Hasta La Creative!

Translation’s new spot for the Apple Music streaming service sees James Corden pitching all kinds of (mostly awful) ideas to Apple Music execs, who remained unimpressed with the comedian’s over-the-top suggestions.

His first suggestion, “What if I’m giving birth to Justin Bieber, who’s giving birth to Anthony Kiedis, who’s giving birth to a phone?” is immediately rejected. While Corden would like to dress up as David Bowie and the Spice Girls, they just want to let people know about Apple Music’s hand-picked playlists, offline functionality and 40 million songs.

As Adweek points out, this kind of meta approach is hardly new and we’re sure our readers can point to at least a half dozen examples of similar ideas. That said, actually seeing Corden act out some of the ridiculous ideas and do his best Bowie and Spice Girls impressions is fairly entertaining. And the obvious benefit in the format is getting both the over-the-top comedy from Corden and the straightforward explanations of what Apple Music has to offer. So while there it may not be the most original idea, there’s certainly a method to the madness.

The NBA is putting a whole new spin on throwback jerseys.

The professional basketball league has launched its first-ever campaign around NCAA March Madness by employing a neat visual trick—showing NBA stars with overlaid animations of the college uniforms from their NCAA days.

Stephen Curry, James Harden, Al Horford, Kyle Lowry, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook all star in 15-second ads from Translation, voiced by the indomitable Dick Vitale.

It’s not just the clothes that change. Westbrook, presently of the Oklahoma City Thunder and formerly of the UCLA Bruins, transforms into a bear wearing a pair of the player’s infamous red glasses. Even the YouTube video descriptions are packed with Vitale slang, Easter eggs for the hardcore zealots.

Running under the tagline “The dance never ends,” it’s a nice simple concept, illustrating that some of the college stars that viewers are cheering on now will be in the NBA soon enough—and that it’s OK to enjoy both leagues.

The spots don’t show the pros giving up wads of cash as they return to the NCAA, though.

CREDITS
Brand/Client: NBA
Campaign Title: March Madness
Spot Title: 2015 March Madness Animated, Baby!  
First Air Date: 3/23/15

Agency: Translation 
Chief Executive Officer: Steve Stoute 
Chief Creative Officer: John Norman
Chief Strategy Officer: John Greene
Executive Creative Director: Betsy Decker
Senior Creative: Matthew McFerrin
Senior Creative: Armando Samuels
Senior Creative: Matt Comer
Head of Brand Strategy: Tim Flood
Strategist: Lindsey Neeld, Geoff McHenry
Director of Broadcast Production: Miriam Franklin
Executive Producer: Carole McCarty
Associate Producer: Philinese Kirkwood
Business Affairs Manager: Brian Enright
SVP, Group Account Director: Tim Van Hoof
Account Executive: Chris Martin
Senior Project Manager: Matt DeSimone

Production Company: Blacklist / Golden Wolf
Executive Producer: Andrew Linsk
Producer: Patrick Gantert
Creative Director: Ingi Erlingsson
Producer: Ant Baena
Production Assistant: Corina Priestley
Roto / Prep: Krishnan Balakrishnan, Nikita Alagan, Aravindan.C, Thirupathi Raja, Stephan, Arun.N, Murthy.N, Satish.R
Design: Stefan Falconer, Pedro Vergani
Animation: Stefan Falconer, Tim Whiting, Pablo Lozano, Mattias Breitholtz, Romain Loubersanes, Steffano Ottaviano, Harj Bains, Samuel Bell, Duncan Gist

Post Company: WAX, New York
Editor: Joe Dillingham
Assistant Editor: Nate Kim
Managing Partner: Toni Lipari
Senior Producer: Evan Meeker
Conform: WAX

Color Grade (NBA footage): CO3, New York
Colorist: Tom Poole
Producer: Rochelle Brown
Assistant Colorist: Kath Raisch

Color Grade (Animation): WAX
Colorist: Steve Picano

Audio Post: Sonic Union
Engineer (Mix): David Papa
Engineer (Mix): Fernando Ascani
Studio Director: Justine Cortale
Mix Assistant: Ben Conlon

VO TALENT:
VO: Dick Vitale
VO: Todd Cummings

Music / Sound Design: Future Perfect Music
Composer: Victor Margo
Executive Producer: Maxwell Gosling
Executive Producer: John Connolly

DDB New York debuted its “New York Takes Center Court” spot promoting the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, featuring voiceover from Common (whose voice was recently featured in a pair of Microsoft ads that ran during the Super Bowl).

