Last month, Bryce Harper performed the first ever chicken-eating backflip for KFC as part of Draftfcb Chicago’s “How Do You KFC?” campaign. Now, Draftfcb continues the campaign of people eating chicken in situations where it doesn’t make sense for people to eat chicken, making history with the first ever two-man chickensled. The campaign is well-timed, coming on the heels of the U.S. men’s first two-man bobsled medal since 1952 and a two medal performance by the U.S. women’s bobsled team.
Draftfcb and KFC tapped Team USA Bobsled brakeman Jim Carriel, and retired Team USA Bobsled pilot Landon Phillips for the historical event. Carriel ate chicken from the KFC Go Cup from a customized cup holder while speeding down the track at 70 miles per hour and five Gs. “No other bobsled team out there is pulling five Gs while eating chicken. More casual fans of chicken sled racing may not know the physical demands five Gs puts on an athlete. Do you know how much an Extra Crispy Strip ‘weighs’ at five Gs?” Carriel asked. “It’s almost a half pound. Seriously. Don’t try this at home, kids.”
Draftfcb’s new video is supported by a tongue-in-cheek social campaign calling on fans to like or share a petition on the brand’s Facebook page to make chicken sled racing a Winter Olympic event in 2018.
With spring training in full swing, Major League Baseball has appointed a new multimedia creative agency partner, minus review, in BBDO New York, which will not only handle advertising/marketing for brand but also MLB Jewel events such as Opening Day, the All-Star Game and postseason. Tim Brosnan, MLB EVP/business, says in a statement, “This is an incredibly exciting time for Major League Baseball, and BBDO is exceptionally well-suited to help us bring the best game in the world to our fans in uniquely creative ways. We look forward to having them apply this creativity to further fuel the unprecedented success that baseball currently enjoys by creating innovative ways for fans to connect with MLB.”
While BBDO NY takes on MLB brand/Jewel duties (which were previously handled by a few different agencies), IPG-owned, Boston-based Hill Holliday will remain on as agency of record for MLB Fan Cave. This marks the second notable account win this month for BBDO NY, which added to its Pinnacle Foods roster by winning Wish-Bone duties.
We've seen this marketing stunt countless times: Big brand dips into its deep pockets to give some hardworking, deserving, photogenic youngsters a new playground or a concert or a trip to Toys R Us. But this well-worn tactic can still wield some power.
This time, it's Gatorade, with a cameo from Dwyane Wade, giving an extreme makeover to a high school basketball team's locker room in New Orleans. The Riverdale Rebels, it seems, haven't had a very good run in the past few decades. Now, though, the scrappy, close-knit team (mantras: "I got your back!" and "Family!") are heading to the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Gatorade, in what looks to be the final two quarters of a recent Rebels win, replaced busted metal lockers and bare-bones facilities with NBA-quality digs.
The effort, dubbed "We Are All-Stars," from ad agency TBWA\Chiat\Day in Los Angeles, broke Monday, timed to the NBA's All-Star weekend. The reaction from the teenage ballers to their new locker room and a visit from D-Wade? It's as sweet as a fruit punch-flavored sports drink. Go ahead and enjoy it.
Credits below.
CREDITS Client: Gatorade Senior Director, Communications: Molly Carter Director, Branded Entertainment: Jill Kinney Manager, Branded Entertainment: Nancy Laroche Senior Manager, Communications: Noah Gold Director, Sports Marketing: Jeff Chieng Assistant Manager, Global Sports Marketing: Eduardo Gomez Senior Manager, Digital Marketing: Abhishek Jadon Assistant Manager, Digital Marketing: Nicki Granadier
Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles Chief Creative Officer: John Norman Executive Creative Director: Brent Anderson Creative Directors: Renato Fernandez, Gustavo Sarkis Associate Creative Director Guto Araki Art Director: Tiffany Lam Associate Creative Director: Doug Menezes Copywriter: Scott Reedy Executive Producer: Sarah Patterson Producer: Alicia Portner Executive Project Manager: Karen Thomas Account Supervisor: Kyle Webster Account Executive: Ralph Lee Group Planning Director: Scott MacMaster Planning Director: Martin Ramos Managing Director: Peter Ravailhe Group Account Director: Blake Crosbie Account Manager: Marc Johns Executive Business Affairs Manager: Lisa Lipman Broadcast Traffic: Jerry Neill
Production Company: Bandito Brothers Director: Jacob Rosenberg Executive Producer: Suzanne Hargrove Producer: Cassidy Lunnen Art Director: John Gathright Director of Photography: Laura Merians
TBWA\Chiat\Day LA is behind this new, heartwarming long-form clip for Gatorade.
