Hasta La Creative!

If The Marketing Arm’s recently unveiled “Real Strength” Super Bowl spot for Dove Men + Care seems familiar, it’s not a coincidence. The ad revisits most, if not all of, the footage used in the agency’s “Calls for Dad” Father’s Day spot for the brand.

This time around, The Marketing Arm adds voiceover from Mike Greenberg of ESPN’s Mike and Mike show, but apart from that, the different text used, and the new “Care Makes A Man Stronger” tagline, little else has changed. Here’s the “Calls for Dad” spot for comparison:

A 30-second version of the spot will run during the Super Bowl, marking the brand’s first return to the big game since 2010. It will also make Dove Men + Care one of at least two brands focusing on the importance of fatherhood during the game, along with Toyota — who we posted on earlier today. A social campaign, featuring the “#realstrength” hashtag will support the broadcast effort.

Saatchi & Saatchi LA recently rolled out “To Be A Dad,” an extended online spot for Toyota exploring themes of fatherhood similar to those the brand will feature in its Super Bowl ad, with appearances by NFL players DeMarcus Ware, Kurt Warner, LaVar Arrington and Fred Jackson.

The extended version of “To Be A Dad” features interviews with regular dads in addition to the NFL players, including those who grew up without adequate father figures of their own. It’s an emotional approach, with one man breaking into tears when asked, “Can you be a great dad without having had a great dad yourself?” before answering the best way he can, with, “I’m trying.” The spot concludes by calling on viewers to honor their own fathers with posts using the “#OneBoldChoice” hashtag.

The approach Saatchi & Saatchi LA took with the extended version of “To Be A Dad” stands in stark contrast with teaser efforts such as EnergyBBDO’s “Coin” for Bud Light. Whereas the teasers attempt to entice viewers with a brief glimpse of what’s to come, “To Be A Dad” is an attempt to start a conversation tying in to the big game ad.

Ogilvy & Mather, Paris have launched a new campaign for Dove haircare products entitled “Love Your Curls.”

As that title suggests, the campaign is aimed at women with curly hair. The campaign is based on Dove’s research finding that only 4 out of 10 girls with curly hair think that their hair is beautiful. “Love Your Curls” begins with interviews with girls who express their dissatisfaction with their curly hair, and that they think straight hair is prettier. It’s tough to watch girls so young dissatisfied with their appearance, but Dove’s research also unearthed a more promising statistic: that curly-haired girls are seven times more likely to love their hair if the people around them do. As the text “The best way to change how they feel about their curls, is to show them how you feel about yours” comes on the screen, girls and their relatives dance through the streets celebrating their curls. They then arrive at a sort of Dove sing-a-long where a group plays and sings a tune with the repetitive chorus, “We all love our curls.”

“The Dove Hair Love Your Curls film reveals an important issue, and Dove Hair has a responsibility to take that finding and instigate positive social change,” Rob Candelino, Unilever’s vice president of marketing for haircare, told Adweek.

Critics of Dove’s marketing tactics have suggested that the brand is manipulative and preys on customers’ insecurities, and will likely take similar issue with this latest effort, but Candelino defended the ad, telling Adweek, “We are a proud leader in redefining how beauty is portrayed and celebrated, and we have been committed to helping make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety. Building on the scale of the Dove brand, the Dove Hair Love Your Curls campaign reveals the opportunity that all women have to set a positive tone for the next generation.”

A new spot for Jordan’s Melo M11 line endorsed by Knicks star Carmelo Anthony launched at what might be the perfect time: this week, his team finally ended its franchise-record 16 game losing streak.

The most relevant question about the Knicks at the moment is whether they will end this season with the NBA’s worst-ever record, but Anthony is still big enough to have a sneaker line named after him.

The newest ad for the shoes, created by social media agency Laundry Service and narrated by rapper Stalley, calls on viewers to prove themselves:

Anthony made a similar point to Knicks fans after proving yesterday that his team could actually win a game:

“The fans are going through it…[But] it gets better. I believe that.”

The spot is part of a series created for the Jordan Brand by its social AOR Laundry Service; duo BBGUN directed.

