Mr. President, The Body Shop Wish the Queen Happy Mother’s Day

Mr. President collaborated with production company Mindseye and director Alison Jackson on a new spot celebrating Mother’s Day with the queen for The Body Shop UK.

Utilizing a cast of look-alikes, the spot envisions Charles preparing a Mother’s Day surprise with help from Camilla and sons Wills and Harry. While things don’t quite go according to plan, Charles is still able to mostly pull it off, and the spot ends with the message, “Treat your mum like a queen this Mother’s Day.” Jackson uses a shaky, documentary-like style to make the spot seem like a royal home movie, with plenty of irreverent humor via Charles’ bungling and allusions to Harry’s partying.

“We set out with The Body Shop to embrace the spirit of Mother’s Day. Of celebrating the thoughtful, little things that make all mums feel like queens. And then we asked ourselves, how does the most queenly Queen celebrate that morning? Probably the same way,” explained Laura Jordan Bambach, creative partner at Mr. President, in a statement. “Those same little touches still mean a lot. Through our collaboration with Alison Jackson we’ve brought to life a most special morning, for a most special mum.”

Credits:

Client: Sam Thomson – Marketing Director at The Body Shop UK

Director: Alison Jackson

Production: Mindseye

Sound: Factory Sounds

Tom Bird – Creative at Mr. President

Thea Hamrén – Creative Director at Mr. President

Naomi Dunne and Anna-Lucy Terry  Social Strategy at Mr. President

Tom Trevelyan – Account Director at Mr. President

Steph Mylam – Producer at Mr. President

Pitch, Weingart Center Urge Investing in the Homeless

In what feels like a more redemptive version of Shark Tank, we have this pro-bono campaign from Pitch, the West Coast shop you know perhaps for its longstanding relationship with Burger King, Pepsi, Asics and more.

In its newest campaign, the agency gets philanthropic and turns its focus to more socially-conscious issues, namely homelessness and a downtown Los Angeles organization called the Weingart Center.

This short may look like a board meeting/presentation, but it turns into a pitch that transforms potential investors from cold to hot when their salesman of sorts suggests job placement for the homeless instead of just donating a buck or two. It’s apparently not fiction.

In a statement, Pitch President Rachel Spiegelman writes:

“The men and women who work at the Weingart Center are miracle workers. They help people truly in need re-enter society with hope and a plan. When you donate you give your money away, when you invest you get a return. That’s the core idea behind our campaign and behind the Weingart program. We’re honored to be working with them on this incredible cause.”

The campaign also includes a redesign of the Weingart site and a Twitter march with the hashtag #investinLA.

AGENCY: PITCH
CEO: Jon Banks
President: Rachel Spiegelman
Chief Creative Officer: Xanthe Wells
ACD/Art Director: Brian Farkas
ACD/Copywriter: Tylynne McCauley
Executive Producer: Julie Salik
Producer: Nancy Sanders
Production Coordinator: Nick Phillips
Strategist: Lexi Whelan, Kristin Kiefer
Art Directors: Bryan Evans (Logo), Max Pollak (Social), David Dubois (Storyboards)
Copywriter: Will Patterson (Social)
Associate Design Director: Gary Shum (Logo)
Production Company: Check Your Head Films
Director: Ricardo Mehedff
Executive Producer: Josh Goldstein
Line Producer: Aviv Russ
Director of Photography: Lowell Meyer
EDITORIAL: BICEP PRODUCTIONS
Editor: Nathaniel Connella
Motion Graphic Designer: Terry Politis
Post Producer: Esther Gonzalez
Mixer: Nick Phillips
WEINGART
President & CEO: Kevin Murray
Director of Development: Kristina Farkas
Marketing Director: Felicia Dupuch

VB&P Channels Hitchcock for Audi

Venables Bell & Partners riffs on Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds in its latest spot for Audi, “The Drones.”

