Hasta La Creative!

To promote Virgin Media’s “comprehensive new bundle of technology services” BBH London teamed up with creative company th2ng (pronounced “thing two”) for a visceral visual demonstration of just how big the bundle package is.

They created a series of five online spots, “Conceived, devised, and delivered on an extremely tight deadline” that show the inflation of a series of everyday items to the breaking point. While the end results of continuously inflating the items — which include  a pair of dishwashing gloves, a standard suitcase, a hot water bottle, and a six-foot tall dinosaur — is predictable, it makes for suspenseful viewing since you don’t know when the explosive moment will occur. Directors Dan Lumb and Crinan Campbell say that, despite the time constraints, this was still “the project of their dreams.”

Following the launch of the first video in the series on June 16th, viewers had the opportunity to vote online for what they would like to see explode next. You can watch the original video above, and stick around for more explosions and credits after the jump. (more…)

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“If you could give one piece of advice to your childhood self, what would it be?” That’s one of the prevalent question being asked by artist/filmmaker Ivan Cash and his crew at Cash Studios, who were commissioned by cosmetics giant L’Oreal of all brands to make “a film about inspiration.” Rather than create an actual original film, though, Cash, the man who once told us that “reality is malleable,” to “stop making ads” and who was also a collaborator on the Couchella project from last year , turned his lens on the citizens of San Francisco to see what inspires them. As you’d expect, the four-minute film above features random strangers ranging from street musicians to former basketball coaches in SF sharing their thoughts on the aforementioned question or others like “What’s your greatest struggle?” and “what does inspiration mean to you?”

The New Age-y music combined with the people of San Francisco and the city scenery make for a very “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey”-esque effort, but what the hell, we could all perhaps use a little life-affirming insight from time to time. Of course, this type of project where Cash turns his camera on the people is nothing new for the man, as this SF project follows up his film from last year in NYC, where he asked people what the “Last Photo” on their phone was. While different in concept and tone  of course, Cash’s two efforts on two coasts follow the same basic template and leave us wondering if his next short film will do the same and take somewhere in between. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. Credits after the jump.

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Full-service creative agency MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER have offered up a short video entitled “Mom and Dad, I Have Something to Tell You” for  unique recommerce site PreviouslyOwnedByAGayMan.com.

In the 1:20 spot, a young man comes out to his parents as a lover of unique and stylish home furnishings, something his parents have a little trouble understanding. The video, directed by MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER co-founder and executive creative director John Matejczyk, attempts to play off the brand’s identity as a place for ”anyone with impeccable taste (not just gay men, despite it’s name) to buy and sell beautiful items in an environment that virtually eliminates the hassle of using other online channels.”

“This was a great project to work on,” said Matejczyk. “When we were casting for the video, almost all asked if it was for real. We were able to reply that it is very real indeed. The concept of the company is just the right blend of being provocative and respectful. The video we’ve created honors that concept and builds on it with a tasteful edge.”

Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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As we mentioned back in April, Mike’s Hard Lemonade has decided to concentrate exclusively on digital advertising, also choosing to shop around for agencies on a project-to-project basis after parting ways with Grey last year. Chicago agency Tris3ct, which also led a recent 15th anniversary spot, worked with the brand to celebrate their one millionth Facebook fan.

To commemorate the milestone, Tris3ct and Mike’s Hard Lemonade developed a 24-hour rebrand to Paul’s in honor of the millionth fan. The brand marked the name change with updated Facebook and Twitter pages, and a revamped website. They also printed out a bunch of Paul’s swag, had a Paul’s cake made and surprised Paul at his place of work to celebrate. Of course, they also documented the whole thing, posting a 90-second video to YouTube and the brand’s Facebook page. You can catch the video above, which marks at least the third effort from the Chicago agency for the brand, starting with “Shandymatic” last summer.

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W+K Portland and Terry Crews are back, dialing up the mishigas in a new spot for Old Spice entitled “Drill to Brazil.”

In what may be the craziest Old Spice spot yet, Crews attempts to drill to Brazil by spiraling himself into the ground, because Terry Crews is magic. After a few failed attempts see him end up in Egypt, an office, and a snowcone, Crews finally gets to Brazil, where he meets what appears to be Brazilian Crews. In Brazil, Crews shares (screams) the message, “Old Spice thinks you’re amazing and is now available in Brazil!” before heading off to an unexpected location. If you’ve seen any of the previous Crews spots you already know the drill, just expect even more random craziness than usual from this one.

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RKCR has launched a new campaign entitled “Can and Will,” which celebrates the “go anywhere” attitude of the Land Rover brand.

The campaign is centered around a 60-second television spot featuring individuals who embody the “Can and Will” spirit, including Mike Goody, who lost a leg in Afghanistan and aims to represent the UK in the Invictus Games this September (which Land Rover will be sponsoring), and 68-year-old competitive surfer Gwyn Haslock. “Don’t tell me I can’t,” these individuals state, “because I can and I will.” The spot recently began broadcasting on terrestrial, cable and satellite channels, in addition to ITV advert breaks during World Cup games. The stories behind the individuals in “Can and Will” can be found on the campaign website, www.canandwill.co.uk. Additionally, a “series of mini-documentary films have been commissioned in partnership with Channel 4, with Paralympic hero Ellie Simmons and actor Richard E. Grant talking about their ‘Can and Will’ stories,” which will be broadcast during breaks in Channel 4 programs and through C4’s digital platforms. The campaign will run throughout the summer.

