Olivier Francois on 'Game of Thrones' and Agency Tension


Olivier Francois, Fiat Chrysler’s chief marketing officer, isn’t giving up on his “Game of Thrones” dream.

To play on the royalty theme of the Chrysler 300’s “Kings & Queens of America” spot that launched last month, Mr. Francois wanted to use several cast members of the hit HBO series in the ad.

He said that was impossible for copyright reasons, but he was still able to secure his favorite actor in the series, Peter Dinklage, to narrate the spot. Mr. Francois, 53, wants to use multiple “Game of Thrones” cast members one day, saying that his dream is “still in the drawer.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com

The Next Frontier in Customization: Lay's Potato Chip Bags


If you run a massive food brand, how do you offer a personal touch? For the marketers at Lay’s it means giving buyers the chance to design their own bags.

The potato chip brand is launching a program in which people can create custom bags by uploading a personal picture and phrase depicting their “favorite summer moment.” Lay’s will then use the digital design to create real bags and ship them directly to the consumer, set to arrive near the Fourth of July.

But Lay’s fans will have to act fast. PepsiCo-owned Frito-Lay is capping the program at 10,000 bags. Still, that is a significant customization effort for a brand used to pumping out countless monolithic designs.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

In China, It's Va-Va-Voom Times for Lingerie Brands


At a Beijing mall, models clad in feathered white cupid wings approached couples with a cheeky question for the men: Do you know your wife or girlfriend’s bra size?

It was a Valentine’s Day promotion for Beijing Aimer Lingerie Co., one of China’s top lingerie retailers, boasting nearly 2,000 points of sale. The company was founded 23 years ago by a metallurgist with ideas for improving bra underwires; Aimer, its main brand, now charges $60 to $290 for a classic, well-made bra, defying “Made in China” stereotypes.

These are interesting times for China’s lingerie market: Sales are robust, foreign players are making inroads and local favorites are refining their offerings and branding.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Helmet Zoan by Honda: Pow! Ouch! Crash!


Print
Helmet Zoan

Advertising Agency:DDB, Bogota, Colombia
Creative Director:Rodrigo Dávila, Marco Muñoz, Daniel Calle
Art Director:Oscar Martínez Marín
Copywriter:Oscar Martínez Marín, Marco Muñoz
Illustrator:Jeison Barba

Norma Colored Pencils: Imagination


Online, Mobile
Norma Colored Pencils

Advertising Agency:DDB, Bogota, Colombia
Creative Director:Rodrigo Dávila, Marco Muñoz, Daniel Calle
Art Director:Oscar Martínez
Copywriter:Oscar Martínez, Andrés Estrada
Illustrator:Oscar Martínez
Additional Credits:Director: Richie Rodríguez, Los Notarios

Floating Installation Made of 800 Panels

Chaque année, dans le cadre du programme d’Architecture & Urban Design, les étudiants du Pratt Institute réalisent des installations qui explorent les possibilités de fabrications digitales. Cette année, le travail des étudiants a été exposé grâce à Michael Szivos et Ryan Whitby du studio de design new-yorkais SOFTlab. Il s’agit d’une suspension de 800 panneaux coupés au laser et ondulants dans un dégradé de couleurs.

Photos by Alan Tansey.

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Top 35 New Ventures Ideas in May – From Cannabis Merchandising Firms to Artisan Yogurt Boutiques (TOPLIST)

(TrendHunter.com) The May 2015 new ventures demonstrate what is new in entrepreneurship and startup companies. This includes unique and unusual business ideas, new partnerships and success stories.

Following 4/20…

Powerade: Sweat the stress


Outdoor, Print
Powerade

Sweat away the stress and rehydrate with Powerade.

Advertising Agency:Anonimo, Mexico City, Mexico
Chief Creative Officer:Rafael Martinez
Head Of Art:Jorge Méndez
Creative Group Head:Benjamin Pedrero
Art Director:Jorge Méndez
Copywriter:Rafael Martinez, Benjamin Pedrero
Illustrator:La mano
Additional Credits:Diego Bracamontes

Sports Business: Twitter Beckons, but Bill Simmons Is All About the Business of Keeping Silent

On Friday, John Skipper announced that ESPN would not renew its contract with Simmons, who has since been publicly silent and could lose a third of his salary if he makes any disparaging comments.




Travel Photography by Lauren Bath

Photographe autodidacte de talent, Lauren Bath est également une globe-trotteuse passionnée par la découverte de contrées lointaines. Sur sa galerie Instagram elle publie des photos de tout ce qui l’inspire lors de ses voyages, des baies turquoises aux icebergs en passant par des portraits d’animaux sauvages insolites.

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Colorful Light Boxes Made of Gummy Bears Candies

Les architectes espagnols Marta Alonso Yebra et Imanol Calderón Elósegui ont imaginé des petites Light Boxes colorées faites à partir de bonbons. Pour la fabrication, ils font fondre des oursons en gélatine de différentes couleurs dans une casserole remplie d’eau bouillante puis placent la substance sur des panneaux de méthacrylate en attendant que le tout refroidisse et se solidifie. Le résultat donne l’impression d’avoir des boites en verre alors que c’est aussi mou que du plastique.

