Here’s Your Rather Straightforward Comment Regarding Draftfcb, Kmart

As has been widely reported this morning, Draftfcb has renewed its relationship with Kmart and this statement from a spokesperson for parent Sears Holding Co. (the agency referred all inquiries to the client) basically sums it up: “Kmart has concluded its agency review. Draftfcb will retain its AOR status as well as acquire additional responsibilities for our fashion business.” We’ll let you know if a memo falls into our hands, but it looks like the success of “Ship My Pants” and subsequent play-on-words campaigns from DFCB for the retail chain sealed the deal. We’ve been told by folks on the Spy line that McCann NY “finished a very close second.”

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McCann Germany, Studiosus Project Ancient 3D Faces Onto Trees

Studiosus, a German “culture lover’s travel guide,” wanted to pay homage to extinct cultures of the world while publicizing their unique approach to travel. So they partnered with Clément Briend, a French artist who creates large scale projections, sometimes on the Arc de Triomphe, other times on anonymous city walls. For this project, he made 3D representations of ancient faces and projected them onto trees in Dusseldorf’s Hofgarten Park. Next to each shining work, an old-looking stone slab read, “Discover the World’s Faces – Studiosus.”

“The works of Clément Briend and the travels of Studiosus have a lot in common,” said Bill Biancoli, COO of MacCann Germany. “Both send the viewer on a journey. When looking at Clément’s projections, the viewer goes on an internal journey. With Studiosus, the outside journey with its varied impressions influences our inside, thus creating a fascinating and unique view of our world.“

Briend agreed on the multifaceted nature of his work (something that inevitably coincides with a travel brand like Studiosus): “Everyone can find his own point of view in my works,” he said. “Because reality presents itself in different perspectives. Some like my art, some are frightened by it. My photo-projections are a mirror of the viewer’s mind. They project the images they bear inside.” Are YOU afraid of the dark?

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For Singapore’s National Day, Mentos Asks Finland to Play Fiancée

Last year, in honor of Singapore’s National Day, Mentos encouraged the country’s population to procreate. Apparently their campaign went a little too well, because this year’s National Day theme addresses Singapore’s overpopulation issue.

Mentos’ answer is to marry Finland, the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. No, it’s not anywhere close to Singapore. This can’t be a serious proposition, which then leaves me wondering why Mentos created a 4-minute long lyric video for it. Is it about spreading awareness of overpopulation? Is it just for fun? If the latter, Mentos did a decent job with their Lonely Island-esque lines (distinctly reminiscent of ‘Dick in a Box’) and adorable cartoon countries.

Maybe, like their last campaign, Mentos’ spot will do too well, and Finland will say yes. Next year’s campaign will address a decrease in the country’s GDP, as they pay for all those transcontinental flights.

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Eating at Steak ‘n Shake is Now Officially a Form of Martial Arts

Steak ‘n Shakes still exist apparently (ed. This was our college late-night sanctuary), and Minneapolis-based Carmichael Lynch, which took over for KBS+ on the diner chain’s biz in late March, is here for a brand new campaign “Hunger Wisely.” What “Hunger Wisely” means is a bit vague, but, you know, kung-fu masters are wise and hungry people eat food, so why not?

While these ads, which were directed by Harold Einstein of Station Films, are a little nonsensical, they do bring up some important topics. For example, Steak ‘n Shake seems to be pretty cheap. The “shake” in Steak ‘n Shake stands for “milkshake,” as opposed to dancing while eating steak. Finally, Steak ‘n Shake offers hotdogs, one of the few fast food places (other than like Sonic or something) that does so maybe. In other words, you take away that weird kung-fu master stuff, and you’re left with a pretty effective brand awareness campaign. (Checks Google Maps). Too bad I’ll never go to one as there aren’t any in Chicago. Watch a one-minute long video of more kung-fu stuff, and another I embedded of some guy getting his head kicked off, after the jump.

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Op-Ed: What is Content Strategy, Really?

Alas, our usual Extractable contributor Simon Mathews is sitting this month out, but we gladly welcome this rather epic debut from Dana Larson, VP/user experience at the aforementioned San Francisco agency. Larson has spent 20+ years in the biz, holding a wide range of positions including copywriter, CMO, content strategy director and ECD. Seeing as she has some experience in the content strategy field as noted, Larson offers a comprehensive look into what this job exactly entails. Read on.

