Sid Lee Capitalizes on Human Spite to Promote At-Home Hair Removal Product

New York agency Sid Lee created a series of thematically unified spots to promote Syneron Beauty Inc.’s m? “smooth” hair removal system, the “first and only professional at-home system that uses patented elos light technology and is FDA-cleared and clinically proven safe and effective on all skin tones.” The campaign, entitled “It’s for ME, not for her” launched with three spots this week, with two more forthcoming in November.

The spots all end with the line “You deserve the m?, but you might know someone who doesn’t,” before directing viewers to the m? website. Each spot precedes this with a woman explaining how they will tell everyone they know about the m?, except for one person who they really hate.

In the above video, “One Upper,” it’s the dreaded copycat who makes the spot’s protagonist attempt to one up her adversary in order to stay one step ahead and preserve her identity. Not a terrible premise, but the execution falls completely flat. This and the other spots’ attempts at humor all come across as awkward and cringe-worthy — and not in a funny Stephen Merchant kind of way. The other two spots feature a criminally bad blind date setup and a woman who always brings a large crowd along uninvited to intimate gatherings. Again, either of these premises could have been funny if well-executed but just come across as awkward and annoying.

We also see very little of the product being used — just a few seconds at the beginning and end really — with most of the time spent on cringe-inducing attempts at humor. If the product (which retails at $395!) is really as great as they say it is, shouldn’t they spend a little more time extolling its virtues? Especially if they’re going to ask women to drop $395, maybe Sid Lee and Syneron should use something other than spite to sell the product. Maybe explain what the hell “elos light technology” is (I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t know) and why it’s such a step up from the competition.

The spots were an attempt to cut “through the lingerie and bikini clad cosmetic noise of the category and [speak] to our audience as a friend, not a corporation,” explains Sid Lee New York CD Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce. Unfortunately, the spots come across as that one friend who means well but who you avoid because they won’t stop making terrible jokes and you hate the pressure of feeling like you have to force-laugh to avoid making them feel bad.

Perhaps the one redeeming quality of the campaign is the invitation to viewers of the m? website to submit via Facebook, email, or Twitter an explanation of someone who doesn’t deserve to find out about the m?. Although it would work better if the ads held up on their own, this could be a fun way for viewers to vent about a specific problem person in their life. It will also undoubtedly yield better stories than those featured in the current m? spots. Maybe Sid Lee can mine these stories for their next installment in the campaign. Stick around for the spot “Strangers” after the jump. continued…

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Houston Texans Will Turn into Giant Robot, Destroy You (Just Kidding! They’re Terrible!)

From production company The Famous Group comes the above pre-kickoff 3D opener meant to pump up the Houston Texans crowd and help them momentarily forget that they’re currently on a five-game losing streak. Bear in mind that they’re only seven games in right now. Yep.

Despite what the Transformers-esque Megabull would have you think, the Seattle Seahawks actually defeated the Texans during this Sept. 29th game by a score of 23-20. In case you missed it, Texans QB Matt Schaub called an audible late in the 4th quarter that demanded his offense lift him onto their shoulders to create a massive stack of football players somewhat resembling Megabull. The Seahawks defense countered by turning into a large bird of prey with the help of billionaire owner Paul Allen‘s record-breaking 50-yard wide hang glider.

As the Megabull tried in vain to jump-punch the Megahawk, the Megahawk swooped in circles around the Reliant Stadium rafters. After Megabull succumbed to fatigue, Megahawk snatched the football from the right horn of Megabull (also Schaub’s right arm), took it to the end zone, and ate it. As football fans know, this is the robot equivalent of a game-winning field goal, securing victory of the Seahawks. As Megahawk flew home to regurgitate pieces of the football for its young to feed on, the Houston crowed turned their ire  Matt Schaub, and the “Fuck Megabull” chant was heard far and wide throughout Texas that day. ‘Twas truly a harrowing moment for the game of football.