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Flowery Digital Collages

En matière de collages créatifs, il en est de très fleuris comme ceux réalisés par l’artiste brésilien Marcelo Monreal, où des portraits de célébrités sont coupés au niveau du visage, flottant ainsi comme un masque en lévitation et laissant jaillir des gerbes de fleurs depuis l’intérieur du crâne. À découvrir dans la suite.

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Flowery Digital Collages

NOS Energy – ?With This NOS I Will (2015) :30 (USA)

In a empty hangar room we get treated to a bit of visual high energy mixing. It’s a bit like the movie “Jumper” meets a glitchy digital satellite feed. NOS is a can of kickass, you see, and it urges you to speed up and “smash the world with a sledge hammer.” NOS is the energy drink that shies away from big stunts, big logos, big-name athletes and big-hype – NOS is probably the closest us regular guys can get to being David Rice and flying around the world. Drink up, seize the day.

Ex-C.I.A. Officer Sentenced in Leak Case Tied to Times Reporter

The former officer, Jeffrey A. Sterling, was convicted of violating the Espionage Act for revealing a secret operation to a reporter for The New York Times.

Clues on Twitter Show Ties Between Texas Gunman and ISIS Network

Elton Simpson appears to have been part of a network of Islamic State adherents in multiple countries who have encouraged attacks and had highlighted the Texas event as a worthy target.




Wyndham Hotel Group – Wyndham Rewards Wyzard – Family :30 (USA)

Wyndham Hotel Group - Wyndham Rewards Wyzard - Family :30 (USA)
A refreshing twist on the American justice system, this time with a happy ending, hunky torsos and a pun that only a copywriter could ever come up with.

Read my full review here.

Wyndham Hotel Group – Wyndham Rewards Wyzard – Honeymoon :30 (USA)

Wyndham Hotel Group - Wyndham Rewards Wyzard - Honeymoon :30 (USA)
That first establishing shot lasts for under two seconds. Because when you’ve only got half a minute to tell a story, you have to be quick.

Read my full review here.

Wyndham Hotel Group – Wyndham Rewards Wyzard – Crystal Ball :30 (USA)

Wyndham Hotel Group - Wyndham Rewards Wyzard - Crystal Ball :30 (USA)
Some of the most memorable campaigns throughout history have been character advertising. Who can forget the suave Milk Tray Man, the sexual frisson of the Gold Blend Couple, the synthetic warble of the Cadbury’s Smash Aliens, or a campaign so impactful that the most famous book in advertising is named after it: Mr Whipple and his constant refrain, “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin.”

I’m not talking about work that wins big at Cannes and then suddenly fades into obscurity a few months later, but relatable human stories that make a genuine impact on people, ideas and culture.

Fitting then that this exciting new campaign for Wyndham Hotel Group is made by an agency that aspires to change exactly that. Produced in partnership with People, Ideas and Culture’s own production wing CY&N by PI&C, Wyndham Rewards is investing $100 million in the new campaign, which stars Kristofer Hivju who you’ll better recognise swinging an axe into someones head, over on “Game of Thrones”. The campaign will include TV and radio spots, digital media assets and on-property collateral at more than 7,500 hotels worldwide.

There’s artistry at work making ads like this, condensing a host of key deliverables and a complex hierarchy of information in a tiny little 30 second package. To do so is tough, to do so in an amusing manner is near impossible. PI&C have succeeded in this endeavour beautifully, by creating a character who eats up the scenery and who is genuinely fun to watch.

This series of TV spots feature the Wyndham Wizard conjuring up waffles to a man who loves them just a little too much, delivering the absurd pun ‘Hotelionairre’ and magicing up a sex joke into Prime Time television.

Of course, this isn’t just fun and games; there’s a deeper psychological insight here. Business people (who I imagine are the most likely to collect reward points at hotels around the world) probably don’t relish more than a few of their jetlagged days.

By focusing the entire campaign around the concept of “You’ve Earned This”, Wyndham is positioning itself as a champion of the working man, the frequent flyer. “We get you” they’re saying. In terms of sheer linguistic similarities one might draw a comparison with UK Cider brand “Strongbow” and their “Earn It” campaign which has been running for years now. That’s where the similarities end though; this feels like a much more coherent and focussed work, with a strong character to link it together rather than a series of unconnected vignettes.

I look forward to seeing where this campaign goes next, it would be interesting to see it as a :60 rather than a :30 at some point in the future, although one might argue that the rapid window of the half minute spot is where character campaigns flourish best. After all, Anthony Head and Sharon Maughan didn’t need longer to impact a generation.

The creatives behind the three TV spots are Ciaran Murphy, who previously worked at McGarryBowen London, Stefania Sessa (previously of Saatchi & Saatchi Milan), Katie Redmond and Clara Calvo Sotelo. They were directed by Mike Maguire of MJZ.

Seymour Hersh Article Alleges Cover-Up in Bin Laden Hunt

The article in The London Review of Books claims that Pakistan harbored Osama bin Laden for years, and that once the United States found out, the countries worked together to plot the raid.




World Briefing: Egypt: Journalist Sues Al Jazeera

The journalist Mohamed Fahmy, who faces a retrial in Egypt on terrorism charges, says he has filed a lawsuit against his employer, accusing it of negligence.