Hasta La Creative!

For their new back-to-school campaign, Kmart and Draftfcb have wrangled Da Rich Kidzz, a rap group from Minneapolis aka the young geniuses behind “Hot Cheetos and Takis.”  In their new release, “My Limo,” Da Rich Kidzz give shout-outs to their school bus, their calculators, and of course, the first day of school. The chorus goes, “My school bus is my limo/I rule back to school with my cap on and my brim low.”

This spot comes after Kmart’s “Yo Mama” video, in which playground kids used the classic insult to compliment one another’s mother’s back-to-school shopping choices. The clincher: “Yo mama’s so fiscally responsible, she got all that on free layaway.” Previous to that, we got a pun-laden diptych in the form of “Ship My Pants” and “Big Gas Savings.”

If Da Rich Kidzz’ spot succeeds in making K-Mart a cool elementary school shopping destination, then power to them. Anything to make the first day of school less nerve-wracking. “Hot Cheetos & Takis” caught on with the young crowd, so maybe “My Limo” will too. But it’s also possible that, like Jay Z with Samsung, the commercial overload will leave a bad taste in consumers’ mouths. And if Da Rich Kidzz are really up and coming, this spot might arrest their creative momentum, forever branding them the K-Mart Kidzz.

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About a year ago, Intel and Toshiba partnered together with the help of Pereira & O’Dell to create “The Beauty Inside,” a so-called “social movie” that paired not-quite-movie stars Topher Grace and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as two young actors who can’t believe that this is where their careers have taken them thus far. The big budget online film was apparently effective enough at whatever it was trying to do to spawn a spiritual sequel, “The Power Inside,” starring Harvey Keitel as a guy you kind of feel sorry for until you you consider that he’s still finding work at his age.

As a press release tells us, the heavily product integrated plot will consist of “An alien invasion by a race of extraterrestrial moustaches and unibrows who take over the upper lips and eyes of people around the world. The main character is Neil, who together with his friends and the help of technology discovers his inner strength to defeat the moustache and unibrow invaders called Uricks. Intel-inspired Ultrabook™ devices by Toshiba play an important role in Neil’s journey of self-discovery.” We assume “inner strength” and “Intel-inspired Ultrabook™ devices by Toshiba” are pretty interchangeable in this scenario.

Similar to its predecessor, computer processor fans every can be part of the film by interacting with the protagonist via Facebook. Users can also upload a photo of themselves, edit that photo with a moustache and unibrow, and reach self-actualization after the process is completed. Credits after the jump.

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Books? Actual printed books? People still buy those things? Apparently so. Otherwise this ACW Grey-created campaign for Israeli bookstore chain Steimatzky is a total waste of money.

Whether or not it’s wasted ad spend remains to be seen but one thing is clear; this is one very creative ad campaign. The work centers on print which carries the headline “The Right Book Will Always Keep You Company.” The visuals then convey the headline quite literally by placing characters from well known novels in bed with readers.

Yes, yes, we realize this could kick up quite a different set of scenarios given racier book titles but let’s keep things innocent for now.

Minnesota Twins fans don’t have much to cheer about these days. Their team is in 4th place in the AL Central, and they have a new outdoor stadium, which is problematic when you remember that playing baseball outdoors in Minnesota may not be fun in April or September. But, there is temporary relief. Today is National Hot Dog Day – I didn’t know, either – and Schweigert Meats, which produces the official hot dog of the Twins, has used the special occasion to release a couple of short video spots that show how the brand’s meat is “overly uncomplicated.” The brand is opting for a tongue-in-cheek tone with the videos and slogan as the campaign expands over the next few months with digital, print, and TV ads in the extended Minnesota region.

The campaign comes from Austin-based Proof Advertising and seems to appeal to a certain Northern blue-collar rural population that may find humor in the soft irony of things that are overly uncomplicated. But when it comes to Minnesota Twins advertising, Proof and Schweigert will have to step up their collective game to surpass the ability of the dandruffless Joe Mauer. Credits after the jump.

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Today, Lexus joins Kanye West on the interactive music video bandwagon. To promote the 2014 Lexus IS sport sedan, ATTIK and Blueyed Pictures created “Amazing Mix,” a surprisingly cool interactive adscape with Cirque du Soleil characters, red birds, and kaleidoscopic effects. Site visitors can type any key (or combination thereof — try “LEXUS” for a special show) to make a mix of these effects, then submit the result for a chance to win tickets to the 2014 Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival, hotel stay at the event and $2,000, or a $500 cash prize.

