Jun 12

Paddy Power – Scotland's 2016 Anthem (2016) :60 (UK)

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Paddy Power - Scotland's 2016 Anthem (2016) :60 (UK)
Marching down a fog-covered glen, this Paddy Power ad set to the painful song “Vindaloo” but with new lyrics celebrate all things Scottish and has spared no expense in getting Scottish celebrities to appear in it. There’s Michelle McManus, including The Krankies, ex-footballers Frank McAvennie and Andy Goram, and – Paddy Power cheekily add – there’s “even a cameo from the Loch Ness Monster.” Sure there is. You don’t fool me that’s three guys in a suit. Our heroes sing about deep fried Mars bars and not caring about the Euros, with the most stereotypical Scottish characters joining the march it’s a send-up of everything, ending with the joy of betting that the English will lose. Ha! Of course someone at the Guardian ponders if this ad is offensive to Scots, while penning this line: “In fact, the ad is less about hating the English, and more about celebrating their own crapness. Which is pretty much as Scottish as it comes.” Congrats for making Paddy Power ads appear in the news, thats their goal you know. What’s offensive is saying “bantz”. Stop that.
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Jun 09

Intriguing or Insulting? Some Russians Object to This Penguin Ad Quoting Turgenev

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Penguin is running a series of posters in the London Underground featuring quotes from classic literature. But the quote it’s pulled from Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons has led to accusations that the publishing house is provoking “anger and ethnic hatred.” 

There are also questions about the specific translation that was used, which makes this whole thing even more awkward. 

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Jun 09

McCann London Gets Its Very Own Sneaker, Inspired by the Agency's Art Deco Building

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In partnership with Norman Walsh, a British sports shoe brand, McCann London has created the Herbrand Seven-Eleven, a pair of sneakers inspired by the agency’s own art-deco-style building at 7-11 Herbrand Street. 

The limited-edition shoes, manufactured by hand in Norman Walsh’s factory in Bolton—where the brand’s been based since 1961—bear the distinctive white and green colors of the McCann building. They went live Wednesday at an agency exhibit celebrating Norman Walsh’s history.

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Jun 06

EE – It’s a No Brainer with Kevin Bacon & Stephen Fry – (2016) (UK)

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EE - It’s a No Brainer with Kevin Bacon & Stephen Fry - (2016) (UK)
Kevin Bacon, who is the center of the universe has been shilling EE in the UK for years now, going door to door and dropping out of the sky via helicopters. Now Kevin is a TV show host, not content with playing against himself in “Android vs. Arachnoid” he has now invited math genius Rachel Riley and Stephen Fry here just to stump them on TV in the show “It’s a no brainer.” Why would anyone choose to be on a slower network? Does Stephen Fry have any words for that? He can use latin ones – but nope, there’s just no rhyme or reason to it.

Meanwhile, Kevin also plays some audience members, donning wigs, moustaches, false teeth and in this case a dress as well. Blink and you’ll miss it. Uh-oh. I have a feeling this will upset some people. Bingo! Rachel Evans, a Video software engineer at the BBC who “makes iPlayer work” and “also happens to be trans” according to twitter bio, was quite upset by the Kevin Bacon audience cameo in this particular ad. Never mind that actors have donned drag since long before Shakespeare’s plays, in 2016 it’s apparently not just offensive, but to quote Rachel it’s (the) “sort of imagery is what gets people like me killed.” What sort of imagery, Kevin looking like a dude in a dress? Was John Cleese also trying to get people like Rachel killed? Having voiced concern with EE’s social media team, Rachel was told to not be such a drama queen – a “grow up Harriet” style move – and Rachel responded by suggesting diversity awareness training. Then Rachel also demanded the “dismissal of the ad agency, and training for Robyn” – Robyn being the social media manager in question who responded. Like the people who don’t choose EE there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Meanwhile Rachel is still waiting for EE to apologise.

