Hasta La Creative!

Lest you were worried that Axe had given up on dumb bro antics, the brand is reaching for a new low by putting the sweat of its employees on little pieces of paper and claiming those sweaty pieces of paper will help those employees get laid.

The "Pheromone Business Cards" campaign, created by Union in Toronto, shows Axe "associates"—aka, bros—excreting into headbands before lab techs "distill" each dude's body juice into "a concentrated solution," hopefully also including some kind of scent other than musk, and then drop it onto said business cards, which openly declare that they are, for example, "infused with the essence of Kyle."

Of course, the "essence of Kyle" sounds like something even more gross than sweat, but of course that's the point.

If the video is any indication, there are no women working at Axe—and if they're are, they're female lab techs who are also expected to find the men they're helping irresistible, and take them in back to show them a good time, because duh, that's the way Axe works, and more or less always has.

What is surprising, though, is the idea that Axe thinks its target would identify with business cards in the first place, since all the kids are probably just fist-bumping their phones or Facebook-ing to trade info nowadays anyways.

Or, you know, just meeting on Tinder in the first place.

CREDITS
Client: Axe
Project: Pheromone Business Cards
Agency: Union, Toronto, Canada
Executive Creative Director: Lance Martin
Associate Creative Director, Art Director: Glen D'Souza
Associate Creative Director, Copywriter: Mike Takasaki
Agency Producer: Julie Riley
Account Director: Kimberlee McCormack
Account Manager: Rhiannon Enss
Science Advisor: Rudolf Furrer

Video Credits
Agency Producers: Grace Lee, Jennifer Dark
Director: Joshua Chaiton, Touchpoint Films
Editor: Aaron Dark, School Editing
Audio: Brad Nelson, Cylinder Sound

If you're an audio production company, you want to show off your audio. And what better way to do that than with a website that's completely audio—with no visuals at all?

Brazilian agency Loducca built just such a site, croaciaaudio.com, for Croacia Audio. It's a Chrome Experiment, so it only works in that browser. You get around the site by responding to prompts from a voice, and letting the site access your computer's microphone.

Conceptually, it's great. In practice, the navigation can get annoying—it feels like one of those automated phone menus. And no, saying "Representative" doesn't get you anywhere.

If you find yourself with a few extra minutes each morning, you can now watch a man pretending to be a cranky, salty Jewish grandmother offer you online weather forecasts that are significantly more insane than those on the morning news.

Actor David Krumholtz and the producers behind the new website, Weather From, present Gigi, a character who will tell you, for example, that New York's forecast is mild and cloudy, a type of weather that the Nazis used to call "Please don't have sex with your mother."

In other words, Gigi says whatever she wants to say, without much concern for political correctness or basic decorum.

There are 35 different videos corresponding to various forecasts, and a search tool that lets you get an accurate reading on any location, as provided by the National Weather Service, with commentary from Gigi.

The videos are jam packed with sexual innuendo, outright filth and some racially tinged attempts at humor. Gigi complains in one clip that her son's black girlfriend's name, Variola, sounds like part of a vagina. In reality, Variola is the Latin name for smallpox. (While Gigi never spells the name out explicitly, it's hard to mistake the phonetics.)

She's equal opportunity offensive, or maybe just dumb, or maybe just addled—in another clip (68 degrees and raining) confusing whether the Chinese, Japanese or Koreans bombed Pearl Harbor on June 6, 1944 (which was D-Day, not the date of the attack on Hawaii).

In other words, it's more about making fun of Gigi's stereotype than about getting the weather—and it is not for the faint of heart.

Krumholtz, who's had roles in CBS's Numbers and the Harold and Kumar trilogy, introduces Gigi in a clip of his own (posted below), saying he based the character in part on his own grandmother, and other grandmothers from around the world.

Or you can get the intro from Gigi, who in the promo above shows off the makeup job that renders Krumholtz unrecognizable, and cracks a few jokes at Mark Zuckerberg's expense.

Here's a first for Coca-Cola—a TV commercial comprised entirely of short video clips made by fans (aside from some very brief animations).

The spot, produced by Wieden + Kennedy and set to premiere during Wednesday's season finale of American Idol, came out of a contest announced a few months ago. The brand invited teens to submit short video clips sharing what it feels like when they take a sip of Coke. The best clips, they were told, would be featured in a national Coca-Cola TV ad.

