BBDO Russia Encourages Slowing Down for inTouch Insurance

While this deceptive 10-minute(!) ad from BBDO Russia Group only reveals its secret alternate narrative when viewed in fast-forward, the agency does relay a certain important message when it comes to driving: don’t speed.

Filled with subliminal messaging for native insurance company inTouch, the ad injects plenty of hyperbole with a ridiculous title in hopes of building suspense. The campaign seems to be based on the theory that “Because our drivers are all impatient, they want to find the mentioned car crash quickly” while playing off of the Russians’ well-documented love of dashboard cameras

The Moscow-based agency cleverly inserted a head-on collision around the 3:25 mark that only appears when users drag the cursor ahead.

The agency explains:

“We figured that inserting frames from the alternative footage into the primary one at given intervals would cause the viewer watching the timeline thumbnails to see the animation from the alternative footage instead of the primary one.”

Not the worst way to be slightly enlightened while on break.

Bud Light Says BBDO Wrote Controversial Bottle Tagline

In case you missed it, Bud Light found itself in a bit of hot water yesterday after a reddit post first noted by Consumerist and then covered by every single news organization out there (including The New York Times and, yes, even TODAY) heaped criticism on a single line that appeared on some of its bottles:

“The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night”

reddit bud light

Pic via reddit

Of course the company did not in any way mean to encourage sexual misbehavior with this copy, but once the story hit BuzzFeed it was damage control time.

After an initial period of silence, our sister site PRNewser got parent company AB InBev’s communications chief to respond via Twitter:

Bud Light not responding to calls about “remove ‘no’ from your vocabulary” tagline http://t.co/oltWllARAD pic.twitter.com/RfeLRmcVCG

— PRNewser (@PRNewser) April 28, 2015

@PRNewser Nope. We’re responding.

— Lisa Weser (@LisaWeser) April 28, 2015

@Adweek It’s clear that this message missed the mark, and we regret it. We would never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behavior. — Lisa Weser (@LisaWeser) April 28, 2015

This was part of a longer statement issued to various media outlets:

“The Bud Light Up for Whatever campaign, now in its second year, has inspired millions of consumers to engage with our brand in a positive and light-hearted way. In this spirit, we created more than 140 different scroll messages intended to encourage spontaneous fun. It’s clear that this message missed the mark, and we regret it. We would never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behavior.”

For context, the client announced back in February that it planned to run “a variety of messages on 12-ounce bottles to inspire consumers to try new experiences” as part of its ongoing #UpForWhatever campaign. This line was one of those messages.

Initially, we were told that Bud Light’s creative AOR BBDO was not involved because it does not work on packaging for the client. However, AB InBev later released this statement:

“BBDO is the creative agency for this UFW campaign, including all bottle scroll messages. We have an extensive review process and this label should not have made it through. It’s regrettable. This particular scroll will no longer be produced.”

So the client effectively blamed its own internal review process for allowing the message to receive approval but did note that BBDO worked on the creative behind the project.

Recalling all the bottles that feature this particular message will be impossible, and AB InBev is still in damage control mode: it has not been active on social media for the past two days.

Ingenious 'Fatal Car Crash' Video on YouTube Shows an Accident Only If You Fast-Forward

It’s best to go slow, even on YouTube.

BBDO Russia uses the YouTube interface brilliantly for the video below, which purports to show dash-cam footage of a fatal accident. (Such videos are popular on YouTube in Russia.) But in fact, the 10-minute film shows nothing of the kind—just one car passing another.

However, if you fast-forward through the video by moving your cursor along the timeline (as viewers of this kind of material often do, searching for the accident), the preview thumbnails do depict a head-on collision with a truck. Thus, those who “speed” through the film experience an accident, while those who don’t speed do not. (The thumbnails also lead to the message “Don’t Rush” from the advertiser, insurance company Intouch.)

Clever as hell. Try it for yourself below.



BBDO Dusseldorf Dubs Mars Minis ‘People Treats’

BBDO Dusseldorf positions Mars Minis as “people treats” in a new 30-second spot entitled “Tennis.”

Based on a connection between the brands positioning of Mars Minis as “anytime treats” and the way pets are given treats as a small reward for good behavior, the ad shows a man treating his tennis companion like a dog. He pretends to throw a ball and tells him to fetch it, then asks where the ball is. The friend seems confused as to why he’s being treated like a dog, but when he’s rewarded with a Mars Mini he seems not to mind. The spot ends with the tagline, “They’re People Treats,” which brings some context to the exercise in silliness preceding it.

