Hasta La Creative!

Karmarama launched a campaign for Molson Coors brand Cobra introducing branded glassware that’s “Made of Science.” 

So, what exactly does that mean?

Karmarama claims to have teamed up with professors at England’s Birmingham University and Imperial College, as well as other hydrodynamics and fluid mechanics specialists, to create the purportedly ground-breaking glass.

The glass contains “a unique channel in the interior facia” allowing beer to flow smoothly around the body to the base, in turn creating a whirlpool effect which releases aroma and flavor and allows for the formation of the perfect head. With prototypes already out, the glass is currently in production for release this summer. Here’s the video:

Karmarama is promoting the invention with digital, OOH and print ads, demonstrating the pour in action and claiming it’s “The biggest innovation in pouring since gravity.”

“It’s been great to work with Karmarama on such an exciting innovation,” said Alison Pickering, brand director, portfolio, at Molson Coors. “The glassware we think is industry-defining, will help create reappraisal of Cobra, adding visual drama at the bar, and ensuring the best possible pint. This is turn should help with our crucial distribution push to list Cobra in the On Trade as we expand into more bars.”

OTOH, it’s Coors.

Credits:

—Glass
Creative Director: Dickie Connell
Head of Creative Production: Danny Baylis
Senior Planner: Matthew Waksman
Professor of Hydrodynamics at Imperial College London: Professor Chris Swan

—Advertising
Creative Director: Dickie Connell
Copywriter: Luke Ramm
Head of Creative Production: Danny Baylis
Senior Planner: Matthew Waksman
VOD Production Company: Kream
Producer: Debbie Impett
DoP: Phil Ashley
Print/Outdoor Photographer: Andy Rudak

Rokkan launched a new campaign for whisky brand Glenfiddich that marks its first work since winning agency of record duties for parent company William Grant & Sons in April. 

The campaign promotes Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Year Old with a series of digital spots asking to “Rethink Whiskey,” challenging perceptions and assumptions about scotch and bourbon. In the first spot, “Scotland, KY,” a glass of Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Year Old is slowly poured into an empty glass as the voiceover asks, “Think America’s next big whisky is from Kentucky?” before the footage reverses and the golden liquid makes its way back into the bottle.

From there the spots get a bit more specific in promoting the product, which is aged at a Scottish distillery in American oak casks formerly used for bourbon, resulting in a flavor combining elements of bourbon and Scotch. “Scotch with Dad” presents the brand as an answer to the question “Think it’d be nice if dad looked up to you for a change?” as a daughter offers her guitar-crafting dad a glass of ourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Year Old.

Another ad compares the notes of vanilla, brown sugar and apple in the drink to “Aunt Evie’s cobbler,” as Evie sits down for a glass while patting the head of her dog statue. While “Scotch with Dad,” positions the brand as a spin on tradition old-fashioned Scotch drinkers and the younger generation can appreciate, “Aunt Evie” shows that the drink can also appeal to those who typically wouldn’t reach for a Scotch while also noting some characteristic flavors that set it apart. “Pairings,” meanwhile, challenges the notion that Scotch is for stuffy, formal events or pairing with haute cuisine. It tackles the assumptions directly via voiceover as a guy pours glasses of the whisky for friends at a barbecue.

“[The campaign] is sort of leaning into where you expect Scotch to come from and the types of people drinking Scotch and the flavors you expect it to have or the occasions you would drink it at,” Rokkan CCO Brian Carley told Adweek. “We wanted to turn those on their head a little bit.”

“Overall, we will elevate the brand and create an instance where the brand becomes more top of mind for everybody but also for people that have specific palates and specific tastes,” he added. “It allows us to lean into those too.”

