Hasta La Creative!

Mylan will sell a generic version of its EpiPen at half the price of the branded $600 emergency allergy shots in coming weeks, bowing to pressure from U.S. lawmakers who last week derided earlier steps as a mere public-relations fix.

The drugmaker, whose assistance programs to help patients cover out-of-pocket expenses were blasted as insufficient, will introduce a generic EpiPen identical to the branded product, including the handheld pen with a needle that injects the shot. The company also plans to continue to sell the branded version, according to a statement on Monday.

Mylan has attracted scrutiny for increasing the treatment’s price 400% in nine years. Criticism of Chief Executive Officer Heather Bresch, the daughter of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, quickly intensified as members of the Congress called for investigations and the EpiPen became campaign fodder. Introducing a so-called authorized generic, which doesn’t require formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration, is a fast way for Mylan to get a cheaper version out — without actually cutting the branded EpiPen’s price.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Independent, Toronto-based agency Zulu Alpha Kilo found an unusual way to get attention stateside, sending an RFP to the campaigns of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to become either candidates agency of record — or both candidates, simultaneously.

“We’re going to the top baby and I’m not talking about P&G, I’m not talking about Nike. That’s small time,” says fictional “Chief Executive Executive Officer Frank Zulu” at the beginning of the spot, “I’m talking about you, Donald Trump 2016, and/or you, Hillary Clinton 2016. We are willing to work on both your campaigns at once.”

Looks like someone’s trying to edge in on Droga5’s territory. While Zulu was presumably not among the agencies contacted by the Clinton campaign for future work in May, they do have a pitch in mind for the former Secretary of State. The “full-server” agency offers to build a firewall, and is “able to send, receive, forward, archive and delete all those pesky emails of yours.”

For Señor Trump, the agency has a different selling-point: “Make Combovers Great Again” hats. 

For Zulu Alpha Kilo, the video is just the latest in a line of self-promotional efforts. Back in March the agency released a series of videos promoting the launch of its new website by making fun of other agency websites. At the beginning of the year, the independent agency released a video celebrating its seventh anniversary. Last November the agency launched its “#saynotospec” effort aiming to end agency spec work and, of course, there was an agency holiday card — the unfortunate “Jingle Butts.”

Zulu’s “thriving content creation division,” zulubot handled production on this latest effort, which manages to edge in on the Pokemon Go craze as well as the 2016 election. There’s a point of overkill of agency self-promotional efforts and Zulu Alpha Kilo have arguably crossed it. To be fair, though, the spot isn’t completely devoid of charm, as the Pokemon Go reference is almost worth a chuckle, and at least the agency doesn’t take itself too seriously, freely admitting they know absolutely nothing about American politics in the process of jokingly pitching the Republican and Democratic candidates. By the way, if you want a closer look at the parody Trump hats from the video, Zulu totally has you covered. 

Credits:
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Creative Director: Zak Mroueh
CD/Writer: Jon Webber
Art Director: Allan Mah
Agency Producer: Tara Handley, Ola Stodulska
Production House: zulubot
Director: Zak Mroueh
Director of Photography: Mike Headford
Editor: Jay Baker
Talent: Doug Murray
Transfer: Pixel Underground
Colourist/Transfer: Roslyn Di Sisto
Engineer: Stephen Stepanic
Sound Recordist: Jeff Reyes
Location Manager: Daniel Kaplan
Casting Director: Shasta Lutz
Stylist: Sansyrae St. Martin
Social Media Team: Jamie Cuthbertson, Emma Brooks, Sean Bell

The leftist government plans to auction off four new TV licenses on Tuesday, spurring a sharp debate and struggle for media power.

Here’s a notable ad we didn’t get to last week: W+K Shanghai launched a new 90-second spot for Nike China entitled “The Next Wave” that takes a fresh look at the “Just Do It” tagline.

The spot opens with young boy who handles a soccer ball with some impressive footwork. “You don’t have to do it for the glory,” begins the voiceover as he opens the front door to his school by kicking the ball at it and deftly slides down the railing. As the spot continues, the action quickly but smoothly shifts from athlete to athlete, each offering up a different ending to “You don’t have to do it…” line, from “to be famous” to “the boys” to “for the attention.” At the end of the spot, the action returns to the boy from the beginning, who concludes “All we said was, ‘Just Do It.’”

