Droga5 enlisted the services of “writer, comedian and vagina owner” Sarah Silverman for a new spot addressing the wage gap for National Women’s Law Center.
Silverman introduces viewers to the wage gap issue, pointing out that over the course of their lives women pay a “$500,000 vagina tax,” before informing viewers that she’s becoming a man, since the operation is actually cheaper than dealing with a lifetime of income disparity. She then introduces National Women’s Law Center’s crowdfunding effort to raise the trillions of dollars American women are cheated out of by gender inequality in the workplace, to be payed back to each of them. Since the goal is basically unreachable, it actually serves as a fund raiser for National Women’s Law Center’s efforts, since they receive the money as a donation if (when) the goal isn’t reached. The video ends by directing viewers to EqualPaybackProject.com, which goes live today to inform visitors about the gender gap and accepts donations to the crowdfunding effort. It’s a clever approach, addressing the absurdity of the issue in a way people are sure to remember.
“Equal pay may not be a sexy issue, but it’s an important one,” Casey Rand, Droga5 creative director, told Adweek. “And it is absurd. Young women need to know what’s at stake. And we knew that to get them to engage, we’d need to play up that absurdity.” (more…)
Sarah Silverman breaks off her romance with a walking, talking coffee cup in EnergyBBDO's snappy new spots for Orbit Gum.
As the comic pitches ideas to Hollywood producers ("My character can solve crimes, but she chooses not to."), the anthropomorphized container interrupts, and Silverman tells him their relationship is over.
While definitely more safe for prime time than Silverman's usual fare, the ads include a few sly double entendres, like the cup's announcement that "I have your lipstick all over my rim."
"Break up with lingering food" is the tag, used in January for a spot in which the cup has another uncomfortable public split. Speaking of breakups, "fabulous" Orbit spokeswoman Farris Patton is nowhere to be seen, but Sarah's mouth shines just as bright.
Will there be a sequel? The cup can be recycled, after all. Or maybe next time, Silverman can break up with a bowl of bulgogi because all the spice has gone out of their affair.
Be sure to check out our recent Q&A with Silverman if you're curious about her perspective on advertising, including her PSA co-starring a pro-choice Jesus.
Orbit has also created Spanish-language versions of the ads, sadly not featuring Silverman. Check out one after the jump.
Energy BBDO has called on the talents of comedienne Sarah Silverman for their new campaign for Wrigley’s Orbit gum brand.
Representing Wrigley’s strategy “to restore and grow the gum category by investing in its top brands,” the new U.S. campaign aligns Orbit with a broader global campaign that has driven sales for the company in international markets. The new campaign is centered around a pair of television spots (one 30 seconds, one 15 seconds) starring Silverman. In both spots, Silverman breaks up with the cup of coffee she had that morning, much to the coffee’s dismay; continuing the anthropomorphic trend from last year, but in a decidedly less creepy vein.
In both spots, Silverman breaks the news to that nagging cup of coffee, followed by a “Break up with lingering food” voiceover and the “Eat. Drink. Chew. Orbit.” tagline. Also of note is the fact that Energy BBDO seems to have dumped “Orbit Girl” Vanessa BranchFarris Patton (for this campaign at least), who has been a fixture of Orbit’s campaigns for the past several years, with the “For that just brushed clean feeling” line instead delivered by a male voice actor. We’re not sure what prompted the change, but without her the spots kind of feel like they’re missing something (that touch of “fabulous” I suppose). Stick around for the 15-second “Lipstick” spot after the jump. continued…
If you’re Seth MacFarlane, how do you get people to view your three minute long “restricted” trailer for A Million Ways to Die in the West? You take out a Super Bowl ad claiming that you tried to show the trailer during the Super Bowl, but the powers that be decided it “wasn’t family friendly enough” and then direct viewers to your site for the “restricted” trailer. Not exactly an original method, but it’s worked in the past, and MacFarlane was never one for originality anyway.
