Hasta La Creative!

Deutsch LA launched a campaign for Taco Bell supporting the brand’s new Bacon Club Chalupa with a surreal look at a bacon product world gone mad.

The campaign is built around a 30-second spot, entitled “Bacon Mall” which sees a young man perplexed by a vast array of inedible bacon products before arriving at Taco Bell for a Bacon Club Chalupa. Set to a new cover of “Mad World” by Halsey, the spot spreads the message, “Bacon you can’t eat is bacon you don’t need.” Among the ad’s befuddling bacon products are Bacon Couture, bacon sunglasses, Bacon One Hightops and Bacologne. Those last two are among the ten (fictional) products featured in the campaign’s social video component, five of which have been released thus far. Others include “Bacon Headphones,” “The Bacon Racing Chair,” and “The Sizzling Bacon USB Drive.” Clearly aiming for shearability via pure ridiculousness, the spots heartily endorse these mock products before ending with the “Bacon you can’t eat is bacon you don’t need line” and a nod to the new product. There’s also just enough of a kernel of truth to the bacon-crazy product schtick that some viewers may wonder for a second if a given product is real before being interrupted by the line.

Following on the heels of the agency’s “Sharing Sucks,” it appears Taco Bell and Deutsch LA are taking a break from targeting McDonald’s lately to promote new, on-breakfast items. That said, it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of their Ronald-bashing.

Broadcast Spot Credits:

Client Credits
Chief Marketing Officer: Chris Brandt
VP, Brand Creative Director: Tracee Larocca
Director of Advertising: Aron North
Brand Experience: Alexandra Bunn
Food Consultant: Carolyn Avelino

Deutsch Credits

Creative Credits:
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Pete Favat
Executive Creative Director: Brett Craig
Group Creative Director: Guto Araki
Group Creative Director: Tom Pettus
Creative Director: Andy Pearson
Creative Director: Ken Slater
Associate Creative Director: Jeremiah Wassom
Senior Copywriter: Chris Pouy
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Integrated Producer: Paul Roy
Integrated Producer: Jamie Gartner
Assistant Integrated Producer:  Evan Aronson
Music Director: Dave Rocco

Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Account Director: Sandy Song
Account Supervisor: Monica Tobin
Account Executive: Sasha Rawji

Account Planning:
Chief Strategic Officer: Colin Drummond
Group Planning Director: Lindsey Allison
Senior Account Planner Kelly Mertesdorf

Business Affairs/Traffic:
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Business Affairs Manager: Nestor Gandia
Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Sr. Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sarah Freeark

Executives:
CEO, North America: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Live Action Production Company: Reset
Director: Vesa Manninen
Managing Director: Dave Morrison
Executive Producer: Jeff McDougall
Producer: Jennifer Ingalls
Line Producer: Ahnee Boyce

Editorial Company : Therapy Studios
Editor: Doobie White
Assistant Editor: Amy K. Bostrom
Executive Producer: Joe DiSanto
Head of Production: Allegra Bartlett

Post Facility: MPC
Producer: Summer McCloskey
Senior Colorist:  Mark Gethin

Post/VFX: Therapy Studios
Executive Producer: Joe DiSanto
Lead Flame Artist: Wren Waters

Licensed/Composed Music, Credits and Track Info:
Track:  “Mad World”
Covered by: Halsey
Writer: Roland Orzabal

Audio Post Company: Therapy Studios
Executive Producer: Joe DiSanto
Mixer: Jeff Fuller
Sound Design: Eddie Kim

Shoot Location: Santiago, Chile

Social Video Credits:

Client Credits:
Chief Marketing Officer: Chris Brandt
VP, Brand Creative Officer: Tracee Laroocca
Director of Advertising: Aron North
Associate Manager, Brand Experience: Alexandra Bunn

