Toronto-based, WPP-owned john st. came up with a clever way to spread the message about sustainable fishing for WWF Canada.
In their new 1:16 animated spot they show a tractor with an enormous net engulfing everything in its path as a way of harvesting crops. They then pose the question: “We don’t farm like this. So why do we fish like this?” A bit hyperbolic perhaps, but effective at communicating their message.
The importance of sustainable fishing is a growing issue everywhere, with the disastrous effects of overfishing becoming readily apparent. Yet, it’s also something a lot of people are still uninformed about. Showing unsustainable fishing techniques applied to farming — in a very literal (some may say over-simplified) way — gives an easy to understand visual demonstration of the environmental harm caused by reckless fishing practices, one that anyone can understand. The spot ends by giving viewers an alternative to supporting reckless fishing practices: choosing MSC certified sustainable seafood. Credits after the jump.
It’s an age old question. How soon is too soon to poke fun at a disaster? As history would inform, the answer is usually never. There are just too many emotions tied up in certain unfortunate events to make light of them. Even an event that happened 101 years ago is seemingly off limits.
When Red Bull made light of the Titanic sinking by suggesting the Titanic would not have sunk had it been carrying Red Bull, viewers were outraged and lodged complaints with the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority.
The animated ad, which began running in Germany earlier this year and then more recently in the UK, features a captain telling a dock worker to stop loading Red Bull and, instead, load champagne. After the dock worker tells the Captain, “Red Bull gives you wings,” the captain laughs and replies, “Wings? Why on earth would you need wings on a ship?” The crate then lowers revealing the ship to be the Titanic.
The ASA has received 50 complaints but the organization has not yet made a decision as to whether or not to ban the ad.
It’s not as if we haven’t seen an ad that brings tears to the eyes before but this one is so basic, so human and, in all likelihood, a representation of something that happens more often then we know. While the media love to celebrate the tragedy of life, in hidden corners of the world — and right here at home under our noses — acts of kindness happen every day. This work from Thai communications brand TrueMove H captures that that very basic human spirit.
Toronto studio Ubisoft teamed up with Soap Creative to develop an integrated mobile companion to Splinter Cell Blacklist.
The game, released August 20th across PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC platforms, is the latest in the popular Splinter Cell series, and marks the return of Tom Clancy’s Sam Fisher character. Soap Creative helped Ubisoft extend the game’s Strategic Mission Interface, while also adding three AAA mobile games that let players continue their Splinter Cell Blacklist experience while on the go. Ubisoft and Soap Creative hope that the mobile games will not only appeal to hardcore fans of the franchise by allowing them to earn currency transferable to Splinter Cell Blacklist, but also attract new gamers with an experience that can function independent of the console game.
“Companion experiences are creating new players and a broader universe for them to enjoy, even among the most established franchises,” says Matt Griswold, managing partner at Soap. Splinter Cell certainly qualifies as an established franchise, with a pretty large audience already willing to shell out for the latest in the series. The question is whether adding mobile games will help them convert new fans.
If you live in Quebec and happen to see giant pieces of women’s clothing and accessories, do not be alarmed. Rather, be intrigued. Toronto shop john st. – creators of the Lake Huron “Save the Drop” campaign, among many others – has teamed with Winners, the Canadian version of Marshall’s, for an immense scavenger hunt across Quebec called “Find Big, Score Big.” Shoppers who find seven-foot-tall high heels will be happy to know they are not involved in a bad post-modern art show. And more importantly, the first three shoppers to come across each installment will win designer items worth up to $1,000. The next 25 shoppers will receive $25 gift cards. I’m tempted to say we’re all winners, but we’re not.
For those interested scavengers who don’t want to drive around Quebec aimlessly, you can find clues on the Winners Facebook page, which from a brand marketing standpoint, is a savvy way to drive up social media engagement in both the short- and long-term. Users will be more inclined to periodically check the pages to see if similar giveaways are taking place, and the costs to serve a local audience like this are relatively minimal. The contest lasts until September 24, and you can look at additional photos from the campaign after the jump.
