Hasta La Creative!

About two weeks ago, we shared the teaser trailer for Jaguar’s Super Bowl ad, which features Ben Kingsley, Mark Strong, and Tom Hiddleston (although only Kingsley was featured in the trailer). Today, Jaguar and their in-house agency, Spark44, have debuted the full 60 second spot, “Rendezvous.”

“Have you ever noticed how in Hollywood movies, all the villains are played by Brits?” Kingsley asks at the opening of “Rendezvous,” featuring the three star British actors as vaguely defined villains who all drive Jaguars. Filmed in London by Oscar-winning British director, Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), in collaboration with Smuggler, Spark44 and Jaguar clearly threw a lot into “Rendezvous” to make the spot cinematic, also employing Alexandre Desplat, who worked with Hooper on The King’s Speech, to compose the ad’s original soundtrack, which was recorded by The London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road studios. “‘Rendezvous’ was filmed with the realization that many of today’s television viewers have access to beautifully sharp picture screens and multi-channel surround sound not unlike the best movie theaters,” explained Brand Vice President of Jaguar North America, Jeff Curry.

“Rendezvous” marks Jaguar’s debut Super Bowl advertisement, and also launches their straightforwardly-titled “British Villains” campaign, which promotes the new Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe (available spring, 2014) and will run through July. The spot features the campaign’s #GoodToBeBad hashtag (a line also spoken by Kingley during the ad, which honestly sounds a little forced), but that’s only the tip of the iceberg in terms of Jaguar’s online and social engagement. They’ve launched a campaign landing page, that “hosts information about the F-TYPE Coupe, the commercial and some unique video content including teasers starring each of the three actors.” Jaguar is also hosting an event with Deadspin as part of their partnership with the latter’s parent, Gawker, as well as two co-sponsored events with Sports Illustrated, including during the magazine’s Super Saturday event the night before Super Bowl Sunday.

What’s more, Jaguar “aims to be the most real-time engaged advertiser during the Super Bowl through a unique physical space called ‘The Loop,’  developed by Mindshare, where multiple screens will monitor real-time consumer data and translate it into actionable insights, and ultimately, rapid marketing decisions…” Jaguar claims “The Loop” is “the first real-time marketing tool to impact paid media – whereby media dollars can be quickly shifted and redeployed to leverage opportunities uncovered by the data.” It will be interesting to see how Jaguar’s first Super Bowl advertisement, and their “The Loop” strategy plays out this Sunday. Stick around for behind the scenes footage of “Rendezvous” after the jump. continued…

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W+K Portland and Coca-Cola have pre-released their Super Bowl ad, “Going All The Way.” One of two big game spots for Coca-Cola, “Going All The Way,” was shot in Ashwaubenon, a suburb of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the exception of the final moments, which were shot at Lambeau Field.

The 60 second spot, directed by Jake Scott and set to House of Pain’s classic “Jump Around,” tells the story of Adrian, a small high school football benchwarmer who finally gets his chance to shine. “Don’t mess this up again, Adrian,” his teammate says when he’s put in the game, telling us all we need to know about Adrian’s past on the playing field. But things break Adrian’s way, and he’s given the opportunity to make the play of a lifetime.

Most of the cast of “Going All The Way” was made up of actual Green Bay-area residents, and Lambeau Field’s groundskeeper of 17 years has a featured role in the spot. “‘Going All The Way’ is a story that celebrates a young man accomplishing his dreams. It’s also a celebration of the amazing town of Ashwaubenon, Wis. coming together and our wonderful partnership with the city of Green Bay,” said Katie Bayne, President, North America Brands, Coca-Cola North America.

The feel-good spot will air during the second half of the Super Bowl, while Coca-Cola’s other big game ad will air during the second quarter. This marks Coca-Cola’s eighth consecutive year advertising during the Super Bowl. To celebrate the launch of “Going All The Way,” Coca-Cola has pledged to donate $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Triple Play program when the spot reaches 10,000 shares. So please feel free to share “Going All The Way” with friends, family and colleagues. Stick around for a behind-the-scenes video about the making of “Going All The Way” after the jump. continued…

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Coming on the heels of last year’s “The Scarecrow” campaign, Chipotle has just revealed the trailer for its upcoming original comedy series “Farmed and Dangerous,” produced in collaboration with New York-based studio Piro.

The Chipotle-sponsored series offers a satirical look at “the lengths to which corporate agribusiness and its image- makers go to create a positive image of industrial agriculture.” “Farmed and Dangerous” imagines a fictional product called the “PetroPellet, a new petroleum-based animal feed created by fictional industrial giant Animoil.” Animoil runs into a PR shitstorm, however, when security footage of an exploding cow goes viral. Buck Marshall, played by Ray Wise of Twin Peaks fame, is the Industrial Food Image Bureau member charged with damage control, and seems willing to go to any lengths to make his little problem go away. The show also stars Eric Pierpoint (of Parks and Recreation).