Coke got some 400 submissions, and chose 40 for the final cut. The clips in the ad come from all over the world—from Brazil to Salt Lake City to Jacksonville, Fla.

The spot, titled "This Is AHH," will air this week on teen-focused networks including The CW, MTV and Adult Swim. It's part of a teen campaign called "The AHH Effect," now in its second year.

If you've been settling into a slower pace of life with Kona beers but want to move on to something stronger, Cruzan Rum might be right for you.

Building on last year's campaign, themed "The Don't Hurry," the brand illustrates that its version of relaxation isn't constricted to the kooky metaphorical island from which it hails. Nope, it's all about a state of mind—and whether you're speed dating or playing chess, you've got to kick back and savor life (and rum).

The five new spots by ad agency Walton Isaacson are similar to last year's, which highlighted the eccentric air that came with drinking the rum. This time, though, they've swapped spokesmen, promoting the soothing Barry White-esque voiced parrot.

CREDITS
Client: Beam Suntory
Vice President, General Manager, Mixables Category Business Team: Jared Fix
Senior Director, Rum and Cordials: Brendan Lynch
Senior Brand Manager, Rum: Nabil Wanna
Global Manager, Consumer and Market Insights: Janu Lakshmanan
Brand Assistant, Rum and Cordials: Corine Reed

Agency: Walton Isaacson
Co-Owners: Cory Isaacson, Aaron Walton
Executive Producer: Dana Offenbach
Group Creative Director: Miguel Garcia Castillo
Creative Director: Mark Westman
Associate Creative Director: Jose Martinez
Senior Designer: Laurent Varlet
Senior Account Director: Nick Vitellaro
Account Executive: Kelly Clark

Production Company: Tool of North America
Executive Producer: Oliver Fuselier
Director: J.J. Adler

Editing Company: Beast
Executive Producer: Peter Hulliger
Editor: Angelo Valencia

Music: Ramblin Man
Executive Producer: Yupa Wathanasin
Composer: Daniel Belardinelli

Li-Anne Dias is an artist and illustrator. She grew up in Mumbai, and Graduated from Sir J.J School of Art
Classic stories and scenes from urban life are her favourite subjects. She likes experimenting with various media
and aims at achieving a blend of fine art and illustration in her work. View her website here.

Why are you an Illustrator?
My interest has always been in creating images and responding to stories through my work.
Besides, I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember but it’s not that it comes easy.
I have just begun to find a niche for myself as an illustrator.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
Yes. I graduated from Sir J.J. School of Fine Art with a Degree in Painting.

You have a distinct style of illustration. How long did it take you to develop your style?
I still don’t believe that I have a definitive style but I definitely feel like I’m on my way to one.
I also think the ability to change your style from one to project to the next is essential.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
There have been many role models. I look up to Ganesh Pyne for his exemplary use of line and form, and international artists like Joan Miro, Max Ernst and Francis Berry.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in Illustrations?
There are many people who influenced me to take up Illustration as a career.
One of my first art instructors, Mr. Narendra Pavaskar, and my professors at Art College helped me most in discovering my ability to Illustrate.

What made you decide to become a freelance illustrator? When did you start freelancing? Do you illustrate for advertising?
You have the opportunity and the freedom to choose your work.
It is a luxury to be able to select the projects you work on.

Are many advertising agencies getting illustrations made these days? Do you work more with agencies or publishers?
Yes, there is an inclination towards the use of hand-drawn illustrations in advertising these days.
Some of the most inspiring, and award-winning campaigns of today involve the use of illustration in some way or the other.

I’m working on a few personal projects that I wish to publish soon.

Was there any time when you wanted to quit Illustrations?
No. But there have been difficult times when I decide to take a break and explore new media.
I have been experimenting a lot lately with traditional print-making techniques.

Have you considered turning your illustrations into toys?
Of course. I have always been drawn to the idea of executing my art in unconventional media.

Any other Indian Illustrators who you admire?
I find the work of Mario Miranda and Deelip Khomane very inspiring.

Do you have any favorite fellow illustrators or resources relating to your fields?
Tasneem Amiruddin is a friend, and a wonderful illustrator. I think her style of illustration is both highly experimental and unique.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on Illustration as a career option? Is it paying well enough?
Enjoy what you do, to the extent that it is a pleasure to go beyond the call of duty. Everyone gets rejection along the way, but you have to keep going.
Illustration is a great career prospect as long as you’re extremely passionate about it, but you need to have self-discipline to pull through.