In between amateur and professional athletes of all kinds are represented, from a group of acrobatic parkour enthusiasts to women playing basketball to a roller hockey squad and an elderly marathon runner.

In the wrong hands, the approach could easily become disorienting and fall apart. Instead W+K Shanghai, Stink Films Shanghai and director Martin Krejci created a captivating spot that injects some new life into the well-worn tagline. Credit the epic scope, perfect pacing, impressive choreography and, of course, some talented athletes. The broadcast spot will be supported by digital and OOH  components. 

“We shot this film in a single-take style, and it took a lot of long shots with very complicated choreography to pull it off,” W+K Shanghai creative director Shaun Sundholm explained to Adweek. “That meant we had everyday athletes playing side by side with famous athletes, balls flying everywhere, people crashing into each other. It was near chaos at times. But in the end, we combined all of their energy into one infectious massive wave of sport.”

“Growing up in China, I was surrounded by people who simply used the English words ‘Just Do It’ as a punch line without knowing what it really means,” added W+K Shangai business director Dino Xu. “It’s great that in this campaign, the provocative voiceover lines help to define what it is, by saying what it isn’t.”

The campaign is the latest attention-grabbing spot from Wieden+Kennedy outside the U.S. market, following on the heels of W+K Tokyo’s “Don’t Know Your Place” earlier this month.

Credits: 
Client: Nike China
Campaign Name: 2016 Nike JDI campaign
Main Anthem: “The Next Wave”
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai
Executive Creative Director: Yang Yeo
Creative Director: Terence Leong, Azsa West, Shaun Sundholm
Art Directors: Christian Laniosz, Marc Garreta
Copywriters: TJ Walthall, Liu Wei, Max Pilwat
Director of Integrated Production: Angie Wong
Head of Content: Bernice Wong
Producer: Fang Yuan
Art Producer: Xuan Ong
Planning Director: Paula Bloodworth
Senior Planner: Leon Lin
Digital Strategist: Bill Tang
Business Director: Dino Xu
Associate Account Director: Jim Zhou
Sr. Account Executive: Shawn Kai
Project Manager: Nicole Bee
Business Affairs: Jessica Deng, Kathy Zhan
Senior Designer: Patrick Rockwell
Designers: Wendy Yu, Deer CL
Production Manager: Vic Zhang
Digital Imaging Artist: Changqing Lee
FA Artist: Bin Liu
Campaign Summary Sheet
Production Company: Stink Films Shanghai
Director: Martin Krejci
Director’s Producer: Justine Madero
1st Assistant Director: James Skotchdopole
1st Assistant Director (Local): Hank Zeng
Director of Photography: Dimitri Karakatsanis
CAM A Operator / Gimbal Ninja: Florian Hatwagner
Executive Producer: Desmond Loh
Executive Producer: Brenda Tham
Producer: Juliana Chung
Production Manager: Charles Renard
Production Manager: Evie Yeo
Beijing Line Producer: Xiao Yu
Production Assistant: Haze Zhu
Celebrity Handler/Fixer: Emma Sun
CAM A Focus Puller/1st AC: Albert Wang
Drone operator: Zhang Teng Sen
Q Take: Marcus Peh
Taipei Production Support: Episode Films
Hong Kong Production Support: Spur Link
Beijing & Hong Kong Art Director: Yao Jun
Taiwan Art Director: Daymon Wu
Wardrobe Stylist: Julian Mei
Postproduction: Lost Planet Editorial, L.A.
Editorials: Hank Corwin, Federico Brusilovsky
Post Executive Producer: Gary Ward
Post Producer: Aimee Crook
Assistant Editor: Jason Dopko
VFX Artist/Supervisor: Glenn Teel
Color: The Mill, London
Colorist: Seamus O’Kane
Producer: Dan Kreeger
Campaign Summary Sheet
Music: Barking Owl, L.A.
Composer: Seth Olinsky
Sound Design (L.A.):
Sound Designer: Eugene Gearty
Mixing (L.A.):
Mixer: Chris Jenkins
Audio VO Production: TZ Studio, Shanghai
Producer: Joyce Chen
Engineer: Hu Yuan

The game based on the reality TV star’s life just can’t keep up.

