Random Culture

New Globalism: The Haka... in Euless, TX?

Ethan Zuckerman has a great post today on "cultural appropriation." Well, it seems that a high school football team in Euless, TX (outside of Dallas, where I live) has been doing the "Haka." It's a traditional Maori dance... and quite intimidating. See for yourself below.

Now it may be that someone on the team is close to the Maori heritage... or it may be that they appropriated the ritual from another, more famous sports team, the All Blacks rugby squad from New Zealand, arguably the best rugby team of all time. Watch them below. Update: it seems that there are, in fact, South Pacific roots in Euless!

Whatever the case, the Haka makes for a great show, and is a great sign of culture making its way across the globe... all the way to Euless, TX.

New Globalism: The Haka... in Euless, TX?

Ethan Zuckerman has a great post today on "cultural appropriation." Well, it seems that a high school football team in Euless, TX (outside of Dallas, where I live) has been doing the "Haka." It's a traditional Maori dance... and quite intimidating. See for yourself below.

Now it may be that someone on the team is close to the Maori heritage... or it may be that they appropriated the ritual from another, more famous sports team, the All Blacks rugby squad from New Zealand, arguably the best rugby team of all time. Watch them below. Update: it seems that there are, in fact, South Pacific roots in Euless!

Whatever the case, the Haka makes for a great show, and is a great sign of culture making its way across the globe... all the way to Euless, TX.

Nike Soccer: The Next Level

Awesome video for Nike Soccer, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Nike Soccer: The Next Level

Awesome video for Nike Soccer, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Super Bowl XLI: Ad Deathwatch

Like many of you, I was wholly unimpressed by the ads at the Super Bowl this year. It wasn't the "consumer-generated" ad orgy I had expected. In fact, it wasn't much of anything at all. Sure, there were a couple slightly funny ads, but the advertisers were off their game this year. Or was it something else?

The suck factor of the ads this year, I think, points to something much larger. Advertisers are starting to care less about this event, and the reach it provides. Online advertising is growing in reach, and its "trackability" means that in the online world, ads are held accountable for results. Super Bowl ads, by their very nature, are terribly expensive... and oh yeah, not really held accountable.

Or maybe the thinking behind the ads this year was just bad. No one was really inventive, no one really tried anything new. Notice how many of the ads that aired weren't exclusive? I saw many of these online before they made it to Super Bowl Sunday, and that took some of the excitement out of it.

Regardless, I've still posted a few of the better ones below. Or, you can view all of them in YouTube's special Super Bowl commercial section. Enjoy!

Bud Light "Fist Bump"

Emerald Nuts "Bogeyman" (featuring Robert Goulet)

GM Robot Dream

Super Bowl XLI: Ad Deathwatch

Like many of you, I was wholly unimpressed by the ads at the Super Bowl this year. It wasn't the "consumer-generated" ad orgy I had expected. In fact, it wasn't much of anything at all. Sure, there were a couple slightly funny ads, but the advertisers were off their game this year. Or was it something else?

The suck factor of the ads this year, I think, points to something much larger. Advertisers are starting to care less about this event, and the reach it provides. Online advertising is growing in reach, and its "trackability" means that in the online world, ads are held accountable for results. Super Bowl ads, by their very nature, are terribly expensive... and oh yeah, not really held accountable.

Or maybe the thinking behind the ads this year was just bad. No one was really inventive, no one really tried anything new. Notice how many of the ads that aired weren't exclusive? I saw many of these online before they made it to Super Bowl Sunday, and that took some of the excitement out of it.

Regardless, I've still posted a few of the better ones below. Or, you can view all of them in YouTube's special Super Bowl commercial section. Enjoy!

Bud Light "Fist Bump"

Emerald Nuts "Bogeyman" (featuring Robert Goulet)

GM Robot Dream

NFL "Super Ad" Chosen... From a Marketer!

I was just griping about how the "consumer created" ads appearing at this year's Super Bowl aren't REALLY being created by real consumers... and it's just as I expected. The NFL has announced the winner of their "consumer created" NFL Superad competition. The pitch they are turning into an ad comes from Gino Bona, who coincidentally, works at a "sales and marketing" company. You can watch his ad pitch at NFL.com/superad. I'll say it once again... most of these companies don't want actual consumer created content... they just want parodies of ads their agencies are already creating that they can file under the consumer generated label.

What would be a REAL consumer generated campaign? How about this... CBS is actually embracing consumer generated content for the Super Bowl. They're asking people "if you had 15 seconds to say whatever you wanted, what would it be?" The "winner" will air on Super Bowl Sunday. CBS has created an official YouTube group, and people are uploading videos.

Kudos to CBS!

NFL "Super Ad" Chosen... From a Marketer!

I was just griping about how the "consumer created" ads appearing at this year's Super Bowl aren't REALLY being created by real consumers... and it's just as I expected. The NFL has announced the winner of their "consumer created" NFL Superad competition. The pitch they are turning into an ad comes from Gino Bona, who coincidentally, works at a "sales and marketing" company. You can watch his ad pitch at NFL.com/superad. I'll say it once again... most of these companies don't want actual consumer created content... they just want parodies of ads their agencies are already creating that they can file under the consumer generated label.

What would be a REAL consumer generated campaign? How about this... CBS is actually embracing consumer generated content for the Super Bowl. They're asking people "if you had 15 seconds to say whatever you wanted, what would it be?" The "winner" will air on Super Bowl Sunday. CBS has created an official YouTube group, and people are uploading videos.

Kudos to CBS!

Nike Golf: Juice

Nike has launched a simple, but fun website for their "Juice 312" golf balls. It includes videos "ala" Edgerton, with golf balls impacting everyday things like birthday cake, jello and cantaloupe. I only wish they had more of these videos.

Nike Golf: Juice

Nike has launched a simple, but fun website for their "Juice 312" golf balls. It includes videos "ala" Edgerton, with golf balls impacting everyday things like birthday cake, jello and cantaloupe. I only wish they had more of these videos.