Hasta La Creative!

A new campaign from Commonwealth//McCann, Detroit for Chevrolet is allowing fans to be a part of Manchester United’s new shirt reveal.

Through a digital experience at www.chevroletfc.com “fans can be among the first to sign up and virtually wear the new shirt via their social channels.” A 60-second video stokes Manchester pride by following the history of the Manchester United shirt from the early 20th century to present day. Fans march down the street singing the “Glory, Glory, Man United” anthem. As each generation takes off their Manchester United shirt, a new group emerges, progressing in time to the modern day as the crowd makes their way to Old Trafford Stadium. Upon arrival they are joined by stars Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and David De Gea wearing the new Chevrolet-branded jersey. Several Manchester United legends are also hidden in the crowd throughout the spot. “The History of the Manchester United Shirt” will run on both broadcast and digital channels. The effort marks the launch of Commonwealth//McCann, Detroit’s “What Do You #PlayFor?” campaign, celebrating Manchester United and soccer for Chevrolet. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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Someone Down Under really loves Game of Thrones. Like, more than you do.

First there was the DDB New Zealand (not the same country, we know) stunt in which fans’ tweets brought down the much-hated, now-late King Joffrey.

Today we learned, via our sister site GalleyCat, that a completely unrelated agency called Common Ventures plans to manufacture an entire line of wines paying tribute to the various families of Westeros–yes, even the Greyjoys.

(more…)

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Red Lobster has named Publicis Kaplan Thaler as its lead creative agency, reports AdAge.

The appointment follows a review, which Red Lobster started in April, after Darden decided to sell off the brand. Grey had been the brand’s creative agency after winning agency of record duties from The Richards Group back in 2010. According to AdAge, Grey did not participate in the review process, but retains creative duties for Darden brands Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. They also report that Olson, Barkley, and Interpublic’s Martin Agency were the other finalists in the review process, which was overseen by Pile & Co.

Mark Gilley, senior vice president, marketing at Red Lobster told AdAge that “the chain chose Publicis Kaplan Thaler because of its creative pitches, its existing work and digital and social strategy, the last of which is [a] particularly important element for Red Lobster as it moves more marketing dollars into digital,” adding that he admired how the agency’s recent work for Wendy’s “‘broke conventions’ in the fast-food category.”

Publicis Kaplan Thaler’s first campaign for Red Lobster, which spent around $156 million on measured media in 2013, is expected in the first half of 2015.

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Agency Johnny Fearless teamed up with Aardman Animations (the creators of Wallace & Gromit) to create the above 90-second spot promoting Imperial War Museum London’s First World War Galleries, entitled “Flight of the Stories.”

The First World War Galleries will re-open on July 19th, which marks the start of the Centenary commemorations. “Flight of the Stories” imagines “the journey of personal stories and letters written by those who never left the fields of Northern France during the First World War.” These stories and letters are depicted as a series of quotations, traveling across France and over the English Channel to find their home at the Imperial War Museum London, while accompanied by lines read “from letters and diaries entrusted to the museum by relatives during and at the end of the First World War.” The effect is striking, with Aardman drawing inspiration from the art of the period and combining 2D illustrations with 3D CGI animation.

“We wanted to bring people to IWM London to see and hear the words of those who lived and died through the war for themselves and encourage them to reappraise the First World War in a way, which is different to the stereotypical mud and blood imagery,” explained Paul Domenet, executive creative director, Johnny Fearless.

“Flight of the Stories” will run online and in cinemas as part of a multimedia campaign including posters, press and radio. Stick around for credits and a “making of” feature after the jump. (more…)

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FCB San Francisco teamed up with Imaginary Forces and directors Miguel Lee and Charles Khoury for the above teaser for EA’s Battlefield Hardline, which is slated for an October 21st release.

The team takes a minimalist approach to the teaser, eschewing voiceover in favor of close ups of the game’s weaponry while also teasing a clash between law enforcement and criminals. True to the teaser format, the spot reveals little, leaving viewers wanting more. To pull off the trailer, Khoury and Lee directed separate shoots on the same stage. While Lee’s crew “was responsible for filming all of the actors, vehicles, weapons, gear and paraphernalia in a sleek, action-packed fashion,” Khoury and his team “shot at high speeds to capture all of the slow-motion explosions and actual weapon fire including a submachine gun, pump shotgun and assault rifle.” While the teaser reveals little about the Battlefield Hardline‘s plot or gameplay, weapon-loving fans of first-person shooters should eat this right up. Credits after the jump. (more…)

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BBDO New York solemnly pays tribute to servicemen in their Fourth of July spot for Guinness, entitled “Empty Chair.”

