Hasta La Creative!

GSD&M has Zales’ “Let Love Shine” holiday campaign with the spot “Balloon,” featuring the surprisingly not terrible music of Lord Huron. I say “surprisingly not terrible” because of the band’s name, but the diamond store chain boasts that in 2010, it did help propel The Black Keys (not my favorite but certainly not terrible) to stardom by using their music in an ad (and newer indie darlings like Alabama Shakes in subsequent campaigns).

While jewelry commercials are sentimental by nature, this one tries not to be too cloying about it. It shows a man trudge across a snow-covered city to propose to his girlfriend by holding a bunch of balloons to get her attention and then take out the engagement ring. It’s kind of cute, even if it’s a little perplexing to not be in the same room for a proposal.

I’m not quite ready for the onslaught of holiday advertising yet, but I know what I hate, and I don’t hate this spot for Zales “Celebration” bridal collection. And that’s rare for a jewelry spot, especially one around this time of year. Credits after the jump.

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Debuting during tonight’s Chicago Bears/Green Bay Packers Monday night match-up is the latest in State Farm’s Discount Double-Check campaign from DDB Chicago. And, folks, it is a doozy.

Again, we find Packers QB Aaron Rodgers flanked by the SNL ”Superfans,” George Wendt and Robert Smigel, on a flight that has now lasted two months since these guys first showed up. Rodgers, who you may know is as bad at acting as he is incredible at football (the worst and best, respectively), faces his biggest challenge yet: Portray someone who isn’t Aaron Rodgers looking uncomfortable while trying to deliver scripted lines. The results are, well, watch the clip.

In Rodgers’ defense (and it’s easy for me because he is my favorite player ever), a Chicago accent is hard to replicate. In DDB’s defense, I sympathize with how many takes of Rodgers’ “acting” they had to do before just saying “fuck it” and going with the above spot. And, in everyone’s defense, this campaign has been incredibly successful for State Farm over the years. Don’t like Rodgers’ acting? Think the spot isn’t funny? Well that’s too bad, because the rest of America loves these things. This is advertising, and the will of the consumers wins (haha). Credits after the jump.

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It’s ironic that Regal, in an effort to get people interested in going to movie theaters, would ask popular Vine actors to star in a branded miniseries called Date Night Fails that is premiering on the Internet. There’s more mess beyond the irony, since Regal turned to Vine, which has, itself, plateaued in terms of popularity, much like the movie theaters. So, even though this campaign is harmless, it’s also kind of sad.

Created by LA-based digital agency Something Massive, Date Night Fails stars Jason Nash as Vince, a clueless buffoon who has occasional funny moments stemming from his loud, overbearing, and sometimes annoying personality. That Look at Me approach to humor can get old very quickly, as it does here, even though there are only five two-minute episodes. Vine does have a turtle named Quentin Taraturtle for whatever that’s worth. Other well-known Viners such as KC James and Arielle Vandenberg appear in some of the clips, which all have to do with convincing you that going to the movies is better than watching movies at home. Intuitively, that makes sense, even if the reasons, themselves don’t. Like in “Loading,” repeated streaming problems interrupt Vince and a date from watching a movie on his TV, even though those kind of buffering issues don’t exist long-term and can be fixed easily. Or in “Making Concessions,” where homemade and store-bought snacks are supposed to make you want to go to a theater and buy $10 popcorn, even though the dynamic actually works in reverse.

See, harmless and kind of sad. There’s probably a way to execute this miniseries more effectively, maybe with shorts about not being able to see new titles on Netflix, dealing with frequent commercials on cable, and encountering loneliness at home versus enjoying the theater experience with a crowd of people who laugh, gasp, etc. But that’s not what Date Night Fails is, and any person who stops to think for two seconds will see right through these straw men.

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What could be more appropriate than a beer post on a Friday afternoon?

Saatchi and Saatchi Del Campo’s new spot launching Andes Barley Wine features a most enviable bird: a hen who lays beer (specifically Andes Barley Wine) instead of eggs. Who wouldn’t want to own one of those?

First, a little terminology for the uninitiated. Barley wine is a strong, top fermented ale originating from England in the 18th century. It typically has around 8-12% alcohol by volume. Translation: This shit is strong and will get you crunk if you drink it like you would a lager. The word “wine” is meant to indicate that the ale has similar alcohol content to a wine, not that it tastes like or resembles wine.

