Hasta La Creative!

twofifteenmccann has released a live action trailer for Xbox One open-world racing game Forza Horizon 2.

Like a lot of live action trailers for games, the 90-second spot attempts to capture the feeling and excitement of the title in a live action format that captures viewers attention. “Leave Your Limits” opens with a nostalgic look at an electric slot car track. When one of the cars breaks through a wall rather than sticking to the track, the film shifts focus to cars speeding down a highway. The remainder of the spot uses racing footage of cars both on and off road, emphasizing the aspect that makes the game unique, the freedom its open world affords players.

“Leave Your Limits” finds a playful way to promote the game which should have fans ready for the September 30th launch while also piquing the curiosity of casual viewers. Appropriately enough, the spot is set to the song “Prisencolinensinainciusol” by Adriano Celentano, which is sung entirely in gibberish.

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In a case of tips confirmed, we have the official press release announcing that McCann has won the Choice Hotels account.

McCann Erickson will handle creative while MRM//McCann will run “digital and customer relationship marketing responsibilities” for the chain; Deutsch New York was the other finalist in the pitch. This is the first major agency change for the brand since it awarded creative and promotional duties to Leo Burnett and Doner in 2009.

While Choice may not be a household name, many of its properties are: Days Inn, Ramada, Super 8, Howard Johnson, etc. Company SVP Robert McDowell writes:

“McCann presented a strategic, creative vision and platform for telling the powerful Choice story.”

Havas will retain media duties for the brand; Cohn & Wolfe is its PR AOR.

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Universal McCann (UM) has named Kasha Cacy as the agency’s new U.S. president, Adweek reports. Cacy succeeds Sarah Personette, who exits following maternity leave for a position as head of global business marketing at Facebook. In the new role, Cacy will be responsible for overseeing “business development, strategy, cross-channel planning and buying, analytics and custom content development for all North American accounts.”

Cacy has spent seven years at Universal McCann, most recently serving as global chief product officer. Prior to UM, Cacy served as senior vice president, group director strategic planning at McCann Erickson following a three-year stint at Ogilvy.

Global CEO Daryl Lee noted that Cacy is “beloved by her clients,” adding,”We’re making a strategic bet that someone who knows strategy and can act like a client consultant should be the front-face of the brand.”

“My focus will be very client-oriented,” Cacy said. “I have a passion for bringing in new clients, innovating new products and finding the best of what we have to offer.”

Following Cacy’s promotion the agency is looking for a new chief product officer, a search Cacy is reportedly helping to conduct.

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McCann Worldgroup announced the appointment of Mark Lund as CEO of McCann Worldgroup UK today. Lund will begin his role in October and will be responsible for “integrating McCann Worldgroup’s operations and more than 1,500 employees throughout the UK across Advertising, Relationship Management, Promotion/Event/Shopper Marketing, Design, Public Relations, Healthcare, and Digital Marketing.”

Lund was most recently a co-founder and managing partner of the London agency NOW for three years. Prior to co-founding NOW, Lund served a stint as CEO of the Central Office of Information (COI), the UK government’s marketing agency which also happens to be the country’s largest client. Before that he co-founded Delaney Lund Knox Warren (DLKW), which went on to become a top 10 agency in the UK. (more…)

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A new campaign from Commonwealth//McCann, Detroit for Chevrolet is allowing fans to be a part of Manchester United’s new shirt reveal.

Through a digital experience at www.chevroletfc.com “fans can be among the first to sign up and virtually wear the new shirt via their social channels.” A 60-second video stokes Manchester pride by following the history of the Manchester United shirt from the early 20th century to present day. Fans march down the street singing the “Glory, Glory, Man United” anthem. As each generation takes off their Manchester United shirt, a new group emerges, progressing in time to the modern day as the crowd makes their way to Old Trafford Stadium. Upon arrival they are joined by stars Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and David De Gea wearing the new Chevrolet-branded jersey. Several Manchester United legends are also hidden in the crowd throughout the spot. “The History of the Manchester United Shirt” will run on both broadcast and digital channels. The effort marks the launch of Commonwealth//McCann, Detroit’s “What Do You #PlayFor?” campaign, celebrating Manchester United and soccer for Chevrolet. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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You’re almost certainly aware that General Motors is currently suffering through a scandal created by its lack of tech savvy. Yet, even as the terrible PR is somehow increasing sales numbers for the automaker, a new spot created by Commonwealth/McCann indicates that Chevrolet wants customers to know that it’s moving on. In fact, we might say that the brand has begun “a new journey.”