In the ad, a swarm of violent drones descend on a group of officer workers as they leave for the day. One man gets in his Audi, which it turns out has the right tools to help him avoid death by drone. The connection comes with the line, “Advanced technology doesn’t have to be intimidating.” which precedes the “Challenge all givens” tagline. It’s more than a little bit of a stretch, but the spot is still memorable and well put together, as an homage to a Hollywood classic is more than most ads in the category pull off.

Another ad released by Venables Bell & Partners for the campaign, “Teenager,” takes the more familiar approach of dealing with a parent and a teen learning to drive. In this case, the teen trades adding her dad on Facebook for driving the Audi A6.

Credits:

Client: Audi
Spot: “The Drones”
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Founder, Chairman: Paul Venables
ECD: Will McGinness
Creative Director: Tyler Hampton, Lee Einhorn
Art Director: Greg Wyatt, Byron Del Rosario
Copywriter: Bryan Karr
Director of Integrated Production: Craig Allen
Executive Producer: Mandi Holdorff
Producer: Hannah Murray
Acct Director: Justin Pitcher
Acct Manager: Oliver Glenn, Natalia Montero
Prod Company: MJZ
Director: Dante Ariola
DP: Matthew Libatique
Executive Producer: Scott Howard
Line Producer: Natalie Hill
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Adam Pertrofsky
Asst Editor: Marjorie Sacks
Executive Producer: Angela Dorian
Producer: Shada Shariatzadeh
VFX: The Mill
VFX Supervisor, 2D Lead: Gareth Parr
VFX Supervisor, 3D Lead: Simon Brown
Creative Director: John Leonti
Executive Producer: Enca Kaul
Producer: Chris Harlowe
Production Coordinator: Karina Ford
Music: Elias Arts
ECD: Vinnie LoRusso
CD: Mike Goldstein
EP: Vicki Ordeshook
Head of Production: Katie Overcash
Sound Design: Brian Emrich, Trinitite
Mix: Loren Silber, Lime Studios

Cashmere Agency, Snoop Call on Viewers to Divest from Gun Industry

Snoop Dogg stars in a celebrity PSA Cashmere Agency put together for Unload Your 401k, No Guns Allowed and States United to Prevent Gun Violence.

In addition to Snoop, the spot, entitled “#ImUnloading,” also features Bobby Wagner of the Seattle Seahawks and Matt Barnes of the Los Angeles Clippers; actress/singer Margot Bingham; singer/songwriter/producer Aloe Blacc; singer/songwriter Jhené Aiko; and League Of Young Voters’ Executive Director, Dr. Rob Biko Baker. Snoop opens the PSA by talking about how he’s been affected by gun violence over the years through “deaths of friends, family members and associates,” followed by other celebrities sharing their own stories. The spot then informs viewers that “Over 51 million people have a retirement portfolio that’s likely invested in guns.” and asks “Is your 401k one of them?” For the remainder of the spot, Snoop and company calling on viewers to assess their 401k and divest from the gun industry and to speak with friends and family about doing the same.

There are plenty of gun violence PSAs around, but “ImUnloading” takes a unique approach. Rather than preach about the dangers of gun violence in service of gun safety reform and attempt to convert viewers to a point of view, it calls on those already interested in such action to examine their own financial investments, which may be contributing to the gun industry.

“There is a straight line from gun industry investment, to gun industry profits, to funding of the NRA. Half the value of these companies comes from mutual funds and most of the ‘investors’ in these funds have no idea they are inadvertently part of the problem. Now they can be part of the solution,” explained Jennifer Fiore, executive director of Campaign to Unload, in a statement.

“It is long past time for government to act to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in America, but it is also long past time when we can believe that they will,” added Julia Wyman, executive director of States United. “Americans want change and thanks to our partners in this effort, more Americans will be aware of their economic power to take power into their own hands.”

DDB Chicago Asks, ‘Why 3 Musketeers?’