“Miraculous Hen” was shot in Uspallata, Mendoza and directed by Agustín Alberdi. The scenic location makes an excellent backdrop for the spot, a lighthearted and humorous 1:11 devoid of dialogue. When a man finds that his chicken lays beer instead of eggs he is, predictably, very happy. He hops on his motorcycle to show an understandably skeptical friend the miracle and chases off a dog who is after the bird. Soon he’s sharing the beer with a group of friends, as there’s plenty to go around. When the bird suddenly starts laying eggs again instead of beer, the man cooks up the hen with the fresh laid eggs. It’s a simple spot that succeeds at being memorable without any dialogue whatsoever. I’ve never had barley wine before, but as someone partial to strong ales, this spot makes me want to try Andes Barley Wine. So, mission accomplished. Credits after the jump. continued…

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Lexington, KY-based Cornett-IMS, the agency behind “Beardvertising” and whose creative/biz dev guy Whit Hiler also co-masterminded  “Kentucky Kicks Ass,” have crafted the best long and short-form advertisements for a horse farm I’ve ever seen (and also the only long and short-form advertisements for a horse farm I’ve ever seen).

They teamed up with Eye Level Films to create “The Lane’s End Experience: A Short Film,” actually a long ad for Lane’s End Farms, which we’re told is “one of the world’s premier Thoroughbred farms.” It’s not hard to believe that after watching the video. There’s rolling green grass as far as the eye can see, attentive caretakers, and plenty to eat. If I was a horse, I think I’d really enjoy living at Lane’s End. The ad tells the story of Lane’s End beginnings and rise to prominence, with plenty of breathtaking scenery and majestic horses galloping through the countryside. If you’re looking for a horse farm, are a horse, or just love horses, it may be worth sitting through the 4:20 ad.

All kidding aside, it’s very well put together, managing to tell a story in a visually stimulating way over the course of its somewhat long running time. “The Lane’s End Experience: A Short Film” is available at the new Lane’s End website. There’s also a :30 version, which will premiere (appropriately enough) this weekend during the 30th Annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships on NBC Sports.

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You know that feeling you get when watching something that is supposed to be funny: now there’s pressure on the creators to make you laugh, and since you’re aware of it, you’re harder to impress. FiberOne’s ongoing Snack Drama campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi NY, has that prerequisite element, and it still manages to flow with humor that’ll make you laugh, or at least smile.

(Before I proceed, I’d just like to acknowledge the future commenters preparing their disparaging remarks aimed at FiberOne, Saatchi NY, me, AgencySpy, humanity, anyone who has every liked anything. We get it. You don’t think it’s funny. Or you think the campaign is a derivative of 42 other campaigns that were already created. Or you work in advertising but secretly hate your career and suffer from pathological self-loathing. You can disagree, but please do it with some respect. Okay, go ahead now.)

Anyway, “The Truth About Dieting” is funny. It’s a one-minute satire of diets ranging from the hypnotherapy diet to the juice cleanse. If you’ve seen earlier Snack Drama spots, which we covered ten days ago, you will recognize some of the actresses who are whining, screaming, or just going bat-crazy because of their ridiculous diets. There’s surprisingly no product placement, and if you don’t pay close attention, you may not even recognize that it’s an ad at all. So for people who like subtle branding and not-so-subtle humor, this video is for you. A simple yet effective concept that should play well on television.

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It used to be that if you forgot a costume on Halloween you had to find and rob some guy with an eye patch or wrap yourself in toilet paper. Now, thanks to T3 and the Windows Phone, that won’t be entirely necessary.

T3, no stranger to Twitter campaigns for the Windows Phone, has unveiled a new “Halloween Reinvented” social campaign.

The idea is simple: go here and choose from a variety of “instant costumes” to download; then share your pics with the #HalloweenReinvented hashtag. Instant costumes include a vampire, pirate, creepy clown, mummy, and mustache dude. It’s a fun little idea that shows off a novel use of the Windows Phone. If you need another reason to get behind the instant costumes idea, know that @BrandWriter Brian Thompson, the man responsible for Passive Aggressive Notepads, is on the case. So go get your digital costume, share your pics on Twitter and in our comments section, if you feel so inclined. It will save you a lot of toilet paper. Happy Halloween everyone.

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San Francisco agency Duncan/Channon have a new campaign for DriveTime that attempts to mine buddy comedies and old cop shows to make funny spots about buying a car with poor credit.

