Hasta La Creative!

California-based production company Lucky Treehouse got the world’s best free climber, Alex Honnold, to climb the Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners building & The Palace of Fine Arts for Stride Health.

Alex picked out his first health plan with Stride Health and then headed to San Francisco for a day of urban free climbing. While a veteran rock climber, urban climbing is relatively new territory for Alex, and he expresses his enthusiasm for the change in scenery. Lucky Treehouse captured the day’s events in a documentary video, running approximately five minutes. They also created a 30-second teaser spot for Stride Health. That 30-second video and more information on Alex and his chosen health plan are hosted at a Stride campaign landing site, https://www.stridehealth.com/alex. You can view the teaser above, or stick around after the jump for the full version, along with credits. (more…)

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W+K New York introduce a new character for Southern Comfort in the new, 60-second spot entitled “Young Gun.”

Apparently, the real name of the “Young Gun” is Stephen, “an accomplished bartending journeyman,” with a self-described “not neat” style. “If you can’t be comfortable with yourself, how can you expect to make anyone else comfortable?” is his very brand-appropriate motto for aspiring bartenders. None of this is evident in the spot, however, which keeps things simple.

“Young Gun” shows its titular character emerging from the back room to man the soda guns. He does so with extreme speed, albeit not great neatness, even managing to throw in some dance moves to the song “Love Me” by The Phantom while servicing a large group of drinkers. The approach is simple and straightforward, but it’s pulled off well and the results are entertaining. “We’ve cultivated a true appreciation for the brand by encouraging consumers to be exactly as they are, rather than pushing them to be something they are not,” Gwen Risdale, marketing manager for Southern Comfort UK, told Marketing Week. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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Today we can confirm that StrawberryFrog has reduced the size of its New York office.

Details remain unfortunately sparse at this time. A statement from parent company APCO Worldwide reads:
“We are always looking for ways to create greater efficiencies and streamline the business at StrawberryFrog in order to deliver the best value to our clients.  After a recent review of the business, we decided to reduce some layers in management.  As a result, some staff will be leaving StrawberryFrog’s New York office.”
No confirmation on the number of staffers who will be leaving, though our tipster says the move affects “many.”

Some of the agency’s most visible work in 2014 to date has been the Jim Beam “Make History” campaign, starring Mila Kunis and created with the other shops in the FutureWorks collective: Sydney’s The Works and Hamburg, Germany’s Jung von Matt.

Updates as we receive them.

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W+K Portland and Terry Crews are back, dialing up the mishigas in a new spot for Old Spice entitled “Drill to Brazil.”

In what may be the craziest Old Spice spot yet, Crews attempts to drill to Brazil by spiraling himself into the ground, because Terry Crews is magic. After a few failed attempts see him end up in Egypt, an office, and a snowcone, Crews finally gets to Brazil, where he meets what appears to be Brazilian Crews. In Brazil, Crews shares (screams) the message, “Old Spice thinks you’re amazing and is now available in Brazil!” before heading off to an unexpected location. If you’ve seen any of the previous Crews spots you already know the drill, just expect even more random craziness than usual from this one.

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RKCR has launched a new campaign entitled “Can and Will,” which celebrates the “go anywhere” attitude of the Land Rover brand.

The campaign is centered around a 60-second television spot featuring individuals who embody the “Can and Will” spirit, including Mike Goody, who lost a leg in Afghanistan and aims to represent the UK in the Invictus Games this September (which Land Rover will be sponsoring), and 68-year-old competitive surfer Gwyn Haslock. “Don’t tell me I can’t,” these individuals state, “because I can and I will.” The spot recently began broadcasting on terrestrial, cable and satellite channels, in addition to ITV advert breaks during World Cup games. The stories behind the individuals in “Can and Will” can be found on the campaign website, www.canandwill.co.uk. Additionally, a “series of mini-documentary films have been commissioned in partnership with Channel 4, with Paralympic hero Ellie Simmons and actor Richard E. Grant talking about their ‘Can and Will’ stories,” which will be broadcast during breaks in Channel 4 programs and through C4’s digital platforms. The campaign will run throughout the summer.

“Our new ‘Can and Will’ brand campaign is a celebration of the spirit of determination,” said Jaguar Land Rover UK Marketing Director Laura Schwab. “It’s about embarking on new challenges, but also never quitting when the going gets tough. It’s an attitude which has seen Land Rover vehicles conquer some of the world’s most inhospitable locations.” We’ve got credits after the jump. continued…

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Back in December Geometry Global raised some eyebrows with their “Animal Instincts Pet Condoms” campaign.

The agency put up what appeared to be a free pet condom dispenser in a San Francisco park. When passers-by used the dispenser they received “condom shaped brochures explaining the importance of spaying and neutering pets.” People were directed to the Pet Condoms website, which appears to promote condom use for pets, but really just encourages spaying and neutering. The man’s face in the video above, when he receives what he believes to be a pet condom, pretty much says it all.

The campaign, which debuted back in December, generated “Over 30,000 + site visits, social chatter in over 166 countries” and became the number one trending topic on Reddit within 36 hours. All this buzz got Cannes’ attention, and the campaign was short listed at Cannes for a Promo & Activation Lion in two categories: Use of Guerrilla Marketing in a Promotional Campaign (Small Scale), Use of Promotional Stunts and Live Advertising.