Deutsch Credits

Creative Credits:
Chief Creative Officer, North America: Pete Favat
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Creative Director: Brett Craig
Group Creative Director: Tom Pettus
Group Creative Director: Guto Araki
Creative Director: Andy Pearson
Creative Director: Ken Slater
Art Director: Cheston Kwan
Copywriter: Josh Hill
Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Producer: Damon Vinyard
Associate Producer: Josh Goldsmith

Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Account Director: Sandy Song
Account Supervisor: Monica Tobin
Account Executive: Kaitlin Tabor

Account Planning:
Chief Strategy Officer: Colin Drummond
Group Planning Director: Lindsey Allison
Senior Account Planner: Kelly Mertesdorf
Senior Digital Strategist: Amelia Hall

Business Affairs/Traffic:
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Business Affairs Manager: Nestor Gandia

Executives:
CEO, North America: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Live Action Production Company: Brand New School, Santa Monica CA
Director: Brumby Boylston
Executive Producer: Paul Abatemarco
Head of Production: Julie Shevach
Line Producer: Brian Armstrong

Editorial Company: Brand New School, Santa Monica CA
Editor: Marc D’Andre
Assistant Editor: Austin Lewis

Post Facility: Brand New School, Santa Monica, CA
Executive Producer: Paul Abatemarco
Senior Producer: Alex More
Senior Colorist:  Loren White

Post/VFX: Brand New School, Santa Monica, CA
Executive Producer: Paul Abatemarco
Senior Producer: Alex More
Lead Flame Artist: Kevin MacDonald
Animator / Compositors: Adam Smith, Ben Bullock, Joseph Moon
Designers: Karen To, Yoon Lee

Licensed/Composed Music, Credits and Track Info:

Track: A Touch of Magic
Composed by: David Wittman
Publisher: Marc Aaron Jacobs
Company Name: NSLE Music
Elias Arts Music Library, LLC NY, NY
Asche & Spencer Minneapolis, Minnesota

Executive Producer: Matt Locher
Audio Post Company: Lime, Santa Monica, CA
Mixer: Matt Miller
Assistant Mixer: Mark Nieto

Are you a greedy person who doesn’t like to share your nachos with your friends? If so, Taco Bell wants you to buy its giant nacho for one.

In a new ad from Deutsch LA, a young man with exactly the kind of dour demeanor you’d expect from a nacho hoarder rants about the injustices of sharing, the social institution. In all honesty, it’s a sentiment we’ve all probably felt in one moment of weakness or another, which gives it some resonance. And the spot scores extra points for working in some dings against Facebook—namely, the culture of excessive baby photos and cat pics (though let’s be real, people who don’t like babies and animals are, in all likelihood, soulless). The look on the actor’s face when he’s swiping through his tablet is pretty much perfect.

Overall, though, the commercial doesn’t do a great job of making the gloppy, cheesy mess of a ground-meat pocket that can’t rightfully be called a nacho (the “Grilled Stuft Nacho,” which the brand just brought back from the dead) actually appetizing. But at least the brand’s marketing team knows to embrace the sociopathic demographic—when it’s not busy railing against the evils of a certain totalitarian clown.

CREDITS
Client: Taco Bell
Chief Marketing Officer: Chris Brandt
VP, Brand Creative Director: Tracee Larocca
Director of Advertising: Aron North
Manager, Brand Experience: Ashley Prollamante
Associate Manager, Brand Experience: Alexandra Bunn
Food Consultant: Lois Carson Hunter

Agency: Deutsch LA
Chief Creative Officer: Pete Favat
Executive Creative Director: Brett Craig
Group Creative Directors: Guto Araki, Tom Pettus
Creative Directors: Erick Mangali, Ryan Lehr
Senior Art Director: Chris Adams
Senior Copywriter: Ross Cavin
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Producer:  Paul Roy
Senior Producer: Alison McMahon
Music Director: Dave Rocco
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Account Director: Sandy Song
Account Supervisor: Kim Suarez
Account Executive: Karah duMaire
Chief Strategy Officer: Colin Drummond
Group Planning Director: Lindsey Allison
Senior Account Planner: Kelly Mertesdorf
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Director of Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Senior Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sarah Freeark

