Hasta La Creative!

Sydney’s M&C Saatchi teamed up with porn film studio Digital Playground nonprofit organization Blue Ball Foundation for a testicular cancer PSA. If the idea of combining a cancer PSA and porn sounds familiar, that’s because it’s become something of a trend lately, with DDB Bolivia launching the “first fake erotic video on Pornhub” with a breast cancer PSA for Alcázar Gynecology Institute and its own testicular cancer PSA McCann Lima teaming up with pornstar Charlotte Stokely for .

For M&C Saatchi’s effort, they worked the PSA into unfortunately titled X-rated Game of Thrones parody Game of Balls (Come on guys, Game of Bones was staring you right in the face!), for what they dubbed “the world’s first porn-terruptive message.” Actress Eva Lovia breaks character to deliver a message directly to the viewer, instructing them on how to properly check for testicular cancer, and directing them to PlayWithYourself.org. M&C Saatchi’s effort is slightly different from its predecessor as it delivers its message within a porn video, rather than creating a video of its own, adding another level of stealth to the campaign. They also initially did nothing to promote it, instead letting it spread on its own and get discovered by media outlets, eventually racking up 1.5 million views.

“We’re overwhelmed with the amount of feedback we’ve been getting, from emails to Facebook messages to phone calls from all over the world,” Blue Ball founder Jamie Morgan told Adweek.

Will Zoku spell the end of the hotel room as we know it?

It’s way too early to tell, but that’s the bold proclamation already made already by the parties behind the new loft chain, which, all hyperbole aside, serves as a compact home office/bedroom hybrid. Aimed at a sector of business travelers labeled “global nomads,” Zoku–which will officially open its first venue in Amsterdam in fall 2015–aims to transcend the standard hotel experience by unveiling what it deems “social spaces” within a hive-like environment that encourages work, play and longer stays.

How so? Well, the idealistic brand not only provides a loft-style sleeping space but an alcove desk with office supplies, a four-person table for dining and even retractable staircases–so in essence, a playroom for adults.

To help initiate Zoku’s Amsterdam launch, the brand collaborated with hometown agency We Are Pi to develop a brand identity, etc. The brief film above provides a glimpse into the loft, which was conceived following crowdsourcing and research efforts by London-based consultancy, The Future Laboratory. In a statement, Future Laboratory co-founder Chris Sanderson–whose firm worked with interior design/architectural firm Concrete to bring Zoku to life–coins a new term, saying:

“The merging of business and leisure – a trend we have identified as bleisure – represents one of the fastest growing and dynamic business opportunities in recent years. Today’s business travellers are re-writing the rules. Their outlook on work and play demands new services and a new approach to the hospitality sectors. The business hub will be the opportunity of the next decade in terms of hospitality value creation.”

Along with Amsterdam, Zoku plans to target more creatives throughout Europe by opening up operations in Paris, London and Berlin, with global expansion on the horizon.

Film credits:

WE ARE Pi

Managing Director: Alex Bennett Grant
Partner: Patrick Garvey
Strategy Director: Jessica Perri
Strategist: Andrea van den Bos
Executive Creative Director: Rick Chant
Executive Creative Director: Barney Hobson
Creative Design Director: Nessim Higson
Art Director: Kaz Salemink
Account Manager: Sam Speed
Account Executive: Hollie Beever
Executive producer: Kimia Farshidzad
Project Manager: Ambar Surastri

Film and Photography Production

Photographer: Bill Tanaka
1st Assist: Collin Hill
Art Director / Props: Meike Sier
Catering: Nanja Theus

Editor: Sanne van Hecke
Animation Production: Joe Flemming
VO artist: Jason Huggings, Intervoiceover
Music and sound design: Michael Kneebone, Toolbox

W+K Amsterdam launched a spot starring Lionel Messi promoting the release of EA Sports’ FIFA 15, entitled “The Bitter-Sweet Taste of Football.”

The spot sees Messi hooked up to a bizarre machine mining his tears of joy from victory and sadness from bitter defeat. As the tears make their way down the Wonka-esque contraption they pass screens showing in-game footage and finally are turned into bitter defeat dark chocolate and sweet victory white chocolate bars, which are then fused together and packaged (think Kit Kat). It’s an imaginative and visually intriguing approach to the usually predictable category of sports video game advertising, even if it doesn’t do a whole lot to highlight the game’s selling points (at this point, FIFA is such a dominant franchise that hardly seems necessary).