The two new spots, directed by Adam Brodie & Dave Derewlany, feature a team of two adorably dorky women (I’m intentionally avoiding the term “adorkable” here) driving around a homemade rescue vehicle. When the two see credit-crunched car shoppers they come to the rescue, bringing them to DriveTime where they can expect low-priced leases and loans despite poor credit. In one of the spots, the couple rescue a woman denied a car loan at a dealer; in the other it’s a man crammed into a packed bus who thinks he “can’t afford a car.” With DriveTime’s low-priced leases, he “can’t afford not to get a car” the two say at the same time.

Its brand of cutesy humor isn’t anything new, but it is kind of a fresh approach for selling this type of brand, usually populated by more downbeat messages about how you no longer have to let bad credit stand in your way. As such, the spots are welcome, even if one of them (“Keepin’ It Real”) falls flat on its face. “Next Stop Freedom” (featured above) is a little more successful thanks to an unexpected bit thrown in at the end. There’s potential for the approach to go places, and at the very least it moves away from the tired “Do you have bad credit?” opening spots we’ve all seen a million times. I’m interested to see where Duncan/Channon take this in the future. Credits and “Keepin’ It Real” after the jump.  continued…

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Ah sweet bourbon, brownest of the brown liquors.

MDC-owned, San Diego-based Vitro, responsible for the interesting Asics campaigns we’ve covered over the past couple of years, is rolling out a rebranding effort for Wild Turkey with a new campaign entitled “Never Tamed,” complete with a new website for the booze brand.

Aimed “squarely into the hearts and minds of the Millennial consumer” the parties involved claim this campaign is the largest in Wild Turkey history. The “#Nevertamed” tagline and hashtag refer to the bouron’s adherence to quality and refusal to compromise for financial or other practical reasons. In the first spot, they highlight the company’s use of a deeper char, more rye, and a longer aging process in their bourbon. “It’s worth it,” the spot proclaims, “because some people know that the choices you make are just a product of what you’re made of.” This is the kind of ridiculous quote you hear in just about every liquor ad, but the focus on Wild Turkey’s adherence to quality works. Next time Vitro might want to mention Wild Turkey’s refusal to turn to genetically modified grains at a time when many others in the industry have resorted to GMOs. This sixty second spot is backed by extensive digital and social media efforts, with print advertising forthcoming.

The “Nevertamed” campaign also features long-form profiles of “five uncompromising individuals who clearly exhibit the same Wild Turkey #Nevertamed spirit.” These include Michael Sharp, who surfs in the arctic waters of Alaska; Chris Davenport, who hiked up and skied all of Colorado’s 54 tallest mountain peaks in a year; female horse jockey Rosie Napravnik; premier glass blower Caleb Siemon; and Hollywood stunt man Tim Rigby. These five stories can be viewed after the 60 second spot in the playlist above.

The rebranding effort to move away from an association with a “rough and tumble, redneck set” and appeal to their target demographic of males aged 25-35 (Hey, that’s me: send me some free bourbon) should be well-served by the campaign, despite the first spot’s flaws. Wild Turkey would do well to play up its association with Hunter S. Thompson, a fan of the brand who’s beloved by Millenials everywhere. Credits after the jump. continued…

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We are now in the season of LeBron James commercials. He’s like Victor Cruz, only taller, better, richer, and not a Time Warner Cable lackey. If you happened to watch the opening night of the NBA season, you saw three different LeBron endorsements, including a new two-minute Samsung spot (:60 version with just the family after the jump) that gives viewers a glimpse into the family life of the best basketball player in the world.

If you care about such things, you may remember last year’s Samsung/LBJ launch, which also premiered on opening night as the Miami Heat were getting their first set of rings. That 2012 spot was more about LeBron and his friends ruling Miami in barber shops and ice cream trucks. This year’s version is all about LeBron and his family: his sons hanging out in the pool or on a driveway basketball court as his wife films from a Samsung Galaxy. ”The Next Big Thing is Here” flashes on the screen as LeBron’s son celebrates after swishing a jump shot. We get it, but it’s still fairly interesting to let two little boys take some of the spotlight away from the real star.

The spot is an easy watch, a relaxing tone that rubs off on the viewer. Life is good for LeBron, and even though I typically prefer product-focused ads to lifestyle ads, when the spokesman is one of the most famous people on the planet, customers may take notice. Smiles all around and credits after the jump.

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