App developer Glu Mobile, which created the “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” role-playing mobile game in 2014, has fallen most out of 11 known listed investments tabulated by Bloomberg. Its share price has dropped almost 60% since Tencent Holding’s $126 million investment 16 months ago and 3.7% year-to-date.

Six of the 11 companies surveyed have fallen since Tencent’s investments from between 2011 and June this year. Tencent has at least a 5% stake in each of them. China’s largest internet company has been investing aggressively in add-ons from maps to mobile games to complement its WeChat and QQ social network services. Its strategy seems to be paying off for now — earlier this month, its second-quarter sales and net income beat analysts’ estimates, and the shares rose to a new record.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

The Trump campaign today released the second ad in its “Two Americas” series, this one focusing on the economy. (The first — which was also Trump’s first TV ad of the general election — was about immigration and was released on Aug. 19.)

Over somber music and grim scenes (a shuttered factory, an angry-looking construction worker, a depressed-looking woman carrying grocery bags), an announcer intones, “In Hillary Clinton’s America, the middle class gets crushed, spending goes up, taxes go up, hundreds of thousands of jobs disappear. It’s more of the same, but worse.”

Cue upbeat music and scenes of happy Americans: “In Donald Trump’s America, working families get tax relief, millions of new jobs created, wages go up, small businesses thrive. The American dream, achievable. Change that makes America great again.” The clips that underscore the Trump’s America portion of the ad include two scenes recycled from the earlier “Two Americas: Immigration” ad: an African-American family standing proudly on their porch next to an American flag and a white couple kissing.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

BBDO New York launched the latest phase of its “Insure Carefully, Dream Fearlessly” campaign for American Family Insurance with a pair of new spots featuring retired Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, NBA All Star Kevin Durant and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. The two new ads take a very different approach than April’s “Free to Dream” spot.

Each ad opens with the question “What does it mean to be a champion?” as Jeter, Durant and Watt appear onscreen. Viewers are then introduced to a charitable organization run by people with dreams of bettering their communities.

In “School on Wheels,” it’s the organization of the same name, which helps homeless children succeed at school by providing tutoring services and supplies. Regional director Charles Evans is surprised and delighted when Jeter, Durant and Watt show up to help out one afternoon, almost as excited as his students. The experiences is “something these kids are going to remember for a lifetime,” Evans says near the conclusion of the sport, expressing gratitude that the star athletes are there helping with fractions and reading.

In “With Love Market,” With Love Market & Café gets the spotlight, a charity providing fresh produce and juice in a community where the only quick and easy option is fast food. In addition to the long-form online versions, the ads will also appear as 30-second broadcast spots and radio ads support the efforts. The celebrity causevertising approach makes sense for a brand with “Family” in its name. While the resulting spots may not make for the most captivating viewing, they certainly champion deserving causes.

Another spot from Elite Media, “Hometown Hero,” sees Durant surprise a young boy from his hometown who thinks he is about to appear on a talk show to discuss how his single mom is helping him achieve his dreams. 

Credits:

American Family Insurance “Insure Carefully, Dream Fearlessly” Creative Credits

Agency: BBDO New York
Client: American Family Insurance
Spot: “With Love Market” “School on Wheels”

Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director: Susan Golkin
Senior Creative Director: Eric Goldstein
Senior Producer: Becky Burkhard
Assistant Producer: Ali Gladstone
Head of Music Production: Rani Vaz
Music Producer: John Melillo
Business Manager: Matt Friday
Senior Account Director: Christine Smith/Neil Onsdorff
Account Director: Lindsey Wasson
Account Executive: Justin Choy
Assistant Account Executive: Emily Schade

Production Company: Smuggler
Executive Producer/ Co-Founder: Brian Carmody
Executive Producer/ Co Founder: Patrick Milling Smith
Executive Producer: Allison Kunzman
Executive Producer: Carole Hughes
Director: David Frankham
Line Producer: Bernard Rahill
Director of Photography: Ken Seng

