Hasta La Creative!

In today’s episode of “Fun Public Marketing Stunts That Aren’t Firmly Connected to the Actual Product,” Saatchi & Saatchi Europe turned Prague into a giant karaoke machine on behalf of the Toyota Yaris Hybrid.

The playlist, which is an almost-impressive living monument to awful pop songs, was made by changing the street names in Prague’s town center to song titles, and then connecting the Yaris’ stereo to a GPS system that triggered a new song every time the driver turned onto a different street. That’s an awful lot of work just to hear a complete stranger’s off-key rendition of “Uptown Girl.” 

It’s not that the idea itself is bad—plenty of people sing in their cars, myself included. Some of the performances, supposedly culled from the best of live auditions, could even seem endearing. But the payoff doesn’t fit the scale of execution at all, and the whole thing looks a little silly as a result. On the other hand, maybe that’s the point. 

Seriously, though, Hall & Oates? Do they not know who Queen is? 

In something of a different direction for the brand, CAA Marketing crafted a back-to-school music video for Old Navy.

“Unlimited” sees a girl facing her doubts and insecurities,  personified by a Grimace-like creature called a Womp Womp, on the first day of school with a motivational anthem. While the four-minute song, written by Tony-nominated songwriters Benji Pasek and Justin Paul, might prove something of an endurance test for most adults, it provides a positive message in a very relatable situation, and the target audience (elementary school aged kids, especially girls) typically can’t get enough of this type of thing. It seems that the video is catching on, too, with over four million views since being posted at the end of July. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Production company Great Guns mixes molotov cocktails and soccer in their filmtrack for Santigold’s “Kicking Down Doors,” part of Pepsi’s Beats of the Beautiful Game visual album.

For Santigold’s filmtrack, director Andy Morahan was inspired by “The Christmas Truce,” a soccer-fueled temporary peace that took place between English and German forces on Christmas Day, 1915. “The English and German soldiers put down their guns and played some football in No Man’s Land,” explains Morahan. “I was thinking of a way to try and tell that story in a modern light. Obviously I didn’t have the budget for a war scene, but a riot was more reasonable as a severe stand-off between people. It’s showing football, and sport by extension, as this beacon for humanity.”

In the film, a riot breaks out, with molotov cocktail wielding forces squaring off against riot police. A group of boys falls asleep at the edge of the scene. When one of their balls makes its way into the heart of action, both sides throw down their arms and beginning playing an impromptu pickup game. It’s not a bad idea for a World Cup spot, but seems a bit stretched out as an over four minute music video — although you may feel differently if you actually enjoy the song.

Morahan filmed the scene in Kiev, which has seen its share of rioting in recent history, although he insists the location was chosen purely out of convenience. “I was in Prague and wanted to shoot it there but the budget wouldn’t fit, so we were only an hour flight from Kiev and I’d worked there before so knew some people there who could help me out,” he explains. “Really, it was just close by and it fit the budget.” Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

BRTHR a réalisé un clip pour Ben Khan « Youth », extrait de son EP 1992. Des images s’enchaînent dans un montage très rapide et un univers psychédélique constitué de plans en monochrome rouge et bleu, sur un couteau tranchant ou le visage du mannequin Jullien Herrera. Une production LEGS Media.

« The Last Memory » est un court-métrage en 3D réalisé par Olivier Latta qui voulait rendre hommage aux marsouins communs de la Mer Baltique qui meurent sous l’eau à cause des filets des bateaux de pêche et de la pollution. Un projet pour son université de design à Dessau et une musique composée par Clemens Ruh.

The Making-Of :

The company, which made the disclosure on Wednesday, faces potential competition from Apple as it also prepares for a likely initial public offering.

Réalisée par Markus Hofko, a.k.a The Bow, en Nouvelle-Zélande, cette vidéo à la fois belle & étrange nous dévoile un univers mystique et illustre avec brio le morceau de Flying Lotus appelé Phantasm, en featuring avec Lauran Darlington. Une réalisation au Canon 5d Mark II jouant sur la place de la silhouette.

Focus sur la bande-annonce d’Interstellar, le prochain film de Christopher Nolan avec Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway et Jessica Chastain en tête d’affiche. Ce film raconte les aventures d’un groupe d’explorateurs qui découvrent un tunnel cosmique et qui dépasseront les limites du savoir et de la conquête spatiale.

L’artiste portugais Alexander Farto (aussi connu sous le nom de Vhils) et le réalisateur João Pedro Moreira ont conçu la vidéo du titre « Stoopid » signé Buraka Som Sistema. La vidéo mélange slowmotion, explosions, destruction et peinture virevoltante. Ce travail est à découvrir dans la suite de l’article.

A new company will sell licensed smartphones that allow users unlimited free music downloads, hiding the price of the music in that of the phone.