Hasta La Creative!

On his Fox News show Monday night, Bill O’Reilly shared a viewer email that read, “G’day from Oz, Bill. Didn’t think it was possible that CBS could go more left than Letterman, but it has with Colbert.” (Nice to know Australians are obsessing about America’s line-up of late-night talk-show hosts.) The response from O’Reilly:

“Traditionally, late night has been light and breezy, with a minimum of political posturing. Carson and Leno set the tone for that. But Colbert has built an entire career on pleasing the left. And if you don’t believe me, check out the reportage on his ascension. The far-left websites and writers are thrilled. So he has to compete with Fallon and Kimmel, who are basically high-energy guys who wanna have a good time on their shows. It’d be hard to fathom that 40% of Americans who describe themselves as conservative will watch Colbert. And that’s a lot of folks to lose from the jump. But Colbert will have good writers and surely he knows his challenge. Place your bets now.”

Of course, it’s hard to fathom that the 56% of Americans who describe themselves as moderate or liberal are watching O’Reilly, and he seems to be doing pretty well for himself.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

(TrendHunter.com) The Johammer is a snail-shaped electric motorbike that is among the first electric motorbikes to boast a range of 200 kilometers when fully charged. The fantastic battery range is made possible by a…

Hoping to latch itself onto the belief that any video with cute pets will go viral, Pedigree, with help from Colenso BBDO, is out with a video featuring cute puppies that’s part of its Adoption Drive. The brand will donate any YouTube advertising revenue generated from this video’s views and earmark it for feeding dogs in need.

So all you have to do is watch the video, send it to your friends, your mother, your sister. your old girlfriend and your grandmother and get them all to watch it and automagically, money will be generated for a good cause.

Nothing like one brand using other brands’ money for its own cause.

While there have been some amazingly powerful safe driving PSAs from all over the world, most of them resort to the dramatic, real-life trauma of the crash (see the all-time classic here). But this entry from Honda takes a different approach.

The automotive brand has enlisted the power of emoticons to convey its message with a new social media program aligned with April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month to call attention to the dangers of texting while driving. In support of this first-ever National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiative, Honda is launching the “Thumbs Up” (#thumbsup) social media campaign to reach young drivers by using emoticons along with a video that illustrates the importance of safe driving.

Of the effort, Honda CVP and GM Jeff Conrad said, “Honda’s ‘Thumbs Up’ campaign is designed to resonate with a diverse group of younger drivers to raise awareness of the perils of texting while driving. Honda is deeply concerned about the safety of all of our customers and we remain committed to enhancing the safety for all of those on the road.”

As part of the campaign, still images and GIFs will be used on Honda social platforms providing information about distracted driving and tips on ways to stay focused while driving. Corresponding downloadable mobile wallpaper and banners will help remind drivers not to text and drive.

The campaign includes a hispanic element as well.

On the heels of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's sobering scenario announcing National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Honda and agency RPA bring us the latest campaign in the effort to curb texting and driving. 

This spot (and accompanying print ad, below) pull the viewer into a text conversation happening on a mobile device, presumably on a road somewhere in America. 

The dialogue is an authentic glimpse into the life of a young adult, replete with the usual shorthand and emojis common in casual banter. Without spoiling exactly what happens next, the ad succeeds in creating a unique message that is graphically smart, simple and powerful. 

CREDITS
Client: Honda

Agency: RPA
Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Officer: Joe Baratelli
Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director: Jason Sperling
Senior Vice President, Chief Production Officer: Gary Paticoff
Vice President, Creative Social Media Director: J. Barbush
Associate Creative Director, Copywriter: Damian Fraticelli
Art Directors: Michael Enriquez, Craig Nelson
Copywriters: Adam Gothelf, Kevin Tenglin
Social Media Copywriter: Laura Kelley
Producer: Joshua Herbstman

Program Manager: Elizabeth Goldstein
Project Manager: Andrew Serrato
Technology Manager: Bradley Stone
Associate User Experience Architect: Sabrina Lee

Production Company: Laundry!
Creative Director: Anthony Liu
Executive Producer: Michael Bennett
Producer: Kirsten Collabolletta
Design: Janice Ahn, Yongmin Park
Animation: Yongmin Park

A marketing message can only work if it reaches its intended target.

It’s almost as bad sending an ad to an inappropriate person (for instance, a minivan ad delivered to a young, single guy or a snow blower ad to a household in Florida) as sending it so many times to the same person that it’s simply a waste of money.

Research estimates that 30% to 40% of digital display ad spending is wasted, delivering to the wrong targets or sending redundant messages. Complete, verified consumer information can improve results dramaticallydoubling click-through rates in many cases.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

(TrendHunter.com) If you like to share secrets, the Secret Message Locket necklace is the perfect opportunity for you to inscribe a wearable secret to a loved one.

The Secret Message Locket is a creative take on…

Last year, Amsterdam Worldwide was tapped to lead the Warsteiner Beer business, and their work with the brand can now be seen in their recent global brand platform, intended to “refresh the brand in its existing markets, and firmly establish it in emerging markets.”

The campaign, which kicked off in Germany on the 10th and will roll out gradually in over 60 markets worldwide, features television, print, and “high levels of digital media activity across the board.” Amsterdam Worldwide clearly wants to target the young and the young at heart (such as the 45 year-old skateboarder in the “Do It Right” television spot featured above), as evidenced by the online documentaries meant to supplement the television campaign which include profiles of a skydiver and a graffiti artist.

“Traditional beer advertising is cluttered with a lot of clichés and not particularly inspiring insights – we had a chance with Warsteiner to break away from that mould and celebrate a brand culture that lives and breathes an intense commitment to creating a truly premium beer,” explains Amsterdam Worldwide’ s Strategic Director, Uli Kurtenbach. “It was a natural step to inspire Warsteiner’s consumers to take on their own lives with the same enthusiasm.”

Stick around for credits and a profile of “Freefly Rob” after the jump. continued…

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