Credits:

Agency: Rokkan
Chief Creative Officer: Brian Carley
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean Miller
SVP, Chief Delivery Officer: Joe Tao
SVP, Client Partnership: Matt Garcia
Creative Director: Jeffrey Samson
Creative Director: Anthony DiPaula
Art Director: Jacqueline Mellow
Copywriter: Mike Maher
Executive Producer: Greg Tharp
Producer: Sarah Donnenberg
Producer: Tina Lam
VP Client Partnership: Kaitlyn Brenner
Account Supervisor: Zack Stoller
Associate Director, Strategy: Emily Garvey
Strategist: Rafael Ramirez

Production: Decon
Executive Producer: Misha Louy
Head of Production: Brian Turner
Director: JEAN
Producer: Mark Miner

Post: Fluid
Editor: Peter Sabatino
Executive Producer: Laura Relovsky

After retaining lead duties on the account for a brand revival in January following an unofficial creative review, DDB Chicago launched a campaign for State Farm earlier this month introducing the new tagline “Here to help life go right.”

After putting “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there”–which was a staple for the brand for over 40 years–into semi-retirement, the agency has launched a pair of follow-up spots reiterating the message.

Both ads play up the similarities in very positive and negative situations, showing how the brand can help you prepare for both the best and worst of outcomes. “Furniture,” for example, shows two women fawning over a blue suede couch one of them just purchased. “This piece is so you,” one of them says, smiling, to a response of “I know, right? I saw it and I was just like, ‘I have to have it,’” delivered while holding up the State Farm rewards credit card.

The scene is contrasted with a pair of robbers having a remarkably similar conversation while stealing the very same couch.

The spot uses the comparison to promote both the rewards card and renters insurance, an illustration of how the brand is “Here to help life go right” in multiple ways.

A definite improvement on the “boy daydreams about the future of an insurance company in a utopian future” premise of the anthem ad launching the campaign, the spot manages to illustrate the tagline more convincingly. While the repetition in dialogue works towards that end, it does become a bit grating upon repeated viewings.

“Jacked Up” relies on that most enduring of advertising cliches: parents gifting a new driver with an expensive new car. Still, it does hammer home the tagline with an illustration of the aforementioned rewards card and insurance, contrasting the new driver’s elation with the exasperation of a man whose tires get jacked (hence the punning title).

Back in March, JWT Atlanta debuted “Joyride Circuit” for Pennzoil, promising the digital spot was part one in a three part series.

Like its predecessor, “Joyride Baja” is aimed squarely at the automotive geek. Only while “Joyride Circuit” was catnip for Ferrari fanatics, “Joyride Baja” is more for the offroading enthusiast. The spot features the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon taking on the blistering heat of the Mexican desert, courtesy of precision driver Rhys Millen, to show that Pennzoil can handle such extreme conditions. 

While displaying some truly impressive driving, Millen raises engine temperatures to over 200 degrees in the 130 degree heat. It’s an impressive display, tying the onscreen action to product benefits more convincingly than its predecessor. The three minute runtime is a tad excessive, though, especially considering that Millen doesn’t even enter the car until around the 60-second mark.

Production in such conditions presented its fair share of challenges, requiring “a one-of-a-kind Ford Raptor Pursuit Systems vehicle a retrofitted Polaris RZR buggy, a GoPro Freedom 360 Explorer Rig and an Octocopter drone to take the viewer along for a 4×4 joyride.” Check out the behind-the-scenes footage below to learn more.

“It’s critical for a motor oil to perform at extreme temperatures,” explained Fernando Morales, campaign lead, Pennzoil. “We want people to understand that if the motor oil can perform under harsh conditions like this, it’s going to perform even better when you’re at home.”

Wait, at home?

