Hasta La Creative!

Good God, we’re not sure why this promo video resurfaced, but leave it to Sizzler to remind us of Cross Colours, the Fresh Prince, and Z. Cavaricci with the 1991 masterpiece above.

Of course we weren’t the only media outlet to inquire about the origins of this artifact, and we received a response from Kristina Van Bruggen, VP of marketing for Sizzler USA:

“We’re very humbled by the thousands of wonderful posts from our customers. Sizzler is and has always been a special place for American families. We are thrilled this video is touching so many people and stirring such positive feelings about our country. Sizzle on, America, sizzle on!”

The video was originally shown to employees at an annual gathering to promote franchise sales.

The company’s PR even attributed the work to Multi Image Productions, now known as Multi Image Group. Yes, the company is still around — and now, according to their website, they specialize in ” integrating live events and online experiences, digital and social media, and immersive environments that engage, inspire and move audiences.”

We can all have a laugh at their vintage work, but their current client list includes Sprint, Volvo and, yes, Bud Light.

On that note, here’s some more recent work for Sizzler.

Breakfast pizza isn’t anything new as you can see, but Sizzler is trying its damndest to bring it into the mainstream.

We wish them the best of luck in their efforts.

The Richards Group introduces the new Jeep Renegade with a 60-second spot, straightforwardly titled “Renegades.”

The broadcast spot, which launches today, was built around the song “Renegades,” the new single by Interscope Records’ X Ambassadors, which was chosen in collaboration with the label as the foundation for the campaign. As it turned out, X Ambassadors were working with Alex Da Kid on a song that fit the bill.

“Through this unprecedented collaboration with KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records, X Ambassadors and Alex Da Kid to build a campaign around an original song, we’re staking a new claim to music and setting the stage for the Jeep brand’s North America marketing launch for the all-new 2015 Jeep Renegade,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, FCA – Global, in a statement.

“Olivier came forward and challenged us to deliver a song for him that had the theme and the spirit of the new Jeep launch,” Steve Berman, vice chairman of A&M Records, told Adweek. “Sometimes you just get lucky in the timing of how things works. [‘Renegades’] was a piece of art they [X Ambassadors] were already recording.”

While the process of the song selection and its integration as a fundamental building block of the campaign may mark new ground, it’s certainly not the first time Jeep have built a campaign around a song. Last May, the brand released a spot from GlobalHue built around the posthumous Michael Jackson single “Love Never Felt So Good.” The new spot feels even more like a music video than that effort did, complete with text referencing the artist and song title at the beginning of the ad. Shots of the band are interspersed with shots of the new Jeep Renegade and footage of millenials (hello, target audience) doing renegade-y stuff like hopping fences, nightswimming (on what appears to be a quiet night) and skateboarding.

“If you look at the words of this song, if I had given an agency that brief, they would not have cracked a better script than X Ambassadors did,” Francois told Adweek. “The script of the song is totally on brief, it’s spot on…But what really made me feel that [the song] was the campaign was the way they speak of the millennials being the modern renegades. The genius here is that you tie the name of the car, which is ‘Renegade’ to the mindset of the target, which is the millennial target.”

Instead of opting for the usual ad blitz, Toronto-based indie agency Cundari has gone pro-bono to help support non-profit organization Kickstopper.ca, which aims to put an end to social injustices, et cetera via grassroots, “crowdfunded” donations.

In a press release, Cundari CCO Andrew Simon writes:

“Online crowdfunding has helped people achieve big dreams. Our goal with Kickstopper.ca is to move the needle on social giving in order to help people attain basic necessities in life, from food, to shelter and safety. Our Cundari team is incredibly excited to launch this initiative that will ultimately help many grassroots charities at once.”

He also told us:

“We noticed that a lot of agencies make ads for charities, but very few set out to actually raise much needed funds.”

For the record, Kickstopper doesn’t reap any profits (as noted), and both consumers and charities can donate and start their own funding efforts.

BBDO New York created a 45-second spot starring Jason Sudeikis entitled “Tourists,” promoting AT&T’s sponsorship of the Tribeca Film Festival, which began Wednesday and runs through the 26th.

In the spot, two tourists visiting New York run into Sudeikis on the street and he obliges them for what he assumes will be a quick snapshot. Soon, however, the couple is directing Sudeikis for a short video (and they won’t settle for a subpar cut). “Theres a film lover in all of us” reads the tagline at the end of the spot, followed by the AT&T and Tribeca Film Festival logos. BBDO keeps AT&T’s branding in the background of the spot, instead letting the short highlight the company’s sponsorship of the Tribeca Film Festival. Sudeikis wasn’t just a random selection, as he stars in three films appearing in the festival, making him a pretty perfect choice for the spot.

