DDB Canada Cooks up Some E for Toronto Crime Stoppers

DDB Canada launched a pro-bono PSA campaign for Toronto Crime Stoppers examining the dangers of ecstasy use, entitled “Cookin’ with Molly.”

The spot, whose full-length version online runs 90 seconds, is presented as a cooking show with a drug dealer. Molly is a name for pure MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy), but, as the video shows, pills presented as “Molly” are often adulterated with substances ranging from methamphetamine and cocaine to heroin and even bath salts. “Welcome to ‘Cookin’ with Molly,’” says the host of the show at the beginning of the ad, “today’s secret ingredient is meth.” He adds just a pinch of bath salts to some ground up MDMA, a bunch of meth and finishes up with his “signature” blue color and some binder before pressing the pills. The online version of the spot ends by directing to viewers to the campaign landing site for more information. There are also 15 and 6 second broadcast versions of the spot. DDB Canada hopes the tongue-in-cheek approach of the campaign, which launched today and will run through the end of February, will resonate with the target audience of people between the ages of 15 and 25.

“These party-type drugs have been a growing concern, and Toronto Crime Stoppers wanted to tackle this head on without being heavy-handed, so the cooking show format is intended to be tongue-in-cheek,” explains Craig Ferguson, senior art director, DDB Canada Toronto. “At the same time, this creative still allows us to educate people on the harmful, hidden ingredients found in MDMA which was our key objective.” (more…)

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Production Duo Celebrates ‘Gran Turismo’ 15th Anniversary by Honoring its Creator

Producers Tamir Moscovici and Paul Proulx, the creative production team behind Urban Outlaw and Painting Coconuts , decided to mark the 15th anniversary of Sony’s landmark Gran Turismo series (and recent release of Gran Turismo 6) with a documentary profiling “the single-minded genius behind Gran Turismo’s birth and breathtaking 15-year evolution,” Kazunori Yamauchi.

KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide is a one hour, 24 minute documentary examining the drive and devotion Yamauichi has put into Gran Turismo from its birth through its incredible evolution over the past 15 years. Since the first Gran Turismo game in 1997, the game Yamauchi had wanted to make since he was fifteen years old, he has always gone above and beyond expectations in creating the best games possible. Yamauchi has been one of the most important and interesting figures in gaming over the past 15 years, with a singular devotion to giving gamers the ultimate driving experience. His insane devotion to detail in his racing simulation series can be traced to his love for racing and all things automotive — he really races himself, and often wins. This offers him a unique understanding of what racing is all about, something he brings into each of his games.

If you’re a gamer, and especially if you’re a fan of the Gran Turismo series, it’s a really intriguing — and sometimes nostalgic — look at one of Sony’s most iconic gaming series and the incredible man behind them. Check out the trailer above, and, if you’re interested, head on over to Hulu for the complete documentary. Credits after the jump. continued…

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Toronto’s john st. Unveils New Mitsubishi Mirage

Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada and john st. have launched a campaign for the brand new Mitsubishi Mirage.

The spot “Commute” plays the whole music that you thought was extra-diegetic but turns out to be diegetic card while touting the subcompact cars’ features. (We don’t like being toyed with like that, Mitsubishi.) These are good selling points, especially the best-in-class 64 mpg and the $12,498 starting price. “We know that we’re giving Canadian drivers what they value in a subcompact car, great fuel efficiency at an even better price,” explains Peter Renz, Director of National Marketing at Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada.

The whole “you can do what you want with all the money you save” thing and the diegetic music trick are a little tired, but the spot keeps it short and simple. Plus the fuel economy and low price do a fine job selling the car on their own. You’ve got to be envious of that gas mileage. Credits after the jump.

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