Recently I was reading a discussion on LinkedIn Groups about whether or not it was a promotion to go from copywriter to content strategist. I asked one of my old colleagues what he thought, and his response was, “I don’t know…what is content strategy, really?” Actually, that’s a good question as I think a lot of people don’t really know what content strategy is. Erin Kissane explains this phenomena in her book, The Elements of Content Strategy, by saying, “In an industry in which the efforts of visual designers, information architects, front-end developers, and content creators can be seen center-stage when a new website launches, content strategy is a fundamentally backstage discipline.” And because content strategists typically work with all of these more visible roles, it can make their role seem even less clear-cut.

I’ll get to just what a content strategist does in a bit, but first let’s set the stage by taking a look at a website that was clearly designed without the aid of a content strategist. I’m kind of at a loss for words at how a renowned organization like Massachusetts Institute of Technology could produce something like the Center for Advanced Visual Studies website. Its haphazard placement of text islands obscured by clouds of floating type combined with random web 2.0 animations is a recipe for digital indigestion. Wow. Go there. Now. Resize the window. Experience the wonder. It’s the site that keeps on giving.


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CP+B, Best Buy ‘Tech-Fit’ Students with Windows 8 Gadgetry

And now, for something, er, lighter. These back-to-school posts almost make me wistful for the days when a new pencil case was the joy of my September. But as I have grown, so has the sophistication of academic shopping. To keep with the times, Best Buy is branding themselves America’s go-to “Techfitter” of the season.

To show that they’ll equip students with not only the best technology, but the right technology for their pursuits, CP+B and Best Buy found real students and surprised them with personalized Best Buys, “tech-fitted” to their academic interests in a pair of new Paul Hunter-directed spots. Greg, Aerospace Engineering Major, gets a semi truck parked in front of his house. It opens, and he’s presented with the planetary system, plus a launchable rocket (sadly not available at a Best Buy near you). Lidia, a Marine Biology major, gets an underwater tech experience complete with dolphins and jellyfish. Both personalized surprise scenarios are scattered with Windows 8 laptops and tablets.

Additional spots will air later this month, and my guess is the lucky students will not include an English or PoliSci major, because those experiences would involve sheafs of paper and alcohol. Let’s expect an aspiring architect and an ambitious pre-med; they provide ideal landscapes for Best Buy’s eager urban tech-fitter to make a difference. Credits after the jump.

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Smirnoff Ice Encourages Ladies to Start ‘Straight Primpin’

Here’s a 3-minute long music video for Smirnoff Ice from director Jon Jon Augustavo. From what we can tell, it encourages young women to pre-game their nights out with a substance commonly instilled on others as punishment.

Sure, the “Bros Icing Bros” phenomenon of 2010 may have jumped the shark when Coolio got “Iced” in someone’s back yard. But for anyone between the ages of 21 and 30 who either likes playing stupid jokes or regularly finds themselves as a spectator of others’ stupid jokes, Smirnoff Ice is known as something bros make their bros chug. In fact, in 2010, Smirnoff Ice even admitted that the stupid meme helped kickstart sluggish sales of the milky white beverage. The next step? Get the ladies involved with the aid of canine Tumblr superstar Tommy Pom.

Could young women nationwide start sizzurpin’ the SmirnIce as part of their “Straight Primpin’” ritual? If you encourage widespread use of celebrity Pomeranians to get the pre-party started, anything’s possible. Download “Straight Primpin’” here and view credits after the jump.

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Anacin Maker Introduces ‘Bananacin’ With Witty Newsjacking

bananacin.jpg

Reacting quickly to recent revelations the daily consumption of six Anacin tablets and one banana by 112-year-old Grand Island, New York native Salustiano Sanchez-Blazquez are the secret to his longevity, Anacin maker Insight Pharmaceuticals wasted no time newsjacking the report to introduce Bananacin. Sanchez-Blazquez was recently crowned the oldest living man by Guiness World Records following the recent death of 116-year-old Japanese native Jiroemon Kimara.

In a witty press release, Insight Pharmaceuticals VP of Marketing Jennifer Moyer said, “Historically, apples are the fruit most associated with staying healthy and avoiding doctors. Our scientists had never looked into the banana before. But now that the certified oldest man in the world credits bananas and Anacin as his life-extending combo, we’re certainly going to explore whether a new Bananacin product makes sense.”

It’s a pretty smart move considering the brand is one of the oldest pain relievers around and not exactly one that’s top of mind. It will be interesting to see just how many people switch to Anacin and how that affects sales for the brand.

