Hasta La Creative!

Parisian agency Les Gaulois has a new spot for Citroën aimed squarely at canine fans.

In the spot, a Citroën makes a pit stop in the middle of a road trip. The mutt, aware that there won’t be another stop for some time goes through a lengthy stretching routine. It’s a simple, cute way to show the vehicle’s fuel efficiency and what’s not to like about a dog going through a human-like stretching routine? It also acts as something of a thematic follow-up to last year’s “Dog Romance.”

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TDA Boulder shifts approach with its latest campaign for FirstBank, seeking to inspire local businesses.

The campaign launches with the 30-second spot “Legacy,” which emphasizes the distinction between modern Internet “fame” and a real legacy. In the spots first 15 seconds viewers are barraged with viral Internet “fails” such as a balance beam gymnast landing on his crotch and a man cannonballing onto an iced-over pool. “Since when did ‘leaving a legacy’ mean ‘going viral?’” the voiceover asks. At the spot’s midpoint the text “Let’s Grow Business” appears onscreen, accompanied by voiceover, as its shifts to a focus on what a true legacy is, accompanied by images of business and commerce. The way in which the spot seamlessly incorporates humor (via the Internet-culled clips) into its message marks a step forward from previous efforts such as the recent Amish-themed campaign and the creepy “Bargain Dummy” spot.

The spot will run during live sports and new programming on major networks, as well as twenty cable channels, including ESPN, USA, and The History Channel. Other media for the campaign will follow in the coming weeks and months. (more…)

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David&Goliath launched a new campaign for VIZIO featuring Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin cast in a different light.

Griffin spends the spots dishing out poetry on subjects like the mouthguard, tear-away pants and bobbleheads in what looks like a slam poetry cafe. Griffin’s “Slam Dunk Poetry” features an elementary rhyming scheme as he tackles his goofy subjects with apparent earnestness/seriousness, leading into the “see the beauty in everything” tagline. The campaign is timed to get basketball fans excited for the new season, which starts in October (and convince them to upgrade to a VIZIO Ultra HD). The videos launched on YouTube and VIZIO’s website Monday, and GIFS of Griffin’s performances are also available via Tumblr. (more…)

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Samsung finally lets up on Apple in its latest spot, instead getting cozy with cute real-life couple Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard.

In the 90-second spot, the couple continuously ditch other plans in favor of staying in and entertaining themselves with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S. It’s a clever idea, and both the execution and the decision to go with an actual couple lend it an air of believability.

The spot begins with Shepard marveling at Bell’s tiny fingers. “How do you even hold things with these little guys?” he asks. This gives an indication of the tone for the rest of the spot, which may spell cuteness overload for some but has already picked up over 5 million views on YouTube in three days. “Hey, we promised we’d hike,” he then reminds her, only for the couple to spend the rest of the day on the Galaxy Tab S wasting time. (The only time either ventures outside the house is when Shepard picks up food to satisfy Bell’s pregnancy cravings.) At one point the couple dress up for an event, but get distracted and soon realize it ended hours ago.

It’s a refreshing approach for Samsung, and a welcome departure from what has become routine Apple-bashing. No word yet on whether this was created by Samsung’s agency of record 72andSunny or in-house, but we will update with that information when we receive it.

Update: We’ve received word that the spot was in fact created by McKinney.

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McKinney has launched a new campaign courting millenial ears for Sennheiser, focusing on the company’s Urbanite brand.

The campaign is centered around  series of videos featuring a man with a German accent in a Sennheiser Urbanite costume and a giant ear. Both the headphone costume and the giant ear (which weighs in at 200 pounds) were created by Legacy Effects. In the 90-second launch spot, the Urbanite-dressed man professes his love for ears, and things get a little creepy as he demonstrates the various ways he pleasures ears on the giant ear prop. He assures viewers that he will lavish just as much attention on their ears. Other spots, all of which are hosted at Sennheiser’s campaign landing page, see him singing to an ear and explaining that he’s often asked to leave public places.

Starting today, Sennheiser will also be giving away 1,000 “Golden Ears,” which they’ve hidden around New York City, “on 11”x17” posters hanging in record stores, restaurants, boutiques and other locations frequented by millennials.” Each poster contains a removable golden ear, which can be redeemed for a pair of Urbanites “at the Ear Love Palace, a pop-up experience store at 1 Rivington Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.” Participants can also visit http://sennheiser-urbanite.com and share one of the campaign videos using the hashtag #EarLove for clues on the whereabouts of the Golden Ears. So what is listening to music on Sennheiser Urbanite’s like? Stay with us after the jump to find out. (more…)

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Indianapolis-based agency Young & Laramore has launched a new social campaign for Schlage today, entitled “The Keyless Era.”

The campaign debuted yesterday with a teaser (video above), promoting the company’s keyless electronic locks. Young & Laramore will roll out the rest of the campaign on October 1st, with a product launch video and eight pieces of video content exclusive to Schlage’s social media channels. The videos take a humorous approach, employing improvisational comedy captured over the course of one day, exploring themes like what people will lose in a “Keyless Era” and how mayors will have to award something other than “the keys to the city.” We’ve included a couple of these social videos (along with credits) after the jump. (more…)

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In celebration of National Life Insurance Month (yes, this is a thing), CP+B created a campaign for MetLife asking customers who they live for.