“Football is bitter-sweet. One moment you are crying the sweet tears of victory, and the next, you are crying the bitter tears of defeat,” explained W+K Amsterdam creative director David Smith. “So what better way to show the emotion of football than to make a chocolate bar from the tears of Lionel Messi? A man who feels football more than any other man in the world.”

Creating the crazy contraption was no simple feat. W+K Amsterdam teamed up with a team of engineers and industrial designers to bring the idea to life as an “actual, moving, spinning, 10-meter long installation complete with conveyor belt.” That sounds like a pretty impressive piece of machinery. And if it works well with Messi’s waterworks, imagine what it could do with the tears of unfathomable sadness.

Credits:

EA SPORTS
Group SVP, Global Marketing: Todd Sitrin
VP, Global Marketing: Jamie McKinlay
VP, Advertising & Design: Dana Marineau
Director, Creative Strategy: Dustin Shekell
Senior Manager, Creative Strategy: Mark Evans
Creative Strategy Manager: Anne Fournais
Campaign and Adaptation Manager: Clement Berta
Senior Manager, Global Product Marketing: Matt McKie

WIEDEN+KENNEDY AMSTERDAM
Executive Creative Director: Mark Bernath and Eric Quennoy
Creative Director: David Smith and Alvaro Sotomayor
Art Director: Max Gebhardt
Copywriter: Max Arlestig
Head of Broadcast Production: Joe Togneri
Broadcast Producer: Elissa Singstock
Associate Producers: Beau Brouwer, Judd Carraway
Planner: Ben Armistead
Group Account Director: Kirk Johnsen
Account Director: Nick Campion
Account Manager: Kerstin Haag
Project Manager: Janna Harrington
Business Affairs: Justine Young, Melissa Kincaid, Kacey Kelley

FILM PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION COMPANY: IMPERIAL WOODPECKER
Director: Mark Zibert
Director of Photography: Greig Fraser
Producer: Matt Wersinger
Executive Producer: Doug Halbert

EDITING COMPANY: WHITEHOUSE POST

Editor: Russell Icke
Assistant Editor: Iain Whiteright

AUDIO POST: GRAND CENTRAL RECORDING STUDIOS
Sound Designer/Mixer: Raja Sehgal

MUSIC: MASSIVEMUSIC AMSTERDAM
Artist / Title: EA Fifa Messi Chocolate Delight
Music Company: MASSIVE MUSIC AMSTERDAM

POST PRODUCTION: MPC
VFX Producer: Amy Richardson
VFX Supervisor: Iain Murray
3D Supervisor: Michael Diprose
Colourist: George K

Yesterday TBWAChiatDay debuted a new campaign for client Planters.

The purpose of this work–promoted with support from Olson Engage–is to emphasize the health benefits of George Washington Carver’s favorite legume.

Here’s the first spot, starring the ubiquitous Mr. Peanut and created with the help of animation studio House Special:

As you can see, this campaign is all about selling nuts as a healthy snack with a particular focus on the client’s new “heart-healthy” mix.

FWIW, this claim is less completely false than most made in food ads; a Harvard study released earlier this month showed that peanuts are just as healthy as their pricier friends like Stephen Colbert’s favorite, the pistachio.

The campaign will, of course, include digital and social components, but it hasn’t quite launched in full yet.

We expect more from Mr. Peanut, who is simply “being himself” here:

Take a deep breath. That’s open-air entertaining you’re smelling. pic.twitter.com/Aq2cRCU2Ax

— Mr Peanut (@MrPeanut) May 13, 2015

While the aforementioned bachelor may be health-conscious, he’s not afraid to have some calorie-heavy fun. Expect more from him in the days to come.

Ogilvy Cape Town crafted a new spot for Volkswagen from over 50 hours of one girl’s childhood video footage, entitled “Moments.”

The approach is designed to show the significance of the Volkswagen’s safety systems. After playing through grainy video footage of the girl growing up, ending with her graduation, the footage rewinds to show “The moment that mattered most.” That moment is so seemingly insignificant that most viewers probably won’t even notice it the first time around, but the ad puts the footage into new perspective. It’s an affective approach, as the viewer is then forced to consider the significance of it and how Volkswagen’s safety systems (namely a rearview camera) were an important factor.

Credits:

Chief Creative Officer: Chris Gotz
Art Director: Monique Kaplan
Copywriter: Oskar Petty
Production House: Deliverance Post
Editor: Anthony Lee Martin
Director: Robin Goode at Giant Films

Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R launched a new spot for Marks & Spencer, offering up a “Taste of the British Isles.”