Credits:

Client: AT&T
Agency: BBDO New York
Chief Creative Officers: David Lubars (worldwide), Greg Hahn (N.Y.)
Executive Creative Director: Matt MacDonald
Senior Creative Directors: John LaMacchia, Simon Foster
Associate Creative Director: Geoff Proud
Senior Art Director: Will Holmes
Group Executive Producer: Julie Collins
Executive Producer: Alex Gianni
Producer: Gillian Burkley
Managing Director: Mark Cadman
Senior Director: Brian Nienhaus
Account Director: Gail Curtis
Account Executive: Sigourney Hudson-Clemons
Production Company: O-Positive
Director: Brian Billow
Director of Photography: Joe Zizzo
Executive Producers: Ralph Laucella, Marc Grill
Producer: J.D. Davison
Editing House: Mackenzie Cutler
Producer: Sasha Hirshfeld
Editor: Ryan Steele
Assistant Editor: Jean Taylor
Color Correction: Company 3
Colorist: Tim Masick
Visual Effects: Schmigital
Flame Artist: Jim Hayhow
Flame Assistant: Joseph Miller

Mekanism targets a particular demographic for Ben & Jerry’s with its online spot promoting the brand’s new BRRR-ito, which rolls out April 20th.

The spot drops some not-so-subtle hints (in addition to the release date) as to who the brand expects to enjoy the product, picturing a room full of young guys staring at a screen of an ice cream sandwich with their eyes glazed over. A girl wearing a pink Ben & Jerry’s shirt rushes to the rescue, throwing the BRRR-ito at the screen, which causes the room to fill with smoke, followed by a message promising the new item will show fans “why 4.20 will be exactly like 4.20.” While the spot (which also manages to reference Apple’ iconic “1984” ad) won’t exactly win points for subtlety, Mekanism and Ben & Jerry’s certainly seem to have crafted the campaign to appeal to a certain subgroup of the millenial audience. The spot will also be shared on the brand’s social channels, and the agency also worked on POS in Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops as well as t-shirts promoting the new product.

Credits:

MEK CREDITS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         CEO/President: Jason Harris                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Creative Director: David Horowitz                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Head of Production: Kati Haberstock                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Producer: Michael Rushton                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Senior Brand Manager: Cassie Jackson                                                                                                                                                                                                               Associate Director Brand Management: Caroline Moncure                                                                                                                                                                                     Head of Strategy: Eric Zuncic

PRODUCTION CREDITS                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Production Company: Sister                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Directors: Justin Plummer and Martin Strauss                                                                                                                                                                                                             DP: Spenser Nottage                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             EP: Thorsten Hoppenworth                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Producer: Alun Lee                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Food Stylist: Randy Mon

Here’s an odd one from Sweden’s Forsman & Bodenfors, the self-described “most awarded agency in the world 2014.”

In what appears to be an attempt to “mash up” Bergman’s The Seventh Seal with Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music, F&B and actor Sean Buckley somehow manage to keep spirits light even while singing about potentially fatal childhood illnesses.

Since there is no God (as Bergman himself frequently reminded us), we have to rely on the United Nations to save our children from waterborne diseases.

No word on this effort from the anti-vaxxer community.

David introduces Heinz’s “new, better-tasting yellow mustard” with a campaign entitled “Ketchup’s Got A New Mustard.”

“Our Yellow Mustard launch is unprecedented for Heinz and for the mustard category,” said Eduardo Luz, president of Heinz North America, in a statement. “Heinz is America’s Favorite Ketchup, and we’re aiming to become America’s favorite mustard, too. We want people to love their yellow mustard as much as they love our ketchup.”

The new campaign is built around a 30-second spot, “Backyard BBQ,” which personifies the Heinz’s redesigned mustard as Ketchup’s new mains squeeze. He brings her to a backyard barbecue and everything is going great until his ex-mustard shows up. Ketchup’s ex-mustard is less than happy about his new relationship, and he adds insult to injury when he tells his new girlfriend that she has better taste. “For years, Heinz Ketchup has been with the wrong mustard. Well not anymore,” says the voiceover at the conclusion of the spot, followed by the tagline. While the approach highlights the reinvention of the product in an obvious way, some might think it goes a bit far in making the past version of the product (and, by extension, Heinz) look bad. Apart from highlighting its upside-down squeeze bottle design and claiming it’s “better tasting,” there’s also not much of an explanation as to how the new recipe (which the press release describes as utilizing “stone-ground mustard seeds and a secret blend of spices and vinegar” for “a perfect balance of flavor and tang”) is different from the old one.