This spot is ostensibly all about the 4G Wi-Fi available in new models, but in a larger sense it’s about how Chevrolet is moving forward on all cylinders and bringing its customers along for the ride.

The July 4th debut was no accident, either: as Chevy’s VP of Marketing puts it, “What better time than the Fourth of July to celebrate the new independence that Chevrolet provides”…via working Wi-Fi.

In order to reinforce this point, the team at Commonwealth/McCann Detroit adroitly make the sort of “that was then, this is now” juxtapositions that one sees in many campaigns for products with tech components.

Credits after the jump.

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Don’t you just love an epic dildo battle? Well, yeah, as long as it’s not your kid waving them around the front yard.

This new ad from McCann New York is all about dildos. But it’s not all about dildos. Check it out, and then read my take below (where there are obviously spoilers).

Watch the spot first. Spoilers below…

Why this PSA is genius: If we make a sweeping generalization about the sort of conservative people who generally defend their Second Amendment rights, we would suggest they may also be sexually conservative. Showing some boys playing with vibrators might not be all that shocking to a liberal. Heck, it was an Ikea campaign. But to people who don’t normally think kids playing with guns is a big deal (trust me, I know these people), seeing kids play with vibrators might be shocking and memorable.

Why this PSA is necessary: It’s National Safety Month. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, two children per week were killed in 2013 in unintentional shootings, and two-thirds of those tragedies were due to unsecured guns children found in a home. That means two-thirds of those tragedies were entirely preventable. Or as Evoleve—the advertiser in the PSA above—puts it, “It’s the right to bear arms. Not the right to be a dumbass.”

“Are there any unsecured guns in your home?” is a hard thing to ask another parent before you drop your kid off. But as this ad shows, it’s necessary. Since I live in Georgia, the state with the most school shootings since Newtown, where we just passed a sweeping new open carry law that allows more guns in more places, I know I’ll be asking it of any parent I leave my child with.

Those who are weirded out by epic dildo battles might also want to ask if there are unsecured sex toys.

Fizzie, a character in the upcoming game Sunset Overdrive from developer Insomniac Games, made an appearance at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in the form of a large, interactive balloon flying in the lobby at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 10th – June 12th.

Brought to life by Xbox and twofifteenmccann, Fizzie takes questions from the E3 crowd, offering up invariably sarcastic answers. In Sunset Overdrive, Fizzie “is a talking balloon that hovers over Sunset City and is the cheery face of the Fizzco Corporation while acting as the perfect corporate shill.” So what better place for Fizzie to make an appearance than the largest trade show in the video game industry, rife with event marketers attempting to woo customers and media alike. If you’re not lucky enough to make it to E3 this year, you can still keep up with Fizzie’s antics on Twitter via the hashtag #FizzieSays. For footage of Fizzie in action, check out the video above, and stick around after the jump for credits. continued…

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McCann New York and Lucky Charms have embraced the rainbow with a new social campaign for LGBT Pride Month.

The feel-good campaign, entitled “#LuckyToBe,” encourages people to use that hashtag to share what makes them unique and what makes them feel lucky. McCann’s accompanying video (featured above) introduces the hashtag while celebrating diversity. “We don’t all look the same, believe the same things, or love the same people. And that’s a good thing,” appears on screen in white text, accompanied by Lucky Charm’s colorful marshmallows. It’s a positive message, and people seem to be responding — including GLAAD, who posted about the campaign on their blog. You can see what people are saying using the #LuckyToBe hashtag on the campaign landing site, and stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Today McCann announced the addition of James Dawson-Hollis and Bill Wright as executive creative directors, strengthening the leadership team under global creative chairman Rob Reilly.

Dawson-Hollis and Wright join McCann from Ogilvy West in Los Angeles, where the pair served as co-chief creative officers, working on accounts such as Qualcomm, HTC, Nesquik, and Arco gasoline.

Prior to Ogilvy, Wright helped turn Crispin and Porter from a small Miami agency into “one of the world’s most talked-about advertising agencies.” While there, he worked on accounts including Burger King, Miller, IKEA, Coke Zero, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Slim Jim, Molson Canadian, Reddi Whip, and MINI Cooper.

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