Credits:
AGENCY: J. Walter Thompson Atlanta
Executive Creative Director: Jeremy Jones
Group Creative Director: Dustin Tamilio
Associate Creative Directors: Derek Kirkman, Troy Leyenaar, Daniel Prado
Account Director: Erin McGivney
Producer: Daryll Merchant

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Lemonade Films
Director: Ozan Biron
Producer: Trevor Cawood
Executive Producer: Ted Herman
Production Supervisor: Philip Fyfe
DP: Macgregor

EDITORIAL: Cycle Media
Editor: Matthew Griffiths

VISUAL EFFECTS: The Embassy
VFX Supervisor: David Casey

SOUND DESIGN: Source Sound Inc. LA
Sound Supervisor & Mixer: Charles Deenen
Sound Recordists: John Fasal, Travis Pratert, Charles Deenen
Sound Designers: Csaba Wagner
Sound Editing: Braden Parkes

ORIGINAL MUSIC: Generdyn Music
Composer: Joshua Crispin
Colorist: Dave Hussey, Company 3

SERVICE COMPANY: Tonic Films
Exec Producer: Susie Neill
Producer: Victor Albarran

CONTENT PRODUCTION TEAM: Grain & Glass
Director: Michael Nielsen
Editor: Dan Luce
Producer: Joey Fisher

JWT Canada launched a new digital campaign for Air Canada urging those promising to move to Canada in the wake of an election cycle which has seen widespread dissatisfaction with the prospective nominees for both mainstream political parties to “Test Drive Canada” first. That probably makes a little sense, given that moving to another country is no small matter, however enticing a progressive Prime Minister and universal healthcare might seem.

The spot opens with an Air Canada ticket agent watching a screen tracking how many Americans are searching for “How can I move to Canada?” — sitting at 1,367,899 as she says, “And there’s another one.” She adds that “It’s very flattering and we certainly have the room” (no kidding) but “maybe it makes sense to check us out first.” The ad links the approach to the brand (beyond the fact that it’s a Canadian airline called Air Canada) by pointing out that they offer “over 240 flights connecting the U.S. and Canada daily.”

“The unprecedented interest in moving to Canada presented a powerful social context to make Air Canada more relevant to American travelers,” JWT creative director David Federico told AdFreak. “Our challenge was to acknowledge where the tension was coming from, but avoid weighing into specific politics.” 

The campaign targets cities including New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. via YouTube and Twitter preroll ads. In addition to the above spot, there are also a series of 20 15-second ads inviting viewers to “test drive” specific locations, like Montreal (which really is a lovely city).

“Following the California primary, conversation around ‘moving to Canada’ spiked once again,” added JWT creative director Josh Budd. “In anticipation of this, we set ourselves up to write, shoot, edit and post live content in response to American tweets. We posted 29 real-time responses—to celebrities and average folks alike.”

Those celebrities include Modern Family star Ariel Winter, travel writer Matthew Kepnes and Raven-Symoné. (In Kepnes case it was to ask for recommendations for American travelers, not because “Nomadic Matt” expressed an interest in settling down up north). 

Of course, Air Canada isn’t the first brand to leverage election year ennui for its advertising. In February, MullenLowe asked passengers to “Reach Across the Aisle” for fellow airline JetBlue, while Leo Burnett Chicago offered “Election Insurance” from eSurance in an April Fool’s Day effort. Canadian agency Critical Mass, meanwhile, encouraged creatives to “Make Canada Even Greater” by applying to the agency and making the move north.

Credits:
Client: Air Canada
Director Global Marketing and Sales Communications: Selma Filali
Agency: J. Walter Thompson Canada
SVP Creative Directors: Josh Budd, David Federico
Art Director: Anton Mew
Writer: Alec Carlene
Strategy: Sarah Stringer, Kaiti Snell
Social: Rebecca Brown, Matthew Stasoff
Accounts: Andrew Rusk, Lindsay Cannon
Producer: Sydney Price
Media Strategy: Mindshare Canada
Talent: Tara Joshi
Public Relations: Spafax Content Marketing Americas

W+K launched a spot for Nike Football (soccer) ahead of the 2016 UEFA European Championship opener tomorrow that is the brand’s largest effort ever. 

The spot, entitled “The Switch,” was directed by Ringan Ledwidge and clocks in at nearly six minutes. In addition to Cristiano Ronaldo, who stars in “The Switch,” the ad also includes professional soccer players Raheem Sterling, Joe Hart, Harry Kane, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Ross Barkley, Ricardo Quaresma, Andre Gomes, Jose Fonte, Cedric Soares, Vieirinha, Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Javier Mascherano. Did you get all that?

