Hasta La Creative!

“Congratulations, fellow human beings,” says Ewan McGregor at the beginning of Goodby Silvertstein & Partners new spot for Cisco, “Pep Talk,” leading us to wonder for a second if the actor is, in fact, an alien.

“We made it, we sprouted limbs, we crawled out of the slime. I’m really proud of us.” He goes on to summarize thousands of years of progress with “We built pyramids, invented the mochachino, we created a network that became the internet,” while somehow overlooking humankind’s greatest achievement: beer. McGregor alludes to how quickly that last achievement (the internet) is accelerating progress with line “And then, boom” as a lightning fast train whizzes by.

The point of the extremely optimistic speech seems to be to celebrate the importance of networks, kind of Cisco’s deal, while stoking excitement about what has recently become possible (3D printed ear, growing lettuce in space, buying a goat with a smart phone, robot dog, etc.) and what will be possible in the near future (better robot dog, for one). The connnection to the brand is reiterated with the line “When everything’s securely connected, anything’s possible,” and the tagline “There’s Never Been a Better Time.”

It’s all almost comically optimistic, which might be more excusable if it didn’t come across as so self-congratulatory on Cisco’s part. Still, McGregor’s earnest delivery gives the spot its fair share of charm and peddling optimism is somewhat inherent in most advertising. “Pep Talk” is also not lacking in the eye candy department, with a range of environments and gadgets explored in vivid color and detail by director Dante Ariola. 

As you may recall, the new effort follows last month’s series of spots launching the “There’s Never Been a Better Time’ campaign, with a more targeted optimism celebrating the empowerment of technology to help people through difficult situations. The campaign launch marked the first work under Cisco’s new CMO, Karen Walker.

BBDO New York and production company MJZ have followed up their “Childlike Imagination” Winter Olympics ad with another spot for GE extolling innovation, which began airing yesterday.

This time around they highlight GE’s focus on technological advancement with a 30-second ad shot in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The spot attempts to answer “What Would Happen” if “energy could come from anywhere,” or if “power could go anywhere,” eventually arriving at the answer “anything.” It’s an intriguing follow-up to the successful approach of “Childlike Imagination,” with excellent pacing and eye-catching, imaginative imagery. Hopefully, BBDO New York stays with this direction going forward. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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Kiefer Sutherland’s voice is somehow simultaneously soothing and forceful. His gravelly intonation, coupled with his beautifully weathered face, is completely convincing regardless of the words involved. In this Jose Cuervo spot created by McCann Erickson New York, Sutherland’s ultimate message is, “Have a Story.” He pushes a shot across the bar to us and then we follow him for an impromptu concert, a spontaneous tattoo, a brief lover’s brawl, and some bonsai clipping.

It’s not the first time Sutherland’s channeled his 24 character, Jack Bauer, though Cuervo’s spot is a subtle representation. For Acer of course, he got jazzed about a new Dynamite Cupcakes business, obviously involving explosions and suspense.

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