“This positioning gives people the moral permission to enjoy the reasonably sized sweet whenever they like,” explained Darren Richardson, ?BBDO Düsseldorf chief creative officer. “It’s a treat and reward just for being a good person, or in this case a “good boy.”

We’re not sure how many people will make the connection to using the candy as an “anytime treat” and how many will just chortle at the ridiculousness of treating a tennis partner as a dog, but the approach certainly is memorable.

Credits:

Mars GmbH: ?Category Director: Carsten Simon
Brand Manager: Mira Grosch

BBDO Dusseldorf:
Chief Creative Officer (BBDO Group Germany): Wolfgang Schneider
Chief Creative Office (BBDO Dusseldorf): Darren Richardson
Creative Managing Directors: Kristoffer Heilemann, Sebastian Hardieck
Creative Director:  Karen Walker
Senior Art Director: Tobias von Aesch
Art Director: Charlon De Graav
Copywriter: Penelope Abreu
Client Service Director: Sabine Frank
Account Director: Nadia Leytes
TV Department: Valérie Gentis (Producer), Steffen Gentis (Chief Production Officer)

Production: Twin Film GmbH, Berlin
Director: Eric Yealland ?DOP: Eric Yealland
Script: Karen Walker
Post Production: Chamaeleon Digital Vision, Dusseldorf

Manny Pacquiao Wonders If Mayweather Fight Is On, or If It's All Just a Foot Locker Ad

Foot Locker is happy it can finally celebrate the upcoming Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight—for real.

Last fall, the shoe store released a commercial in which Pacquiao thought Mayweather had agreed to face him in the ring (when in reality, two guys he overheard at a gym were actually talking about a different wildly anticipated event … a sale at the retailer).

But now, with details of the May 2 match finalized—both fighters were committed as of February after years of failed negotiations, though an 11th hour impasse between promoters wasn’t resolved until Wednesday—Foot Locker is patting itself on the back for the old spot by running a new one, in which Pacquaio revisits the ups and downs of his false hope.

The boxer gets credit for self-deprecating charm, even if the whole thing is like the Russian nesting dolls version of a Foot Locker commercial. And while he may be confused in the end, rest assured that—as a manager type explains—the fight is, in fact, really happening.

That, even if the $90 pay per view price ($100 to watch the pros beat the crap out of each other in high definition) costs about the same as a pair of sneakers.

Check out the 2014 spot here:

CREDITS
Client: Foot Locker

Agency – BBDO New York
Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide – David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer,  New York – Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director – Chris Beresford-Hill
Executive Creative Director – Dan Lucey
Copywriter – Mike Motch
Art Director – Austin Mankey
Director of Integrated Production – David Rolfe
Executive Producer – Anthony Curti

WW Senior Account Director – Troy Tarwater
Account Director – Janelle Van Wonderen
Account Manager – Nick Robbins
Account Executive – Samuel Henderson

Production Co – O Positive Films
Director – Kenny Herzog
Exec Producer – Ralph Laucella
Exec Producer – Marc Grill
Line Producer – Grayson Bithell
Director of Photography – Marc Laliberte
Editorial – MackCut
Editor – Erik Laroi
Executive Producer – Sasha Hirshfeld
Assistant Editor – Patrick Blumer

Sound – MackCut
Sound Mixer – Sam Shaffer

Online – Smigital
Flame – Jim Hayhow
Asst. Flame – Joseph Miller

Color – Company 3
Colorist – Tim Masick



BBDO NY Gets Meta for Foot Locker

BBDO New York gets self-referential in its latest spot for Foot Locker, starring Manny Pacquiao.

Back in November, the agency ran an ad featuring Pacquiao as part of its “Week of Greatness” campaign for the brand in which Pacman is tricked into believing he’s finally going to fight Floyd Mayweather. Since then, the boxers and their camps have agreed on terms and the event — billed as “The Fight of the Century” — is scheduled for May 2nd.

BBDO New York’s “It’s Really Happening” references the series of events, with Pacquiao’s agent telling him Mayweather has agreed to the fight. “I know, two guys at the gym told me,” Pacman replies, referencing the previous spot. His agent explains to him that was just a Foot Locker commercial, but now the fight is on for real, even though this is also a Foot Locker commercial. The ad ends with a confused Pacquiao watching the preceding ad on TV.

