Keira Knightley might seem dainty, but she has no problem dropping an F-bomb when the occasion calls for it—like when chastising the young British citizens who plan to skip the country’s upcoming referendum on European Union membership.
Climate change isn’t your problem—it’s your children’s problem. At least, it will be if the world’s current crop of adults fail to act.
A new campaign from the government of Ontario, brought to you by Grey Canada, makes that very argument with help from pop environmentalist David Suzuki. In the first ad, Suzuki lectures an auditorium full of kids on the failure of grownups to sufficiently address global warming:
New York City finds no shortage of reasons to pat itself on the back, but the city’s groundbreaking ad campaign for transgender bathroom rights actually justifies it.
It’s a shame when a person introduces herself as “a human” and it actually seems necessary.
A new video, titled “Meet a Muslim,” aims to mitigate some of the fear and misperception currently pervading the American dialogue—by putting the camera on a diverse cross-section of U.S. citizens who share the Islamic faith.
There’s a pediatrician, a mom and a handful of adorable kids. There’s a woman who calls herself the “naughty Muslim,” a couple of parents who call their family “smiley Muslims,” and a man (who also—gasp!—drinks) married to another man.
There’s also a white dude. And a young, Ohio-born woman who wears a floral hijab and describes herself as a “foodie.” They all share a little about themselves, then offer reflections—uniformly warm, sometimes baffled, often heartbreakingly insightful—about why they face so much animus from people who don’t know them.
Ted Cruz failed to take down Donald Trump in the Republican primaries, but maybe Terry Cruz Crews can get the job done.
With elements of the current election cycle often compared to the zany, low-I.Q. future America depicted in the 2006 satire Idiocracy, it’s perhaps no surprise that Crews may soon reprise his character from that film—pumped-up, machine gun-toting, R&B belting President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho.
Today we hear from reliable sources that San Francisco’s VB&P is one of several agencies that have been contacted in recent weeks by the staff of former Senator, Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. (In case you missed it, she is currently running for President of the United States for the second time.)
The Clinton campaign appears to have very specific taste in agency partners. Last November– approximately one year before the 2016 presidential election–spokespeople confirmed to The New York Times that the operation had chosen Droga5 to work on an unspecified project that turned out to be a series of spots starring individual women who explained their plans to vote for Hillary this fall. The Clinton organization is not like most clients, and it did not launch a formal review before reaching out to Droga5.
Various outlets also reported in November that the Clinton campaign chose Chicago’s Burrell Communications to work on a series of campaigns targeting African-American voters. David Droga himself later promoted his agency’s work on an ad called “Children” which compiled footage of the candidate restating her dedication to the titular Americans throughout her more than 30-year political career.
Details regarding the campaign’s current outreach efforts are quite sparse at the moment, as is expected. But we hear from multiple parties that Venables was one of the shops contacted by the organization. Tipsters tell us the ads we eventually see as part of a project that allegedly goes by the code name “Dragon Slayer” will be directed against one Donald J. Trump and that they may depict the man with the dubious hair as a divisive and even hateful character. However one may feel about the prospective candidates, it’s hardly a stretch to imagine that theme running through Clinton’s TV and digital efforts as we move closer to Election Day.
If VB&P ends up working for Clinton in an official capacity, the news would mark its first definitive move into the political arena. But the subject is not new to creative director Lee Einhorn: in a December 2015 Q&A with AdAge, he mentioned meeting then-Senator John Kerry while discussing a potential role in the latter’s ultimately unsuccessful presidential campaign.
A VB&P spokesperson declined to comment for this post. The Clinton campaign’s PR department has not responded to multiple emails and phone calls today.
It’s also unclear at the moment whether the Clinton organization will continue working with Droga5 on future advertising efforts.
A couple of months back, Saturday Night Live depicted Hillary Clinton hilariously morphing into Bernie Sanders. Now, the show is ribbing the leading Democratic candidate with a bit about “President Barbie”—the boring new doll nobody wants to play with.
