Oh the drama! Super Ads go epic

This screenshot provided by Volkswagen shows the Super Bowl teaser advertisement for Volkswagen called ?Get In. Get Happy. (AP Photo/Volkswagen)

This screenshot provided by Volkswagen shows the Super Bowl teaser advertisement for Volkswagen called ?Get In. Get Happy. (AP Photo/Volkswagen)

This undated screenshot provided by the Milk Processor Education Program, known as MilkPep shows the company's Super Bowl advertisement. The Milk Processor Education Program, known as MilkPep and popular for its "Got Milk?" print ads, is featuring actor and professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a 30-second ad in the second quarter that is directed by Peter Berg. (AP Photo/Milk Processor Education Program)

This undated screenshot provided by Calvin Klein shows the company's Super Bowl advertisement for the company's Concept brand. (AP Photo/Calvin Klein)

This undated screenshot provided by PepsiCo shows the Super Bowl advertisement for PepsiCo's PepsiNext.For its halftime intro spot, Pepsi, the sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show, created a collage of 1,000 user-submitted photos that are stitched together to create a 30-second video that looks like one person jumping to the tune of Beyonce's "Countdown." The spot introduces the pop star's halftime show. (AP Photo PepsiCo)

This undated screenshot provided by Taco Bell shows the Super Bowl advertisement for Taco Bell. Gone are the days when Super Bowl spots were closely-guarded secrets. With the growth of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, it's no surprise that more advertisers like Taco Bell are releasing ads online up to a week or more before Game Day. (AP Photo/Taco Bell)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Super Bowl ads this year morphed into mini soap operas.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shrugged off aliens so he could get more milk for his kids in a Super Bowl spot for the Milk Processor Education Program. Anheuser-Busch's commercial told the story of a baby Clydesdale growing up and returning to his owner for a heartfelt hug years later. And a Jeep ad portrayed the trials and triumphs of families waiting for their return of family members.

The reason for all the drama off the field? With 30-second spots going for as much as $4 million and more than 111 million viewers expected to tune in, marketers are constantly looking for ways to make their ads stand out. And it's increasingly difficult to captivate viewers with short-form plots involving babies, celebrities, sex and humor ? unless there's a compelling story attached.

"A lot of advertisers are running long commercials to tell these stories that engage people often in a very emotional way," said Tim Calkins, clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. "These spots that tell stories really stand out in the clutter."

TEAR-JERKING MINI EPICS

Chrysler started the long-format commercial trend last year, with a two-minute spot starring Clint Eastwood that became very popular.

This year, Chrysler led the trend again with its two-minute salute to troops and their families. The ad featured Oprah Winfrey reading a letter from the Jeep brand to encourage families to stay hopeful.

"Wendy Ochoa, a high school teacher who lives in Novi, Michigan, said the ad was very emotional. "It tugs on your heartstrings," Ochoa, 44, said. "How can it not?"

Anheuser-Busch also pulled at heartstrings with a spot about a baby Clydesdale growing up and moving away from his farm and his trainer. Years later, the horse remembered the trainer after returning for a parade. He raced down a street to hug him.

"The Budweiser commercial with the Clydesdale made me cry," said Wendy Ponzo, 49, who was watching the game in Pont Pleasant, N.J.

USER-INSPIRED TALES

Lincoln's 90-second ad was inspired by tweets by fans about road trips. The company asked people to send their stories, and Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," decided on which tales would be used.

The ad, which was based on more than 6,000 tweets from fans, shows adventures during a fictional road trip. A woman picks up a German hitchhiker, and they go to an alpaca farm, get stopped by turtles crossing the road, and drive through a movie set.

Rap pioneer Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons and Wil Wheaton, who acted in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," made cameos in the spot.

Coca-Cola created an ad based on an online campaign that pit three groups ? a troupe of showgirls, biker style badlanders and cowboys ? against each other in a race through a desert for a Coke.

