Hasta La Creative!

Back in March, Deutsch LA used endorsements from real life Ronald McDonalds to help introduce Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu. Now, the agency has brought back the idea (which was actually recycled, intentionally or not, from an old Jack In The Box campaign), with their latest spot, “Ronalds.”

The 30-second spot features guys named Ronald McDonald sitting around a table and talking about Taco Bell’s breakfast burrito. In what amounts to yet another shot at McDonald’s (which seems to form the crux of Taco Bell’s recent strategy), a moderator asks, “Would you get a burrito from a burger place?” To which one of the Ronalds replies, “You don’t go to a sushi bar and order spaghetti.” That you could easily follow up the question with “Would you get breakfast from a taco place?” makes this seem like a bit of a misstep.

The Ronald McDonalds idea, which seemed stretched thin by the end of the last 30-second spot, now seems even more tired. It feels like it’s time for Deutsch LA to go back to the drawing board and put this idea to rest for good. Credits after the jump. (more…)

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Lorraine Bracco (she of The Sopranos and Goodfellas fame, of course) lends her familiar voice to Deutsch LA’s new holiday spot for Netflix, and predictably, makes the ad work.

In the spot, “Tree Topper,” Bracco voices the part of the smiling porcelain tree topper that has been part of the McDermott family for 34 years. Through the tree topper we see the wild antics of the McDermott boys, as well as Christmas cooking failures and Uncle Luther’s fake snow. Despite the occasional difficulties living with the McDermott family, Bracco’s tree topper enjoys when the family curls up to enjoy watching something on Netflix.

It’s not the most original of concepts, but Bracco makes it work. Her voice is not only recognizable, but dramatic and expressive. This helps make the idea of a sentient tree topper seem less ridiculous, and even imbues the character with emotion and personality. It helps make the spot not seem overly sentimental, and her delivery of the spots’ final line really brings out just the right amount of curmudgeon from Bracco’s character. While celebrity voice acting is so often an afterthought used as an easy cash-in, Deutsch LA hits the mark by casting Bracco for “Tree Topper.” Hopefully other agencies are taking notes. Credits after the jump. continued…

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We all remember our awkward first kiss stories, full of nervousness and rapid heartbeats. Based on “First Kiss,” the new 30-second ad in the Taco Bell Live Mas campaign that came through the tips line, we can now add sticky fingers and spicy breath to the list of uncomfortable descriptors.

Mixing Doritos Locos Tacos and kisses may not seem like the best idea, but this spot might strike the right cord for those who value some teenage sentimentality and John Hughes movies. Associating Taco Bell with cuteness is a tough trick to pull off, you know, with the greasy smells and penchant for attracting drunk college guys as a significant customer base, but Deutsch LA and director Zach Math found a way to pull it off. Taco Bell seems to have tapped the right nerve with Doritos Locos Tacos: the product helped create 15,000 new jobs. Maybe the company can use the profits to provide complimentary mouthwash with any purchase, so young lovers who want to make out in Taco Bell parking lots can have pleasant memories.

Credits after the jump.

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