Whats your dream project?
To write and illustrate my own graphic novel.

Mac or PC?
Both. They are only tools.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
My dad.

What’s on your iPod?
Young the Giant, Porcupine Tree and a few other artists.

The post Li-Anne Dias : In conversation with an artist appeared first on desicreative.

Someone at Ogilvy India thought it would be a good idea to depict Malala Yousafzai being shot by the Taliban to sell Kurl-On mattresses. Clearly it wasn't.

Ogilvy has now officially apologized for the ad, saying it is "contrary to the beliefs and professional standards of Ogilvy & Mather and our clients." It was originally sent to Ads of the World, which has since taken it down, though you can still see the full ad on AOTW's Facebook page. (The concept is that Kurl-On mattresses help you "Bounce back." The Malala ad shows her falling after being shot, bouncing off a mattress and rising to receive a humanitarian award.)

Other ads in the series featured Steve Jobs being ousted by Apple and Gandhi being tossed off a train for refusing to move from first class. I can only imagine the creatives said, "Geez, we should probably get a woman in there." And Malala is a great choice. Except what happened to her wasn't a cartoon, which is where the whole thing falls apart. Plus, she didn't just "bounce back." She soared above. The ad really is the ultimate trivialization of a horrific event.

Malala has appeared in ads—most notably, Bing's "Heroic Women of 2013" spot. But you know, celebrating her strength and courage is different than shooting her again.

What do you think? If you think the world is way too sensitive now and offended over everything, let me know in the comments without threatening to shoot me. That won't help your point.

Delis, grocery stores, liquor marts and bakeries in Bogota, Colombia—most which close at 8 p.m.—agreed to advertise for one of their competitors, Carulla, by turning their late-night security shutters into billboards for the 24-hour supermarket chain.

The campaign from Ogilvy paid local merchants to post messages on their metal gates, including "The butcher is asleep. The one at Carulla on 85th is awake" and "In here we have everything but if you need it now, go to the Carulla on 63rd."

It reminds me a bit of that DHL stunt (which DHL insisted it didn't approve or condone) that showed competitors of the delivery service carrying large packages touting DHL. Points to Carulla for devising a nonprank concept that delivered for all concerned, with participating stores providing a little extra convenience to customers.

Credits below.

CREDITS
Client: Carulla
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Colombia
Chief Creative Officer: Jhon Raúl Forero
Executive Creative Directors: Juan Pablo Álvarez, Mauricio Guerrero
Creative Directors: Julio César Herazo, Amples Regiani
Copywritters: Julio César Herazo, José Cárdenas, Jorge Villareal
Art Directors: Amples Regiani, Gabriel Escobar, Mauricio Reinoso
Graphic Designer: Maria Fernanda Ancines
Production Company: Direktor Films
Director: Felipe Suarez
Producer: Lali Giraldo

Get out your Kleenex, because Ogilvy Amsterdam and funeral insurance company Dela have brought back their Cannes-conquering "Why wait until it's too late?" campaign—urging people to "say something wonderful" to those they love here and now.

One of three new long-form ads takes place at a concert hall, as a woman named Martine surprises her widowed father midway through the show by taking the stage and serenading him with a song expressing her admiration and affection. In another, elderly Leo, who has struggled with illness of late, appears poolside during his wife's exercise class to thank her for more than 50 years of companionship and devotion. Finally there's Mark, an overweight, bullied teen, who pays tribute to a special teacher who helped him overcome his social awkwardness.

These are real people, not actors, and their reactions are genuine (Martine's dad and Mark's teacher struggle to hold back tears), which ratchets up the emotional intensity, despite the fact that the approach is fairly restrained given the campaign's premise.

This is powerful stuff—an evocative concept expertly realized—though it makes me feel just a tad uncomfortable, like I'm peeking at intimate moments where perhaps I shouldn't pry.

Maybe my discomfort stems at least partly from the realization that there are people I haven't taken the time to thank and praise. By going so boldly public, the folks in these ads remind the rest of us that a few heartfelt words spoken in private can make all the difference.

It's awards season, and the case studies keep rolling in. This one, from Jung von Matt in Germany, for a campaign to get drivers to stop talking on their mobile phones, should do well among radio judges who enjoy simulated violence for the greater good.

The agency set up a stunt during a live radio show (not during a commercial break) in which a person called in to request a song—and admitted he was driving on the highway. Of course, from there, it doesn't end well.