Starting Jan. 23 and continuing through the end of the Super Bowl, viewers voted online for their favorite group. The group with the most votes ? the showgirls ? were revealed when the Super Bowl ended.

Audi also went with an ad that told a story ? and was inspired by viewers. The company's 60-second ad featured an ending that was voted on by viewers prior to the game.

In the ad, a boy gains confidence from driving his father's Audi to the prom, kisses the prom queen once he arrives at the dance and gets decked by the prom king. In the end, he drives back home with a smile on his face.

The Audi mini-epic was a favorite of Super Bowl viewer Stephanie Bice, 39, a business development director in Oklahoma City.

"It was fun and whimsical," Bice said.

COMEDY GOES LONG

Not all of the storytelling ads were dramatic, though.

Samsung's two-minute ad showed Seth Rogen ("The Guilt Trip" and Paul Rudd ("Role Models") getting called in to do a "Next Big Thing" ad for Samsung. But they're agitated once they realize that they're sharing the spotlight. LeBron James, an NBA basketball player for the Miami Heat, makes a cameo, appearing on the screen of a tablet.

The ad won over some fans in the ad world.

"I could watch the Samsung ad over and over again," said David Berkowitz, vice president at digital marketing agency 360i. "It's as good as any Seth Rogen movie."

Budweiser, a long-time Super Bowl advertiser, also told a continuing story in two of its ads. One showed rival 49ers and Ravens fans each creating a voodoo doll for the other team with the help of R&B legend Stevie Wonder. In the other ad, fans go to great lengths to curse a rival fan's "lucky chair."

"It's only weird if it doesn't work," the words in the ad read.

Mercedes-Benz's 90-second ad had a Faustian plot.

A devilish Willem Dafoe ("Spider-Man") shows a man everything that comes with a Mercedes-Benz CLX: A date with supermodel Kate Upton, dancing with Usher, driving around with beautiful girls, getting on the cover of magazines including Vanity Fair and GQ, getting to drive on a racetrack.

The man almost signs his soul away for the car. But then he sees a billboard that says the car starts at $29,900, and doesn't sign.

NOT EVERY AD TELLS A STORY

Although many advertisers tried to pull people in with lengthy story lines, there were a few that stuck with short, quirky spots with no particular plot.

GoDaddy.com's ad was one of them. It showed a close up, extended kiss between supermodel Bar Refaeli and a nerdy guy wearing glasses to illustrate GoDaddy's combo of "sexy" and "smart."

Some viewers thought the ad was too explicit for the Super Bowl.

"I don't care who wins the game. I just don't want to see that commercial again, ever," said Stephen G. Smith, 63, an editor at The Washington Times in Washington, D.C.

Stephanie Malone from DeKalb, Ill., agreed: "GoDaddy should be ashamed."

Striking a less controversial note, Best Buy's 30-second ad in the first quarter starred Amy Poehler, of NBC's "Parks and Recreation," asking a Best Buy employee endless questions about electronics.

"Will this one read '50 Shades of Grey' to me in a sexy voice?" Poehler asks about an e-book reader. Then, when the staffer says no she asks, "Will you?"

M&M's spot showed its red spokescharacter singing Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love," and wooing beautiful women. But the M&M stopped short when the women try to eat him.

And Oreo's ad featured a showdown in a library between people fighting over whether the cookie or the cream is the best part of the cookie. The punch-line? The fight escalates into thrown chairs and other destruction, but because the fight is in a library, everyone still has to whisper.

The ad directed users to follow Oreo on Instagram photo-sharing site, where they could continue the "cookie vs. cream" debate. Meanwhile, Oreo was quick to capitalize on the blackout that hit the game for about 30 minutes in the third quarter. It tweeted a picture of an Oreo in the half-dark with the words: "You can still dunk in the dark."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-03-Super%20Bowl-Advertising/id-3c5b2d5879334a38bb91259314e1e02c

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Best Social Media Posts of Super Bowl XLVII

Super Bowl Sunday is always a great day for the NFL but it was also a great day for social media marketing. Businesses aren?t just hitting the Super Bowl commercial advertising, they were focusing just as much on social media (mostly Twitter) this year too.