MacFarlane’s Super Bowl spot, created in collaboration with Santa Monica production company Detour Films, also calls on Ted, the titular talking stuffed bear from his last movie (which, hey, I forgot existed), as a way of reminding fans of that movie that this is the same dude. The restricted trailer for MacFarlane’s new movie is, in fact, too explicit for television, thanks in large part to Sarah Silverman‘s role as a foul-mouthed prostitute, as well as MacFarlane’s own raunchy dialogue. That’s not to say that the Super Bowl teaser itself is wholesome by any means. Between Ted’s “Oh yeah, drunk before the kickoff: new record” line and the suggestion that a certain actor starring in A Million Ways to Die in the West has an abnormally large schmendrick, it stands out as one of the more explicit ads in a particularly tame Super Bowl.
Sarah Silverman is no stranger to controversy stemming from her politically charged PSAs. In her latest polarizing video, released last week, she bonds with Jesus Christ while they watch an NCIS marathon and discuss the state of women's reproductive rights in America.
The five-minute video, predictably lauded by the left and reviled by the right, has surpassed 800,000 YouTube views in its bid to promote "V to Shining V," a national pride day for women scheduled for Sept. 27.
In a Q&A with AdFreak, Silverman vehemently denies the new spot is a rant against Christianity, and laments that there are haters who, in response to such videos, "call me 'Jew' and wish me murder and rape and it scares the shit out of me."
AdFreak: What was the genesis of the "Jesus" PSA? Sarah Silverman: I noticed that women's rights were being very quietly chipped away, a lot like the voter suppression stuff. I think the Right knows that making abortion illegal in this country would be a bear of a task, so they're kind of just knocking out the headlights of our car, state by state, and then saying, "Oops, looks like you can't drive, you got a broken headlight."
Were you worried about the possible backlash, or perhaps looking forward to it, because that would build buzz? I try not to read the angry tweets and threats. It's hard because there's so much of it. But if I let myself read it, I start to tremble and get really scared and I'm afraid it will make me stop doing this kind of stuff.
Are you pleased with the response it's gotten so far? Has anything about the response surprised you? Yes, I am pleased. I'm perplexed when I see the Breitbart and Tea Party headlines like, "Jew Sarah Silverman Makes Video Blaspheming Jesus, Attacking Christians."
I'll never be surprised, but it's just frustrating because that is most certainly not what this video is. To me, it's information that people need to know, with comedy. I can respect people who believe that abortion is murder. If you believe that, then you are not going to want people to have abortions. It's the politicians and policy makers who are so comfortable pitching laws that take away women's access to affordable healthcare, contraception and, should she choose, abortion, that gross me out. I think it's far more Jesus-y to do what you believe is right than to do what lines your pockets with money and promised votes.
It's just odd to me that a people who are so against big government are so willing to mandate what a woman can and can't do with her own body. They're so protective of easy access to guns, and are making it so hard for a woman to get contraception.
The actor playing Jesus was awesome… It's the awesome Michael Weatherly! He plays DiNozzo on NCIS—get the joke?
So, using Jesus makes a point about other groups that are using religion to make their points, right? Any groups in particular you had in mind? Look, I just love the idea of Jesus. Genuinely. This awesome hippy that knew that if you don't deal with your shit, your shit will deal with you. Gosh, I wish the people who are shitty to others in his name would be brave enough to look inward just a little. This is not a rant against Christianity! It's a rant against those who can't get their heads around the fact that there are people with different beliefs than them and that has to be OK. I have friends and family with religion that I love and respect and adore and look up to. I don't have religion personally, but that's just my deal.
Was there dialogue you left out, a scene deemed too controversial? You can't see it well, but in the end Jesus is wearing a T-shirt with one of those Jesus fish on it, but inside it says "Feminist." And there was a crude sex joke in there, but I didn't want it to be the thing people talked about. I didn't want to take away from the stuff I thought was more important.
What have you learned from doing social issues videos, and how do you gauge if they've been successful? I just put it out there and move on … I want people to sign up at ladypartsjustice.org and march with me and hopefully hundreds of thousands of women and men in their home-state capitals on Sept. 27.
Did any of your political videos get a positive response that exceeded your expectations? "The Great Schlep" was a big beautiful surprise.