“The Switch” implied in the title occurs when Ronaldo crashes into a young fan and they switch bodies, Freaky Friday-style. Not the most original premise, granted, but it works. After the collision, Ronaldo, as the boy, works his way back up to becoming a superstar until they eventually meet for the inevitable conclusion.

All told it makes for a pretty entertaining spot, even if the story could have been told in about half the time. The premise allows for the loads of on field footage to have emotional significance beyond the match itself and everything is presented with the stylish flair we’ve come to expect from these types of big budget Nike spots. Avid fans might not even mind the extended runtime, as, while there are plenty of flashes of Nike sportswear, it manages to find a nice balance of promoting the brand without being in your face about it. With the excitement of the upcoming tournament and the sheer star power involved, this spot would be guaranteed a ton of views even if it was a complete creative failure, so it’s especially refreshing that W+K was able to pull off something of this caliber instead.

W+K Amsterdam follows up March’s effort introducing Booking.com’s “Passion Search” with a new spot enticing fans of various athletic endeavors to “Get in the Game” this summer with the travel service.

The spot opens on a young woman daydreaming and watching a surfing video. “Well, there’s no argument,” begins the voiceover, “you can either keep dreaming or get booking.” She then searches by her passion (surfing) as the spot flashes forward through all the boring bits like catching a flight and checking into the hotel to show her grabbing a board and heading for the beach. “It all starts with the right room,” the voiceover continues — in this case a hotel right on the beach. For others in the ad, it’s a chance to meet Thierry Henry in the elevator, a room right near the stadium or the cyclist’s path. 

The 60-second spot kicks off W+K Amsterdam’s “2016 Summer of Sports” campaign for Booking.com, for which Henry serves as brand ambassador. He only makes a short cameo here (in the elevator scene we alluded to above) but we’re guessing the French national soccer hero will be back before the end of the summer. The spot manages to stoke excitement for summer sporting events two days ahead of the 2016 Euro Cup and a little under two months before the start of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, while also promoting the brand’s new “Passion Search” feature.

The campaign will roll out with the spot making appearance on broadcast, in cinemas and online in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland and Sweden, as well as Australia and Canada in the coming months. An additional two spots are expected in the coming weeks.

“When a savvy traveler wants to find the ideal room for their sporting passion – whether it’s football, surfing, cycling or running – they need look no further than Booking.com,” said W+K Amsterdam creative director Sean Condon. “Our spots bring that idea to life in typical Booking fashion – insightful humor, inspiring travel moments and a few surprises.”

“We are so thrilled to be working with Thierry,” added Booking.com CMO Pepijn Rijvers. “Like sport, travel has a special power to transform lives. We want to spark people’s imagination with possibilities they might not have considered before and Thierry is the perfect person to help us amplify and deliver on that mission. Especially this summer with the buzz around such inclusive and captivating sporting events, there are so many once-in- a-lifetime experiences just waiting to be had. Whatever you’re interested in, pursue it, travel for it—the world is yours to discover.”

Credits:
WIEDEN+KENNEDY AMSTERDAM
Executive Creative Director: Eric Quennoy & Mark Bernath
Creative Director: Genevieve Hoey, Sean Condon, Joe Burrin
Art Director: Cal Al-Jorani
Copywriter: Bern Hunter
Head of Broadcast Production: Joe Togneri
Sr. Broadcast Producer: Heidi Baltzer
Assistant Producer: Soey Lim
Strategic Planner: Emma Wiseman
Jr. Strategic Planner: Alexandre Janneau
Communications Planner: Josh Chang
Digital Strategist: Greg White
Group Account Director: Nick Owen
Account Director: Aitziber Izurrategui
Account Manager: Franky Wardell
Project Manager: Jackie Barbour/Cory Chonko
Business Affairs: Kacey Kelley

