Jul
28
Mar
03
RPA Debuts Apartments.com ‘Launch’ with Jeff Goldblum
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA launched a new (reportedly $100 million) campaign for Apartments.com Sunday with the “Launch” spot (60-second online version featured above) starring Jeff Goldblum as “Silicon Valley maverick” Brad Bellflower.
Goldblum’s character lampoons Silicon Valley tech stereotypes, as he throws out buzzwords like “connected,” “synergisitic,” and “thought-leading.” He also finds time to describe how Apartments.com (or, as he calls it, the “apartminternet”) can help you find the right apartment. Goldblum’s involvement will no doubt gain the brand some attention, and he brings as much as he can to the role, though the dry humor fails to convincingly land any satisfactory punchlines.
The ad debuted during The Walking Dead and launches an “expansive, year-long national, regional, local and hyper-local media buy…designed to reach 95 percent of target audience 18 to 49 years old.” More ads will roll out over the course of the campaign, with placements during “high-profile premieres and season finales,” including The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, Empire, Survivor, and MLB and NBA games (including the NBA playoffs). The campaign will also be supported by widespread OOH, digital and social components.
“Apartments.com is determined to communicate with every renter in the country,” said Joe Baratelli, CCO at RPA, in a statement. “Jeff Goldblum perfectly portrays Brad, an over-exaggerated tech powerhouse, to capture attention for Apartments.com—the best apartment site on the market—while establishing the website as a trusted resource that will ensure people find the place they’ll love.”
Credits:
Agency: RPA
EVP/Chief Creative Officer: Joe Baratelli
SVP/GCD: Pat Mendelson
CD/AD: Hobart Birmingham
CD/CW: Perrin Anderson
ACD/AD: Kirk Williams
ACD/CW: Eric Haugen
SVP/Chief Production Officer: Gary Paticoff
VP/Executive Producer: Selena Pizarro
Producer: Joshua Herbstman
Agency Assistant Producer: Grace Wang
Production: Anonymous Content
Director: Tim Godsall
Director of Photography: Bryan Newman
Executive Producers: Eric Stern & Rick Jarjoura
Executive Producer/Production: SueEllen Clair
Line Producer: Brady Vant Hull
Production Supervisor: Timothy Kreis
Editorial: Cut+Run
Managing Director: Michelle Eskin
Executive Producer: Carr Schilling
Head of Production: Amburr Farls
Editor: Steve Gandolfi
Assistant Editor: Sean Fazende
Finishing: Jogger Studios
Creative Director: David Parker
VFX: Framestore
Sr. Executive Producer: James Razzall
Producer: Andrew McLintock
Design Director: Sharon Lock
CG Artist: Mike Bain
2D Supervisor / 2D lead – Michael Ralla
Audio Post Company: Lime Studios
Executive Producer: Jessica Locke
Sound Engineer: Dave Wagg
Transfer: Company 3
Executive Producer: Rhubie Jovanov
Producer: Alexis Guajardo
Colorist: Sean Coleman
Music Company: Barking Owl
Head of Production: Whitney Fromholtz
Creative Director: Kelly Bayett
Talent: Jeff Goldblum
Dec
02
RPA Rolls Out ‘Happy Honda Days’ Social Extension
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA has launched a social extension of its “Happy Honda Days” campaign, which launched last month featuring nostalgic toys of yesteryear.
The new extension consists of three new videos featuring Skeletor and He-Man, Jem and G.I. Joe, and Gumby and Pokey. The extension was launched yesterday with Skeletor taking over Honda’s Twitter account. Each duo sings a new version of a classic Christmas song (except for Gumby and Pokey, because they don’t know any Christmas songs) and calls on viewers to vote for their rendition. Honda will donate a total of $100,000 to three charities – Children’s Hospital of Orange County, the Little League Urban Initiative and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation — with $50,000 going to the charity associated with the winning video and the other two receiving $25,000 each.