On Feb. 15, the Riverdale High School basketball team in New Orleans was on the verge of playoff contention for the first time in 20 years. To celebrate the team’s dedication TBWA/Chiat/Day LA and Gatorade decided to surprise the team with a renovated locker room. Since the renovations were completed while the team was on the court, the new locker room came as a complete surprise. Just as the team is celebrating their victory and the new locker room, Gatorade has one more surprise in store for them…a visit from Miami Heat star, Dwyane Wade. Check out the video above for a pleasant antidote to this dreary Tuesday.
BBDO Toronto has crafted a new spot for the Canadian Paralympic Committee in anticipation of the upcoming Sochi Paralympic Games, with the uplifting message/tagline “It’s not what’s missing, it’s what’s there.” The line describes the need to look past physical differences to the incredible talent of these athletes and all the hard work they put in to train for the games.
“When we look at Paralympic athletes, we can make the mistake of focusing on their disabilities, instead of their extraordinary abilities,” said Simon Craig and JP Gravina, Associate Creative Directors, BBDO Toronto. “This campaign forces the viewer to see all the amazing things that make these Paralympic athletes great. To catch them in the midst of competition is an awe-inspiring experience by any definition.”
To accomplish this, the 60 second spot employs a letterbox effect to focus in on a select portion of each athlete, only revealing their identities toward the end of each scene, and thereby highlighting their athletic prowess and impactful performances rather than their disabilities. It’s an interesting fusion of form and function that really underscores the message behind the campaign, even if it risks alienating some viewers who complain about such a small portion of the screen being used at the start of the spot.
The athletes featured here are snowboarder Michelle Salt, sledge hockey players Tyler McGregor and Dominic Larocque, and cross country skier/biathlete Mark Arendz. Arendz called the campaign “an awesome opportunity to increase awareness and demonstrate what we as Paralympic athletes are capable of.”
Nomination for the Canadian Paralympic Team is still going, with the full team set to be officially announced at the end of the month. The 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games will be held from March 7-16. Canada will send approximately 50 athletes to the games, competing in all six sports, with the goal of placing in the top three nations in the gold medal count. Credits after the jump. continued…
BBDO has just released a new Olympics spot for Visa featuring U.S. Olympic Freeskier Torin Yater-Wallace.
The 45 second spot, “Nightswim,” follows Torin on one of his night runs through “an ocean of snow,” where “it’s only [him] and the mountain.” Torin explains that he skis at night because the days just aren’t long enough, and he can engage his passion in private at night, without the pressures and distractions he faces during the day. The spot closes with Morgan Freeman‘s narration that Visa has been “supporting Olympic athletes for over 25 years.”
Like a lot of the Olympic advertising we’ve been seeing, “Nightswim” is pretty straightforward, allowing the athlete involved and the idea of Olympic sponsorship to speak for itself. The most unusual thing about the spot would have to be the nighttime setting, which allows for some interesting visuals, but also some moments where it’s kind of hard to tell what’s going on. Credits after the jump.
With the opening ceremony just a day away, and Sochi apparently still in shambles, McGarryBowen has unveiled their Winter Olympic campaign for United Airlines.
