Hasta La Creative!

With the brand having passed the 10-year mark in Canada, john st. is re-introducing Mitsubishi with a new branding campaign, complete with a fresh tagline, “Built Better. Backed Better.”

Built around a series of 30-second ads, the new campaign implores Canadians to get to know Mitsubishi, since, as the ending line states, “With a ten year warranty, you’ll be spending a long time together.” The tagline and “get to know Mitsubishi” angle both highlight the extensive warranty, making for a cohesive strategy. The first in the series of television spots, “Get To Know Mitsubishi” goes through the brand’s logo, history, future, “the first mass-produced electric vehicle,” it’s designer, his mother, and the house he bought her, and the warranty, in rapid succession — perhaps too rapid. With each item introduced by “This is…” and the spot running through the list so quickly, it’s a bit too easy to miss information or tune the spot out altogether. The television campaign is supported by digital, print and radio ads.

“The idea for the campaign came right out of Mitsubishi’s industry best warranty,” explains Angus Tucker, executive creative producer/partner at john st. “It’s ten years, which means that when you buy a Mitsubishi, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with your vehicle, whether an Outlander, RVR, Lancer or Mirage. So you better get to know each other first.” Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

W+K New York introduce a new character for Southern Comfort in the new, 60-second spot entitled “Young Gun.”

Apparently, the real name of the “Young Gun” is Stephen, “an accomplished bartending journeyman,” with a self-described “not neat” style. “If you can’t be comfortable with yourself, how can you expect to make anyone else comfortable?” is his very brand-appropriate motto for aspiring bartenders. None of this is evident in the spot, however, which keeps things simple.

“Young Gun” shows its titular character emerging from the back room to man the soda guns. He does so with extreme speed, albeit not great neatness, even managing to throw in some dance moves to the song “Love Me” by The Phantom while servicing a large group of drinkers. The approach is simple and straightforward, but it’s pulled off well and the results are entertaining. “We’ve cultivated a true appreciation for the brand by encouraging consumers to be exactly as they are, rather than pushing them to be something they are not,” Gwen Risdale, marketing manager for Southern Comfort UK, told Marketing Week. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

W+K Portland and Terry Crews are back, dialing up the mishigas in a new spot for Old Spice entitled “Drill to Brazil.”

In what may be the craziest Old Spice spot yet, Crews attempts to drill to Brazil by spiraling himself into the ground, because Terry Crews is magic. After a few failed attempts see him end up in Egypt, an office, and a snowcone, Crews finally gets to Brazil, where he meets what appears to be Brazilian Crews. In Brazil, Crews shares (screams) the message, “Old Spice thinks you’re amazing and is now available in Brazil!” before heading off to an unexpected location. If you’ve seen any of the previous Crews spots you already know the drill, just expect even more random craziness than usual from this one.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

RKCR has launched a new campaign entitled “Can and Will,” which celebrates the “go anywhere” attitude of the Land Rover brand.

The campaign is centered around a 60-second television spot featuring individuals who embody the “Can and Will” spirit, including Mike Goody, who lost a leg in Afghanistan and aims to represent the UK in the Invictus Games this September (which Land Rover will be sponsoring), and 68-year-old competitive surfer Gwyn Haslock. “Don’t tell me I can’t,” these individuals state, “because I can and I will.” The spot recently began broadcasting on terrestrial, cable and satellite channels, in addition to ITV advert breaks during World Cup games. The stories behind the individuals in “Can and Will” can be found on the campaign website, www.canandwill.co.uk. Additionally, a “series of mini-documentary films have been commissioned in partnership with Channel 4, with Paralympic hero Ellie Simmons and actor Richard E. Grant talking about their ‘Can and Will’ stories,” which will be broadcast during breaks in Channel 4 programs and through C4’s digital platforms. The campaign will run throughout the summer.

“Our new ‘Can and Will’ brand campaign is a celebration of the spirit of determination,” said Jaguar Land Rover UK Marketing Director Laura Schwab. “It’s about embarking on new challenges, but also never quitting when the going gets tough. It’s an attitude which has seen Land Rover vehicles conquer some of the world’s most inhospitable locations.” We’ve got credits after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The Richards Group has unveiled a new “Fact or Fake” series of online videos for Orkin Pest Control, the latest in their “Bug Wisdom” campaign.

“Fact or Fake” is a series (so far two) of videos that attempt to prove or disprove commonly held views on bugs, MythBusters style. In the video, above for example, the crew attempts to answer the question, “Are Daddy Longlegs Poisonous?” Much like MythBusters, The Richards Group tries to mix scientific inquiry with goofy humor. If the results aren’t exactly funny, they are at least still entertaining — especially when you consider the typical approach for advertising pest control. Another spot in the series tackles the question of whether termites eat faster when rock music is played.

The Richards Group also recently released a series of “Top 6” listicle videos, counting down the best bugs to eat and the most venomous insects. With both coming on the heels of the initial “Bug Wisdom” series, it’s clear The Richards Group has been quite busy for Orkin. Stick around for “Does Rock ‘n’ Roll Make Termites Eat Faster?” and credits after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

W2O Group has a new campaign for Apollo Endosurgery, Inc., “the leader in minimally invasive endoscopic surgical products for bariatric and gastrointestinal procedures,” aimed at “rejuvenating the LAP-BAND® System” — which was acquired in late 2013 by Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. of Austin, Texas, from Allergan, Inc. — “and educating a broad range of patients about the benefits of the minimally-invasive weight loss procedure.”

