Hasta La Creative!

Everything’s coming up WPP for British retail giant Marks & Spencer, which just launched a closed creative review involving only the Sorrell holding company’s shops.

16-year incumbent RKCR/Y&R will defend against fellow WPP agencies J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather, Grey London, CHI & Partners and VCCP in the review, which will take place over the summer.

“Together with M&S we have redefined retail advertising, invented food porn and welcomed a host of leading ladies from Twiggy to Rita Ora,” RKCR/Y&R CEO Jon Sharpe said in a statement. “Our campaigns have instilled M&S’s core principles of quality, service and value whilst cementing its position as a stylish and iconic national treasure. We have enjoyed consistent recognition and reward for both creativity and effectiveness of our creative output and we look forward to meeting the challenge of this pitch with the dedication, passion and enthusiasm we greet every brief from M&S.”

The agency’s recent work for Marks & Spencer includes last year’s food porn holiday effort “Adventures in Surprises” and last September’s 40-second spot promoting the brand’s fashion offerings.

Since taking over as CEO last last year, Sharpe has helped lead RKCR/Y&R to three consecutive successful pitches, including defending the agency’s BBC account.

Why do clients do this, again?

Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R keeps it simple in its new spot for Marks & Spencer, including the title of the ad, “Mother’s Day Flowers.”

The agency lets the flowers do the talking, with a montage of roses, ranunculus, and orchids set to music, following the opening text of “This Mother’s Day.” It’s a continuation of RKCR/Y&R’s “Adventures In” campaign tailored to the holiday. Well-shot and edited, the 20-second spot features a convincing display of “expertly chosen, top quality fresh flowers.” The spot launches on national broadcast in the UK on Tuesday, March 10, almost two months ahead of the holiday (ensuring the brand preempts its competitors).

“We’re really excited to take the Adventures campaign to the next level by showcasing our beautiful bouquets for the first time on TV this Mother’s Day,” said Nathan Ansell, head of brand and marketing: Food, Plan A, M&S Energy, in a statement. “The stunning creative really highlights the quality of our flowers and we’re confident of record breaking sales as a result.”

Credits:

Creative Director: Mark Roalfe

Art Director: Chris Hodgkiss

Copywriter: Pip Bishop

Board Account Director: Anna Crabtree

Account Manager: Eileen Cosgrove-Moloney

Agency Producer: Alex Shillingford

Director/ Production Co.:  Michael Roulier & Phillipe Lhomme – Food Film

Producer: Francesca O’Brien – Food Film

Editor: Bruno Herlin – Food Film

Editor: Bruce Townend – The Quarry

Post Production: MPC (Paul Brand – Producer, Marcus Moffatt – Flame Operator)

Sound Design: Parv Thind – Wave

Typographer: Tivy Jones

DoP: Michael Roulier

“Let It Go” is so played out at this point, some might consider it a lump of coal in their stockings. But that hasn’t stopped Vodafone U.K. and RKCR/Y&R from thawing out the Frozen anthem for this minute-long holiday ad.

Directed by Pete Riski through Rattling Stick, the spot shows various “local heroes”—folks who have to work on Dec. 25, including medical personnel, airport staffers and restaurant employees—belting out the lyrics as they watch the Disney film, a Sky Movies selection for Christmas, on their handsets. (That’s one festive emergency room! In fact, #PowerToTheFestive is the hashtag.)

“We wanted to bring to life the joy of being able to watch Sky films and TV shows wherever you are this Christmas on Vodafone 4G,” says Rupert Williams, RKCR/Y&R’s managing director. Vodafone marketing exec Daryl Fielding adds that singing along to this particular number “inspires” folks and helps “lifts their spirits.”

The ad feels sincere because it tacitly acknowledges the strong modern connection between holidays and media. Sure, we should probably let the screens go dark and focus on family and friends at this time of year. Still, for many, It’s a Wonderful Life, Rankin-Bass marathons and personal favorites of all kinds are essential seasonal viewing.

As for “Let It Go” lifting spirits, I guess it beats another cerebral-cortex freezing chorus of “Jingle Bells.” Barely. No it doesn’t.

The Royal British Legion is behind a weighty ad campaign called “Every Man Remembered,” featuring soldiers from World War I who share names with famous people a century later (although “Tom Jones” really is an insanely common name) and making the case that the soldier should be famous, too. Each ad provides a mini-biography of the featured soldier, including when and where he was killed.

Heavy stuff, yes, but it’s respectful and not gloomy or maudlin, to ad agency RKCR/Y&R’s credit. It’s a pity organizations like this have to invoke celebrities at all, but at least they picked some relatively classy ones.

I doubt a Russell Brand execution would have gone over as well.

More images below.

Em ritmo de superprodução, a rede Marks & Spencer lançou esta semana sua campanha para o Natal 2013. Inspirado por grandes clássicos da literatura – Alice no País das Maravilhas, Aladim e a Lâmpada Maravilhosa e O Mágico de Oz -, o filme estrelado por Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, David Gandy e Helena Bonham Carter é daqueles que enchem os olhos, tamanho o bom gosto da direção de arte e o esmero da produção.

A trama começa com Rosie Huntington-Whiteley perseguindo seu cachorro e caindo em um buraco, que a transporta diretamente para o mundo de Alice. Conforme a história segue, sugestões de produtos são inseridos de maneira natural e discreta na trama, enquanto o elenco assume diferentes personagens. Destaque, claro, para o Mágico de Oz de Helena Bonham Carter elogiando os sapatos de Rosie-Dorothy.

A criação é da RKCR/Y&R, com direção de Johan Renck (Black Label Productions).

Abaixo, o making of da campanha.

Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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Dirigido por Antoine Bardou-Jacquet, da Partizan, a Virgin Atlantic lançou recentemente o filme Flying in the Face of Ordinary, que marca o novo posicionamento global da companhia aérea. A campanha da RKCR/Y&R conta a história de crianças que revelaram ter certos superpoderes já no berço. Estas habilidades especiais, que lembram em muito os X-Men, poderiam ser úteis para salvar o mundo de muitas maneiras, mas são muito melhores para operar os voos da companhia.

O roteiro é bacana, assim como o cuidado na produção, edição e efeitos visuais. É daqueles comerciais que dá gosto de assistir.

Post originalmente publicado no Brainstorm #9
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