UK and Chicago-based brand design agency, and longtime McDonald’s partner, Boxer has created a new packaging design for McDonald’s takeout bags and fountain beverage cups.
Boxer’s CCO Paul Castledinedescribes the new design, without irony, as one that “takes customers on a visual journey of discovery into all the things that make their McDonald’s meal enjoyable.” Visual journey of discovery? What he means is the new bag design features text saying things like “perfectly seasoned” “sssh! secret sauce” and “melting cheese sizzling beef!” accompanied by attractive graphics. The packaging design seems somewhat reminiscent of Chipotle, and it’s hard to fault McDonald’s and Boxer for looking to Chipotle’s success at appealing to Millenials for inspiration.
Since McDonald’s can’t exactly champion the quality of its ingredients (other than to remind you they use 100% beef), more vague but appetizing-sounding descriptions of the food are necessary. The newly-designed cups and bags also feature a QR code providing customers easy access to nutritional information from mobile devices, so they can know exactly how much they’re setting back their diet with their burger run. All in all, Boxer’s new designs are attractive and the new bags and cups should look great crumpled up on the floors of McDonald’s customers everywhere.
Details are foggy at this point, but sources familiar with the matter that McCann Erickson New York has won the U.S. biz for Zurich Insurance following a pitch. From what we’re hearing, the brand has worked with a few U.S. agencies in the past including a pretty familiar incumbent but has now solidified a U.S. agency. There have been some names thrown into the mix including a few outside of the IPG network. We’re checking with Zurich on the matter for clarification/comment.
ESPN and ESPN Deportes will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month — which is not actually a calendar month, but a month-long period from September 15 through October 15 — with a 60-minute primetime special celebrating the most renowned Hispanic athletes airing on both networks Monday, September 17 at 8 p.m.
The top 10 countdown is sponsored by Jack Daniel’s and Gillette and will include such legends as Roberto Clemente, Lionel Messi, Oscar de la Hoya, and the soon-to-be-retired Mariano Rivera. Athletes were ranked from an initial list of 50 athletes by a panel of journalists, entertainers, athletes and Hispanic community leaders. One Nación was produced in front of a live live audience in Los Angeles. The bilingual show will be hosted by ESPN Deportes’ Adriana Monsalve and SportsCenter anchor Max Bretos and features special guests unveiling the countdown.
In the social sphere, Gillette is sponsoring a live Twitter fan vote encouraging fans to choose between the number one and number two athletes while discussing the countdown, while Jack Daniel’s will sponsor a recap of the top ten during the show as the top athletes are revealed. Both brands will also be integrated through different live events and programs scheduled for the rest of Hispanic Heritage Month, including vignettes featuring Hispanic athletes such as Carmelo Anthony, Sergio Romo, Victor Cruz, and Omar Gonzalez.
A new NFL brings new DDB Chicago State Farm ads featuring Packers QB, Aaron Rodgers, and his bastardized touchdown dance, the “Discount Double-Check.”
Now, even though the Packers are my favorite team and Rodgers is my favorite player, it’s clear that he has gotten no better at acting over the past off-season. I would hope, and assume, that this is due to his hours spent in practice. Supporting Rodgers in this spot (by taking the focus momentarily off of him) are SNL “Superfans” Robert Smigel (part of the original sketch) and George Wendt (who joined later and was also on Cheers so yeah). Apparently, the highest-paid NFL player doesn’t fly first class and is forced to hang out with Bears fans in coach.
Oh, and the “Discount Double-Check” becomes the “Discount Daaa-ble Check” because fuck you, Packers fans. State Farm giveth, and State Farm taketh away. But, they’re trying to make it up to you with a social extension, in which you submit yourself to public Facebook embarrassment based on bets over fantasy football. It’s called Fantasy Football Double Down because we all needed a reminder about KFC’s gross sandwich of the same name. Credits after the jump.
Well this is certainly sad. In less than three months, many of the 368 remaining drive-ins across the U.S. will go dark forever if they can’t afford to convert to digital projection, estimated at $75,000+ per screen. Honda aims to change that. In support of Project Drive-In, Honda’s effort to save as many drive-ins as possible, the automaker is hosting a one-day live Twitter Vine auction today with film critic Leonard Maltin as auctioneer. Proceeds will go directly to Project Drive-In: Save the Drive-In Fund.