A group of little girls star in the spoof ad, showing off their favorite toys and imagining themselves in space, Paris, and in a magical fantasy world they’ve cooked up.
But to the growing chagrin of the faux Mattel voiceover artist, none are particularly psyched about the blonde-bobbed figurine who comes clad in a blue pantsuit—even if she comes with a mini smartphone pre-loaded with Snapchat.
The Sid Lee Collective, an agency incubator for Sid Lee’s non-commercial creative projects, took a few choice Donald Trump quotes and transformed them into an unofficial Cards Against Humanity expansion pack—Trump Against Humanity: A Party Game About a Horrible Person.
Seriously. You couldn’t make this shit up, and neither did they.
If crazy political ads are their own kind of art form, this one is something of a masterpiece.
Wyatt Scott is an independent candidate for Canadian parliament. And taking his new spot as evidence, his platform consists primarily of riding giant geese and then jumping off to slay dragons with a sword. In other words, he’s sure to have the J.R.R. Tolkien fanboy demographic locked up, along with more general appreciators of science fiction and fantasy.
But even if his policies seem on the well-intentioned and compassionate side, his ridiculous pitch also includes some imagery that could be construed as vaguely offensive. (“Alien” is not the most politically correct term for undocumented immigrants, at least south of the border, though at least Scott gives the extraterrestrial a friendly fist-bump while talking about social programs.)
Nor is it clear what an image that appears to ancient Mayan temple Chichen Itza, located in Yucatan, Mexico—some 3,800 miles away from Scott’s electoral district in British Columbia—has to do with the indigenous people of Canada. (Though it’s true you could get there pretty fast on the back of a 747-sized Canadian goose.)
Regardless, those minor factual details pale in comparison to the greatest threat Canada apparently faces—which is a 1960s, Mars Attacks-style giant killer robot. Luckily, Scott has superpowers beyond being able to grow an instant beard.
Via TVSpy.
There’s nothing more infectious than good old fashioned enthusiasm from a presidential candidate. And what better way to project that political fervor than by adding an exclamation point to your campaign logo?
On Sunday, John Ellis Bush, known colloquially by a snappier acronym, did just that in unveiling his 2016 logo. It sure is enthusiastic, capped off by an actual exclamation point:
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) June 14, 2015
Many critics quickly pointed out that the logo is missing his surname, though given how politically charged the Bush name is, perhaps that’s not surprising. (Hillary didn’t even find it necessary to spell out her first name in her logo.) And anyway, Jeb has been using essentially the same logo—with the exclamation point—for 20 years:
Jeb! has used the same logo since 1994. pic.twitter.com/QGsbWGr7Ot
— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) June 14, 2015
Of course, everyone has an opinion about campaign logos, and the Internet had plenty of fun with this one as well. Here are some of the best reactions from the past day:
Now that I get the level of class the Jeb Bush campaign was going for in logo design, I’ve made something suitable pic.twitter.com/TurpxLAhgu
— Christina H (@americanwombat) June 14, 2015
really digging jeb bush’s campaign logo pic.twitter.com/TpwwSaInt1
— Zainab Javed (@zrjaved) June 14, 2015
Jeb Bush’s campaign logo looks like the noise a Batman punch would make. pic.twitter.com/GnRB2jzCOX
— Talmadge Blevins (@talign) June 14, 2015
@owillis I’m confused.. Which Jeb? http://t.co/leMDwboPyW pic.twitter.com/ttyAfClDr6
— Skip Gorham (@Deaconblue2) June 14, 2015
The Jeb Bush logo reminds me of the Boise public library. pic.twitter.com/kNh7rvO80f
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) June 14, 2015
Jeb Bush’s new logo looks like it’s for a goofy summer comedy rather than a presidential campaign. pic.twitter.com/WAkw0pRzZE
— MAX SCOVILLE™ (@MaxScoville) June 14, 2015
I went ahead and translated Jeb’s logo into Spanish for him. Seems like a huge oversight. pic.twitter.com/3ljntvrJ9z
— Michael Deppisch (@deppisch) June 14, 2015
Jeb Bush just unveiled his campaign’s logo. “Bush” is absent — and it reminds me of Lamar! ’96 pic.twitter.com/A4usTCC8cB
— Robert Costa (@costareports) June 14, 2015
Phew, I figured out what Jeb Bush’s 2016 logo reminds me of… #biglots #deals #politics pic.twitter.com/oSdAM4i8VX
— Elizabeth Cherneff (@echerneff) June 15, 2015
Hey @JebBush your presidential logo looks like it belongs on a box of dog treats. pic.twitter.com/Ry1IC9L5MC
— Brian Altano (@agentbizzle) June 14, 2015
This is Jeb’s other logo. pic.twitter.com/DRY94Za7U8
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 14, 2015
— Simon Maloy (@SimonMaloy) June 14, 2015
I couldn’t help but join in the fun, too.
