Hasta La Creative!

It’s hard to relate to, as below freezing temperatures continue here in the northeast US, but in New Zealand people are just returning from summer holiday. Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand has launched a new campaign for L&P in an attempt to help Kiwis hold on to that summer feeling as they return to work and school.

Beginning this week, L&P is offering people in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch “the chance to swap their shoes for jandals, bring a bit of summer to their workplace, or even take an impromptu urban dip to cool off.” It’s an interesting outdoor campaign for a product that many associate with summer. And who wouldn’t want a free towel or flip-flops (jandals if you’re in New Zealand, apparently)?

As Saatchi & Saatchi creative director Guy Roberts explains, “We’ve all experienced that sinking feeling when the holidays are over and we’re forced to hang up our togs, get back into our work clothes and re-join the commuter crowds to work or Uni. You’re back at your desk and reduced to watching the best days of summer from your office or classroom window. For many kiwis, L&P and summer go hand in hand and we hope this campaign will help kiwis hold on to that great summer feeling just a little bit longer.”

The campaign will roll out over the next six weeks, with “a range of customised ad-shels, street posters and promotional partnerships.” As the brightest thing we have to look forward to in this region is a weekend with temperatures in the 40s, I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels a little envious hearing about this campaign. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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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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Iris has launched a new campaign for Adidas called “Fast or Fail,” to promote Lionel Messi‘s new adiZero f50 Messi boot.

The campaign is centered around “an innovative real-time reactive game experience requiring players to beat opponents down an endless pitch and reach Rio de Janeiro in the fastest time possible.” Players will be given the opportunity to win tickets to the 2014 FIFA World Cup to see Lionel Messi play. In an interesting twist, the game is driven by social media — with “more mentions of Messi, the faster you go in the game.”

Iris also created a “Fast or Fail” video to promote the game and the new Messi boot. To create the video, they shot Messi on a green screen backdrop, and then worked with “Media Monks to create the CGI-built polygonised world you see in the game and film.” You can check out the 1:35 video above, and head here to try your hand at the #fastorfail game.

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SuperHeroes Amsterdam just released a creepy online spot promoting LG’s new G Flex phone called “The Most Human Phone Ever.”

The 2 minute spot imagines the G Flex as a kind of second skin, which morphs into who you’re talking to. A guy named Dan is celebrating his birthday when he receives the phone as a gift. When the phone (which has blended with his hand) starts buzzing, he answers it to find it’s his buddy on vacation calling from the beach. He’s attacked by a crab which creates a cut in Dan’s hand (really weird, right?) that we see heal in a matter of seconds — a way of showing off the G Flex’s self healing back cover. Believe it or not, following a false ending, it actually gets creepier from here.

Rogier Vijverberg, creative director and founder of SuperHeroes, explains: “Our mission is to bring out the superpower in anyone and anything. How awesome would it be if your phone could morph into your body? You would never drop it down the toilet again for a start. It really excites us to work with such brave innovators as LG, who are not afraid to challenge the realms of possibility.”

Watch “The Most Human Phone Ever” above, at your own risk, and stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Chances are you’d give up your car for a Porsche, right? The folks over at independent Dutch agency ACHTUNG! are betting on it, delivering an interesting an interesting new campaign where they ask people to trade their car for an unrevealed new Porsche model.

Driven by the insight that “40% of Panamera’s had been pre-ordered before the model had even hit the road” and enthusiasts often pre-order a new Porsche model based on little more than Internet photos, ACHTUNG! has introduced the new interactive platform “Blind Trade,” to see if people show the same enthusiasm for a completely unknown Porsche.

Starting today, car owners can offer their current vehicle for trade at www.porsche.nl/blindtrade. During the first phase of the campaign, the new model’s identity will remain a mystery, with a new feature of the new model revealed every two days for three weeks. The earlier you decide to trade, the greater your chances to bring home the new model. 2,000 cars were offered as a trade for the new Porsche model in the first hour alone, so there are no shortage of takers. In addition to how early it is offered, the value of your trade will also determine your chances of bringing home the new Porsche model. On March 31st, the winner will drive off in the new ride, “without having to pay any additional costs,” at which time the Dutch Porsche importer will take ownership of the winner’s trade-in. “Blind Trade” has to be one of the more interesting online initiatives we’ve seen in recent memory, and serves as a powerful illustration of the strength of Porsche’s brand. Head on over to the site now if you want to have any chance of taking home the new Porsche (or if you’re just curious to learn more about the campaign), and stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Clemenger BBDO’s Sydney branch teamed up with Exit Films and Tool for the goofy viking-themed spot for V Energy featured above.

