Hasta La Creative!

Since I moved to Seattle, I’ve become much more aware of environmental issues and groups that draw attention to them. But where I came from, it’s another story.

We’ve seen many attempts in recent years by marketers to capitalize on a growing awareness by consumers of environmental issues. Today’s New York Times reports on the efforts Clorox is making with its line of Green Works products. And up until now, the bottom line seems to have gotten in the way:

When Green Works was first launched, it came out of the gate with a lot of investment by Clorox,” said Jason Gere, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. “Initially it started to do well, but then the macroeconomic environment took over. Clorox realized that in this consumer-led recession, having products even as environmentally friendly as Green Works’ are, but charging a 20 percent-plus premium to conventional cleaners, was not working.

Green Works has launched many digital and social initiatives, including its “The Green Housewives” web series:

It’s hard to tell anyone on a tight budget to pay more for environmentally-friendly products. But marketers will keep trying to push “green” products. So does the environment really matter to consumers when they’re shopping? Is more, or different, consumption really the answer? Or are we becoming simply too jaded for all the marketers’ green efforts?

Marketing with a focus on the environment is tricky. There are arguments to be made for less energy consumption, use of better (or recycled) raw materials, or even reducing a lengthy supply chain in making products. But consumers don’t often take those into consideration. And as we’ve seen, quite a number of politicians and supporters refuse to believe there’s even a problem, or a need to be more sensitive to how we treat our earth and its natural resources.

If you’ve had any experience with clients or brands looking to push their environmental efforts, leave a comment and let us know how much success you’ve had.

The post It’s Earth Day. Do Consumers Really Care about “Green” Products? appeared first on AdPulp.

Yes, the babies are back, though not the way you’d imagine in a new effort for Evian from BETC and directing crew, We Are From LA. In their sequel to the sequel to “Roller Babies,” the 2009 campaign that garnered multiple awards as well as 45 million hits within months of release, the parties involved push the Danone water brand’s “Live Young” mantra via a bit of self-reflection if you will.

In a statement, Jerome Goure, VP of marketing for Danone, says, “The babies embody ‘Live Young’, the evian mantra, and remind us that we are all youthful in our own, unique way. Babies are also the ultimate symbol of natural purity, exactly what evian water is.  This is why we are so excited to continue this iconic campaign in a fresh and entertaining way.” You can’t buy that kind of spiel with a Dasani bottle, kids.  Look for an Android “Baby & Me” app that BETC created with B-Reel come mid-May.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Shots fired! According to this new car spot from Arnold Worldwide, Volvos are for real people, but Mercedes-Benzes are for snooty women of the 1% who preen at themselves in rearview mirrors. This is some good, clean class warfare, automobile-style, and luxury brands better watch out.

A few years ago, a Volvo was a boring car for people who needed affordable transportation. Now, the price hasn’t changed much, but the image has shifted slowly. It’s not that crazy to think that someone with enough money would pick a Volvo over a Benz. And the new spot tugs at the right cords of today’s economic realities to make the comparison seem not only feasible, but preferable. There are also a few campaign teasers on Facebook that flesh out the appeal of Volvo as “luxury for real people,” including: If your dog has a wardrobe, the Volvo s60 probably isn’t for you. Now they’re going after snobby women and people who dress up their dogs! More shots fired, Volvo. I’m in. Credits after the jump.

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The folks at Toronto-based agency Blammo, which in recent times has showcased Canadian ad players and gave us a kooky Halloween campaign for Arby’s, now induces a little shudder with this effort for a chatline company called QuestChat. Don’t let the hot and heavy fool you as the end result is not, uh, the gratifying one you’d expect, the buildup can be considered both sensual and amusing or all/none of the above. Take your pick and enjoy the 3am ad while we refrain from pulling out several stereotypical/cliched jokes from the bargain basement of comedy. Credits after the jump.

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While we’re on the McCann tip, forget about February 14. In Brazil, Ex-Valentine’s Day is April 18th. That means all those weepy single people will have another day to think about their lack of relationship success. For the recently broken-up, Ex-Valentine’s Day (a make-believe day concocted by the parties involved with this effort; Brazilian Valentine’s Day is actually June 12) is also a chance for catharsis (and presumably bad Portuguese chick flicks). The Salvation Army and Sao Paulo/Rio-based WMcCann want to jump in on the romantic purging, asking those who have mountains of useless junk from their exes still sitting around to donate.

With the tagline “Too bad it’s over. But since it’s over, donate,” you can practically feel the lack of sympathy in your bones. But, giving back after a breakup might turn the love karma in your favor. Probably not the most altruistic motives for donating to charity, but a resourceful (and potentially spiteful) way to recycle for those who are less fortunate. If your girlfriend left her favorite jeans in your apartment, you can give them away, and when she comes to reclaim her possessions, you can laugh in her face. Okay, I take back the love karma remark. This campaign will help reuse old goods, but it might actually be brilliantly sadistic. If love gods do exist, they might dislike you. Let’s hope Cupid has a good sense of humor.

