San Francisco agency Duncan/Channon has a new campaign for client DriveTime, or “the number-one used car chain for the credit-strapped.” Building on last year’s “Rescued” campaign, the agency again called on the comedic directorial duo Adam & Dave from production company Arts & Sciences to entertain and inform you about the client’s services.
The first spot “Hold the Lemon” involves a bit of old-school freestyling and almost recalls Reno 911!:
Cavalry has a new campaign for Coors centered around a 30-second anthem ad.
The spot opens up with man with goggles on staring at a bottle of Coors, presumably at a bottling plant, accompanied by the message “Coors Light is always cold filtered.” Then the scene shifts to a group of friends out at a bar and the message continues, “Because Friday” and the scene shifts again to a house party as we see “Leads to Saturday” on the screen. The spot goes on to suggest that “…every day deserves cold bottled” Coors Light. It’s all pretty straightforward and not a bad approach for a beer whose biggest selling point is how cold it is. Still, we can’t help but wish that they’d air this one as well. (more…)
Carmichael Lynch has another new spot for Subaru, following the release of a campaign promoting the Subaru Outback just last week.
This time around, Carmichael Lynch has crafted a spot for the Subaru Legacy. In the 30-second ad, a teenage boy is distracted by girl-minded daydreams when the Legacy’s obstacle-detection technology comes to the rescue. While his daydreams are squeaky clean compared to what actual teenage boys fantasize about, it’s still a relatively realistic scenario which makes a lot of sense as an approach for a family car, whose customers are likely to have to lend to their adolescent kid at some point. So while there’s not enough truth here for a full laugh, there’s more than enough to effectively make a point about the Legacy’s safety. (more…)
For its latest campaign for Subaru, promoting the 2015 Outback, agency-of-record Carmichael Lynch teamed up with director Lance Acord (best known for his cinematography on films such as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Lost In Translation) and production company Park Pictures for a couple of 60-second spots emphasizing that the Outback can “go anywhere.”
In “Memory Lane,” a family picks up a hippie grandmother for a road trip to Woodstock. The grandmother imparts some questionable teachings on her granddaughter and finds the spot where she met her grandfather, in a cute moment that also shows the Outback’s off-road capabilities.
“Bison” also features a road trip, as a father attempts to wow his tween son with major American landmarks. The bratty son is unimpressed with Redwoods and The Grand Canyon, more interested in his smart phone than anything outside the car, but the father does eventually get through to him, followed by the voiceover, “There’s nothing I can’t reach in my Subaru.”
Both spots are impressively shot (which shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the director) while delivering their message in a way that should appeal to parents (always a target demographic for Subaru). And if they cross the line into cheesiness, it’s in a way that fits the brand well. (more…)
Newly-launched Venice,California-based agency Adams&Partners have debuted the first-ever campaign for thinkThin, which positions the “nutritionally balanced high protein bars” as something you don’t have to feel guilty about — unlike some other things.
The 30-second “Runner” takes this idea in a somewhat uncomfortable direction, with a group of women lecherously staring at a nearby guy on a morning run. When he passes them, he recognizes one of the women, saying, “Oh, hey Mrs. Adams. Hey, say ‘hi’ to Brian for me.” A voiceover follows, saying, “There are lots of things to feel guilty about. thinkThin isn’t one of them.” A second spot, “Text”also tackles mom guilt issues, but chooses a less uncomfortable target than staring at your son’s friend’s ass, which perhaps takes the approach a bit too far.
“We all have things that we feel guilty about,” explained Chris Adams, executive creative director at Adams&Partners. “This campaign is about laughing at the little things that make us feel guilty every day, while making the more serious point that eating thinkThin bars is something you should never have to feel guilty about.”
We’ve included “Text,” along with credits, after the jump. (more…)
RPA is promoting the launch of the all new 2015 Honda Fit with an integrated campaign entitled “Fit For You.”
Centered around a pair of 30-second television spots starring actor/comedian Nick Thune, the campaign also includes digital and social media activations, as well as multicultural campaign extensions featuring award-winning drummer Questlove and comedian Felipe Esparza, as well as a promotion in the upcoming game Ultra Street Fighter IV. The TV spots starring Thune, clearly aimed at Generation Y, find Thune answering a series of questions about the Fit and demonstrating its capabilities. Thune assures viewers that the new Honda Fit is “gluten-free,” can fit synths, the Stanley Cup, or even a whole dorm room full of stuff (minus the roommate) and is perfect for a move to Seattle. A further pair of spots will roll out in the coming weeks.
“The campaign takes a typical product demonstration and gives it an unexpected twist to show how the 2015 Honda Fit answers the needs of the customer in a very direct yet humorous way,” said Jeff Conrad, Honda division senior vice president and general manager. “The campaign leverages the Fit’s unique combination of space and versatility plus innovative technology and class-leading fuel efficiency to clearly show that the 2015 Honda Fit is the leader of the subcompact class.” Stick around for credits and a second spot after the jump. (more…)
Just as the movie industry hits the boredom wall after New Year’s, the ad industry has really seemed to stall out since the Super Bowl. Makes sense: big budgets used up on Rob Riggle psuedo-celebrity endorsements and Stephen Colbert pistachio suits. What we have now is the calm after the storm, best exemplified by Carmichael Lynch’s new “Best Dad” spot for Subaru.
