Hasta La Creative!

BBDO New York launched the latest phase of its “Insure Carefully, Dream Fearlessly” campaign for American Family Insurance with a pair of new spots featuring retired Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, NBA All Star Kevin Durant and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. The two new ads take a very different approach than April’s “Free to Dream” spot.

Each ad opens with the question “What does it mean to be a champion?” as Jeter, Durant and Watt appear onscreen. Viewers are then introduced to a charitable organization run by people with dreams of bettering their communities.

In “School on Wheels,” it’s the organization of the same name, which helps homeless children succeed at school by providing tutoring services and supplies. Regional director Charles Evans is surprised and delighted when Jeter, Durant and Watt show up to help out one afternoon, almost as excited as his students. The experiences is “something these kids are going to remember for a lifetime,” Evans says near the conclusion of the sport, expressing gratitude that the star athletes are there helping with fractions and reading.

In “With Love Market,” With Love Market & Café gets the spotlight, a charity providing fresh produce and juice in a community where the only quick and easy option is fast food. In addition to the long-form online versions, the ads will also appear as 30-second broadcast spots and radio ads support the efforts. The celebrity causevertising approach makes sense for a brand with “Family” in its name. While the resulting spots may not make for the most captivating viewing, they certainly champion deserving causes.

Another spot from Elite Media, “Hometown Hero,” sees Durant surprise a young boy from his hometown who thinks he is about to appear on a talk show to discuss how his single mom is helping him achieve his dreams. 

Credits:

American Family Insurance “Insure Carefully, Dream Fearlessly” Creative Credits

Agency: BBDO New York
Client: American Family Insurance
Spot: “With Love Market” “School on Wheels”

Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director: Susan Golkin
Senior Creative Director: Eric Goldstein
Senior Producer: Becky Burkhard
Assistant Producer: Ali Gladstone
Head of Music Production: Rani Vaz
Music Producer: John Melillo
Business Manager: Matt Friday
Senior Account Director: Christine Smith/Neil Onsdorff
Account Director: Lindsey Wasson
Account Executive: Justin Choy
Assistant Account Executive: Emily Schade

Production Company: Smuggler
Executive Producer/ Co-Founder: Brian Carmody
Executive Producer/ Co Founder: Patrick Milling Smith
Executive Producer: Allison Kunzman
Executive Producer: Carole Hughes
Director: David Frankham
Line Producer: Bernard Rahill
Director of Photography: Ken Seng

Editorial Company: Crew Cuts
Executive Producer: Nancy Shames
Producer: Michelle Bellaff
Editor: Sherri Margulies (SOW) / Matt Shapiro (WLM)
Assistant Editor: Matt VanDaniker

Telecine Company: Company 3
Telecine Artist: Tim Masick
Executive Producer: Rochelle Brown

Conform / Finish Compnay / VFX: Suspect
Senior Frame Artist: Suzanne Dyer
Frame Artists: Chelsea Galen / John Yu
Assistant Frame Artist: Jae Park
Creative Director: Hoon Chong
Art Director/ Animator: Minna Choung
Producer: Tsiliana Jolson / Alex Decaneas
Executive Producer: Robert Appelblatt

Music Company: Beacon Street
Composer (Arranger): Andrew Feltenstein / John Nau
Producer: Leslie Delillo

Mix and Record Company: Sonic Union
Engineer: Mike Marinelli
Producer: Patrick Sullivan

“I Know Better” Song Credits:
Composer: John Stephens / Lyricist: John Stephens / Composer: Blake Mills / Lyricist: Blake Mills / Composer: Will Oldham / Lyricist: Will Oldham
Published By: John Legend Publishing.
All rights admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC (BMI)
Performer: John Legend
Vocals: John Legend
Piano: Larry Goldings
Hammond Organ: Larry Goldings
Guitar: Blake Mills
Bass: Blake Mills
Keys: Blake Mills
Rec Period – January 2016

Agency: Elite Media
Client: American Family Insurance
Spot: “Hometown Heroes”