The Amsterdam offices of Wieden+Kennedy and AQKA recently launched a new campaign to promote client Netflix in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands and “The Nordics.”

The first spot aims to answer some of its own titular “Big Questions” with some hopeful maybes:

The second, more recent spot — first in a series of three — serves as another promo for Netflix original programming:

Future work will expand upon the “big questions” theme to reinforce the personalization available with the service. From Sean Condon of W+K Amsterdam:

“Some of the spots dramatise these moments of change in everyday situations; others tell bigger stories about how entertainment can have a profound effect on viewers’ lives – and diets. But they all build upon Netflix’s brand personality by bringing to life the brand’s fun, entertaining and unique personality through these compelling stories.”

Additional spots will launch later this month.

WIEDEN+KENNEDY AMSTERDAM

Executive Creative Director
Mark Bernath & Eric Quennoy

Creative Director
Sean Condon

Art Director
Jordi Luna

Copywriter
Diaa Mohamed & Evgeny Primachenko

Head of Content Production
Joe Togneri

Broadcast Producer
Ross Plummer

Planning Director
Martin Weigel

Group Account Director
Clare Pickens

Account Director
Eleanor Thodey

Account Manager
Charlotte Jongejan

Project Manager
Emma Williamson

Business Affairs
Emilie Douque

FILM PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION COMPANY
BISCUIT

Director
Aaron Stoller

Director of Photography
Henrik Stenberg

Producer
Mala Vassan

Executive Producer
Kate Taylor

EDITING COMPANY
PEEPSHOW, LONDON

Editor
Andrea Macarther, Amanda Perry.

AUDIO POST
WAVE SOUND STUDIOS, AMSTERDAM

Sound Designer/Mixer
Alex Nichols-Lee

MUSIC – BIG QUESTIONS

Artist / Title
Harry Lightfoot / “To Glory”

Music Company
Woodwork Music, UK

MUSIC – SARA

Artist / Title
Beacon Street Studios / “Jaunty”

Music Company
Beacon Street Studios, LA

POST PRODUCTION
GLASSWORKS AMSTERDAM

Colourist
Scott Harris

Lead Compositor / Supervisor
Morten Vinther

SR. VFX Producer
Anya Kruzmetra

Compositors
Kyle Obley, Jesper Nybroe

On-set VFX Supervision
Naomi Anderlini

3D Lead & Character Design
Simon Glas

Animation
Thomas Hinke

Additional Modelling & Rigging
Rudiger Kaltenhauser

Surfacing, light & rendering
Florian Breg

INTERACTIVE

DIGITAL AGENCY
AKQA

Creative Director
Ivar Eden

Associate Creative Director
Kim Baffi

Copywriter
Rachael Kendrick

Planning Director
Laurence Parkes

Senior Project Manager
Mikaela Westerberg

Production Manager
Dorothy Bany

Account Director
Cecile Desmarest

Client Partner
James Scott

Director of Delivery

 
Kristopher Smith

Film Director
Quentin van de Bossche

DIGITAL PRODUCTION
MEDIAMONKS

POST-PRODUCTION
GLASSWORKS AMSTERDAM

SOUND DESIGN
WAVE SOUND STUDIOS, AMSTERDAM

Deutsch LA recently launched a new ad for Dr. Pepper, introducing “Mop Dog.”

“Mop Dog” is a Puli — a Hungarian breed that develops natural dread locks or “cords” giving it a distinct, comical appearance — who roams around in search of a home. The dog walks past an owner taking her two (more normal looking) dogs for a walk and passes two shops with mops in the window before finally being taken in by a Dr. Pepper truck driver (who Breaking Bad fans may recognize as “Krazy 8?). From there it’s straight Puli cuteness as the dog tags along. For a moment it seems the driver is going to drop the dog off at an animal shelter, but, predictably changes his mind. The spot ends with the “Always Be One of a Kind” tagline.

