Hasta La Creative!

Carl's Jr.'s notorious Memphis BBQ Burger commercial, which features two half-dressed women fighting over pulled pork on a cheeseburger—aka, "barbecue's best pair"—recently arrived in New Zealand. It was promptly banned there, however, for running afoul of two of the country's advertising rules—prohibiting the use of sex appeal in an exploitative and degrading manner, and the use of sex to sell an unrelated product. (Are there any Carl's Jr. ads that New Zealand doesn't ban?) In response to this particular censure, Carl's Jr. decided to describe the TV spot in a radio ad—which, left to the listener's imagination, is perhaps as suggestive as the TV spot. (Special Group did the radio work; 72andSunny did the TV.) It's not a bad use of radio, which is sometimes said to be the most visual medium. Of course, the radio spots will probably be banned soon, too. Via The Ethical Adman.

Oh, how I've longed to get away from it all and live in the woods, wild and free, with some guy in a bear suit as my only companion. The scruffy protagonist of Deutsch LA's new "Mountain Man" spot for Dr Pepper Ten is living that dream in a parody of macho '70s beer commercials that's as goofy as all outdoors. Our hero grows out his beard (itchy, most likely); eats bark off trees (not so tasty, one assumes); calls out for a hawk to fetch him an icy-cold can of the "manliest low-calorie soda in the history of mankind" (no eye-pecking—maybe next time); and gets taxied around by Mr. Bear paddling a canoe (all that fur must be hot as hell). Note to self: Order a bear suit. It commands respect, and I could stand to sweat off a few pounds. A few shorter executions plus credits after the jump.

CREDITS
Client: Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Brand: Dr Pepper Ten

Client:
Chief Marketing Officer: Jim Trebilcock
Director of Marketing: Leslie Vesper
Brand Manager: Angela Snellings
Associate Brand Manager: Erica Hollington
Director of Creative: Shaun Nichols
Advertising Manager: Sharon Leath

Deutsch Creative Credits:
Chief Creative Officer: Mark Hunter
Group Creative Director: Brett Craig
Integrated Creative Director: Xavier Teo
Associate Creative Director, Art Director: Erick Mangali
Associate Creative Director, Copywriter: Ryan Lehr
Copywriter: Trey Tyler
Art Director: Jacob Abernathy
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Director of Content Production: Victoria Guenier
Executive Producer: Lisa K. Johnson
Producer (Post): Matthew Magsaysay

Production Company:
Imperial Woodpecker
Director: Stacy Wall
Executive Producer, Managing Partner: Doug Halbert
Producer: Jeff Shupe
Director of Photography: Corey Walter
First Assistant Director: Miles Johnstone

Editorial:
Cut and Run
Editor: Frank Efron
Assistant Editor: Jeff Carter
Managing Director: Michelle Burke
Executive Producer:  Carr Schilling
Senior Producer: Christie Price

Visual Effects:
The Mill
Executive Producer: Sue Troyan
Producer: Jess Ambrose
Color Producer: LaRue Anderson
Shoot Supervisor: Tara Demarco
Colorist: Shane Reed
2-D Lead Artist: Tara Demarco
3-D Lead Artist: John Leonti
2-D Artist: Dag Ivarsoy
3-D Artists: Ryan Reeb, Brian Yu
Matte Painting: Lyndall Spagnoletti

Music:
Massive Music
Creative Director: Tim Adams
Executive Producer: Scott Cymbala
Composer: Tim Adams
Producer: Jessica Entner

Sound Design:
Massive Music
Sound Designer: Dean Hovey

Audio Post:
Lime Studios
Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Assistant Mixer: Matt Miller
Executive Producer: Jessica Locke

Additional Deutsch Credits:
Chief Executive Officer: Michael Sheldon
Group Account Director: David Dreyer
Account Director: Helen Murray
Account Supervisor: Andrew Dubois
Account Executive: Kate DeMallie
Chief Strategic Officer: Jeffrey Blish
Group Planning Director: Aileen Russell
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Gus Meija