Executives:
CEO, North America: Mike Sheldon
President, Los Angeles: Kim Getty

Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Dave Laden
Director of Photography: Stoeps Langersteiner
Managing Partner: Kevin Byrne
Executive Producer: Dan Duffy, Mino Jarjoura
Line Producer: Jason Gilbert

Editorial Company:  Cut & Run LA
Editor: Lucas Eskin
Senior Producer: Remy Foxx
Executive Producer: Carr Schilling

Post Facility: Jogger LA
VFX Supervisor/Flame Artist:  Tim Rudgard
Graphics: Jorge Tanaka
Executive Producer: Lynne Manino

Color Facility: Company 3
Colorist: Dave Hussey

Audio Post: Lime Studios
Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Assistant: Matt Miller
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

Composed Music: Massive Music
Creative Director/Composer: Tim Adams
Head of Production: Jessica Entner

Today we can confirm that responsibilities for Taco Bell’s digital creative work have shifted from DigitasLBi to Deutsch.

The company’s last real agency shakeup began back in 2012, when FCB (nee DraftFCB) lost the digital creative business to Digitas right after the latter opened its San Francisco office. FCB remained the brand’s official AOR at the time, but the account eventually shifted to Deutsch after a series of what AdAge described as “jump-ball pitches” involving both shops.

You may note that this new business follows Deutsch winning sister Yum Brands chain Pizza Hut in July; the agency’s first ads for that client debuted last month.

A source tells us, however, that the real reason behind the move was the October launch of Taco Bell’s new mobile ordering app.

(more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Imitation is the sincerest form of fla—rather, great minds think alike. 

Seattle's Best Coffee's new spot features various dudes who happen to be named Duncan proclaiming their love for the Starbucks-owned brand. 

What's interesting here is that this video was published two whole days before Taco Bell's somewhat viral "Real Ronald" ads featuring guys named Ronald McDonald. 

According to the coffee company's behind-the-scenes website, "The ad, which appeared before a fast-food chain launched a similar campaign, is part of a national taste test that found people preferred the new House Blend from Seattle’s Best Coffee over a competitor’s original blend coffee."

Given the close timing between these two, it's clear that neither brand was ripping off the other's idea. (As we've noted, it wasn't even a completely new idea in the first place.) Rather it reads as an uncanny coincidence fueled by the brand-obsessed zeitgeist. 

So, take a look at the two ads below and see the uncanny resemblance for yourself. 

Via Business Insider.

If you think it's a stretch that Taco Bell is repurposing mid-day bang ballad "Afternoon Delight" as a metaphor for going to Taco Bell, you're really going to be shocked to hear this: That's almost exactly what inspired the song in the first place.

In the chain's new ad, we see co-workers, classmates and geriatric bingo competitors slipping off together to the tune of Starland Vocal Band's enduring 1976 classic. And despite all the furtive note-passing and conspiratorial up-nodding, we quickly learn they're just heading down to the local Taco Bell for a "Happier Hour" promo that runs from 2 to 5 p.m.

It's a cute ad and even features a cameo by 6-foot-tall America's Next Top Model contestant Laura Ellen James. But what's truly surprising is that the song actually was based on an afternoon food excursion.

According to band lore, singer Bill Danoff was amused by the fact that Clyde's restaurant in Georgetown featured a spicy happy hour menu called "Afternoon Delight," which he thought sounded like a metaphor for sex. (And thanks to him, it now totally is.)

So there's your odd fact for the day. I still don't recommend you refer to a Taco Bell visit as an "Afternoon Delight," though it sounds better than "Afternoon Grease-Beef Injection." Good luck inviting your supermodel classmate to that one.

Be careful what you say about Taco Bell in Canada. The chain is liable to etch your angry rants on taco shells and force them down your throat. That's what happened in this stunt from ad agency Grip Limited in Toronto, which marked the long-awaited arrival of the celebrated Doritos Locos Tacos in the country by using a special laser to burn exasperated tweets from impatient customers right on the first batch of shells—and then invited those same customers to a "special fan event" where they literally ate their words.

