Hasta La Creative!

Papa John’s International, Inc. announces the launch of its new “Better Day” campaign featuring Board of Directors member and franchisee Shaquille O’Neal. The campaign includes three television ads featuring O’Neal making pizzas with Papa John’s team members and engaging Los Angeles residents across the city during deliveries at different locations.

“Shaquille has a dynamic presence and sharp business sense. We wanted him to take the wheel in these ads and show it truly is a better day at Papa John’s,” said Karlin Linhardt, Papa John’s global chief marketing officer. “You’ll see in the commercials Shaquille being Shaquille – visiting team members at Papa John’s restaurants, showing off his charisma, embodying the changes so pervasive across Papa John’s.”

The “Better Day” campaign was directed by filmmaker Amir Farhang with Hungry Man Productions.  Farhang is a former agency creative turned award-winning director who worked with O’Neal previously, as well as working with brands such as Adidas, Nike and Dove.

This is the first campaign with Papa John’s from its new partner Camp + King. 

“These spots are meant to show how Shaquille is not playing a role of “spokesperson,” but instead is playing a real role of being more deeply invested in the company as both a store owner and member of the board,” said Roger Camp, chief creative officer and co-founder of Camp + King.

These commercials are part of a larger campaign, which will include additional candid moments with O’Neal and community engagement in select cities in the coming months, among other elements.

Advertising Agency: Camp + King, San Francisco, CA (USA)

Chief Executive Officer & Partner: Jamie King

Chief Creative Officer & Partner: Roger Camp

Creative Director, Junior Partner:  Rikesh Lal

Creative Director, Junior Partner: Jesse Dillow

Senior Art Director: Melissa Macarian

Senior Copywriter: Rick Morrison

Copywriter: Evan Burton

Director of Production, Junior Partner:  Stacy McClain

Executive Producer: Garrett DeLorm

Managing Director – Chicago, Junior Partner: Kristin Barbour

Brand Director: Melissa Stavish

Brand Supervisor: Helen Oddone

Assistant Brand Manager: Rachel Feigelman

Director of Strategy, Junior Partner: David Morrissey

Senior Strategist: Paige Robertson

Designer:  Joey Faccio

Director of Print Production: Amy Guzman

Production Company: Hungry Man

Director: Amir Farhang

Managing Partner/Executive Producer: Kevin Byrne

Managing Partner/Executive Producer: Mino Jarjoura

Executive Producer/Director of Sales: Kevin Byrne

Executive Producer: Caleb Dewart

Head of Production: Marian Harkness

Producer: Tine Densmore Bell

Production Supervisor: Alexa Brugger

Post-Production:  Cut+Run / Jogger SF

Editor: Ben McCambridge

Editor: Max Holste

Executive Producer: Deanne Mehling

Producer: Cassandra Guardado

Flame Artist: Brendan Crockett 

Online Producer: Caylee Banz

Mix:  One Union Recording

Senior Engineer: Joaby Deal

Color Grade:  Company 3

Senior Colorist: Sean Coleman

Music Supervision: Beta Petrol

Executive Producer: Dayna Turcotte

Producer: CMC Forecast, Dave Suchanek

ArtClass is pleased to announce an exciting addition to their team of next generation storytellers. Joining the roster of the LA and NY-based production studio is award-winning director Cody Stokes. Hailing from the Midwest, Stokes makes poignant commercials, narrative films, and documentaries that touch the heart.

As Executive Producer Geno Imbriale says, “Authenticity is the pillar of Cody’s work. He knows how to trigger emotion and connect with the viewer, a skill that runs throughout his expansive portfolio. At ArtClass, we’re looking forward to taking Cody’s artistry and production pedigree into new and unexpected avenues.”

The prolific Stokes has over a hundred commercial projects under his belt. He’s crafted ads for brands including Toyota, Nike SB, American Express, Microsoft, Yahoo, BMW, ESPN, and Dreambone. Inspired by his mother’s love of craft, and his father’s love of story (and classic 60’s films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), Stokes was primed to impart a depth, richness, and relatability to all of his work.