While referencing previous campaigns can always be a little dicey — five months is sort of a long time to expect your audience to remember an ad — Pacquiao’s playful acting helps hold everything together. It also helps that both ads reference such a high profile event, and some have even suggested “It’s Happening” helped bring the fight to fruition. “It’s Really Happening” will make its broadcast debut next week and continue to run throughout the week leading up to the fight.

Credits:

Agency – BBDO New York
Client: Foot Locker

Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide – David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer,  New York – Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director – Chris Beresford-Hill
Executive Creative Director – Dan Lucey
Copywriter – Mike Motch
Art Director – Austin Mankey
Director of Integrated Production – David Rolfe
Executive Producer – Anthony Curti

WW Senior Account Director – Troy Tarwater
Account Director – Janelle Van Wonderen
Account Manager – Nick Robbins
Account Executive – Samuel Henderson

Production Co – O Positive Films
Director – Kenny Herzog
Exec Producer – Ralph Laucella
Exec Producer – Marc Grill
Line Producer – Grayson Bithell
Director of Photography – Marc Laliberte
Editorial – MackCut
Editor – Erik Laroi
Executive Producer – Sasha Hirshfeld
Assistant Editor – Patrick Blumer

Sound – MackCut
Sound Mixer – Sam Shaffer

Online – Smigital
Flame – Jim Hayhow
Asst. Flame – Joseph Miller

Color– Company 3
Colorist – Tim Masick

Foot Locker Catches Emoji Fever With 80 Individually Drawn 'Shoemojis'

If your brand hasn’t made custom emojis yet, sorry—it’s now mandatory.

Or so it seems, given the rush of marketers doing so. And the latest brand to jump quite literally into the mix is Foot Locker, which is stocking its smartphone app with a library of “Shoemojis,” beginning with 80 individually drawn sneakers from iconic brands like Nike, Adidas, Asics, Under Armour and more.

“Communicating with your fellow sneakerheads will never be the same,” says BBDO New York, which conceived the concept with the client. More images below.

CREDITS
Client: Foot Locker
Project: Shoemoji
Agency: BBDO New York
Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, BBDO New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director: Chris Beresford-Hill
Executive Creative Director: Dan Lucey
ACD: Damjan Pita
ACD: Derek Harms
Director of Creative Technology, Experience and Design: Simon Mogren
Art Director: Bhanu Arbuaratna
Senior Designer: Jason Merenda
Copywriter: Allie Townsend
Director of Integrated Production: David Rolfe
Director of Digital Operations: Clemens Brandt
Senior Producer: Carissa Ranelycke
Director: Janelle Van Wonderen
Account Manager: Nick Robbins
Account Executive: Samuel Henderson
Senior Digital Strategist: Rhys Hillman
Production Company: The BBBDO Digital Studio
Technical Director: Michael Condouris
Associate Technical Director: Konstantin Rosinov
Studio Director: Marty Ford



AMV BBDO Suckles to Launch UK Tech Company Thunderhead

New brands typically have a hard time standing out amidst the vast array of competition, so AMV BBDO developed a spot for UK cloud-based engagement software platform Thunderhead that’s pretty hard to ignore.

The ad imagines the software platform as a superhero named Thunderhead. When a car salesman is having trouble connecting with a customer, Thunderhead bursts through the door. Soon the salesman is suckling at Thunderhead’s nipple while he telepathically delivers engagement insights which help the salesman find the perfect car for the customer. Um, yeah, that’s one way to get attention.

“We are a cheeky British technology upstart who are lucky enough to have the best customer engagement software in the business world,” Gav Thompson, Thunderhead’s chief marketing officer, told The Stable. “We asked AMV to develop an idea for us that would ensure that CMOs became aware of our unique customer engagement capability and our ability to deliver happy customers. We also liked the idea of a product demo that was a bit bonkers.”

A bit bonkers, indeed.

BBDO NY Launches Spring HyperMade Effort for Lowe’s

Get back to nature in the city. Create a wall garden to spruce up a small patio. Click link in the profile for steps. #hypermade #lowes

A video posted by Lowe’s Home Improvement (@loweshomeimprovement) on Apr 9, 2015 at 5:16pm PDT

BBDO New York launched a spring effort for Lowe’s, made up of 15-second HyperMade videos hosted on the brand’s Instagram page, inspired by popular Pinterest projects.