While the ad could hardly be accused of originality, Deutsch LA handles the canine approach as well as most with “Mop Dog.” Saccharine as it might be, it’s hard to imagine that people won’t eat this one right up (who doesn’t love Pulis?), and we wouldn’t be surprised if Dr. Pepper’s “Mop Dog” makes a reappearance.

Translation has just debuted its first work for the NBA, following being awarded the account in December.

In the new spot, entitled “Barrier Breakers,” Translation celebrates the NBA’s history of inclusiveness: from the league’s color barrier being broken in 1950; to Violet Palmer, the league’s first female ref; to Jason Collins, the first openly-gay player in the NBA. Images of these “Barrier Breakers” are set to excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech. The ad made its debut online today and will extend to broadcast during NBA games this coming Monday, Martin Luther King Day, and continue to air for five weeks.

“Barrier Breakers” seems to be Translation and the NBA’s effort to put last year’s Donald Sterling incident behind them as a dark moment in the history of a league that otherwise has many moments to celebrate. How tasteful viewers find the ad will depend largely on how they view the commercial use of the words of Martin Luther King, and whether they interpret the ad as simply designed to sell more seats or as having higher intentions.

Credits:

Title: Breaking Barriers
Client: NBA
Agency: Translation
CEO: Steve Stoute
Chief Creative Officer: John Norman
Executive Creative Director: Betsy Decker
Art Director: Matt Comer
Copywriters: Andy Ferguson, Betsy Decker
Director of Content Production/EP: Miriam Franklin
Associate Producer: Philinese Kirkwood
Account team: Tim Van Hoof, Chris Martin
Chief Strategy Officer: John Greene
Head of Brand Strategy: Tim Flood
Strategist: Lindsey Neeld
Project Manager: Matt DeSimone
Editorial Company: Cut & Run
Editor: Dayn Williams
Assistant Editor: Adam Bazadona
Post Executive Producer: Rana Martin
Post Producer: Jean Lane
Visual Effects: Sibling Rivalry
Creative Director: Matt Tragesser
Animator/Compositor: Gabe Darling
Executive Producer: Maggie Meade
Head of Production: Joanna Fillie
Post Producer: Tracey McDonough
Telecine/Conform: Company Three/Method
Colorist: Rob Sciarratta
Flame Artist: Carmen Maxcy
Audio Post: Heard City
Mixers: Phil Loeb, Evan Mangiameli
Executive Producer: Gloria Pitagorsky
Music: Trackmasters

McCann New York launched a new digital campaign for Jose Cuervo today, promoting the limited edition Jose Cuervo Especial Gold and Silver bottles the brand is releasing in celebration of its 220th anniversary.

The animated 30-second spot, called “The Blacksmith,” shows a blacksmith hammering away to create the gold and silver bottles of Cuervo Especial. Brooding music matches the dark animation, which fit the Dia de los Muertos inspired artwork on the bottles, an homage to Jose Cuervo’s Mexican roots. In support of the video, the brand’s Instagram feed has been slowly revealing details about the new bottles since January 11th. Animated GIFS on Jose Cuervo’s social channels will follow today’s video release.

Credits:

McCann

Chief Creative Officers: Thomas Murphy / Sean Bryan

Executive Creative Director: Mat Bisher

Creative Director: Jason Ashlock

Senior Copywriter: Nick DiLallo

Senior Art Director: Ryan Quigley

Chief Production Officer: Nathy Aviram

Senior Producer: Jessica Coccaro

Music Producer: Mike Ladman

Account: Lauren LaValle / Christopher Jeyes / Rachel Heiss

Production

Animation Company: Elastic

Director: Andy Hall

Executive Producer: Jenn Sofio Hall

Music & Sound Design: Q Department

Mix Studio: Sonic Union

Engineer: Fernando Ascani

McCann New York enlisted gay couple Kordale and Kaleb Lewis — who became Instagram celebrities after posting this photo documenting their morning routine fixing their daughters’ hair before school — and family for a new spot for Nikon.