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The Richards Group has unveiled a new “Fact or Fake” series of online videos for Orkin Pest Control, the latest in their “Bug Wisdom” campaign.

“Fact or Fake” is a series (so far two) of videos that attempt to prove or disprove commonly held views on bugs, MythBusters style. In the video, above for example, the crew attempts to answer the question, “Are Daddy Longlegs Poisonous?” Much like MythBusters, The Richards Group tries to mix scientific inquiry with goofy humor. If the results aren’t exactly funny, they are at least still entertaining — especially when you consider the typical approach for advertising pest control. Another spot in the series tackles the question of whether termites eat faster when rock music is played.

The Richards Group also recently released a series of “Top 6” listicle videos, counting down the best bugs to eat and the most venomous insects. With both coming on the heels of the initial “Bug Wisdom” series, it’s clear The Richards Group has been quite busy for Orkin. Stick around for “Does Rock ‘n’ Roll Make Termites Eat Faster?” and credits after the jump. continued…

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Grey has a new digital campaign for 3M Company brand Nexcare introducing unexpected product tester Nexcare Nana.

“Will It Or Won’t It” is a series of three 30-second videos that follow the fearless Nexcare Nana as she conducts extreme product tests displaying Nexcare’s ability to stay on and keep out dirt, water, and germs. In “Nana vs. Dirt,” the highlight of the series (featured above), a dump truck dumps a pile of dirt on Nana, who emerges to reveal that her Nexcare bandage is not only still on but also free of dirt. In the other spots, Nexcare Nana takes on a water hose and a dumpster. Each ends with a “No grandmas were hurt in the making of this video” disclaimer. The campaign also includes a “Tough as Nana” consumer engagement program celebrating the Nexcare Nana persona and allowing consumers to “nominate the special people in their lives that are as daring, tough and resilient as Nexcare Nana” for a chance to win “one of three trips inspired by Nexcare Nana’s pursuit of adventure including swimming with sharks, skydiving or a racecar driving experience.” Stick around for “Nana vs. Water” and credits following the jump. continued…

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W2O Group has a new campaign for Apollo Endosurgery, Inc., “the leader in minimally invasive endoscopic surgical products for bariatric and gastrointestinal procedures,” aimed at “rejuvenating the LAP-BAND® System” — which was acquired in late 2013 by Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. of Austin, Texas, from Allergan, Inc. — “and educating a broad range of patients about the benefits of the minimally-invasive weight loss procedure.”

Entitled “It Fits,” the multi-channel campaign features television spots, digital, print, a new logo, revitalized website, and the launch of @LAPBAND. The 60-second television spot, entitled “Moments,” features a series of individuals enjoying their newly found weight loss in various situations: receiving a hug from a daughter, putting on a plane seatbelt, slipping on a ring. “Discover how thousands of people are fitting into old, and new, things,” intones the voiceover — so long as you aren’t worried about the (rare) possibility of “re-operation, band-slippage, stomach injury, removal and fatalities” and aren’t scared of a little “vomiting and heartburn.” “Moments” is pretty much exactly what you’d expect for an ad in this category, complete with obligatory sentimental piano music.

“With the increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States, the Apollo Endosurgery team decided that it was time to refresh the brand and inspire people who have tirelessly tried everything else to lose weight, with little to no success, to finally conquer their weight issue with the LAP-BAND® System,” said Dennis McWilliams, president and chief commercial officer of Apollo Endosurgery. “The LAP-BAND® System’s benefits speak for itself, so now is the time to raise awareness and let people know this could potentially be their weight loss solution.” Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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180 Amsterdam has a bold new campaign unveiling REPLAY’s eco-friendly Laserblast L.I.F.E. collection, which celebrates real-life activists as models.

REPLAY’s Laserblast L.I.F.E.  capsule collection utilizes “innovative and eco-friendly Laserblast technology, which dramatically reduces water consumption, and the use of coloured mineral pigments of natural origin,” resulting in “one of the most eco-friendly, natural denim ranges.” The brand called on 180 Amsterdam to make eco-friendly jeans seem youthful and rebellious, casting “models with a world-leading ethical stance – the real-life activists transforming the way we live today.” It marks 180 Amsterdam’s first campaign for the brand.

180 Amsterdam’s two minute digital spot for the campaign (featured above), shows environmental activists (clad in jeans, of course) clashing with heavily-armed security forces. Opening with shots of protesters in the woods, with audio clips of climate change deniers in the background, the group are soon met by the security forces they clash with. The provocative spot includes violence against protesters, and even some unexpected partial nudity before ending on a positive note with a surprise twist. 180 Amsterdam certainly didn’t hold back on this one, although some may make the argument that they’re trying a little too hard to seem edgy.

“We have very ambitious targets for the business. We are thrilled to partner with 180 Amsterdam to bring our vision to life and expectations on Laserblast L.I.F.E. project. Their team, their enthusiasm and their talent make us excited about the result of this journey,” said Art Zuyderwijk, MD REPLAY Benelux.

Stay tuned for credits after the jump. continued…

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