Person in Charge of Delta’s Twitter Apparently a Sir Mix-a-Lot Fan

We’ve certainly seen worse Twitter offenses over the years when it comes brands, like this one from two years ago. So, let’s just be like the kids these days and let out a loud SMH at what whoever handles Delta’s Twitter account just posted and already has several commenters and tipsters expressing everything from eyerolls to WTFs. Consider this a little mid-afternoon respite from all the agency-related madness of the week. The only good thing that can come out of this is that the self-proclaimed “Mack Daddy” is collecting a damn check somewhere.

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Applebee’s, CP+B Bring Back the Lunch Decoy

CP+B originally ran with the idea of a blow-up doll lunch decoy last year, suggesting that people could secure more time at Applebee’s by tricking their bosses. In 2013, the same old bag of tricks comes in the form of a longer ad – 102 seconds – showing various worker bees running out of the office to indulge in some Applebee’s. I’ve never been a fan of the fine dining cuisine at such establishments, but I’m told customers can enjoy hundreds of lunch combos starting at $6.99. If you can get a restaurant combo for that cheap, you may want to think twice.

The spot itself isn’t digging much into new ground. There is one interesting bit, when a black construction worker uses a white lunch decoy. I’m not sure what that is trying to say, if anything at all, but the man’s boss must not pay very good attention to his staff if the lunch decoy can be effective while using a different skin color than the man who is jolting to Applebee’s (Ed. update: CP+B clarifies that it did use the likeness that most resembles of its construction worker as part of the campaign. Go here). Maybe the man’s boss is using his own lunch decoy, at which point the men would run into each other at an Applebee’s and ruin the trick for everyone. Credits after the jump.

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Subaru, Carmichael Lynch Find Love on the Road

Chances are, you’ve known a good Subie. Whether you rode to school in your mom’s, drove one yourself, or cherished your significant other’s, the thoughts are fond. Now, with their latest campaign from Carmichael Lynch, Subaru has incorporated that adoration.

In one new video, a Subaru makes an unexpected first date possible with diner milkshakes and roadside farmer’s market fun. In the second spot, “Redressing Room,” a mother puts up with her son’s affinity for nudity. The tagline for both ads is, “Love: It’s What Makes a Subaru a Subaru,” and I now wish I could be driving a car while hugging myself for maximum endorphins. These ads are sweet without being saccharine; a heartwarming play on Subaru’s role as an all-purpose family car, more a character in a story than its means of transportation. It’s a good way to win our hearts; if love is all we need, we’d better get a Subaru.

Credits after the jump

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Following Publicic Omnicon Group Merger, Coke and Pepsi, In A Fit of Frustration, Agree to Merge

Coke-and-Pepsi.jpg

In a collective fit of despair and inability to reach an agreement with WPP or IPG, neither of which could guarantee they would not merge in the future, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, this morning, announced they would merge. The new entity will be known as Poke.

Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi spokespeople reached out to Adrants this morning and collectively said, “Fuck it, this shit is ridiculous. How can each of us expect to compete with one another when there will likely be just one advertising agency to choose from in a few years?”

Both camps went on to say, “When you get right down to it, both our products, much like every single advertising shop in existence, are identical. We all spout the same bullshit about how we are better or different or unique from one another when, in fact, we’re all made of the same shit and spew the same bullshit in our marketing.”

As the media wet their pants over who can write the wittiest and most salacious headline to convey the fact Omnicom and Publicis have combined to become the number one advertising holding company with a reported market cap of $35 million, we here at Adrants prefer to get to the heart of the matter. Coke is the same shit as Pepsi. Just like Omnicon is the same shit as Publicis. It makes perfect sense the two companies dispel any myth they are different from one another and simply mix their shit up.

We look forward to the bureaucratic nightmare that, as with all mergers, will assuredly net some interesting and unexpected new flavors of Poke as the two giants work to iron out their internal differences.

Following Publicis Omnicon Group Merger, Coke and Pepsi, In A Fit of Frustration, Agree to Merge

Coke-and-Pepsi.jpg

In a collective fit of despair and inability to reach an agreement with WPP or IPG, neither of which could guarantee they would not merge in the future, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, this morning, announced they would merge. The new entity will be known as Poke.

Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi spokespeople reached out to Adrants this morning and collectively said, “Fuck it, this shit is ridiculous. How can each of us expect to compete with one another when there will likely be just one advertising agency to choose from in a few years?”