Perrier is the sexiest sparkling water you'll ever taste, says Perrier. It's so sexy, you'll find yourself transported to a secret party at an underground nightclub in Paris. There, you may participate in all of the activities commonly associated with drinking sexy sparkling water—namely, you may dance to the latest hip indie band, or play high-stakes poker with a bunch of cheating mean mugs in a back room, or witness a game of checkers in which the pieces are replaced with macarons (not macaroons). You may also accept a woman's invitation to cut off her dress with a pair of scissors, or peep in on a private lap dance being given to a man who can't see, or watch another woman tear off her dowdy skirt suit for the steamy bartender, because of course everybody is getting naked, because, duh, Perrier makes people get crazy. Nonsense aside, you really can do all of this. Or at least, your eyes can. Because Perrier and Ogilvy have graced you with Perrier Secret Place, a rabbit hole of an online choose-your-own-adventure game. In it, you'll bounce around the different viewpoints of attendees at the "party," as you go on a treasure hunt for the "golden woman" and "secret bottle." Find them, and you'll be entered to win some not-virtual and swank and off-the-chain party, somewhere like St. Tropez, or Rio during Carnival, or Miami Art Basel, or Ibiza. Why bother? Because presumably everybody there will be getting hammered on Perrier, and taking off their clothes, too. More clips and credits below.

CREDITS
Client: Perrier
Title: Perrier Secret Place
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Paris
Chief Creative Officer: Chris Garbutt
Creative Directors: Frederic Levron, Thierry Chiumino
Copywriters: Baptiste Clinet, Nicolas Lautier, Florian Bodet
Art Directors: Baptiste Clinet, Nicolas Lautier, Florian Bodet, Chris Rowson,
Global Business Leader:  Constance Capy Baudeau
Account Supervisor: Stanislas Vert
Film Producers: Hugo Diaz, Diane de Bretteville
Digital Producers: Hugo Diaz, Cyril Duval, Sandra Petrus
Production Company: Fighting Fish, Olivier Dormerc, Cyril Couve de Murvil, Adrien Moisson, Benjamin Przelspolewski
Sound Design: Le Comptoir du Son, Franck Marchal, Alexandre Poirier
Film Director: Laurent King
Story Development: Olivier Domerc
Story Editor: Benjamin Bloch
Production Manager: Caroline Petruccelli
Production Designer: Arnaud Roth
Director of Photography: Frédéric Martial Wetter
Line Producer: Vincent Rivier
Location Manager: Timothée Talandier
Main Title Music: Toys
Client:
Head of Marketing, Category: Muriel Koch
Sparkling Brand Director: Fabienne Bravard
International Brand Manager: Armelle Roulland
Social Media, PR Strategy: Buzzman
Chief Executive Officer: Georges Mohammed-Chérif
Head of Social Media, PR: Hubert Munyazikwiye
Social Media Manager: Nicolas David

Can salad dressing be sexy? Well, Kraft will settle for zesty. A new campaign for Kraft Zesty Italian dressing from the Playa del Rey, Calif., office of Being features a shirtless male chef whose catchphrase is "Let's get zesty." Slyly suggestive and playful, the character feels like a cross between Old Spice's Isaiah Mustafa and the skillet guy from ads for another Kraft brand, Velveeta. In one new spot, the chef keeps adding Kraft Zesty Italian to a hot skillet, with flames shooting higher and higher each time. "How zesty do you want it?" he asks. "A little? A little more? How about a lot more?" The flames then consume his white V-neck T-shirt to expose smoldering abs and pecs. The sassy cook also will appear on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live as a guest chef and bartender. Other elements in the campaign, which breaks today, include a website, getmezesty.com, and electronic cards or "Zestygrams" that can be sent via social media platforms. A Kraft rep says the campaign is "targeted toward our salad dressings consumer, who we define as a mainstream foodie. They enjoy cooking and creative expression, and this campaign speaks to them in a way that recognizes she is an individual in addition to being a mom."