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Jun 06

EE – It’s a No Brainer with Kevin Bacon & Rachel Riley (2016) (UK)

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EE - It’s a No Brainer with Kevin Bacon & Rachel Riley (2016) (UK)
EE spokescelebrity Kevin Bacon hosts a show entitled ‘It’s a No Brainer’. Here we see Kevin grilling perplexed guest Rachel Riley. Math genius Rachel is struggling to answer the seemingly unanswerable question of why anyone would choose to be on a slower network. Like realy, Rachel, why? Panning out to the audience we get a few DirectTV moments of Kevin playing other people donning wigs and bad teeth – which we saw Kevin do earlier in the campaign while hosting the show “Android vs. Arachnoid.” Meanwhile, Rachel is seen scribbling down various complex-looking formulas as Kevin puts the pressure on but she comes up with “exactly nothing”. To which Kevin replies “Exactly Rach! Choose the network that’s 50% faster, it’s a no brainer Britain.”

Spencer McHugh, Director of Brand at EE, said: “We know consumers are using more data than ever and relying on superfast network speeds to download more quickly and stream with better reliability and quality. Given recent tests have proven our network to be 50 per cent faster than our competitors, we can’t understand why anyone would choose to be on a slower network. We wanted to illustrate this using some well-known TV geniuses and we’re delighted that Rachel and Stephen are on board to help us get that message across.”

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Jun 02

This Badass Bodyform Ad Elevates Menstruating Women to Modern Amazonian Warriors

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The past couple of years have given us numerous disruptive examples of advertising in the feminine care space, including comical ones from HelloFlo and the award-winning inspirational video from Always. Bodyform joins the fray with its latest spot, and it’s pretty badass.

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May 26

These 'Commitment Rings' Stop You From Watching Netflix Unless Your Partner Is Around

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Sick of your significant other skipping ahead and watching your favorite streaming shows without you? Lock them into a faithful TV-viewing relationship with a high-tech pair of series commitment rings, thanks to U.K. ice cream brand Cornetto. 

The marketer, which tends to advertise around themes of teen love, created special rings that connect to streaming apps, and use near field communications to block access to TV shows you both watch unless your partner is nearby—thus putting an end to sneaking around with services like Netflix while feigning fidelity. 

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May 23

Sony "Soundtrack" (2016) 1:30 (UK)

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The soundtrack to your life might be Kygo’s album “Cloud Nine,” if you like Kygo, whose real name is Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll
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May 22

Clash of Kings "Fight like a king" (2016) 1:12 (UK)

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Clash of Kings, is a mobile real time strategy game. To promote the game in the UK, Wasserman created a stunt involving 125 Knights taking to the streets of London to battle evil Lava Monsters. In other words, they hosted a sort of LAARP-meets-renaissance-faire to promote the mobile game. They filmed this stunt during rush hour in London, with a full scale battle re-enactment to bring the experience of playing Clash of Kings to life.
During the battle, some civilians joined in the fun as well.

After the battle, Clash of Kings hosted a free event on Potter’s Field where the knights celebrated their victory, alongside members of the public. The event culminated in a hog roast, ales and small one-on-one knight demonstrations. If you didn’t get a chance to take part, don’t despair. For the next three weeks, knights will be roaming around London to surprise and delight or annoy Londoners during their commute, which they’ll film of course, and push out on their social channels.

There’s not only a practical reason (lots of eyeballs) for hitting up Londoners during their commutes: Simon Couch, business strategy director, experience at Wasserman notes that 65% of all UK Clash of Kings users tend to play on their daily commutes to and from work.

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May 21

Maltersers "Gran" (2016) :20 (UK)

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Poor Gran……lost her hat! BWAHAHAHAHAHA. Maltesers, y’all are some sick people.
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May 21

Maltesers "Leaving" (2016) :20 (UK)

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All I’m going to say about this ad is, oh this ad is so fun. So very fun. “Off you go.”
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May 21

Maltesers "Necklace" (2016) :20 (UK)

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You know that necklace you left at mine, that was your grans, well I may have accidentally worn it and then Jamie, you know the really fit guy, spun me around on the dancefloor and…. *scatters Maltezers everywhere*.

“Snogged him though.”

“Just a snog?”

“I dunno I can’t remember”

“Oh go on, you gotta tell me!”

— I will admit, I LOLed. The shattered necklace is not as interesting as what happened after the snog.

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May 20

Dove "Amazing moments, Louisa and Rob" (2016) 2:53 (UK)

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Magic storytelling. Louisa had a crush on a mowhawk wearing member of a boy band. Fast forward years and years later and there she is living in America and boom, she meets the former mohawk guy and after a few years of dating she decides to propose to him. What does this have to do with Dove, you ask? Because sometimes the moments that make us sweat are the most amazing moments of all.

