Hasta La Creative!

While, according to the World Health Organization, hearing loss affects nearly 360 million people worldwide, getting hearing tests isn’t very high on most peoples’ lists of health priorities. It doesn’t help that hearing tests aren’t exactly a pleasant experience. But what if testing your hearing was enjoyable? That’s the idea behind FCB Zürich’s “Hearing Test Concert” for Austrian hearing aid company Neuroth.

The event featured an orchestra performing a version of Beethoven’s fifth symphony “specifically arranged to simulate the high-and-low frequencies and loud-and-silent parts of a traditional hearing test.” Members of the audience were given a card and marked down when they had trouble hearing certain frequencies. During the intermission, audience members could then show their card to a Neuroth audiologist and receive a personal consultation. In just one day, the campaign resulted in 1,100 people voluntarily taking a hearing test (and, presumably, actually enjoying it).

Credits:

Neuroth Hearing test concert:
Agency: FCB Zürich
Film-Production: WirzFraefelPaal
Director: Levente Paal
Producer: Nina Wirth, Stefan Fraefel
Client: Lukas Schinko (CEO Neuroth Switzerland AG), Gerald Hosinner, Markus Pleschinger (Marketing Executives)

Executive Creative Director – Dennis Lück, FCB Zürich
Art Director – Marcin Baba, FCB Zürich
Senior Copywriter – Sören Schröder, FCB Zürich
Art Director – Flavio Meroni, FCB Zürich
Senior Copywriter – Mateo Sacchetti, FCB Zürich
Editor – Manuela Tappe, FCB Zürich
Account Director – Marie-Theres Ott, FCB Zürich
Account Supervisor – Mark Becher, FCB Zürich

FCB has picked up more A-B InBev business, following its winning creative duties on Michelob Ultra in January, with the Ritas brands and MixxTail assignments going to FCB Chicago. Referring to them as “projects,” executives told AdAge that FCB Chicago will handle advertising for the brands through 2016. The assignments come as welcome news for the agency, which lost the KFC account to W+K back in February.

BBDO had previously handled the Ritas brands, as well as Bud Light Lime, for which FCB will handle its summer campaign. Bud Light will remain with BBDO. MixxTail is a new Bud Light extension of “ready to drink cocktails,” which Vayner Media created the debut broadcast spot for. AdAge’s sources claim that FCB will handle all aspects of the MixxTail brand going forward. FCB Chicago’s new work for the Ritas and MixxTail is expected to debut by the fall.

A wedding day is among the happiest moments in a person’s life, a milestone to look back on for years to come—which makes it all the more strange that people are still denied the right just because they love someone of the same sex.

“Nobody’s Memories,” a new ad from FCB for LGBT advocacy group PFLAG Canada, imagines—and laments—the joys missed by couples unable to legally marry in years past. They’re seen walking down the church steps to applause, piling into the wedding car, sharing a bite of cake at the reception, and the myriad other little images and traditions associated with the big day.

It’s a simple, powerful illustration of why the right to gay marriage matters in societies that purport to pride themselves on ideals like freedom, equality and the pursuit of happiness. (The fact that whole thing looks like it was shot through various Instagram filters, much of it with shaky homestyle hand cams, could border on distracting, but actually sets the right, intimate tone).

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in Canada, as well as 36 states in the U.S., Washington D.C., and some 15 other countries around the world. But with the U.S. Supreme Court currently hearing arguments on the constitutionality of other states’ bans on the right, the spot certainly makes for a timely reminder of what’s at stake.

And for anyone who’s having trouble wrapping their head around it, it’s also a good cue to remember that gay marriage, in fact, does not spell the end of the world.

CREDITS
Client: PFLAG Canada
Title: Nobody’s Memories

Agency: FCB Toronto/FCB Chicago
Creative Director: Jon Flannery Chief Creative Officer & Jeff Hilts Creative Director
Writer: Krystle Mullin
Account Team: Cynthia Roach, Rebecca Gorveatt
Print Producer: Victor Carvalho
Media: Initiative Shannon Pluem, Ryan Ghaeli

Production Company: Lord + Thomas, Duckpond Creative
Executive Producer: Katie Roach, Josh Greenberg
Line Producer: Carra Greenberg
Director: Ben Flaherty
Editing House: LORD&THOMAS
Editor: Ilsa Misamore
Music House/Sound: RMW
Sound Engineer: Jason Ryan
Executive Producer, Audio: Jared Stachowitz

FCB Chicago recently launched a PSA campaign for the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence featuring a traveling statue exhibit and media campaign, entitled “The Unforgotten.”

