TBWA Explores ‘Gas Station’ Fears for Nissan Sentra

TBWA Toronto has a new spot for Nissan Sentra that explores fears of filling up, horror movie style.

The 60-second “Gas Station” opens on a man arriving at a creepy, dimly-lit gas station. Soon the station comes to life, as the man is relentlessly attacked by the gas pumps, which also do a number on his car. Eventually, another man, driving a Nissan Sentra, comes to the rescue, beckoning him to hop in. This is followed by the message, “Don’t Fear Filling Up,” and boast of the Sentra’s “Better combined fuel economy than Civic.” In a spot that spends so much time on a ridiculous fuel-fearing message, you’d think they’d focus a little more than a quick flash of text on the Sentra’s fuel economy, but instead most of the 60 seconds are spent on building up unconvincing horror atmosphere. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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john st. Wants Canadians to ‘Get to Know Mitsubishi’

With the brand having passed the 10-year mark in Canada, john st. is re-introducing Mitsubishi with a new branding campaign, complete with a fresh tagline, “Built Better. Backed Better.”

Built around a series of 30-second ads, the new campaign implores Canadians to get to know Mitsubishi, since, as the ending line states, “With a ten year warranty, you’ll be spending a long time together.” The tagline and “get to know Mitsubishi” angle both highlight the extensive warranty, making for a cohesive strategy. The first in the series of television spots, “Get To Know Mitsubishi” goes through the brand’s logo, history, future, “the first mass-produced electric vehicle,” it’s designer, his mother, and the house he bought her, and the warranty, in rapid succession — perhaps too rapid. With each item introduced by “This is…” and the spot running through the list so quickly, it’s a bit too easy to miss information or tune the spot out altogether. The television campaign is supported by digital, print and radio ads.

“The idea for the campaign came right out of Mitsubishi’s industry best warranty,” explains Angus Tucker, executive creative producer/partner at john st. “It’s ten years, which means that when you buy a Mitsubishi, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with your vehicle, whether an Outlander, RVR, Lancer or Mirage. So you better get to know each other first.” Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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Arcade Edit Bolsters Roster with Pair of Editors

arcade2arcade1Bicoastal Arcade Edit has strengthened its roster with the addition of editors Jen Dean and Mark Paiva.

Dean joins Arcade Edit from Whitehouse Post, where since 2011 she has honed her skills for brands including Google, New York Times, Cotton, BMW, TJ Maxx and Sprint. She began her commercial editing career under Hank Corwin (Natural Born Killers, Tree of Life) at Lost Planet, where spent almost 12 years. Dean discovered her love of film while studying under legendary experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage at the University of Colorado.

Paiva joins Arcade Edit with over 10 years of experience. Last year alone he worked with agencies including 180 Amsterdam, Droga5, The Corner and Wieden+Kennedy. Back in 2009, he helped found Poster Boy Edit, which recently merged with Toronto-based Saints Editorial, of which Paiva is also a founding member. He was recently honored with the 2013 Craft Award for editing at The Bessies?.?

“Mark is able to visualize the possibilities of a project from the early stages of pre-production to the finished product, and his collaborative nature has attracted a large client base that looks forward to sitting with him in an editing suite and exploring new creative solutions,” said Arcade Edit partner and executive producer, Sila Soyer. “Jen is a natural fit for Arcade. She has a fantastic ability to craft compelling visual stories that engage viewers with poignant emotional resonance. Their respective talents are a valuable addition to Arcade Edit.”

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Dickies Shows Off Blue Collar Pants

The construction man in the new Dickies spot produced by Seattle-based agency Creature is actually wearing a blue-collared shirt, a level of detail that could’ve been overlooked, especially in an ad for pants. We never see the man’s face, but we can assume he likes to wear Dickies khakis to the construction site and Real. Comfortable. Jeans. at home. He eats bacon and eggs for breakfast, probably has two kids and a young wife, and works hard every day. He’s undoubtedly American, might even wear stars and stripes boxers. If a time machine zapped him back to the 1950s, he wouldn’t skip a beat.

All of my assumptions are based on this 30-second spot, which uses quick cuts and sharp noises as fodder for a charmingly patriotic tone. The only word of dialogue, “Daddy,” is spoken when the construction man’s son jumps on his leg when he gets home from work. The ad is the much-subtler cousin to the Dodge Ram farmer commercial from the Super Bowl, selling the blue-collar image to the everyman, not just the everymen who live in red states. Credits after the jump.

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