Hasta La Creative!

Amsterdam Worldwide has a new campaign promoting Sony VAIO, l Flip PC, VAIO Tap 11, and VAIO Duo emphasizing the laptop/tablets appeal to both people’s playful and serious sides.

The new campaign, entitled “Both of You,” features four 2-in-1 characters, with the two sides of each personality battling each other, emphasizing that “sometimes we need to work, and sometimes we need to play.” In each of the four spots, neither side of the character wins a definitive victory in their battle of wits, another illustration of how the versatility of a laptop/tablet in one lets both sides of your personality get their way. “Our tech devices have become very personal extensions of ourselves – the question is ‘which self?’ We all have more than one. Now there is truly one device that can handle both of you, so we created a story to bring that to life,” explains Amsterdam Worldwide executive creative director Richard Gorodecky.

“Both of You” has already proven itself a big success. The four online spots debuted in December and combined have already received over 1.5 million views, and that’s without any media spend. The online campaign rolls out in earnest on January 27th, on platforms such as YouTube, Hulu, and AOL (for some reason). “Both of You” will also launch in international markets, including Japan, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Stay tuned for “Both of You (Marla)” and credits after the jump. continued…

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According to a new creative print campaign from ACW Grey Israel, the difference between a nerd and a hipster is quite small. In fact, add a Vespa and any nerd is instantly transformed into a hipster (even without relocating to Williamsburg).

The simple print ad campaign features two images, a nerd on the left (suspenders, glasses and rolled up pants for the guy; glasses and conservative dress for the girl), and the same photo with a Vespa superimposed in front of the given nerd on the right. Both images are clearly labeled, with the left image reading “Nerd” and the right reading “Hipster.” The campaign acknowledges the blurry boundaries between the two terms, but also assumes that nerds aspire to be hipsters, which I’m not convinced is the case, and that they will believe that the Vespa will make that metamorphosis a possibility, serving as some sort of Hipster Badge of Honor or something. At any rate, it’s a clear indication that Vespa is aware of their popularity with the hipster crowd and now attempting to capitalize on it. Of course, an ad campaign obviously directed toward hipsters is probably the quickest way to curb your appeal with the hipster crowd, so it’s kind of hard to tell who this campaign is going to impact. Young, aspiring hipsters? Aging nerds desperate to appear hip? Again, hard to tell. Stay tuned for credits and the second print ad after the jump. continued…

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Earlier this month, Draftfcb Chicago launched the “How Do You KFC?” integrated campaign for the colonel, “a new movement celebrating the connection KFC fans have with the food.” Part of that campaign was an online video of X Games Moto gold medalist Bryce Hudson, who became the first person to perform a backflip while eating chicken (a KFC Go Cup featuring Extra Crispy Tenders). Even more impressively, according to Draftfcb Chicago’s in-house production team, “when Hudson invited them to his private practice facility for the shoot, the successful flip was captured within the first two takes.” The ever-confident Hudson was not surprised. “I knew the backflip would be possible right off the bat,” he said, “I was so excited to join the #HowDoYouKFC movement with the world’s first chicken-eating backflip because I could enjoy two of my favorite things at the same time. It doesn’t get much better than that.” Draftfcb’s video crew for the shoot reportedly included only four people.

The video gained over half a million views during its first two weeks online, and, in a nod to fan appreciation, Draftfcb and KFC are turning it into a primetime television spot that begins airing tonight. “We want to stay nimble, listen to our fans, and give them what they want. When we saw that the Bryce Hudson video was quickly emerging as a fan favorite, we wanted to make it even bigger — and put it on TV,” said Jason Marker, General Manager for KFC U.S.

The “How Do You KFC” campaign also includes “revamps for point-of-purchase displays, uniforms, packaging, in-store greetings, digital and social assets,” as well as a streetball online video entitled “The Professor.” “How Do You KFC?” invites fans to participate by uploading photo or video content to social media with hashtag #HowDoYouKFC. KFC claims they will “will continually evaluate options for fan-driven videos throughout the campaign” so look for fan input to have a large impact throughout the campaign. The next video to make it to primetime could even be a fan-generated upload. Stick around for “The Professor” after the jump. continued…

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Hill Holliday has a new campaign for NECCO’s classic Sweethearts, “#1 selling non-chocolate Valentine’s Day candy,”  that personalizes the messages on the candy hearts via Twitter.

