Zambezi Appoints New ECD, CSO

Zambezi announced the appointments of Josh DiMarcantonio as executive creative director and Kristina Jenkins in the newly created role of chief strategy officer.

DiMarcantonio fills a vacancy left by the departure of co-founder/ECD Brian Ford, which we confirmed in January; Ford is now a freelance creative director, copywriter and director working in the Los Angeles area.

DiMarcantonio joins the agency from 180LA, where he spent the last nine months as a creative director working on Expedia and Adidas. That followed a stint in the same role at Deutsch LA beginning in March of 2013, during which time he worked with Taco Bell. Prior to Deutsch LA, he was a creative executive with CAA Marketing for almost two years, working with clients such as Chipotle, Coca-Cola and Diageo. Before that he spent over a year and a half as an associate creative director with TBWAChiatDay, working on accounts such as Planters, Skittles, What Thins and Twix. That followed nearly four years as a senior copywriter for W+K, working with clients including ESPN and Nike.

KJ_portrait_960x1027Jenkins joins the agency from mcgarrybowen, where she most recently served as culture intelligence officer after periods as a group planning director and director of cultural planning. While with mcgarrybowen she worked with clients including  Disney, 7UP, Verizon Innovations, Reebok, Kraft and Mondelez.

She also played an important role in the agency’s Honda Europe CR-V, United, Sears and Reebok new business wins and led trend intelligence, including millenial-themed content.

Star Athletes Go Retro for BodyArmor

Sports drink company BodyArmor takes on industry heavyweights Gatorade and Powerade with a new ad featuring a host of star athletes, created by production company Schema Media and director Brian Ford (it does not appear a creative agency was involved in the process).

The spot, entitled “This Is Now,” humorously delivers the message that sports, and sports drinks, have evolved over the years by transplanting today’s star athletes into bygone eras. So if you want to see Angels outfielder Mike Trout rock a ridiculous mullet, or Rockets guard James Harden with an afro, wearing short shorts and high socks, this is your best chance. Other athletes involved include Giants catcher Buster Posey, Skylar Diggins guard for the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who breaks out a handlebar mustache for the ad.

“That handlebar mustache on Andrew Luck was an impromptu shave that he actually did himself,” BodyArmor vice president of marketing Michael Fedele told AdFreak. “Back then, many pro QBs were very flamboyant. They threw on the fur and hit Studio 54, and the next morning did a photo shoot by the pool.”

The brand’s message, that other sports drinks are outdated and it’s time to make the switch, comes across clearly in the ad, and the combination of celebrity and humor make it memorable. BodyArmor faces an uphill battle going against the established brands in the category, but Fedele thinks the brand is up to the challenge, telling AdFreak, “Young athletes, and the moms and dads who shop for them, compare BodyArmor to what’s out there, and the facts speak for themselves. A 15-year-old athlete today doesn’t want to drink the same sports drink their grandfather did.”

We Hear: Co-Founder/ECD Out at Zambezi

We have little in the way of details at the moment, but a source at Venice, California’s Zambezi tells us that Co-Founder/Executive Creative Director Brian Ford has left the agency.

Ford, whose name sat atop the credits for such recent campaigns as September’s “Cheat on Your Vodka” for VEEV, helped launch Zambezi with Chris Raih more than eight years ago after spending a decade as a Wieden+Kennedy copywriter working on Nike and other accounts.

As recently as summer 2013, Adweek named Zambezi one of the Los Angeles area’s “biggest and buzziest” shops, citing clients like PopChips, 2K Sports, Champs, and vitaminwater (you may remember the NBA2K14 campaign starring “Michael Jordan uncensored“).

The agency and its PR firm are currently “not able to comment” on the matter, which means that the rumors are true but that they cannot give us any specifics on why Ford is leaving, where he’s headed, or who may replace him.

Updates as they come in.

Zambezi, Hungry Man Release Another Awkward fruitwater Spot

Last month, vitaminwater’s fruitwater  brand got a little weird with Christina Applegate in the first of its new ads in a campaign created by Venice agency Zambezi and production studio Hungryman.

Today the company released its follow-up, another entry in the “painfully awkward” genre. Here’s “Decoy”:

The earlier one after the jump in case you missed it:

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VEEV Wants You to ‘Cheat on Your Vodka’

Zambezi has a new campaign for VEEV, “the world’s first Acai berry spirit,” asking you to “Cheat on your vodka.” As you may recall, this comes on the heels of Nail’s “Cheat on Greek” campaign for Stonyfiueld Organic, so it would appear that figurative adultery with food and beverages is popular at the moment.

For “Cheat on your vodka,” Zambezi imagines vodka as a grotesque older woman who has apparently been peeling potatoes (you know, because vodka is made from potatoes), questioning a man who she believes is cheating on her. She asks if she’s “too boring” and if she doesn’t “mix as well,” claiming she can smell betrayal on him. He’s pretty quick to relent, admitting his betrayal of vodka for VEEV without much pressure. The ad will run in 60 and 30 second formats online as both pre-roll and in-ad placements. It marks the first marketing campaign for VEEV since its 2007 inception. (more…)

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INSA Creates ‘Make Your Own Way’ Gif-fiti for Dwyane Wade, Li-Ning

Dwyane Wade and shoe brand Li-Ning, who partnered up last year, commissioned renowned British street artist INSA to create a “Make Your Own Way” mural bringing the Miami Heat star’s philosophy to life. But INSA didn’t just stop at creating the 30 x 20 foot mural, utilizing red, white, and black — the predominant colors used for Wade’s Overtown shoe. He created an animated gif of the mural, which he calls “gif-fiti.”