In his short films, it takes Stokes only a couple of minutes to translate complex or deep emotions, be it mourning a loss, bearing loneliness, rooting for escape, or delighting in whimsy. His sense for pacing and performance results in narratives that are genuine, captivating, sometimes uplifting, and always emotive. The recipient of the Princess Grace Award for filmmaking, Stokes’ use of light and sound brilliantly punctuates scenes and transitions, especially in shorts like Paper Hallways, A Year Long Morning, and The Loneliest Place On Earth.

Stokes’ first full-length narrative, a crime drama called The Ghost Who Walks, is rounding the film festival circuit in summer 2019. It has already won six awards at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, including Best Narrative Feature, and won the Jury Award at the 2018 US IN PROGRESS section of the Champs-Elysees Film Festival.

For Stokes, having a supportive team can make all the difference, which is why he found himself linked up with ArtClass, having previously worked with EP Geno Imbriale. “ArtClass is the kind of company that helps directors – and creators of all kinds – be the best versions of themselves. They provide a platform to explore new ideas and really hone one’s craft,” says Stokes. “I feel very privileged to be part of such a diverse group of creatives.”

A grumpy old man hates de Rio Carioca Beer ads and find them a bunch of losers.

“These Rio Carioca Beer ads, love to mock everybody. That’s why they don’t sell anything, or have money to appear on TV. LOSERS!”

“Rio Carioca Beer ads never shoed a woman in a bikini!”

The grumpy old man insists: “I’m not being funny about these Rio Carioca Beer ads. My son likes them. He’s a loser too.”

Campaign: #losers

Brand: Rio Carioca Beer

Agency: 11:21

Criative Director: Gustavo Bastos

Copywriter: Gustavo Bastos

Account Manager: Diego Crisostomo

Media Manager: Rodrigo Sani

Production Company: Movie Machine

Director: Bruno Miguel

Approved by: Luiz Eduardo Vieira

Would you treat a cake better than you would your friends? Turns out, most people do. Research shows that when Belgian motorists have food on the passenger seat 87% of them drive with extra care. Because they really don’t want to ruin that cake.

This insight led mortierbrigade to come up with the idea of the Safety Cake. A beautiful and fragile piece of pastry that has an immediate impact on the motorists’ driving behaviour. Joost Berends, Creative Director at mortierbrigade, explains:

“The idea started from the principle that we drive more careful when we transport food on the passenger seat, like for instance a pizza, some Chinese takeaway or a cake. An inquiry further confirmed this observation. With the Safety Cake we seek to bring across a very clear message about our driving behavior not being very logical, in a way that people can recognize. Because why wouldn’t you be just as careful with your passengers as with the cake standing next to you?”

With the hashtag #TreatYourFriendsLikeACake mortierbrigade invites motorists to treat their friends like a cake. I mean, with care.

Laura Gonzalez Schena, coordinator at RYD:

“With the Safety Cake we want to address road safety in an original and positive way. We don’t want to moralize or point fingers, yet seek to open the discussion with a positive message.”

The Safety Cake is part of a global awareness campaign and also has a wide social component, in order to reach as many young people as possible. With the hashtag #TreatYourFriendsLikeACake RYD and Renault invite young motorists to treat their friends as they would a cake. Motorists can find the campaign movie on www.safetycake.be, along with the recipe to drive safely.

Ad agency: mortierbrigade – Brussels

Quinn Wilson, a provocative filmmaker/creative director adept at shaping visual identities across the realms of music, performance and film – notably with singer/rap sensation Lizzo – has signed with Good Company. Based in New York and LA, Good Company is a full-service creative studio with a roster of diverse talents. Their multidisciplinary production and post expertise has them at the forefront of commercials, music videos, world tours, and experiential activations.
 

Quinn’s keen aesthetic shines through in the signature imagery Quinn and Lizzo have created together, starting with Quinn designing Lizzo’s debut album cover, to Quinn serving as creative director for her most recent tour, to directing the bulk of Lizzo’s music videos – including the sassy “Juice” (with over 34 million views and counting). Most recently, Quinn helped take the singer’s message of body positivity to the 2019 MTV VMA stage, giant inflatable twerking posterior included. 