Since every third ad has to be an Apple parody now, Carlsberg makes fun of Apple Store product launches in this TV spot for Somersby Cider from agency Fold7. Some of the computer jargon here works surprisingly well for drinking, but there's no forgiving the apple puns. While we're on the subject, "Less apps, more apples" doesn't make sense as a tagline since they're comparing different products. Apples and oranges.

We've mentioned before—notably in last summer's Panera case—how random acts of kindness in customer service can snowball into massively positive PR when the customer involved relates the story poignantly through social media. The latest example comes from Midvale, Utah, where a server and manager at a Chili's restaurant thoughtfully helped out with a mini crisis involving a woman and her 7-year-old sister who has autism. The short story is: The sister refused to eat her burger, which had been cut in half, because she thought it was "broken." The server, in a remarkably compassionate way, offered to made her a new one—and the girl then kissed the new burger repeatedly when it arrived. It's a simple story, but one that the woman, Anna Kaye MacLean, tells evocatively in her post on Chili's Facebook wall. (See the full text below.) Now, Anna's accompanying photo of her sister kissing the burger has gone viral, with three-quarters of a million likes and more than 40,000 comments. Brands can't manufacture or even really plan for this stuff—that's what makes it so sharable—but it's always a joy when it happens. Via Mashable.

I want to share the experience that my husband, 7 year old autistic sister and I had today at the Chili's location in Midvale, UT. Arianna, my little sister, didn't waste any time when our waitress, Lauren, greeted us at our table. Arianna promptly ordered her cheeseburger with pickles, french fries, and chocolate milk before Lauren could even take our drink order. Lauren smiled and told Arianna, "Okay! I'll be right back with your chocolate milk!". When we got our food I was wondering why Arianna wouldn't touch her cheeseburger, but was going to town on her french fries. I asked her, "Arianna are you going to eat your cheeseburger?" She calmly said, "No, I don't want it." Cheeseburgers, or 'Krabby Patties' as we sometimes call them, are her FAVORITE! So this behavior was VERY strange. So I asked her, "Why don't you want it?". She replied, "It's broken. I need another one thats fixed." Then it dawned on me why she wasn't eating it. It's because it was cut in half. Being a child with autism, she has to have certain things in a particular order at all times. One slight change in her routine can change the course of the day instantly. When Lauren came back to check on us, I asked if we could order another cheeseburger and just add it to our check. She had a concerned look on her face so I explained that Arianna has autism, and that in her mind, because the cheeseburger was cut in half, she thinks its broken and can't eat it. I told Lauren I knew it sounded silly, but if we could just order an additional one we will gladly pay for it because there was nothing wrong with the one that was originally brought out. Lauren was so sweet and just smiled and went along with Arianna, telling her "I brought you a broken cheeseburger?! You know what, I'll have them cook you a new one!" I loved this because rather than just taking it from the table, she actually TOLD Arianna what she was doing. While this seems insignificant, by her telling Arianna what she was doing, we avoided a melt down. The manager, Bradley Cottermole, then came to our table, kneeled down, and said to Arianna, "I heard we gave you a broken cheeseburger! I am so sorry about that! We are making you a brand new one that isn't broken, with pickles! I'll bring you some french fries to munch on while you're waiting, ok?" A couple of minutes later, Lauren arrived back at our table with cheeseburger #2. Arianna said, "OH FANK YOU! You fixded my cheeseburger!" When Lauren walked away, Arianna just sat there for a second and looked at her new burger. She looked like so deep in thought….just staring at it….then she let out a big "OH I missed you!!" and started kissing the burger over and over again. I showed Lauren this picture and said, "I think we glorified the cheeseburger too much!" She busted up laughing, and asked if she could go show her manager. She came back a minute later and said she showed everyone in the back kitchen area too, and that it made them all laugh and smile. I was so touched by this experience. Especially since I know people who have been asked to leave restaurants when their child with autism is being disruptive. I expected a few different things with this scenario based on past experiences, but I did NOT expect such kind and compassionate mannerisms from Lauren and Bradley. Everyone, from the hostess to the chef, played a role in what most people would think isn't a big deal. But this entirely shaped how the rest of our day would go. I know…a cheeseburger cut in half literally could make or break our day. In this case thanks to the professionalism of the crew in Midvale, it made our day. And I'm sure Arianna brightened up at least one of the employees days with her silly little personality. Thank you.

