Aug
25
Dec
04
W+K Amsterdam, Blake Griffin Rise ‘Above Expectations’ for Foot Locker, Nike
Posted in: UncategorizedW+K Amsterdam looked to Blake Griffin to celebrate the arrival of the new Nike Jordan collection to Foot Locker with a new ad entitled “Above Expectations.”
The 30-second spot, filmed in black and white by director Paul Hunter, addresses Griffin’s naysayers, who pigeonhole the Clippers star as “just a dunker.” Addressing those expectations right away, the voiceover advises viewers, “If you expect another Blake Griffin dunk compilation, change the channel,” before going on to commend the star on his rebound, passing and ball-handling skills. Thankfully, it doesn’t highlight Griffin’s slam poetry skills. “That’s the thing about expectations,” the spot concludes, “you can live up to them, or rise above them.” Playfully, the online version of the ad then advertises a link to “See the jump man dunk, man” which links to a video where Griffin concedes “Alright, you’ve come this far, I’ll give you just one.”
The spot is airing on broadcast in France and Italy, as well as online across Europe, where it is supported by digital and social initiatives.
“The Jordan brand has a long tradition of showing athletes in a unique light, so it was nice to show the world a whole other side to Blake Griffin,” said David Smith, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam creative director, in a press release. (more…)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Sep
12
W+K Amsterdam Launches ‘Feel The Game’ for FIFA 15
Posted in: UncategorizedW+K Amsterdam launches a new campaign for FIFA 15 today, entitled “Feel The Game.”
In a 2:15 broadcast spot, W+K Amsterdam immerses fans into the on-pitch action as they experience what players in the game do. When it begins to rain, players are suddenly drenched in their apartments, when heavily tackled, they feel the hurt. It’s not exactly a new approach in gaming advertising, but it’s pulled off well. The agency also got Lionel Messi to join in on the action, both on the field and wielding a controller. The campaign airs globally beginning today, across broadcast and digital channels, with the full-length spot also broadcasting in the U.S. during the Manchester United match this Sunday.
“Fast-paced, raw, and explosive, modern football is a spectacle beyond belief. And FIFA 15 puts you right in the middle of it. We wanted our film to do the same thing, to put you right in the thick of the
action, said David Smith, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam’s creative director. “With the help of Mark Zibert, and the awesome studio at EA SPORTS, we believe we have created a football film that can live up to the best sport action sequences ever filmed.” (more…)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Jun
12
W+K Amsterdam Calls on American Heroes for EA Sports
Posted in: UncategorizedWith the World Cup kicking off today in Brazil, W+K Amsterdam has a new campaign for EA Sport’s 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil (out now on PS3 and Xbox360), aimed to “appeal to every gamer, and to every American with a star-spangled heart.”
The campaign calls on viewers to be “The next American hero” in a 75-second online spot as Team U.S.A. faces the “Group of Death” in Brazil. “The Next American Hero,” which also appears in 15 and 30-second online advertisement iterations, features a “team of soccer heroes representing a cross-section of American society” — such as an astronaut, cowboy, tech entrepreneur and cheerleader — take the field for the US. Set to the song “Real American,” the spot is built around the idea that with 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, the fate of the US soccer team is in your hands. And odds are they’ve got a better chance at advancing past group stage than the real team. We’ve got credits following the jump. continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Mar
25
One/x Unveils Pig Gamer for Farm Sanctuary
Posted in: UncategorizedOne/x has released a new stop-motion animation advertisement for Farm Sanctuary demonstrating the intelligence of pigs and telling people to go vegan.
All the characters in the spot were created with folded paper in an attempt to marry form and function, exemplifying the theme of “pigs going from being seen as one-dimensional beings—which makes it easier for people to justify their exploitation—to the emotionally and cognitively complex, multi-dimensional beings they truly are.” The spot shows a pig beating both a chimpanzee and young child at a video game while quoting university studies that found pigs excelled over chimps and three-year old children at video games involving a joystick. It concludes with the tagline (perhaps borrowed from great white shark Bruce’s fish eating mantra in Finding Nemo), “Pigs are friends, not food” before a “Go Vegan” message pops up.
While the spot cleverly demonstrates the intelligence of pigs, in a visually striking way, there’s not a lot to support the leap from “Pigs are smart” to “Go Vegan.” Plenty of other animals people eat really do seem to lack intelligence. As Werner Herzog said, “Look into the eyes of a chicken and you will see real stupidity. It is a kind of bottomless stupidity, a fiendish stupidity. They are the most horrifying, cannibalistic and nightmarish creatures in the world.” Still, if convincing people that pigs are intelligent creatures and not mindless bacon machines was the main intent, then One/x has done a good job here. Credits after the jump. continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Nov
18
W+K Amsterdam’s ‘Messimorphosis’ for ‘FIFA 14? is Kind of Creepy
Posted in: UncategorizedLast Thursday saw soccer star Lionel Messi become the world’s “first life-size, living avatar” dubbed Lifesize Messi, to promote EA Sports’ FIFA 14 for PS4 and Xbox One. W+K Amsterdam have just rolled out the follow-up TV campaign, “Messimorphosis.”
W+K chose to show a gamer morphing into Lifesize Messi as a metaphor for “how the game now feels more alive” than ever. The execution comes across something like an Aphex Twin music video. In other words, quite unsettling.
The spot opens with our gamer sitting on his couch, loading up his Xbox One. As he presses a button, he looks at his hand to see it changing before his eyes. Soon, his entire body is morphing into the Messi avatar, and it’s pretty damned creepy. There’s a shot of the kid’s unnerving smile, and a really freaky one of his face melting into Messi’s. This is pretty strange stuff. The close-up of his feet turning into cleats is just plain gross. We don’t see any gameplay (which looks pretty good, but not mind-blowing) until the final few seconds of the spot, with most of the 58 second ad devoted to the Lionel Messi metamorphosis. Clearly, W+K is banking on Messi’s star power and the lifesize avatar schtick — and presumably not factoring in that the morphing stunt will weird some people out. One thing you can say about “Messimorphosis” is that it’s certainly memorable.
If you’re easily disturbed or grossed out, avoid this one at all costs. If, on the other hand, you’re a big fan of FIFA, Lionel Messi, or are under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, then this one’s for you. Credits after the jump. continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Oct
23
Onion Labs, DSW Team Up to Piss Off PETA
Posted in: UncategorizedThe latest from Onion Labs sees them working with DSW to rile the folks at PETA in a new campaign called “Bad Pet Owner.”
This new campaign for the discounted shoe outlet where I once picked out and purchased a pair of shoes in under four minutes while en route to a wedding opens with the spot “Goat.” “Goat” features about as many pet deaths as you’re ever likely to see in an advertisement. Each time the bad pet owner (inadvertently) kills a pet, he goes to DSW for a new pair of shoes so he can use the shoebox to bury his deceased animal pal. By the end of the spot, he has a quite the shoe collection — and a backyard pet cemetery. Watch it before PETA files a complaint to have it taken down.
In addition to the “Goat” spot (and one forthcoming) Onion Labs has also rolled out a Men’s Fashion section on TheOnion.com sponsored by DSW. The section includes older content that fits the category, as well as new, sponsored content like “Dead Hamster Feels Its Life Has Been Properly Honored With Shoebox Coffin,” which dovetails nicely with the “Goat” spot. Incorporating material on its parent site in addition to the humorous video really plays to the budding agency’s strengths and shows what kind of potential they have in the future.
Good luck with the (inevitable) ensuing PETA lawsuit, Onion Labs. We’re pulling for you. Credits after the jump. continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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