Says [Managing Director/Co-Founder] Ryan Heiferman: “What Quinn has done with Lizzo is nothing short of amazing — the performances, the videos, and the overall aesthetic all sculpted under her artful eye. And Quinn has seamlessly transitioned into directing over the past couple years which makes her truly a great fit on our roster, as both a director and creative director.”

Quinn attended the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, where she thrived in a collaborative studio environment and developed a dramatic flair for makeup and design. A big break came when Quinn linked up with Lizzo as a makeup artist for the vocalist and her performers. Immersed in the hustle surrounding the shows, she began tossing innovative ideas out to the team to enhance the Lizzo experience for fans. Without realizing it, Quinn was acting as a creative director before she was hired as one.

This collaborative shorthand runs through the signature imagery Quinn and Lizzo have created, starting with Quinn designing Lizzo’s debut album cover, to creative directing Lizzo’s most recent tour. Quinn has a hand in every detail of the tour spectacle, proving her ability to conceptualize with a team of varied voices and skillsets and carry that vision through across mediums. Recently, Quinn helped take Lizzo’s message of body positivity to the 2019 MTV VMA stage, where the star performed her medley of hits in front of a giant inflatable twerking posterior.

Quinn took the leap to move behind the camera and recalls her a-ha moment. “My comfort zone was articulating my vision and hiring filmmakers whose technical ability I trusted. Learning all aspects of the craft has solidified a passion I’ve had within me since childhood. Directing has opened up another visual space for me to play in, and allowed me to take full ownership of my art.”

Quinn’s ability to translate the essence of the artist onscreen shines in Lizzo’s

videos for “Boys,” “Fitness,” “Truth Hurts,” and the much acclaimed “Juice” – a character-driven clip which hit the mark (with over 32 million views and counting) with its 80s-tinged references and sassy humor.

The success of these videos enabled Quinn to push forward into different areas of image-making. For Vogue Magazine, she captured a celebration of the LGBTQ+ identity spectrum with a series of striking portraits from the 2018 LA Pride Parade. In 2019, she made her foray into the commercial arena with promos for the Tyler Perry series The Haves and Have Nots on Oprah’s OWN Network.

Quinn was introduced to Good Company through her manager, Alli Maxwell, who has roots at Good Company, having produced and EP’d various projects for them over the years. As Quinn looks towards the future with the team, she explains, “Good Company are good people with good taste. Their support and expertise is exactly what I’ve been seeking as I push forward into the world of commercial and branded content and continue on in the music video space.”

“I’ve been lucky to jump around in professional roles within the creative world, but film feels the most at home for me,” Quinn added. “My heart is flying out of my body most when I’m making films. When I’m on set doing anything with moving images, I feel like I’m soaring through the air.”

What happens when grandparents stop worrying that their grandkids spend too much time on social media and start connecting with them through it?

Cox Communications, the largest private telecom company in America, launches ‘Grandstories’ just in time for Grandparent’s Day, on Sunday, September 8. The initiative brings grandparents closer to their grandkids by teaching them how to make stronger connections with the people who matter most using social media. ‘Grandstories’ reinforces Cox’s new brand positioning- ‘Bringing Us Closer’ – by demonstrating how broadband connectivity is most powerful when it creates more human connection. The work was developed by180LA for Cox Communications.

“Our Grandstories campaign is the first of many with a goal beyond selling broadband, but rather reminding us all of the human connections that technology enables,” said Gaston Vaneri, senior vice president, brand strategy, Cox Communications. “The campaign  brings that brand purpose to life in a very touching way, as we watch real grandparents learn to use social media to connect, with their grandchildren. Those connections enrich the relationship on both sides and on a very personal level. We hope the stories inspire others to embrace technology to connect with loved ones, especially grandparents, on this year’s Grandparents Day.”

Cox launched their new brand positioning in November 2018, with a focus on enabling more human connection. The company’s new tag line “Bringing Us Closer” is rooted in a belief that life is better when we people truly connect. In a society where online connectivity has often replaced genuine connection, Cox Communications is looking for new ways to inspire people to both reflect upon, and strengthen, the human bonds in their lives and communities.

