There’s a lot of buzz about the Pepsi Refresh project and how they’re pulling their usual investment in Super Bowl Advertising and moving funds to a broader social strategy. It’s exciting news for people like me who work on big brands and are trying to bring perspective to the old-school Mad Men wanna-bes who still crowd this industry while the world moves away from traditional one-way advertising to deeper experiences. But, even as Pepsi tries to break new ground by cancelling their standard multi-million dollar 30-second football spot, their television ad agency proceeds to fumble the ball by blatantly ripping off a brilliant YouTube video to sell the new social initiative.

Here’s the Pepsi Refresh ad:

And the original music video that Pepsi “Refreshed”:

Much more magical, don’t you think?

Imagine if they contacted SOUR and worked with them to take SOUR’s concept to a whole new level, as opposed to just blatantly copying it. Wouldn’t that be more in line with the ideals of the new Pepsi Refresh Project? Imagine the positive wave of support from SOUR’s fans, and the 1 million+ other viewers of this video who surely would like the band to succeed. Please agencies — it’s not about you anymore. It’s not about your ads. It’s about the customer; the consumer; the user; the publich; the individual. It’s about The Human.

Coca-cola and Wieden & Kennedy are expanding their “happiness” branding with a new spot featuring a world filled with gamers and social networkers ignoring each other while they are jacked in to their virtual worlds.

One lone “reality-lover” wades through the avatars on the way to enjoy a soda pop. When he finally gets to enjoy his soft drink among the wifi-ers, he meets a fellow cola enthusiast who learns that maybe socializing is better face-to-face, over a Coke.

There’s another story here, however. Assuming the spot wants to sell to teens, it misses the mark. The world has changed but social networking and gaming is the norm to millenials. They don’t see faces buried in mobile devices as a societal failure. They would prefer to broadcast their thoughts entire lives to many others than to enjoy a double malt with a stranger at the drug store.

The target will be watching this spot and, yes, will be intrigued by the plethora of mingling avatars, but they’ll be wondering what game each player is enjoying, not what tonic can save them from their 24/7 wired addiction. Coke should be asking, ‘How can we make ourselves the drink of choice for social networking?’ And, ‘Does our agency really understand the new paradigms of the digital-driven world?’

(Perhaps appropriately, you can view the non-embeddable spot at Creativity.)

I can hear the client now: “We need to make our gift cards more engaging.”

I would have kept a straight face, while I laughed on the inside. I would have made a half-hearted attempt at a brainstorming session and then tried to gloss over the request among other goals and great ideas during the client presentation.

But, I now realize I should really push for the exceptional experience in every strategy and tactic. No matter how audacious, ridiculous or obnoxious, there’s always an opportunity to raise the bar on every product, channel, tactic and strategy, including even the now ubiquitous gift card.

I have the Home Depot to thank for this revelation. Seen above (in a photo at which my old photography professor would shudder), a gingerbread man gift card I received for the holidays. More than just a gift card, however, as it came with a set of static-cling plastic features with which to decorate my bare cookie. Check it out:

Bottom line, I’m engaged. I’m showing friends – before and after I decorate my drywalling yuletide biscuit friend. This brilliant idea works on many levels:

1. At the checkout, this has great potential as an impulse buy;
2. If the giftee unwraps or unstocks with friends and family, this is a conversation starter;
3. The giftee can play (!) with the normally 100% utilitarian gift before eventually cashing it in for cool lumber and copper tubing;
4. The design seamlessly meshes The Home Depot’s branding and holiday theming; and,
5. They got me blogging about it.

Cheers to the team that put this one together. And good, though belated, tidings to all.

Note: The client quote above is a completely fabricated Pilkingtonian situation that may not have occurred. It was created by me, only to serve my point in this post. If anyone knows of the actual people involved and process that occurred to invent and implement the gingerbread cookie gift card (I’m looking at you, @thehomedepot on Twitter), I’d be happy to update this entry.