According to Twitter, there were 24.1 million tweet last night about the Super Bowl. An average of 231,500 tweets per minute. There was also 5.5 million tweets about Beyonce?s halftime show with an average of 268,000 tweets per minute at the end of her show.

The highlight of the night though was the power outage at the Super Bowl. While the cause of the Super Bowl blackout may have been Beyonce, my favorite part was to see companies jump at the opportunity to capture an audience and direct them towards their brand. Several companies did this, a few of my favorites are below.

Best Tweets About the Super Bowl Blackout

Buffalo Wild Wings

One of my favorite Super Bowl tweets was by Buffalo Wild Wings. They are known for their commercials that show their insiders sabotaging sporting events so fans can spend more time at their restaurant. Shortly after the Super Bowl Blackout, they tweeted this:

?

NBC?s Revolution

If you are a fan of the television show Revolution on NBC, then you will appreciate their tweet. In case you don?t know, Revolution is a show that takes place where all the electricity in the world stopped working one day and there are these pendants that become a power source for all electrical gadgets. So, quick on their feet (and to keep the show relevant while on hiatus) tweeted this meme:

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Audi

Audi came across with this quick tweet after the Super Bowl blackout and also promoted their LED headlights:

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Tide

Tide?s social media team was quick on their feet during the Super Bowl blackout and jumped on the opportunity to tweet out this graphic:

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Oreo

The best tweet of the night though went to Oreo. Their social media team was quick with a response too and tweeted the best of the night:

They have also tweeted another good one since.
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Best Super Bowl Commercials

As well as tweeting about the game, halftime, and the Super Bowl black out, there was a lot of social media buzz with the Super Bowl Commercials. After every commercial there seemed to be immediate reviews of them on my Twitter feed. But there were three that stuck out to me on my social media networks.

Dodge ? God Made a Farmer

Dodge struck gold with the heart of America and those in the corn belt with their two-minute commercial God Made a Farmer. The commercial featured the voice of Paul Harvey with a slideshow of images of farmers across the country. This commercial was also a remake of a commercial done by Farms.com a few years back.

?

Oreo ? Whisper Fight

Oreo had a good night and made me have a good laugh with their commercial Whisper Fight. This commercial also helped to increase their Instagram followers by 20,000 too:

Budweiser ? The Clydesdales: ?Brotherhood?

I think my favorite of the night was this commercial from Budweiser. I always enjoy their Clydesdale commercials and they showed a softer side this time with ?Brotherhood?:

What was your favorite social media tweet of the night? Let me know on the comments below! I would love to add to this list!

?

About Thomas Brodbeck

Tom is an Internet Marketing Specialist for Site Strategics, an Indianapolis-based search engine optimization and social media firm. Follow Tom on Twitter or Google Plus

Source: http://www.sitestrategics.com/best-social-media-posts-of-super-bowl-xlvii/

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King Richard III? World's first image of Grey Friars skull unveiled

Feb. 4, 2013 ? Did this head once bear the English Crown?

The University of Leicester, with Channel 4, has just unveiled the world's first photograph of the human remains found at the Grey Friars church -- which could be that of King Richard III.

The image is released in advance of the University of Leicester's major announcement detailing the results of its investigations into the skeleton's identity on February 4.

The image displays the shape of the Grey Friars skeleton's skull. The University has investigated the skull for signs of damage to the back of the head -- potentially caused by battle injuries.

The University has released the image after months of skeletal analysis by Dr Jo Appleby, Lecturer in Human Bioarchaeology in the University's School of Archaeology and Ancient History, who led the exhumation of the remains in September 2012.