The friendly 60 second spot, entitled “Welcome Aboard, Team USA” is as straightforward as that title implies. Athletes from speed skaters to curlers (yay curling!) board the plane in ways representing their respective sports (the speed skater glides into the terminal, ski jumper is loaded onto a conveyer, figure skater twirls and stores her overhead, etc.), while the United crew is all smiles — even when the captain stops a curling stone with his foot. “Welcome Aboard, Team USA” ends with the tagline “Team USA Friendly,” followed by United’s revived “Fly The Friendly Skies” slogan. The athlete-filled spot should stoke viewers’ excitement for the games, and act as a friendly reminder of United’s sponsorship of Team USA. Credits after the jump. continued…
What happens when two NBA athletes confront each other in an ad campaign dubbed “Approved” for Foot Locker? This. Now, BBDO NY continues its successful, appealing streak with the sports apparel retail chain by bringing in New Orleans Pelicans’ unibrowed star Anthony Davis to join forces with James Harden, the bearded star of the Houston Rockets. You might remember Harden from his previous roles in Foot Locker ads including one where he exposed his singing talents. In the first Harden-less spot, Davis cruelly crashes a youngster’s hoop dreams while meeting with Harden in the second one below. It keeps continue to be appealing so let us try to get a laugh, out of this, the horrible post-ice storm day. The first one above is for Kids Foot Locker while the one below is for regular Foot Locker.
In a timely follow-up to last week’s humorous “Long Week” spot, W+K NY have released “Jersey,” the latest in their “This Is SportsCenter” campaign.
The 17 second “Jersey” features SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott and Broncos mascot Miles. Miles, depressed enough after seeing the Broncos steamrolled in the Super Bowl, prepares for what is presumably his end of the bargain following a losing bet with Seahawks mascot Blitz, and Scott feels for him. For the Denver mascot, it’s going to be another long week. “Jersey” is a fun continuation of the mascot rivalry W+K explored with “Long Week,” although we’re guessing Broncos fans won’t be so amused. Stick around for a second look at “Long Week” after the jump. continued…
180 Amsterdam is a launching a new integrated campaign for ASICS, which continues to highlight the brand’s “Better Your Best” mantra.
The new campaign “will have an even stronger and more powerful focus on how ASICS products and technologies help athletes across the board continue to improve in their sport.” This is evident in the TV spot “Gotta Run” for ASICS: Gel. It features an obnoxiously always up athlete, running from sport to sport all day and saying “gotta run” when jetting from one place to the next, before coming home and collapsing into bed without a shower. His poor significant other removes the shoes (which must smell indescribably awful) from his feet, making the ad come full circle from the beginning, when the guy plops out of bed and right into his ASICS. It’s a bit over-the-top, but should appeal to ASICS’ athletically obsessed core audience.
180 Amsterdam’s campaign will run all year long and feature “a mix of TV and print advertisements, digital brand films, point of sale, event activation and online engagement to strengthen ASICS image as a True Sports Performance brand.” Look for the “Marathon Campaign,” “a print and film campaign that celebrates the special qualities, attributes and personality of one of the world’s most selective groups”; the “Advantage, You” tennis campaign, featuring Gael Monfils and Samantha Stosur; and the triathlon video featuring “Ironman World Champion Pete Jacobs and his wife Jaimi on location at their Noosa home” in the near future. And please, if you’re going to work out all day, remember to take a shower.
Super Bowl mania has officially begun. Advertisers are scrambling to make sure their ads get enough hype leading up to Sunday’s big game. And then there’s that other hype we’ve been hearing about involving comments Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks made during his NFC championship post-game interview with Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews.
This morning MediabistroTV sat down with Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Brad Smith, in town to promote his “Design for Brad Smith” competition, and got his take on the Sherman controversy.
We’ll have more on the “Design for Brad Smith” competition during our coverage of New York Fashion Week next week. And to watch more mediabistroTV videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter: @mediabistroTV.
DDB has created a series of print and banner ads for Skittles celebrating the Seahawks in anticipation of the Super Bowl.
