Hasta La Creative!

The Association of National Advertisers issued a statement today walking back implications from a controversial presentation at its Media Leadership Conference last week regarding widespread agency rebates in the U.S.

“While the ANA cannot specifically identify the breadth and scope of such practices, we regret any impression that agencies in general are engaged in questionable activities and apologize to those who were offended,” the group said in a statement. “It was certainly never the intent of the ANA to make any sweeping statements of widespread agency participation in any questionable practices.”

Bill Duggan, ANA group exec VP, said the talk had spurred further discussions with the 4A’s, the main association of ad agencies. And while he said it wasn’t the ANA’s intention to accuse all agencies, the group also isn’t planning to back down from efforts begun in 2013 to shine more light on the rebate issue in the U.S.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

After some negative press surrounding its presence at SXSW, McDonald’s will offer to pay artists at its showcase afterall.

Last week McDonald’s, a major sponsor at the festival for the first time, found itself in the hot seat aftger indie band Ex Cops publicly vented their frustrations about McDonald’s offer to play its showcase without payment, just exposure and free food.

Now the company has changed its tune. McDonald’s told Billboard that the festival began as a conference and festival where up-and-coming acts could showcase their talents — implying that it wasn’t out of the ordinary to asking a band to play for free. But, as McDonald’s continued in its statement to Billboard:

Continue reading at AdAge.com

(TrendHunter.com) From vending machines to interactive stations that are capable of ingredient recognition, these grocery store displays stray from the form and function of conventional aisles and shelves. Demanding…

DDB Canada launched a new campaign for BCAA showing how “Membership is Rewarding.”

In a 30-second spot, a clerk follows a woman around a store, putting sale stickers on all her items. While her manager is unpleased and attempts to remove the stickers, the woman with the price gun doesn’t give up, making sure to dole out as much savings as she can. The spot concludes with the voiceover “For BCAA members, every day is a sale day. Members save up to 600 dollars a year at over 100,000 partner locations worldwide.” It may be a tad on the obvious side, but it does serve to visualize BCAA savings and works in conjunction with the tagline. A second spot goes for a less obvious, and more fantastical, visualization of savings.

Credits:

Client: BCAA

Client lead: Grant Stockwell

Agency: DDB Canada Vancouver

Chief Creative Officer: Cosmo Campbell

Executive Creative Director: Dean Lee

Copywriter: Kevin Rathgeber

Art Director: Kelsey Hughes

VP Client Services, Patty Jones

Account Director: Devin Gallaher

Account Supervisor: Elisabeth Blackburn

Agency Producers/Project Manager: Matthew Sy

Strategy: Natalie Godfrey
Production Company: Untitled Films http://www.untitledfilms.ca/

Director: Mark Gilbert

Director of Photography: Marten Tedin

Line Producer: Amalie Bruun

Post-Production Company: Cycle Media http://www.cyclemedia.net/

Editor: Matthew Griffiths

Online Editor: Peter DeBay

Colourist: Claudio Sepulveda

Audio House: Wave Productions http://www.waveproductions.com/

Audio House Producer: Craig Zarazun
Casting Agency: Sean Milliken Casting http://seanmillikencasting.com/

VFX/Animation Co: Smith. http://callmesmith.com/