The spot, the latest U.S. installment of the brand’s “Made of More” campaign, was created in collaboration with Biscuit Filmworks and director Noam Murro. Its patriotism-stoking approach is nothing new to beer advertising, as Anomaly’s “A Hero’s Welcome” Super Bowl spot for Budweiser this year (to cite just one example) also celebrated American veterans in a somewhat cheesy fashion. How you view the ad will depend largely on your opinion of such an approach (as either a welcome homage or emotional manipulation) but the 90-second “Empty Chair” is certainly well-crafted. It opens on a bartender pouring a Guinness and leaving it at an empty table, an act she repeats many times over the course of the ad, at one point even stopping someone from taking a chair from the table. A delayed reveal at the spot’s conclusion puts everything into perspective, followed by Guinness’ “Made of More” tagline, which syncs well with the ad’s message.

It’s worth noting that between this solemn spot from Guinness and the opposite approach taken by Newcastle, the most memorable ads of the Independence Day season came from non-American brewers. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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Chris Nott

John Huggins

Full-service digital marketing, branding and advertising agency On Ideas have grown their team with the addition of four new directors: Director of Connections Planning and Optimization Bryan Cherok, Associate Creative Director Chris Nott, Associate Creative Director-Copywriting John Huggins, and Director of Business Development Jason Kirk.

Charleston native Bryan Cherok will be responsible for all metrics, analytics and insights for client accounts. He arrives at On Ideas having “spent years submerged in work revolving around finding the answers in digital data,” working with clients including Bridgestone America’s Tire Operations, Firestone Complete Auto Care, SERVPRO Industries and Le Creuset.

Chris Nott arrives at On Ideas with over ten years of advertising and creative experience. Nott was the founder of Base Camp Advertising and served as President of the Richmond Ad Club. His work for clients such as Capitol One, Discovery Health Channel, VirginiaTourism and Crystal Cruise Line have led to recognition at One Show, Communication Arts and the Effies.

Miami Ad School and Florida International University graduate John Huggins brings “valuable experience from his past involvement with both large national brands and smaller organizations.” His past work includes Coca-Cola’s 2008 Olympic Games campaign and a 2009 American Idol promotion. Huggins was also a copywriter on the St. Vincent’s HealthCare’s “Above Beyond Because” campaign, for the TV, print and interactive executions. He has been awarded “Best of Show” for the Central Pennsylvania Addys, as well as “Best Interactive” and “Best Direct Marketing” for the Philly Golds.

James Kirk arrives at On Ideas with a non-profit background. His experience includes work at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston. As director of development at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Kirk “more than doubled contributed income from 2011 to 2013.” (more…)

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Erwin Penland has a fun new campaign remixing classic Atari games promoting Denny’s “Greatest Hits Remixed” menu.

The agency worked with Atari on remixed mobile versions of the games Asteroids, Centipede, and Breakout. All three were reimagined to feature breakfast items, and reborn as Hashteroids, Centipup and Take-Out. The games come complete with bizarre, breakfast-related storylines, such as this one for Centipup, as related by Joystiq: “Once upon a time, a young boy named Danny came across a bottle of syrup and with just a slight squeeze the bottle’s sticky contents had the power to turn anyone or anything into a fried egg.”

The campaign aims to capitalize on the nostalgia of Gen-Xers, an oft-overlooked demographic as advertisers focus more and more energy on appealing to Millenials. It also marks the first partnership for Atari since filing for bankruptcy early last year. “We are excited to be partnering with Denny’s on this partnership,” said Atari CEO Fred Chesnais in Marketing Land. “Transforming our classic and beloved games into a retro, remixed promotion will be a natural way to expose our brand to a new generation and resonate with our long-time fans in a fun and unique way.”

You can check out a trailer for the games, which are available for iOS and Android devices, above.

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Grey London get rather fantastical in their new 30-second spot for Go Ahead, featuring wrestlers, a brass band, lots of drummer, and men with jet packs, all set to a Backstreet Boys song.

In the spot, entitled “The Most Important Snack of the Day” a woman sits at her drab office desk and takes a bite out of her Go Ahead snack bar. Immediately she is transported to a bright, fantastical world where she is hoisted up above the crazy scene below. It’s old-fashioned glitz and cheese, without a hashtag or social initiative in in sight, which is kind of refreshing. Surprisingly enough, the elaborate production for the spot was purportedly shot in only one take. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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A pair of former Grey executives — Rob Baiocco and Maureen Maldari — officially launched The BAM Connection today in Brooklyn with “the tenacious pursuit of creativity through simplicity” as their mission statement. Located at 20 Jay Street, in the middle of the tech mecca Dumbo, The BAM Connection launches with a list of clients that includes Terlato Wines, The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and Wrangler Western Jeans, and will also be an active member of The Ad Council.

“The world of marketing is way overcomplicated,” explains Baiocco. “And all that complexity sucks the life out of ideas, gets in the way of speed, and strangles creativity. Simplicity liberates creativity. And from there, the ideas just explode outward.”

“When you’ve lived, and fought that complexity everyday, you know how to eliminate it,” added Maldari. “And I’ve gotta believe clients will rejoice because they must be exhausted by it.”

The BAM Connection hinges their approach on what they call “The One Shot Answer,” which they define as “one short, compelling phrase that nails your brand meaning, then directs and connects all your communications.” Baiocco and Maldari think the approach will appeal to those growing tired of the traditional agency model. (more…)

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