FILM PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY: STINK
Director: Martin Krejci
Director of Photography: Florian Hoffmeister
Producer: Charlotte Woodhead
Executive Producer: Blake Powell

EDITING COMPANY: MARSHALL STREET EDITORS, LONDON
Editor: Tim Thornton-Allen
Assistant Editor: Stewart Adams
Executive Producer: Katie Truelove

AUDIO POST: GRAND CENTRAL RECORDING STUDIOS, LONDON
Sound Designer/Mixer: Raj Sehgal
Additional Track: Lay George Castle

MUSIC
Artist/Title: Gin Wigmore/New Rush
Music Company: Universal/BMG/Sugaroo

POST PRODUCTION: THE MILL, LONDON
2D Lead Artist: Andrew Barnsley Wood
2D Artists: Brad Wood, Richie Whites
Colorist: Seamus O’Keane
Producer: Elena Pagliei
Executive Producer: Misha Stanford-Harris

Grey New York launched a Father’s Day effort advising those searching for advice on the internet to “Go Ask Dad” instead, with WPP’s Catalyst and Possible handling search and digital marketing.

Paid search ads tied to “how to” questions like how to tie a tie, ask a girl on a date, fry an egg or shave redirect to the video, “This Father’s Day, Go Ask Dad.” The spot opens with the observation that “94 percent of teenagers ask the internet for advice before their dads,” before a series of fathers tell the camera, in different languages, about how their sons rarely ask for help, certainly seeking out their advice less than they did that of their own fathers. From here a group of teens are brought in, ask their questions on the internet and attempt to follow the advice before, apparently unbeknownst to them, their fathers show up to help them out. Surprise: father knows best (take that Google).

“One of the things we want to do is interrupt the search experience on Father’s Day,” Carlos De Jesus, North American Shave Care brand director for Gillette parent company P&G, told AdAge. “We’re going to be there for any of the how-to moments during that week. If you search how to shave, we’re going to be part of that. If you search how to change a tire or how to put on a tie, we’re going to be part of the conversation.”

It’s a sly approach for the brand, which is more popular with the parental generation. In other words, if you ask dad what kind of razor to buy he’s more likely to point to Gillette than, say, send you a link to Dollar Shave Club. Casual viewers, meanwhile, will just see a timely, memorable and emotional spot likely to resonate with dads. As part of the campaign, Gillette will also donate $50,000 to non-profit organization National Center for Fathering’s Watch D.O.G.S. program. 

It may be hard for Boston Red Sox fans to imagine, especially with the stellar year he’s having, but David Ortiz plans to retire at the end of 2016 after 14 seasons with the club and 20 total (as an Orioles fan, I can’t say I’ll miss him). To say goodbye to the aging slugger, MullenLowe crafted a spot for Red Sox sponsor JetBlue entitled “David Ortiz vs. Piñatas.”

The 45-second spot finds Ortiz mulling over his post-retirement plans. He imagines himself working kids’ parties busting piñatas. Predictably, his swing may be a bit too forceful to make the plan practical.

It’s a simple but effective ad, finding humor in Big Papi’s monstrous swing demolishing a series of piñatas in one swing. Each time, a group of children looks on, their party ruined as they can’t collect the candy, which inevitably finds itself home run distances away from its launch spot. The 45-second ads ends with the message “Whatever’s next for you Big Papi, good luck.” Sure to appeal to Red Sox fans, the ad’s lighthearted humor could also resonate with more casual fans  (even those who dread Big Papi coming up to bat).

