RPA Stokes Nostalgia for ‘Happy Honda Days’

RPA looks to the gifts that you loved receiving as a kid in its “Happy Honda Days” campaign, celebrating such cultural touchstone of yesteryear as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Stretch Armstrong, Strawberry Shortcake and Gumby.

The ads all follow in a similar formula, with each character asking viewers if they remember how excited they were to receive them as a gift, before saying that they can get that same feeling by purchasing a Honda CRV, Civic or Accord. In the 30-second “Skeletor” spot above, for example, the He-Man villain reminds viewers of the exultation they felt when they got him as a holiday gift, before touting the CRV’s rear-view mirror, used to detect danger (in this case, He-Man). Children of the eighties and/or fans of these characters should appreciate the dose of nostalgia present in these ads as they tout the vehicles’ features, and RPA went ahead and applied the formula to half a dozen different characters so viewers don’t grow tired of the same ad.

“Every season consumers are inundated with holiday ads. Our goal is to break through the clutter by tapping into people’s memories of their favorite childhood toys and helping them relive that feeling of getting something they loved for the holidays by getting a great deal on a new Honda at the Happy Honda Days Sales Event,” explained Susie Rossick, senior manager at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The broadcast spot will be supported by print ads in People, Sports Illustrated, and local newspapers in top markets, as well ad network radio ads.

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twofifteenmccann Invites You to ‘Leave Your Limits’ for Forza Horizon 2

twofifteenmccann has released a live action trailer for Xbox One open-world racing game Forza Horizon 2.

Like a lot of live action trailers for games, the 90-second spot attempts to capture the feeling and excitement of the title in a live action format that captures viewers attention. “Leave Your Limits” opens with a nostalgic look at an electric slot car track. When one of the cars breaks through a wall rather than sticking to the track, the film shifts focus to cars speeding down a highway. The remainder of the spot uses racing footage of cars both on and off road, emphasizing the aspect that makes the game unique, the freedom its open world affords players.

“Leave Your Limits” finds a playful way to promote the game which should have fans ready for the September 30th launch while also piquing the curiosity of casual viewers. Appropriately enough, the spot is set to the song “Prisencolinensinainciusol” by Adriano Celentano, which is sung entirely in gibberish.

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TBWAChiatDay Sends Off Yankees Captain for Gatorade

TBWAChiatDay bids adieu to Yankees captain (and regular starting shortstop since 1996) Derek Jeter in a 90-second send-off spot for Gatorade, an MLB sponsor since 1990.

While there has been no shortage of fanfare surrounding Jeter’s exit from baseball at the quickly approaching end to the season (including a somewhat excessive display at the All Star game), TBWAChiatDay’s farewell for Gatorade, which Jeter collaborated on, manages to charm. Back in July (when it still looked like the Yankees had a shot at the postseason), TBWAChiatDay and Gatorade roped off a few blocks before a home game in the Bronx and, in the words of Molly Carter, Gatorade’s senior director of consumer engagement, “just kind of let Jeter go.”

Jeter is seen interacting with some very surprised and excited fans, signing autographs and even dropping in to Stan’s Sports Bar. Most of the spot’s charm comes from the authentic reactions of the fans, delighted by the opportunity to meet the star player.

Jeter’s collaboration for the ad also extended to the soundtrack, with the shortstop choosing Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as the song that summed up his career. “It was a true collaboration between Derek and Gatorade,” Carter told Adweek.

The spot breaks online today, followed by a broadcast premiere this Saturday on the YES Network and Fox, when it’s sure to make more than a few Yankees fans teary-eyed. Gatorade will follow this with a full-page ad, written by Jeter, in the New York Daily News and Sports Illustrated on Sept. 28-29. Addressed to New York, the ad will see Jeter thanking fans for their years of support, opening, “From my first at bat until my final out, you helped make me who I am.” The print ad is timed to coincide with Jeter’s final game on September 28th (unless the team makes the playoffs, which they won’t). (more…)

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PREACHER Rounds Up Texas Athletes to Promote ESPN’s Longhorn Network

PREACHER, the Austin, Texas agency founded earlier this year by CD Rob Baird and colleagues from Mother New York, released one of its first big-name campaigns today for ESPN. More specifically, they’re promoting Longhorn Network, a regional channel offering 24/7 coverage of Texas sports.