The unveiling of the mural, located in the Art District of Miami, was timed to coincide with the launch of Wade’s Li-Ning sneaker Way of Wade 2.0: Overtown, as well as Art Basel. Both Wade and INSA were happy to work together on the project. Wade said INSA “was a natural fit for Li-Ning Way of Wade as his style is bold and unique.”

INSA, meanwhile, claims that Wade’s “Make Your Own Way” message really resonates with him. “Wade is carving his own path and that resonates with me. I feel like I have lived my life the same way,” said the artist.

Creative agency Zambezi, put together a 2:34 video documenting the creation of the mural and subsequent gif, (featured above). It’s a really interesting look at INSA and his process, offering insights not only into this particular piece but into INSA’s outlook and philosophy. He begins by explaining how making .gifs really brought back vitality to his work at a time when he was growing tired of standard graffiti murals. If you’re at all interested in INSA or street art, it’s well worth the time. While “gif-fiti” is a new one to me — and I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about it — INSA is doing intriguing things with it, bringing his art to life in ways otherwise impossible, while exposing his work to an entirely new audience.

INSA’s “Make Your Own Way” gif will go live on Brand Wade’s Instagram page today at noon. And if you’re in Miami you can find the mural at 286 NW 29th St and 3rd Avenue, Wynwood Miami, Fl 33137.  continued…

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Zambezi Rolls Out Part II of MJ Uncensored for NBA 2K

On October 1, Zambezi released the first installment of an uncensored interview with Michael Jordan to coincide with the release of NBA 2K14. We’re pleased to cover the release of the second part as MJ, known to be private over the years, opens up a bit about his career, life, and family. When MJ talks about on-court incidents, the viewer can see brief reenactments of his most famous moments using the game’s graphics. The game has been out for awhile, but now that the NBA season is hitting its stride, 2K is looking for another marketing jolt to go with the PS4 and Xbox One releases in the next 10 days.

The best part is when MJ muses on his favorite Jordan shoe of all time, comparing it to choosing a favorite child, but then he goes ahead and rattles off his top-three in the next breath. By the transitive property, MJ could probably rank his offspring, which actually fits perfectly with his competitive and results-based history. Nothing wrong with that, just interesting insights that come from this four-minute candid interview.

Credits after the (basketball-related segue) jump.

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‘NBA2K14? Makes it ‘Reign’ in Lebron James-Starring Spot

In a follow-up to the earlier NBA 2K14 spot which heralded Lebron James‘s first game cover, Zambezi returns with the official launch ad for the game featuring who most believe is the best in b-ball today. Yours truly hasn’t been much of a gamer since Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2 were in existence, but hell, we’re down to revisit the days when we were on fire in NBA Jam. Along with the spot, Zambezi curated an interview with the one and only Michael Jordan dubbed “Uncensored” in what perhaps the greatest basketball player ever actually goes against the grain and dubs Kobe Bryant the only one he probably couldn’t beat in the NBA today. Well, he did emulate his style to perfection after all, so maybe MJ’s on to something. Credits and the Jordan interview after the jump.

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Here’s a Social Media Campaign for Fruitwater Starring Murder Suspect Christina Applegate

Glaceau has a new product, fruitwater, that is most likely 0-calorie sparkling fruit-flavored water. I can’t tell from this spot, but that’s my guess. Sounds like just the thing a rich  woman would use to cut her vodka, doesn’t it? It’s great that there’s definitely a customer base for this new product.

To push fruitwater onto said rich women is one of their own, Christina Applegate, best known for playing Kelly Bundy on Married… with Children and jumping ship before her NBC show, Up All Night, was canceled. According to Wikipedia, her mom also used to have a thing with Stephen Stills, so that’s something.

In order to grow fruitwater’s 4,000 or so Twitter followers to a substantial enough number to convince some brand reps that their social media is “working,” consumers are being encouraged to confess crimes and say mean things via the #sparklingtruth hashtag for a campaign from L.A.-based agency Zambezi. If your truth is good enough, fruitwater will give you a personal assistant for a week. But, of course, the only way you could know that is if you start following the account or, like me, you were sent a press release describing the contest. You gotta work for information on the incentive, you know? Credits after the jump.

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King James Kicks Off Video Game Reign with ‘NBA 2K14?

LeBron James may have a South Beach mansion full of trophies, but until yesterday, he had yet to accomplish one basketball-related goal: gracing the cover of a video game. NBA 2K14 won’t hit stores until the fall, but last night, viewers of the NBA Finals on ABC got to watch the introductory ad – created by Zambezi – where James announces his plan to join past coverboys like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. For 2K Sports, having the best basketball player in the world endorsing your basketball product is not too shabby, either.

Lost in all of this is the noble presence of Steve Kerr, once the foil to MJ in the NBA, and now, the foil to Marv Albert in NBA broadcasting. Kerr plays the role of “2K Investigator” in the commercial’s somewhat-lame hook. But when a six-foot white guy who couldn’t dunk gets into a basketball video game commercial, everyone wins.

Credits after the jump.

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