Back in the U.S., meanwhile, Taco Bell has rolled out the new Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos, and is promoting them with two new spots from Deutsch LA. The first, titled "The World's Most Hottest Idea," shows various people discussing the spicy taco's flavor, oblivious to actual fires erupting around them. (Note the movie marquee in the last frame, "Gordy and Brian Take on Delaware," which refers to the creative team who created the spot.)

The other new spot, "No Pican," is the first commercial from the Deutsch LAtino multicultural marketing practice, and will target Latino audiences.

See those two spots, and credits for all three, below.

CREDITS
Client: Taco Bell Canada
Campaign: "DLT Eat Your Words"
Agency: Grip Limited, Toronto
Creative Directors: Ben Weinberg, Pat Andrews
Copywriter: Trevor Gourley
Art Director: Julia Morra
Social Content Strategist: Patrick Tomasso
Director of Client Services: John Miller
Account Director: Cheryl Gosling
Business Manager: Liliana Coimbra
Producer: Liz Crofton
Production House: Data Armada
Editor: Duane Vandermeulen
Music, Sound: Imprint Music
Postproduction: Grip Limited
Chief Marketing Officer: David Vivenes
Director of Marketing: Michael Van Horne
Marketing Manager: Veronica Castillo

—————

Client: Taco Bell
Spot: "The World's Most Hottest Idea"

Client Credits
President: Brian Niccol
Chief Marketing, Innovation Officer: Chris Brandt
Brand Creative Director: Tracee LaRocca
Senior Manager, Brand Experience: Aron North
Manager, Brand Experience: Ashley Prollamante

Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles
Group Creative Director: Brett Craig
Creative Directors: Jason Karley, Josh DiMarcantonio
Senior Art Director: Gordy Sang
Senior Copywriter: Brian Siedband
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo

Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Senior Producer: Mila Davis
Music Supervisor: Dave Rocco

Production Company
Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles
Director: Matt Aselton
Director of Photography: Nigel Bluck
Executive Producer: Marc Marrie
Managing Director: Mal Ward
Line Producer: Scott Kaplan
First Assistant Director: Craig Pinckes

Editorial Company
Cut and Run, Santa Monica, Calif.
Editor: Jay Nelson
Assistant Editors: Luke McIntosh, Sean Stender
Senior Producer: Amburr Faris
Executive Producer: Carr Schilling

Post Facility
MPC, Santa Monica, Calif.
Colorist: Ricky Gausis

Visual Effects Company
Method, Santa Monica, Calif.
Visual Effects, Online Artist: Jason Frank
Visual Effects Assistant Artist: Patrick Vollkommer
Creative Director: Claus Hansen
Producer: Stephanie Alllis

Music, Composer
Massive Music (Music festival scene only)
AFM Stock Music (Airbrushing scene only)

Sound Design Company
740 Sound Design, Los Angeles
Sound Designer: Rommel Mollina
Associate Producer: Jeff Martin
Executive Producer: Scott Ganary

Audio Post Company
Lime Studios, Santa Monica, Calif.
Mixer: Rohan Young
Assistant: Patrick Navarre
Executive Producer: Jessica Locke

End Tag Mnemonic:
Method Studios, Santa Monica, Calif.
Executive Producer: Robert Owens

Additional Deutsch Credits:
Chief Executive Officer: Mike Sheldon
Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Account Directors: Amanda Rantuccio, Christi Johnson
Account Supervisor: Steve Scutellaro
Account Executive: McKenna Pickett
Account Planners:
Chief Strategic Officer: Jeffrey Blish
Group Planning Director: Christian Cocker
Traffic, Business Affairs:
Director of Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Business Affairs Manager: Nestor Gandia
Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sarah Brennan

—————

Client: Taco Bell
Spot: "No Pican"