The first spot in the “All the Live Long Day” campaign stars former NFL stars Ricky Williams and Vince Young as tour guides:

Some context for those who don’t know Texas from New Mexico: the tower in this clip serves as the “metaphorical home” of Longhorn Network. It’s located just off the University of Texas campus in an area called “the 41st acre” in a reference the number of acres (40) originally allotted to the school.

Let’s just say there were a lot of native Texans involved.

Three more spots in the series below.

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Havas Taps Former College Football Stars for DISH Network

Havas Worldwide Chicago tapped former college football stars Matt Leinart, Heath Shuler and Brian Bosworth in their latest spot for DISH Network, promoting the DISH Anywhere app.

Also featuring the kangaroo mascots that just refuse to go away, the spot finds the three athletes deciding to head back to college after misunderstanding a conversation about watching live college football anywhere with DISH’s app. This is about as painful as the rest of DISH’s recent advertising, with the involvement of Leinart, Shuler and Bosworth the only thing really differentiating it. Hardcore college football fans might get a kick out of seeing the trio, but for the rest of us this is just another annoying DISH ad. Credits after the jump. (more…)

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And So, Samsung’s Sci-Fi Soccer Saga Continues

Continuing a rather ambitious storyline that kicked off late last year, Samsung, with the aid of Cheil Worldwide and Psyop, has unveiled the next installment of its soccer stars vs. aliens saga to promote the Galaxy. While not technically a World Cup tie-in, “The Training” (nearly 42 million views and counting–yeah, we know it’s been out for a bit) features two of the event’s biggest (and best) participants, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have also been making the rounds in spots for Nike and Adidas, respectively, that are officially attached to the event. In this campaign, though, real-life Ken doll Ronaldo and his archrival Messi, along with other notable footballers like Wayne Rooney,  join forces and evolve from mere athletes to sci-fi superheroes in order to combat an alien invasion…with their Galaxy S5s in tow, of course.

Psyop director Laurent Ledru, who shot this four-minute short in two months across cities including London, Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, Prague and Manchester, explains the process of working with the stars.  “Because of the athlete’s varying schedules we had to shoot each player separately. It was very important that each performance felt authentic to that athlete yet interacted seamlessly with the others.” Ledru, who met the players in the varying aforementioned locales, where they would execute the acrobatic stunts and moves for the real shot, adds, “Each player was given instructions and guidance but we needed to capture them acting as naturally as possible in front of the green screen despite the CG elements that were to come later.”

Like the previous clips that have encompassed this campaign, the Samsung Galaxy branding is kept to a minimum, save for the occasional highlighting of a feature (heat sensor! fast auto focus!). It’s the stars, story and special effects that take center stage here, and now, with training said and done, we’ve only the big final showdown to look forward to. Consider us involved. Game on.

Credits after the jump.

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FCB SF Gets Suggestive for Trulia

FCB San Francisco gets a bit suggestive in their latest spot for online residential real estate site Trulia.

The 30-second spot, “Shower” shows a couple deciding whether or not they want to make an offer on a house. Said couple is in the bathroom admiring the tub when the woman makes a push for them to submit an offer. The guy isn’t so sure, but she reminds him that he was crazy about the garage, and also that the mortgage is the same as their rent. She adds that it’s in a great school district, which is important because they’re going to “start making babies,” and then adds “Let’s do it.” The guy, understandably mistakes her meaning and points out that the owner is right in the other room. It all feels a little forced, as if FCB wanted to break out of the usual real estate advertising rut but wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. The claustrophobic spot (feeling like you’re in a bathroom with two other people doesn’t exactly make for a pleasant viewing experience) also doesn’t do much to differentiate Trulia from the competition. “Shower” ends with the “That’s your moment of Trulia” tagline and an announcement of a $50,000 giveaway. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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BBH NY Launches Campaign for PS4?s ‘Infamous: Second Son’

BBH New York continues its PS4 onslaught with a live-action spot at the center of their new campaign for Infamous: Second Son, the third game in the best-selling Infamous series and Sony PS4 exclusive (you might consider it Sony’s answer to TitanFall, which we reported on yesterday).

The entirely live-action (although there is some silent gameplay footage on the end screen before the Playstation logo), :75 spot “depicts a locked-down city of Seattle where the superhuman protagonist, Delsin Rowe, fights back against the oppressive Department of Unified Protection (DUP).” Rowe is depicted in the ad by a somewhat passable lookalike in his trademark red cap, trailed by the DUP. The new ad teases the kind of action players can expect from the game, while avoiding revealing anything about the story. It should draw interest from both fans of the series and newcomers.