In “Urban Garden,” (featured above), for example, a young couple demonstrates how easy it is to complete such a project with the proper equipment from Lowe’s. The couple’s rooftop balcony goes from nearly plant-free to full-fledged garden over the course of 15 seconds. Other videos in the campaign champion projects such as creating a privacy wall and turning an old mailbox into a gardening toolbox. There are also step-by-step project instructions on Lowe’s Tumblr and Pinterest pages to accompany the videos, for those inspired to give it a go for themselves. The campaign follows a similar effort last December, which saw the agency utilizing Vine and Instagram to demonstrate simple DIY projects.

Credits:

Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director: Lauren Connolly
Executive Creative Director: Tim Bayne
Sr. Creative Director: Mike Sweeney
Sr. Creative Director: Molly Adler
Associate Creative Director: Kim Baskinger
Copywriters: Jessica Rello and Talon Gustafson
Art Directors: Klane Harding
Group Planning Director: Emily Viola
Director of Integrated Production: David Rolfe
Executive Producer: Kristin Tomborello
Interactive Producer: Whitney Husnik
Senior Director: Jim Reath
Senior Director (Digital and Emerging Platforms): Bob Estrada
Account Supervisor: Tyler Harris

Production Company: Vanishing Angle
Directors: Adam Bolt and Hoku Uchiyama
Director of Photography: Frank Barerra
Executive Producer: Matt Miller

Post-Production: Vanishing Angle
Post Creative Director: Adam Bolt and Hoku Uchiyama

BBDO NY, Jason Sudeikis Pose with Tourists for AT&T

BBDO New York created a 45-second spot starring Jason Sudeikis entitled “Tourists,” promoting AT&T’s sponsorship of the Tribeca Film Festival, which began Wednesday and runs through the 26th.

In the spot, two tourists visiting New York run into Sudeikis on the street and he obliges them for what he assumes will be a quick snapshot. Soon, however, the couple is directing Sudeikis for a short video (and they won’t settle for a subpar cut). “Theres a film lover in all of us” reads the tagline at the end of the spot, followed by the AT&T and Tribeca Film Festival logos. BBDO keeps AT&T’s branding in the background of the spot, instead letting the short highlight the company’s sponsorship of the Tribeca Film Festival. Sudeikis wasn’t just a random selection, as he stars in three films appearing in the festival, making him a pretty perfect choice for the spot.

Credits:

Client: AT&T
Agency: BBDO New York
Chief Creative Officers: David Lubars (worldwide), Greg Hahn (N.Y.)
Executive Creative Director: Matt MacDonald
Senior Creative Directors: John LaMacchia, Simon Foster
Associate Creative Director: Geoff Proud
Senior Art Director: Will Holmes
Group Executive Producer: Julie Collins
Executive Producer: Alex Gianni
Producer: Gillian Burkley
Managing Director: Mark Cadman
Senior Director: Brian Nienhaus
Account Director: Gail Curtis
Account Executive: Sigourney Hudson-Clemons
Production Company: O-Positive
Director: Brian Billow
Director of Photography: Joe Zizzo
Executive Producers: Ralph Laucella, Marc Grill
Producer: J.D. Davison
Editing House: Mackenzie Cutler
Producer: Sasha Hirshfeld
Editor: Ryan Steele
Assistant Editor: Jean Taylor
Color Correction: Company 3
Colorist: Tim Masick
Visual Effects: Schmigital
Flame Artist: Jim Hayhow
Flame Assistant: Joseph Miller

Tourists Give Jason Sudeikis Some Directions in AT&T's Tribeca Film Festival Ad

Live from New York … it’s Jason Sudeikis!

The former Saturday Night Live cast member appears in “The Tourists,” a 45-second video from BBDO promoting AT&T’s sponsorship of the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs through April 26 (and features three movies starring Sudeikis). In the clip, the actor encounters two out-of-towners who start “directing” him, Hollywood style, as one of them captures the moment with a smartphone.

The tagline: “There’s a film lover in all of us.”

Sudeikis “prepped” for his role a few years back when he and his fiancee, Olivia Wilde, made news—and I use the term loosely and with extreme irony—by giving directions to some real tourists in NYC. (They directed them to someplace in Manhattan. Nobody yelled “Action!” as far we know.)I suppose the festival promo says something about our celebrity-crazed, media-mad culture. Mobile technology turns us all into would-be auteurs, roving the streets in search of a scene that just might go viral. Celebs, of course, make great subjects, and they’re always glad to do a few takes when fans whip out recording devices.

Oddly, the spot tacitly acknowledges that much of today’s compelling content isn’t made by professional filmmakers or entered in festivals. Increasingly, it’s being created by average folks when opportunities arise—and distributed online, with a few clicks as the price of admission.