The spot is an ode to the chain’s locally sourced and/or British inspired offerings, from summer fruits and veggies to a juicy burger and British beer. Eschewing any narrative, RKCR/Y&R lets the food do the talking with 40 seconds of stylish food porn. While the resulting ad may not be groundbreaking, it is visually dazzling and more than a little hunger-inducing. Part of the ongoing “Adventures In” campaign for the brand, the spot will be followed up by 20-second ads focusing on summer occasions, such as “Adventures in Seaside” and “Adventures in Teatime.”

Credits:

Animation
Typography: Tivy Davies

Creative Agency: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R
Account Director: Leigh Roberts
Art Director: Chris Hodgkiss
Copywriter: Pip Bishop
Creative Agency: RKCR/Y&R
Creative Director: Mark Roalfe
Producer: Alex Shillingford

Digital Production Company
Photography: Karen Thomas

Music and Sound
Sound Design: Parv Thind @ Wave

Offline
Editor: Bruce @ The Quarry, Bruno @ Food Film

Production Company: Food Film
Producer: Francesa O’Brien
Director: Michael Roulier, Phillppe L’Homme

Pete Marquis and Jamie McCelland — the writing/directing team behind HelloFlo’s “First Moon Party” and “Camp Gyno” — wrote and directed the comical “Theresa the Baristapist” for text/video-chat counseling service In Your Corner.

The ad portrays Theresa, a deluded barista who fancies herself a great unlicensed therapist (thus the term “Baristapist) — or as she puts it “like a Freudian Jesus.” She “can do things real therapists can’t,” like spray a misbehaving child with whipped cream or suggest that you go ahead and kill your boss. The point of the whacky character is to illustrate that “Sometimes the best advice is expert advice.” Theresa is the kind of character who would be terrifying in real life, which makes her work perfectly as a humorous exaggeration of what can go wrong when seeking advice in the wrong places. The spotwas designed with the approach of removing the stigma from therapy with humor.

“The idea came from the insight that people are hesitant to seek actual, professional therapy, but still get it from everywhere—their friends, relatives, their hairstylist, even the barista,” Marquis explained to Adweek. “We wanted to have fun with the idea that she’s giving unlicensed advice with no accountability or concern for anyone’s long-term mental health,” McCelland added.

Today in stories that you may not tie back to the advertising industry, a certain (virtual) gay Swedish sailor has been winning headlines for trolling the Russian navy with an underwater “sign” that repeatedly sends out a signal in Morse code:

“This way if you’re gay.”

The little stunt has earned all sorts of headlines and interviews for members of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society; Vladimir Putin is obviously not a fan.

Our readers may or may not be surprised to learn that there’s an ad agency behind this stunt: it’s Åkestam Holst, the same shop responsible for those odd “have your wedding at IKEA” ads.

First, here’s the video:

ICYMI, 1944 is the year Sweden “legalized” homosexuality, well ahead of the rest of the world (as usual).

From the press release:

“If there is a submarine down there beneath the Baltic waves and the crew should happen to see or hear the Singing Sailor they are welcome to join us in the Stockholm Pride Parade on the 1st of august. In times of unrest, love and peace across boundaries is more important than ever. We want to break-up with the violence. Our invitation is also extended to Swedish subs and military personnel and all others that want to join us, says Daniel Holking, Communications-and fundraising manager with the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society.

The Singing Sailor is also a contribution to the debate that we all should shift military resources into development and rethinking security.”

We don’t have any comment from the agency itself, because the client’s explanation should suffice. We do have the credits, though…

Agency: Åkestam Holst

TBWAChiatDay’s latest ad for Gatorade officially launched yesterday, and it has a few key elements in common with the agency’s past work for the brand: Michael Jordan and sweat. Lots of sweat.

As Jordan himself clarifies in his role as narrator, however, Gatorade doesn’t love all sweat:

The point made by Jordan with the help of fellow athletes Serena Williams, Usain Bolt, April Ross and JJ Watt is that Gatorade helps athletes deal with the good kind of sweat–the kind that comes after a hard workout rather than, say, the kind that stems from anxiety about the legal status of your startup.

Unlike TBWA’s last campaign for the client, this one does not lean on classic taglines. It does, however, reinforce Gatorade’s key message: that its product serves as the fuel on which the world’s top athletes run. As the release tells us, the ‘ade has “been fueling athletes for over half a century” and will continue to do so.