Here’s how it works: simply visit the Tweethearts site and tweet your message to @tweethearts, then take a look at your Tweetheat, fill out the name and address where you want it sent, pay $29.99 (yikes!) for a one pound bag, and wait 3-5 business days for the gift to show up. Users who don’t wish to order the candy can choose to simply share the digital image of their peronalized Tweetheart instead, not a bad option for those who don’t feel like ponying up $29.99 for a small bag of candy. Hill Holilday VP and creative director Rick McHugh was very excited about the campaign, saying, “Turning something that’s digital into something that’s physical is a dream creative assignment, and we’re thrilled to bring it to life for NECCO.”

The best part of the campaign has to be Hill Holiday producer Chuck Woodard rapping in the above video. Needless to say, it’s pretty funny. We’ll abstain from commenting further, and hand this one over to the comments section…

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Where’s Bart Simpson?

That’s what countless viewers will be asking when they see the teaser ad promoting Nestle’s new Butterfinger cups, the first new Butterfinger product in five years. Nestle has decided to do away with Butterfinger’s longtime mascot (at least for this campaign), instead opting for something “much more broad” that still keeps with the brand’s “clever, irreverent personality” says Butterfinger brand Manager Jeremy Vandervoet. We’re not sure what prompted the move away from the Simpsons, but the results of Butterfinger’s first Bart-less campaign in ages are a little bizarre.

The spot centers around a couple –Peanut Butter and Chocolate — sitting in the waiting room for “Happy Together Edible Couples Counseling,” following introductory text explaining that “The relationship between Chocolate and Peanut Butter is about to change.” As the couple is looked over by the ornery Fish and Chips, Chocolate asks, “Don’t you think it would be nice to try something new, and crunchy?” The 1:11 ad gets suggestive when the couple eye up a Butterfinger centerfold in Exotic Snacking magazine, and Cheese and Crackers emerge from the therapist’s office holding a comically large and strategically placed sausage. “The cup is about to get crunchy” reads the tagline, before the new Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups are revealed.

While this teaser is not the same as the 30-second spot that will appear in the Super Bowl, it should give you a good idea of what to expect, as the big game spot will reportedly feature the same Edible Couples Counseling theme. We also know what not to expect: Bart Simpson. Keep your eyes peeled during the Super Bowl for Dailey’s new work for Butterfinger, and let us know what you think of the new approach in the comments section.

Update: We’ve received notification that the agency behind this spot was Threshold, not Dailey.

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Just three months after gaining the Alive! duties, IPG owned L.A.-based, IPG agency Dailey has won some new work for a notable client. Here’s a statement from Nestle itself: “Yes, Dailey LA has taken over duties for Skinny Cow Ice Cream and Candy from JWT NY.” Yes, this is a brand from Nestle, which we’ve been told chose Dailey over JWT and Publicis in its review for ad duties on its sweets brand.

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People who use cell phones in movie theaters are annoying. So annoying, in fact, that some other people argue that cell phone use in movie theaters should literally be punished by death, though that may be a bit extreme according to law enforcement and those that cherish human life.

For some reason, otherwise rational human beings have a tendency to abandon logic upon entering movie theaters. Perhaps it’s the cover of darkness that detaches individuals from their transgressions, as otherwise measured requests like “Hey, will you shut the fuck up?” are routinely answered with, “Why don’t you come over here and make me, fuckface?” Then children cry and Cars 2 is ruined for everyone, which wouldn’t have been such a big deal had we not spent $30 on concessions. (That’s where they get you.) Thus, our nation’s fine cinema chains are forced to accept the fact that humans loses empathy for one another once the previews start. That’s where America’s favorite anthropomorphic M+M’s come in.

Not only is this mini-movie from BBDO NY groundbreaking because it’s “the first time all six beloved M&M’S spokescandies have been featured together in one spot,” but it actually features accompanying fake movie posters (see after jump) plastered around theaters that will surely disappoint your children when you have to explain to them that it’s only an ad. (“But you said you wanted to see Cars 2! What the fuck!”) Credits after the jump.

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More and more companies are starting to implement strategies and systems to leverage influencers to become marketing and brand allies. And they are doing it with great success. Whether it be content marketing, social media or word of mouth, often times your employees are your best brand advocates. In this article, we will touch on:

1. Why employees make a good sales and marketing channel
2. What employees can do to drive sales and marketing productivity
3. The benefits of activating and automating employees to become brand advocates
4. Why now?