Starting at 10AM PST, a Vine video will post on the @Honda Twitter account showcasing at least eight items available for auction. Each item will be opened up to bidding when that item-specific Vine video is tweeted out with information detailing the minimum bid price and auction closing time.
To participate in the auction, bidders will tweet the title of the item, bid price and hash tag #DriveInAuction. The highest bid at the close of the auction wins. @Honda will tweet the winning bidder who will then be directed via @Honda direct message to a payment page on the Project Drive-In fundraising Web page. The auction will conclude at 2 p.m. PT.
Auction items include:
– Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 plush toys, autographed poster, concept artwork and Hollywood VIP package featuring tickets to the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 premiere and tour of the Sony Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation studio lots
– Four Disneyland park hopper tickets and four Aquarium of the Pacific tickets
– Basketball and license plate signed by Maroon 5, headlining the 2013 Honda Civic Tour
– Private suite experience at Paramore concert (headlined 2010 Honda Civic Tour) at Honda Center on Oct. 19, includes tickets and catering for 16 people
In addition, a Honda-donated 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite is available on the Project Drive-In fundraising Web page for $50,000 and will be promoted during the auction. The donation will not only award the winning bidder with the brand new Odyssey minivan, but also help fund an additional digital projector and save another drive-in from closing.
Of the effort, Honda & Acura Social Marketing Manager Alicia Jones said,”Project Drive-In has sparked so many heartwarming stories and dedicated communities determined to save their drive-in culture that Honda feels compelled to do even more. We want to help people keep their drive-ins open, so we have launched this auction utilizing Vine and Twitter to help get more people involved by leveraging a medium where people are already talking about #SaveTheDriveIn.”
Drive-in theaters are a once ubiquitous American tradition that has all but become extinct. Honda’s Project Drive-In, launched August 9th, seeks to save the nation’s 368 remaining drive-ins by helping them convert to digital projectors as 35mm film distribution comes to an end.
Building on early successes with the project, Honda will launch the first ever live Twitter and Vine auction, with well-known film critic Leonard Maltin serving as auctioneer for the 4-hour event. The auction began at 1PM EST today, with funds raised going directly to help ailing drive-ins.
A Vine video posted to the @Honda Twitter account showcases “at least eight items” available for auction. To bid on an item, participants tweet the title of the item, bid price and hash tag #DriveInAuction. Honda will then tweet the winning bidder at the end of the auction, who will be directed via @Honda direct message to make a payment on the Project Drive-In fundraising page. So far auction items revealed have ranged from the worthwhile — four Disneyland park hopper tickets and four Aquarium of the Pacific tickets — to “That’s a prize!?” — basketball and license plate signed by Maroon 5; tickets to the premiere of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, along with signed merchandise. It’s nice to see Honda using innovative social engagement for a good cause. Hopefully the auction helps Project Drive-In save a few theaters.
In the UK, true bar magic may be when some big bald guv’nah throws down way too many pints and then walks off like he was sipping shirley temples. But for those who prefer a more traditional type of magic, Space and Heineken premium lager brand Desperados have teamed for a new “Bar-Illusions” campaign that consists of street magicians performing bar tricks around the country. The goal is to generate some buzz for Desperado’s line of tequila-flavored lager.
In the above promo video, “Cap in Bottle,” you can see popular street magician Gerry Sims working a small staged crowd with one of his deft tricks. Watching the magic: fun. Dealing with the aftermath of a tequila-infused beer hangover the next morning: not as much fun. While you mull that over, you can watch another quick Sims trick after the jump.
Details are hazy at this point, but as mentioned above, sources familiar with the matter confirm that Crispin Porter + Bogusky has taken over ad duties for Turkish Airlines, the carrier that last we recall brought us an amusing campaign starring two of the greatest in their respective sports, Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi. The ad dubbed “Legends on Board” was created by hometown agency Alametifarika, though we haven’t received word if said agency participated in the review for the Turkish global account. We’ll keep you posted if and when we have more info.
