Hasta La Creative!

A mistake I see many ad-product companies make is they try to teach advertisers a new language instead of “speaking their language.” What do I mean? Brands know the goals they are trying to achieve, and every advertising product should show how it fits within the brand’s goals. Instead, what I oftentimes see is an advertising product effectively saying “I’m cool and sexy. Use me.” Left out is why a brand should care and how the ad product achieves the brand’s goals.

The same analogy applies to consumers. We can’t expect consumers to adopt every new way of ‘participating’ and ‘engaging.’ Rather, we have to accept what people like to do in their everyday lives. And nothing is more human than communicating, talking and telling stories to each other by way of discussion.

In discussion, people collaborate. They share different points of view. They advocate their positions. They occasionally argue. But an honest exchange of ideas ultimately leads people to new or different actions and opinions. Discussions are the most common means of persuasion.

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How does a popular job posting site show off the breadth of its help-wanted offerings in the limited space of one commercial? For Indeed, the answer was to use its own listings to hire experienced professionals for the ad's cast and crew.

"How the world works" is the theme delivered across TV, digital, print and other media in a rollout that began last week in the U.K., targeting both applicants and companies looking to hire. Bright, bouncy and upbeat, the initiative, crafted by Mullen, emphasizes teamwork and striving toward common goals.

A 50-second spot sets the tone, presenting an ad inside an ad with meta twists that turn the medium into the message.

We see folks from various professions "working" among huge letters that spell out the word I-n-d-e-e-d. The camera pulls back to reveal that the action is taking place on a soundstage where an ad is being filmed. "How do commercials work?" a voiceover begins. "Well, you need a team of talented professionals, working together, focused on the task, doing all kinds of jobs." The crew on the set—choreographer, boom operator, caterer, makeup artist and others—are identified by on-screen icons which, in the spot's clickable version, let users search Indeed's site for those jobs.

What's more, these folks aren't actors, but actual professionals (real choreographers, caterers, etc.) hired through Indeed for the spot. (The making-of clip below, which goes into detail on this process, is a must-see.) Even the talent being used to represent nurses, engineers, IT specialists and financial planners are actual trained members of those professions.

Admittedly, not all parts were truly cast through Indeed, since Mullen and other production partners like the directing collective StyleWar were already in place. Here's how a Mullen spokesperson described the process:

"For the video part of the campaign, we used the Indeed platform to scout and hire creative and production talent. Indeed posted 26 job openings on its website for roles in the spot. Within 48 hours, 1,500 applications were received. Indeed conducted more than 200 interviews in just 14 days. Once a selection was made, industry professionals from six different countries—U.K., U.S., Canada, Czech Republic, Australia and Germany—traveled to Prague for filming and production."

Beyond TV and digital video, coffee-cup wraps detail the jobs needed to bring java to market, while subway and newspaper ads explain the positions required by those industries.

Communicating aspirational themes and complex information is no easy task, but, overall, this campaign does a fine job of taking Indeed's message to a higher level.

CREDITS
Client:  Indeed, Austin, Texas
Senior Vice President, Marketing: Paul D'Arcy
Vice President, Corporate Marketing: Mary Ellen Duggan

Agency: Mullen, Boston and San Francisco
Chief Creative Officer: Mark Wenneker
Executive Creative Director: Paul Foulkes
Group Creative Director, Copy: Tim Cawley
Copywriter: E.B. Davis
Copywriter: Jamie Rome
Art Directors: Brooke Doner, Ryan Montgomery
Designer: Mike Molinaro
3-D Artist, Concept Designer: Andy Jones
Producer: Mary Donington

VIDEO CREDITS
Production Company: Smuggler
Director: StyleWar
Editing Company: General Editorial
Color Correction, Visual Effects, Titles: The Mill
Audio Postproduction: Soundtrack
Music: Madplanet
 

Le photographe Justin Ng nous offre des clichés du ciel pris depuis Singapour en longue exposition pour obtenir ces images splendides sans aucun effet spécial, utilisant simplement la rotation de la Terre pour obtenir des trainées de lumière. Une invitation au rêve et à l’évasion avec ces superbes photographies.

The World Cup is almost upon us, and official sponsor McDonald’s is launching a huge global effort that features new fry boxes that allow you to play and an augmented-reality app called McDonald’s Gol!

Beginning May 26, the chain will — for the first time — change its medium and large fry boxes globally for the promotion, offering 12 different World-Cup-themed designs featuring work from artists commissioned from around the world. The fry boxes will also serve as the entry point for an augmented-reality game on the app.

“This is the first time in brand history we’re changing the packaging design of one of our customers’ most favourite menu items on a global scale, and what better reason than to share in the excitement of one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world,” said Steve Easterbrook, senior exec VP-global chief brand officer of McDonald’s, in a statement. “This is about bringing fun, innovative programming to our customers and celebrating our shared love of futbol. We’re excited to be able to do that through an engaging, interactive mobile experience, and of course with our world-famous fries.” Separately, the chain is also executing a series of menu promotions in various markets like Australia and Brazil, this year’s host country.

Continue reading at AdAge.com