Credits:

Client: JetBlue
Agency: MullenLowe

Creative
Chief Creative Officer: Mark Wenneker
Executive Creative Directors: Tim Vaccarino, Dave Weist
Creative Directors: Amy Ferguson, Julia Neumann
Copywriter: Chris Gilbert
Art Director: Dan Pappas

Production
Execkutive Director of Integrated Production: Liza Near
Director of Broadcast Production: Zeke Bowman
Producer: Matt Polski
Senior Digital Producer: Louise Lloyd Owen
Production Supervisor: Kristine Ring-Janicki
Senior Art Producer: Jessica Manning
Senior Production Artist: Julie Sforza
Project Manager: Christina Gratton
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Amy Keddy

Account Management
Executive Director: Drayton Martin
Account Director: Molly Bluhm
Account Executive: Beba Rivera

Strategy
Group Strategy Director: Ellie Gogan-Tilstone
Senior Strategist: Mike Patrick

Media
Senior Vice President, Group Digital Director: Jade Watts
Associate Digital Media Supervisor: Tracy Barahona
Associate Media Director: Kelly McGowan
Digital Media Supervisor: Shoshana Levine
Senior Media Planner: Lauren Meyers

PR, Social
Senior Vice President, PR Account Director: Jaclyn Ruelle
PR Account Supervisor: Brittany Topham
PR Assistant Account Executives: Kelsey Labrot, Meg Weldon

Production Company: Arts & Sciences
Director: Matt Aselton
Executive Producer: Marc Marrie
Producer: Zoe Odlum

Editing: MackCut
Editor: Ian Mackenzie
Assistant Editor: Mike Leuis
Executive Producer: Sasha Hirschfeld
Producer: Sabina-Elease Utley

Color: Company 3
Colorist: Tom Poole

Animation, Graphics: Method
Executive Producer: Angela Lupo
Visual Effects Producer: Matthew Engel

Sound Design, Mixing: MackCut
Mixer: Sam Shaffer

Music: Storefront Music

Chances are you’ll recognize Paul Marcarelli as Verizon’s “Can you hear me now?” guy, but in Deutsch’s latest spot for Sprint, he’s switched networks.

“Hey, I’m Paul, and I used to ask if you could ‘hear me now’ with Verzion,” Marcarelli says at the opening of the spot. “Not anymore, I’m with Sprint now,” he continues. The spot keeps things simple, focusing on Marcarelli’s Sprint conversion, which he explains is because “it’s 2016 and every network is great.” So, since you can probably hear him now regardless of network and “Sprint’s reliability is now within one percent of Verizon” (a claim backed up by a recent Nielsen study) it’s not worth paying more for marginally better coverage. (The ad claims “Sprint saves you 50 percent on most Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile rates.”)

It’s a pretty convincing sales point, relying on a simple delivery from a competitor’s former spokesperson. Deutsch and Sprint are clearly relying on that latter point, and Marcarelli’s notoriety from spending a decade in the “Can you hear me now?” role for Verizon to attract viewer attention and hammer the message home. The 30-second broadcast spot made its debut last night during the NBA Finals and will continue to run on cable and broadcast, with support from digital, print and OOH initiatives.

As Adweek points out, Marcarelli’s relationship with Verizon was somewhat contentious for the actor, as outlined in a  2011 profile in The Atlantic. Verizon made him sign a contract greatly restricting his creative and financial responsibilities before eventually firing him via email. So perhaps it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that he would sign on with a competing wireless company. 

“I’ve watched with interest as each of the wireless carriers claims to be the most reliable or the fastest. But what I’ve found is … the ‘better’ that some other national carriers claim about reliability is really less than a 1 percent difference, ” Marcarelli said in a statement, echoing his sentiments from the ad itself. “Does anyone even really notice a difference of less than 1 percent? But when it comes to saving money … Sprint is by far the best choice for consumers. You get a highly reliable network and save 50 percent off most of the rates other national wireless carriers charge. Now that is noticeable.”

The new campaign follows Sprint’s appointment last December of Roger Solé as its new chief marketing officer. Sprint subsequently decided to move more of its production work to its in-house production unit Yellow Fan Studios, resulting in a round of layoffs at Deutsch’s Los Angeles offices. Deutsch’s launch of this new campaign, probably the brand’s most high-profile effort in some while, could possibly help the agency convince Sprint to not move too much creative work to Yellow Fan Studios going forward, especially in the wake of backlash to an in-house effort which some deemed offensive and the brand subsequently pulled.