Hasta La Creative!

Two new spots introduced by Samsung over the weekend tell us that the brand’s strategy–and that of its creative AOR 72andSunny–still revolves around knocking its archrival down a few notches.

Surely you caught the not-so-subtle insinuation that the 8.4-inch Wi-Fi Tab S, released just over two weeks ago, is more effective than the iPad in allowing users to stream distracting content for as many people as possible…at the same time.

There’s another one about (simulated) screen contrast after the jump…

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Translation, New York has a new campaign for Champs (for whom they are agency of record), entitled “Game Never Sleeps.”

The campaign celebrates the summer with a series of spots highlighting nocturnal sporting highjinks and a pool party rooftop dive. In the ridiculous 30 second-spot “One Giant Leap” a party-goer takes a rooftop leap into a pool. Only he realizes mid-jump that he left his prized kicks on. Somehow, he has the presence of mind to to quickly slip them off, unharmed, while also managing to make it into the pool. Other spots in the campaign are a bit more plausible, featuring nighttime games of basketball and football. Stay with us after the jump for “Let There Be Light” and “Nightglow,” along with credits. (more…)

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mcgarrybowen teamed up with production company Bullitt Branded (a new branded content company from the Russo Brothers) to combine the re-launch of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the re-launch of Pizza Hut’s “Cheesy Bites” in a new spot entitled “Sneaky Turtles.”

The 30-second cross-promotional spot keeps things pretty simple, relying on the appeal of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Said “Sneaky Turtles” break into a Pizza Hut test kitchen while no one is around and whip up a batch of “Cheesy Bites” — while making a complete mess. When the test kitchen chef returns, he’s pleased to discover the “Cheesy Bites” and eagerly digs in. The cross-promotion makes a lot of sense for Pizza Hut, given the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ well-known love of pizza, and using the re-launch of the Turtles on the big screen to re-launch a menu item is a nice touch, but we can’t help but feel like something’s missing. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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The Vault tapped NBA Draft prospect Dante Exum for a humorous new Foot Locker campaign.

The series of 15 second spots, entitled “Everything Changes After the Draft” highlight how things don’t change after the draft. Although Exum seems to perceive himself as a celebrity, it’s evident no one else does. The approach works best on the above “Paparazzi,” in which Exum informs friends that he doesn’t want to head to Foot Locker because “paparazzi might be there,” eliciting uncontrollable laughter from his two buddies. Other spots in the campaign take a similar approach, seeing Exum practicing his autograph, interacting with a dorky neighbor, combing through “fan mail” and making a dinner reservation. We’ve included “Reservation” and “Fan Mail,” along with credits, after the jump. (more…)

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When we think of IKEA, our minds immediately recall all-day outings involving hour-long bus rides to Red Hook, crowded model apartments and the endless howling of toddlers, which can only be assuaged with $1 cinnamon buns and reliable taxi services.

Mother and MPC Advertising, however, turned to the Seventeenth Century poetry of The Tempest to provide some context for this otherworldly spot highlighting the many benefits of their client’s bedding products.

“Award-winning MJZ director” Juan Cabral helmed the latest chapter in IKEA’s “Wonderful Everyday” campaign, which involved hanging beds from cranes for three days in Johannesburg. On the CGI component:

“MPC’s VFX team collaborated with Juan and Mother, creating detailed matte paintings, adding CG beds and embellishments and compositing elements including the NASA rocket and plume. “

We liked it, but then we’ve always been suckers for footage of dogs in awkward situations.

Partial credits and another spot in the series after the jump.

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In an unusual stunt, M&C Saatchi erected a replica of Rio de Janeiro’s famed Christ the Redeemer monument to Naples for Fastweb.

Following Germany’s crushing defeat of Brazil, M&C Saatchi decided to “download” the monument in Naples, as a way to promote and demonstrate the speed of Fastweb. Images of the monument were some of the most downloaded of the year in Italy, in the wake of the World Cup. Neapolitans were surprised by the monument — accompanied by a sign reading “Downloaded with #fastweb” — this morning at Piazza Dante in Naples.

According to M&C Saatchi Creative Partner Vicenzo Gasbarro, the monument will “bring about a carousel-style carioca of television crews, musicians, dancers and capoeira, which will mingle and interact with people in a mix of colours, music and emotions in a unique Neapolitan fashion. This is a brilliant opportunity for conversation between different cultures online.”