The ad is running on YouTube, in theaters prior to every feature screening at the festival, on Taxi TV, mobile pre-rolls and elevator screens.

CREDITS
Client: AT&T
Agency: BBDO New York
Chief Creative Officers: David Lubars (worldwide), Greg Hahn (N.Y.)
Executive Creative Director: Matt MacDonald
Senior Creative Director: John LaMacchia
Senior Creative Director:  Simon Foster
Associate Creative Director: Geoff Proud
Senior Art Director: Will Holmes
Group Executive Producer: Julie Collins
Executive Producer: Alex Gianni
Producer: Gillian Burkley
Managing Director: Mark Cadman
Senior Director: Brian Nienhaus
Account Director: Gail Curtis
Account Executive: Sigourney Hudson-Clemons
Production Company: O-Positive
Director: Brian Billow
DP: Joe Zizzo
Executive Producer: Ralph Laucella
Executive Producer: Marc Grill
Producer: J.D. Davison
Edit House: Mackenzie Cutler
Producer: Sasha Hirshfeld
Editor: Ryan Steele
Assistant Editor: Jean Taylor
Color Correction: Company 3
Colorist: Tim Masick
VFX: Schmigital
Flame Artist: Jim Hayhow
Flame Asst: Joseph Miller

Bacardi Consolidates Major Liquor Brands

bacardiBacardi has decided to consolidate creative and media for its major brands, choosing BBDO and OMD without a review, Adweek reported yesterday.

According to that publication, the process began with a secret meeting between Bacardi mangement, led by CEO Mike Dolan, and executives at BBDO and OMD. Within a couple of weeks the brand had struck a deal with the two agencies to consolidate its major brands, handing off both creative and media responsibilties to the pair of Omnicom shops. Prior to the consolidation, Bacardi worked with a wide variety of agencies on its creative accounts, with media handled by Mindshare in North America and Zenith in Europe.

“Our goal is to be able to work better and to create a closer alignment between our global and local operations,” Dolan said in a statement. “To achieve this goal requires that we work with a global network.”

“It was so unique in how this happened,” OMD worldwide CEO Mainardo de Nardis told Adweek. “It wasn’t about a review, pitches, presentations, spreadsheets, pricing. We feel empowered because this is a decision based on strategic discussions about how to improve Bacardi’s business. It’s a real partnership with a huge amount of trust. If only [all new business] could be like this.”

Among Bacardi’s 200 brands are flagship brand Bacardi, Grey Goose, Martini, Bombay Sapphire, Dewars and William Lawson’s. Due to a conflict of interest, BBDO will resign from Belvedere Vodka in the U.S. and Famous Grouse in the U.K.

BBDO Moves Bud Light from Chicago to New York

You’ll recall that Translation won the Bud Light account from mcgarrybowen in late 2012 — but it didn’t hold on to the business for long.

Throughout 2013 and 2014, BBDO’s Chicago office swiped that client piece by piece: first Bud Light left, then BBDO took Bud Light Platinum and, finally, Bud Light Lime one year ago. After the account changed hands, Translation shuttered its Chicago office.

Of course, Energy BBDO’s Pac Man Super Bowl ad for Bud Light earned quite a bit of attention in February. Mashable even mentioned CCO Mark Taylor by name.

While the business still resides with the BBDO organization, we recently learned that the account would be moving from Chicago to the agency’s main office in New York. This change follows AB InBev’s decision, announced last December, to relocate its sales and marketing teams from St. Louis to Manhattan.

The transition has, so far, not been entirely smooth for BBDO.

The agency refrained from comment on related staffing changes, but sources tell us that certain individuals in its creative department hired specifically to work on Bud Light in Chicago in late 2013 and 2014 have been asked move to New York. Others will transfer to different accounts handled by Energy BBDO.

Some departures also occurred as a result of these changes, though we don’t have specific numbers and a source claims that the overall effect on BBDO’s employee account was a wash.

The bottom line: BBDO will continue to produce work for the client, though its Chicago staff is now slightly smaller and its New York staff slightly larger.

Updates if we get them.

BBDO NY Introduces Perfect Portions for Sheba

BBDO New York launched a new spot for Mars cat food brand Sheba entitled “Snap, Peel, Slurp, Purr.”

