AKQA teamed up with HBO, Rock the Vote and Civic Nation to launch a star-studded plea for viewers to “Use Your Voice. Use Your Vote.”
The spot opens up with Issa Rae, creator, star and co-writer of new HBO series Insecure, asking, “Can we talk about real power?”
“Real power is made sitting here talking to you,” adds Bryan Cranston, who stars as LBJ in HBO’s All The Way biopic and, of course, is best known for his portrayal of Walter White—a character who knew a thing or two about power.
Other HBO stars, including Martin Starr (perhaps best know as Bill Haverchuck on Freaks and Geeks, one of the best characters in television history) and Jimmy O. Yang of Silicon Valley, a handful of Ballers cast members and Gary Cole of Veep all add to the message, which is mostly a familiar one: just get out there and participate in democracy, already.
There does seem to be a specific focus on targeting young voters with the implication that armchair activism is ultimately meaningless if you don’t actually cast a ballot. Causes including environmental concerns and equality also get a shout out. Poorna Jagannathan, who starred in HBO’s The Night Of, summarizes the approach with her line, “We are the generation that will use our dialogue and our voices to make sure our conversations never stop.”
Now, can we discuss the Night Of finale, or is it too soon? (We liked it. People need to stop expecting perfect resolutions for everything.)
What if brand mascots weren’t chipper or cheerful? What if, instead of smiling ear to ear while trying to hock Energizer or McDonald’s, they were jaded, even sadistic?
That’s the world GQ has imagined in a new digital short featuring Danny McBride and Walton Goggins—two actors so perfect for showcasing the dark underbelly of any world that it’s easy to imagine they aren’t even acting here.
Indian digital agency Chimp&z has figured out who each Game of Thrones character would be if they were advertising professionals. As a bonus, they even imagined who the clients are. With perfectly selected quotes and adorable vector graphics, they make the best case I’ve seen for a Mad Men GOT crossover series. I mean, I’d watch it.
Exactly how obsessed are you with Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver? HBO tests the depths of your nerd knowledge in a new campaign from Droga5—the agency’s first work for the paid cable network—that sends you down a rabbit hole on Instagram, where you answer trivia to solve clues leading to fun prizes.
The sheer lunacy of our current election cycle is frightening, but it’s also very watchable. The same could be said for HBO’s Veep, a show that many Washington, D.C., insiders have reportedly called the most realistic portrayal of politics.
It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that the marketing gurus at HBO decided that New Hampshire voters would appreciate an ad for the show’s most-hated character and his current campaign for a congressional seat. (Obviously if you’re not caught up on the current season, this post will have light spoilers.)
Your life might not be quite like Game of Thrones, but you can still feel like a boss power broker if you drive a Chrysler, says a new ad from the automaker.
“Kings and Queens of America,” voiced by actor Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister on the hit HBO show, is launching just ahead of the fifth-season premier this Sunday.
The commercial, created by Wieden + Kennedy, builds on the great American myth that wealth and power are not a birthright, but rather simply there for the taking. That may be true, insofar as Justin Bieber, the Joffrey Baratheon of our time, didn’t inherit his fortune from his dad (even if both of them invaded from the North).
The 60-second spot even sports a soundtrack that references the theme music from the Game of Thrones’ opening credits.
On screen, a series of modern-day, ostensibly self-made warriors gird themselves for battle in designer glasses, high heels and blazers, and climb on their horses … or rather, into their Chrysler 300s. (Grand Maester Ron Burgundy can offer some wisdom on how many horses it would take to equal a Chrysler engine.)The faces featured include San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon; Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian; pro poker player Phil Ivey; photographer Kwaku Alston; and Los Angeles restaurateur Caroline Styne. They, and others, will appear in 30-second spots airing later this month.
Nobody, though, is shown viscously murdering his or her father, son-in-law, wife, brother or random stranger, for that matter.