Credits:

Agency: David                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     SVP, ECD: Anselmo Ramos                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Associate Creative Director (AD): Tony Kalathara                                                                                                                                                                                            Associate Creative Director (CW): Russell Dodson                                                                                                                                                                                                Planner: Paul Ramirez                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Dir. of Integrated Production: Veronica Beach                                                                                                                                                                                                               Sr. Producer: Yamaris Leon                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Digital Producer: Yamaris Leon                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Managing Director: Paulo Fogaca                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Account Director: Carlos Rangel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Studio Production Artist: Carlos Panza Lange                                                                                                                                                                                                        Business Affairs Manager: Libby Fine

Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks                                                                                                                                                                                          Director: Jeff Lowe                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                DP: Darko Suvak                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Executive Producer: Colleen O’Donnell                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Producer: Kali Niemann                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Production Mgr.: Amanda Amann                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Casting Agent: Alyson Horn

Animations/Graphics Co: Jogger                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Flame Lead: David Parker                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Producer: Lynne Mannino

72andSunny was tasked with creating a trailer for Guitar Hero Live, the first new entry in the Guitar Hero franchise in five years, and aimed with actually putting viewers in the action.

Following a nod to Spinal Tap-esque backstage shenanigans, “It’s About To Get Real,” which is shot to give viewers a first-person perspective, puts the viewer right on stage in front of a live crowd. Created using additional footage shot with director Giorgio Testi and co-director Jamie Jackson from the live action shoots used for the game, the trailer assures viewers “This isn’t what it ‘feels like’ to play the new Guitar Hero. This is the new Guitar Hero.” Viewers are treated to the kind of audience reactions gamers can expect when they perform poorly in the game (We’re not sure why someone would bring a sign reading “You Suck” to a concert they payed to attend, but there you have it) before giving them a taste of what it’s like when things go right. At the end of the spot, 72andSunny introduces the game’s two modes, GH Live, which viewers have already experienced, and GHTV, which lets you play along with a continually updated library of music videos. The trailer should definitely get Guitar Hero fans psyched for the game’s fall release, as it gives viewers an idea of the kind of radical changes they can expect from the series following its long absence.

“The creative center of both Guitar Hero Live and the trailer for the game is about bringing to life the visceral thrill and terror of being up there in front of thousands of people,” said Tim Ellis, chief marketing officer of Activision Publishing.

Credits:

Client: Activision Publishing
Product: Guitar Hero Reveal Trailer
Title: It’s About to Get Real

Activision
Chief Executive Officer Activision Publishing:  Eric Hirshberg
Chief Marketing Officer Activision Publishing:  Tim Ellis
VP of Global Brand Marketing, Head of Digital:  Jonathan Anastas
Consumer Marketing Manager: Orlando Baeza
Consumer Marketing Manager: Karen Starr

72andSunny
Partner, Chief Creative Officer: Glenn Cole
Partner, Chief Strategy Officer: Matt Jarvis
Group Creative Director: Frank Hahn
Creative Director/Writer: Tim Wolfe
Creative Director/Designer: Peter Vattanatham,
Lead Designer: Garret Jones
Lead Writer: Evan Brown
Designer: Ryan Dols
Writer: Jack Lagomarsino
Director of Film Production: Sam Baerwald
Film Producer: Kara Fromhart
Business Affairs Director: Amy Jacobsen
Business Affairs Manager: Kelly Ventrelli
Junior Business Affairs Manager: Amy Shah
Group Brand Director: Mike Parseghian
Brand Director: Torie Gleicher
Brand Coordinator: Laura Black
Group Strategy Director: Bryan Smith
Group Strategy Director: John Graham

Production Company – Pulse Films UK
Director: Giorgio Testi
Co-Director: Jamie Jackson of Freestyle Games
Director of Production: Claire Wingate
Line Producers: John Bannister & Isabel Davis

Game Developer – Freestyle Games
Jamie Jackson – Co-Director (co-director under Production and Creative Director under FSG)
Jonathan Napier – Projects Director
Mike Rutter – Art Manager
Joel Davey – Producer
Gareth Morrison – Assistant Art Director
Andy Grier – Lead Audio Designer
Jon Newman – Senior Audio Designer
Mike McLafferty – Audio Designer / Licensed Equipment Liaisons
Neil Watts – Lead Animator
Jason Pickthall – Lead Concept Artist
Phil Bale – Lead Environment Artist
Pete Nicholson – Lead Character Artist
David Moulder – Lead Technical Artist
Neil Dodd – Lead UI Artist