On top of this elaborate tale from the gridiron, The Famous Group would like to note that this video was created in cooperation with New Zealand animation shop, Flux Animation, and that this video was specially made for the debut of Reliant Stadium’s new 14,549 sq. foot Mitsubishi Diamond Vision screen, the world’s largest in-stadium HD video screen.

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WCRS, Tool Craft ‘Interactive 360° Film’ for New, Electric BMW

The next time some douchey middle-aged accountant cuts you off at a stoplight, it could be in an electric car!

BMW (the official car company of overly-entitled drivers in the tri-state area), is unveiling its first ever electric car, the BMW i3, in grand style with “the world’s first interactive 360° film.” Created by agency WCRS in collaboration with Mustard Films and Tool, the app entitled “Become Electric” is designed to promote a first-of-its-kind car with a unique visual experience. It was just made available for download worldwide.

“Our idea was to create the first ever 360° virtual test drive film. By producing it as an App for mobile and tablets we were able to put the viewer in control and give them a unique, personalised experience that would entertain as well as allow them to experience the car,” says WCRS Creative Director Ross Neil. BMW i Communications Manager Nicola Green hopes that the app will lead viewers to test drive the car in real life. Some drivers might take a little convincing to get on board with the idea of an electric car (especially those used to luxury/performance vehicles), and the immersive experience created by the parties involved could be the thing that helps convince them.

So the next time some entitled prick dangerously weaves in and out of lanes because he has an expensive car and therefore owns the road, at least he won’t be contributing to the greenhouse effect. Thanks, BMW!

You can download the app at the iTunes store here, or at the Google Play store here. Credits after the jump.

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Workwankers: A New Site for Creatively Venting

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Joe Sayaman and Peter Cortez have spent the last year churning out clever tech projects. In September, they gave the world the Citypricks biking PSA. Last spring, there was Citydoping NYC, and unofficial travel guide for tourists who don’t want to seem too touristy. And, of course, after Sayaman left SS+K in 2011, he produced a mobile game called Pee & Poo Save the World. Seriously. So, their latest venture, a venting website called Workwankers, seems pretty benign.

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Workwankers, also developed by Sam Mylarczyk, is Tumblrish in that it’s really just a dozen or so creative slides that use illustrations and text to call out archetype ad wankers who happen to embody annoying stereotypes. Shoulderbeast is the person who hovers. Idea Killer is the office Bitter Bob. Pervoceros is the guy who mistakes creepy behavior for flirting with women. Etc. People are encouraged to call out wankers and email their suggestions to Sayaman and Cortez. It’s a simple concept, and the illustrations are great, but the site may be too generic to really make an impact. Every office has these unaware employees. Plus, after you look at the site for a minute, there’s no incentive to come back. I’d rather see the slides turned into a calendar available for purchase. That way, ad folk can post the calendar by their desks and laugh a little after an oblivious Shoulderbeast hovers. A few screen grabs after the jump.

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Lopez Negrete Opens Up Shop in NYC

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Houston-based, Hispanic-focused indie agency Lopez Negrete is expanding its operations as it’s now opened up an office in New York City on 3rd Ave/47th St. No word yet on approximate staff count in the office or if there are specific clients being served in NY, but last we recall, Lopez Negrete took over for GlobalHue on Hispanic ad duties for Verizon Wireless (Chicago’s Common Ground handles the African-American portion). The agency currently houses over 200 staffers in its Houston hub and its L.A. office and also works with notable clients including Walmart, Bank of America and Kraft Foods.

Regarding the East Coast expansion, Alex López Negrete, CEO/president/namesake of Lopez Negrete who founded the agency with wife Cathy in 1985, says in a statement, ”Connectedness to our clients and our community has always been the hallmark of our agency. It is also a game of scale and access. By having full-service offices on each coast, our organization has the ability and resources to deliver with unmatched depth, speed, innovation and efficiency that provide a very tangible advantage for both clients and consumers, both of which are now working and communicating in a real-time environment.”

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Onion Labs, DSW Team Up to Piss Off PETA

The latest from Onion Labs sees them working with DSW to rile the folks at PETA in a new campaign called “Bad Pet Owner.”