CREDITS Client: Chrysler Spot: “The Kings & Queens of America” CMO, FCA Global: Olivier Francois President and CEO, Chrysler Brand: Al Gardner Director, Head of Global Advertising, Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram: Marissa Hunter Head of Advertising, Chrysler Brand: Melissa Garlick Chrysler Brand Advertising Specialist: Danielle DePerro
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Creative Directors: Aaron Allen / Kevin Jones Copywriter : Alex Romans Art Director: John Dwight Broadcast Producer: Endy Hedman Art Producer: Grace Petrenka / Amy Berriochoa Strategic Planning: Cat Wilson / Sarah Biedak Media/Comms Planning: Alex Barwick Account Team: Cheryl Markley / Lani Reichenbach / Stephanie Montoya Business Affairs: Karen Murillo Project Management: Jane Monaghan / Annie Quach Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples / Mark Fitzloff Head of Production: Ben Grylewicz
Production Company: HSI Director: Samuel Bayer Executive Producer: Roger Zorovich Line Producer: William Green Director of Photography: Samuel Bayer Photographer: Samuel Bayer / John Clark
Editorial Company: Joint Editor: Nicholas Davis Assistant Editors: Kristy Faris Post Producer: Leslie Carthy Post Executive Producer: Patty Brebner
VFX Company: Joint Lead Flame Artist: Katrina Salicrup Flame Artist: David Stern Smoke Artist: David Jahns VFX Producer: Alex Thiesen
Songs: “Blood and Stone”
Mix Company: Joint Mixer: Noah Woodburn Producer: Sarah Fink
Last week, we saw HBO replying to 3-year-old tweets from cable cutters who wanted a stand-alone HBO option back then—something it is now launching with HBO Now. Today, the network unveils a companion video, in which it punks Jake Caputo—the guy who got people all riled up and demanding stand-alone service in 2012 by launching takemymoneyhbo.com—with help from some very special guests.
If Caputo really wants to give his money away to HBO, Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri and Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero will happily take it off his hands.
While it’s true HBO is not an ad-supported network, Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver made an exception Sunday, uttering the words rarely heard on the premium cable network: “We’ll be right back.”
Of course what followed wasn’t a real commercial, but instead a GM ad parody created to punctuate Oliver’s hilarious (and disturbing) dissection of internal practices at GM, where a long list of defects in cars over the past decade led to an even longer list of no-go words and phrases compiled in a memo, which blacklisted phrases like “deathtrap,” “defective,” “catastrophically flawed,” “Hindenburg”—you get the idea.
Obviously the point of the memo was to make sure none of those words ended up associated with the cars once they got to the market—a sensible notion, from a branding perspective, but probably not a directive that was terribly wise to put on paper. So after a lengthy segment eviscerating GM (remember, this is the guy who stretched potshots at quetionably healthy drink Pom Wonderful over two episodes), Oliver cut away to a fake GM ad containing almost all those words the car company didn’t want associated with its brand.
Just to tie a bow on the whole takedown, HBO is even running Oliver’s GM bit as a lengthy pre-roll ad on YouTube this week. From a comedy perspective, the segment is gold. From a marketing perspective, it’s like watching a Hellraiser movie.
While it's true HBO is not an ad-supported network, Last Week Tonight's John Oliver made an exception Sunday, uttering the words rarely heard on the premium cable network: "We'll be right back."
Of course what followed wasn't a real commercial, but instead a GM ad parody created to punctuate Oliver's hilarious (and disturbing) dissection of internal practices at GM, where a long list of defects in cars over the past decade led to an even longer list of no-go words and phrases compiled in a memo, which blacklisted phrases like "deathtrap," "defective," "catastrophically flawed," "Hindenburg"—you get the idea.
Obviously the point of the memo was to make sure none of those words ended up associated with the cars once they got to the market—a sensible notion, from a branding perspective, but probably not a directive that was terribly wise to put on paper. So after a lengthy segment eviscerating GM (remember, this is the guy who stretched potshots at quetionably healthy drink Pom Wonderful over two episodes), Oliver cut away to a fake GM ad containing almost all those words the car company didn't want associated with its brand.
Just to tie a bow on the whole takedown, HBO is even running Oliver's GM bit as a lengthy pre-roll ad on YouTube this week. From a comedy perspective, the segment is gold. From a marketing perspective, it's like watching a Hellraiser movie.
When John Oliver mercilessly skewers an ad because the taxpayer-funded product it promoted flopped, what's the agency that created the ad to do?
One option would be to ignore it. Another would be to write a lengthy public defense.
Some background: Last year, Portland, Ore., shop North launched a campaign to promote Oregon's healthcare exchange, Cover Oregon. Last week, Cover Oregon shut down its $200 million website after failing to get it working properly. On Sunday, Oliver—in his first HBO show—took the effort to task, using the most twee of North's music-themed ads as the lightning rod. The parody, hilarious and scathing, went so far as to bring in Lisa Loeb to sing about "stupid Oregon idiots," while a set behind her reads "You Fucking Idiots."