DDB Chicago brought back Mars’ Three Musketeers characters for the first time in over a decade in its new “Why 3 Musketeers?” campaign.

The campaign is composed of four videos providing different answers to the question. Each of the spots “features the beloved characters associated with our brand, but in a funny and unexpected way,” 3 Musketeers brand director Allison Miazga-Bedrick told MediaPost.

In the 45-second “Double Dutch,” for example, the answer is “Because without 3 you can’t double dutch.” One of the musketeers sets up a boombox and shows off his moves while the other two man the jump ropes. The videos are promoted through social media and the campaign also includes digital advertising, public relations and shopper marketing. DDB Chicago seems to be attempting to capitalize on the recent wave of 90s nostalgia and appeal to millenials with the campaign, which harkens back to the “Big on Chocolate, Not on Fat” tagged ads of that era, the last time the characters were seen.

Dick Vitale Loves Jerky, Baby

Who is Dick Vitale’s talent manager and when will he/she receive another well-deserved raise?

After creeping us out in Deutsch LA’s Pizza Hut retro trip yesterday, Dick is back in a campaign for primo beef jerky brand Oberto. What do sports and jerky have in common?

Tough Mudder.

In the new ad, from creative/strategic AOR Positivity and director Court Crandall, Vitale talks to a “Little Voice in [His] Stomach” which just happens to be fellow sportscaster/controversial tweeter Stephen A. Smith. (This is not the first spot in the “voice” campaign as previous entries starred Richard Sherman and others.)

The “You Get Out What You Put In” tagline makes a bit more sense in the context of Tough Mudder, better known as That Thing That Your Most Annoying Facebook Friends Post About All the Time.

The fitness brand plays a larger role in the following spot:

That would be “2x World’s Toughest Mudder winner” and attorney Amelia Boone. Smith spends even less time in the average stomach than certain creative directors spend at ad agencies.

The spot above marks Tough Mudder’s first appearance in a national campaign. There will be promo contests.

On the Vitale side, users who submit their best impressions of the guy will have a chance to win something. On the Mudder side, Oberto will produce more ads involving some of that club’s best-known members. The company also plans to create its own obstacle course, “‘Beached Whale,’ an enormous inflatable that will require team members to help each other to successfully scale this massive challenge.”

Sadly, we have no images of the whale to share at the moment.

Forsman & Bodenfors Salutes ‘Everyday Heroes’ for IKEA

Forsman & Bodenfors launched a new anthem ad for IKEA celebrating “Everyday Heroes” around the house like clothes hangers and toilet brushes.

“Here’s to them, the everyday heroes we all take for granted,” begins the voiceover as a clothes hanger swivels. As the music crescendos, the voiceover gets louder, saluting the “Fearless soldiers who serve in the trenches for the greater good,” before concluding, “This is for them, those who constitute the true definition of an everyday hero.”

It’s an unusual approach, but Forsman & Bodenfors handle it pretty aptly, cheekily celebrating the kind of IKEA items that don’t usually get the limelight. The over-the-top voiceover is delivered with an air of self-awareness that lets you know that, surface appearances to the contrary, Forsman & Bodenfors and IKEA don’t actually take the idea too seriously. The video ends by directing viewers to a Twitter account created for the campaign, which gives voice to the “everyday heroes” of the ad.

Credits:

Client: IKEA Global Communications
Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors
Title: Everyday Heroes
Media: Online
Published: March 9, 2015
Art Director: Adam Ulvegärde
Copywriter: Joakim Labraaten
Designer: Martin Joelsson
Senior Account Director: Olle Victorin
Account Director: Katarina Klofsten, Maria Hallenborg
Agency Producer: Jens Odelbring
Digital Producer: Peter Gaudiano, Jimmy Wulff
Production Company: Anonymous Content
Director: Joachim Back
Executive producer: Eric Stern
Producer: Brian Quinlan
Director of Photography: Jan Velicky
Editor: Jeppe Bodskov

TBWAMAL Reimagines Timepieces for Apple

In case you managed to maintain some sort of all-media blackout over the past 24 hours, you know that the introduction of the Apple Watch was the only important thing happening on planet Earth today.