The ad follows the NBA premiering the first work from new agency of record Translation last month. Presumably the league decided to go with the New York office of DDB due to the fact that the game will take place in the city. And the ad does place New York in center stage, celebrating the five boroughs and calling on its citizens to “Hail a cab, catch a train, ferry over, bike, walk, run” or choose any other mode of transportation to be a part of the event. The 30-second spot mixes live NBA footage with animation for a fun, comic-like vibe building anticipation for NBA All Star festivities, which will run February 13-15.

Credits:

Client: NBA
Agency: DDB, New York
Executive Creative Director: Joseph Cianciotto
Creative Director: Rich Sharp
Creative Director: Mike Sullivan
Art Director: Mina Mikhael
Copywriter: Turan Tuluy
Producer: Tiffany Campbell
Account Executive: Jackie Schultz
Design and Animation: Transistor Studios

State Farm has been running the “Magic Jingle” advertising campaign for a while, in which customers are able to summon their agents out of thin air in times of crisis by singing the famous jingle: “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”

What’s been left unspoken—until now—is how weird the scene must be back in the State Farm offices, with agents constantly disappearing while chatting with colleagues.

This new spot from Translation looks at the campaign from the latter angle, comically checking in on disappearing agents in State Farm offices across the country. The spot was directed by Roman Coppola, with longtime David Fincher cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth handling DP duties.

“There really are endless jokes to make and directions to explore with the concept of teleportation,” Translation creative director Nick Sonderup tells AdFreak.

“We knew the spot worked because there were just so many ways to execute it. On the surface, the idea that a State Farm agent will be there no matter when you need them is only one part of the story. When you consider what those agents might be in the middle of when you sing the jingle, and they’re summoned to your side—that’s when it clicked and we knew things could get really fun.”

“It’s also a response to the way the ‘Magic Jingle’ campaign has become part of culture,” adds Patty Morris, State Farm marketing director of brand content. (Indeed, just look at all the “Magic Jingle” parodies on Vine.)

“We’ve seen so many terrific user-generated parodies and creative ways of approaching the idea. We took the opportunity to re-think it ourselves, and the result was a completely fresh piece of creative that stays true to our original strategy.”

CREDITS
Brand/Client: State Farm
Campaign Title: State Farm Magic Jingle
Spot Title: “Magic Jingle Disappearing Agents”
First Air Date: 1/10/15

Agency: Translation   
Founder & CEO: Steve Stoute
Chief Creative Officer: John Norman
Creative Director: Nick Sonderup
Creative Director: Andy Grant
Art Director: Allison Bulow
Copywriter: Jameson Rossi
Partner, Strategy: John McBride
Director of Content Production: Miriam Franklin
Director of Business Management: Thalia Tsouros
VP Account Director: Susanna Swartley
Account Supervisor: Sara Daino
Assistant Account Executive: Jake Thorndike
Producer: Andy Murillo
Junior Producer: Kristen Cooler

Production: The Directors Bureau
Director: Roman Coppola
DP: Jeff Cronenweth
Managing Director/Executive Producer: Lisa Margulis
Executive Producer/Head of Production: Elizabeth Minzes
Producer: Mary Livingston

Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors NY
Editor: Carlos Arias
Assistant Editor: Alexandra Debricon
Post Executive Producer:  Eve Kornblum
Post Producer: Lisa Barnable

VFX Company:  The Mill
VFX Artist: Gavin Wellsman, Jeff Butler
VFX Executive Producer: Boo Wong
VFX Producer: Colin Moneymaker

Audio Post: Heard City
Mixer: Keith Reynaud, Mike Vitacco
Executive Producer: Gloria Pitagorsky
Producer: Sasha Awn

Sound Design: Henryboy
Sound Designer: Bill Chesley
Executive Producer: Kate Gibson

Original Music: Beacon Street
Composers:  Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau
Executive Producers: Adrea Lavezzoli and Leslie Dilullo

Media: OMD

State Farm Marketing Director, Brand Content: Patty Morris
State Farm Advertising Manager: Troy Johnson
State Farm Marketing Analyst, Mass Media Brand Content: Christine Williams
State Farm Marketing Analyst, Mass Media Brand Content: Jeff Greeneberg

Translation recently debuted a new spot for Sprite documenting LeBron James return to his home town of Akron, Ohio.