Yesterday, North chief creative officer Mark Ray responded in a blog post titled, "Yes, John Oliver, We Are Stupid Fucking Idiots." It's worth reading in full, but among the core arguments are that North had nothing to do with the website, the ad was one of a diverse group, and the campaign was effective in its purpose—raising awareness of the site.
Those are all reasonable, substantive points, and Ray's indignation on the whole is proudly and skillfully communicated, even as it devolves into defensiveness that a good-faith effort was met with such vicious ridicule.
Unfortunately, all of that is sort of besides the point—insofar as the point was for John Oliver to be funny without particular concern for substance or nuance. North's commercial, which leaned into an Oregon stereotype, was simply manna from heaven in that regard—a perfectly packaged device for illustrating the state's ineptitude in delivering a functioning website. Cheap shot or not, the joke connected.
Ray's response, meanwhile, may actually fuel the fire, tying the agency directly to Oliver's routine (which mentioned only the ad, not the creator, though there's certainly been plenty of ink spilled on its provenance). Indeed, it reads like performance art. And while the campaign itself may be a classic case of good advertising helping to kill a bad product, it's a probably rarer case of good advertising helping to make a good TV skit.
As frustrating as the reality of the exchange's failure may be, John Oliver probably couldn't have done his bit half as well without North.
In what we’ll call a creative take on those universally awkward coming-of-age moments experienced by everyone fortunate enough to live in a house equipped with HBO, SS+K advertises the network’s streaming service by reminding viewers of the scenes that would be particularly painful to watch with mom, dad and your little sister.
Our favorite part of this campaign is its acknowledgement–nay, embrace–of the fact that very few young people currently using HBO GO actually subscribe to the network.
The lineup of vices is extensive, covering everything from incest:
…to awkward body image issues:
…to that never-comfortable “It’s OK if you’re gay” conversation:
O seriado “Game of Thrones” tem batido um recorde atrás do outro. O mais recente aconteceu com o 2º episódio da 4ª temporada, no qual acontece o casamento apelidado pelos fãs de Purple Wedding. Segundo dados do The Wrap, foram mais de 6,3 milhões de pessoas com as TVs ligadas para assistir o episódio na noite de domingo, um aumento de 48% se comparado com a audiência da temporada anterior.
Na web, a procura também foi alta. Mais de 1,5 milhões baixaram o episódio através do serviço BitTorrent, com um recorde de mais de 193 mil usuários compartilhando o mesmo arquivo de torrent (que contém os indicativos sobre onde baixar o vídeo pirata).
De acordo com o TorrentFreak, esses números são inéditos.
“Nunca um mesmo arquivo tinha sido compartilhado por tantas pessoas simultaneamente”,
explica o site, lembrando que o recorde anterior tinha sido de mais de 170 mil pessoas distribuindo o mesmo torrent, também para um episódio de Game of Thrones – na ocasião, era o último da 3ª temporada, conhecido também como ‘season finale’.
Com números tão surpreendentes, um redditor chegou até a fazer um interessante questionamento: imagina só se a HBO se dispusesse a vender o próximo episódio de Game of Thrones por cerca de 5 ou 10 dólares na iTunes!
Beautiful Death, représente une série d’illustrations réalisées par Robert M. Ball et le studio 360i pour HBO. Ces posters représentent toutes les morts de Game Of Thrones, de chaque épisodes au cours des 4 dernières saisons. Plus de détails et d’images dans la suite de l’article.
It's always hard to find the best goat scream for the occasion (Doritos devoted a lot of effort to the task). But sometimes, with what sounds like a little bit of AutoTune and some well-chosen goats, and also what appear to be a sheep and and ibex, you can, for example, record the entire theme song to HBO's popular fantasy series Game of Thrones exclusively in goat voice.
Game of Goats, however, knows no language, race or creed. It is simply there for you, on the cold nights, when the only thing that can cure your loneliness is a furry omnivorous quadruped shouting in a voice that reminds you of your fourth-grade teacher.
To all other parodies of Game of Thrones, I say: "Bah!!!"