“Best Dad” is a simple 30-second clip that positions Subaru as the sweater-wearing dad of car brands, which is a fairly accurate representation, but maybe not the most tantalizing choice for an ad campaign. Take this recent video, for example, of a small Subaru sedan towing a Dodge Charger police cruiser out of the snow as one way to uniquely position the brand, especially in the winter. What Carmichael Lynch chose to produce instead is so typical that’s it’s hard to remember what happened 30 seconds ago. All car brands mention awards in their commercials. Motor Trend and J.D. Power and Associates give out awards the way Little Leagues give out trophies. Even if the message stays the same, at least try to present it in a fresh way. Just try, that’s all I ask.
For the latest installment in Carmichael Lynch’s “Subaru Dog Tested. Dog Approved.” campaign, they’re introducing “The Barkleys,” which refers to a family of dogs, not Charles Barkley and family.
The new spots — “In the Dog House,” “Teenagers,” “Road Trip Convenience Store” and”What’s the Fuss About?” (featured above)– imagine the family of dogs in “everyday relatable human experiences.” These range from teenagers making out after a date, the man of the car getting in trouble for oggling an attractive female, that convenience store pit stop that every road trip depends on, and barking as the mailman drives by, which, come to think of it, isn’t really an “everyday relatable human experience.” The spots are simple, relying fun dog humor without any dialog. Dog owners, and especially Subaru-loving dog owners, should eat this right up.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have “They Lived,” a somber spot for Subaru’s “Love” campaign. Based on stories from real Subaru owners who survived crashes, thanks to their Subarus, the spot features an actual Subaru wreck which the driver walked away from. The officer on the scene and the driver who towed the wreck tell those seeing the wreck, “They lived.” It’s an effective way to illustrate Subaru’s crash safety as a selling point, and a reminder of how important that can be. Watch it below, and stick around for one more Barkleys spot, along with credits, after the jump. continued…
San Francisco agency Duncan/Channon have a new campaign for DriveTime that attempts to mine buddy comedies and old cop shows to make funny spots about buying a car with poor credit.
The two new spots, directed by Adam Brodie & Dave Derewlany, feature a team of two adorably dorky women (I’m intentionally avoiding the term “adorkable” here) driving around a homemade rescue vehicle. When the two see credit-crunched car shoppers they come to the rescue, bringing them to DriveTime where they can expect low-priced leases and loans despite poor credit. In one of the spots, the couple rescue a woman denied a car loan at a dealer; in the other it’s a man crammed into a packed bus who thinks he “can’t afford a car.” With DriveTime’s low-priced leases, he “can’t afford not to get a car” the two say at the same time.
Its brand of cutesy humor isn’t anything new, but it is kind of a fresh approach for selling this type of brand, usually populated by more downbeat messages about how you no longer have to let bad credit stand in your way. As such, the spots are welcome, even if one of them (“Keepin’ It Real”) falls flat on its face. “Next Stop Freedom” (featured above) is a little more successful thanks to an unexpected bit thrown in at the end. There’s potential for the approach to go places, and at the very least it moves away from the tired “Do you have bad credit?” opening spots we’ve all seen a million times. I’m interested to see where Duncan/Channon take this in the future. Credits and “Keepin’ It Real” after the jump. continued…
There’s a very fine line between stupid funny and annoying, a line that Old Spice is willing to tightrope for miles and miles. Their “Unnecessary Freshness” campaign, created by W+K Portland, will hit screens starting Thursday night for the season opener. As you might expect, there will be plenty of shenanigans that don’t make sense. But, at least that’s the point.
Three new spots starring Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker might make you shake your head, laugh, or both (there’s also a fourth spot featuring New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, possibly a pity commercial since Welker darted for Denver). However, since each ad is less than 20 seconds, it’s easy to stomach the goofy jokes and images of lizards eating Welker’s legs. If commenters take to the site to rip W+K, Welker, football, me, AgencySpy itself, or a number of other things that exist, and therefore, should be ridiculed incessantly, they can hopefully agree that the running time is a plus. And, if you believe that a majority of people in America are stupid and these spots are stupid funny, then maybe W+K is onto something brilliant. Maybe.
Credits and some more unnecessary freshness after the jump.
Chances are, you’ve known a good Subie. Whether you rode to school in your mom’s, drove one yourself, or cherished your significant other’s, the thoughts are fond. Now, with their latest campaign from Carmichael Lynch, Subaru has incorporated that adoration.
In one new video, a Subaru makes an unexpected first date possible with diner milkshakes and roadside farmer’s market fun. In the second spot, “Redressing Room,” a mother puts up with her son’s affinity for nudity. The tagline for both ads is, “Love: It’s What Makes a Subaru a Subaru,” and I now wish I could be driving a car while hugging myself for maximum endorphins. These ads are sweet without being saccharine; a heartwarming play on Subaru’s role as an all-purpose family car, more a character in a story than its means of transportation. It’s a good way to win our hearts; if love is all we need, we’d better get a Subaru.
“Anthem” the latest effort from Atlanta-based 22squared and the Costa Rica Tourism Board, may look like the rough cut of a Coldplay music video. The one-minute spot features shots of sherbet sunsets, beautiful landscapes, and even a frog jumping in slow-motion. The music is actually from M83 (from their Oblivion score), not Coldplay, but the point is that the commercial has the big sounds and simulated importance of something we’re used to seeing in music videos. That’s not a bad thing.
A few of Costa Rica’s recent tourism pitches have tried to capture this splashy substance. Patrick Pierson, who directed “Anthem,” also made the colorfully moody “Get Living.” And two years ago, there was the Effie-winning Million Dollar Happiness campaign. In the travel ad arms race, Costa Rica is destroying those clumsy Ocean City commercials with the lifeguard who has frosted hair. Slow-motion frogs beat inserts of standard beaches every time. Credits after the jump.
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