“Isolation and loneliness is a growing epidemic. Especially among seniors,” stated Mike Bokman, group creative director, 180LA. “Our grandparents have so much knowledge to share, so many stories to tell, so much love to give. They deserve our attention, but our attention is not easy to get these days. So we’re helping to bridge that gap by inspiring grandparents to connect with their grandkids in the place their grandkids are sure to notice — social media.”

About the Grandstories Initiative

Cox Communications trained and mentored seniors in the use of social media, documenting the process from the perspective of both grandparent, and grandchild, capturing authentic moments of connection. The grandparents used these new ways to communicate in order to share with their grandkids the things that matter the most to them.

The ‘Grandstories’ films and related assets will be featured in social media, and tips to help other grandparents and grandkids get connected are available on Converge, Cox’s content hub. This week the company is releasing ‘Seize The Day’ featuring a story about Larry and is granddaughter, Jessica. The additional short films will follow soon.

About the Grandstories Videos:

‘Seize The Day’ – Larry (79) and Jessica (33): After the passing of Larry’s wife, Pat, he realizes the preciousness of time. In order to reconnect with his granddaughter, Jessica, and make sure his wife’s memory lives on, Larry takes to social media to connect with his granddaughter, and share his most precious memories about Pat. He tells the story of how they met and fell in love while both serving in the Navy, and how they kept their relationship alive through letters while he was away at sea for nearly a year. Larry shares some of his favorite letters, many of which he still has to this day. To Larry’s surprise, Jessica also received a beautiful letter from Pat, which she shares with her grandfather in a powerful and emotional conclusion.

‘Family Recipes’ – Young(76) & Karen(21): Young is a traditional, non-English-speaking, Korean grandmother. She feared her granddaughter, Karen, is becoming too American, spending too much on her phone, and would soon forget her Korean roots. Young connected with Karen by sharing her family’s never-written recipes on social media. With the help of Cox, Young filmed herself making each cherished recipe, providing her granddaughter with step-by-step instructions. Young hoped not only to preserve her recipes, but also to pass down the family’s Korean culture and heritage, all while preserving a special bond with her granddaughter, but she had her doubts on whether her efforts were in vein. When Karen surprises her grandmother at home one evening before dinner with her attempt at Young’s kimchi recipe, her grandmother and grandfather’s reaction is not to be missed.

‘Making Up For Lost Time’ – Nadene(73) & Cody (26): 50 years ago, Nadene gave her newborn daughter up for adoption. She has been happily married since that time, but never had another child. Recently, she received a call – It was her daughter, who shared that Nadene has a 25-year-old grandson named Cody. Nadene was longing to have a personal relationship with her newfound grandson, but distance was an issue, as Nadene lives in San Diego and Cody in Oregon. She turned to social media to bridge the geography and connect with Cody. Nadene was concerned about coming on too strong, and scaring Cody away. The exact opposite occurred. Cody shared a wonderful, personal surprise with Nadene: he was getting married. Thanks to her efforts to connect, Nadene joined in Cody’s wedding celebrations.

Client: Cox Communications

Campaign Title: Grandstories 

Agency: 180LA

Agency Location: Los Angeles, CA

CCO: Al Mosely

Group Creative Directors: Jason Rappaport and Mike Bokman

Copywriter: Eric Scott, Will Sands 

Art Director:  Robinson Mattei 

Head of Production: David Emery

Producer: Michael Quinones

Group Account Director: Andrea Goldman

Senior Account Manager: Morgan Theis

Strategy Director: Maggie Speciale

Social Strategist: Lauren Murphy

Director of Photography: Daniel Hollis

Story Producer: Carlin Cwik 

Executive Producer:   Cedric Troadec of Etcetera

Director: Mike Bokman

Editorial Company: Therapy

Editor:  Ken Mowe

Audio Record & Mix:  Therapy

These automatic ad bans just keep getting funnier.

