Hasta La Creative!

Leo Burnett’s “Like A Girl” spot for Procter & Gamble’s brand Always, which redefined the phrase with a feminist spin, was one of the most viewed, discussed and highly-awarded ads released last year. This March, the agency released a follow-up spot for International Women’s Day showing girls’ impressive accomplishments and calling on viewers to submit what they do “Like A Girl” on social channels. Now the agency has revealed the true sequel to “Like A Girl” with the 2:30 online spot “Unstoppable.”

Like its predecessor, “Unstoppable” deals with the loss of confidence girls feel during puberty, accompanied by a sense of limitations imposed by gender stereotypes and expectations. It begins with the question “Do we limit girls?” appearing on screen, followed by “We asked them.” Interview subjects confirm that girls do in fact feel limited. The girls say they feel pressured to be happy, traditional, to avoid challenges, while one points out that boys are always the heroes who rescue someone in stories. After sharing the statistic that 72 percent of girls feels society limits them, they instruct the girls to write the limitations they shared on boxes, which the girls then attack. Unfortunately, Leo Burnett and Always didn’t honor one girl’s wish to blow up the boxes. The ad ends by calling on viewers to “Share how you are unstoppable #LikeAGirl.” While it doesn’t have quite the same impact as its predecessor, “Unstoppable” is still a fine sequel, exploring the same themes as “Like A Girl” and taking on societal gender stereotypes. It’s unlikely to reach quite the same level of virality as “Like A Girl,” but “Unstoppable” is already well on its way to being its own phenomenon, already racking up almost 2.5 million views on YouTube since its release yesterday.

Always also announced a partnership with TED to release confidence-boosting content for girls through the Ted-Ed educational platform. They also released a video by twelve-year-old filmmaker Zuriel Oduwole exploring the brand’s 30-year commitment to puberty education, which we’ve featured below.

McDonald’s won’t just sate your hunger and comfort you when you’re down. It will actually save your aborted love life.

Or so claims a new U.K. ad from Leo Burnett London. The burger chain plays matchmaker, featuring a couple with basically no chemistry on what appears to be a first date. That is, at least, until the end, after they’ve parted ways unceremoniously and slunk off separately to grab a bite at McDonald’s, where … well, you’ll see.

It’s a nice thought for a brand that trades in tasty greasiness and the illusion of happiness. He’s like a British Bradley Cooper. She’s like a British Alison Brie. The tight scenes—a nonsense art gallery, a botched trip to the bowling lanes—contribute to the credible sense of awkwardness. And coincidences that might serve as ice(berg) breakers (sorry) could easily be mistaken for fate (especially because the relatively small menu seems to improve the odds of alignment).

Unfortunately, the ending really is nothing but a deus ex (big) mac-hina (sorry, again). Given their social skills—or lack thereof—running into each other again would probably, in reality, just make the whole situation even worse.

Are they really going to sit together at that point? How long can they talk about french fries and barbecue sauce, when they clearly have nothing else in common? Plus, even if it goes well, they’re probably just replacing heartache with stomachaches. Then they’ll have to say goodbye all over again—and it’s highly doubtful either is carrying a breath mint.

In all seriousness, though, it’s a sweet story, especially if you like that fake strawberry flavor.

After casting the completely fictional characters Walter White and Lindsay Lohan in its Super Bowl ad, Esurance brings things a little closer to reality via the thoughts of young children in its latest campaign by Leo Burnett Chicago.

“#EqualDreams” is the company’s way of saying that, no matter what the United States Supreme Court decides, the auto insurance industry will cover everyone who can afford it.

The ad (directed by Tom Dey of Native Content, edited by Cutters Chicago) works by interviewing the very young attendees of a recent Windy City wedding. Key insights include:

“When I kiss the bride, it’s gonna both be exciting and disgusting.”

“And if my husband doesn’t like the cake then he will buy his own cake.”

The release tells us that, since 2011, Esurance has offered discount married rates to its LGBT customers even if the states in which they live do not legally recognize such unions.

Leo Burnett EVP Brian Shembeda says:

“Sometimes children can make complex issues so simple. Their words, as heard in the video, help us understand why equality is important. Because all children deserve the same right to pursue their dreams.”

For once, general cynicism about advertising practices proves unwarranted: the perfect cast in this short film came about at least in part because the bride is director of production and planning for the Chicago Humanities Festival.

Leo Burnett launched the animated spot “Safe In My Hands” as part of its “Out Holding Hands” campaign for Pride Month, which encourages the LGBT community to hold hands publicly.

