Hasta La Creative!

The donations fueled accusations by conservatives that Mr. Stephanopoulos, the chief anchor at ABC News, is biased.

Today in stories that you may not tie back to the advertising industry, a certain (virtual) gay Swedish sailor has been winning headlines for trolling the Russian navy with an underwater “sign” that repeatedly sends out a signal in Morse code:

“This way if you’re gay.”

The little stunt has earned all sorts of headlines and interviews for members of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society; Vladimir Putin is obviously not a fan.

Our readers may or may not be surprised to learn that there’s an ad agency behind this stunt: it’s Åkestam Holst, the same shop responsible for those odd “have your wedding at IKEA” ads.

First, here’s the video:

ICYMI, 1944 is the year Sweden “legalized” homosexuality, well ahead of the rest of the world (as usual).

From the press release:

“If there is a submarine down there beneath the Baltic waves and the crew should happen to see or hear the Singing Sailor they are welcome to join us in the Stockholm Pride Parade on the 1st of august. In times of unrest, love and peace across boundaries is more important than ever. We want to break-up with the violence. Our invitation is also extended to Swedish subs and military personnel and all others that want to join us, says Daniel Holking, Communications-and fundraising manager with the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society.

The Singing Sailor is also a contribution to the debate that we all should shift military resources into development and rethinking security.”

We don’t have any comment from the agency itself, because the client’s explanation should suffice. We do have the credits, though…

Agency: Åkestam Holst

If you don’t have time to watch this whole new commercial for Volkswagen Trucks, you can just skip to the end for a quickie version—no matter where you are in the story—and it will still make sense.

Go here to check it out.

It’s a merciful approach that all brands should probably mimic in all commercials, given this is the age of skip-happy Internet viewers. But Brazilian agency AlmapBBDO created the ad specifically to reinforce VW’s claim that its rigs, like the ad, are themselves customizable. In that context, the video slider at the bottom of the website might be the best part—it takes the shape of a truck that just keeps getting longer and longer.

The story itself—spoilers ahead—is about a young truck driver who runs into an ex-girlfriend at a market. Told in a stilted monologue, it’s a bit like a Mad Lib with a single punch line—structured into clauses so you can jump to the last scene at any point, by clicking a button in the lower right hand corner. But the last words are always “My grand-aunt.”

That makes for some odd combinations, like “I satisfied my hunger eating… a taco made by… my grand-aunt.” It also makes for some surprisingly dark outcomes for a big advertiser—like skipping the part about the taco and delving straight into ancestral cannibalism. There’s at least one notable hidden variation—hit the button at certain times, and the grand-aunt is a goateed, shirtless young man, instead of a little old lady.

Overall, it’s an intriguing approach, but maybe a little too eager to be inventive, with a takeaway that seems more about the copywriting team’s ability to write a cascading script than about the product’s benefits. It was nice for them to include an eject lever, but if the idea is to get the message in quickly, and extend the entertainment for those who want it—Geico’s simpler approach takes the cake.

Plus, it has a better dog.

Via PSFK.