Dr Appleby said: "The skull was in good condition, although fragile, and was able to give us detailed information about this individual. It has been CT scanned at high resolution in order to allow us to investigate interesting features in as much detail as possible.

"In order to determine whether this individual is Richard III we have built up a biological profile of its characteristics. We have also carefully examined the skeleton for traces of a violent death."

The remains were found at the place where Richard III is believed to have been buried after his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

The skeleton showed evidence of what was believed to be scoliosis and battle trauma -signs that suggest it may be the remains of the medieval monarch.

The University will announce the results of its rigorous scientific investigations in front of over 140 journalists from across the globe converging on the University of Leicester Council Chamber.

The University of Leicester, in association with Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society, is leading the Search for Richard III.

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/YXDN_OWVYio/130203212409.htm

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Boy Scouts of America board set to consider ending ban on gays

DALLAS (Reuters) - Boy Scouts of America board members will meet this week to debate ending a controversial national ban on gay membership, prompting groups both for and against the move to converge on its Texas headquarters for demonstrations.

The national executive board, which lists more than 70 members, is expected to vote on Wednesday, the last day of a three-day meeting, on whether to lift the ban they had reaffirmed just last year amid criticism from gay rights groups and gay former Scouts and Scout leaders.

The Boy Scouts has not responded to inquiries about the private meeting, but activists for and against lifting the ban said they expected a vote on Wednesday.

The organization said on January 28 that it was considering removing the national restriction based on sexual orientation and leaving the decision to local chapters. It said it would not dictate a position to units, members or to parents.

Gay rights activists have said lifting the national ban, but allowing local units to maintain a ban, would not go far enough.

The board meeting comes as the century-old youth organization that prides itself on teaching boys life skills such as camping and leadership, faces membership declines and a donations boycott by some corporations over its anti-gay policy.

Youth membership in the Boy Scouts has dropped 21 percent since 2000 to nearly 2.7 million. Adult leader membership has fallen 14 percent to just over 1 million, and the number of units has declined 12.6 percent to 108,971.

Activists have pressed corporations, including Merck and UPS, as well as the Intel Foundation to withhold contributions to the Boy Scouts while the ban stands.

The Boy Scouts has also faced criticism for keeping from public view files covering decades of reports of child sex abuse in the organization. It released thousands of pages of files covering 1965 to 1985 in October under a court order.

The drive to lift the ban gained a powerful ally on Sunday in President Barack Obama. In an interview with CBS, anchor Scott Pelley asked the president if he believed scouting should be open to gays, Obama said: "Yes."

"My attitude is ... that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does, in every institution and walk of life," said Obama, who last year gave his backing to the right to same sex couples to marry.

"The Scouts are a great institution that are promoting young people and exposing them to, you know, opportunities and leadership that will serve people for the rest of their lives, and I think that nobody should be barred (from) that."

But Texas Governor Rick Perry, an Eagle Scout, told reporters on Saturday he did not see a reason for the Boy Scouts to change its longstanding policy, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Parents are also split on the proposal. Pam Bakowski, the mother of an Eagle Scout and former den leader and Cub master who lives in the Dallas area, said the Boy Scouts were about teaching life skills and leadership.

"I think the ban is ridiculous and needs to be lifted," Bakowski said.

The mother of an Eagle Scout, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Denise, said she opposed lifting the ban.

"The current policy has worked fine for more than 100 years so there is no reason to change it," she said. "If my son had been in a troop with a gay leader, I would have taken him out."

LOBBYING BEFORE THE VOTE

The Boy Scouts won a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2000 that upheld the organization's ban on gays, but it has come under increasing public pressure in recent years from activists.

The faith-based groups that have the most Boy Scouts youth members - the Mormon church, the United Methodist Church and the Catholic Church in that order - have so far stood by the Scouts.

Many local chapters have said they were waiting for the national board to render a verdict before weighing in, others want board members to take more time to consider a decision.

