how pedro could have quenched his thrill buds.

this tv spot is pretty great. i feel like i've met a few pedros.

chastening chase - or why cell phones and climbing shouldn't mix

first, let me start off by stating that i think this commercial is pretty great. i like the sense of authenticity - the exposure, the visible anchor, the hawk sound in the background(?). as a mainstream tv ad it does its job representing climbing as an adventurous outdoor activity.

however, when you look closer at the ad and start deconstructing the climbing that's taking place, you have to take some pause -- or at least giggle.

for starters, the belayer (female) is answering her phone on an exposed rock face. she's answering her phone instead of paying attention to the guy she should be belaying! crazy.

you could argue that the male climber is intentionally free soloing. this theory is supported by the fact that he isn't tied into anything. but with the kind of exposure that the wide shots suggest, is that such a smart idea? (you can watch and pause the video to confirm this. there's no rope connected to his belay loop.)

there's also something weird happening with the anchor. it seems to change during the different edit cuts.

to answer the climber's question. yes, this whole scene is scary. and funny. i'll give them funny too.

can anyone identify the climbers in this spot? the location appears to be the redgarden wall in eldorado canyon, co.

advertising agency: mcgarrybowen, new york, ny

who needs climbing tape?

if you have hansaplast extreme band-aids, your raw overworked fingers are as good as new. according to this slovenian ad anyway.



this spot features climber chad greedy and was apparently shot in one of colorado's most popular climbing destinations - eldorado canyon or "eldo" as it is often referred to.

thanks to brian solano for the story lead.

now what? how about buying yourself a helmet.

(i'll admit it. i have a problem. i can't stop blogging about ads that show climbing. the intersection between climbing and popular culture intrigues me.)

here's an ad from the folks at state farm insurance promoting the website nowwhat.com



the ad campaign presents the idea that "sh** happens." the solution? buy some insurance. more specifically, if you buy state farm insurance you'll be protected from life's little (or big) accidents. the question for me is: shouldn't an insurance company be a bit more focused on safety and preventing catastrophe? why aren't these climbers wearing helmets?!?

the other curious thing. where are the belayers? are they above the climbers or are the models simulclimbing?

it would really suck to have a rock fall on your car. the commercial reminded me of an accident i read about last summer where a boulder crushed a toyota off highway u.s. 6 in clear creek canyon, co.

newcastle brown ale tries smooth climbing

(you can view a larger version of the ad here)

climbing ads are hot. or maybe i'm just starting to notice.

here's another one from new castle brown ale. i like the execution of the ad. the photography is strong and the climber (pro climber joe kinder) looks like he actually knows how to climb. the gear looks legit too.

the thing that stands out for me is the name of the climbing company on the "fake" billboard ad. smooth face climbing expeditions? are ya kidding? every climber out there knows that friction and rock features are what allows you to actually get up routes. the worst thing one would ever want to encounter out there is a smooth-faced climb. it looks like joe might be thinking: get me off this smooth piece of crap and give me a friggin' beer!

i guess the target for this ad isn't climbers. but still. it doesn't hurt to be relevant to the community you are representing either. climbers do drink - often.

ad credits: tim tadder, photographer || joe kinder, model || vitrorobertson, ad agency || pdn press story

oh! an aside. joe kinder will appear in brian solano's new film, "spray," releasing in january 2008. in the film joe kinder and chris lindner will explore the magestic climbing of northern california. be sure to check it out.

retail advertisers try rock climbing

i'm always on the look out for general market ads that incorporate rock climbing. recently, both walmart and target have used climbing imagery in their ad campaigns.

i first came across a climbing-inspired walmart tv ad back in july. in the spot we see a climber making his way to the top of a pitch. when he gets there, there's a dell computer staring right at him. the ad was trying to communicate the surprise of randomly finding a computer there. the same surprise one would encounter by finding dell computers at walmart stores. the two companies had just announced their new retail partnership.

the walmart ad was weak. bad acting, bad concept. i figured it was worth sharing, however, so i wrote walmart's corporate pr office expecting to easily secure a copy of the spot. what company wouldn't want free pr, right? here is the response i received from one of their demand media managers: "hi david. we, as most companies, do not allow other sites that we do not own/manage to run our media. thank you for your interest." i wrote the "demand" person back and told her that she well knew that as an editorial outlet i didn't need permission to run a copy of the walmart ad. i gave up after being unable to locate a copy of the clip. oh well. screw walmart.

target is also running a campaign that features climbing. the ads are pretty unique for a big box retailer. and i get them. they're selling the cool urbane "adventurous" lifestyle. as a climber, though, some of the style choices are both odd and funny. here is the print version:


i didn't ask for a copy this time (kinko's scanner baby.) the first thought that came to mind was what's with the generic climbing shoes? if i was looking this ad as a non-climber i'd probably think i could walk into a target store and buy me a pair of these groovy little rubber slippers. not likely. these are specialty climbing shoes. i also like the strategically placed carabiners. it's like "yea, i'm a climber. i have carabiners hanging on my harness." nice touch mr. stylist.


the big thing that stands out to me, as a climber, is how the rope is attached to the model and his harness. wtf? unless there's some tie-in i'm unfamiliar with, when would you ever tie yourself onto the end of the rope this way? the knot is like 2' from where it should be. in addition, the tail is way way too short. tsk tsk target. we all know you want a tail that's at least 5" long. safety first!

kudos to target for trying something different. although next time they might want to hire a climbing consultant.

when climbing advertising rocks

as a photographer, i'm always on the lookout for compelling creative work. when i came across these ads for the cityROCK climbing gym in cape town, south africa, i almost peed my pants. not only are these the most interesting and compelling climbing advertisements i have ever seen, but they are also strong examples of how good concept-driven advertising can be.

kudos to the ad agency the jupiter drawing room cape town for daring to be interesting.


in the first ad we see a rad graffiti design sprayed impossibly to the underside of a bridge.



the second ad takes us to the scene of an extra-marital affair where the naked "trespasser" clings to the side of a ten story building.



the final print ad broadcasts the popularity of cityROCK as a children's party venue. a measuring wall proudly displays heights of three children aged 4, 6, and 8 - the oldest of which is somewhere close to rafters of the roof.