Hasta La Creative!

“Designed by Apple” is the third and newest spot in TBWA\Media Arts Lab’s recent reinvention of Apple’s TV ads. The first two, “Photos Every Day” and “Music Every Day” offered a refreshing take on the iPhone, moving it out of Apple’s white world and into the real world. It seemed as though Apple was hitting its stride, until today.

Now, it’s difficult for tech companies to do sentimentality, but it’s not unprecedented (see Google). But, “Designed by Apple” is trying so damn hard to make you feel anything that it misses the mark by a mile. Perhaps it’s watching grown men absolutely lose their shit when Tim Cook mentioned “Finder windows” during yesterday’s Worldwide Developer Conference yesterday, or have the press react to Jonathan Ive‘s pastel-tinged redesign of iOS as though it was 2013′s answer to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This is so saccharine that it’s silly.

Maybe the most misguided part is the tagline, “Designed by Apple in California” (check out the web video here). After all, as anyone who’s ever owned an Apple product knows, the words “Assembled in China” always immediately follow that statement on every device.

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Water cooler talk seems to be a popular theme this week. Today, our awkward conversational time passing introduces us to Phil and Marty, the bull and bear duo in the first national campaign for social investing firm Ditto Trade. The online company uses a chain-like system to initiate trades from Lead Traders to the general users, as you can see in this handy diagram. In the above spot, Phil and Marty discuss the merits of Ditto Trade’s unique investing platform. Notice the clever characterization, as Phil uses bullish tactics to sway the reserved Marty.

Ditto Trade CMO Jeff Abbott, a former SVP/creative director at Leo Burnett who spent 20 years at said agency, is the mastermind behind this anthropomorphic campaign. The televised spot is part of a varied pitch to would-be investors that includes print, billboards, and digital ads. Ditto Trade is approaching one million “dittoed” trades by its users, so we may be seeing more of Phil and Marty in the future. I wonder, though, how does Phil button his dress shirt with his clunky hooves? Might have to address that in the sequel. Credits after the jump.

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The website for GoGo squeeZ’s new campaign is all you need to see. Click on Jerry O’Connell’s spot, and your heart will sink as you notice the video runs for nearly five minutes. No one has five minutes to watch Jerry and his “Jerry Doubles,” run around being cute. Even kids would rather watch a sarcastic Disney show, I’m sure.

Big Spaceship’s “Wherever You Go, Go Playfully” campaign has good intentions: for every share of their multimedia content, GoGo squeeZ will give $1 to the Life is good Playmakers, a nonprofit that provides training and support to childcare professionals. And since apparently 74 percent of parents struggle to keep playfulness in their lives, maybe Jerry’s advice will encourage more moms and dads to spring for some GoGo squeeZes, or invent an imaginary game.

I’m in full support of this campaign’s mission, but using a washed-up star (Piranha 3D, anyone?) and contrived antics seem the opposite of an exuberant ideal. Skip the majority of this campaign’s content, and play away.

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Humans have a burning desire to verbally communicate with dolphins, especially when it comes to ad folk. First it was Megan Fox, Acer marine biologist, taking a scientific approach to dolphinspeak, and now we have a Dolphin Translator app from Green Works, the eco-friendly arm of Clorox, essentially creating the digital version of the Oxford English/Dolphin Dictionary. Created by Omnicom-owned Critical Mass, the dolphin-themed approach weaves its way into a campaign meant to help consumers avoid getting lost in translation when it comes to environmentally-conscious lifestyles.

As you’ll see on the Green Works website, you can type just about anything (up to 120 characters) into the translator to hear the dolphin version. What you do with the cute, squeaky response is up to you, unless you are already fluent in Flipper. Odds are, the dolphin noises will just sound like, well, dolphin noises: indistinguishable and vaguely babyish. But, if you’ve ever been curious how a dolphin would say tomato, then this is the app for you.

Credits and a behind-the-scenes video after the jump.

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The best part of the following video occurs in the first few seconds, when a woman’s jaw drops as she’s told she can buy Google Glass for 40 times the price of her Slurpie ($40.00). It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, for a product that normally sells for 1500 times the price of a Slurpie. Too bad the product on offer is obviously-knockoff “GooOgle Glass,” sold earnestly by comic Ian Fridance in a project by GS+P alum/man of many projects JD Beebe and Translation copywriter, Deanna Director.

I barely cracked a smile during this anti-ad. Maybe it’s just my sense of humor, but I think this idea is tired, and it’s hard to believe that anyone in NY has heard of Google Glass and believes they are the eyewear equivalent of an interstellar propeller hat.  If you want to poke fun of the new technology, check out whitemenwearingoogleglass.tumblr.com or watch SNL. Those comedic attempts are a bit more nuanced, and at least rooted in reality.

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Timed to coincide with the Supreme Court’s pending decision on DOMA and Proposition 8, Expedia is releasing “Find Your Understanding,” a video about same-sex marriage created by 180LA, on television for the first time starting today. The online video, which debuted last October has been viewed 2,533,874 times on YouTube and has been featured in major media news outlets.

