Lindsey’s Daily Deal

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

Here’s your Hump Day Deal:

1. Satellite in my eyes. Reeking havoc in the sky.

If you’ve had some flighty cell phone service or a mild panic attack when your cable started doing The Robot during “Lost,” it might be because of a satellite gone rogue. The satellite Galaxy 15 recently lost contact with both ground control and Major Tom after an unfortunate solar flare fried its circuits. But rather than drifting off to its final resting space (get it?), Galaxy 15 is still orbiting around Earth and it refuses to take instruction from Intelsat, the satellite’s owner. Why the heck is this piece of man-made machinery still running at full power with no one telling it what to do? Scientists don’t know. But the rebellious R2-D2-like satellite could potentially “steal a working sat signal and interrupt more cable programming.” Which means no more “Lost” and no more “Grey’s Anatomy.” In the words of a much more obedient droid, “We’re doomed.”

2. I’m Arlen Specter and I approve this message. Again.

If an advertiser were to follow only one rule throughout his or her career, it should be: “Aspire to be original.” And even though it’s hard to create new ideas that haven’t been done before, in fact, it’s basically impossible, it’s still important that marketers and advertisers bring a fresh perspective to a big idea. So when Arlen Spector, former 2004 Republican United States Senator, switched teams this year and decided to bat for the Democrats by running for 2010 U.S. Senator, there was a strange sense of déjà vu as most watched the “new” 30-second spot that features President Obama endorsing Specter. Check out this video on TMP LiveWire that shows the only thing George W. Bush and President Obama have in common: a lazy ad campaign strategist.

3. Men.

I’m always down for a new Axe commercial. For instance, I loved the spot with thousands of bikini-clad women sprinting through the jungle just to get a whiff of a freshly Axed man. It was genius. But with their latest ad, Axe has let go of highlighting the effect their body spray has on women and is now focusing on what the men are thinking. The whole idea just seems too easy.

For instance, in “Sofaurus,” Axe’s latest commercial, a guy (who’s also half couch?) is totally focused on watching a football game with his friends. After the game is over and his bros have left, the centaur-like couch/man showers and sprays his Axe deodorant savagely on his chest. Once he’s ready for bed, his couch-like legs turn into a pullout mattress that comes complete with two thong-clad girls. The commercial ends with the announcer saying, “Because as soon as you stop thinking about football, you start thinking about women again.”

Now hear me out. I get it. Girls in thongs are cool and guys like them. But rather than making the guy with Axe deodorant the lucky underdog that is stunned and deliriously happy that he’s getting the attention of beautiful women, they idolize the womanizing scum bags of the world who think it’s normal to only focus on watching football and bumping uglies. Not only did I think the commercial was less effective, but it made me never want an Axe man again. Take that, Axe.

4. Sixty votes are tough to get together. Just ask John Kerry.

Rather than wasting time preaching to the choir, Senator John Kerry decided to discuss strategy and the “real details” that need to be included in the upcoming climate bill proposal in his post on Grist today. Interestingly, Kerry admits that the Senate won’t pass a comprehensive bill that’s been written for true climate-change believers. To get Republicans and Democrats alike on board, the bill must focus on the jobs that will be created and national security benefits. To learn more about Kerry’s plans to create a bill that has a fighting chance of being approved before it’s too late, check out his post.

Until tomorrow,

Captain “I will not date an Axe man” Lindsey