In the most amusing of the three videos, Skeletor sings of his newfound bromance with He-Man to a rendition of “Jingle Bells,” which has been rechristened “Jingle Bros.” According to Skeletor, the duo are now Facebook friends and even got matching tattoos, although it ends with a not-so-surprising twist. In the other videos, G.I. Joe wins over Gem with some Kung Fu moves, and Gumby and Pokey interact with random items. You can watch them on Honda’s YouTube page and vote for your favorite (or just for the associated charity you’d most like to receive money). We’ve included “Jingle Bros” above and the other two videos after the jump. (more…)
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Nov
11
RPA Stokes Nostalgia for ‘Happy Honda Days’
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA looks to the gifts that you loved receiving as a kid in its “Happy Honda Days” campaign, celebrating such cultural touchstone of yesteryear as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Stretch Armstrong, Strawberry Shortcake and Gumby.
The ads all follow in a similar formula, with each character asking viewers if they remember how excited they were to receive them as a gift, before saying that they can get that same feeling by purchasing a Honda CRV, Civic or Accord. In the 30-second “Skeletor” spot above, for example, the He-Man villain reminds viewers of the exultation they felt when they got him as a holiday gift, before touting the CRV’s rear-view mirror, used to detect danger (in this case, He-Man). Children of the eighties and/or fans of these characters should appreciate the dose of nostalgia present in these ads as they tout the vehicles’ features, and RPA went ahead and applied the formula to half a dozen different characters so viewers don’t grow tired of the same ad.
“Every season consumers are inundated with holiday ads. Our goal is to break through the clutter by tapping into people’s memories of their favorite childhood toys and helping them relive that feeling of getting something they loved for the holidays by getting a great deal on a new Honda at the Happy Honda Days Sales Event,” explained Susie Rossick, senior manager at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
The broadcast spot will be supported by print ads in People, Sports Illustrated, and local newspapers in top markets, as well ad network radio ads.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Oct
15
RPA Goes Back to Basics for Honda
Posted in: UncategorizedYesterday we posted on an RPA campaign in which the agency dove into comedic short films for client Honda with the help of funny man Nick Thune.
In today’s offering, RPA does things a bit more traditionally for the same client. Here’s “Music Festival”:
The theme of the spot is “hipsters growing up,” and all the boxes have been checked: Austin, Texas; Portugal. The Man; comfort food; facial hair; throwback fashion.
We like the double twist at the end, though we still wonder whether the guy with the beard would be driving a new Honda.
What is he, an art director?
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Oct
14
RPA Turns Nick Thune into ‘Brad, the Lyft Driver’ for Honda Fit
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA is debuting a new online series promoting the Honda Fit with “Brad, the Lyft Driver,” a hidden-camera style video starring Nick Thune as Brad, an (overly) accommodating Lyft driver.
The series, directed by Fred Savage (Modern Family, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), shows Thune (in character as Brad) “maintaining a good vibe” while yelling obnoxiously out the window, rehearsing soap opera scenes with passengers, and creating creepy personalized mix tapes. While the antics can be amusing in small doses, the video stretches well past the three minute mark, overstaying its welcome a bit in the process.
As part of its “Fit For You” campaign, RPA is also teaming up with Vine stars Jordan Burt, KC James, Cody Johns and David Lopez for a series of Vine videos with each utilizing the Honda Fit in a video showcasing their individual style. (more…)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Sep
05
RPA Fills in the Gaps for Farmers Insurance
Posted in: UncategorizedInsurance: a confusing thing that you’d rather not think about…unless you’re measuring the amount of money it drains from your bank account every month.
Farmers Insurance wants to make the process a little less painful with the help of RPA, which produced this new TV campaign and an interactive website to help customers identify those potentially disastrous blind spots in their coverage.
In the first of two ads helmed by Craig Gillespie — better know as director of the Gosling vehicle Lars and the Real Girl – the dad from Juno helps demonstrate the difference between the world we’d like to live in and the one we wake up to every day:
Another one after the jump.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Sep
02
RPA Debuts New Work for ARCO
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA recently debuted a new campaign for recently-won client ARCO, following Tesoro’s purchase of ARCO from BP.
