Barton F. Graf 9000?s New ‘Clash of Clans’ Spots Are Already Viral

Barton F. Graf 9000 has two new spots for Supercell’s massively successful Clash of Clans game, and each of the 30-second videos have already racked up over six million views on YouTube since being uploaded yesterday.

While last year’s spot from the agency took a broader approach, this year Barton F. Graf 9000 chose to spotlight a single character, the wizard. In “Preparation” we get a view into what the wizard does to psyche himself up for a day of fireball throwing, as well as a look at his explosive hair. In “Magic” he takes a break in the midst of fighting to pull a rabbit from his hat, but things are soon back to normal.

The new spots will break on television this weekend, according to Adweek, which should rack the view count up even higher. At this rate, it won’t be long until the ads eclipse last year’s 60-second spot’s 22 million views. The broadcast and digital spots will be further supported by an out of home component. (more…)

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Deutsch NY, Ad Council Team Up for FEMA PSA

Deutsch, New Yorkteamed up with The Ad Council to create a PSA campaign for FEMA, in time for National Preparedness Month, reminding families to have a plan in the event of a disaster.

Since, according to FEMA, 50 percent of families have not discussed an emergency plan in the event of a disaster, the organization wanted to stress what a difference having a plan can make when such an event occurs. So the broadcast and digital PSA at the center of the campaign (released in both 30-second and 60-second formats) attempts to illustrate this through a harsh depiction of two families dealing with a disaster. One of the families, who presumably designated the shelter as a meeting place, huddle together, visibly shaken up but glad to have each other. They overhear another couple, who stress out over their missing child, powerless to do anything to locate him. It’s tough to watch, but that’s intentional, as it drives home the point that you don’t want to be the second family should anything go wrong. The spot ends by directing viewers to Ready.gov and www.Listo.gov where they can find resources for developing their own emergency plan. The campaign also includes radio and print components. (more…)

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Translation Goes Back to School for Champs Sports

Translation has a new back-to-school campaign for Champ Sports, entitled “Game Loves An Audience.”

That phrase appears on screen, leading in to the brand’s “We Know Game” tagline following short vignettes in several 30-second spots. For the most part, Translation keeps things pretty simple. “Practice,” for example, is a montage of players training for the upcoming season at football practice, ending with the coach riling the team up with a chant. “Joy Ride” and “First Period” (which we’ve included after the jump) are similarly straightforward (and self-explanatory) eschewing any dialogue for a focus on Champs Sports’ products. You have to wonder if maybe they could have benefited from a little more substance, though. (more…)

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Barton F. Graf 9000, Psyop Charm with ‘Clash of Clans’ Anthem Ad

Gerry Graf’s Barton F. Graf 9000 NY has worked with production company Psyop, fresh off their game-developing debut with the Susan Sarandon-narrated Nightmare: Malaria, to develop this charming spot for the Supercell-developed strategy game Clash of Clans.

The one-minute anthem ad places the viewer in the middle of the action, on the same level as the melee taking place. To bring the game to life in the spot, Psyop “embraced the bright, stylized and saturated look of the game,” explained Psyop Director Fletcher Moules. “We wanted to fully conceptualize what the world would look like if we were running alongside the horde of barbarians, what would it feel like to be covered in their saliva.”

The impressively animated ad really does a good job transporting the viewer into the world of Clash of the Clans, thankfully without any saliva. One noteworthy moment occurs when two giants chuckle as they are hit with cannonballs. It was one of Psyop’s favorite segments to animate, as well. “It added the heart and the warmth that was only achieved when we removed ourselves a little from the ruckus to enjoy it from their perspective,” said Moules.

It would appear that Supercell’s audience is enthusiastic about Clash of Clans as well. The video was released on December 23rd, and garnered 14 million views in its first week. Credits after the jump. continued…

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UNCF, Y&R Go Beyond Donations, Asking for ‘Investment in the Future’

Since 1944, the United Negro College Fund has operated under the banner “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste.” Today, they’re updating to the too-long slogan “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste But a Wonderful Thing to Invest In.”

Regardless of its verbosity, Y&R New York and the Ad Council’s new campaign is a smart, relevant adaptation. Instead of accepting donations for their fund, UNCF is “taking the cause straight to where the money is,” and has created the first-ever stock for social change. Columbia University economist Clive Belfield created an algorithm to determine the value of a share, which investors can purchase via Better Futures’ website.

The Better Futures campaign puts concept into practice, and shows people that they’re not just giving money, they’re investing in future generations. Y&R’s pro bono work will include print and TV PSAs that “use real stories from real UNCF students to show how that investment will pay dividends for all our futures,” says Michael L. Lomax, president/CEO of UNCF, in a statement. If investors are inspired to get involved, the Better Futures stock could be Wall Street’s most meaningful.

Credits after the jump.

continued…

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