Are you shocked by the amount of hate tossed your way because of these ads? Are haters on YouTube like hecklers at a comedy club? No, because you see hecklers. You can look right at them, right in the eye, and no matter how shitty they are, they are right in front of me and the whole audience, and they have to take responsibility for any shitty stupid thing they say. On the Internet their identity is often shrouded. Their avatars always seem to be some scary cyber monster or some masked and armed animated killer and they call me "Jew" and wish me murder and rape and it scares the shit out of me. That's why I try not to look. I don't wanna be scared out of doing junk like this. Especially not by the faceless boogymen that spew threats with no accountability. Pussies, I think.
Look, this couldn't be worse for my career—trust me, I get no money for this, no paid work comes from alienating potential movie and TV consumers. I do it because I'm like the scorpion from The Scorpion and the Frog. I may drown in the process, but I can't help it. It's my nature.
What recent issue-oriented ads do you respect? Any campaigns come to mind that make you say, "I wish I'd done that"? Not really. There are issue-oriented commercials? The one for Cheerios when the kid says, "When we have Cheerios it's kind of like we're having breakfast with Nana" makes me cry like a baby every time.
What's your favorite ad of all time, or your favorite ad character? There are so many great ads out there—some of the funniest stuff. I love the Skittles commercial where this girl thinks this man is so lucky because everything he touches turn to Skittles, and then he turns and is like, "I can't hold my own grandson!" Or something super serious. I can't remember exactly, but I loved it. And there was an ad for Imodium or something where this guy is in a hot tub with all these hot chicks and his friend walks by and is like, "Hey Jeff, how's your diarrhea?" I also like the ad with the awesome guy in a Speedo with a drink, and the only audio is, I think, a David Byrne song. I'm not explaining it well, but it's pretty perfect.
If there's one thing that can finally bring America together on this whole abortion issue, it's definitely a blasphemous video of Sarah Silverman hanging out with her feminist bestie, Jesus Christ.
In her new five-minute clip, Silverman bonds with Jesus over an NCIS marathon, a sinfully good back rub and a few zingers, like when the Messiah quips that life doesn't begin at conception, but at 40.
The video promotes "V to Shining V," a national reproductive-rights pride day scheduled for Sept. 28. Rallies are planned for all 50 state capitals, with Silverman appearing in Concord, N.H.
Silverman has tread this progressive political path before, appearing in outrageous clips that draw predictable, polarized responses. Her screeds continue to spark indignant hand-wringing from conservatives, and she seems to be emboldened by her critics each time.
No matter how disrespectful her presentation (and really, in a world of South Park and Family Guy, this stuff is pretty tame), the coverage and commentary she receives in conservative quarters can be so hateful that it makes her content look all the more benign and compelling by comparison. Ironically, the blowback bolsters these campaigns; each anonymous anti-Semitic barb or crass expression of "regret" that Silverman herself hadn't been aborted serves to strengthen her hand.
Of course, her controversial approach ensures she'll always just be preaching to the choir. Believing she'll gain many (or any) converts would take a great leap of faith.
Well, the three-year relationship between Denny’s and IPG-owned, New York-based agency Gotham has come to an end. In a pretty self-explanatory statement, Frances Allen, chief brand officer for the 60-year-old diner/casual restaurant chain, says:
“We are very grateful to Gotham. ‘America’s Diner is Always Open’ has reconnected with consumers across America, earning us both an Effie and a Cannes Lion award in the process. We are enormously proud of that work and are thankful to Gotham for their dedication and partnership over the last 3 years.
All businesses evolve, and Denny’s is no different. Over the last four years we have developed a strong relationship with Erwin Penland through their work on various aspects of our business, and we believe that their ever expanding expertise and unique understanding of the Denny’s brand makes them the right fit as our agency of record going forward. With Erwin Penland we see the opportunity to both consolidate our business for efficiency and enhance our united national and local marketing and advertising efforts, while upholding the high creative standards that have been set by Gotham.”
Gotham initially beat out Erwin Penland (as well as BBDO and KBS+) back in August 2010 for the Denny’s duties, though EP continued partnering with the brand for menus, merchandising and local support. Erwin Penland will now handle both creative and media. As for Gotham, perhaps the agency’s most notable work for Denny’s, from our perspective at least, was the “Always Open” series hosted by David Koechner and featuring a host of famous folks including Jessica Biel, Jason Bateman, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. You can check out the Poehler clip after the jump if you’d like.
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