They then shared the results in a series of two online videos, called “Who I Live For” in an attempt to show the positive, human side of life insurance. The videos, as you might expect, attempt to pull on the heartstrings as people share photos of their children, grandchildren and significant others. Mixed in with the more predictable answers are a couple who share their love for their bulldog, Huey. Both spots end by inviting viewers to share who they live for with the hashtag #WhoILiveFor, as a social extension of the campaign.  “Who I Live For”  puts a premium on spontaneity, with seemingly unscripted responses from those interviewed and in the longer of the spots (featured above), one respondent offering up a seemingly improvised song as a soundtrack. (more…)

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Budweiser teamed up with AKQA for a new social campaign allowing Facebook users to send beers to their buddies via the social media outlet. While right now the service is exclusive to those living in Chicago and Denver, it will soon roll out nationally.

The campaign debuted with a pilot on Facebook, in feeds for adults 21 and older in Chicago and Denver. Facebook users in those locations (and soon the rest of the country) will be prompted to share  a Budweiser with a friend when wishing them a happy birthday or celebrating other occasions. If they choose to share a Budweiser, the friend will be sent an online voucher, to be redeemed at a local bar or restaurant (with a valid ID). The service functions without any type of external download, as users are simply “taken to a customized mobile or desktop experience to send or claim a beer.”

“Beer is the original social network,” said Lucas Herscovici, Anheuser-Busch vice president of consumer connections. “This new campaign focuses not on a gift certificate or credit, but on bringing people together to celebrate life’s most anticipated moments. Whether you’re toasting your birthday, a job promotion, an engagement, or simply the end of a long work week, we want to encourage everyone to bridge the physical and digital worlds by allowing you to send your friend a beer over Facebook.”

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Brands that try to get in on the social conversation around 9/11 can come off as crass and opportunistic. But it takes a witty foil to really show how dumb some of the tweets are.

Luckily, Mike Monteiro is that foil.

Much of this morning, he’s been replying to brands’ 9/11 tweets with amusingly fake enthusiasm, giving his 45,000 followers some comic relief on what’s always a difficult day.

Check out some of Monteiro’s tweets below.

I mean, who couldn’t have used a @huggies on that day. https://t.co/rrvta5142P

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

@DunkinDonuts @seanbonner Those people left a hole in our hearts, and in our donuts. #neverforget

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

Thank you @Applebees. When we pulled Mother’s body out of the wreckage we dragged it to Applebees. And you guys gave us free sodas.

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

Trust me, I will #neverforget. “@Cash4YourHome: Appreciate the tweet @monteiro.”

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

9/11 wouldn’t have happened if every airline passenger was armed, right, @Beretta_USA? Got any discount codes? #neverforget #neverreload

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

Hi @TheNewYouMedSpa! Is there a special discount if you actually lost someone in the towers? #neverforget #neverhadafacial

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

I wanna get ripped and kick terrorist ass, @Tee_Major! https://t.co/RHXNNmNuyE

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

@intimacybox @fart I think my sister was wearing your lingerie when she died in the towers.

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

The terrorists can take the icees from our cold, dead hands, am I right, @Official_ICEE? I mean fuck those dudes! Icee me, bro. Discounts?

— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) September 11, 2014

We reached out to Monteiro for comment, but he pointed us to Sean Bonner, who’s also been monitoring branded 9/11 tweets today, and retweeting many of them. We spoke with Bonner to get his take. 

Brands are not people.

— Sean Bonner ? (@seanbonner) September 11, 2014

AdFreak: What makes these tweets feel so icky?
Sean Bonner: It’s simple. Brands are not people. Brands do not have emotions or memories or condolences or heartbreak. People have those things, and when a brand tries to jump into that conversation, it’s marketing. And in a less emotionally charged environment it’s just dumb. But when talking about a tragedy that resulted in way too many people actually dying, it’s icky x 1000.

How can brands insert themselves into the conversation without seeming opportunistic?
They can’t. They shouldn’t. Seriously, there’s no way for a brand to “insert themselves into a conversation” about a tragedy like this without it being bad. I mean really.

How could a brand’s social media managers handle this with more sensitivity?
STFU. That’s the best option. Today (or whatever other tragedy this kind of thing has happened with) isn’t the time for marketing. It isn’t the time for branding or getting people to pay attention to companies. It’s a time for people to interact with each other, and the only respectful thing for brands to do is stay out of it and wait for tomorrow to get back to business.

Ugh. I’m done. I can’t even stomach looking at those search results anymore.

— Sean Bonner ? (@seanbonner) September 11, 2014

Blast Radius continues its “My Town My Tracks” campaign for ASICS’ Onitsuka Tiger, promoting the Harandia MT,  “a sneaker-boot inspired by winter running and crafted for the colder months in an urban environment.”

In the last installment of “My Town My Tracks,” Blast Radius focused on Erik Garbo, a student of Italian and Japanese descent living in Milan. This time, Blast Radius focuses on its own city, Amsterdam, and Tosao, a young entrepreneur of Japanese and Dutch descent. As in previous installments of the campaign, Tosao takes viewers on a tour of his neighborhood — De Jordaan, in the northwest section of the city — while introducing his friends and favorite hangouts.

“Onitsuka Tiger is a brand for all seasons and this is evident in our AW14 models,” said Lisa Hogg, Onitsuka Tiger’s head of brand management. “We present our new collection in Amsterdam, a city of cultural secrets where every street, canal and courtyard has a story. Tosao’s My Town My Tracks through De Jordaan reflects our brand values and belief in individuality and urban culture.”

In addition to the video, the campaign also includes print elements, with stills captured by photographer Fleur Bolt, and social components on Twitter and Instagram. (more…)

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