“Our new ‘Can and Will’ brand campaign is a celebration of the spirit of determination,” said Jaguar Land Rover UK Marketing Director Laura Schwab. “It’s about embarking on new challenges, but also never quitting when the going gets tough. It’s an attitude which has seen Land Rover vehicles conquer some of the world’s most inhospitable locations.” We’ve got credits after the jump. continued…

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The Richards Group has unveiled a new “Fact or Fake” series of online videos for Orkin Pest Control, the latest in their “Bug Wisdom” campaign.

“Fact or Fake” is a series (so far two) of videos that attempt to prove or disprove commonly held views on bugs, MythBusters style. In the video, above for example, the crew attempts to answer the question, “Are Daddy Longlegs Poisonous?” Much like MythBusters, The Richards Group tries to mix scientific inquiry with goofy humor. If the results aren’t exactly funny, they are at least still entertaining — especially when you consider the typical approach for advertising pest control. Another spot in the series tackles the question of whether termites eat faster when rock music is played.

The Richards Group also recently released a series of “Top 6” listicle videos, counting down the best bugs to eat and the most venomous insects. With both coming on the heels of the initial “Bug Wisdom” series, it’s clear The Richards Group has been quite busy for Orkin. Stick around for “Does Rock ‘n’ Roll Make Termites Eat Faster?” and credits after the jump. continued…

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180 Amsterdam has a bold new campaign unveiling REPLAY’s eco-friendly Laserblast L.I.F.E. collection, which celebrates real-life activists as models.

REPLAY’s Laserblast L.I.F.E.  capsule collection utilizes “innovative and eco-friendly Laserblast technology, which dramatically reduces water consumption, and the use of coloured mineral pigments of natural origin,” resulting in “one of the most eco-friendly, natural denim ranges.” The brand called on 180 Amsterdam to make eco-friendly jeans seem youthful and rebellious, casting “models with a world-leading ethical stance – the real-life activists transforming the way we live today.” It marks 180 Amsterdam’s first campaign for the brand.

180 Amsterdam’s two minute digital spot for the campaign (featured above), shows environmental activists (clad in jeans, of course) clashing with heavily-armed security forces. Opening with shots of protesters in the woods, with audio clips of climate change deniers in the background, the group are soon met by the security forces they clash with. The provocative spot includes violence against protesters, and even some unexpected partial nudity before ending on a positive note with a surprise twist. 180 Amsterdam certainly didn’t hold back on this one, although some may make the argument that they’re trying a little too hard to seem edgy.

“We have very ambitious targets for the business. We are thrilled to partner with 180 Amsterdam to bring our vision to life and expectations on Laserblast L.I.F.E. project. Their team, their enthusiasm and their talent make us excited about the result of this journey,” said Art Zuyderwijk, MD REPLAY Benelux.

Stay tuned for credits after the jump. continued…

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Seeing as it’s Friday, June 13 and all, DDB’s Hungarian branch has decided to get into the spirit of the most superstitious date of the year via Twitter. The agency has launched a simple, one-day project that aims to find out how your Friday the 13th is going simply by using the hashtag #lucky or #unlucky in your tweets. The main goal of the 24-hour effort is to find out if Friday the 13th is really deserving of all the negativity that’s been attached to it through the ages, and from the looks of it on the live “Friday the 13th: The Experiment” site, today is proving to be more auspicious than unlucky. Well, there’s still over 14 hours to go so we’ll see what happens when the end results are posted tomorrow. While our day’s been neither lucky nor unlucky thus far, we’re just saddened by the lack of a Jason Voorhees appearance in this project (though the Tupac one is, um, interesting).

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Saatchi & Saatchi teamed up with Internet prankster Rahat to launch a new multichannel campaign promoting the Toyota Aygo.

Part of the “Go Fun Yourself” campaign, the debut spot features Rahat slipping into a costume that perfectly matches the seats of the Toyota Aygo, making the car appear to be driving itself. He then drives around Europe with a hidden camera documenting people’s reactions. That’s right, another hidden camera prank video. If you’re tired of these already, you might want to head elsewhere, because the 90-second “Who’s Driving” — set to the Fratelli’s track, “Chelsea Dagger,” and directed by Smuggler’s Jamie Rafn — doesn’t do a lot to distinguish itself from the pack.

The spot will launch the “Go Fun Yourself” Pan-European integrated campaign on TV, in cinemas, and online — supported by social and print components — today, in markets including the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Denmark. “Go Fun Yourself” attempts to “emphasize Aygo’s image as the playful, dynamic car of choice suited to those that don’t take themselves seriously.” Aimed at a younger audience, the campaign will comprise a series of prankster-style videos and social activity which will roll out across the year.

“Aygo is not just another car, so for the launch we wanted to do things differently,” said Stephane Rydlewski, brand & communication manager, Toyota Europe. “With ‘Go Fun Yourself’, we found the perfect way to express the true spirit of the car – fun, provocative & irreverent, without taking ourselves too seriously. We all have this fun inside, we just need to let it go. This is the magic of the new AYGO campaign.” Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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