Team Canada's Winter Warriors Prep for Warmer Weather in Striking Rio 2016 Ads

Canada’s climate includes harsh terrain and gnarly winters—which is why its athletes are so hardcore, says a new ad for the nation’s Olympics team.

The Canadian Olympic Committee and agency Cossette created the campaign, titled “Ice in Our Veins,” for this year’s Summer Games in Brazil. The :60 centerpiece commercial immediately draws a distinction between the frozen landscape onscreen, and Rio de Janeiro, the famous beach town where the 2016 competition will be held in August. 

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Nature Valley Shames Modern Parents for Ruining Their Kids in 3-Minute Technology Hate-On

Nature Valley Canada shouts “You kids, get off my lawn!” in a curmudgeonly new ad from Cossette that contrasts the childhood memories of three generations of families.

The brand yearns for the good old days of fishin’, fort buildin’, and granola eatin’ in the great outdoors. And it argues that newfangled tablets and video games are just ruinin’ childhoods left and right, leaving parents with tears and fears for the future.

So, are they just engaging in intergenerational hate mongering here, or do they have a legit point? It probably depends on the generation you’re from, and whether you feel like you actually fit the technology stereotypes of that generation.

Boomers who’ve learned to stop worrying and love their tablets will feel just as criticized as millennials or Gen Z members who go hiking every weekend. And stuck in between are the poor parents in this video, shamed in front of Grandpa and Grandma for failing to provide a robust childhood of wilderness adventures for their technology-addicted kids.

Just watch the response this hot topic has generated as all three generations ironically fight it out in the comments section of the YouTube video. (Pro-tip for old people: Shouting down a sassy 14-year-old in the comments section of a brand page with ad hominem attacks does not make you a nature crusader.)

The tagline is, “Rediscover the joys of nature.” So, how is Nature Valley Canada helping people do that? Well, they’ve got a website that tells you where the National Parks are, gives 10 suggestions for what to do in nature, and lets you donate to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. In other words: nothing, really.

Of course, it’s possible that changing the trajectory of the entire technological revolution is beyond the abilities of a granola company’s Canadian marketing division. Which begs the question: Is it enough for a brand to stand for something, if it doesn’t actually do anything?

It would probably have been easier for the brand to champion nature and donate a ton of money to National Parks cleanup without pissing on technology at the same time. But it wouldn’t have generated nearly as many angry old people shouting, “Back in my day!”

And that truly would have been a tragedy.

An Egg McMuffin Rises With the Sun on This Tasty McDonald's Billboard

You probably remember McDonald’s famous, Grand Clio-winning sundial billboard, created by Leo Burnett almost a decade ago, which used the sun’s shadows to suggest what you should be eating and drinking at certain times.

Now, here’s a kind of sequel—a McDonald’s billboard from Canada that’s likewise in harmony with the movements of the sun. It’s a digital billboard for the Egg McMuffin, which rises into view just like the sun in the morning.

Cossette in Vancouver created the board, and tells us it started out as an entry in an out-of-home contest called Carte Blanche. (Creatives propose ideas for real clients; the winning team gets a trip to Cannes, and the winning client gets $50,000 worth of free media space in their respective city.) The Cossette/McDonald’s team won the contest, and then executed the ad for real.

“The digital board was synced to sunrise times over the course of the buy, with each frame lined up as best as we could get it,” a Cossette rep tells us.

A bright idea, indeed.

CREDITS
Client: McDonald’s
Agency: Cossette, Vancouver
Creative Director: Michael Milardo
Art Director: Cameron McNab
Copywriter: Kate Roland
Director of Brand Services: Anne Buch
Brand Supervisor(s): Melissa Guillergan, Karen Babiak
Director of Production: April Haffenden
Production Supervisor: Sue Barteluk



So, What the F**k is Going on at Cossette?

Toronto agency Cossette has released a funny video in which individuals across Canada ask, “What the fuck is going on at Cossette?”