TBWA will also continue to help spread that message: last month the agency promoted Renato Fernandez, the creative who’s been working on Gatorade for years (first at AlmapBBDO) to the position of worldwide creative director “with responsibility for the Gatorade brand.”

Readers were slightly confused by the promotion because TBWA told us that the role played by its global CD for the Gatorade account will not change in light of Fernandez’s promotion. The point, though, is that the sports drink will continue to be one of the Omnicom shop’s marquee clients for the foreseeable future.

Just look at all these credits!

Agency: TBWAChiatDay
Client: Gatorade

Chief Creative Officer: Stephen Butler
Executive Creative Director: Brent Anderson
Worldwide Creative Director: Renato Fernandez
Copywriter: Scott Cleveland
Art Director: Pierce Thiot

Executive Producer: Sarah Patterson
Producer: Lacy Plunk
Managing Director: Peter Ravailhe
Brand Director: Simon Nicholls
Brand Manager: Robyn Morris
Sports Marketing AE: Erika Buder
Associate Brand Manager: Samantha Sabine

Group Planning Director: Scott MacMaster
Global Planning Director: Martin Ramos
Planner: Matt Bataclan

Director of Business Affairs: Linda Daubson
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Laura Drabkin
Talent Payment Manager: Mirielle Smith
Traffic Manager: Judy Brill
Executive Project Manager: Karen Thomas

Production Company:  Imperial Woodpecker
Director:  Mark Zibert
Executive Producer: Charlie Cocuzza
Producer:  Matt Wersinger
DP: Mattias Rudh

Editorial: Whitehouse Post
Editor: Charlie Harvey
Assistant Editor: Devon Bradbury
Producer: Jonlyn Williams
Executive Producer: Joni Williamson

Post EFX:  The Mill
Senior Exec Producer:  Sue Troyan
Exec Producer: Enca Kaul
Senior VFX Producer:  Kait Boem
Shoot Supervisor:  John Leonti
Executive Creative Director: Phil Crowe
Creative Director : John Leonti
2D Lead: Narbeh Mardirossian
3D Lead: Simon Brown
2D Artists:  Tim Bird, Scott Wilson Edward Black, Jale Parsons, Tara DeMarco
3D Artists: Josh Hatton, Kelvin Liang, Krystal Sae Eua, Monique Espinoza, Richard Fallat, Robert Chapman, Jenna Kind, Steven Olson, Thom Price, Bridget Warrington, Juan Zavala, Katie Yancey, Mike Di Nocco, Ashraf Ghoniem, Phill Mayer, Koen Vroeijenstijn, Ed Boldero, Brett Angelillis, Berk Hakguder

Matte Painting: Itai Muller, Chris Goodrich
Motion Graphics: Justin Sucara
VFX Coordinator  Daniel Midgley & Greg Dupree
Colorist:  Adam Scott
Color Exec Producer: Thatcher Peterson
Color Producer: Antonio Hardy

Post EFX End Card: The Mill

Music Supervision:
Music Supervisor: Andrew Kahn, Good Ear Music

Music Licensing: Mega, Inc.
Madeline Adami
Danny Socolof

Sound Design & Final Mix:

Mixer: Rohan Young
Assistant Mixer:  Jeff Malen

Music:

Song: “Step Up”
Artist: Mapei

Creative/production hybrid studio Committee LA released a continuation of its “ItsThatEasy” Super Bowl campaign with a 60-second spot starring Heidi Klum.

Actor Rex Lee returns as Klum’s agent, shooting down her half-baked ideas for business ventures. A disgruntled Klum admits he’s always right, but then comes up with something she knows he’ll approve of. With Wix, she gets the business off the ground with a website before proudly showing it to Lee. The pacing works better here than with the Super Bowl effort, which had to juggle the stories/businesses of multiple football greats in about the same time frame. While the humor may cross the line to the overly goofy at times, it does make a dry subject a bit more memorable and the setup is a good way to display Wix’s capabilities. The cross-channel marketing campaign also includes social media activations and exclusive content for YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter promoting the #ItsThatEasy hashtag.

“When technology gives people the freedom to get creative, the way Wix does, it creates a space where function, beauty and self-expression come together” said Wix chief marketing officer Omer Shai. “Heidi is the perfect person to drive this message home. She’s an entrepreneur who knows the value of a comprehensive solution that lets you stay in charge and effectively grow your business exactly the way you want it.”