Editorial – Spotwelders
Editor: Robert Duffy
Assistant Editor: Sophie Kornberg
Executive Producer: Carolina Sanborn
Producer: Lisa English

Game CG & VFX- Framestore UK
Pedro Sabrosa – VFX supervisor
Alan Woods – CG supervisor
Russell – Horth – Compositing supervisor
Kate Windibank – Compositing supervisor
Robin Reyer – Lead Technical Director
Liz Oliver – Senior Producer
Helen Kok – Line Producer

Color Grade – Framestore UK
Colorist: Edwin Metternich

VFX & Online Finishing – Framestore LA
Executive Producer: James Razzall
Senior Producer: James Alexander
Production Manager: Eric Kimelton
Flame Artist US: Bruno De la Calva

Sound Design – Human
Sound designer: Gareth Williams
Producer: Jonathan Sanford

Audio Mix – Lime Studios
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan & Jessica Locke
Engineer: Zac Fisher
Assistant engineer: Kevin McAlpine

Logo Mnemonic Animation – Blind
Tobin Kirk – Executive Producer
Amy Knerl – Head of Production
Greg Gunn – Creative Director
Scott Rothstein – Producer
Daniel Zhang – Animator
Shawn Kim – Animator
Henry Pak – Animator
Ash Wagers – Compositor
Lawrence Wyatt – Designer
Ayla Kim – Designer

Logo Mnemonic Sound Design – Barking Owl
Sound Designer: Michael Anastasi
Head of Production: Whitney Fromholtz
Creative Director: Kelly Bayett

If you ever felt the need to visit the Van Gogh Museum or take a canal tour, then you may be interested in this ongoing campaign from DUMBO/Brooklyn-based shop Mustache, which has already claimed that “everything is hip” in Holland.

Mustache, joining forces with the Holland Marketing Alliance, aims to exemplify “De Holland” by demonstrating that this Euro hub’s culture goes well beyond the coffee shops and red light district of Amsterdam (despite that recent 180 Amsterdam campaign).

Mustache continues its three-year relationship with HMA by targeting Millennials in a campaign that also promotes air carrier KLM and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (among others) along the way.

180 LA takes a creepy approach with its “Come To Data” campaign for Boost Moble, which promotes the provider’s unlimited data program.

The suggestively-titled campaign features two 60-second spots in which individuals battle, and ultimately give in to, their cell phone-loving ids when they use their smart phones in inappropriate situations.

In “Bathroom Dilemma,” a man at a urinal fights the urge to use his cellphone while taking a leak, and ultimately loses. The voice in his head, which is unsettling, ultimately convinces him to whip the device out by appealing to his love of man-baby memes. A Vine supporting the campaign takes the idea a step further, with a man playing a dice game on his cell phone while in the loo, which could be confused for an activity far more inappropriate for a public restroom. The second spot, “The Priest,” features a holy man tempted into streaming a horse race in the confessional booth.

A host of Vines and short videos support the effort, all following the theme of inappropriate cell phone use.

Credits:

Client: Boost Mobile
Director, Sprint Prepaid Group: Peiti Feng
Manger of Brand Advertising and Creative, Wally Fox
Brand Manager, Social Media and Brand Integration, Jill Johnson
Advertising Manager, Mario Cardenas
Social Media and Brand Integration, Bre Cohen

Campaign: Come To Data

Agency: 180LA
Managing Partner, CCO: William Gelner
Creative Directors: Mike Bokman and Jason Rappaport
Copywriter: Chris Elzinga / Daniel Chen
Art Director: Marcus Cross / Jenny Kang
Head of Account Management: Chad Bettor
Associate Account Director: Paul Kinsella
Social Media Account Manager: Olivia Watson
Head of Production: Natasha Wellesley
Senior Producer: Lindsey Wood
Associate Producer: Lauren Prushan
Business Affairs Manager: Ivy Chen

Production Co: Treefort
Director: Shillick
Producer: Mike Begovich
DP: Max Gutierrez

Editorial Company: Treefort (Web Films) / Melvin (Vines)
Editor: Josh Hegard (Web Films) / Dave Groseclose (Vines)
Color/ Online Finishing: Sam Maliszewski / Melvin
Sound Design / Mix: Eddie Kim / Therapy