The two-minute plus video takes a closer look at Kordale Lewis, Kaleb and their children, as the couple discusses their morning routine, parenting and their unexpected rise to Internet stardom. It’s part of McCann’s “Generation Image” campaign for Nikon, which launched in November, celebrating the ubiquity and importance of images to millenials. In addition to rocking a Nikon camera in the spot, the couple also says that “A picture is worth so much more than a thousand words,” and given the Lewis’ success it’s hard to argue otherwise. Nikon may be the first brand to capitalize on the Lewis’ fame and endearing personalities, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll be the last.

Credits:

Client: Nikon

Agency: McCann NY
Tom Murphy, Co-Chief Creative Officer
Sean Bryan, Co-Chief Creative Officer
Larry Platt, Executive Creative Director
Thomas Sullivan, Group Creative Director
Cameron Fleming, Associate Creative Director
Calvin Lyte, Associate Creative Director
George Katz, Design Director
David Mashburn, Design Director
Kathy Love, Executive Producer
Jory Sutton and Chandler Simms, Integrated Producers
Ryan Fitzsimons, Production Coordinator
Eric David Johnson, Executive Music Producer
Mike Ladman, Music Producer

Account:
Kevin Scher, Group Managing Director; Dana McCullough; Account Director; Daniella Rey, Account Director; Danielle Jimenez, Assistant Account Executive

Strategy:
Steve Zaroff, Chief Strategy Officer; Julien Delatte, Group Strategy Director; Michele Kim, Strategist

Production
Director: Douglas Gautraud
Production Co: Coverdale, Inc.
DP: Luca Fantini

Editorial: The Whitehouse
Editor: Paul LaCalanra
Assistant Editor: David Rothstadt

Color Correction: Fergus McCall at The Mill
Sound Engineer/Mix: Tom Goldblatt @ Audio Engine

Music Company: South Music

It’s been a while since we last saw ads for Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit. For a Throwback Thursday reminder, check out this 2000 relic starring Aaron Paul aka Jesse Pinkman.

Earlier this week, DDB Chicago launched a new campaign for the client; while the agency produced some print work over the summer and its Australian office produced some unusual creative a few years ago, these two TV spots are the brand’s first in more than a decade.

The opening ad’s headline is fairly self-explanatory: “Locker Room Guys Resort to Tasteful Arm Farts.”

The second spot continues with the “fun triggered by chewing a piece of Juicy Fruit” theme: the characters can’t speak because the gum is so deliciously sweet…

No word on whether we should expect more TV spots in this series.

Creative Agency

DDB

John Maxham – Chief Creative Officer

Mark Gross – EVP, Executive Creative Director

Matt Collier – Creative Director

Wayne Robinson – Creative Director

Bart Culberson – Creative Director

Diane Jackson – EVP, Executive Director of Integrated Production

Will St. Clair – VP, Executive Producer

Luke LiManni – Producer

Scott Terry – Production Manager

Nicholas Papaleo – Audio Engineer

Bobby Lord – Audio Assistant

Stacey Simcik – Audio Producer

David Chriswick – SVP, Group Strategy Director

Matt Mullen – Strategy Director

Heather Stuckey – Global Business Director

Kate Christiansen – SVP, Group Business Director

Phyllis Lee – VP, Account Director

Alexander Wood – Account Manager

Production Company

Tool

Benjamin Weinstein – Director

Oliver Fuselier – Managing Director Live Action

Robert Helphand – EP

Jason Manz – Producer

Marcelo Durst – DP

Post Production Companies

Filmworkers

Derek de Board – EP

Casey Swircz – Producer

Fred Keller – Colorist

Rob Churchill – Creative Director/Flame Artist

Spot Welders

Kevin Zimmerman – Editor

Sophie Kornberg – Edit Assistant

Denise Brown – Producer

Carolina Sanborn – Executive Producer

David Glean – Managing Partner

Butter.

Fred Szymanski – Sound Designer

Ian Jeffreys – EP

Producer: Annick Mayer

Vitamin Pictures

Sam Gierasimczuk – ACD / 3D Lead / Compositor

Michael Siegel – 3D Modeler

Danny DelPurgatorio – Executive Creative Director

Larissa Berringer – Executive Producer