Editorial Company: Crew Cuts
Executive Producer: Nancy Shames
Producer: Michelle Bellaff
Editor: Sherri Margulies (SOW) / Matt Shapiro (WLM)
Assistant Editor: Matt VanDaniker

Telecine Company: Company 3
Telecine Artist: Tim Masick
Executive Producer: Rochelle Brown

Conform / Finish Compnay / VFX: Suspect
Senior Frame Artist: Suzanne Dyer
Frame Artists: Chelsea Galen / John Yu
Assistant Frame Artist: Jae Park
Creative Director: Hoon Chong
Art Director/ Animator: Minna Choung
Producer: Tsiliana Jolson / Alex Decaneas
Executive Producer: Robert Appelblatt

Music Company: Beacon Street
Composer (Arranger): Andrew Feltenstein / John Nau
Producer: Leslie Delillo

Mix and Record Company: Sonic Union
Engineer: Mike Marinelli
Producer: Patrick Sullivan

“I Know Better” Song Credits:
Composer: John Stephens / Lyricist: John Stephens / Composer: Blake Mills / Lyricist: Blake Mills / Composer: Will Oldham / Lyricist: Will Oldham
Published By: John Legend Publishing.
All rights admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC (BMI)
Performer: John Legend
Vocals: John Legend
Piano: Larry Goldings
Hammond Organ: Larry Goldings
Guitar: Blake Mills
Bass: Blake Mills
Keys: Blake Mills
Rec Period – January 2016

Agency: Elite Media
Client: American Family Insurance
Spot: “Hometown Heroes”

Creative Chairman: Christopher Crawford
Creative Director: Eunique Jones Gibson
Art Director: Mohammed Alsaadi
Account Manager: Christina Brantley
Account Coordinator: D’Amber Allen
Project Coordinator: Jordana Jarrett
Production Company: CMS
Director: Eunique Jones Gibson
Director of Photography: Paulius Kontijevas
Supervising Producer: Amy Greenleaf
Line Producer: Jessica Toscano
Still Photographers: Sarah McClogan, Elton Anderson
Editorial: In House
Editor: Don Setzer
Graphic Design: In House
Music Company: Beacon Street
Composer (Arranger): Andrew Feltenstein / John Nau
Producer: Leslie Delillo

“I Know Better” Song Credits:
Composer: John Stephens / Lyricist: John Stephens / Composer: Blake Mills / Lyricist: Blake Mills / Composer: Will Oldham / Lyricist: Will Oldham
Published By: John Legend Publishing.
All rights admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC (BMI)
Performer: John Legend
Vocals: John Legend
Piano: Larry Goldings
Hammond Organ: Larry Goldings
Guitar: Blake Mills
Bass: Blake Mills
Keys: Blake Mills
Rec Period – January 2016

Sarah Jessica Parker just dropped Stash SJP, her latest fragrance, on Instagram. This follows the weeks she spent teasing fans with mysterious messages online and in the streets, led by the hashtag #ComeAndFindIt (where the “it” wasn’t specified). 

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Mr. Hammer, who wrote a 2015 biography of James Merrill, discusses the poet’s mysticism, the biographer’s job — and the Ouija board.

The partners aim to take the methods they’ve honed as a team at their former agency and apply them to new clients. “We help companies define their reason for being, and we translate that reason into action,” Mr. Talbot explained of the agency’s approach. “Once you put that into the world, you can get transformative results.”

During the time the WIP founders worked with Domino’s, the brand saw consistent sales growth, a boost in digital ordering from 20% to 50% and DPZ stock jump from $8 in 2009 to nearly $150 in 2016.

With Domino’s, “It really started in the beginning, with ‘Pizza Turnaround’ and reinventing the pizza,” said Mr. Talbot, who was also named to Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 earlier this year. “We came to realize that you can only do that once. You have to think of a higher-level purpose that will drive tons of actions in a commoditized category. What was most true to Domino’s was that people wanted the ‘magic of pizza,’ so once we landed on that, it gave us inspiration for endless years of action.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com