If you've seen Rolling Stone's latest cover featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Veep fame, your initial thoughts were probably along the lines of "Elaine from Seinfeld is naked!" or perhaps "JLD looks damn good for 53!" or maybe even "I want a tattoo of the U.S. Constitution on my back, too!"
But if you paid attention in history class (nerd alert), you'll notice something else: The big ol' "John Hancock" tattooed just north of Louis-Dreyfus' derriere is a mistake. Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.
Always quick to ruin everything, the Twittersphere wasted no time in pointing this out.
Louis-Dreyfus also addressed the gaffe in her own Twitter account, putting the blame on her Veep character Selina Meyers' generally incompetent communications director, Mike.
A source at Rolling Stone, however, said the John Hancock signature was deliberate and was meant to be "in the spirit" of Veep's farcical tone. "The Declaration of Independence is on the other side, but we couldn't fit all the signatures on there," the source said.
UPDATE: A day later, Louis-Dreyfux continues to have fun with it:
In today's installment of making new things look old, Game of Thrones gets retrofitted into a 1970s sitcom, complete with overly long exposition and freeze-frame introductions for each actor.
The idea isn't exactly revolutionary, as you can see from the previous mashups we've collected below, but there's still something entertainingly jarring about the contrast of murderous, Machiavellian schemers and an aw-shucks title treatment reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie.
Below, some of our previous favorites from the show's rapidly growing pool of parodies.
Après la série des chefs pour Fricote, LeBlox revient avec une série de miniatures consacrée aux personnages de la série Game of Thrones. Les familles et les personnages ont été fait sur plusieurs semaines courant Février-Mars et l’intégralité est maintenant révélée en exclusivité sur Fubiz dans la suite.
Faltando 18 dias para a estreia da quarta temporada de “Game of Thrones”, a HBO comissionou o artista Robert M. Ball para criar uma série de ilustrações que representam cada morte da série.
A cada dia uma nova arte é liberada no site beautifuldeath.com, terminando no dia 6 de abril quando GoT retorna à TV.
Os fãs também podem enviar suas próprias interpretações artísticas das mortes, que ficam reunidas
Coincidência ou não, neste fevereiro tenebrosamente quente conheci duas coisas que conquistaram minha atenção: Emil Cioran, filósofo e escritor nascido na região da Transilvânia (mas francês de coração); e “True Detective”, nova série da HBO. E se você não entendeu a razão dessa suposta coincidência, saiba que chegarei nela em instantes. Portanto, continuem comigo.
Para muitos a idéia de “ser feliz” não está relacionada a estados momentâneos, mas é vista (e desejada) como algo permanente: uma condição que devemos lutar e perseguir até alcançarmos. E de fato, alguns buscam essa suposta felicidade num parceiro(a), família ou até mesmo em algum deus ou religião. Inclusive isso vende bem: basta olhar a quantidade de livros, palestras e até treinamentos motivacionais em busca desse pseudo nirvana.
Mas como conciliar essa idéia de felicidade permanente ao fato de que nossa própria existência definha dia após dia, em uma caminhada inevitável para a morte?
Esse pensamento radical – “ser feliz ou infeliz” – esconde de nós um meio termo dessa afinação sentimental. Uma espécie de conformismo de que, queira você ou não, a vida é mais complexa e profunda do que isto. E justamente por essa condição, precisamos aceitar e entender que esse estado não é necessariamente tenebroso.
“Minha consciência tem, para mim, mais valor do que a opinião do mundo inteiro”, – Cícero.
O universo de morte e sofrimento (pano de fundo em “True Detective”) é retratado nas obras de Cioran, em uma linguagem radicalmente íntima e pessoal, definida por ele como “a tradução de suas próprias sensações”. E, acreditem ou não, de um jeito pessimista (ou realista?) o autor mostra que é possível existir satisfação / aceitação com a própria vida, sem a real necessidade de perseguir qualquer outra resposta pré-formatada pelos meios.
“True Detective” segue a escola “Breaking Bad”, dando significados subliminares para tomadas, objetos, cores e até posicionamento de personagens e elementos.
Neste momento eu poderia estar falando tanto de Cioran, como do detetive Rust Cohle, protagonista interpretado de forma inacreditável pelo Matthew McConaughey. Já que eles compartilham a mesma idéia, espírito e motivação (ou a falta dela).