To all people who fear that AI will soon take over the world, turn into Skynet and then kill us all off if they won’t use us human batteries…. We have a while to go before it gets there. The program is only as smart as the programmer, you know, and it seems like every week we hear of yet another gaffe where an online ad is rejected because the automatic system doesn’t grasp the context. Context is a really cool thing, y’all should look into it. Just last week “vaginas” was the word that sent up the alarm bells at Facebook, but this time it’s the word faggots that has offended Google’s text ad system.

– “Faggots… you mean…”

– “No no no, not the bundle of sticks, the other faggots.

– “You mean… uh.. faggots?”

– “Yes! As in saucy little plump, yummy, and fresh, faggots.”

You see, there’s a little café called “Fanny’s Rest Stop” in Newport, which despite their terrible taste in fonts and eclectic 50-diner-ish furniture, serves all the classics that a proper greasy spoon in the UK should. The owner, Jo Evans-Pring, enlisted her friend Chris Barnbrook for help setting up her online presence, to promote her business and advertise. Things were going quite well, with new customers dropping in and business picking up, until one day an ad was unceremoniously rejected.
 

“I posted an advert on the website for Fanny’s faggots with peas and onion gravy, a pretty traditional meal and one of my favourites, on the 27th.” explains Chris Barnbrook.

Jo Evans-Pring received an email from Google the day after a new advert went live, telling her that her advert had been removed.

“Recently, a post was removed from your Business Profile,” the email said. “To help ensure your posts create a positive experience for users, please review our content policy.” Ah, that blasted content policy again. Content policies don’t care about context.

“Me and Chris had a look, and realized they’d moved the faggots one – and we couldn’t think it was for any reason other than it having the word ‘faggots’ in it.” 

Oy vey, wait until Google hears about the delightful spotted dick and other assorted names that don’t travel well.

“From September 2nd to October 6th, BURGER KING® sets up a new political meeting in France and launches Democratic Burger: the first 2€ democratically elected burger. “

There has been a lot of voting between brands in many advertising campaigns over the years. Why I myself am guilty of once presenting such an idea to my Creative Director. Mine was for AMA margarine, a name that was very easy to confuse with the main competitor OMA margarine, which doesn’t have the healthy omega 3,4 and 6 in it – so naturally, I conceived of a campaign where the Danish people would have to vote for a new name where all options reminded them of the Omegas. It was an election year in Denmark, and my Creative Director was so tired of “vote for product” campaign ideas, he practically threw me out of the office head first. “That’s the oldest idea,” he yelled after me “I see a hundred variations every four years!” 

It probably comes as no surprise to you that I flashback to that moment and giggle a little every time Adland receives a produced campaign, that hinges on the “vote for product” core concept. And there is indeed a lot of them. As my tutor and mentor John Gillard used to say: Beware of your first idea as it’s inevitably too good.

September 2nd is a founder day for the French democracy. Now Burger King France joins in, and asks the customers to decide which promotional product they want. They get to vote on it.

All French people can vote on the BK app in order to weekly elect the burger that will be available at only 2€ among 8 in the running (Crispy Chicken, Big King®, Big Fish, Whopper®, Chicken Tendercrisp®, Steakhouse, BBQ Cheese & Bacon et Bacon Lover).

With the posters, they also have this 45-second ad, showing a family arguing about burgers – rather than politics – over dinner. What a misdirect. “BURGER KING® – DEMOCRATIC BURGER”

President and Executive Creative Director Georges Mohammed-Chérif
Vice – President Thomas Granger
Managing Director Julien Levilain
Creative Director Julien Doucet
Creative Director Lilian Moine
Art Director & Copywriter Thibault Picot
Art Director & Copywriter Yvonnick Le Bruchec
Head of Account Loïc Coelho
Account Executive Fany Maupou
Head of Social Media Loris Bernardini
Social Media Manager Félix Brunot
Social Media Manager Arnaud Cherbonnier
Head of Strategic Planning Clément Scherrer
Head of PR & Communication Amélie Juillet
PR & Communication Manager Paul Renaudineau
Head of TV Production Vanessa Barbel
TV Producer Benoit Crouet
Rights Management Dee Perryman

Production Film Caviar
Director Cloé Bailly
Producer Céline Roubaud
Post-production FIRM
Sound Production Schmooze

oday, the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Organizing Committee unveiled its original and unprecedented logo for the 2022 USA Games which was, for the first time in the organization’s 50-year history, inspired and designed by nine artistic and talented Special Olympics athletes. Athletes from across the country gathered for a three-day workshop in Orlando, where they joined forces with professional designers from creative ad agency partner, Publicis Seattle, to provide the vision for the 2022 USA Games logo, as well as the primary color palette that explodes with life. The mark represents the natural elements of Florida culminating in a fiery spark of the Special Olympics spirit.