This new campaign for the discounted shoe outlet where I once picked out and purchased a pair of shoes in under four minutes while en route to a wedding opens with the spot “Goat.” “Goat” features about as many pet deaths as you’re ever likely to see in an advertisement. Each time the bad pet owner (inadvertently) kills a pet, he goes to DSW for a new pair of shoes so he can use the shoebox to bury his deceased animal pal. By the end of the spot, he has a quite the shoe collection — and a backyard pet cemetery. Watch it before PETA files a complaint to have it taken down.

In addition to the “Goat” spot (and one forthcoming) Onion Labs has also rolled out a Men’s Fashion section on TheOnion.com sponsored by DSW. The section includes older content that fits the category, as well as new, sponsored content like “Dead Hamster Feels Its Life Has Been Properly Honored With Shoebox Coffin,” which dovetails nicely with the “Goat” spot. Incorporating material on its parent site in addition to the humorous video really plays to the budding agency’s strengths and shows what kind of potential they have in the future.

Good luck with the (inevitable) ensuing PETA lawsuit, Onion Labs. We’re pulling for you. Credits after the jump.  continued…

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Arizona Ad, Digital Shops Merge to Form LaneTerralever

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And now, a bit of news from the desert to kick off hump day as Arizona-based agencies E.B. Lane and Terralever have joined forces to form a new entity called LaneTerralever. The 51-year-old, Phoenix-based E.B. Lane has made its name as a PR agency, working with clients over the years including the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Lottery and National Bank of Arizona while Tempe-based Terralever has served as full-service digital shop, working with a roster that includes Time Warner Cable, CVS Caremark and Honeywell Aerospace.

In a statement, Chris Johnson, who founded Terralever and will now serve as president of the newly merged entity, says, “We felt it was time to create the agency of the future. Teaming with E.B. Lane, a leader in the advertising industry, provides the perfect complement to our digital offerings and it will best allow us to fulfill our ongoing mission to drive results for our clients. This is an exciting and pivotal endeavor for each of our organizations that will positively affect current and prospective clients, as well as the industry as a whole.”

Along with Johnson, the leadership team is rounded out by Beau Lane, who will serve as CEO, and E.B. Lane president, Todd Bresnahan, who now becomes COO of LaneTerralever.

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Cossette Puts Together Provocative Outdoor Campaign for Salvation Army Canada

The Salvation Army of Canada (unlike some politicians here in the states) believes that “No one should have to call the streets home.” That’s the phrase Toronto agency Cossette inscribed on home address signs and left in a variety of public locations (like bus stops and park benches) people frequent throughout the day that are also used as places to sleep by the homeless.

“The problem with homelessness is that it’s often easy to ignore. We wanted to jolt the public by putting messages in places – and in a manner – that would surprise them,” explains Cossette co-chief creative officer Matt Litzinger, adding “we continue to turn that communications experience on its head by telling our audience that these same locations are also places that street people call home.”

Cossette and Salvation Army of Canada also gave people the opportunity to make a five dollar donation via text, with a number included on the home address signs. Using unusual locations and the sense of the out of place to help call attention to homelessness is a smart tactic. Immediately giving them an opportunity to do something about it (before they forget) is the icing on the cake.

The video for the campaign keeps it simple, choosing to let the outdoor campaign tell its own story, with only a textual explanation and background music accompanying the shots of the home address signs at different locations. Since the outdoor campaign is the real message, this is all that’s necessary, adding anything else would just detract from the message.

 

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Nature’s Way Taps Dailey for Alive! Duties

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Well, what do you know, Dailey graces the site twice today (to be fair, we didn’t want this to get lost in the LifeLock story). Though the IPG-owned, West Hollywood, CA-based agency may have lost the LifeLock biz (as mentioned, it chose not to defend), it has gained a new client in Alive!, the multivitamin product from Green Bay, WI-based herbal medicine brand, Nature’s Way. From what sources tell us, Dailey beat out Olson in the Alive review. Regarding his company’s decision, Nature’s Way EVP/marketing Stewart Brennan says in a statement, “We knew we needed to find the best CPG agency on the West Coast. Dailey immediately understood our brand and our needs, and we’re really pleased with how everything’s progressed.”