“Hey, viking begins with ‘V,’” someone over at Clemenger BBDO presumably decided, and the agency ran with it. In the 30 second spot, a viking crew organizes a mutiny to overthrow their leader in favor of the same guy drinking V Energy because “He’s a bit better at pillaging and setting fire to things.” The V Energy drinking usurper bests the leader at axe throwing, naturally leading into V Energy’s “The Massive Hit That Improves You A Bit” tagline. The spot’s goofy humor, like the leader’s axe throw, misses the mark — largely because by now the whole vikings in advertising thing has been done to death. Maybe it’s time to stock up on some V Energy and work on some new, improved ideas. Credits after the jump. continued…

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Arnold Worldwide tapped actress/comedian Grace Helbig, who recently starred in the film Camp Takota, for a 1:47 ad.

The long form ad sees Helbig extolling the virtues of St. Ives’ new “Fresh Hydration Lotion Spray” — which was just released on February 25th — with her brand of manic humor. St. Ives’ new spot plays off the inherent ridiculousness of lotion ads, amping things up to 11 and letting Gerbig riff of that and generally run around like a lunatic. After using the spray, Helbig is whisked away to the magic “land of St. Ives,” a sort of tropical paradise. She tracks down a waterfall made out of lotion, at which time the apparent psychedelic effects of the spray wear off and she’s transported back to her house.

Whether or not you like the new St. Ives spot, which Helbig describes as “wonderfully stupid,” will depend in large part on how you feel about Helbig’s brand of humor. Her fans, who must make up a sizable portion of the video’s 100,000-plus views, will undoubtedly find the spot endearing (and just may purchase the product on her recommendation), while those who find Helbig’s personality grating won’t find anything to enjoy here. As the YouTube views indicate, the spot is certainly getting some eyes on it. Helbig has also garnered attention for the new product by mentioning it on her YouTube series, and even posting a behind-the-scenes video on her channel that has garnered more views than the ad itself. Stick around for that behind-the-scenes video, along with credits, after the jump. continued…

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Milan-based agency DUDE has launched a new worldwide campaign for Diadora called “The City is What We Make of it.”

A follow up to last year’s “Free to be Me,” shot in New York, DUDE’s latest finds the agency heading to L.A. for an homage to city sports. “Wake up early, look at it: this is our place” the spot begins, before following a group of young people making the city their playground. The 75 second spot is well shot, with intriguing footage of skateboarding, street bowling, rooftop golf and other wholesome urban activities, but the strained copy and smug voiceover have a tendency to undercut the spot’s potential. “Some ride in the gym, we gym on the ride” is an actual line (in reference to bicycle basketball) spoken in said voiceover.

While “The City is What We Make of it” is a clear follow up to last year’s campaign, retaining the “Free to be Me” tagline and spotlighting L.A. the way that campaign did New York, it also feels like a slight departure in certain areas. The new spot has a different tone than the more wistful “Free to be Me,” as well as some more energetic pacing. We’ve included that spot for reference after the jump, along with credits for “The City is What We Make of it.” continued…

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Well, W+K has certainly moved on from the “Everything is like Facebook” approach they used in 2012 to launch their relationship with the social media giant. The agency’s newest campaign demonstrates how Facebook can facilitate events like a couch ski race.

The “Couch Skis” spot (featured above) shows a group of youngsters getting the word out about their winter “couch race” via Facebook. A large group of friends cheer as the two couches speed down the snowy hill, followed by the tagline, “Whatever the event you always have a team.” The new approach makes a lot more sense than the one W+K employed early on, and they certainly make couch racing look like fun.

Another spot in W+K’s new campaign shows how Facebook can help you find the right tango instructor, working backwards chronologically from a successful lesson to a friend’s suggestion of the instructor on Facebook. A third spot shows a series of wedding photo and poses the question, “Why have one photographer when you can have a hundred?”

The new ads have been shared by Facebook on YouTube, and, of course, on Facebook — where, Mashable reports the social network has disseminated the videos in users’ News Feeds using Promoted Posts. There are currently no plans to air the new spots on TV according to the site. Stick around for “Tango” and “Photographer” after the jump. continued…

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Detroit-based, family-owned and operated apparel company Carhartt collaborated with former agency creatives to create an in-house online video examining what makes Michigan unique.

Entitled “Hands in the Mitten” the 4:27 video asks “What Makes Michigan?” and whether Michigan came pure or was built that way, investigating Michigan landmarks and interviewing natives before arriving at the answer. The video’s tone and message are reminiscent of McCann’s award-winning “Pure Michigan” campaign, but stretched out over several minutes. It does a lot to hammer home Carhartt’s status as a local company, in a state that takes a lot of pride in itself and keeping business within the state. “Hands in the Mitten” is well done, offering a look at many different parts of the state, even if its run time could have been cut a little bit. Credits after the jump. continued…

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