Hasta La Creative!

As you may or may not know, May 4th is celebrated as Star Wars Day or “May the 4th be with you” due to the obvious pun on the date in the latter phrase. The first organized celebration of the event took place in Toronto in 2011 and it has spread quickly since. Unsurprisingly, brands have been quick to get in on the act.

With Kraft’s recent release of Star Wars Shapes Mac & Cheese — featuring characters Yoda, Darth Vader, C3PO and R2D2 — it was obvious the brand would do something big for the celebration, which gains extra traction this year with fans’ feverish anticipation for the latest installment. So CP+B, Kraft’s agency of record, created the “Official Soundtrack of #Maythe4thBeWithYou” for the brand. The station, which will be hosted on Pandora by DJ Ted Williams, who will offer interludes in-between classic songs from the films mixed in with “a range of remixes from different genres.” Kraft will also debut Star Wars-themed macaroni art for the holiday on the brand’s Pandora site. The effort should be a hit with young Star Wars fans, which Kraft hopes will draw even more of them to its Star Wars Shapes Mac & Cheese.

Leo Burnett has unveiled its first work for Kraft’s struggling Jell-O brand with the 30-second spot “Faces.” Kraft shifted its Jell-O account from CP+B to Leo Burnett as part of a broader consolidation announced in December.

Set to the song “More Smiles” by Los Angeles duo The Jump Ups, “Faces” shows a variety of Jell-O creations built to resemble smiling faces, with the text “101 ways to make you…” temporarily interrupting the action. The ad ends with a father and daughter laughing while mixing up some Jell-O in the kitchen, followed by the tagline, “made with J-E-L-L-O-V-E.” It marks a shift in focus for the brand, as it emphasizes the moments families share when they make Jell-O products.

“What we found is that Jell-O is a catalyst for these incredible bonding moments between parents and their kids and the experience in making the product is really where all the emotion exists,” Jell-O Brand Director Noelle O’Mara told AdAge.

Kraft is bringing back the Zesty Guy for a new series of print ads, despite (or more likely because of) the backlash the brand received last time around from conservative protest group One Million Moms. Zesty Guy, created by agency Being, played by model Anderson Davis and photographed by Douglas Friedman, will be shirtless and sometimes pantsless in ads for the Raspberry Vinaigrette, Classic Catalina, Thousand Island and Classic Ranch dressings. (Check them all out after the jump.) His obsessive need for salad dressings in bizarrely nonfood situations is still a bit odd, but the variety of costumes and settings makes up for it. Plus, he seems like he's having a good time. And to think, he might not have come back at all if the moms hadn't complained about his "g*nitals" the first time around.

With a sold-out inventory of spots costing $1.7 million per 30 seconds, this Sunday's Academy Awards presentation on ABC is looking to be quite an epic advertising event. But one brand will use its pricy piece of time to promote something even more epic. Grey Poupon is reviving its famed "Pardon me" ad campaign from the 1980s and '90s, though the new version by Crispin Porter + Bogusky seems to contain quite a bit more automotive combat and evasive driving. During the Oscars, watch for the 30-second teaser trailer below, which will be your sign that the full 2-minute ad is live on GreyPoupon.com. Then check out the March 4 issue of Adweek for the full story behind the ad's creation and execution. In case you need a reminder of how this all got started, we've added the original 1981 ad after the jump.

UPDATE: The full two-minute short film is now live. See below.

Ted Williams, o sem-teto da voz de ouro, que se transformou em sensação viral no começo de 2011, também foi convertido em Titanium através das mãos da Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

A agência inscreveu toda a campanha que criou para o Macaroni & Cheese da KRAFT. Menos de 48 horas depois do vídeo original ganhar repercussão, a marca já escalava Ted Williams para locução de comerciais do produto.

O ex-mendigo acabou se transformando em garoto-propaganda, protagonizando comerciais, e atendendo ao desejo da KRAFT de rejuvenescer a marca ao aproveitar uma oportunidade surgida da internet.

Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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Have you ever had one of those days where everything seemed out of control, and you weren’t getting anything completed? Then, when you finally realized that you made some progress, an itch in your brain was nagging you, saying that you missed something important. You think, “If I could only remember…I just wish I knew wha…It hits you. 
Mine was that I had forgotten my “blogging time.” Maybe that’s why I’m in such a crappy mood. I dig writing…it’s my down time. However, just like of you, ideas are constantly spinning in my head, and when I see something that grabs me, I write it down, email it to myself, put it in my Blackberry, or write a note on my hand. It’s quite a remarkable system. (I wonder if I can direct-tweet myself?)

Twitter was everywhere today! Releasing new apps, getting press, products launches were being announced on Twitter…there were so many things happening, it was hard to keep up.

Is your company embracing Social Media? Are you an early-adopter? You had better be. Where do you stand?:

We  have it and use it daily

We  have an account set up, but no idea what to do with it

We  just don’t get it (it’s all these damn kids today)

To determine the who’s who, I follow businesses on Twitter to see how they engage consumers. And, if you’ve read anything regarding Social Media,this is considered a “good idea”…some do a fantastic job and have real conversations. Engagement.Shhh! Dunkin’ Donuts would be one, with “Dunkin’ Dave Tweetin for the mother ship.” DraftFcb is another, offering insights on their blog, the latest podcast, newest campaign, and HR news. Although not implemented yet, DiGiorno Pizza is planning to use influential tweeters to host tweetups (gatherings) and Kraft will deliver DiGiorno Pizza…but wait, it’s NOT delivery, it’s DiGiorno delivered? Either way, good idea. Unfortunately, Kraft is nowhere to be found. Allstate has a fantastic page and great rapport. Companies that have accounts with nothing going on?  Sear has two accounts, no followers. Krogers, Dominicks, Safeway, Publix–all grocery stores, not a single one on Twitter. Whole Foods? You betcha, with over 400,000 followers. Cleverly, I decided to check ad agencys, but received a measely 155 members using “advertising” as my search term. Then, I decided to enter agency names to see if they had accounts, and for the sake of future employment, I am not going to list them. However, names that I thought would be there, weren’t.

Some Twitter Nuggets
Over the last two months, according to Socialmediaatwork.com, Twitter has exploded. Twitter’s demographic skews  female (53%) and is mainly made up of 18-34 year olds. However, Worldwide, the highest indexing group for users is A45-54. Twitter surpassed the NY Times in unique visitors in April, became the top social network used by hospitals in March, and also recorded that 17% of UK businesses are on Twitter. It seems that Twitter is not only growing up, but expanding it’s reach into business.
Don’t Use Twitter if
As a business, there are certain things that will keep you from using Twitter effectively. The entire list is is on AdAge, but a couple of the funnier entries were, “You have to run your tweets by legal” and, “You think a ghost-tweeter for the president of your company is OK.” For more reasons your company should not use Twitter, check out AdAge.

Jeff Louis is a Strategic Media Planner & Buyer with over seven years of B2B & B2C experience. His interests are emerging media, schweet  ideas, and redefining the status quo (not necessarily in that order.)  He’s passionate about writing and digs great creative that is on-strategy. Follow him on twitter @jlo0312, or LinkedIn, www.LinkedIn.com/in/jefflouis

A lot of gimmicks have been done by Facebook and its partners but this one has to be acknowledged. When you add the Kraft Application to your Facebook account, you automatically direct Kraft to feed 6 meals to hungry families. The same scenario happens when you successfully refer a friend to add the Kraft application. How is that for great advertising strategy that is bound to gain the nod of most people who look highly on acts of charity eh?

The consumer-goods giant earlier this month hooked up with social marketing company SocialVibe to release a cause-related Facebook application. The twist: Kraft donates six meals to hungry families through the Feeding America charity for each friend users convince to add the application.

It seems like an act of goodwill and something that can really entice any Facebook user to check out. Besides, if you have nothing better to give, why not help families in need? Better yet, entice your friends. Your effort is sure to spread to the others and perhaps we can help feed people who are growing hungry this holiday season. Not a bad cause!

(Source) AdWeek

Get ready for the big cheesy taste.

Advertising Agency: DRAFTFCB Melbourne, Australia
Creative Director: Scott Lambert
Art Director: Chris Shoolman
Copywriter: Miriam Sleiman
Illustrator: Anita Xafier
Photographer: Andreas Smentana
Published: May 2008