you bring it in on the day of the video, you won't be able to wear it!!

If everybody follows these simple rules we'll soon have a music video on our hands that is sure to "top the charts" so c'mon and let's "kick it" to show the other branches just how "crazy" (within reasonable boundaries) and spontaneous we can be!!


Gail



just count your lucky stars this wasn't in comic sans
posted by Spatch at 6:35 AM on December 15, 2009 [36 favorites]


and when you're done counting them, you can thank each and every one
posted by Spatch at 6:36 AM on December 15, 2009 [2 favorites]


I used to work somewhere with a monthly 'fun day'. One month it was the World Cup, and we were told to come in in Brazilian colours and decorate our desks with Brazilian things. Never has fun felt so soul-destroying as when it comes in the form of a HR manager sellotaping printed pictures of bananas onto the side of your screen in the hope it will brighten up the arduous task of processing contracts of call-centre workers, who, on £12,000 p.a, earn more than you ever have and still enter 'Yes please' under the 'Sex' section of the application form.

Forgive the long sentence, I've just had a horrid, horrid flashback.
posted by mippy at 6:51 AM on December 15, 2009


Ahh, yestermeme.
posted by Navelgazer at 7:12 AM on December 15, 2009


Anyone who still has an account with Publicis now only has themselves to blame.
posted by wcfields at 7:13 AM on December 15, 2009


I'd walk out the door and never look back if my office tried to do this.
posted by oinopaponton at 7:17 AM on December 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


They seem to be oblivious to all the reasons why the first video "worked".
posted by hermitosis at 7:27 AM on December 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


I'd like to thank Spatch for reminding me why the thought "Oh it's just some quick Temp Work" is a bad thought.
posted by The Whelk at 7:30 AM on December 15, 2009 [3 favorites]


The Flagpole Sitta thing suggests that the uncanny valley of authenticity is deep. The Black Eyed Peas are barely nerf in beer-goggle land. The ad people don't even know how to look like they're pretending to try.

Not nubbed yet.
posted by hawthorne at 7:39 AM on December 15, 2009


Ugh, marketing people.
posted by autodidact at 8:07 AM on December 15, 2009


spatch, that's beautiful.
posted by empath at 8:12 AM on December 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


what we do is grotesque

Coincidentally, the name of the Black Eyed Peas new album.
posted by empath at 8:14 AM on December 15, 2009 [3 favorites]


NO CUTS PEOPLE.

Jesus, the whole appeal is that there were NO CUTS in the original.

WINNER'S DON'T CUT AND CUTTERS DON'T WIN.
posted by GuyZero at 10:00 AM on December 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


Plus being young and having no self-consciousness helps. Two things that are hard to find in English ad agencies.
posted by GuyZero at 10:04 AM on December 15, 2009


It wasn't meant to be seen outside the agency, but someone got hold of a copy and uploaded it.

Wait!! This can happen???
posted by inigo2 at 10:23 AM on December 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


it was just a bit of arsing about before their Christmas party

At my job (at a similar agency), they trot out one or two of these awful things at all-staff meetings each year. I can barely watch when they're on. But mostly they make me wonder about the judgment of the people whose job it is to declare them fit to present.

When your job is ostensibly to produce good work, and this is what you come up with... well, you get the idea.
posted by dammitjim at 10:33 AM on December 15, 2009


It wasn't meant to be seen outside the agency, but someone got hold of a copy and uploaded it.

Wait!! This can happen???

Happens all the time.
posted by The Whelk at 11:56 AM on December 15, 2009 [2 favorites]


If anyone needs me, I'll be drinking under my desk.
posted by maxwelton at 12:09 PM on December 15, 2009


I guess I should mention Telecom NZ for ripping off Connected Ventures, but doing it correctly. It caused a small controversy at the time for being presented as a genuine viral ad, but using a fake company name and professional actors.
posted by WhackyparseThis at 4:23 PM on December 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


I guess the way I feel about "lip dub" is the kinda the same way ShitMyDadSays feels about mobile phones:

"Son, no one gives a shit about all the things your cell phone does. You didn't invent it, you just bought it. Anybody can do that."

A collection of people moved lip-synching to a song and think they were pretty f*ing special for the effort. It is no surprise to find naval gazer Jakob Lodwick behind the original effort (which I didn't know previously). I for one curse him for starting this "trend".

Forgive me, but I am much more impressed and interested in seeing videos that include the people that *actually* sang the song (covers included!).
posted by gnash at 6:48 PM on December 15, 2009


Sigh. I hate having to correct a rant.

A collection of people moved lip-synching... =
A collection of people lip-synching...
posted by gnash at 6:56 PM on December 15, 2009




Publicis is very smart - it's a smart thing they're doing. They're going for the "We're zany, too, even!" dollar. That's a good dollar.

Just kill yourselves. Seriously, I'm not joking. This is not a joke. Go home, use a gun suck a tailpipe whatever you have to do you soul-sucking spawn of Satan.

Now see - this comment - he's really smart. He's going for that "commenting on Metafilter" dollar - that's really a good thing he's doing.

No, seriously. Go home and kill yourself now.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:39 AM on December 16, 2009


You can't put lipstick on a pig or a thespian apparently.
posted by gnash at 5:34 PM on December 16, 2009


The guy on the toilet – I do not need to see some guy's junk, I thought, and reached for the close button. Eh, I'll give it a little more.

Then, the woman started doing that dance I don't know the name of (is that the "Running Man"?), and I couldn't hit Command-W quickly enough.
posted by MikeHarris at 12:28 PM on December 18, 2009


DanCall: There's a parody of the Publicis one up...

... that is a little unexpectedly graphic ...
posted by MikeHarris at 12:29 PM on December 18, 2009


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