In our age of virtual sharing gone berserk, here's a refreshingly tactile effort by a British ad agency. For new restaurant Dishoom, OgilvyOne U.K. is collecting customer stories through the Internet and baking the best ones into Dishoom's dinner plates—each one nicely designed in a way that fits that particular story. The campaign draws on an ethnic tradition. Dishoom is an Irani café—styled after similar cafés opened in India in the 19th century by Iranian and Persian immigrants. The sharing of stories over food was a big part of the Iranian café tradition (and restaurant tradition generally). OgilvyOne started the campaign with 80 plates featuring the personal memories of Irani cafés from the older generation in Bombay and the U.K. See some examples below. Now, new visitors are being asked to contribute. "Crazy and unusual anecdotes are very much encouraged!" says the site. "Tell what you used to do—whether it was hanging out with friends, dating, bunking off, doing business deals, finding inspiration. Tell us how the food tasted, the conversations you overheard, how the place felt, the more personal your stories the better." Via Creative Review.

It was my first visit to India. I was in Churchgate near the station and used to visit this old cafe on the corner for some of the best dosas and uttapas in town. The owner introduced himself and made me feel like he was one of my uncles. Uncle Satish or 'Satishbhai' as I called him invited me to their late night card games, and I learnt all sorts and made all sorts of new friends. Only in such a cafe, could you feel like you were part of the family as soon as you walk in, and leave with not only a full stomach, but a whole new bunch of friends.

Adi was tickled when he heard about my memories of the cutlet gravy at Cafe Excelsior from a decade back. He immediately called for a plate of gravy for me to taste. I took a spoonful…creamy yet edgy…an initial soothing sip followed by a slow but resounding hit of chillies. A very elegant and yet passionate sauce. I liked it so much that I finished the contents of the saucer. Seeing the delight on my face Adi insisted on packing some cutlets and gravy for me to take home…and some slices of bread too….the bread turned out to be as soft as Cupid's cheeks. I pointed out the lack of salt in the dhansak to Adi. "Well that's good for old people no with BP? Others can add salt" said Adi with a smile.

Colaba is the most popular tourist hub of Bombay because of the famous Taj hotel and gateway of India. A lot of Iranians migrated and settled in Colaba. They relate to this place a lot. Everytime I come here, I see them sitting around and it makes me feel comfortable. I've been a student of Xaviers College and have been very fond of this Irani Café, especially when you have a tight budget cause I'm in college. The food is very affordable. Every time I have a friend visiting, I bring them here to give them a taste of the real Bombay experience.

I once asked Mr. Kohinoor, who is 83 and owns Britannia Restaurant what would happen to Britannia when he was no longer with us. Gesturing towards his son and brother he exclaimed (a bit loudly!) "The moment I'm gone, these buggers will shut the place down!"

I held Bapa's hand tightly.
I was so scared
So many people
And I, so small
I sat in the chair
My chin on the table
He ordered
I stared
It came.
I smiled
A big smile.
Tutti Frutti Ice Cream.

Afshin Kohinoor, Boman's son, started talking to us at length about the restaurant. He pointed to the portraits hung on the wall, spoke about the letter written to his father by the Queen of England, and pointed to one of their latest awards. …and then willingly posed for me with a trophy. And then when we were leaving, asked us to return with our boyfriends. "I don't want to see you alone next time," he said.

Overheard one evening in an Irani café in South Mumbai's Fort District. A customer complains to the owner, that there is no sugar in his tea. "Did I call you? Did I say, come to my shop and drink tea? You are the one who climbed the steps and came. Today there are no complaints. Everyone's quietly drunk their tea and gone. No one said anything. What are these tantrums that you come up with …. God knows how your wife stays with you. Is she still with you or has she eloped and run away."

