Hasta La Creative!

To help expand its reach in Canada, Netflix has released a series of new ads that play off the streaming video service’s role as a sort of cultural watering hole from which we can draw endless references.

Created by DDB Vancouver, two of the spots continue the vibe of the “Pep Talk” spot from earlier this year by showing how citing movies and shows on Netflix can help you in tough situations like asking someone to marry you or sharing a hospital patient’s prognosis. 

A third spot takes a pretty different approach, although the setup’s quite similar. I’ll let you watch without spoiling it, though.

CREDITS:

Agency: DDB Canada Vancouver
Executive Creative Directors: Dean Lee, Cosmo Campbell
Creative Directors: Dean Lee, Josh Fehr

“AIRPORT”
Associate Creative Director: Daryl Gardiner
Art Director: Daryl Gardiner
Copywriters: Daryl Gardiner, Jessica Schnurr, Geoff Vreeken

“PROPOSAL”
Associate Creative Director: Daryl Gardiner
Art Director: Daryl Gardiner
Copywriters: Daryl Gardiner, Jessica Schnurr, Geoff Vreeken

“TEST RESULTS”
Associate Creative Director: Daryl Gardiner
Art Director: Daryl Gardiner
Copywriters: Daryl Gardiner, Geoff Vreeken

Agency Producer: Karen Brown
Account Team: Patty Jones, VP Client Services Director; Roger Nairn, Account Supervisor
Project Manager: Matthew Sy
Strategy: Rob Newell

Production Company: Steam / Anonymous Content
Director: Brian Billow
Senior Executive Producer-Anonymous Content:  Eric Stern
Executive Producer-Steam:  Krista Marshall
Executive Producer-Steam:  Tony DiMarco
Director of Photography: Dion Beebe
Line Producer: Kelly King
Post-Production Company: Cycle Media http://www.cyclemedia.net/
Editor: Matthew Griffiths
Visual Effects/Animation: Peter Debay at Cycle Media http://www.cyclemedia.net/
Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld at Company 3
Audio House: Vapor Music
Audio House Creative Directors: Joey Serlin, Andrew Harris
Audio House Producer: Natalie Schnurr
Casting Agency in LA: Ryan Bernstein
Casting Agency in Toronto: Andrew Hayes http://powerhousecasting.com/

Talent/Lead Roles only:
“PROPOSAL”
Jake: Chris Smith
Kate: Cali Fredrichs

“AIRPORT”
Stephen: Gary Smith
Elizabeth: Abigail Marlowe

“TEST RESULTS”
Patient: Mike Beaver
Doctor: Richard Waugh

Neutrogena is very concerned about “Junkface,” which is apparently what happens when a man washes his Downtown Manville and then his face with the same bar of soap. Naturally, the brand suggests its own Men’s Face Wash as a solution to this problem.

This Canadian campaign from DDB Toronto assumes that men start low and move up in the shower, but what if they wash their face first? Even if we assume Junkface is a real thing and not another pseudo-problem invented so a product can then solve it, the concept is pretty easily undone.

The Junkface website has its moments, though. The importance of keeping owls away from your mating parts cannot be overemphasized.

And if you do buy Neutrogena products to fight Junkface, be sure to also invest in the True Clean Towel—the only towel that keeps you from drying your face with your testicles.

Today DDB New York is launching the first ever campaign for New York Lottery to use a “for life” concept rather than a lump-sum jackpot.

The spot, entitled “Future You” shows a young man in a convenience store who goes to the register to make a purchase and eyes up a deck of cards. As his future self looks on (somehow), from a spacious futuristic mansion, he changes his mind and decides to buy a Cash 4 Life Quick Pick instead. “I scared me,” says a relived future you, before zooming off in his hover chair. It’s never explained how “Future You” watches his younger self, or how he could not know that he’s won the lottery if he’s already been enjoying his winnings, but I guess we’re just not supposed to think about that.

In addition to the TV spot, the campaign also includes radio spots in both English and Spanish, print ads, billboards, digital and a social media element centered around the hashtag “#CASH4LIFE.” Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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The four creatives behind Canadian agency One Twenty Three West (123w) have a long history in the industry: they each have “roughly” 20 years of experience with big-name north-of-the-border shops like DDB and Lowe Roche along with the awards to match.