The straightforward ads claim that the “S” on Skittles (pictured in green in the ads) now stands for Seahawks. These ads continue the brand’s celebration of the Seattle Seahawks and their star Marshawn Lynch. Last night, Skittles began a charitable auction to benefit Lynch’s the Fam 1st Family Foundation. The auction’s three lots include “24 packs of Skittles Seattle Mix (one of them signed by Marshawn Lynch) and one unique Skittles covered item, such as a football, a helmet or a megaphone.” The bidding began at $100, with one of the lots’ current high bid at $5,700. DDB’s print campaign will run “tomorrow in the Seattle Times, and on Saturday in the Tacoma Tribune and The Olympian, and they will take over Skittles’ entire existing digital media buy starting today.”
Let's take a break from the pre-Super Bowl ad madness to take a look at a spot for that other big February sporting event—that's right, we're talking about the Sochi Winter Olympics—that might be just as good as any of the best ads we'll see this Sunday.
Over the next few weeks, JCPenney will be encouraging customers to round up purchases to the nearest dollar to support the U.S. Olympic Committee. To promote the campaign, Penney came up with an extremely random but also sort-of-genius concept: an Olympics-themed remake (by EVB and Victors & Spoils) of Blackstreet's 1996 hip-hop classic "No Diggity" featuring alpine skier (and 2006 gold medal winner) Ted Ligety. And if that's not bizarre-slash-wonderful enough for you, the retailer got Blackstreet's own C. Black to perform it and star in the video.
"Go Ligety" loosely parodies Blackstreet's original "No Diggity" video, but with JCPenney being a family brand and all, there are some pretty major changes: Rather than having scantily clad video girls emerge from a limo, the "Go Ligety" backup dancers are a group of minivan-driving suburban moms. Instead of lyrics like "Strictly bitch, you don't play around/Cover much ground, got game by the pound," we get, "There is no better way/To say hooray for Team USA." And this time, the puppet version of C. Black has a friend: a Lil' Ligety marionette!
A word of advice before watching this spot: Be prepared to have "Go Ligety" stuck in your head for the next 24 hours. That is, if you haven't started humming it already.
Credits below.
CREDITS Client: JCPenney Spot: "Go Ligety" Agency: EVB, Victors & Spoils Group Creative Directors: Steve Babcock, Noah Clark Creative Directors: Rich Ford, David Gonsalves Art Director: Zack Roif Executive Integrated Producer: Lisa Effress Account Director: Lynn Harris Account Manager: Mike Dusman Production Company: World War Seven Director: Shillick Executive Producer (Production Company): Josh Ferrazzano Producer (Production Company): Mike Begovich Director of Photography: Max Gutierrez Postproduction: Coyote Post Editor: Jared Varava Assistant Editor: David Monoco Music Company: Beacon Street Studios Music Producer: Caitlin Rocklen Musician, Singer: Chauncey Black Licensed Track: No Diggity Arrangers: Mike Franklin, Dewey Thomas Sound Designer: Mike Franklin Visual Effects Company: Coyote Post Visual Effects Producer: Heidi Spencer Colorist: Paul Byrne Business Affairs: Platinum Rye Planners: Carlisle Hensley, Sara Smith Choreographer: Michael Franklin Puppeteer: Michelle Zamora
EVB and Victors&Spoils are banking on the effectiveness of 90s nostalgia and/or attempting to make you feel old with their remake of Blackstreet’s 1996 hit “No Diggity” for JCPenney. The song has been changed to “Go Ligety,” for J.C. Penney’s campaign in support of U.S. Olympic skier Ted Ligety.
“Go Ligety,” which is performed by C-Black of Blackstreet, informs viewers that when you round up your purchase to the nearest dollar proceeds go to the United States Olympic Committee. “”I like the way you work it. Go Ligety. You got to round it up.” rhymes C-Black, a fun, if cheesy, way to get the word out about the promotion. Ted Ligety doesn’t make an appearance himself, but J.C. Penney has a small Lil’ Ligety puppet act as a stand in. C-Black has a puppet doppelganger as well, who handles piano duties on the song. Between the puppets and the reworking of Blackstreet’s mid-90s hit, “#GoLigety” is a lot of fun, with enough going for it to get people to sit through its 2:15 duration.