“We are happy to collaborate again with Fastweb to provide new and tangible evidence of what it means to have a faster internet connection,” said Silvio Meazza, M&C Saatchi Interactive partner. “Christ the Redeemer, the symbol of Brazil, has been one of the most downloaded and shared image of the year, downloaded once again – for real this time – with all its weight, straight to the heart of Naples.”

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A new campaign from Commonwealth//McCann, Detroit for Chevrolet is allowing fans to be a part of Manchester United’s new shirt reveal.

Through a digital experience at www.chevroletfc.com “fans can be among the first to sign up and virtually wear the new shirt via their social channels.” A 60-second video stokes Manchester pride by following the history of the Manchester United shirt from the early 20th century to present day. Fans march down the street singing the “Glory, Glory, Man United” anthem. As each generation takes off their Manchester United shirt, a new group emerges, progressing in time to the modern day as the crowd makes their way to Old Trafford Stadium. Upon arrival they are joined by stars Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and David De Gea wearing the new Chevrolet-branded jersey. Several Manchester United legends are also hidden in the crowd throughout the spot. “The History of the Manchester United Shirt” will run on both broadcast and digital channels. The effort marks the launch of Commonwealth//McCann, Detroit’s “What Do You #PlayFor?” campaign, celebrating Manchester United and soccer for Chevrolet. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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Venables Bell & Partners have an off-center campaign for Skyy Vodka, introducing the new tagline “West of Expected” for the California brand.

The new campaign sees improv actor Paul Welsh play a spokesman for the brand, lecturing in some kind of planetarium setting and using cosmic terminology as an analogy for drinking/bar culture. In the 30-second “Tipping” for example, Welsh explains that tipping (in this case giving a mouse in a maze a piece of cheese, for some reason) brings order to chaos, forming a connection with the bartender and getting you good service all night. In the similarly-toned “Attraction” a wing lemon (used to exemplify a wing man) bring together opposites: apples and oranges. It’s a strange approach, for sure, but then Skyy Vodka is an unusual brand — a California company with mostly Old World competition. The “West of Expected” tagline fits Skyy perfectly, and leaves room for a wealth of different approaches going forward.

“In the industry as a whole, and especially vodka, everyone is trying to out-cool themselves and appeal to people’s ego and vanity,” VB&P Executive Creative Director Will McGinness told Adweek. “We wanted to push off the industry norms and the Russian or Eastern European vodka companies and do our own thing and celebrate this different kind of vodka.”

Stick around for “Attraction”and credits after the jump. (more…)

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Agency Johnny Fearless teamed up with Aardman Animations (the creators of Wallace & Gromit) to create the above 90-second spot promoting Imperial War Museum London’s First World War Galleries, entitled “Flight of the Stories.”

The First World War Galleries will re-open on July 19th, which marks the start of the Centenary commemorations. “Flight of the Stories” imagines “the journey of personal stories and letters written by those who never left the fields of Northern France during the First World War.” These stories and letters are depicted as a series of quotations, traveling across France and over the English Channel to find their home at the Imperial War Museum London, while accompanied by lines read “from letters and diaries entrusted to the museum by relatives during and at the end of the First World War.” The effect is striking, with Aardman drawing inspiration from the art of the period and combining 2D illustrations with 3D CGI animation.

“We wanted to bring people to IWM London to see and hear the words of those who lived and died through the war for themselves and encourage them to reappraise the First World War in a way, which is different to the stereotypical mud and blood imagery,” explained Paul Domenet, executive creative director, Johnny Fearless.

“Flight of the Stories” will run online and in cinemas as part of a multimedia campaign including posters, press and radio. Stick around for credits and a “making of” feature after the jump. (more…)

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You’re almost certainly aware that General Motors is currently suffering through a scandal created by its lack of tech savvy. Yet, even as the terrible PR is somehow increasing sales numbers for the automaker, a new spot created by Commonwealth/McCann indicates that Chevrolet wants customers to know that it’s moving on. In fact, we might say that the brand has begun “a new journey.”

This spot is ostensibly all about the 4G Wi-Fi available in new models, but in a larger sense it’s about how Chevrolet is moving forward on all cylinders and bringing its customers along for the ride.

The July 4th debut was no accident, either: as Chevy’s VP of Marketing puts it, “What better time than the Fourth of July to celebrate the new independence that Chevrolet provides”…via working Wi-Fi.

In order to reinforce this point, the team at Commonwealth/McCann Detroit adroitly make the sort of “that was then, this is now” juxtapositions that one sees in many campaigns for products with tech components.

Credits after the jump.

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