The campaign celebrates ARCO’s “top tier” designation, as its gasoline “exceeds EPA minimum detergent requirements to help clean engines and maintain optimal vehicle performance.” To highlight the benefits of treating your car right with ARCO gasoline, RPA chose to show some of the ways mistreat their vehicles in a series of four 30-second broadcast spots.
The light-hearted approach works best in “Treat” (featured above), when a woman decides “If top-tier gas at ARCO helps clean my engine, maybe I should clean the rest of my car.” She then imagines all the hard work inherent in undoing the neglect, including some pretty gross tasks, before tossing an empty coffee cup in the backseat and deciding “I’ll do that another time.”
Other spots in the campaign take a similar approach, with “Embarassing” focusing on some of the moments your car shouldn’t have to witness and “Mishap” taking on minor vehicular abuse. “Try It” changes things up, focusing instead on a couple’s misguided decision to go somewhere other than ARCO for gas. Each spot ends with the tagline, ““Your car puts up with a lot. Help protect it from harmful engine deposits. ARCO has quality TOP TIER® gas for less.” emphasizing ARCO’s quality and top tier designation. The campaign began last month with one broadcast spot and an outdoor component, and currently supports the four broadcast spots with online and radio elements, as well as a revamped website.
“We have a long history working on the ARCO brand, and appreciate the challenges of the competitive motor-fuel category,” said RPA EVP, Management Account Director Tom Kirk. “The agency’s goal is to further support ARCO’s brand positioning, and this new work focuses on ARCO’s holistic value proposition around product quality and affordability.” (more…)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Aug
04
RPA Spreads ‘Summer Cheerance’ for Honda
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA has launched a new integrated campaign for Honda highlighting the brand’s summer clearance event and attempting to spread summer cheer, under the face-palm worthy title “Summer Cheerance.”
To be fair, “Summer Cheerance” is at least memorable, however irksome the title may be. The campaign includes broadcast spots, print, digital, radio, “an abundance of smile-inducing videos, memes, GIFs and visual jokes via social media” and special events from August 4th until August 8th to promote the Honda Summer Clearance event. As part of the campaign, Honda will donate $100,000 to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
“Summer Cheerance” launched today with an introduction video (featured above), as well as a series of short videos designed to be shared on social media to spread summer cheer. For example, one video shows a pig swatting its tail for six seconds, followed by the message “We hope this video added some cheer to your day” and promotes Honda’s event with the #Cheerance hashtag. Other videos include dancing dolphins, an exhausted puppy and an “Epic Gopher.” Additionally, the brand has teamed up with YouTube star Andrew Hales, who will promote the brand with two videos on his YouTube channel. Stick around for a few examples, along with credits, after the jump. (more…)
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Jun
19
RPA Debuts ‘Fit for You’ for Honda
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA is promoting the launch of the all new 2015 Honda Fit with an integrated campaign entitled “Fit For You.”
Centered around a pair of 30-second television spots starring actor/comedian Nick Thune, the campaign also includes digital and social media activations, as well as multicultural campaign extensions featuring award-winning drummer Questlove and comedian Felipe Esparza, as well as a promotion in the upcoming game Ultra Street Fighter IV. The TV spots starring Thune, clearly aimed at Generation Y, find Thune answering a series of questions about the Fit and demonstrating its capabilities. Thune assures viewers that the new Honda Fit is “gluten-free,” can fit synths, the Stanley Cup, or even a whole dorm room full of stuff (minus the roommate) and is perfect for a move to Seattle. A further pair of spots will roll out in the coming weeks.