For their first rebranding effort in 40 years, Meineke has enlisted the help of YouTube sensation Robby Novak, better known as “Kid President.” Novak is cast as Meineke’s “Kid Mechanic” for the new campaign “Drive A Little Smarter,” developed by Pitch, which features television spots, outdoor, print and digital marketing. But the rebranding doesn’t stop there, extending even to a new logo and uniforms.
The short TV spots — “Transmission,” “Oil Change” and “General Car Care” — are simple yet effective (and propelled by music from a certain Devo member). “Drive A Little Smarter” (which also functions as Meineke’s new tagline) seeks to educate customers on how short-term maintenance can prevent long-term issues (and thus save you money). They seem to be built around Novak’s natural charm and funny facial expressions, with an almost off-the-cuff feel. Banking on Novak’s charm and familiarity seems like a pretty safe bet, after all this is a kid who has tacked up over 20 million YouTube views. Novak doesn’t stray far from the humorous optimism he perfected with his viral YouTube work for SoulPancake, and his familiarity should work to Meineke’s advantage, keeping TV viewers in the room when they recognize “Kid President.” Child actors can go from charming to annoying pretty quickly, but it’s hard to imagine anyone hating on the winsome “Kid Mechanic.” I’m sure the comments section will prove me wrong, though. Credits and second video after the jump. continued…
Falling squarely in the “why bother” category, yesterday Nokia rode the Apple news cycle with a tweet that thanked Apple for, as Nokia UK put it, copying them with the introduction of the iPhone 5c which comes in colors. The tweet, which read “Thanks, #Apple ;)” carried an image of Nokia’s colored phones under the headline, “Imitation is the best form of flattery.”
Actually, Nokia, it’s “imitation is the SINCEREST form of flattery” if you want to get things right. And if Apple copied Nokia then it copied every single other phone brand and, well, every other brand in every other category that makes its products in different colors.
To date, the tweet has been retweeted 32,630 times. Not bad for an account with just over 42,000 followers.
Leo Burnett’s “Design Your Life” campaign for the new Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear, which the agency hopes to present as “vehicles of inspiration,” kicks off with the 2:51 length “Sweet Dreams.”
“Sweet Dreams” tells the story of a young woman who wants to save her grandfather’s failing toy shop. The ad follows the woman around as she utilizes six of the phone’s distinct features, all leading to a puppet performance that presumably will help revive the shop (somehow). While “Sweet Dreams,” directed by music video veteran Paul Hunter, sets the bar very high in terms of production, direction and cinematography — Samsung and Leo Burnett go as far as to call it a “digital short film” (a bit self-congratulatory if you ask me) — the writing and overall concept are a bit of a head-scratcher. Why isn’t anyone going to the toy store, it looks awesome? Is the puppet show really going to help? The store is closed at the time of performance and the stage seems to be blocking any view of the store itself.
If you can put aside the strange and poorly realized premise, the stylization works well, and Leo Burnett does a good job of showing the phone’s features in action. Plus, what’s not to love about dancing puppets? (Although the “puppets” in question were actually real dancers converted to CGI, rather than actual marionettes.) Whether or not it works as a story (or “digital short film”), “Sweet Dreams” does a good job of showcasing Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear. A promising start to the campaign, hopefully next time Leo Burnett can pull off a better realized concept to fulfill the potential of their impressive production. continued…
Lexus wanted to show that the Lexus IS Hybrid is a unique car, so “Trace Your Road”– a collaboration between Saatchi and Saatchi Italy, Logan, Movie Magic and Fake Love, is a completely different kind of ad.
Whether you call it a “life-size video game,” “real-time and real world video game,”or just a unique experiential event created and filmed with impeccable visual design, “Trace Your Road” is daring on many levels. And a little dangerous, actually.
The event, held July 26th, took place inside a large aircraft carrier near Rome. Ten finalists chosen from applicants on Lexus’ Facebook page (now that’s engagement), sat in the passenger seat while F1 driver Jarno Trulli drove through a course, traced on the spot by those contestants, using a tablet that projected the course onto the floor with the help of a collection of 12-20K and 22K projectors. Contestants were penalized if Trulli drove outside the projected course or touched the walls of the hangar. What resulted was a ton of impressive driving and incredible footage. Oh, and no horrific accidents.