Entitled “It Fits,” the multi-channel campaign features television spots, digital, print, a new logo, revitalized website, and the launch of @LAPBAND. The 60-second television spot, entitled “Moments,” features a series of individuals enjoying their newly found weight loss in various situations: receiving a hug from a daughter, putting on a plane seatbelt, slipping on a ring. “Discover how thousands of people are fitting into old, and new, things,” intones the voiceover — so long as you aren’t worried about the (rare) possibility of “re-operation, band-slippage, stomach injury, removal and fatalities” and aren’t scared of a little “vomiting and heartburn.” “Moments” is pretty much exactly what you’d expect for an ad in this category, complete with obligatory sentimental piano music.

“With the increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States, the Apollo Endosurgery team decided that it was time to refresh the brand and inspire people who have tirelessly tried everything else to lose weight, with little to no success, to finally conquer their weight issue with the LAP-BAND® System,” said Dennis McWilliams, president and chief commercial officer of Apollo Endosurgery. “The LAP-BAND® System’s benefits speak for itself, so now is the time to raise awareness and let people know this could potentially be their weight loss solution.” Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

180 Amsterdam has a bold new campaign unveiling REPLAY’s eco-friendly Laserblast L.I.F.E. collection, which celebrates real-life activists as models.

REPLAY’s Laserblast L.I.F.E.  capsule collection utilizes “innovative and eco-friendly Laserblast technology, which dramatically reduces water consumption, and the use of coloured mineral pigments of natural origin,” resulting in “one of the most eco-friendly, natural denim ranges.” The brand called on 180 Amsterdam to make eco-friendly jeans seem youthful and rebellious, casting “models with a world-leading ethical stance – the real-life activists transforming the way we live today.” It marks 180 Amsterdam’s first campaign for the brand.

180 Amsterdam’s two minute digital spot for the campaign (featured above), shows environmental activists (clad in jeans, of course) clashing with heavily-armed security forces. Opening with shots of protesters in the woods, with audio clips of climate change deniers in the background, the group are soon met by the security forces they clash with. The provocative spot includes violence against protesters, and even some unexpected partial nudity before ending on a positive note with a surprise twist. 180 Amsterdam certainly didn’t hold back on this one, although some may make the argument that they’re trying a little too hard to seem edgy.

“We have very ambitious targets for the business. We are thrilled to partner with 180 Amsterdam to bring our vision to life and expectations on Laserblast L.I.F.E. project. Their team, their enthusiasm and their talent make us excited about the result of this journey,” said Art Zuyderwijk, MD REPLAY Benelux.

Stay tuned for credits after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

While Apple recently announced that it will be taking more of its ads in house, this latest iPhone spot comes from TBWA Media Arts Lab, and features a rather unusual song selection.

The 60-second spot, entitled “Strength,” is a relatively straightforward montage promoting the use of the iPhone 5S for physical fitness. Less straightforward, however, is the spot’s soundtrack. As Adweek reports, “Strength” is set to “The Youth Fitness Song” (also called “Chicken Fat”), which originally appeared as a song from President Kennedy’s national physical fitness program. The song, which was written by Meredith Wilson and performed by Robert Preston in 1961, was distributed to schools and played as an accompaniment to a morning calisthenics routine. Whether the song is meant to stoke Baby Boomer nostalgia or someone on board just thought it would be a fun bit of silliness, “Go, you chicken fat, go” is a pretty strange way to tell people to start exercising (while utilizing their iPhone 5S). Coming on the heels of the recent spot featuring “Gigantic,” it marks something of a trend in unorthodox song selections promoting the 5S.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

TBWAParis, Amnesty International France’s advertising agency for 10 years, has a new ad for the organization, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary.
The 1:55 film, entitled “Pens,” uses a clever visual device to tell the story of an unnamed protestor. The protestor is arrested, detained and abused, but released following thousands of petitions for his release. Set to a soundtrack performed by Paolo Nutini, with a short, stirring excerpt from Charlie Chaplin’s The Dictator, the spot champions Amnesty’s process of mobilization via the signatures of its supporters. “Pens” is a clear expression of Amnesty Frances’s ““your signature is more powerful than you think” slogan and a powerful encapsulation of what the organization stands for. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Saatchi & Saatchi teamed up with Internet prankster Rahat to launch a new multichannel campaign promoting the Toyota Aygo.

Part of the “Go Fun Yourself” campaign, the debut spot features Rahat slipping into a costume that perfectly matches the seats of the Toyota Aygo, making the car appear to be driving itself. He then drives around Europe with a hidden camera documenting people’s reactions. That’s right, another hidden camera prank video. If you’re tired of these already, you might want to head elsewhere, because the 90-second “Who’s Driving” — set to the Fratelli’s track, “Chelsea Dagger,” and directed by Smuggler’s Jamie Rafn — doesn’t do a lot to distinguish itself from the pack.

The spot will launch the “Go Fun Yourself” Pan-European integrated campaign on TV, in cinemas, and online — supported by social and print components — today, in markets including the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Denmark. “Go Fun Yourself” attempts to “emphasize Aygo’s image as the playful, dynamic car of choice suited to those that don’t take themselves seriously.” Aimed at a younger audience, the campaign will comprise a series of prankster-style videos and social activity which will roll out across the year.

“Aygo is not just another car, so for the launch we wanted to do things differently,” said Stephane Rydlewski, brand & communication manager, Toyota Europe. “With ‘Go Fun Yourself’, we found the perfect way to express the true spirit of the car – fun, provocative & irreverent, without taking ourselves too seriously. We all have this fun inside, we just need to let it go. This is the magic of the new AYGO campaign.” Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.