“The campaign takes a typical product demonstration and gives it an unexpected twist to show how the 2015 Honda Fit answers the needs of the customer in a very direct yet humorous way,” said Jeff Conrad, Honda division senior vice president and general manager. “The campaign leverages the Fit’s unique combination of space and versatility plus innovative technology and class-leading fuel efficiency to clearly show that the 2015 Honda Fit is the leader of the subcompact class.” Stick around for credits and a second spot after the jump. (more…)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Jun
04
RPA Debuts New Work for Honda
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA has two new spots for Honda that highlight the features and competitive advantages of Honda’s two core vehicles — the Accord and the Civic — continuing the “Start Something Special” tagline introduced last September.
While the copy is a relatively straightforward rundown of features and what sets Honda apart from the competition, the footage was a bit more complicated to capture. The spots use “a complex camera technique called parallax, whereby the camera and scenery are moved in such a way that the car appears to be moving when in actuality it’s standing still.” The Accord spot, for example, was filmed in one single shot, with the last take being the one used in the ad. All effects were done in camera, with elaborate lighting and choreography used to simulate different locations within the spot. RPA collaborated with production company Reset to create the desired effect. Stick around for credits and “Lydia’s Civic” after the jump. continued…
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May
22
RPA Issues ‘Slow Citations’ for Honda
Posted in: UncategorizedTo generate excitement for Honda’s upcoming “Fastest Seat in Sports” sweepstakes offering entrants a chance to ride along with Mario Andretti, RPA Andretti went around annoying people going about their everyday business with “slow citations” for doing things too slowly.
RPA and Honda just released footage of the stunt (featured above), which follows the “Honda Speed Control” as they issue these citations to unsuspecting civilians. Three additional “slow citation” videos will be released preceding the end of the sweepstakes on August 6th. Additionally, RPA will be issuing “slow citations” to unsuspecting brands or products that are too slow on Twitter.
“Honda is leveraging one of the most exciting opportunities in all of sports fandom—the opportunity to win a ride in the Honda two-seat Indy Car driven by Andretti—to broaden awareness of this incredible sweepstakes,” said Susie Rossick, senior manager at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “This humorous video and social effort give us the opportunity to bring attention to Honda’s racing spirit and the advanced technology and performance found in all of our Honda vehicles.”
Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Apr
17
RPA Shows off Mandalay Bay with ‘Resortist’ Extension
Posted in: Uncategorized
RPA has a new print and outdoor campaign for Mandalay Bay, extending their “Resortist” campaign.
The campaign strategy “is to further differentiate the resort by injecting the advertising executions with new electricity in a welcoming way befitting of a 120-acre resort.”
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Apr
02
RPA, Tool Share Terrible Parenting for Newport Beach Film Festival
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA teamed up with production company tool for a new campaign celebrating Newport Beach Film Festival’s 15th anniversary entitled “15 Years Under the Influence.”
The centerpiece of the campaign is a short film called “Bedtime Story.” In the two and a half minute video, directed by Tom Routson, a daughter asks her father to read her a story before bed. The father begins a story about “a beautiful princess who lived in a magical castle far, far away,” but soon finds himself bored with the story and strays from the narrative, deciding that the princess is not actually a princess but a “beautiful operating system” (referencing Spike Jonze’s Her). From there his story bounces all over the place, referencing memorable moments in independent film from the last 20 years or so, with a rather gory ending. Somehow, through all this his daughter manages to fall asleep, making the display of truly awful parenting seem almost sweet. In addition to its home online, the film will screen during this year’s festival in Newport Beach, which will take place from April 24th-May 1st. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Feb
03
Fred Armisen Hugs Bruce Willis for Honda, RPA
Posted in: UncategorizedSince few would argue that the commercials were more interesting than the game last night, chances are you saw RPA’s “Hugfest” spot, featuring Bruce Willis and SNL-alum/Portlandia star Fred Armisen.
The simple, straightforward spot features Willis urging viewers to hug those around them that they care about — “the people that matter to you, matter to us” — as a way of emphasizing Honda’s commitment to safety. Armisen then appears and hugs Willis for the duration of the 60 second spot.