Creative Chairman: Christopher Crawford
Creative Director: Eunique Jones Gibson
Art Director: Mohammed Alsaadi
Account Manager: Christina Brantley
Account Coordinator: D’Amber Allen
Project Coordinator: Jordana Jarrett
Production Company: CMS
Director: Eunique Jones Gibson
Director of Photography: Paulius Kontijevas
Supervising Producer: Amy Greenleaf
Line Producer: Jessica Toscano
Still Photographers: Sarah McClogan, Elton Anderson
Editorial: In House
Editor: Don Setzer
Graphic Design: In House
Music Company: Beacon Street
Composer (Arranger): Andrew Feltenstein / John Nau
Producer: Leslie Delillo

“I Know Better” Song Credits:
Composer: John Stephens / Lyricist: John Stephens / Composer: Blake Mills / Lyricist: Blake Mills / Composer: Will Oldham / Lyricist: Will Oldham
Published By: John Legend Publishing.
All rights admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC (BMI)
Performer: John Legend
Vocals: John Legend
Piano: Larry Goldings
Hammond Organ: Larry Goldings
Guitar: Blake Mills
Bass: Blake Mills
Keys: Blake Mills
Rec Period – January 2016

Kevin Durant may be a basketball star, but he knows how to cheer for the little people, too.

In this new co-branded ad for Nike and Foot Locker, the Oklahoma City Thunder player gets so excited while sitting courtside at a street game that he throws his legs—and his namesake KD 8 Nikes—into the air.

It’s just one part of an epic crowd reaction when a player—wearing the same Joker-esque purple and green shoes—lands a reverse dunk. Other highlights from the stands include a super slow-mo “Oh no!” face, a sax solo and even a kid blasting off with a jetpack (which doesn’t really seem like the safest idea given the crowd below, but anyways).

In fact, the only spectator who doesn’t lose his mind is Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves—the NBA’s 2015 slam dunk champion—who barely bothers to look up from studying a copy of a book titled The Funk on Dunk (which sadly doesn’t appear to be a real title … or at least, not one that’s currently in print).

Though to be totally honest, the move itself doesn’t come close to Blake Griffin’s latest for Jordan—or even Marvin the Martian’s.

CREDITS
Clients: Nike & Foot Locker

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Creative Directors: Chris Groom, Stuart Brown
Copywriter: Sheena Brady
Art Director: Mike Warzin
Producer: Kevin Diller
Interactive Strategy: Reid Schilperoort
Strategic Planning: Brandon Thornton
Media/Comms Planning: Charles Lee, John Furnari
Account Team: Jordan Muse, Katie Gurgainus, Chase Haviland, Luke Purdy
Business Affaires: Alicia Willett
Project Management: Emily Norman
Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples / Mark Fizloff
Head of Production: Ben Grylewicz

Production Company: MJZ
Director: Steve Ayson
Executive Producer: Emma Wilcockson
Line Producer: Mark Hall
Director of Photography: Philippe Le Sourd

Editorial Company: Exile Editorial
Editor: Kirk Baxter
Post Producer: Toby Louie
Post Executive Producer: CL Weaver

VFX Company: Saint
Flame Artist: Robert Trent
VFX Producer: Helen Park

—Digital/Interactive
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Creative Director: Chris Groom, Stuart Brown
Copywriter: Sheena Brady
Art Director: Mike Warzin
Producer: Kevin Diller
Interactive Strategy: Reid Schilperoort
Strategic Planning: Brandon Thornton
Media/Comms Planning: Charles Lee, John Furnari
Account Team: Jordan Muse, Katie Gurgainus, Chase Haviland, Luke Purdy
Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples / Mark Fitzloff
Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz
Digital Designer: Justin Morris
Exec Interactive Producer: Ben Oh
Content Producer : Keith Rice
Art Buying: Amy Berriochoa

Sonic has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the brand’s first sports endorsement deal, Adweek reports.

