New Ad Campaigns

Thursday, July 16, 2009

New Ad Campaigns

from Amy:

Play with your food. Robinsons dreams of a Brit winning Wimbledon. Keep dreaming. U2 sings for Blackberry. No U2-branded iPods in sight. Let's launch!

The Dairy Farmers of Canada launched a trio of 3D cinema ads, playing throughout Ontario and the Maritime Provinces, prior to screenings of "Ice Age" 3D. The sky is the limit for a girl playing jump rope. What goes up must come down. See it here. There's a party in a girl's tummy once she drinks milk. Hot dogs, pizza slices and hamburgers, digested whole, got invites. Watch the ad here. A boy exhibits King Kong qualities, thanks to milk. The cow at the end of the ad scared me more. See it here. Due North Communications Toronto created the ads, produced by Head Gear Animation Toronto.

The iPhone is three steps closer to reaching its goal of perfection. Three TV spots demonstrate actions the iPhone was unable to complete -- until now. Cutting and pasting copy and graphics is achieved with a few taps of your index finger. Watch it here. Recording, editing and posting video is simple. My co-worker shot video of me with his iPhone and sent me the file while standing by my desk. Fast. See the ad here. All you need is a voice... to call someone in your address book or play an artist in your iTunes library. See it here. TBWA/Media Arts Lab created the campaign and handled the media buy.

United Biscuits launched a TV campaign promoting its Hula Hoops brand. Snackers do more than play with their food. One man turns his hand into a DJ, spinning what sounds like "So Whatcha Want" by the Beastie Boys. He's doing a great job until a train conductor interrupts him. Embarrassed, the man eats the Hula Hoops on his fingers before handing over his ticket. Watch the ad here. The campaign launched July 6 in the U.K. and serves as a platform for the United Biscuits' Golden Hoop Film Awards. Consumers are encouraged to create their own finger puppet films for a chance at winning a trip to Hollywood. Publicis created the campaign.

Think positive and, fingers crossed, your world will be filled with positivity. And then there's this guy, in an ad for Volkswagen Passat. He's laid off, passes empty buildings for rent and drives past a truckload of sheep heading to the butcher, but all the while maintains an upbeat attitude, complete with skipping and singing. So what if he dropped a coin into a man's cup of coffee? His intentions were good. "One thing you can be sure of," ends the ad. Apparently his Passat comes equipped with happy endorphins. DDB London created the ad, directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks.

State Farm launched a guerilla campaign in the Midwest, targeting young adults, in an effort to promote its renter's and car insurance. Street teams hung T-shirts with funny messages in areas that young adults frequented. Once a T-shirt that said "People steal the weirdest stuff" was stolen, it exposed a hanger sleeve that said "save your stuff with renter's insurance." See them here and here. Street teams also placed window clings on cars, to make it appear that a driver's windshield was smashed. Exactly what I want to see when I reach my car. Included with the cling was a note from a local State Farm agent reassuring drivers that all is OK and instructions on how to peel the cling off your car. OK, I made the last part up. See the initiative here and here. Archrival created the campaign and handled the media buy.

U2 is the star of a TV spot for BlackBerry. I know what you're thinking: Hey, didn't U2 launch a branded iPod? They did. Back in 2004, if you can believe that. Now, the band is on the BlackBerry bandwagon, promoting its upcoming U2 Mobile Album. The spot is very Apple-esque: colorful light orbs, close-ups of Bono singing "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" and font similar to one used by Apple. See the ad here. Arc Worldwide Chicago created the ad, with visual effects supplied by MassMarket New York.

The National Down Syndrome Society launched two print ads entitled, "My Great Story," its first national campaign. Everyone has a story, and this campaign highlights two inspiring individuals making a difference in the world. "I play six instruments. I've visited eleven countries. I've traveled to thirty-two states and been honored by the President of Singapore. I have Down Syndrome and this is my great story," reads one ad. See creative here and here, created pro bono by Pedone.

Robinsons ran this TV spot as a lead up to Wimbledon. "Imagine" envisions a day where, once again, a Brit will win Wimbledon. There's always next year. The ad shows people of all ages glued to a TV screen. Everyone is on edge; people are fidgeting, pacing, getting up from their seats, nervous actions you do while awaiting your player's outcome. "It will happen again. And we'll be proud to be part of it. Robinsons. Part of Wimbledon since 1935," says the voiceover. Watch it here. BBH created the campaign, edited by Cut+Run.

Random iPhone App of the week: GoodCab BadCab is a free iPhone App that allows users to rate their cab driver anonymously. Users can rate local cab drivers nationwide on such factors as driving, cleanliness and helpfulness by punching in the driver's badge ID. The App ranks the 10 best and worst taxis in the US. If you're daring, you can check the rating of a cab as you're riding in it. The application was conceptualized by StewartSoft and developed by Fuzz Productions.