Cupertino also debuted the first ad for the watch more than six weeks before it hits the shelves at your nearest Apple Store.

Like the company’s past campaigns, this one comes to us from TBWA’s Media Arts Lab unit. Here’s “The Watch Reimagined”:

This campaign is very similar to MAL’s work promoting the company’s most recent iPhone model in that it fetishes both the object’s sleek appearance and its varied, presumably life-altering functions.

The ad casts Apple Watch as an inevitability that will compel all tech-savvy consumers via the power of its own hype, but as perpetual late adopters we’re still not quite sure why we might want one.

A Concrete Lump Grows in London for Cancer Awareness

It would appear that the daily obliviousness of human traffic makes for the same sad story in both London and New York City.

Therein lies the concept in a new ad from AMV BBDO for Cancer Research U.K., where passersby on a sidewalk in London continue on their (merry) way while a concrete growth encased in fiberglass and created by model-makers Artem begins to persistently bubble up until it reaches critical mass. The hard-surfaced metaphor only casts light on how one should visit a doctor in case he or she can handle early cancer detection.

The PSA cleverly demonstrates how metastasis can not only affect the daily grind but, more importantly, your own health.

Take heed.

Client: Cancer Research U.K.
Agency: AMV BBDO, London
Creative Directors: Mike Crowe, Rob Messeter
Copywriter: Charlotte Adorjan
Art Director: Michael Jones
Agency Planners: Emily Harlock, Sarah Sternberg
Account: Gareth Collins, Emily Atkinson, Ally Humpherys
Agency Producer: Sophie Horner
Media Agency: Mediacom
Media Planner: Lucy Mitchell
Production Company: Rogue
Producer: Maddy Easton
Director: Sam Cadman
Sound: Gary Turnball / Grand Central Recording Studios
Postproduction: Joseph Tang / The Mill
Editor: Kev Palmer / TenThree
Model Makers: Artem
Music: The Sound Works

CP+B Debuts ‘Liquid Gold Rush’ for Velveeta

In November, CP+B was awarded Kraft’s Velveeta account, formerly with W+K, following a big agency consolidation.

Now, the agency has debuted their first work for the brand, launching a new campaign entitled “Liquid Gold Rush.” In a new 30-second spot, CP+B imagines the product as appreciated by 19th century gold prospectors. One prospector asks another how he found the biggest liquid gold mine in the state while they both eat a bowl of Velveeta Shells & Cheese. He explains he found boxes and boxes of it while shopping for provisions, and it’s soon revealed the prospectors are camping out not in the great outdoors, but in a supermarket. The campaign includes online and radio ads in addition to the broadcast spot, as well as a social media initiative. We can expect CP+B to mine from this idea more in the future, as Adweek relays that “Future spots will find humor in the odd placement of frontiersmen in a modern supermarket.”

Havas NY Sends ‘The Most Interesting Man in the World’ to Space

Havas Worldwide New York has revealed its latest spot for Dos Equis, the 30-second,  “The Most Interesting Man in the World Wins on Land, Sea, Air and Beyond.”

As implied by the title, the spot sees its titular character exploring beyond the confines of this planet as he finds himself playing video games with astronauts in space. His space travels are accompanied by a series of absurd claims to fame (like inventing skinny dipping and being able to slam a revolving door), as has become the campaign’s immediately familiar trademark, of course ending with the familiar “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do I prefer Dos Equis.” The brand is by now so synonymous with this campaign that there was no need to make the connection in the title of this post. Of course, that’s illustrative of how important the character has been to the brand. Every installation only furthers the association, and this will undoubtedly appease its fans until the next one, while those critical of, say, its casual objectification of women, are probably not in Dos Equis’ target demographic.