“The Unforgotten” aims to remember victims of gun violence via a traveling exhibit of statues dressed in clothing from gun violence victims. Created by FCB Chicago art director Jordan Sparrow, the figures were posed to mimic the victims’ posture and gestures, arrived at by studying photos and home video footage. While they were created to appear as lifelike as possible, the figures were kept faceless to remind viewers that these people lost their lives to gun violence. The effect (as seen in the above video) is unsettling.

“This cause desperately needed an unusual approach,” FCB Chicago creative chief Todd Tilford explained to Adweek, “something shocking to compel people to take action, while at the same time honoring the victims, and the families and friends of the victims. Not in a loud, screaming way, but in a powerful, silent way.”

Initially held at St. James Cathedral Plaza in Chicago on April 10th, the installation garnered its share of media attention and Tillford told Adweek there are plans for it to visit other cities in the state and perhaps across the country.

Credits:

Client: Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence
Agency: FCB Chicago
Chief Creative Officer: Todd Tilford
Group Creative Director: Chuck Rudnick
Art Director: Jordan Sparrow
Executive Creative Producer: John Bleeden
Creative Producer: Rachel Chapman
Film Director: Ben Flaherty
Account Supervisor: Ky Anderson
Group Management Director: Karyn Kerner
Senior Strategic Planner: Hayet Rida
Director Experience Planning: Katie Swindler

PR Agency: Current – Lifestyle Marketing and Public Relations
President: Virginia Devlin
Vice President: Alexis Valenti

Production Company: Lord + Thomas
Executive Producer: Katie Roach
Executive Producer: Jared Stachowitz
Senior Editor: Steve Immer
Copywriter: Anthony Williams
Group Creative Director: Derek Sherman
John Skibicki: Lead Developer

Experiential Agency: FCBX
Management Director: Marty Kane

Nike FuelBand may have fizzled out, but luckily the Joe Boxer Inactivity Tracker is here to take its place.

Kmart is promoting its Joe Boxer pajamas with a new digital bracelet that’s just like any of the other quantified-self fitness pieces on the market, only instead of making you feel guilty for missing your workout, it will celebrate you for it.

The brand is giving away the devices with select pajama purchases while supplies last—an accompanying app rewards extended sloth with badges like “Cryogenic” and “You rock!” (in this case, meaning the noun first, and the adjective second).

Even if you don’t snag one of these hot ticket items, you can enjoy the hourlong launch ad below—a window into the “2015 Joe Boxer Lounger Games,” where two guys sit in recliners trying to move as little as possible.

It really goes all in—purportedly focusing on the ninth hour of the fierce completion—and delivering 60 minutes of impressively inane announcer commentary, which makes it just like any other sport, really. (There are plenty of amusing tidbits mixed in if you skip around. Or if you have the stamina to watch all the way through, presumably, you can also tune back in for hour 10 on ESPN 35.)

The whole FCB project pokes some excellent fun at the tech-driven zeitgeist, and the world can always use more paeans to laziness. But any real pro couch potato will tell you it’s better to skip the long pants altogether, especially with summer coming up fast.

Holy mackerel, this octopus can use a camera!

Sony and FCB Auckland trained a female octopus named Rambo (no relation) to take pictures with a Cyber Shot TX30 camera for this captivating minute-long video.

This particular sea creature was used to promote the water- and shock-resistant camera because octopuses are among the most intelligent denizens of the deep. (Besides, clams can’t take direction, and lobsters are too darn tasty.)

A special rig helped Rambo push a shutter button to capture images of visitors outside her tank at Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium in New Zealand. Rambo’s trainer, Mark Vette, says it took her just three attempts to understand the process, though at times she behaved like an eight-armed diva, smashing several cameras to bits during a two-month training process. (Elsewhere, this little dude mastered octo-selfies in no time!)