“Remember that book, ‘Joy of Cooking’? I loved that book—can you make my logo kind of like that?” “You got it Jeb!” pic.twitter.com/G8blsGOGYa
— Alfred M Maskeroni (@digimatized) June 14, 2015
in case you’re wondering what bizarro democrat jeb would’ve done pic.twitter.com/wL0AeLr65S
— Alfred M Maskeroni (@digimatized) June 14, 2015
just saying, i smell a super pac with @7UP pic.twitter.com/bu4S2iUXov
— Alfred M Maskeroni (@digimatized) June 14, 2015
a throwback design might have captured the spirit pic.twitter.com/vhorMTZTP7
— Alfred M Maskeroni (@digimatized) June 14, 2015
Now that the elections are over, just think about all the fun craft projects you can do with irrelevant campaign signs—at least, if you live in Brazil.
Civic nonprofit Mobilidade Urbana Sustenável and JWT are out with the Political Furniture project, a campaign in the wake of the country’s elections that shows people how to turn post-ballot sandwich boards into DIY home fixtures.
The project includes instruction sets for how to build coat racks, stools, towel horses, side tables and coffee tables out of discarded campaign materials. You still have to do a fair amount of work—the key element in the designs seems to be thee two-by-fours found in sandwich boards. The wood will need sawing and sanding and screwing, so don’t forget your toolkit.
Alas, campaign paraphernalia in the U.S. doesn’t tend to come with the plywood necessary to spruce up your foyer while you save the plant. If it did, the resulting hat racks would probably prove among the more useful things to come out of recent elections.
More images below. Via Good.
Buddy Cianci served as the mayor of Providence, R.I., for two decades and is running again this fall, despite having been convicted of two felonies over the years—for assault and corruption—and spending time in federal prison.
Providence ad agency Nail seems pretty impressed by Cianci and apparently wants to follow in his footsteps. But can crime pay for an ad agency?
Find out below as Nail takes some tentative steps into the shadowy world of “mobvertising,” and encourages people to vote in the process.
ICYMI: Saturday was a big day for Chrysler.
Its new advertising celebration, brought to you by Dallas’ Richards Group — the wunderkinds behind Motel 6’s left-on light and Chick-Fil-A’s chicken-loving bovines — kicked off the marketing campaign for the Chrysler 200 sedan.
Entitled “Born Makers,” the spot focuses on keeping American auto production red, white, and blue — a theme that hearkens back to the Eminem “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl entry.
The end of the commercial, however, echoes a less successful campaign…
continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
If you thought the U.S. had weird political ads, check out this bit of insanity from Denmark: a 90-second cartoon that stars a character called Voteman, who isn't apathetic about voting, or about getting pleasured by five ladies at the same time at the 12-second mark.
The video also includes a decapitation, dolphin surfing, lots of violence as well as more sex—as Voteman goes on a 'roid-rage rampage, physically forcing Danes to vote in the upcoming European election (where they'll decide on weighty topics like climate regulation, agricultural subsidies, and chemicals in toys).
The video was posted Monday on the Danish Parliament's social media sites before being swiftly removed. The parliament speaker later told the Associated Press that the government should "be more careful with what we put our name to."
Warning: This cartoon is NSFW.
