Hasta La Creative!

To promote extraordinary moments and a general sense of YOLO, Pepsi Max, with the help of London-based Arnold KLP, employed the skills of Dynamo, a young magician from Yorkshire. “London: I love the energy of this city, and the sense that anything is possible. But sometimes, with the pace of city life, it’s hard to appreciate the magic that’s all around us,” Dynamo drawls.

He proceeds to levitate and go for a ride around Londontown, one hand on an iconic double decker bus. The people look up in surprise. “How does he do it?” “I don’t know!” We hear in the background. Online, the illusion got the same kind of attention, with 4.9 million views in 48 hours.

If we’re to believe YouTube commenters, Dynamo is either Jesus, Satan, or using a fake arm and harness to stay afloat. Take your pick. In any case, the stunt is a fun way to pull people out of the daily grey drone, though its accompanying hashtag is an unfortunate double entendre. Try levitating on the side of a bus crossing Westminster bridge, and live…for now. Credits after the jump.

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In early June, San Fran-based Camp + King took over as the first AOR for the mobile dating site Zoosk. Seven weeks later, we herald the return of Heart Friend, the chatty heart-shaped mascot who is now doling out dating advice for inquiring users. Zoosk asked its users to post questions on Facebook, and then the Zoosk team selected the best posts for our little buddy, Heart Friend.

Each week, Heart Friend will answer one question by video for the site’s YouTube channel. This week: what to wear on a first date. Heart Friend does some rambling about men being bulls and then goes into an awkward aside about a red dress. Heart Friend has a man’s voice, but then shows up wearing a dress, which is supposed to make you laugh, I think? Cupid must already be under contract elsewhere. Credits after the jump.

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During the NBA Finals last month, PlayStation debuted a new mini-film from BBH NY titled “Greatness Awaits” which featured a wide array of game characters and a whimsical narrator talking sternly to the camera (much like in this 2009 spot BBH NY did for Johnnie Walker). With over 5 million YouTube plays, the big budget ad was hailed as a mild success, falling somewhere between “Hedgehog Reacts to Fart” and “One Direction Crash Barbie’s Party! 1D Dolls Party All Night! OMG !.::Original Video::.”

To the untrained eye, it would appear that the spot’s success was owed to its subtle nods to some of PlayStation’s biggest titles paired with the sort of over-the-top visual effects that gamers subsist upon. However, any true gamer knows that the ad’s success is owed predominantly to the elaborate costuming employed, causing PlayStation to make a second ad in order to offer the costumes as prizes of some sort. Yes, it’s an ad for an ad, or “Adception” if you will.

Anyway, gamers can bid of the costumes from the spot using trophy points or something that they earn by being good at video games. Then everyone will play dress-up and have a great time. Learn more at bidforgreatness.com and view credits after the jump.

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Well, the three-year relationship between Denny’s and IPG-owned, New York-based agency Gotham has come to an end. In a pretty self-explanatory statement, Frances Allen, chief brand officer for the 60-year-old diner/casual restaurant chain, says:

“We are very grateful to Gotham. ‘America’s Diner is Always Open’ has reconnected with consumers across America, earning us both an Effie and a Cannes Lion award in the process. We are enormously proud of that work and are thankful to Gotham for their dedication and partnership over the last 3 years.

All businesses evolve, and Denny’s is no different. Over the last four years we have developed a strong relationship with Erwin Penland through their work on various aspects of our business, and we believe that their ever expanding expertise and unique understanding of the Denny’s brand makes them the right fit as our agency of record going forward. With Erwin Penland we see the opportunity to both consolidate our business for efficiency and enhance our united national and local marketing and advertising efforts, while upholding the high creative standards that have been set by Gotham.”

Gotham initially beat out Erwin Penland (as well as BBDO and KBS+) back in August 2010 for the Denny’s duties, though EP continued partnering with the brand for menus, merchandising and local support. Erwin Penland will now handle both creative and media. As for Gotham, perhaps the agency’s most notable work for Denny’s, from our perspective at least, was the “Always Open” series hosted by David Koechner and featuring a host of famous folks including Jessica Biel, Jason Bateman, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. You can check out the Poehler clip after the jump if you’d like.

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Suffice it to say that it’s been a busy day on the account front. We first started hearing about this last Friday and though the Wieden + Kennedy camp confirmed that its Portland HQ was still in the pitch for tax preparation/filing service TurboTax, the agency referred any other inquiries to the brand’s parent company, Intuit. Well, we didn’t hear back from the latter but it’s now hit the wire that W+K has indeed been named AOR for TurboTax following a three-month review. Beginning August 1, W+K will take over on creative and media planning duties for TT, which were previously handled by L.A.-based agency, Dailey. According to earlier reports, W+K beat out the likes of CP+B, goodness Mfg. and Campbell Ewald for the TurboTax business.

