Hasta La Creative!

Arnold launched a new campaign for New Balance, positioning the brand as more than just footwear as it expands into different realms of athletic apparel.

A new 60-second online spot entitled “The Storm” opens on a woman running on rough, rocky terrain. She stops to catch her breath and notices a storm approaching on the horizon. Soon, the storm overtakes her, as athletes come running out of the dark clouds. Among the athletes are 17 New Balance sponsored pros, including Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Jenny Simpson, Milos Raonic, Aaron Ramsey and Emma Coburn. As the storm passes the voiceover chimes in with the line, “There are those who stop and those who push on. So go, be something more,” and the woman continues on her run. It’s a bit of a goofy premise, to put it mildly, and the nonsensical “Always in Beta” tagline doesn’t exactly help. What the spot does have, obviously, is plenty of star power, which is something of a change in approach for the brand. That makes sense given their desire to foster a new, broader image as a company. “The Storm” made its debut online yesterday, and will be supported by social media and print components.

“As a brand we are always pushing and always innovating,” Hilary Keates, director of global marketing and brand management at New Balance, told Adweek. “We represent that through [our work with] some amazing athletes and we want to help consumers push and meet their goals.”

“New Balance wanted to do a reset on where they stand as a brand,” added Pete Johnson, executive creative director, managing partner at Arnold’s Boston office. “They’ve always been a brand that shunned partnerships and endorsements, but now that they are growing at the rate at which they are growing they’ve looked [at how to] be a real player in the space and the category.”

Credits:

Executive Creative Directors/Managing Partners: Pete Johnson, Wade Devers
SVP Creative Director/Copywriter: Greg Almeida
SVP Creative Director/Art Director: Travis Robertson
Executive Producer: William Near
Assistant Producer: Patrick Carney

Marketing and Strategy:
Managing Director: Paul Nelson
SVP Account Director: Todd Sperry
Sr. Marketing Manager: Will Gurney
EVP Head of Planning: Milla Stolte
SVP Brand Planning Director: Andrew Butler
Brand Planner: Mike Patrick

New Balance:
Hilary Keates, Director of Global Marketing and Brand Strategy
Chris Ladd, EVP, Director of Consumer Engagement and Demand Creation

TV Production:
Production Company: RESET
Production Company Executive Producer: Dave Morrison, Jeff McDougall
Production Supervisor: Moira Hurley
Producer: Annabel Ridley
Director:  Johnny Hardstaff

Editorial:
Editorial Company: Cosmo Street
Post Production Producer: Anne Lai
Editor: Paul Hardcastle
Versioning Editor: Mark Potter

VFX:
VFX Company: MPC NY
Managing Director: Justin Brukman
Executive Producer: Camila De Biaggi
Senior Producer: Armand Weeresinghe
VFX Supervisor 2D: Rob Walker
VFX Supervisor 3D: Vicky Osborn
Grade: MPC
Colorist: George K

Music:
Sound Mixing: Rex Recker (Audio Engine)
Music Company: Pivot Audio
Music Composer(s): Guy Amitai, Jan Kos

Sony could be excused if they had decided not to bother advertising the release of MLB 14 The Show at all. The latest installation in the long-running franchise, the only baseball simulation for PS3 or PS4, has literally no competition (which is how Sony got away with releasing the PS4 version a full month into the baseball season). Instead, they tapped Portland-based boutique agency Mutt Industries, who teamed up with Eastbound and Down star Danny McBride for a integrated campaign spanning broadcast, digital and social media. At the center of the campaign is a really fun online spot starring McBride, who also stars in the broadcast version.

In the 1:45 spot, McBride tells you something you should already know: that “Baseball is Better” — better than all other sports, and better than babies. He goes on to list all the reasons baseball is the best: no crying, no flags, no clocks, etc., all while sporting a badass old school Brooklyn Dodgers uniform. McBride is inserted into the game itself (Hey Sony: You really should make Kenny Powers a playable character) allowing Mutt Industries to show MLB 14 The Show‘s shiny new graphics, which really do look great. Most fans of the franchise have been eagerly anticipating the title for months now, but “Baseball is Better” may convince a few converts that The Show is worth picking up this year.

Broadcast spots will air on on Adult Swim, ESPN, Discovery, FX, History, MLB Network, Comedy Central and other cable stations, while digital and social media content highlights top MLB players, including Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen, Brandon Phillips, and Buster Posey. Over the course of the baseball season, Mutt Industries will release over 100 unique videos for the campaign, with each player given a unique role and character. Interestingly, Mutt Industries developed, directed and  produced the entire campaign in-house with creative director Mike McCommon doubling as the commercial director. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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