Credits:

Advertising Agency: HAVAS Worldwide NY

Chief Creative Officer: Jason Peterson

Executive Creative Director:  Jim Hord

Creative Director: Paul Fix

Creative Director: Jamie Overkamp

Associate Creative Director: Matthew Hock

Associate Creative Director: David Fredette

Writer: Marty Bonacorso

Art Director:  Melissa Ploysophon

Junior Writer: Andrew Niemira

Junior Art Director: Melissa Stammer

Global Chief Content Officer:  Vin Farrell

Co-Head of Production:  Dave Evans

Co-Head of Production:  Sylvain Tron

Executive Producer: Jill Meschino

Director of Broadcast Business Affairs: Cathy Pitegoff

Senior Broadcast Business Manager: Deborah Steeg

Senior Talent Specialist:  Yvette Aponte

Group Account Director:  Chris Budden

Account Director: Jamie Sundheim

Account Supervisor:  Sara Heller

Account Executive: Jenny Maughan

Production Company: @radical.media

Director: Steve Miller

Director of Photography: Bryan Newman

Executive Producer: Gregg Carlesimo

Producer: Barbara Benson

Editorial Company: Arcade Edit

Editor: Jeff Ferruzzo

Executive Producer: Sila Soyer

Post Production:  Studio 6

VFX Supervisor / Flame Artist: Johnny Starace

Executive Producer:  Melati Phohan

Audio Engineer: Eric Thompson

Music Composer: Brett Fuchs

Colorist: Company 3

Colorist: Tom Poole

Audio: Sound Lounge

Partner/Mixer:  Peter Holcomb

Deutsch LA and Pizza Hut Revisit the 90’s with David Robinson

Remember this 90’s classic by BBDO starring David Robinson’s V-neck sweater, Dennis Rodman’s belly button tattoos, and the revolutionary concept of stuffed crust pizza?

David may well have been “crazy,” but the idea worked pretty well for Pizza Hut. This weekend, Deutsch LA debuted a new ad revisiting that time capsule to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the great cheese-and-bread innovation.

Feel old yet? The first campaign also starred Donald Trump and Rush Limbaugh.

The new work doesn’t quite mark a return to that singular moment in post-Cobain America: it uses a quick appearance by an older, wiser Robinson (who still favors the V-neck) and a slightly creepy Dick Vitale to announce a sale on the old stuffed crust, complete with new flavors.

Dennis Rodman was apparently too busy expressing his admiration for third-world dictators, inviting Seth Rogen to visit North Korea with him, and selling his original Hummer (which is covered by airbrushed images of naked women) to participate.

Here’s your basic product shots :30 spot:

m:united Honors International Women’s Day for Microsoft

In honor of International Women’s Day yesterday, m:united crafted a spot for Microsoft entitled “Girls Do Science.”

“Girls Do Science” opens with portraits of several young girls who are interested in science and technology, including one who built a garage door opener and is currently working on her own website, along with text informing viewers that “7 out of 10 girls are interested in science.” Then the girls share some familiar issues involving the perception that science is “more of a boy’s thing,” such as one girl who explains that “There used to girl in the robotics class but she quit, and so I’m the only girl left.” Text informs viewers that “only 2 out of 10 girls will go on to pursue science.” So Microsoft sent each of these girls encouraging letters, and end the ad by sharing the email recruiting2027@microsoft.com, presumably for girls with an interest in pursuing a career with the company.