The footage for the television spots — produced by Movie Magic and directed by Logan’s Alan Bibby, with app design and generative visuals by Fake Love — was used in :15, :30, :60, and 1:20 spots. “Trace Your Road” succeeds as a visually stunning spot that pushes boundaries, utilizes innovative consumer engagement and, perhaps most importantly, makes the Lexus IS Hybrid look like a ton of fun to drive. The behind-the-scenes video, also well worth your time, is featured along with credits after the jump.
Making music with Pizza Hut pizza? Well, it sure as hell beats eating it.
Toronto agency Grip Limited took a fun idea and ran with it for their celebration of Pizza Hut Canada reaching a quarter of a million fans on Facebook. They hardwired 12 of their dipping sauces (designed to distract you from the awful taste of their pizza) to become a kind of interactive keyboard. The sauces were then “played” by being dunked with pizza by a DJ/composer/whatever you call a dude who makes music by dunking pizza in dip, to create the first song performed with pizza. (Why hasn’t anyone done this yet?)
Although I was skeptical about this process yielding anything that actually sounds like music, Pizza Hut and Grip Limited pull it off surprisingly well. It’s not Timbaland or anything, but hey, it was made with pizza. They fail, however, at making the pizza look even remotely appetizing.
Has Pizza Hut just created a new genre of music/use for pizza? Your move, Domino’s. continued…
Virginia Alber-Glanstaetten, group director of planning at Huge, has returned with her monthly column for this here site, this time discussing a certain fast-food chain that has gone from zero to hero in the shortest time. Now, who’s in the mood for a Fiery? Take it away, Virginia.
Just earlier this summer, Taco Bell faced a Public Relations nightmare when an employee posted a picture of himself licking taco shells on Facebook. The photo was part of an internal contest supposed to feature employees enjoying their first taste of a new product. While the news was everywhere at the time, it did little to slow down the Taco Bell marketing juggernaut, hailed last week as 2013’s “Marketer of the Year.” So, for anyone not already paying attention, I decided to crowdsource from my team the biggest lessons for marketers from Taco Bell’s recent success:
1. Fail fast, and move on. Taco Bell realized quickly in 2011 that dumb white guy humor wasn’t getting them what they needed. A focus on product innovation and the realization that Taco Bell was, for many, a staple part of their diet — helped them successfully Live Mas. Taco Bell did not waste a cycle on lame humor, but quickly sought new ways to position themselves as both relevant and real, leaving their past positioning behind.
2. Partner Smart. Partnerships come in many forms. Whether it’s a product, brand, or a digital technology partnership, you need to associate with brands that will add value to the customer experience. We all know that the Doritos partnership was super smart—it makes total sense—and 45 product tests later, Taco Bell was in the money with their first Doritos shell. It wasn’t just a great product innovation, it tapped into an emotional and experiential component that lives on long after you’ve finished eating: nostalgia, deeply appealing to Taco Bell’s target market. Nostalgia aside, there are a total of 126 different types of Doritos flavors around the world, which leaves Taco Bell a plethora of options and can guarantee that people will be less and less consumed with where the beef is, and more about which taco shell to choose.
Jung von Matt/Alster Werbeagentur GmbH go for the “just throw a bunch of crazy shit together” approach over the “actually makes sense” approach with their “Add Power” spot for Vodafone.
The 1:38 spot, directed by RadicalMedia’s Sebastian Strasser, feels more like a trailer for a Michael Bay movie than a commercial for a telecommunications network. It features everything from robocats and shark riding to a rocket train (that the spots’ protagonist somehow manages to keep a grip on while it’s moving at supersonic speed).
Presumably, all this craziness is a testament to the Vodafone high speed network. It’s pure testosterone over common (or any other kind of) sense. The spot certainly left me with a lot of questions: What kind of drugs is this dude on? How exactly does one ride a shark? How might I acquire a robocat? Will Vodafone be partnering with Axe Bodyspray in the future? These and other questions remain unanswered.
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