Both camps went on to say, “When you get right down to it, both our products, much like every single advertising shop in existence, are identical. We all spout the same bullshit about how we are better or different or unique from one another when, in fact, we’re all made of the same shit and spew the same bullshit in our marketing.”

As the media wet their pants over who can write the wittiest and most salacious headline to convey the fact Omnicom and Publicis have combined to become the number one advertising holding company with a reported market cap of $35 million, we here at Adrants prefer to get to the heart of the matter. Coke is the same shit as Pepsi. Just like Omnicon is the same shit as Publicis. It makes perfect sense the two companies dispel any myth they are different from one another and simply mix their shit up.

We look forward to the bureaucratic nightmare that, as with all mergers, will assuredly net some interesting and unexpected new flavors of Poke as the two giants work to iron out their internal differences.

Kmart, Draftfcb Wrangle Da Rich Kidzz for Back-to-School Track ‘My Limo’

For their new back-to-school campaign, Kmart and Draftfcb have wrangled Da Rich Kidzz, a rap group from Minneapolis aka the young geniuses behind “Hot Cheetos and Takis.”  In their new release, “My Limo,” Da Rich Kidzz give shout-outs to their school bus, their calculators, and of course, the first day of school. The chorus goes, “My school bus is my limo/I rule back to school with my cap on and my brim low.”

This spot comes after Kmart’s “Yo Mama” video, in which playground kids used the classic insult to compliment one another’s mother’s back-to-school shopping choices. The clincher: “Yo mama’s so fiscally responsible, she got all that on free layaway.” Previous to that, we got a pun-laden diptych in the form of “Ship My Pants” and “Big Gas Savings.”

If Da Rich Kidzz’ spot succeeds in making K-Mart a cool elementary school shopping destination, then power to them. Anything to make the first day of school less nerve-wracking. “Hot Cheetos & Takis” caught on with the young crowd, so maybe “My Limo” will too. But it’s also possible that, like Jay Z with Samsung, the commercial overload will leave a bad taste in consumers’ mouths. And if Da Rich Kidzz are really up and coming, this spot might arrest their creative momentum, forever branding them the K-Mart Kidzz.

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F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi Skol Beer Design: Drink, Decorate, Sit On It

As part of their Skol Design line, the international beer brand and F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi invited renowned furniture designer Pedro Useche to create an armchair out of Skol bottles. Useche said, “Turning an armchair into a desirable object is not only about showing aesthetic attributes but most of all, making people feel comfortable when they sit on it.” The Skol bottles can spin, creating a massage sensation for each lucky occupant.

The video that accompanies Skol Design is in entirely in Portuguese, but if the lines were in English I can guess they would include gems like, “Here’s your house, in which you store the things you love…until your monstrous girlfriend arrives!” Said flower-loving, mirror-toting creature proceeds to completely rearrange the man cave. But! Justice is restored by Skol Designs, whose bottle lamps and clocks give the GF the chic feel she wants while still satisfying man’s need for beer.

Apparently the villainous girlfriend trope does well with Brazilian audiences, as F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi have used it before. I’ll admit the Skol chair is cute, but I’d much rather see a couple making sweet love on the rolling bottles than a wide-eyed girlfriend horror story.

Credits after the jump

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Intel, Toshiba, Pereira & O’Dell Make Alien Movie to Sell Computer Processors

About a year ago, Intel and Toshiba partnered together with the help of Pereira & O’Dell to create “The Beauty Inside,” a so-called “social movie” that paired not-quite-movie stars Topher Grace and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as two young actors who can’t believe that this is where their careers have taken them thus far. The big budget online film was apparently effective enough at whatever it was trying to do to spawn a spiritual sequel, “The Power Inside,” starring Harvey Keitel as a guy you kind of feel sorry for until you you consider that he’s still finding work at his age.

As a press release tells us, the heavily product integrated plot will consist of “An alien invasion by a race of extraterrestrial moustaches and unibrows who take over the upper lips and eyes of people around the world. The main character is Neil, who together with his friends and the help of technology discovers his inner strength to defeat the moustache and unibrow invaders called Uricks. Intel-inspired Ultrabook™ devices by Toshiba play an important role in Neil’s journey of self-discovery.” We assume “inner strength” and “Intel-inspired Ultrabook™ devices by Toshiba” are pretty interchangeable in this scenario.

Similar to its predecessor, computer processor fans every can be part of the film by interacting with the protagonist via Facebook. Users can also upload a photo of themselves, edit that photo with a moustache and unibrow, and reach self-actualization after the process is completed. Credits after the jump.