The agency managed to bring together an impressive array of talent for the video, including BBDO’s Carlos Moreno and Peter Ignazi, Chris Van Dyke of School Editing, Ted Rosnick of RMW Music, and, perhaps most surprisingly, a cameo from the Trailer Park Boys. At the end of the video, the agency boasts that they’ve been nominated for agency of the year, digital agency of the year and media agency of the year, and “That’s what’s going on.” It’s well worth a view if you have a minute for a quick chuckle, especially if you’re amused by extensive profanity and/or have ever wanted to see Cossette Co-Chief Creative Officer Dave Daga get hit in the balls.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Why Every Marketing Person in Canada Is Cursing the Name of This One Agency (NSFW)

Today in amusing Canadian agency videos, we have this one from Cossette—in which marketing people all over the country ask the same bewildered question: “What the fuck is going on at Cossette?”

It’s a good question, as it turns out. And kudos to people from rival agencies who make cameos here, including Carlos Moreno and Peter Ignazi of BBDO and—at the very end—Geoffrey Roche, who founded Lowe Roche. Other folks making appearances include the Trailer Park Boys, Chris Van Dyke of School Editing and Ted Rosnick of RMW Music.

Also, Cossette’s Dave Daga gets points for allowing himself to be hit in the balls.

The video, which was made for Strategy magazine’s Agency of the Year event, is NSFW, mostly due to language, though there a couple of unsightly visuals too.



Cossette Celebrates Togetherness for Cheerios

Toronto agency Cossette has a new Canadian campaign for Cheerios celebrating togetherness.

The campaign is built around a 15-second broadcast spot, exploring the phenomenon of stray Cheerios attracting each other in the bowl. Cossette likens the phenomenon to “our need to connect,” ending with the lines “We all love to connect. That’s the Cheerios effect.” The emotional approach is extended online, via a series of heartstring-tugging videos telling the stories of connected individuals, such as cousins who are more like sisters, a married couple and a woman and her dog. We’ve included a couple of these, along with credits, after the jump. (more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

CCO Litzinger Leaves Cossette for Red Lion

Matthew Litzinger, the now-former co-CCO at Quebec City’s Cossette, has joined Toronto-based Red Lion as President/Chief Creative Officer effective July 2.

The young agency’s first CCO Brett Channer recently left to join a retail consultancy, and Litzinger will replace him.

Litzinger spent nearly seven years with Cossette after joining in 2007 and ascended to the co-CCO role along with colleague David Daga in 2012; his accolades include winning the McDonald’s account in the United States, which led to the opening of Cossette’s Chicago office.

The new CCO bears no ill will toward his former shop, announcing in the press release that the move is “all about Red Lion”:
“Red Lion represents what I believe a lot of agencies are struggling through right now: how to be truly a solutions company. The agency already benefits from the talent of key strategists, industrial designers and a creative team whose primary focus is on developing a pattern of branded behavior.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Local Chicago McDonald’s Owners Hire Cossette as New Agency

Cossette logo20103The McDonald’s Owner/Operators of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana have dropped Leo Burnett and named Toronto-based agency Cosette as their new local advertising agency, reports the Chicago Tribune.

The move, which was announced yesterday, shifts the marketing for almost 500 mid-west McDonald’s away from Leo Burnett, who have represented the McDonald’s Owner/Operators of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana since the mid-80s.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Cossette and their fresh creative ideas to MOCNI,” said Ed Schmitt Jr., MOCNI co-op president. “They have a clear passion for our business, and a proven track record with our counterparts in Canada.”

Cossette is already McDonald’s lead creative agency in Canada, where they handle national brand and regional owner/operator business. This appointment marks their first U.S. assignment, and the agency will be opening up a Chicago office to handle the new business. The new office will be headed by Alyssa Huggins, a veteran of Cossette’s McDonald’s Canada business in Toronto, and staffed by around 20 people, including both Cossette Canadian team members and local Chicago talent.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Em troca de aquecimento em ponto de ônibus, canadenses devem se unir

Enquanto aqui no Brasil muita gente reclamou do calor absurdo do verão, no Hemisfério Norte as pessoas sofreram com o extremo oposto, com tempestades de neve e muito frio. Em Montreal, a Duracell resolveu tentar estimular o calor humano dos canadenses com Moments of Warmth, uma ação que instalou um sistema de aquecimento em um ponto de ônibus, mas que só funcionava se as pessoas unissem suas mãos.