In a statement, TurboTax VP of marketing Greg Johnson says, “From our first meeting, the chemistry between our two teams was clear. The Wieden+Kennedy team understands that TurboTax is central to the financial lives of millions of Americans. They share our belief that TurboTax exists to empower people to do their taxes and get their biggest refund. With their long history of developing great work that transforms brands, we are thrilled about the prospects for this partnership.”

Now, one can only wonder if W+K continues with the tax prep ad war between TurboTax and H&R Block in their upcoming efforts.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

To showcase their back-to-school dorm room wares, Target and Deutsch LA have built Bullseye University, a 4-day interactive installation housing social media stars such as actor/musician Chester See and Jenn Im of Clothes Encounters. Online visitors can see live-streams of the University’s inhabitants and then click to purchase the items in each of their rooms. The Bullseye U site also hosts back to school-centric giveaways and events like a Ben and Jerry’s milkshake dunk tank, which starts at 10am PST today by the way.

As a preteen who once waited with bated breath for the newest Pbteen catalogue, I can imagine getting into this scheme as a college freshman. Especially if I was already a follower of the social media celebs involved, Target’s campaign would play to my college fantasies. Alas, we all know the truth is less colorful and more drinking-oriented, but Bullseye University’s version lets us run wild with creative, Internet-savvy roommates and purple throw pillows.

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In case you didn’t hear last week, Boca Raton-based ADT Security Services has put its creative, media and digital accounts into separate reviews. The first two portions have been handled by Doner since 1999 (this spot is still airing last time we checked), while BGT and Razorfish handled the last component in recent years. Well, we’ve received a statement from an ADT spokesperson that may clarify things a bit and it goes a little something like this:

“ADT is conducting a closed marketing agency review. The focus areas for agency support include: brand strategy, creative development, media planning and buying, and digital services. As a new public company, ADT is evaluating many aspects of its business, including new and innovative ways to engage with consumers on the benefits of home and small business security and automation solutions. All current agencies have been invited to participate in the review process.”

ADT, which currently counts 6.4 million customers and has over 200 locations across the U.S. and Canada, went public in October 2012 and is listed on the NYSE as, you guessed it, ADT.

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Earlier this week, we covered some Sid Lee Paris video game business. Today, we’re moving back across the Atlantic, as Sid Lee New York debuts a 3-Bee (yup, they punned 3-D) printing project for Dewar’s Highlander Honey whiskey. The technology allows for  80,000 bees to mimic their natural environment in a factory setting and create hives in custom shapes, like a Dewar’s whiskey bottle. The Ebeling Group, which produced the accompanying video, had to do their work in full beekeeper suits. That is how you commit to a project.

The 60-second video offers viewers an artsy glimpse into the totality of the 3-Bee project. The edgy tone comes from muted lighting and  background music that might as well be a leftover composition from Radiohead member Jonny Greenwood‘s There Will Be Blood soundtrack. I’m not sure that this strategy would make me want to purchase a drinkable product, but the creativity involved more than makes up for it with originality. Credits after the jump.

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Our unnamed bartender protagonist in the latest Tanqueray spot from Sundance/Mother says things like, “there’s nothing better than making a great drink for someone, putting a smile on their face.” He’s corny and sentimental, yet he has a great mustache, so we’ll give him a free pass. He is, as the ad’s title suggests, an unsung hero: part blue-collar working man, and part trendy wannabe in his black vest ensemble. Whatever he is, he’s a lot different in tone than the goofy Tony Sinclair. Sinclair was always too flamboyant to be anyone’s unsung hero.

This new spot is a test run for Sundance, as the channel hopes to add more branded content in the near future. Plans are already in motion for roundtable discussions with agency writers talking about creating Geico ads. A lot is being done in-house, offering a glimpse at how advertising will continue to evolve.

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The world is weird, and Snapple has succeeded in giving us small moments to reflect and delight in that with every juice. Now with their latest digital campaign from Code and Theory (check out our recent Cubes tour with the shop here), those moments are deepened via “Re-enFACTments,” videos that bring Snapple Real Facts to life.

The most recent bit of useless knowledge re-enFACTed is that the ostrich’s brain is smaller than its eyeball. To prove this point, we see the ostrich peck moodily at the camera, allow humans to ride on its feathery back, and make vague humming sounds. But the real point is that, “the true measurement of a champion *isn’t* the size of its brain.”

365: Neck-in-Neck is an HBO-24/7-style sports documentary on the wild world of ostrich racing. In the 5-minute (riveting and thus justified) spot, we watch the townfolk of Chandler, Arizona, put on their annual ostrich race, featuring both riding and chariot racing. Snapple interviews the head trainer and his prize ostrich, Julio, who was apparently bullied as a youngster. He hid his head in the sand but was still mercilessly attacked by vicious teenage beaks. Today he is a winner.

This is all real, seconded by a Daily Mail article on the “Hilarious and Unpredictable World of the Great American Ostrich Races.” There’s something fascinating about ostriches, and seeing fully-grown men on their backs is even more bizarre. Snapple strikes us with wonder every time we open a juice, and this campaign lengthens that curiosity, engaging until the last sip.

Credits after the jump

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