"We believe that any decision that strikes at the core of our 103-year history merits full input from all stakeholders in deliberation and discussion," The Great Salt Lake Council of the Boy Scouts of America said in a statement.

Activists on both sides of the issue urged supporters to lobby board members before the meeting and plan demonstrations at Boy Scouts headquarters in Irving, Texas, this week.

"Save our Scouts" plans a prayer vigil in support of the ban for Wednesday morning to coincide with the expected vote.

Activists who support lifting the ban plan to deliver more than 1.4 million signatures from online petition drives to Boy Scouts headquarters on Monday.

Jennifer Tyrrell, a lesbian mother from Ohio who was ousted as a Scout den leader, and Eric Andresen, whose gay son was denied the award of Eagle Scout - the highest achievement of Scouting - plan to be among activists delivering the signatures.

Two Boy Scouts board members have said publicly they support change. Jim Turley, chairman and chief executive of Ernst & Young, has called for ending the ban and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has said he favors change from within and supports diversity.

(Additional reporting and writing by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Tim Gaynor and Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boy-scouts-america-board-set-consider-ending-ban-120109994.html

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Tim Duncan helped off with sprained left knee

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) is hit by Washington Wizards' Garrett Temple (17) as he shoots during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) is hit by Washington Wizards' Garrett Temple (17) as he shoots during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Washington Wizards' Nene (42) works against San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) and Tiago Splitter, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ? San Antonio Spurs All-Star Tim Duncan sprained his left knee and right ankle after getting tangled with an opponent and had to be helped off the court in the first half of Saturday night's game against the Wizards.

The severity of the injury was not immediately known, though the team announced it was a sprain and that Duncan would not return to the game.

Duncan lay on the court clutching his knee for a few minutes after Washington forward Martell Webster rolled into the back of it while fighting for a rebound. Duncan got up on his own, but limped to the locker room with the assistance of teammates Stephen Jackson and DeJuan Blair.

Duncan, who was listed as probable with a sore left knee, returned to the lineup after missing the team's past four games.

The 14-time All-Star is averaging 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-02-BKN-Spurs-Duncan-Injury/id-e290e8c87edb4f609903a7463aefdff6

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Panasonic shows micro color splitters that double up image sensor acuity

Panasonic has developed a new type of imaging sensor that gets more photons where they need to be by foregoing the use of conventional CMOS debayering filters. Those can reduce sensor effectiveness by blocking 50 to 70 percent of the light, so researchers developed "micro color splitters" to do the job instead, which can separate hues microscopically using refraction. They did it by taking advantage of wave optic principals to create a new type of electronic "deflector" that can analyze and separate light wave frequencies much faster than previous methods. There's almost no loss of light during the process, and such devices can be made using conventional semiconductor fabricating techniques, too. There's no timetable for commercializing the tech, but Panasonic holds 21 domestic and 16 overseas patents on it -- meaning it's likely not just a science project.

Filed under: Cameras, Science, Alt

Comments

Via: Computerworld

Source: Panasonic

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/04/panasonic-shows-image-sensor-that-splits-color/

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Kevin Millwood reportedly to retire

According to Richard Walker of the Shelby Star, 38-year-old right-hander Kevin Millwood announced Friday night at his old high school in Bessemer City, North Carolina that he is ending his baseball career.

?I?m just ready to retire,??Millwood told the Star. ?I feel like I can still throw it well and going out on a high note is a big deal.?I just felt it was time to be closer to home and to be around the kids more often.?

Millwood has two sons who are nearing their teenage years. He plans to spend his newfound down time hunting, fishing and coaching youth sports.

The former 11th-round draft pick posted a 4.11 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over the course of his 16-year major league career.

He played for the Braves, Phillies, Indians, Rangers, Orioles, Rockies and Mariners.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/03/kevin-millwood-retiring-after-16-year-mlb-career/related/

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