The questions: why did this group decide to start their own agency just over one year ago? How did they end up presenting at this year’s Cannes Festival? Most importantly, what do East Vancouver natives have to say about their decision to begin operations in a principal’s garage?

More info from co-founder/Managing Director Scot Keith after the jump.

continued…

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The move is now official: agency vet Matt Eastwood has left his position as CCO at DDB New York to become worldwide chief creative officer at JWT (or, as they’d prefer, the J. Walter Thompson Company).

The Australian-turned-New Yorker worked with DDB in his home country and served as CCO at Y&R before he replaced a departing Eric Silver in the agency’s Manhattan office almost exactly four years ago.

Eastwood brings an extensive portfolio to the new role; he scored the #5 spot on the Ad Age “most awarded” list for 2013, and his name has appeared atop the credits for recent campaigns featuring everything from bearded, lottery-playing hipsters to seniors who never remember to wear their condoms.

Beginning next month, Eastwood will report directly to JWT global president Gustavo Martinez. He will be the first to fill the global CCO role since the 2009 departure of Craig Davis, who left to rejoin the continent of Australia.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

What is “influence?”

According to this internal DDB Worldwide manifesto, the word represents both the simple task of convincing consumers to trade money for goods and services and the nearly incomprehensible essence underlying all things–whatever their size and/or buying power.

Here, with a little help from 90’s-era Massive Attack, DDB explains the thinking behind its own strategic approach: serving the client by focusing on the big picture rather than quibbling over the details; delivering real value via the familiar “truth in advertising” maxim; changing consumers’ lives rather than just convincing them to click “like.”

It’s sleek, bold and minimal.

But did it make you reconsider the reason you wake up every morning?

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

With barbecue season right around the corner, DDB California has a new campaign for Kingsford Charcoal, complete with the new tagline, “Get Off Your Gas.”

In the 30-second broadcast spot, “The Social Grill,” DDB California pokes fun at the cultural obsession with social media. As attendees of a fun-looking  backyard barbecue look on, a man’s next door neighbor uses his “Social Grill,” a gas grill with social media capabilities. The man, grilling alone, takes a selfie and uses the grill’s speech activation and other goofy features, while the barbecue attendees simply relax and grill up some tasty grub. In addition to the TV spot, the campaign also features online videos and digital skins on About.com as well as Kingsford-owned social channels. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Lowe Campbell Ewald created a new role for the latest addition to its L.A. team: executive strategy director Craig Kleber.

Kleber–who previously worked as chief strategy officer at DDB L.A.–will be tasked with leading the agency’s strategic planning efforts while also expanding its client roster. He’ll answer to president/managing director Angela Zepeda.

While at DDB, Kleber oversaw all agency strategy with a particular focus on client Wells Fargo’s “total marketing approach”; prior to that role, he was one of Hall & Partners‘ partners, overseeing various planning/research operations for Young & Rubicam and Wunderman Southern California. Kleber also held positions at Publicis Seattle, RPA and Suissa Miller, among others.

Google also tells us that he works well with puppies, which are more strategically challenging than one might think.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We didn’t realize that trees make their own beats until we saw this latest entry in your springtime awards show submission lineup via Y&R.

As with like-minded work from DDB, et al, the spot brings attention to a non-profit addressing a social/environmental problem–in this case, the destruction of Lebanon’s cedar forests by (we assume) the local foresting industry.

Turns out these trees create a sort of internal “rhythm” of their own. The “Save the Music” org, which has absolutely nothing to do with anyone named Britney, recruited a popular area DJ to turn these ambient soundwaves into something that might just get the kids to dance.

Even if you don’t like European house music, the production process is compelling–as is the contrast between epic landscapes and insular club shots.

No credits to post at this moment.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

FCB Mayo recently showed us how a billboard can help purify the air…but can a specially designed paper book turn sewage into drinkable water?

This spot from DDB New York, supporting a project sponsored by nonprofit Water Is Life, adopts the same relatively straightforward documentary-style approach as other spots in the partnership.

While this particular ad presents less of a personal story than previous collaborations, it does allow for a glimpse into the development of a fascinating invention.

Credits when we receive them.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.