1) There are many reasons why employees have the potential to be a powerful sales and marketing channel for your brand. First, in today’s connected world, employees can reach their social networks on the brands behalf, easily and often. They have a strong voice. In addition, employees are typically very knowledgeable about your products and services and a good percentage of them are passionate about the company. Lastly, their friends listen to them and they can drive your brands message.

More than ever before, buyers look to a trusted source before making a purchase decision. Employees can and will reach out to their social networks and spread a brand’s message, especially if they are encouraged and enabled to do so.

2) Employees do many things that are very important to the brand. They can:

– Refer their friends.
– Recruit new hires and great talent
– Amplify marketing messages
– Forward content about new products and promotions
– Write testimonials

Even better? They can do these things at scale.

3) The benefits are impressive. Leads are the lifeblood of all companies and by enabling and encouraging employees to refer their friends, brands can:

– Build brand awareness and build a highly positive reputation
– Generate the highest quality leads – leads that drive new customer acquisition
– Create higher levels of employee enthusiasm and loyalty to your company
– Save money and lower risk when compared to traditional advertising and marketing initiatives.

4) Why now? Although employee advocacy isn’t a new concept, in the past it has been an operational nightmare to create and manage these programs. But today’s technology has made it easy for administrators to set up, support and manage advocacy programs. Technology makes it easy to:

– Enroll employees into the program
– Provide employees the tools to easily reach out to their networks
– Track and manage all the workflows and controls so brands can measure results
– Automate the process of brands thanking and nurturing employees for their contributions so they continue to advocate on behalf of the brand

This is not a future pipedream. Mobilizing employees, customers and 3rd party influencers to leverage their trusted relationships is happening everywhere because it is smart business: they are a sales and marketing channels of the future.

This guest post was written by Dick Beedon, CEO of Amplifinity.

In exchange for a lifetime supply of Doritos Los Tacos, Tyler agrees to get a tattoo…of a taco…on his arm. It’s relevant because Toronto Taco Bells decided to keep DLT on their menus permanently after a trail run. Aside from the unintended sexual connotations of a taco tattoo, Tyler fails to realize that in a few decades, it’s possible that Taco Bell takes the tacos off their menu (though we’ve been told they’re “permanent” in Canada). Not guaranteed, but possible, and then he has a tattoo of an obsolete offering from Taco Bell. Tyler is maybe 50 or 60 at this point and thriving as an MP in Toronto. If this scenario plays out, does Tyler still get the tacos for life? Would love to get a copy of his contract.

The spot itself, from Toronto shop Grip Limited, is not as exciting as the idea behind it. Fairly simple, guy walks into tattoo parlor, gets tattoo, confirms stereotypes by saying things like, “I’ve been a fan of Taco Bell since I was ten years old,” even though he looks about 26. I’d have to imagine the kind of person who finds this spot cool already eats Doritos Los Tacos regularly, has half-serious plans to move to Colorado or Uruguay, and is probably between the ages of 15-19. If not, then I’ve really overestimated the collective common sense of humanity. Credits after the jump.

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In case you missed its multiple airings during the NFL playoff games over the weekend, here’s a new anthem ad for the iPad Air, which perhaps interestingly enough is not a TBWA\Media Arts Lab joint according to folks on the Spy line. (we’re checking on this)

That may come as less of a surprise after viewing the spot, which is something of a departure from Apple’s recent tone and style. The 90 second long “Your Verse” attempts to inspire via an ode to poetry and beauty, while documenting a wide range of different ways people use their iPad Air. While the device is never mentioned during the ad, it is shown in action during almost every shot, in locations around the world. The title of the ad comes from the Walt Whitman poem, “O Me! O Life!” (you may recognize it from the movie, Dead Poets Society) which it directly quotes from. “Your Verse” ends by repeating the final line of the poem — “That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.” — before asking, “What will your verse be?”

The visually impressive, Whitman quoting spot is, while a departure from recent advertising strategies for Apple, also something of a restatement of the company’s supposed core values. Instead of telling you about device functionality, or attempting a sentimental family scene, the spot instead tells you about what Apple stands for, or at least what they’d like you to think they stand for. For Apple, that’s something of a return to the fundamentals. Whether that’s inspiring or overblown and pretentious will depend largely on the viewer.

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