Hasta La Creative!

Is it time for football again already?? Yes, it is.

That means it’s time for a new W+K campaign promoting Bud Light’s NFL team branded cans.

The launch spot “This Is Your Can’s Year” opens with voiceover courtesy of actor Michael K. Williams (aka Omar Little), who asks,”Will this can repeat? Will this can make it back?” over shots of a hand reaching into a cooler full of ice to pull out a Bud Light can with the Broncos logo on it and a Carolina Panthers can awaiting a drinker at a tailgating party.

“Or is this your can’s year?” the voiceover adds, as someone opens a fridge full of New England Patriots cans. The spot plays up both the brand’s legacy and the legacy of individual teams with the line “You root for this can, your father roots for this can, your father’s father rooted for this can.”

“This Is Your Can’s Year” also manages to work in cameos from former NFL stars Bo Jackson, Justin Tuck and Tim Couch. The approach is almost a given for the brand and NFL sponsor, as cans branded with fans favorite teams is an obvious selling point for a beer long associated with football. The spot, directed by Mark Romanek, manages to work in references to a wide variety of teams in ways that speak to either the teams’ recent history or location (a man struggling to open a frozen Buffalo Bills can, for example) and the brisk pacing keeps things from getting boring. It makes its broadcast debut this Thursday during Thursday Night Football. The campaign also includes local OOH executions targeting fans of individual teams. 

“Just like wearing your favorite player’s jersey or team colors is a badge of honor, so is drinking from your Bud Light team can,”  Mark Goldman, senior marketing director, Bud Light, said in a statement. “Our mission with our new film was to pay tribute to the passion fans feel for their team, and capture the optimism that we all feel as NFL fans at the beginning of the season, when it truly can be your team’s year.”

“The game wouldn’t be the same for us players without the fans who put their heart and soul into game day,” added Tuck. “The Bud Light ad honors each and every one of these fans and their passion for the sport.”

That’s cool. We are just glad to report that Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen were nowhere near this spot.

W+K Portland tapped some of the world’s greatest athletes for their new holiday spot touting the advantages of Nike Hyperwarm Performance Baselayer, directed by Rupert Sanders. ”Winning in a Winter Wonderland” features the talents of Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, skier Julia Mancuso, snowboarder Scotty Lago, soccer stars Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux, and former Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, who now appears to be headed to Seattle. Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer also makes a brief cameo appearance.

While undeniably cheesy (hey, it’s the holidays) the spot does an admirable job at promoting the Nike Hyperwarm Performance Baselayer. People are prone to listen to endorsements from star athletes, and W+K got a wide, varied group together for the spot. They emphasize that the Nike Hyperwarm Performance Baselayer makes playing in cold, harsh conditions seem almost enjoyable by keeping you warm without restricting movement, perfectly matching the song selection. “Winning in a Winter Wonderland,” of course, changes the words of the holiday classic, which gets a bit cringe-worthy in spots but mostly comes across as cheesy holiday fun. The words are sung by the star athletes in the spot, mostly while in action, and they seem to have a lot of fun with it — which makes it hard to hate.

The campaign features both a one minute and thirty second version of the spot, as well as a digital takeover and social media elements.”Winning in a Winter Wonderland” premiered during college football’s Big Ten NCAA Championship game and will run throughout the holiday season. Credits after the jump.  continued…

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