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May 20

Bridgestone "Driveguard" (2016) 1:00 (UK)

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Dramatic music and rusty nails aside, you can drive on a punctured Bridgestone tire for fifty miles so it’s all good.
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May 18

Sainsbury's Asked Artists for Free Work, So Artists Asked Sainsbury's for Free Food

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A Sainsbury’s supermarket in England recently put out an ad seeing an “ambitious artist to voluntarily refurbish our canteen.” But what they really need is a scotobiologist, since all they got in response was shade. 

Artists, you see, don’t like being asked to work for free by companies that are more than able to pay them, and a number of them voiced their frustration on social media using the hashtag #PayArtists. 

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May 17

Here's the Best Reason Yet to Put Cats on Every Ad Space in This London Tube Station

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Hundreds of years from now, a new bionic race of human beings will look back on this moment—among other vestiges of our time—and conclude we all shared a god after all. (It’s happened before.)

Remember Glimpse, the socially conscious agency that wants to fill a London subway station with nothing but billboards of cats? With just three days left on their Kickstarter campaign, they’ve found a way to sweeten the deal.

Battersea, the animal rescue center and one of the U.K.’s biggest charities, has agreed to partner with Glimpse to put stray cats on the posters—so, in addition to thinking fewer ad-cluttered thoughts on their commute, Londoners may actually be able to take a furry friend home with them. 

But that’s not all. The agency could still use help getting this off the ground. 

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May 12

Dior Homme – Jude Law directed by Guy Ritchie as lover in Paris

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Paris is the ideal romantic locale for the sexual tryst portrayed in Anonymous Content Director Guy Ritchie’s new viral short starring Jude Law and made for Dior Homme. Set in the romantic old hotels, sidewalks and streets of The City of Light, Dior Homme – Un Rendez Vous is a deceptive tale that at first hints of danger, as Law, speaking into a telephone, seems to threaten the unheard voice on the other end, exclaiming, “You’re going to regret saying that. Scared? Is that right? Of course you are. What, two of you? We’ll see. Ohhh, when I find you, and I will find you, you’re going to wish you’d never been caught.” Law’s busty blonde suitemate balefully helps him don a suit before he trudges out to fulfill his mission.

As Law drives through Paris’ nighttime streets, the other half of his previously made phone call plays over the scene, and is revealed to have been delivered by a woman, in tones that are more sexually suggestive than threatening. “There may be two of me,” she says: “Me, and Naughty Me.” The video, set to increasingly dramatic music, is a beautiful montage of driving shots, panoramic city scenes, and portraiture, as each character is shown in deep contemplation as they prepare for their rendezvous. The movie climaxes with the pair standing several lengths apart, silhouetted against the Eiffel Tower in an empty plaza at sunrise, each determining whether or not the other is their mystery date.

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May 11

A Cereal Brand Took Real YouTube Fails and Made Ads Imagining What Led Up to Them

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British cereal brand Alpen sends up sunny start-your-day-right clichés in two fun 30-second ads by BBH London—because a good breakfast cereal can’t guarantee you’ll have a good day … but at least you’ll enjoy the meal. 

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May 10

Save the children "Still the most shocking second a day" (2016) 1:56 (UK)

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The refugee crisis isn’t just a story on the news – it’s happening here and it’s happening now. This spot picks up where the last one from two years ago left off. It’s still just as visceral as ever. The first spot racked up more than fifty million views. Why not recreate it or do a follow up? As a part two sequel though, it starts to make it feel more like a story, as opposed to reality. At least to me. But that’s the problem with good advertising. See the original one from 2014.
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May 09

Addicts Trying to Get Dry or Clean Get a Fresh Start With Free Clothes From Dry Cleaners

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One person’s waste is another’s treasure.

In partnership with Action on Addiction, Leo Burnett London is putting that little chestnut to work with “The Dry/Clean Initiative,” a program that helps recovering addicts dress for job interviews, using clothing that was never picked up from the dry cleaners.

The case study tells us 15 percent of dry cleaning is never claimed (per the Columbus Dispatch). We also learn the story of Debbie, the first Dry/Clean Initiative benefactee. 

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