Communicating Through Puppets
A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Puppet
Mannequin American views and guidelines on marketing/PR trends, news from the world of puppets and ventriloquism, bits of humor and other interesting but useless information. I post every Tuesday and Friday.
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More Communicating Through Puppets
Our long-time friend Dennis Bowman is a Meteorologist on KDKA-TV in Pittsburg. He's also a very accomplished and very funny ventriloquist. Dennis has been doing educational and entertaining school shows with his Mannequin American side-kick Chester Drawers, for many years. Now those shows are offered to schools at no charge courtesy of KDKA. You can learn more about Dennis' school shows here on the KDKA website .
And this YouTube video shows Dennis doing a great job with a classic routine at a comedy club.
It's good to see a vent of Dennis' caliber still working and still using his Mannequin American pals to help educate and entertain kids.
Fat Toys Aimed at Keeping Obesity From Children
"Keep obesity away from your child" is the tagline of a new campaign for an organization called Active Life Movement. Instead of fat kids, the ads show fat toys: a superhero, pirates and a Barbie-like doll.
See the full ads here, here and here over at Ads of the World. Details like the Cake Crusader's dripping ice-cream cone and Big-Butt Barbie's empty takeout carton are creative. Still, if the toys are comfortable with themselves, isn't that the most important thing?
Because Life's Greatest Adventure Shouldn't be Finding a Bathroom?
Here's a product that may or may not make sense to you. 
Gogirl is a feminine urination device that lets women go anywhere. Simply put, it's a female urination device that allows women to pee while standing up. The device was invented by a doctor to help women who couldn't sit because of hip or knee replacements. Now, they're targeting a larger market ... active women. Click here to go to the Web site.
From the Web site: "If you camp, you'll love GoGirl. If you ski, you'll love GoGirl. If you boat, you'll love GoGirl. If you travel, you'll love GoGirl. If you just want to avoid the germs you find in nasty public toilets, you'll love GoGirl. GoGirl is for active women of all types and ages." (Get to know some GoGirls) The product received mixed reviews in our office.
Here's a TV news video about the product that includes women guessing what the product is used for.
Humiliate Customers on Your Behalf
From AdPulp, according to The New York Times, Air New Zealand marketing execs commissioned 30 "cranial billboards," made with henna on newly shaved heads.
For shaving their noggins and displaying the ad copy for two weeks in November, the hairless ones received either a round-trip ticket to New Zealand (worth about $1,200) or $777 in cash (an allusion to the Boeing 777, a model in the airline's fleet). Without my wig, my head would make a great billboard ... except for that distracting little trap door thing in the back.
A Band like The Monkees ... Only They're Women and They Perform in Their Sponsor's Underwear
From AdFreak.com ... Meet the Vassarettes, advertising's "first and hottest bra brand band."
Vanity Fair Inc. hired this quartet of ladies through an American Idol-esque audition to serve as a female version of the Monkees ... except that they perform in their underwear.
The Web site, Vassarettes.com, now serves as an introduction to the band, and features their theme song, "Are you ready for the real thing?" The site also includes a "Bras" area with all the rocker trappings and bras flung around as if you've stumbled into an all-girl orgy-you click on one to learn about each undergarment's particulars. The "Band" area features video and diaries. The Vassarettes will make their TV debut on Style Network's Running in Heels on April 19.
To my women readers: Does this kind of thing sell underwear? I'm a marketing guru and frankly, I have my doubts. But let me know what you think.
I'm Not Here Today
As you're reading this I'm jetting my way to Las Vegas to see Terry Fator (America's Got Talent) in the new Terry Fator Theatre at the Mirage. We'll be back stage after his show and if he allows his picture to be taken with Dale, I'll include one with next week's blog. (It must be nice to work with a partner who has talent.)