As Alive! AOR, Dailey will handle everything from brand strategy and creative to media buying/planning and web development. Actually, the first work from the agency for its new client just broke via a national TV campaign.  Dailey takes over on Alive! for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, which handled the account for just over a year.

 

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Ant Farm Unveils ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’ Gameplay Launch Trailer

If you’re a fan of the Call of Duty franchise, then you’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of Call of Duty: Ghosts while witnessing an all-out advertising assault for the game that began all the way back in May. The conclusion to that campaign is the new gameplay launch trailer from Ant Farm, the best look yet at what the game will actually look like.

Coming about a week after the UK spot “Faboom,” and two weeks after the Eminem music video “Survival” (also the song featured in this trailer), Ant Farm has unveiled a no-nonsense look at Call of Duty: Ghosts in all its gameplay glory. It packs as much action as possible into its 1:13 length, and really is quite well put together. For a gameplay trailer, it feels downright cinematic. It has about as many explosions as a trailer for a Michael Bay movie, but also shows enough of the unique scenarios in the game to give viewers an idea of what makes this Call of Duty installment unique. I’m not a big fan of first-person shooters, but I’ve got to say Ant Farm did a great job at making this game look badass. Not only will long-time fans of the series be salivating in anticipation of Call of Duty: Ghost‘s Nov. 5 release, they may win a few converts as well. Credits after the jump. continued…

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Publicis Officially Acquires Beehive

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Well, at least one-half of our post from last week has panned out as Publicis Groupe has officially announced the acquisition of Mumbai-based integrated agency, Beehive Communications. The new entity will be rebranded as, you guessed it, Publicis Beehive and will continue to operate under the director of Beehive founder/CEO Sanjit Shastri, who along with the rest of the leadership team will report to Nakul Chopra, CEO/South Asia for Publicis Worldwide.  In a statement, Publicis Groupe COO Jean-Yves Naouri says, “We are making significant strides toward achieving our goals in India. By adding Beehive to the Publicis network, we will be able to capitalise on a great pool of talent and market potential, as well as strengthen the unparalleled services we provide to our clients.”

The ten-year-old Beehive, which also has a presence in Delhi and Bangalore, houses over 130 employees and is focused on media, digital, reputation management, research and brand activation. Among the 50 or so clients that Beehive currently works with are General Motors, Korea Tourism and Malaysia Tourism. As for fellow Mumbai-based agency Law & Kenneth, which we heard is also being eyed by Publicis Groupe, there’s no word yet on any acquisition moves, but we’ll keep you posted.

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7 Ways to Improve Your Ad Agency’s Efficiency

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Nothing loses an agency client faster than inefficient process and the frustration it causes. Not even Cannes-winning work can keep a client if the agency can’t manage the relationship properly. Earlier, we wrote about the impact of industry consolidation and how it has affected the ability of the acquired agency and its holding company siblings to work smoothly and efficiently.

Here are seven tips you can put to use right now to ensure your agency is serving your clients swiftly, effectively and efficiently – like the proverbial well-oiled machine.

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TBWA Continues Ad Blitz for Nissan Note with Fun ‘Ghost Train’ Spot

“Anticipate the unexpected with Safety Shield technologies,” says a narrator in Paris-based TBWA\G1’s spot “Ghost Train” for the Nissan Note. Normally such an announcement would come as a somber reminder of what could go wrong without the aid of such technology, usually following the car stopping short of a child who has run into the street (or something along those lines). We’ve all seen those ads. But TBWA\G1 went a different route with “Ghost Train,” attempting to make a utilitarian technology seem fun.