Sombrio e misterioso, Cohle está mergulhado em um universo cínico, incoerente e mentiroso. Mas que, para muitos (como para seu parceiro Marty, interpretado por Woody Harrelson), deve ser aceito e respeitado. Pois “apenas seguindo as regras da sociedade poderemos encontrar paz e equilíbrio nas nossas vidas”. O que não acontece nem para Cohle (que nunca compra a idéia), nem para Marty (que a prega, mas não consegue colocá-la em prática).
“Me considero um realista, certo? Mas, em termos filosóficos, sou o que se chama pessimista. Acho que a consciência humana foi um erro na evolução. Nós nos tornamos muito auto-conscientes. E a natureza criou um aspecto da natureza separado de si mesmo. Nós somos criaturas que não deveriam existir pela lei natural”, – Detetive Rust Cohle
“Todos os seres são infelizes. Mas quantos sabem disso?”, – Cioran
Nic Pizzolatto (criador da série) comprime nossos sentimentos e emoções em uma atmosfera que, embora rica em detalhes, não oferece nenhum atalho para descobertas ou considerações pessoais. Fazendo a alienação dos personagens ultrapassar a tela e contaminar nossas teorias. E o detetive Rust Cohle (que é ateu, como Cioran) nos despe por camadas, convidando-nos para questionamentos maiores sobre a vida, nossas ações e – ainda assim – nenhuma expectativa para conclusões profundas. Isso exige maturidade tanto de quem assiste, como dos criativos por trás da obra. E como vocês podem imaginar: esse cuidado e excelência não falta na produção.
Com uma narrativa não linear de tempo e espaço, McConaughey surpreende na interpretação do detetive Rust Cohle
Sabemos que a “escola Breaking Bad” influenciou muita gente depois de uma jornada absolutamente impecável. E por mais que ambas as séries não tenham ligação, “True Detective” segue padrões similares, nos presenteando com significados subliminares em diversas tomadas, objetos, acordes cromáticos e até posicionamento dos personagens e elementos. Tudo conversa.
Por outro lado, essa intensidade no roteiro (e principalmente nas atuações) deixa claro que não haverá fôlego o suficiente para carregar isto por muito tempo. Talvez seja uma série de uma ou no máximo duas temporadas. E assusta um pouco imaginar se a HBO teria o mesmo culhão que Vince Gilligan teve ao finalizar “Breaking Bad” – caso “True Detective” apresente um excelente resultado na audiência, é claro.
Como espectadores, evoluímos a cada ano. Não por mérito nosso, mas dos atores e diretores, que aumentam o sarrafo do que fazem: alargando nossas expectativas cada vez mais. E não pestanejo em afirmar que Matthew McConaughey se torna, neste momento, um dos maiores atores dessa geração. Em uma narrativa surpreendente de tempo / espaço (a história é contada em épocas distintas), McConaughey surpreende com uma interpretação nada linear, que vive (sem forçar a barra) um mesmo personagem em épocas diferentes. Nos convencendo da sua deterioração física e espiritual em uma memorável construção de personagem.
“Nada prova que nós somos mais do que nada”, – Cioran
“True Detective” foi lançada em janeiro, e justamente por isso não contarei nenhum spoiler que estrague a experiência de vocês. Portanto, o único convite aqui é: ousem assistir, questionar e voltar aqui para compartilharem suas impressões.
Após uma eletrizante terceira temporada, é difícil não estar com a expectativa lá no alto para a quarta temporada de Game of Thrones, que nos Estados Unidos tem estreia prevista para 6 de abril. E, ao que tudo indica, os fãs não vão se decepcionar. Pelo menos é a conclusão que podemos tirar a partir de Game of Thrones Season 4: Fire and Ice Foreshadowing, um preview do que vem por aí na saga criada por George R.R. Martin.
Com pouco mais de 14 minutos, o vídeo relembra alguns dos principais acontecimentos da última temporada, além de trazer entrevistas com a equipe de produção e elenco da série.
É possível até arriscar um palpite de que, ao contrário dos anos anteriores, em que a história começava devagar e só pegava embalo lá pela metade, a quarta temporada já vai começar embalada logo no primeiro episódio. Aqueles personagens que a gente até acreditava que estavam a salvo parecem estar prestes a perder sua imunidade, afinal, a primeira lição que se aprende com Game of Thrones é que não devemos nos apegar a ninguém.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