“It is an honor to be part of the team that created the logo,” Special Olympics athlete Lee Savage said. “This was so important to us because Special Olympics is such an important part of our lives. We are proud of the logo and hope it can be an inspiration to society.”

“This logo tells a story of how a combined passion for sports, perseverance, and art can literally come to life on a blank canvas,” said Joe Dzaluk, President & CEO of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. “These incredible athletes used their unique talents to inspire and design an iconic image for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games brand, and it proved to be more meaningful than any of us could have ever imagined.

Additionally, Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi, who is best known for her 2018 Academy Award-winning documentary short Period. End of Sentence., directed a mini-documentary that was filmed during the three-day workshop. This unique approach to developing the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games logo served as the perfect platform to unlock the creativity and confidence of the Special Olympics athletes. Zehtabchi’s film beautifully captures the positive impact of the process and the undeniable spirit and talent of the athletes.

Melissa Nelson, President, Publicis Seattle, commented, “We’ve been privileged to partner with  Special Olympics for the 2018 Games and now again for the 2022 Games. This collaboration inspires our people to do what they do best: explore exciting new creative thinking and opportunities.

Pete Kearney, Executive Creative Director, Publicis Seattle, added, “We’ve always felt this was never our logo to create — it was the athletes’. We embraced that idea and empowered the talent, vision, and passion of these spirited artists. We’re in the business of changing perceptions, and with this work, we’ve shown that creative power exists in each and every one of us.”

The nine athletes included: Aarushi Pratap of Special Olympics Florida (Fashion Design), Andrew Weatherly of Special Olympics New Jersey (Abstract Painting), Caroline Shin of Special Olympics Florida (Web Design), Coby Fineran of Special Olympics Iowa (Tattoo Artist), Haley Waggoner of Special Olympics Nebraska (Cake Decorating), Lee Savage of Special Olympics Florida (Drawing), Mariah Gilbert of Special Olympics Washington (Drawing), Marta Páramo of Special Olympics Florida (Painting) and Patrice Jetter of Special Olympics New Jersey (Graphic Design).

About 2022 Special Olympics USA Games:

Orlando was officially announced as the host city for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in May 2018. Taking place from June 5-11, 2022, more than 4,000 athletes, 10,000 volunteers, 1,500 coaches and 125,000 fans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will travel to unite and participate in one of the world’s most cherished sporting events. The Games will be comprised of as many as 20 Olympic-type team and individual sports and will take place at the 220-acre ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, providing a premier venue for amateur sports in the nation. To learn more about the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, please visit www.2022USAGames.org and follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Publicis Worldwide:

Publicis Worldwide is a global creative agency network enabling our clients to Lead The Change in their own marketing and business transformation. We do this through a combination of strategy, creativity and technology. With over 16,000 employees in 110 countries, clients include Adidas Sports, Axa, Carrefour, Cartier, Citi, Diesel, Emirates, Heineken, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, L’Oréal, Nestlé, Orange, P&G, Renault and Sanofi.

Publicis Worldwide is part of Publicis Communications, the creative agency network solution hub within Publicis Groupe.