The spot introduces the brand’s new Perfect Portions product, which attempts to take the mess out of cat food by providing perfect portions within one container. Two containers comes strapped together, so cat owners can snap off one for each meal and not have to worry about dishing out food for their feline friend or store leftovers in the fridge. The 20-second “Snap, Peel, Slurp, Purr” illustrates the idea simply, with each word followed by a simple illustration. It opens and closes with the line “A Fresh Meal Every Peel,” driving home the idea that using the product makes meal time simple. The integrated campaign also includes supporting digital efforts, consumer sampling programs, in-store displays and PR support.

Credits:

Agency: BBDO New York                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Client: Mars/SHEBA®                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Title: “Snap, Peel, Slurp, Purr”

Creative                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars                                                                                                                                                                                                        Chief Creative Officer, New York: Greg Hahn                                                                                                                                                                                                               EVP, Executive Creative Director: Joyce Pedretti                                                                                                                                                                                                        EVP, Executive Creative Director: Lauren Cohen                                                                                                                                                                                                      Senior Art Director: Adam Ward                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Copy Writer: Joe Nelms

Production                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Executive Digital Producers: Eric Berg & Kristin Tomborello                                                                                                                                                                              Digital Producer: Olivia Boutcher

Account                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  EVP, Senior Account Director: Mark Mulhern                                                                                                                                                                                                             SVP, Account Director: Sally Nathans                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Account Manager: Lauren Stillo                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Account Executive: Rachel Greenlee

Planning/Strategy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             SVP, Group Planning Director: Crystal Rix                                                                                                                                                                                                              Senior Engagement Planner: Sean Stogner

Additional companies:

Production & Editorial Company: Decon                                                                                                                                                                                           Executive Producer: Misha Louy
Executive Producer: Ian Blain
Director/Editor: Eriq Wities

Music Composition/Final Mix: Ramon Wesselink

Line Producer: Kent Feuerring
Supervising Post Producer: Cynthia Angel
Post Producer: M. Shane Dolly

Empire State Development Launches Review

Empire-State-DevelopmentEmpire State Development, New York State’s “$50 million to $75 million annual economic development marketing program” has launched a review, Adweek reports.

Empire State Development launched the first phase of the review with a request for qualifications designed to identify up to six agencies, who will then submit formal proposals including media plans and creative work. According to Adweek, responses to the requests for qualifications are due by April 27th at noon. The incumbent on the account is BBDO, who signed a two-year contract, with an option for up to two one year renewals, back in November of 2011. BBDO’s current contract extension expires November 30th, but the agency will participate in the current review process. Work included in the review includes tourism, as well as “business attraction, retention and expansion.”

For Tax Day, BBDO Tells the True Story of a Woman Who Tried to Write Off a Snickers Bar

Tax Day isn’t usually a time for great brand creativity, but BBDO New York goes the extra mile this year with a short documentary about an Arizona woman who tried to write off a Snickers bar in 2005.

She was audited, and the authorities took a dim view of her audacity.

Also, it’s a true story. BBDO found the woman’s case online, pitched her the concept and flew to her hometown in Arizona to shoot the film.

CREDITS
Client: Snickers
Spot: “The Snickers Write-Off”

Agency: BBDO New York
Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, BBDO New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director: Gianfranco Arena
Executive Creative Director: Peter Kain
Creative Director: Peter Alsante
Associate Creative Director: Matthew Zaifert
Managing Director: Kirsten Flanik
Global Account Director: Susannah Keller
Account Director: Joshua Steinman
Account Manager: Dylan Green
Account Executive: Jocelyn Choi     
Director of Integrated Production: David Rolfe
Group Executive Producer: Amy Wertheimer
Producer: Mona Lisa Farrokhnia
Music Producer: Julia Millison
Group Planning Director: Crystal Rix
Senior Planner: Alaina Crystal

Director: Evan Bernard
Director of Photography: Joseph DeSalvo
Line Producer: Koji Yahagi
Production Supervisor: Renee Haar
Projects Lead: Michael Gentile
Audio Engineer: Corey Bauman
Illustrator: Kieran Bergin

Editorial: NO6
Editor: Ryan Bukowski
Executive Producer: Corina Dennison
Producer: Malia Rose
Colorist: Stephen Picano



BBDO NY Releases Tax Day Spot for Snickers

BBDO New York has released a timely Tax Day online spot for Snickers, entitled “The Snickers Write-Off.”

