DeVito/Verdi Gets Goofy for Coco’s Bakery

DeVito/Verdi went the goofy route with their new campaign for Coco’s Bakery, featuring two 30-second spots created in conjunction with production company Backyard.

In one of these spots, “Cowboys,” two tough-looking cowboys marvel at an Angus steak, which they agree is “the real deal right there.” The two drop the stereotypical manliness, however, when the waitress arrives with Coco’s signature pie (they’re big fans). Another spot, “Big Baby,” misses its mark and crosses the line to creepy as two guys attempt to take advantage of Coco’s “kids eat free” deal. Stick around for “Big Baby” and credits after the jump. (more…)

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Saatchi & Saatchi NY Introduces Grumpy Cat to Buzz

Saatchi & Saatchi New York introduces Internet phenomenon Grumpy Cat to Honey Nut Cheerios in a new 30-second broadcast spot for the brand designed to appeal to younger audiences.

For the spot, entitled simply “Buzz Meets Grumpy Cat,” Saatchi & Saatchi teamed up with California-based production company Backyard and director Rob Pritts. If you count yourself among Grumpy Cat’s legions of fans, you’ll probably just be happy to see him make an appearance here. Otherwise, there’s not a lot going on beyond “Oh, you’re that Grumpy Cat,” as Buzz tries to make the feline crack a smile. His strategy consists entirely of talking about how much people like Honey Nut Cheerios.

Established brand + established meme = eyeballs.

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Riester Releases ‘Farm’ for Voskos Greek Yogurt

Phoenix-based agency Riester teamed up with Backyard Productions to create “Farm,” a new spot for Voskos Greek Yogurt.

In addition to having the word “farm” in the title, Riester’s 30 second spot also has a similar (perhaps Chipotle-inspired) approach to Chobani’s “Farmland” spot. Like that ad, “Farm” emphasizes the natural ingredients they put in their Greek yogurt (in this case Voskos), while employing pastoral shots of cows and fresh fruit. Unlike the Chobani spot, “Farm” doesn’t spend time taking down the competition, instead launching into the brand’s virtues, via the cheery voiceover and footage of a girl picking fruit with her family and enjoying a cup of Voskos while sitting on a fence. It’s a slightly simpler tactic than Chobani’s, foregoing the takedown of competitors for more of an emphasis on wholesomeness. The brand’s “Happiness in Every Spoonful” tagline exemplifies the slight difference in approach — whereas Chobani takes a stab at competitors (while opening themselves up to scrutiny), Voskos just wants to let you know that their yogurt tastes good and will make you happy. Credits after the jump. continued…

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ASICS Prepares Us For ‘What’s Next’

Over the past few years, VITRO’s work for ASICS has been consistently high-quality, doing a remarkable job of depicting products’ ability to allow athletes achieve the impossible but not quite the unbelievable. I’m talking, of course, of popular spots that feature athletes out-running arrows and kind of walking on water, which I would link here but I know you’ve seen them hundreds of times already.

Because of this history, a new spot, “What’s Next” is a bit surprising. There’s nothing superhuman or jaw-dropping here. Just some good ol’ fashioned working out. In a note from VITRO, they mention that the spot was “shot in three days, in two countries, 4 parks, 3 gyms and an Italian restaurant, using 3 Olympians (Bryan Clay, Andy Potts & Ms. Lolo Jones) 12 elite US athletes in all — a hurdler, shot putter, javeliner, golfer, tennis star, triathlete, decathlete, pole vaulter, and track star. Cool Stuff: Our creative director wrote the lyrics for the song which provides the backbone of the piece.” Even more cool stuff: “Javeliner” is apparently a word. Try to use it in a sentence sometime this weekend!

While “What’s Next” certainly looks beautiful, and is very well directed (by some dude named “Xander”), it doesn’t exactly employ an execution brand new to the area of sports apparel. Perhaps as a results of heavy marketing, ASICS feels it doesn’t need to be different to stand out, having gained that brand recognition of the last few years. In short: It’s great, but not the groundbreaking work we’ve come to expect. Credits after the jump.

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