Hasta La Creative!

W+K’s new “It’s Amazing What You’re Capable Of” campaign for TurboTax, which kicked off last week with the excellent “The Year of You” spot, continues on with two new 30-second spots that capture humor and sentiment in equal measure.

The first, “Life is Full of Whys” (above), finds a recently dumped guy, a guy being encouraged by his wife to move, and a sad clown wondering some incredibly depressing questions. However, viewers should note that even in the darkest times, taxes can be your redemption. Sure, everyone hates your clown jokes, but at least you can write off your squeaky shoes as a business expense.

The second, “Did I Get Married?,” is shot from the perspective of a man falling in love with a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, whose questions range from cute to sort of off putting and bizarre. But, isn’t that the kind of girl every guy wanted to marry after watching Garden State, Elizabethtown, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, etc.? And then brag about to web-based financial software? In any case, these spots both hit their target (MEN!) in an engaging, lighthearted fashion. Who knew doing your taxes could be so emotionally rewarding? Credits after the jump.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

At this point, Nike and AOR W+K are just showing off. Their latest spot, “Possibilities,” is a fat, splashy kick-off to the 25th anniversary of its ubiquitous slogan, “Just Do It.” These type of Nike ads have always had a mythical quality, compared to other sports brands – like certain BBDO Foot Locker commercials – that are solid and funny. Nike is serious. W+K Portland is serious. Nike, Inc. is set to earn $25 billion in revenue this year, meaning we must be serious, too, when it comes to our purchases.

Being serious does not preclude Nike from a certain playfulness if you look hard enough. For “Possibilities,” the lightness comes from some Bradley Cooper voiceover that makes the viewer want to just do it, even though said viewer knows he/she can’t do it as well as professional athletes. That’s where stars like footballer Gerard Piqué and basketballer LeBron James come in, cameos that are almost taking the money out of your wallet before you know it.

For LeBron, the unofficial king of the summer, Nike has been creatively pumping out his spots for a few years now. This one may be a joint venture, but he subtly dominates the end with some clever winking done in the form of a fake dunk content. LeBron has never entered the NBA dunk contest. Maybe this is a hint for 2014? Or maybe it’s just smart marketing? Plenty of possibilities to choose from.

Credits after the jump.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.