The spot focuses on hands from the beginning, as a young man feels alienated by his one giant hand — which comes across as a sort of strange illustration of the alienation that young people with LGBT can face. He tries to hide the hand while out in public, until he meets someone who shares the same feature. As the two proudly hold hands, the animation fades into live action footage of a couple walking while holding hands, followed by the message “being visible should never leave you feeling vulnerable” and the tagline “Everyone deserves to be in good hands.” The ad is supported by digital and social elements, including one allowing visitors to virtually hold hands, while visitors to the campaign website can upload a picture of their outstretched hand to become part of a continuously growing hand-holding chain. “Out Holding Hands” also includes print and OOH elements, as well as the brand’s participation in Pride Month events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New Jersey and Minneapolis.

“This is an important time for the LGBT community and Allstate wants to be part of creating a future where everyone can feel safe to show love and affection in public without judgment,” Allstate vice president of marketing Georgina Flores told The Drum. “We want to showcase our dedication in a way that elicits empowerment and action.”

Less than two months after announcing its creative review to AdAge, Marshall’s chose Leo Burnett as digital/creative AOR.

On the win, the client’s VP of Marketing Louisa Milligan says:

“With Leo Burnett’s experience with some of America’s most well-known brands, we are excited to begin this partnership to communicate the Marshalls brand story.”

Leo Burnett North America CEO Rich Stoddart added:

“We’re thrilled to partner with Marshalls and look forward to creating work that communicates their value and impacts their bottom line.”

The account had been with Austin’s GSD&M since that agency won it away from Hill Holliday back in 2008; Hill subsequently held the digital portion of the business until 2011. GSD&M did not participate in the review and, when the move was first announced, cited its “very successful relationship with the Marshalls’ team over the past seven years.”

The client is not completely new to the Burnett organization: in 2013, its Hispanic wing Lapiz won the business on the strength of its “first ever in-depth Latino shopper study.”

The Massachusetts-based Marshall’s, which was acquired in 1995 and now forms the Marmaxx Group along with T.J. Maxx, calls itself “the largest off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S.”; the company spent $141 million on measured media in 2014.

The account will be run out of the agency’s Chicago office.

If the name Max Greenfield doesn’t ring a bell, he’s one of the stars on Fox’s New Girl. 

You’ll be seeing plenty of him over the next month or so thanks to a new campaign from McDonald’s to promote the fast-food giant’s Third Pound Sirloin Burgers.

Greenfield, in fact, shot 25 spots in a day for the project (helmed by Leo Burnett), which provides us with a constant stream of “Lovin’ Reminders.”

It’s part of a larger brand effort from McDonald’s to “be transparent” as the company tries to overcome a somewhat distressing year that included very little in the way of good news. Whether efforts like this can provide a bit of a turnaround remains to be seem, but you can check out more of the Leo spots below and be the judge: too folksy for their own good?

Client: McDonald’s
Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago
Campaign: “Sirloin Third Pound Burger Lovin’ Reminders”
Chief Creative Officer: Susan Credle
Executive Creative Director: John Hansa
Senior Creative Director: Tony Katalinic
Creative Directors: Michael Porritt, Frank Oles
Associate Creative Director: Gloria Dusenberry
Art Director: Scott Fleming
Copywriters: Brandon Crockett, Chris Davis, Leigh Kunkel
Head of Production: Vincent Geraghty
Executive Producer: Denis Giroux
Senior Producer: Scott Gould
Business Manager: Shirley Costa
Senior Talent Manager: Linda Yuen
Music Supervisor: Chris Clark
Managing Account Director: Jennifer Cacioppo
Account Directors: Josh Raper, Jennifer Klopf
Account Supervisor: Dave Theibert
Account Manager: Sue Rickey
Planning Directors: Claudia Steer
Legal: Carla Michelotti, Laura Cooney
Clearance: Michelle Overby
Editorial Production: Cutters Studio
Post Production: Flavor Chicago
Audio: Another Country

This morning McDonald’s unveiled its newest mascot on Twitter with a little help from Leo Burnett, the agency responsible for handling its turnaround.

Here’s the initial message, which went live a couple of hours ago (spot by LB):

Wait, is this who we think it is??! https://t.co/rc9xhQrAUi

— McDonald’s (@McDonalds) May 6, 2015

Is it? Even Mashable had to add an “…uh…” before running an image of “this guy”:

The newer, sexier Hamburglar would appear to be an attempt to both promote a new limited-time “sirloin” burger and position McD’s as a slightly more mature establishment rather than one staffed by surreal, possibly drugged-up cartoon characters.

For more evidence of the latter, the client did recently release an “artisan” (not “artisanAL”) chicken sandwich, which helped one Slate writer deal with the deep shame he felt after ordering an Egg McMuffin.