Billed as a “short documentary,” the ad follows the story of the “injustice” faced by an Arizona woman in when she attempted in 2005 to write-off a Snickers bar as a business expense (she was later audited). She purportedly bought the bar while working late in an effort to stave off hunger and stay on-task. The spot features her telling her version of events, and features a tax attorney who agrees that it should have counted as a deductible business expense, as well as a neuroscientist explaining how hunger affects the brain. It ends with Snickers doing something to attempt to make things right. While the spot runs a bit long at over three minutes, it finds the right balance of tone and, of course, couldn’t be more timely. Now running on YouTube, a social campaign supporting the video will roll out on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr from now until Tax Day (April 15th).

Credits:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Agency: BBDO NEW YORK                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Client: SNICKERS

Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide: David Lubars                                                                                                                                                                                          Chief Creative Officer, BBDO New York: Greg Hahn                                                                                                                                                                                        Executive Creative Director: Gianfranco Arena                                                                                                                                                                                                    Executive Creative Director: Peter Kain                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Creative Director: Peter Alsante                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Associate Creative Director: Matthew Zaifert                                                                                                                                                                                                    Managing Director: Kirsten Flanik                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Global Account Director: Susannah Keller                                                                                                                                                                                                            Account Director: Joshua Steinman                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Account Manager: Dylan Green                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Account Executive: Jocelyn Choi                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Director of Integrated Production: David Rolfe                                                                                                                                                                                                       Group Executive Producer: Amy Wertheimer                                                                                                                                                                                                        Producer: Mona Lisa Farrokhnia                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Music Producer: Julia Millison                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Group Planning Director: Crystal Rix                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Senior Planner: Alaina Crystal

Director: Evan Bernard                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Director of Photography: Joseph DeSalvo                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Line Producer: Koji Yahagi                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Production Supervisor: Renee Haar                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Projects Lead: Michael Gentile                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Audio Engineer: Corey Bauman                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Illustrator: Kieran Bergin

Editorial: NO6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Editor: Ryan Bukowski                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Executive Producer: Corina Dennison                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Producer: Malia Rose                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Colorist: Stephen Picano

Energy BBDO Stages ‘Tough Mother’ Challenge for Ziploc

Energy BBDO created a “Tough Mother” challenge for Ziploc as part of the brand’s partnership with obstacle course competition Tough Mudder.

The brand’s obstacle course consists of representations of daily challenges: pit of toys, pantry dash, couch crawl, city sprint, race to school, kitchen conundrum, story climb, the dinner throw and the husband. Contestants dash through the challenges before jumping into bed and pressing the buzzer. Of course, several of the obstacles are completed with the aid of Ziploc products to further tie the brand to the competition. Although the attempts at humor (on the part of the announcing team) fall flat, the ad still works to further the brand’s connection to the Tough Mudder competition.

“Already demonstrating strength, stamina and mental grit in their everyday lives, we invite tough mothers everywhere to push their limits even further at a Tough Mudder event this year,” said Dan Weinberg, vice president of global partnerships for Tough Mudder, in a statement.

Credits:

Agency: Energy BBDO
Client: SCJ/Ziploc
Title: Ziploc “Tough Mother”

Chief Creative Officer: Mark Taylor
Executive Creative Director/Writer: Mike Roe
CD/Art Director: Amy Ditchman
ACD/Writer: Dan McCormack
Executive Director of Content and Delivery: Brian Cooper
Head of Integrated Production: Rowley Samuel
Executive Producer: Melissa Barany
Senior Producer: Elena Robinson

Client Service Director: Stacie Boney
Digital Client Service Director: Josh Ehart

Senior Account Director: Nicole Guisto
Account Director: Rachel Levy
Senior Account Executive: Emmalee Anderson

Production Company: Honey Badger
Director: James Frost
Producer: Sam Khazaeni
Editor: Angelo Valencia, Beast

Graphics: Vitamin Pictures

BBDO Launches ‘You’re Not YouTube’ Extension for Snickers

BBDO’s “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign for Snickers has been around for years, but the agency keeps finding ways to rejuvenate it, such as this year’s Super Bowl spot starring Danny Trejo as Marcia Brady. Now the agency has teamed up YouTubers from around the world for a new “You’re Not YouTube” campaign extension.

Each of the videos features a YouTube personality acting unlike their self due to hunger. In the sole video out of the U.S., for example, Jessica Harlow takes a break from style and motivation to instead explore “How to Let Yourself Go!” Harlow goes from motivational and style-savvy to remote-grabbing stick wielding and sweat-pants wearing without proper sustenance in the sarcastic video.

The worldwide campaign is actually pretty huge, with efforts from 13 YouTube personalities in eight different countries. We’ve included a few of the international efforts below, and you can head on over to Adweek to see the rest.