Like with their Instagram film campaign, this is a step in the right direction for the automaker, though they didn’t get every aspect right. The music that backs Amazing Mix is a weird, blank James Bond knockoff, while the site that surrounds the scene is remarkably 2006. If Lexus wanted an immersive, individualized experience, they should have placed the mix on its own, minimalist page. Also, who are they targeting here? Middle-aged foodies who find Internet oddities amusing? That seems the only logical conclusion when the related prize is tix to the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival. If they’re going for young car owners (which they should be, with the tech and art angle), then that destination isn’t exactly enticing. Make the message more cohesive, and get us to XOXO, or Electric Zoo.

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In early June, San Fran-based Camp + King took over as the first AOR for the mobile dating site Zoosk. Seven weeks later, we herald the return of Heart Friend, the chatty heart-shaped mascot who is now doling out dating advice for inquiring users. Zoosk asked its users to post questions on Facebook, and then the Zoosk team selected the best posts for our little buddy, Heart Friend.

Each week, Heart Friend will answer one question by video for the site’s YouTube channel. This week: what to wear on a first date. Heart Friend does some rambling about men being bulls and then goes into an awkward aside about a red dress. Heart Friend has a man’s voice, but then shows up wearing a dress, which is supposed to make you laugh, I think? Cupid must already be under contract elsewhere. Credits after the jump.

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The press release for the new 60-second recycling spot from Keep America Beautiful, the Ad Council, and Periera & O’Dell states that the average American generates 4.4 pounds of trash per day, but only recycles 35% of that output. It’s unclear whether that means 35% of all recyclable trash is properly recycled rather than 35% of all trash, but the creators of the campaign don’t seem too concerned with stats. After all, people probably won’t respond to numbers.

Periera & O’Dell have decided to redirect the campaign with an emotional tilt, turning an empty plastic bottle into a protagonist that thinks and talks – through voice-over, thankfully. The result is a corny, yet necessary plea to viewers who should be recycling more. Credits after the jump.

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As the actors speak their lines in this ad for Hornito’s Tequila from La Comunidad Miami, all I hear is “Blah blah blah. Blah blah.” There must have been some problem with the bar bathroom that day, because every man on set looks like he’s experiencing the demi-anguish of needing to pee. “Tequila shots, please,” the bearded one says with a wince. “Which tequila?” The bartender responds, equally awkward. “Doesn’t matter, any tequila,” beard says. Then we’re whisked through various situations in which one would never say, “Doesn’t matter…”

“Doesn’t matter, any haircut,” leaves the men with patchy heads. “Doesn’t matter, any tattoo,” renders one with cat whiskers and another with a tea cup forehead tat. We get it: direction is important in life, why leave your tequila choice up to someone else?

I’m all for the promotion of quality, but in this case, it seems a bit off-track. If Hornitos is “not just any tequila,” then it shouldn’t be just a shot. A good tequila shot will come with salt, lime, and a set of fun friends. Branding and, frankly, taste, doesn’t matter. Hornitos would be better off promoting adventure, a theme they’ve already begun with their tagline: Grab Life by the Hornitos.

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To showcase their back-to-school dorm room wares, Target and Deutsch LA have built Bullseye University, a 4-day interactive installation housing social media stars such as actor/musician Chester See and Jenn Im of Clothes Encounters. Online visitors can see live-streams of the University’s inhabitants and then click to purchase the items in each of their rooms. The Bullseye U site also hosts back to school-centric giveaways and events like a Ben and Jerry’s milkshake dunk tank, which starts at 10am PST today by the way.

As a preteen who once waited with bated breath for the newest Pbteen catalogue, I can imagine getting into this scheme as a college freshman. Especially if I was already a follower of the social media celebs involved, Target’s campaign would play to my college fantasies. Alas, we all know the truth is less colorful and more drinking-oriented, but Bullseye University’s version lets us run wild with creative, Internet-savvy roommates and purple throw pillows.

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Do you hate your car? Do you want to let the world know how frustrated you are driving around in a jalopy that is beyond repair? Honda can help – sort of. For the rest of today, Honda will be tweeting back Vine videos at unhappy drivers who post #WantNewCar on Twitter. The Twitter/Vine combo, developed by the automaker’s longtime agency RPA, is part of Honda’s Summer Clearance Sales Event, and is meant to provide some catharsis to drivers even though there aren’t any discounts or financial incentives for using the hashtag. There probably should be.

If you watch the promo clip above, you’ll see what it looks like when brands use social media for the sake of using social media rather than really committing to interacting with consumers on various social platforms.Take KFC and their annoying, yet memorable, #IAteTheBones campaign. It’s made to go viral and is primarily identifiable to KFC and no other brand. On Twitter, KFC offers followers free merchandise and deals related to the hashtag on a regular basis. Honda is only responding for one day. Even though Honda’s hashtag is much more relatable (one could argue it’s too generic) the execution feels unsure of itself, just like a teenage driver getting behind the wheel for the first time. Credits after the jump.

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