Client: 2022 Special Olympics USA Games

Campaign Title: 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Logo

Joe Dzaluk, President and CEO

Bill Schoonmaker, Chief Marketing Officer

Kyle Jaimes, Partnership Manager

Agency: Publicis

Agency Location: Seattle

President: Melissa Nelson

Executive Creative Director/s: Jason Lucas, Pete Kearney

Creative Director/s: Chris Campbell, Earl Wallace IV

Sr. Art Director: Chad Ford

Sr. Designer: Michelle Billings

Copywriter: Kai Nedderson

Head of Production: AJ Karim

Executive Producer: Jen Allen

Assistant Producer: Grace Gutierrez

Group Account Director: Garth Knutson

Account Supervisor: Pat Hutchinson

Account Executive: Brooke Songey

Project Manager/s: Nina Scarnici, Kurt Hartwig

Studio Director: Ricky Fisher

Sr. Print Producer: Molly Costin

Special Olympics Athletes/Artists/s: Caroline Shin, Haley Waggoner, Lee Savage, Aarushi Pratap, Marta Paramo, Coby Fineran, Andrew Weatherly, Patrice Jetter, Mariah Gilbert

Director: Rayka Zehtabchi

Director of Photography: Sam Davis

Editor: Sam Davis

Assistant Editor: Tim Deters

Design & Animation Company: Laundry

Executive Creative Directors: PJ Richardson & Tony Liu

Creative Director: Reza Rasoli

Managing Director: James Sweigert

Head of Production: Matthew Primm

Producer: Dean Marchand

Design: Reza Rasoli, Yoojin Seol, Teppei Maki, Ana Perez Lopez

Animation: Reza Rasoli, Teppei Maki, Ramzi Hogan, Samantha Maurer, Ana Perez Lopez

Audio Record: Push Button Productions

Producer/Engineer: Yeosh Bendayan

Producer/Engineer: Jon Ruhff

Mix / Sound Design: Bart Radio

Producer/Engineer: Bart Smith

Advertising agency Cactus launched its latest work for client CommunityAmerica Credit Union (CACU), an inspirational, integrated branding campaign that leverages its sponsorship of NFL team the Kansas City Chiefs and its quarterback Patrick Mahomes to highlight a shared sense of hometown pride.

The effort—launched mid-August during the Chiefs’ second preseason game and  includesTV, radio, digital, native and out of home media—meaningfully connects CACU to the Kansas City community by positioning it as the premier local financial institution for the nation’s most overbanked metro.

Kansas City’s collective momentum is moving forward—from its growing tech industry to its thriving small businesses to its NFL team. The new work supports this sentiment and the idea that there’s nothing locals can’t accomplish together.

In the inspiring 60-second execution, Mahomes rouses his team to victory in a locker room speech that doubles as an anthem for the people of Kansas City—and the town itself. It opens with Mahomes walking through the stadium one early morning and cuts to various members of the Kansas City community throughout. “Today is a new day,” the quarterback is seen telling his teammates. “A day we’ve been waiting for our whole lives.” As they cheer on the MVP, we see shots of people experiencing major life moments: a baby taking its first steps, an architect about to retire, a young couple moving into their new home, a woman opening her own business, a man gazing at the engagement ring he just bought.

“Everyone knows KC is on the rise,” Mahomes’ pep talk concludes, “but what they don’t know, is we’re just getting started” The spot tags with the message: “CommunityAmerica. Powering the rise of Kansas City.”

The 60 second ad, which is available in 30- and 15-second cutdowns, is a different tone for CACU, which has done two previous campaigns with Cactus. While those efforts also played up the credit union’s local pride, they were humorous and focused on specific products, such as Chiefs checking. They were also effective: In 2018, CACU surpassed its checking account target by 16% and added more than 1,000 more households than it expected.

“This fall, our focus is on highlighting local growth and reinforcing CACU’s commitment to the community of Kansas City, the credit union’s breadth of products and sophistication as a financial institution,” said Norm Shearer, Partner and CCO. “And strengthening our relationship with Patrick and the Chiefs, whose teamwork could not better illustrate the spirit of this town.”

New-member acquisition remains CACU’s primary objective in advertising, while encouraging deeper product engagement with current members is a secondary one. Cactus designed the TV and radio ads to create brand awareness, likability and a strong feeling of connection, and the OOH and digital executions to support product-specific messages and generate awareness for product relevance and benefits.

Advertising Agency: Cactus, Denver, CO (USA)

Brand/Client: CommunityAmerica Credit Union (CACU)