Like “The Scarecrow,” the new series doesn’t actively promote Chipotle, instead positioning the brand as the alternative to the industrial farming giant the show documents. “We think of ‘Farmed and Dangerous’ as a values-integration rather than typical product- integration,” explained Chipotle chief marketing and development officer Mark Crumpacker. “The show addresses issues that we think are important – albeit in a satirical way – without being explicitly about Chipotle. This approach allows us to produce content that communicates our values and entertains people at the same time.” It also allows Chipotle to position itself against the shadiness of large agricultural business without making any specific promises or concessions — although they claim to have a “commitment to finding better, more sustainable sources for all of the ingredients it uses” and have announced “plans to eliminate GMOs from the ingredients it uses” in 2014. The approach is nothing new for Chipotle, as its evolution can be traced back to the award-winning 2011 spot, “Back to the Start.”

The debut episode of “Farmed and Dangerous” will be avilablee for free on Hulu starting on Feb. 17, with further episodes slated to premiere on consecutive Mondays. Season one of “Farmed and Dangerous” will be made up of four half-hour episodes, but “the storyline is designed to be extended to additional seasons” should the effort prove a success. Head on over to the “Farmed and Dangerous” official website for further details. Credits after the jump. continued…

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If you were watching the Grammys last night, you might have caught this spot launching Mastercard’s “Priceless Surprises” campaign. The 45 second ad features Grammy-nominee Justin Timberlake surprising a fan by showing up at her door to hang out.

A 30: teaser for the spot rolled out last Friday, debuting the new campaign, ending with Justin ringing one lucky fan’s doorbell. The new spot picks up where the teaser left off, recycling some of the audio from the teaser about how Timberlake is excited about sharing a few moments with a fan. The “Priceless Surprises” recipient reacts about how you’d expect, shouting “Holy fuck!” after opening the door. Timberlake spends some time with his fan, even jamming out with her for a bit while she plays guitar. Obviously, Mastercard couldn’t have picked a more appropriate time to launch this campaign.

“Pricelss Surprises” will continue to roll out as an integrated campaign featuring “social, print, radio, television and digital platforms to inspire cardholders to give, get and share #PricelessSurprises.” Timberlake will stick around to surprise Mastercard holders who use the #PricelessSurprises hashtag, spending a day with a few more lucky winners. Cardholders will be automatically entered for a chance to win a slew of other, lesser prizes, such as trips and concert tickets, when using their Mastercard or tweeting with the #PricelessSurprises hashtag as well. Stick around for the teaser spot after the jump. continued…

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Agency Greens & Salad teamed up with global production company Great Guns for a stylish, star-studded new ad for Nike Flyknit.

Entitled “Light. Strong. Nike Flyknit,” the 1:20 spot was directed by Paul Shearer and Vincent Laforet, and features Kobe Bryant, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix, decathlon world record holder Ashton Eaton, and world champion distance runner Mo Farah. The spot withholds any dialogue or voiceover, instead relying on footage of its star athletes training in their Nike Flyknits delivered with a visual flair (courtesy of “a Red Epic and Phantom camera, on a combination of tracking vehicles, Movi and Steadicam rigs”) to make its product look good. Kobe takes center stage, both the first and last athlete featured, but otherwise screen time is share fairly equitably. The spot debuted globally this week, in anticipation of the Super Bowl and the NBA All Star Game (for which voting results were just revealed).

If the Nike Flyknit spot has whet your appetite for more Richard Sherman, never fear. Stay tuned for a timely Beats ad featuring the Seahawks star cornerback, along with credits for “Light. Strong. Nike Flyknit” after the jump. continued…

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Rethink Canada’s new campaign for Molson-Coors owned Rickard’s Beer could double as a public service announcement, sharing important “Rules of the Round” for pub-goers everywhere. To make these rules sound more official, they have them delivered by a British bloke, because everything sounds smarter with a British accent. These rules are further illustrated by rudimentary stop-motion animation, accompanied by occasional graphics. It’s a charming approach that really makes me want to like Rickard’s Beer, and is also remarkably sharable.

These “Rules of the Round” answer important questions, such as who is responsible for the first round (the person in closest proximity to the bar), what to do about “The Late Joiner” and how to properly mock “The Fancy Pants.” At the conclusion of any of these spots, the viewer is directed to the other two “Rules of the Round.” Thank you, Rethink Canada and Rickard’s Beer for documenting these pub rules. We see them broken all too often. Check out “The Late Joiner” below, and stay tuned for “The Fancy Pants” after the jump. Let’s hope Rethink Canada sticks with the “Rules of the Round” approach going forward, as there are plenty of rules left unexplored.

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On Sunday, February 2nd, M&M’S character Yellow will win a victory for sidekicks everywhere, finally starring in his own Super Bowl ad, created by BBDO NY. Mars Chocolate North America announced today that “M&M’S will debut a new 30-second commercial in the first half of Super Bowl XLVIII about M&M’S® Peanut, with Yellow taking the lead role in the Big Game for the first time.”

“It’s about time we remind the world how irresistible M&M’S Peanut really is,” said Seth Klugherz, senior director, M&M’S Chocolate Candies, adding the fun fact that  “Each M&M’S Peanut is literally 1 in 100 – meaning we have to sort through 100 different peanuts, just to find one that’s lucky enough to make its way into a bag of M&M’S Peanut.” This makes me wonder: where do all the reject peanuts go?