Credits:

Client: Snickers
Campaign: “You’re Not YouTube”

Creative Originator: AMV BBDO, London
Copywriter, AMV BBDO : Diccon Driver
Art Director, AMV BBDO: Alan Wilson

Creative Agency: BBDO, New York
Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, BBDO New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director, BBDO New York: Gianfranco Arena
Executive Creative Director, BBDO New York: Peter Kain
Associate Creative Director, BBDO New York: Matt Herr
Associate Creative Director, BBDO New York: Justin Bilicki
Group Planning Director, BBDO New York: Crystal Rix
Senior Planner, BBDO New York: Alaina Crystal
Managing Director, BBDO New York: Kirsten Flanik
Global Account Director, BBDO New York: Susannah Keller
Account Director, BBDO New York: Joshua Steinman
Account Manager, BBDO New York: Tani Corbacho
Account Executive, BBDO New York: Jocelyn Choi

Media Agency: Digitas
Media Supervisor: Chad Lewis
Media Planner: Martha Williams

Multi-Channel Network: Maker Studios
Director / Editor: Cody Buesing
Executive Producer: Michael Reilly
Producer: Austin Bening
Director of Photography: Steven DiCasa
Production Designer: Samantha Hawkins
Hair & Makeup Artist: Thadius Lajara
Sound Mixer: Luke Tilghman
Production Coordinator: Rita Warkov
Production Assistant: Audrey Ketchell

Snickers Got Vloggers to Post Terrible Videos as If They Recorded Them Hungry

For a campaign that’s five years old, Snickers’ “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” is having quite the creative renaissance this year.

The Super Bowl ad was fantastic (as was the New York City billboard that teased it). The Medusa ad on the back cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue was inspired. And now, we get a very fun campaign in which the brand got video bloggers all over the world to post intentionally bad videos—pretending they recorded them while they were hungry, and thus weren’t themselves.

The “You’re Not YouTube” campaign launched simultaneously in eight countries and included 13 popular “how-to” vloggers on YouTube. In each video, it’s clear something is wrong as the usually sure-footed hosts appear completely off their game.

For example, in the one U.S.-based video, style and motivational guru Jessica Harlow, who’s usually so put together, apathetically shows fans how to “let yourself go.”

U.S.

There are two videos from Puerto Rico. In one, high-energy comedian Alex Diaz demonstrates yoga-inspired relaxation techniques. In the other, political commentator Jay Fonseca totally switches gears and offers step-by-step instructions on how to make hand-made floral scrapbooks.

Puerto Rico

The others vloggers are from the U.K., UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon and Brazil. You can check out their videos below.

“Vloggers are such dynamic content creators, it’s quite interesting—and funny—to see what happens when hunger strikes and their faculties fail them,” says Allison Miazga-Bedrick, Snickers brand director. “Between them the international vloggers in this campaign have over 7 million subscribers, generating huge global reach for this innovative digital extension of our campaign.”

U.K.

United Arab Emirates

Egypt

Turkey

Lebanon

Brazil

CREDITS
Client: Snickers
Campaign: “You’re Not YouTube”

Creative Originator: AMV BBDO, London
Copywriter, AMV BBDO : Diccon Driver
Art Director, AMV BBDO: Alan Wilson

Creative Agency: BBDO, New York
Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, BBDO New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director, BBDO New York: Gianfranco Arena
Executive Creative Director, BBDO New York: Peter Kain
Associate Creative Director, BBDO New York: Matt Herr
Associate Creative Director, BBDO New York: Justin Bilicki
Group Planning Director, BBDO New York: Crystal Rix
Senior Planner, BBDO New York: Alaina Crystal
Managing Director, BBDO New York: Kirsten Flanik
Global Account Director, BBDO New York: Susannah Keller
Account Director, BBDO New York: Joshua Steinman
Account Manager, BBDO New York: Tani Corbacho
Account Executive, BBDO New York: Jocelyn Choi  

Media Agency: Digitas
Media Supervisor: Chad Lewis
Media Planner: Martha Williams

Multi-Channel Network: Maker Studios
Director / Editor: Cody Buesing
Executive Producer: Michael Reilly  
Producer: Austin Bening
Director of Photography: Steven DiCasa
Production Designer: Samantha Hawkins
Hair & Makeup Artist: Thadius Lajara
Sound Mixer: Luke Tilghman
Production Coordinator: Rita Warkov
Production Assistant: Audrey Ketchell