More from W+K, as W+K New York have unveiled their latest “This is Sportscenter” offering.
The 30 second spot, “Long Week,” celebrates Super Bowl XLVIII with a fun look at the rivalry between Denver Broncos’ mascot Miles and Seattle Seahawks’ mascot Blitz. Set in an elevator on ESPN’s Bristol, Connecticut campus, the spot stars SportsCenter hosts Jay Crawford and Steve Levy, who witness a tense, awkward exchange between the rival mascots. Credit has to go to director Jim Jenkins and the guys playing the mascots for perfect comedic timing. At the end of the spot, Everett and Levy reveal that the two mascots have been engaging in such behavior all week. Hopefully Miles and Blitz don’t kill each other before the big game.
The timely “Long Week” is designed to promote ESPN’s weeklong coverage of Super Bowl XLVIII, which began yesterday with ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike kicking off 115 hours of TV and radio programming from New York City. ESPN’s programming originates from their Herald Square and Times Square Studios all week, up until Superbowl Sunday. Keep an eye out for “Long Week” during that coverage. Credits after the jump. continued…
W+K Portland and Coca-Cola have pre-released their Super Bowl ad, “Going All The Way.” One of two big game spots for Coca-Cola, “Going All The Way,” was shot in Ashwaubenon, a suburb of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the exception of the final moments, which were shot at Lambeau Field.
The 60 second spot, directed by Jake Scott and set to House of Pain’s classic “Jump Around,” tells the story of Adrian, a small high school football benchwarmer who finally gets his chance to shine. “Don’t mess this up again, Adrian,” his teammate says when he’s put in the game, telling us all we need to know about Adrian’s past on the playing field. But things break Adrian’s way, and he’s given the opportunity to make the play of a lifetime.
Most of the cast of “Going All The Way” was made up of actual Green Bay-area residents, and Lambeau Field’s groundskeeper of 17 years has a featured role in the spot. “‘Going All The Way’ is a story that celebrates a young man accomplishing his dreams. It’s also a celebration of the amazing town of Ashwaubenon, Wis. coming together and our wonderful partnership with the city of Green Bay,” said Katie Bayne, President, North America Brands, Coca-Cola North America.
The feel-good spot will air during the second half of the Super Bowl, while Coca-Cola’s other big game ad will air during the second quarter. This marks Coca-Cola’s eighth consecutive year advertising during the Super Bowl. To celebrate the launch of “Going All The Way,” Coca-Cola has pledged to donate $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Triple Play program when the spot reaches 10,000 shares. So please feel free to share “Going All The Way” with friends, family and colleagues. Stick around for a behind-the-scenes video about the making of “Going All The Way” after the jump. continued…
Agency Greens & Salad teamed up with global production company Great Guns for a stylish, star-studded new ad for Nike Flyknit.
Entitled “Light. Strong. Nike Flyknit,” the 1:20 spot was directed by Paul Shearer and Vincent Laforet, and features Kobe Bryant, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix, decathlon world record holder Ashton Eaton, and world champion distance runner Mo Farah. The spot withholds any dialogue or voiceover, instead relying on footage of its star athletes training in their Nike Flyknits delivered with a visual flair (courtesy of “a Red Epic and Phantom camera, on a combination of tracking vehicles, Movi and Steadicam rigs”) to make its product look good. Kobe takes center stage, both the first and last athlete featured, but otherwise screen time is share fairly equitably. The spot debuted globally this week, in anticipation of the Super Bowl and the NBA All Star Game (for which voting results were just revealed).
If the Nike Flyknit spot has whet your appetite for more Richard Sherman, never fear. Stay tuned for a timely Beats ad featuring the Seahawks star cornerback, along with credits for “Light. Strong. Nike Flyknit” after the jump. continued…
The Wooden Award is an annual prize that honors the best men’s and women’s college basketball players. Named after former UCLA head coach John R. Wooden, who lead his team to a whopping 10 NCAA Championships from 1963-1975 (during which time the Bruins also racked up a nearly unthinkable 88-straight wins), the prize today named its list 25 finalists. Due to an insanely good freshman class, including Duke’s Jabari Parkerand Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, it should be a fun race this year. I mean, not Super Bowl fun, but more fun than, say, watching 10 minutes of Pro Bowl.