Entitled “LeBron James’ First Home Game” the spot follows James as a driver takes him through Akron and to Patterson Park, where Sprite has restored two basketball courts. This footage is interpersed with Akron residents discussing how epic James’ first home game for the Cavaliers will be. James arrives at Patterson Park where a throng of excited fans follows him as he sits and watches a pick up game. “They say home is where your heart is. Well my heart is here, it’s always been,” James says. “This is my first game,” he adds, before telling the guys on the court, “I’ve got next.” (Good luck with that, guys.)

It’s an emotional approach, if somewhat muted from coming on the heels of R/GA’s ad for Beats carrying much the same message. Still, aside from the awful Imagine Dragons song used to soundtrack the spot, it’s well put-together and those not already feeling overly-saturated by ads starring James (he also appears in this recent Kia spot) should find it enjoyable enough, especially Cavs fans. A 30-second version of the spot will run during the Cavs first home game later this month, and Sprite has also issued “commemorative 12-ounce cans featuring James’ likeness that are available in Ohio stores,” according to Creativity.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Can Google Glass help cross cultural boundaries and even save lives? It can in “Captions,” a 4-minute short film promoting a translation app currently in development.

Writer, director and editor Joe Sill of digital studio Everdream Pictures describes the cinematic clip as a “branded content spec ad,” much like the team’s earlier, unofficial Tesla spot, “Modern Spaceship,” whose admirers included even Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

And sure enough, the new video has also gotten some top-level corporate love, with the official Google Glass page giving it a share on Facebook.

Sam Morrill, senior curator at Vimeo, also left a comment on the clip: “Interesting film. Really sharp look.”

“Captions” focuses on a Glass translation app that helps a photographer in the Mexican desert communicate with a boy who’s been bitten by a snake.

The mood and approach couldn’t be more different than “Modern Spaceship’s” effects-fueled flight of fancy. Washed-out, steamy visuals—shot on location at an orphanage in Mexico’s San Antonio de las Miñas—and naturalistic performances give “Captions” a gritty, documentary vibe.

The slow-burn melodrama is engaging but restrained, and the low-key ending is handled just right.

Ultimately, the film doesn’t oversell its message. It serves as a credible product demo, and a thoughtful meditation on how cutting-edge technology can help people bridge gaps, gain greater understanding and get closer in the offline world.

CREDITS

Created by: Everdream Pictures
Writer and Director: Joe Sill
Executive Producer: James Khabushani
Producer: Jona Ward
Featuring: Amir Malaklou
Assistant Director: Alan Michnoff
Cinematographer: Nick Roney
Assistant Camera: Juancarlos Amaya
Gaffer: Juancarlos Amaya
Makeup: Spencer Reed
Editing: Joe Sill
Color Correction: Nick Roney, Joe Sill
Production Sound: Alan Michnoff
Sound Design: Jackie Zhou
Original Music: Mattan Cohen

Today only seems like a slow one  in the agency world. One of the key drivers behind the day’s top story–big-name sponsors abandoning the L.A. Clippers in the wake of owner Donald Sterling’s racist rant–is Translation CEO Steve Stoute.

CarMax was the first company to opt out, but this morning Stoute told ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd that his client State Farm would soon follow.

For audio, click the link above; we have the key quote after the jump.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We’ve just received word that New York-based Translation, the agency famously founded by Steve Stoute in partnership with Jay-Z, will be shuttering its Chicago office.

Founder/CEO Stoute writes:

“As an agency our mission has always been to provide exceptional service to our clients, and to bring purpose and precision to our creative output. With the recent additions of President Nils Peyron and CCO John Norman in New York, and always with an eye toward the long-term growth of our organization, we have made the decision to bring our team together in New York and close Translation’s Chicago office. This was a hard choice for all of us, but one that will strengthen the agency immediately and for years to come.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Más posibilidades de las que puedas imaginar.

by
Darren Fleet

From Adbusters #99: The Big Ideas of 2012

Beth Yarnelle Edward