Credits after the jump.

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We all remember our awkward first kiss stories, full of nervousness and rapid heartbeats. Based on “First Kiss,” the new 30-second ad in the Taco Bell Live Mas campaign that came through the tips line, we can now add sticky fingers and spicy breath to the list of uncomfortable descriptors.

Mixing Doritos Locos Tacos and kisses may not seem like the best idea, but this spot might strike the right cord for those who value some teenage sentimentality and John Hughes movies. Associating Taco Bell with cuteness is a tough trick to pull off, you know, with the greasy smells and penchant for attracting drunk college guys as a significant customer base, but Deutsch LA and director Zach Math found a way to pull it off. Taco Bell seems to have tapped the right nerve with Doritos Locos Tacos: the product helped create 15,000 new jobs. Maybe the company can use the profits to provide complimentary mouthwash with any purchase, so young lovers who want to make out in Taco Bell parking lots can have pleasant memories.

Credits after the jump.

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Has it really been ten years since The Matrix: Revolutions tarnished the Wachowskis’epic saga? Time flies, but while we’d rather forget the third and final Matrix installment, we’re happy to once again see Hugo Weaving as the relentless Agent Smith, whose dapper yet menacing visage appears along with several doppelgangers in this latest effort from BBDO New York for GE called “Agent of Good.”

The spot, which was directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express), debuted over the weekend and showcases GE’s industrial internet technology and how the corporate giant connecting its medical hardware to its software is benefiting hospitals–or something to that effect. Despite being a decade removed from the Matrix films, Weaving shows no signs of rust as he brings the snarl of his most iconic character to the most sterile of environments. Stick around for the final moments for your most obvious Matrix reference, minus Morpheus. Credits after the jump.

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KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which famously flies from The Netherlands to the Nether Lands™, is giving regular schmucks like you and me a chance to float around in outer space for a while. What this has to do with flying to different locations on Earth is unclear, but KLM along with agencies RAPP and Tribal DDB Amsterdam probably figured, “Hey, Axe is giving away a trip to outer space. We should do that too.” And do that too they are.

Of course, a campaign doesn’t begin and end with just giving away tickets to space. As every advertising veteran knows, the difficult part is determining  who actually gets the tickets. Ever the pragmatists, KLM have decided that this makes the most logical sense: They are launching a balloon with space tickets inside of it from Area 51 on April 22, with viewers of a live stream predicting at what altitude the balloon will pop. Should you guess correctly, you get the space tickets.

Should advertising ever be lauded for any one attribute, it should be its practicality. Credits after the jump.

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We feel for Ted. The guy has hail damage to his car, he’s doing the right thing by calling his insurance agent, and then he loses his attractive girlfriend to a pig. You might be saying, “well, it’s not just any pig. It’s Maxwell.” And the rest of the America would be saying, “the pig from from those Geico ads has a name?” To which I say, yes. But, you see, that’s how Geico swoops in with their anthropomorphic pig and ruins Ted’s life even though nobody remembers Ted by the end of the commercial.

These new Maxwell commercials from the Martin Agency are actually a step in the right direction for Geico. The company used up all of their gecko jokes about ten years ago, and since everybody who wants to save 15 percent or more on their car insurance is already doing so, focusing the recent spots on different advantages, like online claims, is subtly smart. Although, I’m not sure a pig’s hoof would be able to work the tablet touch screen.

As for Ted, well now he’s the guy who lost a girlfriend to a pig. Life is pretty much over after that. Why would a girlfriend break up with her boyfriend just because he was put on hold with an insurance company? Couldn’t she go inside and watch The View instead of waiting impatiently outside? Does she have a tablet fetish? Does she eat bacon? These are questions I want answered in upcoming Geico spots.

Credits after the jump.

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Over the last 24 hours, we’ve had a few seemingly panicked tips coming in regarding the status of Havas Chicago’s relationship with clients including spirits giant Beam such as ones like this: “We have just been told we lost Jim Beam. Only was told because of Sauza debacle. But Beam loss is big, it was our second [biggest] account.”

Well, once again, slow down for a sec. We’ve been told by sources in the know that Havas Chicago’s contract with Beam brands Sauza (you can read all about the recent ad controversy here) and Hornitos runs until 2014, and next year, the spirits brand has decided to focus on the Hispanic market and is therefore planning on moving its business for its aforementioned pair of tequila brands to a Hispanic agency. Still, Havas Chicago continues to work on Beam’s vodka brands including Pucker and Effen.

As for mall boutique chain Claire’s, which awarded AOR duties to what was then Euro RSCG Chicago last August, our sources tell us that the brand has built up its own marketing department in recent months and is taking most of the work in-house. Havas Chicago, though, will continue to work with Claire’s on a project basis according to those in the know. No word yet, though, if the Beam and Claire’s moves will result in any immediate cuts.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.