Client Credits:
President: Brian Niccol
Chief Marketing, Innovation Officer: Chris Brandt
Brand Creative Director: Tracee LaRocca
Senior Manager, Brand Experience: Aron North
Manager, Brand Experience: Ashley Prollamante

Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles
Group Creative Director: Brett Craig
Creative Directors: Jason Karley, Josh DiMarcantonio
Art Director: Luis Farfan
Senior Copywriter: Armando Samuels
Senior Copywriter: Natalia Cade
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Producer: Ilene Kramer
Music Supervisor: Dave Rocco

Production Company
Cortez Brothers, Marina Del Rey, Calif.
Director: Esteban Sapir
Director of Photography: Travis Cline
Executive Producer: Ed Rivero
Head of Production: Ashlee Cohen
Line Producer: Asori Soto
First Assistant Director: Mariano Andre

Editorial Company
Beast LA, Santa Monica, Calif.
Editor: Kevin Garcia
Assistant Editor: Gabriel Ordonez
Executive Producer: Jerry Sukys
Head of Production: Darby Walker
Producer: Mary Stasilli

Post Facility
CO3, Santa Monica, Calif.; Method Studios, Santa Monica
Colorist: Sean Coleman @ CO3
Online, Visual Effects Artist: Tim Rudgard @ Method Studios
Assistant: Louis Schachte @ Method Studios
Executive Producer: Robert Owens @ Method Studios
Producer: Stephanie Allis @ Method Studios

Visual Effects Company
Method Studios, Santa Monica, Calif. (graphics adapted from previous Taco Bell spots)
Visual Effects Artist: Tim Rudgard
Visual Effects Assistant Artist: Louis Schachte
Producer: Stephanie Allis

Music, Composer
Elias Arts, Santa Monica, Calif.
Executive Producer: Ann Haugen
Producer: Katie Overcash
Composer: Jack Shenker
Creative Director: Brett Nichols

Sound Designer
740 Sound Design & Mix, Los Angeles
Sound Designers: Rommel Molina, Nicholas Interlandi, Michael Dillenberger
Executive Producer: Scott Ganary
Associate Producer: Jeff Martin

Audio Post Company
Tono Studios, Santa Monica, Calif.
Mixer: Juan Felipe Valencia
Executive Producer: Noel Miranda
Producer: Monica Sotelo

Additional Deutsch Credits:
Chief Executive Officer: Mike Sheldon
Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Integrated Account Supervisor: Steve Scutellaro
Account Directors: Amanda Rantuccio, Mildred Grijalva, Christi Johnson
Account Executive: McKenna Pickett
Account Planners:
Chief Strategic Officer: Jeffrey Blish
Senior Account Planner: Pearl Owen
Traffic, Business Affairs:
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Director of Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sarah Brennan

Taco Bell's Dollar Cravings Menu is a low-budget option, so naturally it needs low-budget advertising. Enter Deutsch/LA, which claims to have produced radio ads for a dollar promoting the menu. The agency decided not to hire a voiceover actor, choosing instead to have a low-quality text-to-speech voice—i.e., a bad robot voice—read the scripts. The result is pretty amusing. The robot pronounces radio as "rah-dio," but more shameful is that he can't say "tortilla" properly either. He makes up for it with some humorous musings on his personal life, and the refreshing sign-off "Live Más. Bell sound."

Due to careless research before implementing advertising ads, Taco Bell now finds itself having to pay Pscyho Chihuahua $42 million for a previous deal in 1990s which they used now via their famous talking Chihuahua ad, “Yo quiera Taco Bell”.

Taco Bell rejected the men’s proposal, but later hired another ad agency that wound up using the talking animal in the now famous “Yo quiero Taco Bell” ads.

Taco Bell’s lawyers had argued that the Los Angeles-based advertising agency Chiat/Day independently created the Chihuahua idea that was used in the Taco Bell commercials. That dog became famous for telling people to”drop the Chalupa.”

(Source) OC Register