Heidi Klum is the latest person who doesn't eat Hardee's/Carl's Jr. to film an ad for the fast-food chain. The spot, from 72andSunny, which spoofs The Graduate for whatever reason, has Klum chowing into a Jim Beam Bourbon burger in front of a younger man (and his pathetic attempt at a mustache) while the voiceover sort of compares the experience to losing one's virginity. Gross. What they should compare it to is unhinging your jaw like a boa constrictor. That burger is as big as Heidi's head. Beyond that, ads like this are destined to underperform, in a way. As an audience, either we don't pay attention to the burger because of Heidi's fabulous body, or we do pay attention to it and, well, that's weird and off-putting. If Morgan Spurlock taught us anything, it's that fast food can't be sexy. Period.

Cookie or creme? Perhaps not surprisingly, Oreo says it's both. Following the "Whisper Fight" Super Bowl spot, the #cookiethis/#cremethis Instagram campaign, the Oreo Separator videos and the "Life Raft" TV spot, Wieden + Kennedy today wraps up its "Cookie vs. Creme" campaign with SuperImportantTest.com, an amusing grab bag of a website which makes it clear that there's no wrong answer to the question of which part of an Oreo is better. Submitting a vote on the site takes you to one of more than 30 silly videos—from 2-D horse animations to robotic cats and everything in between. Directors, production companies and YouTube personalities from "six different time zones" (!?) created the clips, the agency says. After each one, you can go back and cycle through the others. All in all, the campaign was a pleasant confection—six weeks of inspired silliness which proved that even with kind of a dumb premise, Oreo can still have plenty of fun. Credits below.

CREDITS
Client: Oreo
Project: Super Important Test
www.SuperImportantTest.com

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Creative Directors: Jason Bagley, Craig Allen
Digital Director: Matt O'Rourke
Copywriter, Digital Creative: Jarrod Higgins
Art Director: Ruth Bellotti
Account Team: Scott Sullivan, Jessie Young, Ken Smith
Broadcast Producer: Katie Reardon
Broadcast Production Director: Ben Grylewicz
Interactive Producer: Robbie Veltman
Executive Interactive Producer: Lori DeBortoli
Information Architect: Jake Doran
Digital Designer: Paul Levy
Creative Technologists: Ryan Bowers, Billy McDermott
Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples, Susan Hoffman

Video Creators
Carl Burgess
Cat Solen
Tony Foster
Fatal Farm
Jimmy Marble
Max Erdenberger
McRorie
Power House
Agile BrandTelligence
Visual Arts and internal W+K resources, including W+K Motion Department and Don't Act Big Productions

Development Partner
Hook LLC

Doritos go boom on the big screen! Never mind what they do when they land in your belly. As part of an all-out commercial assault for its newest hybrid taco, Taco Bell has created the first 3-D fast-food ad for movie audiences. Launched last week by agency Draftfcb, the spot's three-dimensional wizardry shows a single Cool Ranch Dorito exploding and morphing into a Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco. From your seat in the multiplex, you'll feel like you can reach out and grab one of those fatty shards of salt and maltodextrin. And when you leave, you'll be a short skip—somewhere within a five-mile radius—of a local Taco Bell, according to research from the ad seller, NCM Media Networks. It's little surprise that Taco Bell chose the 40-foot screen as a media buy: There are 700 million moviegoers a year at NCM venues like Regal Entertainment, Cinemark and AMC theaters, and one out of three already hit Taco Bell at least once a month. That's a whole lot of hungry 18-year-olds who are unconcerned about their cholesterol levels. Last year's debut of Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos was the most successful product launch in the chain's history. The sequel was inevitable—or as the ad calls it, the world's most obvious idea. Folks have already been miffed that they couldn't get their hands on a Cool Ranch taco quickly enough, taking to social media to bitch about it. To which Taco Bell says: Keep calm and "Live Más."