BBH New York’s campaign rolls out with “TV advertising based on the short film,” as well as additional “complementary online advertising.” Gameplay developer Sucker Punch, meanwhile, has released a trailer showcasing gameplay features players can expect in the new game. Infamous: Second Son will be released on globally on March 21st. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Check Out Twofifteenmccann’s Cinematic Campaign for Xbox One Exclusive ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’

Ryse: Son of Rome “Path of Vengeance” from H.K. McCANN on Vimeo.

Twofifteenmccann’s new campaign for Xbox One exclusive “Ryse: Son of Rome” is cinematic in approach and scope.

At the heart of the campaign is the 60 second TV spot “Path of Vengeance” (featured above) which sees the game’s protagonist, Marius, “fight his way from the wilds of the Roman frontier in Brittania, across the Coliseum floor and into the Imperial Palace itself.” In one of the spot’s more interesting touches, the action is accompanied by whispers from Roman citizens spreading his legend. Twofifteen wanted to represent how in ancient Rome “deeds of epic heroism were quickly spread by word of mouth, and the story changed based on who was doing the telling,” which they mimicked with the differing accounts of Marius in the spot. It’s a nice, immersive little detail that’s telling of the overall approach to the campaign.

In addition to the TV spot, Twofifteenmccann, in conjunction with production company Smuggler, created a web series featured on Machinima. Entitled “The Fall,” the series features four, five-minute mini-epics detailing Marius’ backstory, history and motives. The agency claims that each installment is a “mini epic film unto itself.” While that may be overstating a point, this is a very large-scale approach to market the game, and “The Fall” is a solid accomplishment in its own right. It also succeeds quite well at making the game look badass, with what appears to be a pretty compelling story. You can check out the first installment of “The Fall” after the break, along with campaign credits.  continued…

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VB&P, Audi Chase the White Whale in ‘Ahab Redux’

In 2012, a creative director fell into Herman Melville’s 720-page trap and reimagined Ahab as a tow truck driver, madly chasing his white whale, an Audi Quattro. “Sometimes, I actually think it’s mocking me,” Ahab says in a gruff voice, anxiously twisting his thermos as he waits in the arctic tundra.

Said creative director then got distracted by Cetology, but has now resurfaced to produce “Ahab Redux,” in which, obviously, our automotive whale has yet to meet his driver. Ahab has retired on an island “most folks would call paradise,” but he can’t escape his all-wheel drive demon. “There isn’t a road on earth that can stop it.”

Thankfully this ad is a departure from the old winding-mountain-road glamour reel, and I appreciate the attempt at literary allusion. We’re all familiar with Moby Dick, whether we became obsessed like Ahab or SparkNoted its entirety. “Ahab Redux” is a bit of a cop-out due to its repetition, but the general idea probably gives Audi’s target affluent audience a twinge of self-satisfaction: “Oh, I know that story!”

Credits and original Ahab after the jump continued…

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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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Hardee’s Gives Fans Close-Up Footage of its Hot, Steamy Biscuits

Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. seems to be in a constant marketing tug-of-war between using half-naked girls to sell their menu and attempting to move away from sexualizing their products entirely. When David & Goliath won the biz at end of 2010/beginning of 2011, the agency starting producing spots for the fast-food chain that seemingly mocked the company’s usual over-the-top, sex sells approach while, simultaneously, not skimping on the bikini-clad models.

It seemed as though everyone was happy, that is until David & Goliath stopped putting sexy girls in the ads altogether. Rumor has it that this angered higher-ups at Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s parent, CKE, who were all like, “Where are the sexy ladies, dudes?” So, in less than a year, D&G lost the business.  72andSunny, which took over on the CKE account almost immediately, has proven their loyalty to the topless-girl-eats-a-sandwich-in-slow-motion style of execution with their ongoing TV spots. However, the above ad, “No Tomorrow,” seems to again be moving away from sexy people in favor of sexy ingredients.

As someone who tries to avoid fast-food UNLESS we’re talking about breakfast, Hardee’s Pork Chop ‘N’ Gravy Biscuits actually look very mouthwatering in this spot. I understand that Hardee’s advertising usually is a bit more conservative than Carl’s Jr.’s, but I wonder if this is the kind of execution that the latter could benefit from as well. As history has shown, a lack of sexy girls is a risky move for any agency working for these brands in particular. However, I hope this works out for 72andSunny, as they are able to do for Hardee’s what McGarryBowen tried (and failed) to do for Burger King. Credits after the jump.
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