The Super Bowl spot is the latest in M&M’s “Year of Peanut” campaign, “a yearlong effort to showcase the irresistibility of M&M’S Peanut” that kicked off “with a star-studded event on New Year’s Eve in Atlanta.” M&M’s integrated “Year of Peanut” campaign will continue following the Super Bowl, with “multiple English and Spanish television, print and digital ads, in-store displays, consumer promotions, public relations and social media.”

As you can see for yourself above, BBDO’s Super Bowl teaser doesn’t give a whole lot away. You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled during the first half of the Super Bowl for Yellow’s moment in the spotlight, as the 30 second ad itself will remain a secret until the big game.

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We know what you’re thinking: “Holy shit, Sarah motherfucking McLachlan!!” But you should probably sit back down, take a deep breath, maybe drink a glass of water. You don’t want to get yourself too worked up. We don’t want you to start pounding your desk and throwing chairs in excitement. Hopefully you didn’t just scream that out loud for your boss to hear.

The Lilith Fair founder stars in this bizarre Super Bowl teaser that Venables Bell and Partners put together for its longtime client and perennial big game advertiser, Audi. In the spot, McLachlan parodies her own advertisements in support of the ASPCA, offering up a “special new song” to raise awareness for “misunderstood animals.” In this case, the “misunderstood animals” are Doberhuahuas (a cross between a Doberman and Chihuahuas, get it?). The freaky-looking things populate the spot, pictured hanging on couch by the fireplace, on a walk along the beach, tearing up a couch, and hanging out with kittens, ducklings and bunnies. It’s a bit bizarre, but it certainly should get people’s attention. And it features the always exciting music of Sarah McLachlan. You might want to wait until later to watch this, so you can appropriately rock out and get your Sarah on. Just saying.

The ad marks the second teaser from Audi, following “Dog Show,” which debuted earlier this week. Audi’s latest Super Bowl effort will be promoting the automaker’s all-new A3, billed as “the brand’s entry-level luxury sedan.” It will mark Audi’s seventh return to the Super Bowl. Keep an eye out for the spot during the first in-game break and following the third quarter kickoff. Stick around for “Dog Show after the jump. continued…

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Isaiah Mustafa, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” returns for W+K Portland’s new “Interneterventions” campaign for Old Spice from executive creative directors Susan Hoffman and Joe Staples (full credits forthcoming, we hope).

W+K created nine fake websites for the campaign, for products such as “100% Black Leather Sheets,” “Illegal Neck Workout Machine,” “The Push Up Muscle Shirt,” and “Soul Patch Powder.” When users visit these site they are met with an “Internetvention” from Mustafa, who chides them on their poor life decisions and suggests that they can start turning things around by using Old Spice. There are nine separate executions for the nine different sites, each employing (like the sites themselves) W+K’s often imitated brand of humor. Visitors can also choose to prank their friends by forwarding them the sites on social media, a pretty clever way to get people to spread the campaign. Since the sites and the executions themselves are fun to watch, people may actually be driven to share the links. I mean, why wouldn’t you forward your buddy a link to “Brodominiums,” the condominiums located inside a gym?

Here’s a list of the sites for the campaign:

www.partytanz.com
www.smellpulse.com
www.glitzelectronics.com
www.toughsheets.com
www.zaneckworkouts.com
www.flavorpatch.com
www.theflatteringman.com
www.brodominiums.com
www.freshbodycoupons.com

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I try not to throw around the word “powerful” too frequently, but “Selfie,” the new documentary short crafted by Recommended Media and director Cynthia Wade for the tenth anniversary of Dove’s “Real Beauty” is just that.

Cynthia Wade realizes that social media and other modern technologies are creating a paradigm shift in how people perceive beauty, and that the generation growing up today has a great opportunity to affect positive change in this regard. “Our culture is in a new place in terms of how we talk about women and beauty, and social media is fueling the shift,” she said. “When I was growing up, there was one definition of beauty and it could only be found in traditional media. Today beauty is in the hands of the people as they photograph and share a splendidly diverse range of the female self image over social networks.”

So Wade and her crew headed to a high school to get girls, many of whom (like most high school students) were self-conscious about the way they looked. She enlisted them in a project where each girl would take a selfie, along with her mother, that would later be shown at a photography exhibit. The just over 7 minute long video tackles not just the girls’ insecurities, but also their mothers’ and the way that insecurities about the way we look can be past down from one generation to the next. It’s a really touching portrait of the way a younger generation is being given the opportunity to redefine what “beauty” is, taking it from a place of exclusivity and judgement to a place of inclusion and acceptance. Watching the girls react to the positive comments people left on their photos and accept themselves as beautiful is really quite touching and I’ve got to admit it left me all teared up. Interestingly, the video does nothing to tie itself to the Dove brand until the very end, when Dove invites viewers to join the conversation with the #beautyis hashtag. Cynthia Wade’s “Selfie” is a pleasant surprise, working to redefine both beauty and brand interaction. Well done. Partial credits after the jump. continued…

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