Sadly, there's still a Nazi presence in Germany. Recently, an organization named Laut Gegen Nazis, or Loud Against Nazis, decided to combat the hate with lots of love—or rather, lots of likes.
On International Holocaust Memorial Day, the group encouraged a diverse group of Germans (recruited by ad agency Jung Von Matt/Elbe) to like the NDP (the country's neo-Nazi party) on Facebook and then swarm the page with positive, anti-racist messages like "For a colorful Germany." According to the case study below, more than 100,000 protesters participated in the "Like Attack," and the ensuing coverage generated some 7 million media impressions.
While it's a little unfortunate that participants had to take an action that, on its face, expressed enthusiasm for an awful political presence, the irony is obvious enough to anyone with a brain, and makes for a relatively small evil as a means for raising broader awareness of the issue.
Plus, there's the rich history in social movements of loving your enemies instead of hating them, including the work of revolutionary giants like Martin Luther King Jr.—even if the "Like Attack" doesn't have quite as much depth as some of his thoughts on the subject.
Credits below.
CREDITS
Client: Laut Gegen Nazis
Agency: Jung Von Matt/Elbe
Chief Creative Officers: Tobias Grimm, Doerte Spengler-Ahrens
Creative Directors: Hans-Peter Sporer, Henning Robert
Art Directors: Thimon Machatzke, Canhur Aktuglu
Writer: Luitguard Hagl
Agency Producer: Dennis Wendt
Sound Designer: Steven Hofmann
Digital Multimedia Artist: Joscha Kadegge
Producer: Anna Liem
If you were a miniature version of Abraham Lincoln, you'd be super excited about modern Illinois, according to the state's tourism campaign, which has brought back MiniAbe for another round of quirky sightseeing.
It sort of makes sense, if you're arrogant enough to compare yourself to one of history's (and the state's) great figures but also humble enough to think of yourself as merely a downsized plastic replica.
MiniAbe channels Joey Lawrence in the new spot, from JWT Chicago, as he utters "Whoa" wherever he goes. The approach also makes the footage of tourist locations a little more rewarding than your average vanity shots. It's hard not to wonder though, if MiniAbe isn't a distant relative of whoever's driving London's little yellow street-cleaning submarine.
The "Be More Whoa-ed" campaign launched Monday in 16 U.S. markets and will reach the U.K., Germany, Canada and national cable later this spring and summer. A second spot in the spring campaign will break in early May.
Credits below.
CREDITS
Client: Illinois Office of Tourism
Deputy Director: Jen Hoelzle
Assistant Deputy Director: Jan Kemmerling
Marketing Manager: Lisa Link
Agency: JWT, Chicago
Executive Creative Director: Dan Bruce
Creative Director, Copywriter: Gary Korrub
Creative Director, Art Director: Terra Hambly
Executive Producer: Alec Pinkston
Agency Producer: Carolyn James
Group Management Director: Erin Clark
Senior Account Director: Brendan Riley
Director: Seth Henrickson
Production Company: Odd Machine
Editor: Steve Morrison
Director of Photography: Seth Henrickson
Sound Design: Eric Cauwels, Chicago Recording
Media: Maxus
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Mitch McConnell can’t catch a break.
First, the Republican senator from Kentucky becomes the meme of the moment after releasing a baffling long-form ad with no words where he mostly just grins dumbly (birthing the hashtag #McConnelling). Then, he goes and releases a new ad that includes a brief clip of University of Kentucky archrival Duke winning the national basketball championship.
McConnell's people quickly blamed a vendor for the clip (at 1:09 in the video below) and scrambled to take the ad down, but not before every sports news outlet reported it. McConnell's staff then put up another ad with a clip of UK's Julius Randle, but neglected to get permission to use it. So, they scrapped the ad altogether.
McConnell's Democratic opponent has even jumped into the fray. She posted an online ad (see above) suggesting he's been in Congress so long, he doesn't know the difference between Duke and UK—and included a quote of hers from February that strangely predicted McConnell's gaffe.
I love a good old-fashioned basketball throwdown.
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