Anyway, Wendy’s is the official sponsor behind this thing, and starring in a new online spot from Kansas City-based WPP agency VML debuting today is ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas. A Duke alum, Bilas led the Blue Devils to an NCAA Championship game in 1986 (they lost the title to Louisville) as a player and won two championships in the ’90s as an assistant coach. He’s joined here by “The Drain,” a humorous archetype of 1970s hoopsters which has been done nearly to death since Will Ferrell released Semi-Pro six years ago. (Hey, Andre 3000 was in the movie. Weird.)
The copy starts strong, with Bilas calling The Drain’s jumper “so smooth that it would get a co-ed’s number on the way to the rim,” but from there, the spot sort of stagnates. Perhaps it’s because the jokes just aren’t as good as the aforementioned simile. Perhaps it’s because, as I’ve said, we’ve seen this superfly funny-looking character TOTALLY DONE TO DEATH, which I’ve capitalized mid-sentence so you know that I mean it. In any case, this spot is the first of five coming out between now and the April 11-12 awards show. So, let’s hope VML and Wendy’s (which have been working together since late 2012) shake things up.
San Francisco-based agency MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER just launched “Fast Break,” the third installment in their#WeAreWarriors campaign for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, featuring real-life fans and Golden State Warriors players.
“Fast Break” features Warriors forward Harrison Barnes dunking over fan Romel Marquez of SEC 213, ROW 12 ((just barely, though, as dude almost took a crotch to the face). Everyone likes to see fans interact with their favorite players, imaging the excitement they must be feeling meeting one of their favorite athletes and getting a kind of vicarious thrill through that, and referring to the fans’ seat number is a nice touch. It makes the leap from the ad to the action on the court, while suggesting a connection between the team and its most devoted fans.
“Fast Break” follows on the heels of “Assist” and “A Little Help,” which kicked off the #WeAreWarriors campaign at the beginning of the season. “Ice Bath” will follow and conclude the campaign. Stick around for credits and “Assist,” starring Klay Thompson, after the jump. continued…
Earlier this month, Draftfcb Chicago launched the “How Do You KFC?” integrated campaign for the colonel, “a new movement celebrating the connection KFC fans have with the food.” Part of that campaign was an online video of X Games Moto gold medalist Bryce Hudson, who became the first person to perform a backflip while eating chicken (a KFC Go Cup featuring Extra Crispy Tenders). Even more impressively, according to Draftfcb Chicago’s in-house production team, “when Hudson invited them to his private practice facility for the shoot, the successful flip was captured within the first two takes.” The ever-confident Hudson was not surprised. “I knew the backflip would be possible right off the bat,” he said, “I was so excited to join the #HowDoYouKFC movement with the world’s first chicken-eating backflip because I could enjoy two of my favorite things at the same time. It doesn’t get much better than that.” Draftfcb’s video crew for the shoot reportedly included only four people.
The video gained over half a million views during its first two weeks online, and, in a nod to fan appreciation, Draftfcb and KFC are turning it into a primetime television spot that begins airing tonight. “We want to stay nimble, listen to our fans, and give them what they want. When we saw that the Bryce Hudson video was quickly emerging as a fan favorite, we wanted to make it even bigger — and put it on TV,” said Jason Marker, General Manager for KFC U.S.
The “How Do You KFC” campaign also includes “revamps for point-of-purchase displays, uniforms, packaging, in-store greetings, digital and social assets,” as well as a streetball online video entitled “The Professor.” “How Do You KFC?” invites fans to participate by uploading photo or video content to social media with hashtag #HowDoYouKFC. KFC claims they will “will continually evaluate options for fan-driven videos throughout the campaign” so look for fan input to have a large impact throughout the campaign. The next video to make it to primetime could even be a fan-generated upload. Stick around for “The Professor” after the jump. continued…
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