The film follows a father’s journey, both literal and figurative as he confronts his conflicting emotions around his lesbian daughter’s same-sex marriage. Through his trip to her wedding, he ultimately finds his understanding.

n February, the ad was selected as one of TED’s Ads Worth Spreading. Partially as a result, “Find Your Understanding” actually assisted in granting Nikki the legal adoption of Jill’s son, Adler, as their marriage was not recognized as legal by the courts in California at the time of his birth.

Now the spot arrives to television, launching on several cable channels including CNN, Bravo, History, Logo, A&E, H2, and Ovation. With the broader audience, Expedia has succeeded in making a bold statement during an important time for LGBT rights, as the Supreme Court decision on DOMA is just around the corner, and the celebration of Gay Pride Month is in full swing.

Of the work, 180LA ECD William Gelner said, “When done right, an ad can truly have a lasting positive impact on the world. In hopes of doing just that, our three minute film airs before the Supreme Court rules on the issue of same-sex marriage.”

The spot is part of Expedia’s “Find Yours” campaign, which aims to highlight the real-life stories of travelers’ journeys. The thtree minute placement can be seen tonight on Anderson Cooper on CNN, Life Below Zero on National Geographic, and at various times on A&E, Bravo, CNN, H2, History Channel, Logo, MSNBC, National Geographic, and Ovation from June 6-8.

So, here we go with some more clarification, this time concerning the state of GlobalHue in the aftermath of Verizon deciding to review its multicultural biz a few months ago. Well, first of all, we checked directly with Verizon and here’s a statement from a spokesperson that may help clarify things: “We are not done with the RFP review process and cannot comment until we complete all aspects of it. We are eager to complete this as quickly as possible.”

And now, back to GlobalHue. Despite tipsters’ comments that the agency’s New York hub sent a letter to all staff telling them that the office is closing in 90 days, sources familiar with the matter tell us that no matter what path Verizon takes, the office is “not closing at any point.” Here are some specifics: We’ve been told that due to the ongoing Verizon review, GlobalHue is required by NY state and federal law to send a letter to all NY-based employees.  As required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) of 1988, and the New York State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 2008, the purpose of this letter is to give 90 days’ advance notice of potential layoffs to employees.

According to sources, while GlobalHue NY awaits Verizon’s decision, the agency has picked up a few other multicultural accounts including the NBA. Of course, we’ll be keeping an eye on things, but there’s your second status update for the day.

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Notice we said C+K, not C-K to clarify and reiterate. Anyhow, yes, six months after launching a rather peculiar, pre-Valentine’s Day spot (above) for Zoosk, San Francisco-based Camp + King has been officially named agency of record (minus review) for the online/mobile dating site. As the parties involved and YouTube stats can attest to, Havas-supported C+K’s spot for Zoosk has racked up over 14 million views since its launch. Regarding Zoosk’s decision to continue in its relationship with Camp+King,  the brand’s president/co-founder Alex Mehr says, “Zoosk is a young, energetic brand with big plans. We felt that the team at Camp+King mirrored these qualities and are as excited as we are about building our brand in the US and globally.”

This marks the first agency of record relationship for six-year-old Zoosk, which has been working on a project basis up until now. C+K, which also works with Old Navy and Capital One, will debut digital video for its newest client come July. Check out a more recent clip if you so choose after the jump.

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Sure, 72andSunny and Samsung have had some fun comparing the latter’s smartphones to Apple’s in recent years, but in the last several months, it seems like the brand’s finally getting over their complex and showcasing the product line on its own. First, they highlighted the Galaxy S4 with a graduation-centered campaign. Now, they’re showcasing new features for Father’s Day with “hip dads in action.”

In “Swaddle Master,” a befuddled father learns the tricks of the swaddling trade via Smart Pause YouTube. With “Quick Snooze” (below), meanwhile, the same cardigan-wearing dad watches the game with his little one at the end of the day. As his eyes droop shut, the game pauses. He reopens them and it picks up where he left off.

Though this creative work may not go viral or win awards, showing the practical (and less glamorous) application of the S4’s features will perhaps win the hearts of young parents everywhere. On a special occasion like Father’s Day, maybe hitting your target audience is enough?

Credits after the jump.

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This Father’s Day, Oscar Mayer has decided that bacon is to men as diamonds are to women. Thus, they have wrapped bacon like Tiffany’s bracelets and created a campaign parodying sappy jewelry commercials. A woman presents her husband with a velvet box as they’re sitting in a horse-drawn carriage, a waistcoated jewelry store manager proffers a platter of prime pork to a giggly couple.

The best part of this campaign (a collaboration between 360i and Olson)  is that “Say it With Bacon” is real. For under $30.00, fathers everywhere can get The Commander, The Matador, or The Woodsman, packages of hardwood smoked bacon plus a money clip, cufflinks, or multi-tool, respectively. Father’s Day is maybe the hardest holiday to shop for, unless your dad has a serious hobby requiring unending accessories (see: golf). Oscar Mayer hits a sweet spot with an item that is perfect for serious bacon lovers, but just as applicable to breakfast-eaters with a sense of humor.

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