Hasta La Creative!

Everyone knows babies make hilarious faces when they poop. For that matter, so do most adults. Whether or not knowing this universal truth entices you to watch a medley of babies’ faces as they poop is a gamble that Saatchi & Saatchi London decided to take. Its “Pooface” video for Pampers baby wipes is literally 75 seconds of what I just described.

Oh, and it was filmed in slow motion (400fps!) and set to Strauss’ “Thus Spake Zarathustra,” which we all recognize from every other film project that either aspires to or mocks maturity. It’s also “Nature Boy” Ric Flair’s theme music. I honestly can’t decide which of these is the less dignified use of that song.

In any case, the spot won a bronze Lion in Film at Cannes, and a silver and a bronze in Film Craft, so clearly Cannes judges are into this kind of potty humor. Not bad for a glorified YouTube Vine compilation with better production values. (The concept has also been floating around for years, mostly in scam ads.)

Also, is it me or does the baby at 0:44 look like a young Nathan Lane?

Sweden is getting its high cheekbones all up in America’s grill once again, asserting its Scandinavian superiority with this online spot for Wasa Crispbread.

An American woman in Sweden takes a yoga class and happily discovers that it’s filled with hunky, English-speaking dads and their adorably flexible babies. Because in everyone’s favorite progressive paradise, family leave for fathers can last a very long time… and, apparently, babies are frighteningly good at yoga.

“I wrote the Yoga Baby script after a visit to Sweden when a friend noted that the Swedes seemed to have more male nannies than anywhere else,” says Scott Goodson, CEO at StrawberryFrog, which created the campaign. “But they weren’t nannies, they were daddies who get 6 months parental leave for each newborn. That deserved a film!”

Sweden has been flexing its blond muscles in ads lately, with this Wasa campaign following the popular “Like a Swede” initiative from trade-union group TCO earlier this year.

“The naturalness of Swedish life, the fit lifestyle and the Nordic mindset is very different and fun and in many cases inspiring for American men and women,” according to Goodson.

Well, America’s pretty cool too. We’ve got … um … Tim Howard … when he’s not playing in the U.K., that is. And we’ve got other great stuff. Like GM Cars and grade-A produce. U-S-A! 

Patriotism notwithstanding, this particular yoga class feels like an exercise in strangeness for its own sake. I guess I shouldn’t get all twisted up about it, though.

This morning, Shutterfly, a photo/card printing website, sent out a mass email congratulating tons of people on their newborn babies. Which would be incredibly thoughtful, had many of the recipients actually given birth.

The error blew up on Twitter, as well as on Shutterfly's Facebook page. For many recipients, it was just a humorous gaffe. But for people who have struggled with miscarriage, infertility or the loss of a child, Shutterfly's email seemed particularly cruel.

Hey @shutterfly, maybe don't send mass "congrats on your new baby" emails? Those of us dealing w infertility JUST made it thru Mother's Day.— Christina Rothenbeck (@C_A_Rothenbeck) May 14, 2014

Wow. @Shutterfly just sent me an email congratulating me on my arrival. Not cool. Seriously. #infertility pic.twitter.com/ylpJcZaihz— Dresden (@DresdenPlaid) May 14, 2014

@Shutterfly go F yourself. My new arrival was supposed to be here 1 1/2 years ago, but died. And I'm since infertile. pic.twitter.com/sPjn2bzpO8— Katherine Heidelberg (@KatStax524) May 14, 2014

Thanks @shutterfly for congratulating me on the birth of the baby I miscarried in Oct. How many women does that happen to?— Herchel Scruggs (@Scruggbug) May 14, 2014

Via Facebook: "I lost a baby in November who would have been due this week. It was like hitting a wall all over again."

Shutterfly issued an apology within a few hours of the emails going out:

This morning, an email was sent unintentionally to some customers. We deeply apologize for any offense this may have caused.— Shutterfly (@Shutterfly) May 14, 2014

But there was also talk of a second batch that got sent out this afternoon:

@DresdenPlaid mine just arrived. You'd think they'd stop the next batch— Gina Brown (@GinakBrown) May 14, 2014

Pouring one out for Shutterfly's PR team right now.

Officer Baby says, "Put your hands against the waaaah!"

Samsung invents the mustachioed-baby-plays-cop-and-chases-a-vacuum-cleaner trope with this spot by The Viral Factory in London. Thankfully, the little lawman doesn't actually speak, but he's got a flashing blue light on his walker, so you know he means business as he takes off after a Samsung Motion Sync vacuum pushed around the house by his mom.

There's '70s-style cop-show music, action-movie camera angles and even a few "crashes"—though the infant enforcer just harmlessly knocks into some cartons, toys and plastic baskets. It's immediately clear that he's OK, and that's probably a good thing, given the beating this client-agency team took a while back for the cartoon violence in its "computer/puppy" spot.

The petite patrolman's convincing "Where'd that vacuum go?" expression around the 40-second mark is topped only by his brilliant use of the facial-hair disguise. He's a lock to make detective, probably in Seattle. (Perhaps he could investigate why there just happens to be a fake mustache lying around.)

This is a well-made spot, but the concept seems kind of random and weird, and it's tough to hang in for the whole two minutes. The focus is never really on the $600 vacuum cleaner being advertised. I guess the unit looks spry and maneuverable, though not as cute as the kiddie constable. Once the pursuit is finished, he's all tuckered out and ready for ba-ba and nap time—just like a grown-up police officer.

Dans la continuité de l’excellent projet Flying Babies, voici la suite et une nouvelle série de la photographe américaine Rachel Hulin. Une mise en scène amusante de son bébé Henry dans des positions en lévitation, comme en plein vol. A découvrir en images dans la suite de l’article.

Simplicity Inc. was forced to recall about 25,000 Travel Tender Play Yards due to a fall and entrapment hazard. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the retailers named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

One or more rails can collapse unexpectedly, posing a fall or entrapment hazard to young children. The recalled play yards are portable and were sold with a bassinet, changing table and mobile features. The play yards bear the “Simplicity” logo. The model numbers are 5500DRM, 5500WDS, 5501FEL, 5502MON, 5520PRO, 5550HAN, 5700MAN, and 5750MIR. The model number is located on a sticker on one of the legs underneath the play yard.

Burlington Coat Factory stores nationwide and online at Babiesrus.com, Target.com and Kohls.com from March 2005 through January 2009 for about $100.

(Source) Press