Sony’s “Octographer” ad has gotten nearly 400,000 YouTube views in a week and lots of media play. Still, the brand message, while present in most coverage, has been somewhat overshadowed by the sheer novelty of a photo-taking octopus, especially in casual social mentions. For many, Rambo is the breakout star, while the camera is an afterthought. Props to the cephalopod for playing her mammalian, land-lubbing overlords for suckers.

FCB group account director Toby Sellers answered some of our questions about the stunt.

Why use an octopus?
We wanted to show the world that even an amateur photographer can take amazing underwater photos with Sony’s TX30. That led us to the idea of using a photographer who actually lives underwater.

They are one of the most intelligent underwater creatures, so we felt they would be a really good fit with our amazing underwater camera. We enlisted the help of Mark Vette, the animal expert behind our hugely successful “Driving Dogs” campaign (for Mini and the SPCA). He was really excited about the chance.

Was the concept a tough sell?
FCB Auckland had a lot of success with the “Bottled Walkman” campaign, so Sony was keen to see what we could do with their TX30. Their first reaction to the idea was amazement that it could be pulled off. We talked them through the plan we had developed with Mark, and they got very excited.

Was it more difficult than you imagined?
This project was far harder than any of us imagined it would be. Rambo got her name because the first few times we put the rig in the water she wanted to fight it. You could say she drew first blood. Despite the reports that it only took three tries [to learn the process], Rambo and Mark worked their way through 10 rigs and nearly as many cameras.

What would you say to activists who disapprove of using animals in ads?
Mark Vette and Kelly Tarlton only agreed to be involved because the process was enriching for the octopus. These creatures thrive in an environment where they are being mentally stimulated. When you have nine brains, you need to keep yourself occupied. So the project was not only fun for the octopus involved, it was also a chance to show the public how amazing these creatures are. The money people paid to have their photos taken goes to Kelly Tarlton’s Marine Life Trust.

Tell me about the April 10 photo event at the aquarium.
Rambo had a great time. She photographed over 100 visitors. Many were there because they had seen the story on TV, but a few foreign tourists just walked in and lined up. They were blown away to have their photos taken by the world’s first Octographer, and we were happy to give them a unique memento of their visit.

CREDITS
Client: Sony
Agency: FCB Auckland, New Zealand
Regional Executive Creative Director: James Mok
Executive Creative Directors: Tony Clewett, Regan Grafton
Writer: Peter Vegas
Art Directors: Leisa Wall, Christiaan Van Noppen
Head of Content, Executive Producer: Pip Mayne
Head of Art: Nick Smith
Director, Director of Photography: Michael Braid
Group Account Director: Toby Sellers
Account Director: Hannah Downes
Account Executive: Laura Little
Lead Behaviourist, Animals on Q: Mark Vette
Assistant Handlers, Animals on Q: Jazmin Vette dal Bello, Rosie Miles
Curator, Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium: Andrew Christie
Marketing Manager, Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium: Claire Wheeler
Rig Developers, Harrison & Watkins Ltd.: Harry Harrison, Blair Muchamp
Director of Photography, Event Coverage, Traction Films: Nic Fay
Editor, 6Twenty: Simon Wade
Editor, FCB: Grant Nicholson
Media Director: Rachel Leyland
Media Planner, Buyer: Erin McCaughley
General Manager, Public Relations: Angela Spain
Senior Account Director, Public Relations: Kimberley Kastelan
Digital Director: Kate Grigg
Customer Experiences Director: Ele Quigan
Music Composer: Peter van der Fluit
Music Composition: Liquid Studios
Studio Producer: Sarah Yetton

Up, up and away?

FCB Paris plans to send one of its creatives into space. The agency will use almost 37,000 balloons to hoist intrepid advernaut Baptiste Szuwarski toward heaven. The 25-year-old copywriter is the lightest member of the creative staff at 114 pounds, probably 113 if he shaves—and his weight, we’re told, makes him the perfect choice for this publicity stunt.

Since March 10, for each like on its Facebook page, the agency has inflated a balloon at its offices on the Champs-Elysées to support the mission, calculating somehow that it will take exactly 36,895 to get the job done. (The page has 2,200 likes overall, so there’s a stratospheric way to go.) FCB says the precise launch date is … sigh … up in the air. #GoodLuckBaptiste is the hashtag.