“Our simple, yet engaging, big-game spot is intended to highlight not only Honda’s deep concern for the safety of our customers, but the actual industry-leading crash test results that back up our commitment,” explained Mike Accavitti, senior vice president of auto operations at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
The campaign extends beyond the big game spot, with a large social media component utilizing the hashtag #hugfest. During the Super Bowl, Honda posted “real-time video reactions from Willis about events such as penalties, fumbles and referee calls on the brand’s @Honda Twitter feed.” Immediately after the spot aired, Honda encouraged viewers to send virtual hugs (actually Willis hugging the camera) to loved ones who they couldn’t be near during the big game. Today, Honda is collecting hugs via Twitter by asking people “to send a picture or Vine of their hug with the hash tag #hugfest.” Bruce Willis will then respond with a “meme appraisal of the hug.” Additionally, Honda will have a homepage takeovers at MSN and ESPN, where a 30-second spot “How to Hug” video featuring Willis and Armisen will greet visitors to the sites. You can view “How to Hug,” along with credits after the jump. continued…
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Jan
08
RPA’s Optimistic New Campaign for Honda Claims ‘Today is Pretty Great’
Posted in: UncategorizedMore from Honda today, this time with news of RPA’s new “One More Thing to Love About Today” campaign — featuring “print, digital and TV spots, speaking to the optimism of today’s youth.”
Like Orci’s “Gol!Gol!” spot for Honda’s Hispanic campaign, “Today is Pretty Great,” the campaign’s full-length online debut, centers around an original song — in this case by blues rock band Vintage Trouble. The band begins by focusing on the negative, claiming “Yeah it’s worse than ever, but that’s just where we’re at,” before being interrupted by a young woman who answers, “Except, it’s not.” Her thoughts are soon echoed by a chorus of optimistic young people. The remainder of the spot focuses on all the things to love about today: mostly cultural references designed to appeal to Millenials, like Adventure Time and Nyan Cat (which, strictly speaking, is more 2011 than today). Around halfway through the spot, Vintage Trouble change their tune, seemingly convinced by the unbridled optimism of the chorus of young whippersnappers. The 2014 Civic Coupe and Si Coupe are featured throughout the ad, which ends with the hashtag #LoveToday, designed to draw Millenials into the conversation.
A 30 second TV spot debuts today on network and cable television and will run through February. Appropriately, the campaign is complemented by mobile and social media endeavors, such as “sole sponsorship of a first-to-market digital scrapbook on…Spotify,” offering full-song previews on SoundHound, “sole ownership of MTV’s Artist to Watch 2014 program, featuring a live digital stream of the Artist to Watch concert,” homepage takeovers on MSN and Yahoo, and mobile placements in popular games like Scramble With Friends and MoviePop. Stay tuned for the 30 second TV spot and credits after the jump. continued…
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Dec
03
LA Ad Execs Reveal Favorite Xmas Childhood Memories for thinkLA, Toys for Tots
Posted in: UncategorizedNonprofit collaborative thinkLA has a fun social media campaign promoting their Holiday Gala this Thursday, Dec. 5. The campaign features LA ad executives — like Joe Baratelli (featured above), EVP/CCO at RPA (well, actually, it’s all RPA at the moment)– sharing their favorite holiday memories in 15 second long videos. We’ve included a few of our favorites, but you can check out the rest here, or follow thinkLA on Facebook or Twitter. The videos are a quick, fun way to get in the holiday spirit, if that’s your sort of thing. And this is all being done for a good cause.