While the opening part of the ad does a credible job giving voice to several girls interested in tech or science careers and does a good job communicating the alienation girls face when they show interest in a male-dominated subject, the rest of the ad falters from being far too self-congratulatory. It’s a particularly powerful moment when one of the girls describes being the only girl in her robotics class, but it feels empty when another says that it was great that Microsoft sent her a letter (and it’s easy to get the impression she was spoon-fed the line). The recruiting2027@microsoft.com gesture feels equally meaningless, and more than a little self-serving. Plus, as Adweek points out, this is a company that is more than a little responsible for the problem of women being underrepresented in tech; employing only 17 percent women in tech roles as of an October report, compared to 20 percent at Apple, in addition to its CEO’s controversial (and often perceived as sexist) remark about women asking for raises. You could see “Girls Do Science” as a step toward reconciliation for past mistakes, but it could just as easily be perceived as exploitative, manipulative and hypocritical.

N/A Welcomes Canadians to McDonald’s

Montreal-based agency N/A launched a campaign for McDonald’s, introducing a new brand positioning and tagline, “Welcome to McDonald’s.”

The campaign marks the first repositioning of the brand in Canada since 2012’s “Our Food, Your Questions” and the first major brand campaign under chief marketing officer Antoinette Benoit, who entered into that role roughly a year ago. Like the brand’s stateside campaign, “Welcome to McDonald’s” deals in cheery, unbridled positivity.

In a new 30-second spot entitled “Nicknames,” a McDonald’s worker asks viewers, “Have you met last-minute Pete, or first-thing Sally, story-telling Mary?” before answering “I have.” The spot emphasizes the diversity of the chain’s customers, showing patrons of all ages and backgrounds. It’s quite the sidestep from “Our Food, Your Questions” and the brand’s typical approach in Canada, which may explain the decision to work with N/A rather than agency of record Cosette. Tribal Worldwide also worked on digital content for the campaign, which includes print and OOH.

According to Benoit, these were real customers captured in the ad, who were later asked for consent to use the footage, culled from over 115 hours of filming. “It’s a different way to go behind the golden arches,” she told Marketing.

Chef Eric Ripert Serves Up Zen, Food Porn for Squarespace

Web-building/hosting platform Squarespace follows its Wieden + Kennedy-created, Jeff Bridges-starring Super Bowl spot this week by teaming up with New York City entertainment agency ACE Content and superstar chef Eric Ripert for an ad that may just whet your appetite.

Ripert, the James Beard award-winning founder of NYC restaurant Le Bernadin, shows us in a matter of 30 seconds how food translates into art with the help of some aesthetically pleasing slo-mo moments.

Just like W+K’s Bridges Squarespace spot, this latest effort — dubbed “Build it Beautiful” — evokes a sense of inner peace and seamless technology (minus the chanting and instrumentation of the former).

Unlike the Bridges ad, however, this one may leave your stomach rumbling for gourmet goodness.

Ogilvy Debuts New Tagline for UPS

Ogilvy & Mather have launched a new campaign for UPS, retiring the “We Love Logistics” line used since 2010 in a new, 60-second broadcast spot.

The new spot instead positions UPS as “United Problem Solvers,” emphasizing their importance to small businesses. “Bring us your baffling, bring us your audacious. We want your daydreams, your a-has…” says the voiceover at the beginning of the spot, before claiming UPS is in the “problem solving business.” The ad shows a series of innovators, entrepreneurs and small business owners as UPS helps them to operate, expand and solve problems. “United Problem Solvers” debuted yesterday during coverage of NCAA basketball and is supported by print ads in business and trade publications.

“The audience that is watching NCAA really skews toward more senior-level decision makers, and it reaches audiences from small businesses to the mid-market to large enterprises,” Maureen Healy, vice president, customer communications at UPS, explained to AdAge.

“While logistics can be big and complex and scary, what logistics can help you achieve can be sort of magical,” added Alda Abbracciamento, worldwide managing director at Ogilvy & Mather, New York. “The focus of that idea is brought to life in TV, print and online ads.”

Tribal Worldwide Visualizes Parking Assist for Volkswagen Passat

Tribal Worldwide found a unique way to promote the Volkswagen Passat’s parking assist feature in its latest ad for the brand.