Balloons? Sounds like hot air to me. And the fact that the agency emailed a PDF

press release makes me doubt its technical prowess. Besides, if we’re going to banish an ad exec from the planet, I think everyone agrees Donny Deutsch should be the one to go. (Kidding, of course. He’s got a new TV show, and who isn’t psyched about that?)

Bon chance, Baptiste! Though you will be risking your very existence on this fateful voyage, it still beats filling out timesheets and meeting with clients.

“Dying is not an option,” Szuwarski tells AdFreak. “At least, for me it isn’t!”

FCB held a global meeting in Chicago this week, and its theme involved changing behaviors.

We don’t have much in the way of details regarding the event itself, but the agency did produce a Bosco page full of GIFs from the meeting.

Looks like everyone had a good time and drank a few Michelob Ultras:

Here’s another group shot:

The meeting wasn’t all about beer and camaraderie, though: it looks to be the start of a strategic repositioning effort for the agency.

The larger FCB organization — specifically its Chicago office — has witnessed several changes in recent months/years: FCB/West CCO Eric Springer left the agency in September to land at Ignited, and some major accounts changed hands.

MillerCoors went to WPP back in 2012, and last week KFC surprised many by leaving the agency for Wieden+Kennedy after more than a decade. FCB posted some wins as well, scoring Ghirardelli and Choose Chicago in April 2014, Nestle in October and Michelob Ultra less than one week ago.

Sources tell us that some major accounts will soon come up for review and, lest we forget, it was only last March that FCB dropped the “draft” from its name to become Foote, Cone & Belding.

Should be interesting to see where the agency goes from here.

FCB Inferno has just launched its first campaign for BMW UK with a 60-second spot promoting the hybrid i8, entitled “Curiosity.”

The spot is based off an idea “first presented in June 2013, when FCB Inferno pitched to win the BMW UK creative account,” according to The Drum. “Curiosity” shows an early human in the year 4000 BC as he becomes curious about a herd of horses. “Interesting thing curiosity: we can learn from it, we can die from it,” intones the voiceover. Although the man is frightened, he manages to mount one of the horses, taking an important step forward for civilization as the voiceover sums up the situation: “…sometimes it can lead us to places we never imagined we would reach.” The ad then pans to the BMW i8, introducing the vehicle as an important innovation for the company. A bit hyperbolic perhaps, but this isn’t a brand known for its modesty.

“In essence, driving a BMW is about exhilaration. The emotion behind the ultimate driving machine is very primal in some respects. The first man ever to have the breakthrough idea of riding a wild horse seemed a fitting parallel for the breakthrough idea that is the i8,” Al Young, FCB chief creative officer, explained to The Drum.

The ad is slated to premiere during the final ad break of the X Factor, and will then be broken up into smaller segments to air on broadcast and online.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

A couple weeks ago FCB Chicago launched its “Jingle Bellies” holiday spot for Kmart and Joe Boxer, a follow-up to last year’s “Show Your Joe,” which was unofficially dubbed “Jingle Balls” and went on to score over 18 million views on YouTube. With “Jingle Bellies” now just past the one million view mark, the agency has unveiled a follow-up belly performance entitled “Santa Baby.” The twist? This time around it’s pregnant women dancing.

The women shake their posteriors to an upbeat rendition of the song “Santa Baby” (most famously sung by Eartha Kitt) and then turn around, exposing their pregnant bellies. The reveal comes early in the ad, with the pregnant women dancing for the remainder of the spot, in their pajamas, until they stop and one woman extolls the virtues of Kmart and Joe Boxer. So basically more of the same goofy humor FCB has been employing in its holiday efforts for Kmart and Joe Boxer since the original, although a slight departure from the “body parts as instruments” schtick. The ad comes as a bit of a surprise, however, as there was no immediate sequel to last year’s spot. With Sears Holdings’ Kmart account currently in review (Sears is also up for grabs), this could potentially be FCB’s last work for the struggling brand. Kmart, meanwhile, badly needs its holiday marketing efforts to drive sales to make up for a very tough year for the company. (more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.