In the work above, a couple takes their car into a kind of drive-in haunted house, which is a thing that really should exist. The driver is alerted by the Safety Shield technology before a series of the haunted house’s robotic ghosts and ghouls approach the car. They seem to be having a lot of fun, and the high-tech looking baddies are some good eye-candy. It’s an entertaining little 46-second spot (although the Franz Ferdinand song featured was a little annoying). Nothing mind-blowing, but I’ll take a little low-key Halloween fun to start my Monday. Credits after the jump.  continued…

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Hmm, Well Lowe Campbell Ewald is Opening Up Shop in NYC After All

loweceWell, we sent inquiries to a few folks last week about this last week after receiving tips like this on Oct. 17: “Lowe NY Again??  Lowe is opening a ny office and the Milk account guy Sal Taibi is being tapped to run it as CEO.  Maybe old lowe clients going w him.   Ronald wohlman is the head creative guy.  Lowe/Campbell Ewald & hill holiday won Cadillac work awhile ago – Lowe NY to take up residence in ny hill holiday office.”

Now, reports are out confirming this and Sal Taibi is indeed leading the charge, not as CEO but as president of Lowe Campbell Ewald’s New York operation. Taibi most recently served as partner/GM at Deutsch NY but spent 16 years prior to that at Lowe, last serving in a similar role as president. No confirmation yet on Ronald Wohlman, but it doesn’t seem too far-fetched considering that he’s already spent the last nine years at Lowe, most recently serving as CCO on the Unilever, North America business.

We’ve just received the official release announcing the new LCE New York office, and in a statement, Lowe & Partners CEO Michael Wall says, “Lowe Campbell Ewald is an agency with a strong heritage and an integrated full service offering that drives great business results for its clients. This combination has already begun to show results as the agency complements Lowe’s
international network. Being able to front those capabilities out of New York alongside the existing U.S. locations should prove an attractive proposition for both national and international clients. Sal Taibi is a natural choice to lead New York given his experience in the market, the strength of his client relationships and his intimate knowledge of Lowe.”

Lowe Campbell Ewald New York is expected to officially open its doors in January 2014 and will include clients Taibi and crew have previously worked with. Regarding the new office, Jim Palmer, LCE CEO who essentially took over for Bill Ludwig this summer, adds, “Our new presence in New York speaks to the commitment we have to Lowe and the momentum our agencies are building together. Our New York office will bolster our national footprint from coast to coast. With offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, San Antonio and now New York, plus Lowe’s international talent and distribution channels, Lowe Campbell Ewald is poised to better help clients navigate the ever-evolving global media and marketing environment.”

Update: So, as of now, the Wohlman tip isn’t true as we’ve been told that no staffing decisions beyond Sal Taibi heading the office have been finalized yet. We’ll keep you posted. On the note about “Lowe NY Again?,” our sources clarify that Lowe has always had a NYC presence since Sir Frank Lowe led the ship and continued through the partnership with sister agency Deutsch, whose name was ‘Deutsch a Lowe and Partners Company’ since 2009. Now, it’s on to the next chapter.

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Let’s Watch People Get Hit With Water Balloons in Slow-Mo Courtesy of Sprite, BBR Saatchi

What’s even more fun than watching someone get hit in the face with a water balloon? Watching it in slow-motion.

This summer, BBR Saatchi & Saatchi, Israel wanted an attention grabbing way to introduce their new “Refresh It” tagline for Sprite Israel. So they set up booths at three different beaches and hit people in the face with water balloons, while a camera filmed all the action in slow-motion.

The slow-motion videos were automatically uploaded to consumers’ Facebook pages, and those with the most views won prizes. It’s a fun idea for a social campaign, and while it’s almost hard to imagine during the slow chill of October here in the northeast, the participants seem to be having a blast. Images of your friend getting hit in the face with a water balloon are exactly the kind of thing that you want to pass around Facebook, so this undoubtedly resulted in a lot of shares. The video highlights some of the action, including one dude who holds his dog during the ordeal, and is a fun little diversion. Kind of makes you sad that the summer’s over. Credits after the jump. continued…

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Heath to Head Up Strategy at Huge LA

catherineheathWe’ve received confirmation that Catherine Heath, who’s spent the last year in her native Australia serving as executive strategy director at M&C Saatchi Sydney (where she started her career over a decade ago on the planning side), is heading back to the States to head up strategy at Huge LA. It’s familiar turf for Heath, who spent over two years as a worldwide group planning director at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA. During her career, the planning vet also had a brief stint as chief strategy officer at now-defunct Boston operation Modernista! and served as VP/planning director at McCann and what was T.A.G. (now twofifteenmccann) for over two years.