The client also created the requisite hashtag, returning to the character’s indecipherable catchphrase “robble robble.” Social media couldn’t quite make up its mind on the new guy; Gawker labeled him an “EDM-loving asshole dad” and we personally vacillated between calling him a cyber-criminal and a pro wrestler.

From Tim Dickinson of Rolling Stone:

Hamburglar looks like a male stripper. I might be ok with that.

— Tim Dickinson (@7im) May 6, 2015

No “dadbod” on this dude despite his suburban house-husband day job.

Sadly, no one alerted the McRib.

There’s a new Hamburglar? @dadhamburglar “@McDonalds: Wait, is this who we think it is??! https://t.co/3mAoiPAZtF“

— McRib Sandwich (@McRibSandwich) May 6, 2015

Adland’s trend toward weepy gratitude continues, just in time for Mother’s Day, as Hallmark rolls out a series of videos from Leo Burnett in which people express love and appreciation for their moms.

The ads are part of the brand’s “Put Your Heart to Paper” campaign. Hallmark encourages its subjects—who are unaware their moms are watching in another room and will soon join them on camera—to express their deeper feelings beyond predictable phrases like “Thank you” and “I love you.”

This elicits some heartfelt, even impassioned responses.

Alana, raised by a single mother and a new mom herself, says, “If I didn’t have my mom, I think I would be lost.” Emilio says of his mother Floridalma, “She taught me what it is to be a man and what to look for in the mother of my children.”

It’s almost impossible not to be moved by this stuff. Which, of course, is the whole point. Still, the basic concept—thanking those you love—no matter how well intentioned or executed, feels tired, simply because it’s been trotted out so much lately.

Ogilvy’s award-winning “Why Wait Until Its Too Late?” campaign for funeral insurance company Dela got things rolling. Other notable entries include MetLife’s “Who Do You Live For?” spots from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, and the recent “Thank List” initiative created for American Greetings by Mullen.

With these mom-themed videos, Hallmark contributes a perfectly fine flight of tearjerkers to the category. At this point, however, I’m a little burned out on branded gratitude, and crying mostly because I wish the trend would stop.

CREDITS
Client: Hallmark
Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago
Chief Creative Officer: Susan Credle
Executive Creative Director: Charley Wickman
Creative Directors: Mark Wegwerth, Christopher Cole
Senior Art Director: Kate Sullivan
Senior Copywriter: Adam Ferguson
Head of Production: Vincent Geraghty
Executive Producer: Tom Keramidas
Senior Producer: Rena Dusenbury
Business Manager: Anne Carbo
Senior Talent Manager: Linda Yuen
Music Supervisor: Chris Clark
Music: Massive Music
Managing Account Director: Karla Flannery
Account Supervisor: Amy Walloch
SVP Participation Strategy Director: Kevin Lilly
Planning Director: AJ Livsey
Production company: Chelsea
Editorial company: White House Post
Post Production Company: The Mill
Director: Lauren Greenfield
Head of Production: Adam Guliner
Line Producer: Julianne Maloney
Editor: David Cea
Assistant Editor: Travis Hockswender
Executive Producer: Kristin Branstetter
Audio Mix: Erik Widmark
Colorist: Luke Morrison

Here’s a simple and fun McDonald’s campaign from Leo Burnett Dubai promoting the fast-food chain’s delivery service, showing various characters receiving exactly what they love in a McDonald’s bag. (Not McDonald’s food, mind you, though you get the point.)

And that’s a key that the robot is getting, people. A key.

Via Adeevee.

More ads and credits below.

CREDITS
Client: McDonald’s
Agency: Leo Burnett Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Executive Creative Director: Andre Nassar
Creative Director: Rondon Fernandes
Art Director: Daniel Salles, Robison Mattei, Victor Toyofuku
Copywriter: Wayne Fernandes
Head Of Art: Bruno Bomediano

Leo Burnett London recently launched an Easter spot for Co-operative Food entitled “Easter Errands.”

In the spot, a young boy seems happy to go on a bike ride to run an errand for his mother, who cautions, “Don’t be long.” After a brief bike ride he arrives at the Co-op and runs into a classmate. They greet each other casually, saying only the names of the products their parents sent them to retrieve, giving the impression that this is quite the regular occurrence. The spot is meant to show how ubiquitous Co-operative Food locations are, with over 3,400 in the UK. It also emphasizes that you can find anything you need for Easter there, from hot cross buns to mint sauce. A version of the spot will continue to run until April 6th, replacing the Easter references with different products.

Credits: