Hasta La Creative!

San Francisco-based agency Argonaut is launching the first-ever campaign for health and fitness-tracker brand Fitbit with a 60-second anthem ad entitled “It’s All Fit.”

The spot, which as directed by Daniel and Katine Mercadante, positions the Fitibit line as perfect for tracking your health during all kinds of physical activities, from weightlifting to ping-pong to hockey and skateboarding. It leans heavily on the soundtrack, a catchy tune sung by The Donnas lead singer Brett Anderson to drive the action, functioning almost as a Fitbit music video.

“It’s All Fit” breaks today and is supported by a print campaign The timing of the brand’s push into above-the-line marketing is not incidental. With steady growth since its launch in 2007, Fitbit has come to dominate its category with a 70 percent market share, and is rolling out three new products:  the Charge, the Charge HR and the Surge, described as the first-ever “fitness super watch.”

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Anna Kendrick returns to the advertising world following her role in Newcastle’s “(Non-) Super Bowl Commercial” at the beginning of the year.

This time, Kendrick appears in an online ad for Kate Spade in which she has locked herself out of her apartment. Stranded on her stoop, Kendrick drinks champagne, chats on her cell phone, models her Kate Spade finds for her dog and loudly sings the Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” while waiting for the locksmith to show up. Finally. she hatches a plan to reach her fire escape and get into the apartment, then opening the door to let her dog in. Kendrick brings her usual charm to the ad, directed by Michael Mohan, and keeps things amusing enough, even if it’s more cute than funny.

The video is also available in an interactive format, allowing viewers to “click on the items throughout to view behind the scenes footage and shop all of the Kate Spade looks featured.” Stick around for the interactive version, along with credits, after the jump. (more…)

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W+K Portland launched a campaign for Nike’s Hyperwarm line with the 60-second broadcast spot “Choose Your Winter.”

The spot enlists an unexpected guest for the brand in Chris O’Dowd (who you probably remember as Kristen Wiig‘s love interest in Bridesmaids). O’Dowd plays an alarmist newscaster making dire predictions about a “snow-mageddon” or “snow-tastrophe” — even claiming that ancient man went extinct during the Ice Age. His over-the-top warnings about the cold and snow are contrasted with images of athletes — including NFL stars Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson, figure skater Gracie Gold, soccer players Clint Dempsey and Brad Evans, middle distance runner Mary Cain and snowboarder Johnnie Paxson — decked out in Nike Hyperwarm and powering through the cold. The message is clear and effective: you can exaggerate the effects of the cold and use it as an all encompassing excuse or you can tough it out with help from Nike. 

Nike told Adweek the spot is the first in a series. Athletes who will appear in future spots include NHL star Dion Phaneuf and Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who is currently playing in the 2014 Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series.

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FYI enlisted the cast of its show Epic Meal Time to raise hunger awareness with a new PSA campaign for the Ad Council and Feeding America, the country’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization.

The cast of the show talks about what they do with all the food from the epic meals they create it — eat it, give it to the crew — before segueing into a brief discussion of the “people out there who don’t have enough to eat, and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.” They then offer up an endorsement for Feeding America, who, “everyday give hope to those in your community who struggle with hunger” and direct viewers to www.FeedingAmerica.org. The show also donates “a portion of its production budget to the L.A. Regional Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks.”

The PSA will run on FYI, debuting during Epic Meal Time‘s Thanksgiving-themed season premiere this, as well as on other A&E channels.

“At Thanksgiving, it is important to remember that so many children in our country are facing hunger,” said Bob Aiken, Feeding America CEO. “Thanks to ‘Epic Meal Empire’s’ PSA’s, a new audience will be made aware of efforts around the country to feed our children and avoid food waste.”

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Mike Myers and his brother, Peter Myers, who has worked at Sears for 32 years, star in a new ad for Sears Canada.

In the spot, Mike talks about Sears Canada’s recent woes, asking if the retailer is going away. Peter reassures him that they aren’t going anywhere and asks if he knows anything about the retail business, to which Mike replies, “Not a lot. Just that Sears Canada has to demographically and psychographically alter the trajectory of its business model. But that would just be a wild guess.” Despite the two brothers’ natural chemistry, that’s as close to a laugh as the 60-second spot, which will only air in Canada, gets. Still, it’s not completely without its charm, as the brand being upfront about its recent struggles is refreshing. The spot ends with Peter asking if Mike is going to deliver the tagline, and Mike rehashing a long-retired one before offering up one of his own. (more…)

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Pizza Hut has appointed Ogilvy & Mather London as its creative agency in the UK without a pitch, The Drum reports. The account is estimated at £10m.

“I am excited about working with Ogilvy to spearhead our renewed marketing effort in UK,” Sandeep Kataria, general manager at Pizza Hut UK & Ireland said about the appointment. “I am excited about working with Ogilvy to spearhead our renewed marketing effort in UK. Already a partner of Pizza Hut and Yum! brands across numerous markets worldwide, we naturally want to tap into the creative excellence and strategic rigour synonymous with the Ogilvy network.”

The news follows the appointment of Deutsch LA as lead creative agency in the US in July, and a recent logo and menu revamp. Ogilvy & Mather London will be tasked with creating a series of integrated campaign articulating “Pizza Hut’s unique proposition and relevancy to consumers today,” according to The Drum.

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AMV BBDO created a holiday ad for U.K. supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, telling the story of the historic 1914 Christmas Truce between Britain and Germany during World War I.

To make sure the details were correct for the 3:20 ad, entitled “Christmas is for Sharing,” AMV BBDO and Royal British Legion worked closely with historians, basing the ad on original reports and letters describing the event. The ad opens on Christmas Eve 1914, with both sides hunkered down in their bunkers. Soon, both the Germans and British are singing “Silent Night” and one brave soldier emerges, arms waving in peace, and walks towards the war zone. Both sides meet halfway between their bunkers, engaging in friendly conversation and even a game of footie. The spot is elaborately produced and well-shot, directed by Ringan Ledwidge, looking more like a Hollywood war film than an advertisement. Its long running time is no mere gimmick either, as the spot utilizes the time to build emotion and prepare the viewer for the ultimate payoff.

Sainsbury’s unveiled the ad during Tuesday night’s airing of Coronation Street, and a chocolate bar that features heavily into the story is available for sale in their stores, with proceed going to the Royal British Legion.

“Christmas is a special time of year when people come together to share simple moments and kindnesses,” Mark Given, head of brand communications at Sainsbury’s, told Adweek. “This year, we wanted to reflect that theme of sharing in our Christmas campaign through the lens of one of the most extraordinary moments of sharing in modern history, when on Christmas Day 1914, British and German soldiers laid down their arms, and came together on neutral territory to share stories, mementos and even a game of football.”

Stick around after the jump for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the ad and a look at the historical events that inspired it. (more…)

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In a story that somehow slipped through the cracks here yesterday, Nestle USA shrunk its digital agency roster to eight shops, following a lengthy review which the company launched in the spring to “streamline the agency roster and increase the impact of the company’s digital efforts,” AdAge reported.

The review covered Nestle USA brands, excluding Purina, Gerber and Nestle Waters, which are part of a separate Nestle division. Agencies left standing are 360i, Deep Focus, Huge, Grey, Resource/Ammirati, Threshold Interactive, SmithBrothers and Swift. (more…)

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Diamond Foods has selected San Francisco-based integrated, independent agency Duncan/Channon as agency of record for its Pop Secret and Diamond of California nuts brands, following a competitive review.

The agency will lead branding, advertising strategy, creative and media efforts for the brands. Duncan/Channon will also be tasked with creating a new brand platform and national campaigns “designed to support Diamond Foods’ focus on building and energizing its premium snack food and culinary nut brands.” These campaigns will feature both traditional and non-traditional components, such as social media, and will be informed by the agency’s brand strategy department. Initial campaigns focusing on Pop Secret and Diamond of California are expected early next year.

“We were very impressed by the ideas and creative presented by Duncan/Channon, but it was the team itself that clinched this decision,” said Burke Raine, vice president of marketing, snacks, at Diamond Foods. “There’s something special going on at this agency and we can’t wait to put our teams together to build on the great momentum across the Diamond brands.

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In adam&eveDDB’s Christmas spot for Mulberry, a grandmother “wins Christmas’ with a Mulberry bag, trumping some pretty stiff competition in the process.

The ad follows a young woman as she opens a series of presents, beginning with a pointillist portrait of her painted by her sister. Each gift gets more over the top and ridiculous, verging into the absurd, until the girl’s reaction to the Mulberry bag from her grandmother reveals it to be the best gift of all. It’s an interesting approach, forgoing the typical sentimentality of holiday advertising for a tongue-in-cheek celebration of materialism. adam&eveDDB pulls it off well, slowly ramping up the absurdity and not taking itself too seriously while still effectively promoting the brand. That the agency was able to produce both the heartwarming “Monty The Penguin” ad for John Lewis and this, pretty much its polar opposite, shows impressive range. (more…)

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