According to the parties involved, the LA advertising community and thinkLA put together the second largest T0ys for Tots drive in Southern California (around 1,000 toys). Toy collection bins are making the rounds at agencies this week, and will continue collecting toys until December 17th. But the biggest Toys for Tots push will come during the Holiday Gala this Thursday. So check out the holiday videos (Lisa Herdman and J. Barbush are featured after the jump), and if you’re in Southern California this Thursday head on over to the Holiday Gala with something to donate to Toys for Tots. We hear thinkLA throws a great party, so why wouldn’t you? continued…
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Nov
18
RPA Taps Michael Bolton as ‘Talent’ for ‘Happy Honda Days’
Posted in: UncategorizedIf there’s one thing the Internet loves (aside from cats and pornography), it’s cheesy celebrities from bygone eras. This has accounted for the revival of figures like Rick Astley, who has reemerged in the public consciousness thanks to rickrolling. RPA seeks to cash in on the phenomenon with their “Happy Honda Days” campaign, featuring Michael Bolton, the man once referred to as a “no-talent ass clown” in Office Space who returns to advertising after stints in spots like the one for Optimum earlier this year.
The campaign contains four new spots, all of which feature Bolton singing. Each spot begins by asking “What does it feel like to get a great deal at Happy Honda Days?” before answering with an original holiday song from Michael Bolton. (These would have been much funnier if they had made Bolton sing “When a Man Loves a Honda,” but I digress…) Our favorite is the spot featured above, in which Bolton’s singing is met by blank stares (probably the most honestly depicted reaction of the four spots/how we would react in that situation). As you can surmise, RPA went for the goofy approach with this campaign, in the hopes that people find the spots memorable. It would help if there was a little more variation among the four 30 second ads, as they all feel like basically the same spot. In addition to the TV campaign, there will be a live social media event on November 22nd featuring Bolton delivering personalized messaged under the promoted hashtag #XOXOBolton, as well as print and radio campaigns.
We don’t know about you, but we can’t see or hear anything about Michael Bolton without thinking of this. Credits and second “Happy Honda Days” spot after the jump. continued…
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Nov
12
RPA, Honda Want You to Meet 105-Year-Old Civic Driver, Edythe
Posted in: UncategorizedRPA launched their “Start Something Special” campaign for Honda (somewhat disappointingly) with the story of Mairead and Kevin’s very Irish wedding and their “Thank You” TV spot. The latest in the campaign is a lot more interesting.
The spot highlights 105-year-old Civic driver Edythe Kirchmaier, who really is something special. Edythe spends her autumn years helping people in need: she has been volunteering for Direct Relief for around 40 years. She learned to drive, at the age of 16, in 1924 on her uncle’s Ford Model T. Even more amazingly, she has maintained a perfect driving record her entire life — without so much as a parking ticket. She’s also the oldest registered user on Facebook, which she uses to dispense wisdom gleaned from over a century of experience. This latest addition to Honda’s “Start Something Special” series shows the potential in this kind of campaign. It’s the kind of story people want to hear and can’t wait to share. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come from RPA, although I get the feeling this will be the highlight of the campaign. Edythe’s story launches today at #StartSomething stories. Credits after the jump. continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Jul
15
Honda Test-Drives Social Media Sharing with #WantNewCar
Posted in: UncategorizedDo you hate your car? Do you want to let the world know how frustrated you are driving around in a jalopy that is beyond repair? Honda can help – sort of. For the rest of today, Honda will be tweeting back Vine videos at unhappy drivers who post #WantNewCar on Twitter. The Twitter/Vine combo, developed by the automaker’s longtime agency RPA, is part of Honda’s Summer Clearance Sales Event, and is meant to provide some catharsis to drivers even though there aren’t any discounts or financial incentives for using the hashtag. There probably should be.
If you watch the promo clip above, you’ll see what it looks like when brands use social media for the sake of using social media rather than really committing to interacting with consumers on various social platforms.Take KFC and their annoying, yet memorable, #IAteTheBones campaign. It’s made to go viral and is primarily identifiable to KFC and no other brand. On Twitter, KFC offers followers free merchandise and deals related to the hashtag on a regular basis. Honda is only responding for one day. Even though Honda’s hashtag is much more relatable (one could argue it’s too generic) the execution feels unsure of itself, just like a teenage driver getting behind the wheel for the first time. Credits after the jump.
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