New Ad Campaigns

Here's Amy's weekly Update:

Cheese. Salt. Beer. How to play spin the bottle in 2010. Let's launch!

Bright Falls is one creepy place. Xbox 360 created Bright Falls, a six-part online series as a prequel to the May 18 launch of the game "Alan Wake." If you think the trailer, shown here, gave off a disturbing vibe, wait until you watch the episodes. The first two launched this week on BrightFalls.com; the next four will be released weekly, leading up to launch of the game about a man whose wife goes missing -- in a town where scary things happen at night. The first episode introduces viewers to a reporter tasked with interviewing someone in Bright Falls. He encounters strange people at the local diner, and then hits a deer... during Deer Fest, no less. In the second episode, he reunites with a woman, most likely an ex-girlfriend. She abruptly leaves after receiving a text. Our reporter then interviews Dr. Hartman. Once he looks at a painting above the doctor, visions of dead animals, the diner's waitress, a hairy, caged person and a sugar cube dance in his head, making for interesting interview notes. agencytwofifteen wrote and created the campaign.

Apple launched its latest trio of iPhone ads, and a female voiceover remains... for one ad. In "Dog Lover," a woman uses her iPhone to share photos of her shelter dog, find dog parks and watch the dog's antics via Webcam. See it here. A "Family Man" describes how each member of his family uses his iPhone and how lost they'd be without it. The family would be lost without an iPhone? Apple, egotistical much? Watch it here. A "Back Packer" traveled through Spain, researching hostels, emailing pictures and relying on an app as his personal translator. Not a wise idea. Watch it here. TBWA/Media Arts Lab created the campaign and handled the media buy.

Heineken has created another great ad in Holland, once again masculinizing something more female-oriented: reality TV. Last year's ad, seen here, featured a man's version of the ideal walk-in closet. This year's begins with a group of women readying to watch "Top Models Singing on Ice," a mash-up of shows like "X Factor" and "Holland's Next Top Model." Their significant others hang in the background, drinking beer. That is, until "Men With Talent" appears. The show features a man juggling glasses of beer, a choir of men making music with Heineken bottles and my personal favorite, a man on roller skates opening Heineken bottles at breakneck pace. The ad closes with the four boyfriends screaming and yelling at the TV while their girlfriends linger in the background. Tables turned. See it here. A teaser ad aired on all Dutch television channels last week touting the faux series, "Men with Talent." Brilliant. TBWA/Neboko created the ad.

Parmalat Canada has created a monster. A "Cheese Monster." Children must save a city from a Godzilla-sized piece of string cheese that's wreaking havoc. Each kid takes his position and pulls away layers and layers of cheese until their friend "cheesy" is revealed. The spot ends with a kid peeling at his Black Diamond Cheestring in a backyard where a cardboard city has been erected. "The stringable cheese snack that nourishes your kids... and their creativity," closes the ad, seen here. BBDO Toronto created the ad and OMD handled the media buy.

This is the funniest lottery ad I've seen in ages. The spot for the Oregon Lottery takes on a '70s theme, beginning with a foot chase between a sweaty, out-of-shape man in a wife-beater and a mobster. The mobster reunites with his cronies, leaving our star outnumbered. So we think. The unlikely fighter puts up his hands and slaps and punches (lamely, I might add) the trio unconscious. Viewers then see a man watching this movie in a theatre. As he eats his popcorn, we realize, it's the guy from the movie. "What If" asks the ad, as the credits roll, revealing that the moviegoer holds every role responsible for the movie, "Hello, Vengeance." Following the credits is an Oregon Lottery Powerball ticket. See it here, created by Borders Perrin Norrander.

"Salty," the ever-adorable saltshaker that also doubles as spokesman for low-sodium Knorr Sidekicks, is back and looking for action. Pepper is frequently used in one household during breakfast. "Salty" hopes to change that by having a mask made so he'll resemble pepper. It only succeeds in having him look like he's wearing an S&M mask. "Salty" then tries to rob a jewelry store. No luck. See the ad here, created by DDB Canada, Toronto.

YMCA launched a TV campaign to take back community. A child's voice reminds viewers that "we play games but not sports. We eat fast and together less... We listen to our headphones but not to each other. What's happened to community? It's time to take it back." Each factoid is illustrated with simple colored cardboard paper cutouts. See the ad here, created by TBWA/Vancouver.

People and cars are invisible, unless they drive the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander. "Stand Out," running in Canada and select U.S. markets, consists of TV, print and online elements. "Invisible" features a person skateboarding, a police officer pulling someone over, and people conversing in a coffee shop. Each person and vehicle is invisible, save for shoes, glasses and accessories. Then a young couple hops into their Outlander and immediately morphs from invisible to visible. That certainly makes them stand out. See it here. Print ads, shown here and here, highlight navigational features found in the Outlander. BBDO Toronto and Proximity Canada created the campaign.

Random iPhone App of the week: Coca-Cola launched an updated version of its "Spin the Bottle" app -- because glass bottles are hard to come by these days. The new version of the free app lets users "Spin with Friends" via Facebook or pictures on their camera roll. Users can choose whether players Kiss, Hug, Tickle or High-five one another and post winning results to players' Facebook walls. Sapient Interactive, now known as SapientNitro, created the app, available at the App Store.

Amy Corr is managing editor, online newsletters for MediaPost. She can be reached at amyc@mediapost.com.

Sphere: Related Content