Hasta La Creative!

Oh hey…hockey!!

Did you guys know that the Bruins shut out the Lightning to make the Stanley Cup playoffs? Or were you too busy hating on Kendall?

Boston’s own MMB had a spot ready to go to celebrate the win, and it went live last night. This effort is unique in that it does not include any pro athletes, game footage or professional Bruins boosters.

“In Our Blood” concerns regular Joes and Janes who happen to love the puck.

Local sports fans are crazy dedicated to local sports teams. It’s an obsession that borders on the religious.

And the campaign isn’t just TV. Here’s some of the poster/OOH work.

We haven’t heard from MMB in a while, but they’re making something of a comeback after taking longtime client Subway back from BBDO last year.

We can’t seem to locate their “mean AS comments” video, though…

CREDITS

Title: “In Our Blood”
Client: Boston Bruins (NHL)
Agency: MMB
Executive Creative Director: Travis Robertson, Greg Almeida
Art Director: Travis Robertson
Copywriter: Greg Almeida, Brian Hayes
Director: Travis Robertson, Greg Almeida
Producer: Sara Ventetuolo
Editor: Max Keopke, Lost Planet
Assistant Editor: Steven San Miguel
DP: Steve Schinnerer
Line Producer: Erik Mygrant
Music/Composer: Found Objects
Sound Design/Mix: Mike Secher, Soundtrack Boston
Color: Fergus McCall, The Mill

One of the biggest problems with the internet is that you can’t literally eat it. At least, that’s what the marketing executives at Hershey’s Brazil operations seem to think. The confectioner recently sought to correct the oversight with a campaign that filled a website with chocolate objects instead of real ones, and raffled them off…

Target and 72andSunny will be going their separate ways after approximately five years together. The reason for the split is an unspecified conflict.

“We began working with 72andSunny in 2012 and appreciate their contributions over the years,” Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas told AgencySpy in a statement. “Due to a business conflict, we are ending our relationship with 72andSunny.”

Both Target and 72andSunny declined to elaborate on the nature of the business conflict, but the agency was named lead global creative agency for eBay last month.

72andSunny became “one of many agencies Target has called on since announcing its split from W+K” back in 2012, as noted in the client’s statement, and started its tenure with a Spider Man-themed spot that summer. The agency’s highest profile work for the retailer has probably been its annual holiday campaigns, such as 2015’s “Holiday Odyssey” campaign featuring a digital children’s book narrated by Neil Patrick Harris.

Target confirmed that its holiday work has been awarded to Deutsch L.A., which partnered with the brand in the past for several projects including its 2015 Grammy Awards effort with Imagine Dragons and its “Share the Force” Star Wars fan site later that year as part of the brand’s partnership with Lucasfilm.

The chain generally does not name a creative agency of record, though it did consolidate its $600 million-plus media business with WPP’s GroupM last year.

The president praised the embattled Fox News host in an interview with The Times and said, “I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.”

Starbucks is introducing a frappuccino you can attack with a fork. The American Cherry Pie Frappuccino comes with a crispy pie crust over the top of the cup. Sadly, this little slice of Americana is available only in Japan.

The beverage-dessert hybrid costs about $5.70 and includes whipped cream, a vanilla flavored base, pie chunks and a compote of American cherries. It’s available in Japan from April 13 to May 16.

Starbucks Japan got a touch poetic in its news release: “Imagine that you’re at a diner somewhere in America, and crunching with a fork a big American cherry pie served with ice cream on the side, a scene you could find often in foreign movies.” In the U.S., meanwhile, Starbucks’ new drink is a toasted coconut cold brew iced coffee with coconut milk.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Pepsi is pulling its Kendall Jenner ad after the spot drew a torrent of criticism, including complaints that ad was not only clumsily executed but that it co-opted protest movements such as Black Lives Matter for commercial gain. The ad had been planned to run globally across TV and digital.

“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize,” the brand said in a statement. “We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”

Pepsi had stood by the widely mocked ad as recently as last evening when the brand issued a statement saying that the global ad “reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that’s an important message to convey.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Rahul Sabnis has left digital agency MullenLowe Profero to join iHeartMedia in the newly-created position of executive creative director, effective April 10.

“Rahul will guide the development of breakthrough content that delivers value for advertisers and brands, and will help iHeartMedia and its clients prove what’s possible across all of the iHeartMedia platforms: Broadcast radio, digital, mobile, video, social and events,” an iHeartMedia representative noted in a statement, adding that he will be tasked with communicating “a unique and compelling creative vision for how iHeartMedia can develop content for brands across all its assets.”

He will report directly to iHeartRadio president Darren Davis.

Sabnis has served as head of creative, Americas for MullenLowe Profero since December of 2015. He previously spent two and a half years as a group creative director with 360i, where he worked with clients including H&R Block, Autotrader, Canon, Fisher-Price and Kelly Blue Book. Prior to joining 360i, he spent five years with Havas New York as a creative director, executive creative director, digital and integrated executive creative director.

There’s an incomprehensible amount of audience data flowing around the digital ad market, and a new report suggests advertisers are investing more money to layer data onto their ad buys. They’re selective about it, though.

In 2016, for example, CPG and retail brands sought after consumer profile data about urban families. Compared to other types of advertisers, more automotive, telco, retail and finance advertisers bought audience data showing what brands people own or are interested in. And half of the data representing b-to-b audiences was bought by electronics and computer brands.

According to Eyeota’s 2016 Annual Index Report, there was a 66% overall increase in the use of audience data for digital ad campaigns in 2016 compared with 2015, based on the digital data firm’s view of the global market.

Continue reading at AdAge.com

Planning for next year’s festive campaign starts months before the current campaign has finished, Marks & Spencer’s head of Christmas revealed today.