Hasta La Creative!

We spend a lot of time with clients—trying to make them laugh and drink, reassuring them of our endless (sometimes even slavish) capacity to do anything they put their mind to. And however much they like us as people, clients are keenly aware of this dynamic … this sense that they’re holding our balls between their (for now) relaxed hands. 

It’s a relationship designed to make them as comfortable as possible. The result is that sometimes they end up saying some pretty weird stuff. 

read more

Playing a sport well, and becoming a career athlete, doesn’t just mean you’ve studied a list of plays, stuck to a workout regimen and mastered exactly how something should be done, though that’s certainly a part of it.

It means you’ve done all that and found creative ways to make the game your own. 

That’s what this high-energy Adidas spot from 72andSunny says, arguing that it is the sports brand for creative athletes—unlike say, Under Armour. Yes, the copy for the new work seems to take a swipe at UA, which has been pitching itself as the brand for athletes serious about training.

“Yeah, yeah, hard work and dedication. But that’s not enough. You look at this cookie-cutter, copy-and-paste BLAH,” the narrator says as the frenetic camerawork—which is the real star of the spot—moves from football fields to basketball courts with what seems to be a reference to Under Armour’s “Rule Yourself” and its hundreds of copies of Stephen Curry. 

It’s funny, though. For a campaign arguing for creativity, Adidas seems to be cribbing from its two major competitors. The Under Armour references serve as the advertising version of a subtweet, which is fun and arguably works for what the brand is intending. But the freewheeling, opinionated voiceover, whether intentionally or not, feels a lot like what Nike’s been doing lately, and that doesn’t seem to gel with the ad’s core argument. 

read more

If you were expecting some enjoyably nonsensical philosophizing to suddenly liven up the bourbon category now that Matthew McConaughey is Wild Turkey’s creative director—well, his first directorial effort for the brand probably isn’t as wild as you were hoping. 

read more

Heineken and Publicis New York show their can-do spirit in a video that celebrates Miami Marine Stadium.

The landmark structure on Biscayne Bay hosted world-class powerboat races, concerts and other events for 30 years until sustaining damage from Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Since then, it’s been abandoned—and become a draw for graffiti artists, who covered its concrete surfaces with intricate artwork and colorful designs.

Now, efforts are underway to restore the arena. Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado has pledged as much as $4 million to the cause, and an Indiegogo push set up by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as Heineken, has raised more than $100,000 so far. (The brewer’s involvement ties into its multifaceted “Cities” campaign.)

The stadium’s copious spray-painted frills, however, will endure, even after its walls and columns are scrubbed clean and the dilapidated seats have been replaced.

read more

Brands don’t newsjack Apple events quite as often as they used to. But Jim Beam is ambushing today’s announcements from the tech marketer by introducing an April Fools’-esque gadget called the Jim Beam Apple Watch, which puts a 1.5-ounce shot glass right on your wrist.

It gets away with the Apple reference because Jim Beam Apple is a real line extension from the whiskey brand. “The watch’s streamlined interface opens and closes manually on demand. And while it doesn’t tell time, it does save time, eliminating the need for a last-minute shot glass search,” the brand says of the gag product.

read more

In a bit of Doctor Who-esque regeneration, Dos Equis on Wednesday introduced its new Most Interesting Man in the World—to replace Jonathan Goldsmith, who who retired from the role earlier this year. And this MIM isn’t just a new face. He heralds a new approach to the ads, in what the brewer calls a “contemporary twist to the legendary character.” 

He’s actor Augustin Legrand. And in the first hint that this isn’t your worldly grandfather’s Dos Equis campaign, Legrand is actually a French actor, and he delivers his first line as the MIM in Spanish.

read more

A packed bar is a lot like the prom. You look forward to having this epic night, but most of it is spent waiting in line for one thing or another. 

It’s a problem tailor-made for brand-hacking. With help from AMV BBDO, Italian alcohol brand Martini has created the Smart Cube, a piece of connected “ice” that tips the server off, via Bluetooth, when your glass hits slurping point. 

read more

Southwest Airlines jets back to the future in new work from GSD&M, revisiting its “Wanna Get Away” campaign, which flew off the radar almost a decade ago.

GSD&M developed the concept for Southwest in 1998, and the tagline propelled a series of ads that ran for the next 10 years. Lest anyone forget, the original spots presented folks seeking to escape from all manner of comically embarrassing situations.

read more

So, it’s no Chewbacca Mom—what is?—but the first fan-generated ad has landed for the megamillion-dollar toy line around Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, one of the most anticipated films of the year.

It’s a fairly epic video, done in stop-motion animation, that includes a sneak peek at a whole toy box of products from Lego, Funko, Hasbro and others. (Bobbleheads, construction toys and other swag had been under wraps until now—it all goes on sale this fall).

read more

At a press conference at Wimbledon in July, a reporter asked Serena Williams how she felt about going down in the history books as “one of the greatest female athletes of all time.” She responded simply, “I prefer the words ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time.’ “

With just a few words, the winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles was able to combat the sublte sexism that permeates how female athletes are treated by the media.

Now, just two months later, Nike uses that moment as inspiration for its latest 60-second spot, a celebration of all that makes Williams great, timed to the U.S. Open. 

read more