The agency worked with Andy Serkis’ Imaginarium Studios on a series of four spots for the brand. “Park Assist,” the first of these (featured above), visualizes the vehicle’s technology, making it appear as if the viewer is seeing things through the car’s point of view, before returning to the vehicle’s proud owner and his rather impressed passenger. To achieve the effect, The Drum explains, the team “rigged a Passat with infrared cameras which collected positional data that was translated in real time and used to create a CGI environment around the car.” The result is impressive, visually striking and a nice change of pace for the brand, which has traditionally sold itself on its durability, reliability and affordability rather than its technological features.

“The [technology focus] is where the brand is right now,” Silke Anderson, Volkswagen UK communications manager, told The Drum. “Innovation has always been core to everything that we do and with the Passat so full of technology we felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring this tech to life and get people talking about it in an excited way. Unless you drive the car then it’s hard to visualise how the systems and the sensors are working.”

David Beckham Adds Pool Hustle to His Underwear Hype in H&M Ad

It’s a little unusual to see David Beckham in an ad wearing anything beyond his tighty-whities.

For years, the H&M undergarment pitchman and former soccer great has been showing off his midriff, but he adds some pool hustle to the usual swagger in this new ad.

Marc Forster, the man behind films like Monster’s Ball and World War Z, directs “Becks” in a “short film” (UGH) attributed to U.K. agency Strange Cargo.

Beckham doesn’t bend much in promoting the retailer’s “Modern Essentials,” but it’s nice to see a man enjoying his retirement.

Client: H&M
 
Agency: Strange Cargo
 
Production Company: Tool
Director: Marc Forster
Managing Director/EP: Oliver Fuselier
Executive Producer: Lori Stonebraker
Producer: Valerie Romer
DP: Ben Seresin

‘France is in the Air’ in BETC Paris’ Latest for Air France

BETC Paris teamed up with film collective We Are From LA (the team behind Evian’s “Baby and Me,” as well as Pharell’s “24 Hours of Happy”) in a surreal new spot for Air France, entitled “France is in the Air.”

“France is in the Air” marks the airline’s first global spot since 2011, and an extension of the retro-themed initiative of the same title launched last year. The 45-second spot features plenty of pink clouds, matched by the saccharine synth pop of Glass Candy, along with swings, dessert, flowers, fashion shoots and ballerinas (a random conglomeration vaguely suggestive of its home country). If that sounds a bit confusing for an ad promoting an airline, well, it is. To its credit, though, it will make people stop and wonder what it is they’re watching, which is more attention than viewers give to most ads in the category.

David&Goliath Launches Mini Doc Series for CA Lotto

David&Goliath launched a series of six mini-documentaries for the California Lottery entitled “CA Believes.”

Each of the six videos celebrates a inspiring Californians who “Believe in Something Bigger.” In the case of Bruno (video above), who rose from dishwasher to restaurant owner, that means providing pasta meals to local Boys and Girls Clubs. For others it’s painting community murals, using music to reach children in the classroom, providing poems on demand, starting a youth equestrian club in Compton, or defying a disability to become a competitive track and field sprinter. All six stories are housed at http://cabelieves.com/, where visitors are also invited to submit their own inspiring stories using the hashtag #CADream.

As David Angelo, founder and chairman of  David&Goliath explains, “‘Believe in Something Bigger’ started as a tagline for Powerball. But soon we realized it could mean something bigger. It became the start of a movement. And it inspired us to find six different people in different places doing some pretty special things.”

He explains that the line has evolved to represent not just the size of monetary prize, but the overall mission of the California Lottery. “What we love about the CA Lottery is that it is an organization that lives its mission from the inside out, 24/7,” he says. “This campaign is a fresh way to demonstrate to people that the Lottery stands for more than just monetary jackpots. CA Believes is a rallying cry to inspire Californians to believe in the power of possibilities and that true inspiration can ignite real change in our world.”