While it’s been confirmed that Heath is joining Huge LA, no timetable has been set for her exact start date. We’ll keep you posted. As for the LA office itself, FYI, staff count is approximately 80 and clients include Vans, FX, National Geographic, and Tempur-Pedic.

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KesselsKramer LA Bows ‘URL Project’ for MOCA

KesselsKramer’s video for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles tells the story of a unique digital art collaboration.

First, the idea behind the project: Digital artist Rafaël Rozendaal asked the YouTube community to submit ideas for the URL for his next project. He would then collaborate with the person who submitted the winning suggestion.

KesselsKramer’s video documents this collaborative process between Rozendaal and the winner. The URL selected was nothingeverhappens.com, which just makes me think of this. Rozendaal’s collaborator explains that he envisioned the site as “atmospheric” and “very-reduced” and the finished product certainly fits that description even if it’s “completely different” than the collaborator imagined it would be. This isn’t exactly my kind of art (it kind of just looks like a screensaver), but it’s a cool way for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles to actively engage an audience.

You can check out more work from Rafaël Rozendaal at his website. Credits after the jump. continued…

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Penn, Braun Out at MRM NY

tinabraunWell, it looks like folks on the Spy line were on to something with this one as a little digging shows that Tina Braun and Danielle Penn are both no longer with MRM New York. We hear it was the agency that parted ways last week with Braun and Penn, who served as VP/account director and senior integrated project manager, respectively. No word yet on Braun’s next endeavor, but she spent over a decade at McCann Erickson and MRM, moving up the charts from account exec to her most current role, working with brands including USPS and Nestle. Penn, who worked at McGarryBowen as senior digital project manager prior to MRM, has already moved on to the client side, taking on a similar project management role at Prudential. No word yet from MRM on if there are plans to replace, but folks on the Spy line are telling us there may be “more cuts to come.”

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We Hear: Is Publicis Making Further Inroads into India?

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In a quick shout-out to the motherland, a few sources have been telling us this week that Publicis Groupe is on the verge of announcing the acquisition of majority stakes in Beehive Communications and Law & Kenneth, which are both headquartered in Mumbai but have offices throughout India. Both Beehive and L&W have been operating for a decade give or take and are full-service agencies. From what we’ve been told by tipsters, this is part of Publicis Groupe’s “aggressive investment plan” in India. Perhaps they’re on to something.

Late last year, the holding company acquired digital agency iStrat and brand marketing consultancy MarketGate. Then this past April, Publicis bought up acquired ecommerce technology services provider Neev and launched Razorfish in India, creating a new entity called Neev Razorfish in the process. Are Beehive and L&W next? Well, we’ve been told an announcement could come at any time this week. We’ve put in inquiries to all parties (there is that time difference thing, you know) and are awaiting word. We’ll keep you posted.

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MRY Officially Nabs Digital Duties for Jager

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It took a while to confirm, but New York-based MRY, which of course merged with LBi this year, has now officially been named digital AOR in the U.S. for college booze fave (for some, at least), Jagermeister. The spirits brand, which has also worked with  L.A.-based indie shop Mistress over the past couple of years, has tasked MRY with the usual digital AOR responsibilities including strategy and creative across channels. Regarding the deciscion, Heather Kozera, director of digital marketing for New Rochelle, NY-based Sidney Frank Importing Co., which houses the Jager brand among several others, says in a statement, “Looking for an agency partner was a big decision for us. MRY showed us they can deliver new and innovative digital ways to connect with our target – they had the right team and the right thinking to complement our brand and our initiatives.”

The partnership has already taken effect, with the first MRY work for Jagermeister set to debut later this year. No word if there was a review as of yet, but we’ll update if need be (Update: Well, there was no incumbent on the Jager digital biz at least). Mistress, meanwhile remains above the line agency for the brand.

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