O grande problema dessa ação, ao meu ver, é que foi impossível não ficar com uma sensação enorme de déjà vu, seja por conta do frio no ponto de ônibus, mas pior de tudo, porque lembra muito Cadena de Ternura, realizada pela David ano passado, na Argentina.

Ainda assim, dá para a imaginar a felicidade da galera que achou um lugarzinho aquecido em meio a tanta neve. Tente se lembrar do seu alívio em uma sala com ar condicionado nos dias de calor extremo, e você entenderá perfeitamente.

A criação é da Cossette.

duracell

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Duracell Bus Shelter in Montreal Heats Up When Everyone Holds Hands

Nothing enhances a commute like coming into physical contact with a bunch of strangers at the bus stop.

Cossette's "Moments of Warmth" campaign for Duracell had public-transport patrons in chilly Montreal join hands to complete a circuit and activate heaters in a branded bus shelter. I suppose this marketing approach has positives and negatives. (Such battery puns fall into the latter category.) On the one hand, it's not as touching as that Norwegian "Would you share you coat with a freezing child at a bus stop?" stunt. And having the subjects kiss would've provided more sparks.

On the plus side, at Duracell's shelter, no one can pick your pocket.


    

Festival de cinema usa rolagem do Instagram para simular um filme mudo

O Festival de Cinema Mudo de Toronto aplicou uma antiga técnica a uma nova ferramenta para promover o evento. Uma cena de filme mudo foi dividida em dezenas de fotos no Instagram, ao rolar rapidamente a timeline, forma-se o clipe como num efeito flipbook. No final, a assinatura divulga o festival que acontece de 4 a 9 de abril.

São três perfis do Instagram que você pode brincar: tsff_1, tsff_2, e tsff_3.

Na prática a ideia não funciona muito, principalmente por causa dos outros elementos da interface do aplicativo que atrapalha a suavidade do movimento. Mesmo assim é um simpático artifício para chamar atenção.

A criação é da agência Cossette.

Toronto Silent Film Festival

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Silent Film Festival’s Trailers Use Instagram Scrolling to Simulate Look of Old Movies

I'm sure some folks will enjoy Cossette's Instagram campaign promoting the Toronto Silent Film Festival, but I think it works better in theory than in practice. The flipbook-style fusion of old and new technologies is a cool concept (check out the trailers here, here and here), but scrolling quickly on my phone in slideshow view to achieve the effect of animating a few seconds of old-timey still images wasn't particularly compelling. Some guy pushes a car! A different guy rides a horse! A man and woman dance! (And it's in black and white. C'mon, at least colorize it!) Boy, films really sucked in 1925, and I for one am glad we live in a glorious cinematic age where creative visionaries like Michael Bay blow up stuff in dazzling HD and obscenities fly off the screen at deafening volume. Now that's entertainment worth $11.50 a ticket! Heck, I'd pay $11.75!

CREDITS
Client: Toronto Silent Film Festival
Project: Instagram Trailers
Agency: Cossette
Co-CCOs, Creative Directors: Matthew Litzinger, David Daga
Copywriter: Sebastian Lyman
Art Director: Pepe Bratanov
Account Team: Jason Melhuish

La Ronde Amusement Park: Bird

La Ronde Amusement Park: Bird

Advertising Agency: Cossette Communication / Blitz Direct Data, Canada
Creative vice president: Patrick Beauduin
Creative Directors / Art Directors: Antoine Bécotte, Richard Villeneuve
Concept: Antoine Bécotte, Richard Villeneuve
Client Services: Sylvain Lemieux, Annie Aubert, Pierre-Luc Paiement
Responsible for realization: Julie Harvey
Production: Paul Boisvert, Joelle Caron
Illustrations: Marcel Laverdet
Via: adgoodness

La Ronde Amusement Park: Bird 2

La Ronde Amusement Park: Bird 2

Advertising Agency: Cossette Communication / Blitz Direct Data, Canada
Creative vice president: Patrick Beauduin
Creative Directors / Art Directors: Antoine Bécotte, Richard Villeneuve
Concept: Antoine Bécotte, Richard Villeneuve
Client Services: Sylvain Lemieux, Annie Aubert, Pierre-Luc Paiement
Responsible for realization: Julie Harvey
Production: Paul Boisvert, Joelle Caron
Illustrations: Marcel Laverdet
Via: adgoodness