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Did You Know a Kleenex Can Hold 32 Eggs?

Second only to snow day, experiment day was the best in elementary school. We got to see the legendary combination of Mentos and Coca-Cola, drop eggs off of roofs, and bake cookies in solar ovens. The 90 minutes flew by.

Kleenex and Studiocom, the latter of which recently gave us the “Hand Washing Station” for the Kimberly-Clark brand, channeled this concept into their latest campaign, proving Kleenex’s added strength and absorbency with Kleenex Xperiments. They challenged 100 elementary and middle schools across the country. 10 accepted, and 5 were featured in the resulting videos. I’m guessing these kids were stoked to have more than the usual one-per-unit experiment day. They came up with projects like the “Rolling Mucus Burst” and a “Slime Cannon.”

At Highland Oaks Middle School in Miami, FL the students piled egg yolks onto tissues, comparing Kleenex and “Brand X.” Brand X broke after 8 yolks, while Kleenex withstood the weight of 32 yolks. That’s a lot of representative mucus.

It’s clear that the kids involved in these projects had fun being inventive, and (perhaps due to the brand’s selectivity) their experiments showcased Kleenex’s upgrade. A good time was had by all, and I bet–at the very least–when these kids grow up to be parents, they’ll remember their results and buy Kleenex, not Brand X.

See more at  https://www.kleenex.com/school/.

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Let’s Celebrate National Hot Dog Day with Schweigert Meats

Minnesota Twins fans don’t have much to cheer about these days. Their team is in 4th place in the AL Central, and they have a new outdoor stadium, which is problematic when you remember that playing baseball outdoors in Minnesota may not be fun in April or September. But, there is temporary relief. Today is National Hot Dog Day – I didn’t know, either – and Schweigert Meats, which produces the official hot dog of the Twins, has used the special occasion to release a couple of short video spots that show how the brand’s meat is “overly uncomplicated.” The brand is opting for a tongue-in-cheek tone with the videos and slogan as the campaign expands over the next few months with digital, print, and TV ads in the extended Minnesota region.

The campaign comes from Austin-based Proof Advertising and seems to appeal to a certain Northern blue-collar rural population that may find humor in the soft irony of things that are overly uncomplicated. But when it comes to Minnesota Twins advertising, Proof and Schweigert will have to step up their collective game to surpass the ability of the dandruffless Joe Mauer. Credits after the jump.

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NZ Telecom, Saatchi & Saatchi Make Us Wait in ‘Waiting is Over’

How do you make an ad about waiting? The worst approach might be to show paused scenes while the dulcet notes of a piano play in the background. Sure, the hi-res shots of robots falling, halted car chases in progress, and rock concerts are good-looking, but if I saw this ad a second or a third time on TV, I would hit mute and go get some ice cream.

The new spot for New Zealand Telecom via Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand and GoodOil director Michael Spiccia ends with a close-up on a car chase hero. He blinks, and the tagline appears: “Waiting is over.” Instead of this indulgent imagery, I’d much rather see a humorous piece on how impatient we’ve become in the Internet Age, or a puppet-filled drama in a doctor’s office. “Waiting is Over” looks like something that would play (and could work) on the New Zealand equivalent of Best Buy’s panoramic screens, but watching it online or on TV, I just feel twitchy. The waiting better be over.

Additional TV, radio, digital and outdoor executions will be rolling out over the coming weeks. Check out the credits after the jump

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Grey New York, Downy Tell a T-Shirt Love Story

We all have an extra soft, hol(e)y shirt that fits perfectly, whether it’s an oversized sleepshirt once worn by a parent, an old boyfriend’s flannel, or an embarrassing Greenday tour T. In their new spot, Downy celebrates the journey of one such garment: it’s a treasured piece of memorabilia for our protagonist, a witness during a heated make-out sesh, a comfort for his pregnant wife, and finally a dress on his young daughter. It lasts through all these phases of his life, because “Downy helps protect the clothes you love.”

It’s a sweet spot, backed by a cover of Alphaville’s Forever Young. Hopefully they make this a series, telling the stories of the dirt-stained jersey you now wear to the beach with the fam, or the tattered sweatshirt that’s now one square in a grandchild’s quilt. It’s hard to go wrong with an idyllic tale of growing up, especially when the story evokes the soothing smell of laundry soap.

Credits after the jump.

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