As part of the deal, Durant will star alongside Sonic’s “Two Guys” in a national broadcast campaign expected this summer. The “Two Guys” in question, New York-based former The Colbert Report writer Peter Grosz and Chicago-based improv comedian T.J. Jagodowski, have been a staple of the brand’s advertising since being brought back by GSP+P in early 2012, two years after being phased out after their initial run with Kansas City-based agency Barkley. Durant will also be involved with Sonic educational charity Limeades for Learning and will help brainstorm new menu items.

Durant achieved instant-celebrity with his emotional acceptance speech for the NBA MVP award, which, coupled with his connection to Sonic’s hometown of Oklahoma City, attracted the attention of CMO Todd Smith. “What really happened was the MVP speech that he made last year really pushed him into a national presence more, but also, his likability is off the charts,” Smith told Adweek. “For us, we wanted someone who has a hometown feel with a national presence because that’s the type of brand we are.”

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“I don’t want to talk about who’s the best. I want to talk about who’s the baddest,” says Dick Gregory, while chilling at a basketball court at the beginning of W+K Portland’s new spot for Nike, “The Baddest.”

After listing some historical candidates for “the baddest,” such as Connie Hawkins, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Spencer Haywood, and David Thompson, the spot goes on to make a case for Kevin Durant as “the baddest” right now, through video footage and a variety of testimonials. The well-edited 60-second spot also spends some time explaining what the title of “the baddest” means, with comparisons including “bad like a good Thanksgiving meal,” “bad like money” and “bad like black coffee.” It all makes for a fun, very watchable spot, regardless of whether or not you agree with Nike and W+K’s  choice for the title of “the baddest.” Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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Last year, Goodby Silverstein & Partners celebrated the holidays with their “BIG: Color” spot for the NBA, which they sometimes refer to as “Carol of the Balls” (sounds a bit gross to me.) Following on the success of that spot, the agency has put together another NBA Christmas carol for hoops fans, this time taking on the ubiquitous Christmas song known variously as “Jingle Bells” and “One-Horse Open Sleigh.”

The spot, “Jingle Hoops,” (the folks over at Goodby are undoubtedly referring to it as “Jingle Balls”) features five of today’s biggest NBA stars – Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Steve Nash and LeBron James – wearing Special Edition Christmas Day Uniforms and shooting hoops rigged with jingle bells, to a certain famous Christmas tune. Since the song normally ends with a shout of “Hey,” they had LeBron finish things out with an enthusiastic dunk. It’s a simple idea, well executed (personally I think they did a better job than with “Carol of the Bells” last year), that I imagine most NBA fans can appreciate.

Personally, I think it’s a bit early for Christmas/holiday stuff (Can we please wait until Thanksgiving?), but that’s a losing argument since the entire world has decided that November 1st (and sometimes earlier) is the proper time to start the winter holiday onslaught. Given that, the song choice is kind of appropriate, since “One-Horse Open Sleigh” was originally composed for Thanksgiving.

The Special Edition Christmas Day Uniforms are part of the Adidas Winter Court collection and will be worn by NBA players exclusively during Christmas Day games. Interested parties can purchase the uniforms online at the NBA store. Credits after the jump. continued…

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Hot Sauce. Skip to My Lou. Main Event. Kevin. The park league nickname has always been a valued tradition in the realm of streetball, meaningful monikers passed down from the basketball gods that can become legend, a la Dr. J or Pee Wee Kirkland. Kevin Durant, for all of his NBA greatness, has yet to merge his skills with an equally skillful nickname. Yes, there’s KD and the Durantula (and perhaps the best one via Jalen Rose, who resurrected the name Iceberg Slim), but it just doesn’t feel right yet.

For the latest Nike effort from W+K Portland, which was created in partnership with Foot Locker, the agency decided to take Durant’s lack of nicknameness and build an ad around it. The sixty-second spot, which features comedian Hannibal Buress as MC, is the coming-out party for Kevin “Kevin” Durant. Buress runs through pre-game introductions and calls out intricate nicknames for random guys like Don Juan Have a Picnic by the Pond, but when he gets to Durant, the crowd goes silent. Kevin Kevin: It’s funny because it’s true. Credits after the jump.

continued…

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