Hasta La Creative!

This DeVito/Verdi spot for the American Asthma Foundation, lensed by Janusz Kaminski, the two-time Oscar-winning film cinematographer (for Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List), may be the best PSA ever made. It’s better than “This is your brain on drugs,” because that effort actually makes drug use appear subversive and desirable on some level. The frying pan was an apt metaphor, but few of us (hopefully) could relate to being cooked up in one. Conversely, this asthma spot, “Park,” conveys the experience of an asthma attack on a shockingly visceral and instantly empathetic level. After viewing it, I’d gladly donate just to get the images out of my mind. See if you agree. But first, take a deep breath.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

MMB, best known for its Subway spots with and without Jared Fogle, has crafted a push for the Environmental Defense Fund designed “to show that fighting climate change will not only save our planet, it will jump-start our economy as well.” More than George Bush’s $600 checks? Sounds like fuzzy math to me. The group wants to limit carbon emissions from big corporations, so we can assume they won’t be endorsing John McCain. In one spot, a guy talks about the great things the Climate Security Act could achieve as he is pounded into the ground by oil barrels attempting to stop him from talking. That’s like a recurring nightmare I have, but in my case it’s Hillary Clinton wielding the barrels. Another ad shows a man-shaped candle (in a business suit) melting because it wants to stall progress on climate change. Ultimately, only the mouth, still moving, remains. An apt metaphor for the entire political season. Maybe it’s Jared, not Hillary. I get them confused. UPDATE: The ad is back online. Here’s the link.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

LONDON – Profits at independent producer RDF have fallen dramatically following a turbulent year, in which it was hit by the damaging controversy over the documentary ‘A Year with the Queen’.

LONDON – Orange’s TV campaign by Fallon for its pay-as-you-go Animal packages broke yesterday.

LONDON – Red Ken is turning shock jock as the former London mayor joins the capital’s talk station LBC.

Don’t make your parents jealous of your other loved ones. Do care for them
more.

Advertising Agency: V2power, Bangkok, Thailand
Creative Director: Panomporn Ishikawa
Art Director: Teera Pichienpak
Copywriter: Thanakorn Poltan
Photographer: Navaratana Donkort
Retoucher: Yothin Watthanasin
Published: June 2008

Advertising Agency: Shalmor Avnon Amichay / Young & Rubicam, Tel Aviv, Israel
Chief Creative Officer: Gideon Amichay
Creative Director: Tzur Golan
Group Creative Director: Yariv Twig
Copywriters: Eyal Padan, Geva Kochva
Art Directors: Shirley Bahar, Asaf Covo
Account Director: Adam Avnon
Account Manager: Keren Hershkovitz
Strategic Director: Noam Manella
Planner: Hilla Tamir

The softest thing since sliced bread.

Advertising Agency: McCann-Erickson London, UK
Art Director: Ben Brazier
Copywriter: Johnny Skinner
Photographer: Kevin Summers
Published: May 2008

This humorous Nike commercial features Cesc Fàbregas, star of the British soccer team Arsenal F.C., and features him doing daredevil stunts to promote the Nike T90 shoes. Fitted with a special flame retardant suit, Fàbregas has a flaming soccer ball passed to him. Fàbregas stops the ball with his…

Passport to paradise.

Advertising Agency: Altraforma, Barcelona, Spain
Creative Director: Sergi Zapater
Art Directors: Fran Morata, Noemí Barón
Copywriter: Yoryo Hortolá
Photographer: Pep Herrero
Digital Retouching: Quim Boix
Published: April 2008