This is a print ad for the Vancouver based ad agency Rethink, who commonoly advertise for their local CFL team, the British Columbia Lions. This ad shows a corndog, made out of turf, accompanied by the line "Watch our opponents eat it". I like this print ad along with the others they have on their website dealing with the football team. It's a cute way to send a pretty simple point across. They also have turf pizza and turf french fries with the same message across the bottom right. Created in 1999 Rethink has made a name for itself as an ideas company rather than an ad agency. The floors in the British Columbia office are all astroturf as they promote how their agency is filled with smart thinkers as they have one of the highest ratios of writers, art directors and designers of any agency anywhere.
2. Mother - London
Ha. It's like the French version of an Axe commercial. I love it when beer commercials insist on being "smooth". Man falls from cliff after hitting on wife only to land prefectly dressed in front of another group of beautiful women. now thats smooth. A lesser known brand in the US, Stella Artois has very recognizable brand position throughout Europe and I'm not surprised after ads like this one.
3. StrawberryFrog - NY
I like this spot because it shows the true colors of the soccer hooligan. It has little to do with beer or for that matter Heiniken, but it shows the utter devotion to the sport. I think on a wide basis this is a good idea because soccer is definately the most popular sport in the world which ultimately makes it more enjoyable to watch from a large point of view.
4. Modernista - Boston
I love how Modernistas website incorporates Google into it and has gone completely viral. It really sets itself apart from other traditional agencies. This particular spot has awesome visuals. It shows how Hummer drivers are open and live on the wild side. It does a nice job of leading into the final cut when the man lets out his battle cry. It's intense but not in a cheesy way which is a good thing.
5. David&Goliath - LA
Kia actually won a GOODY award by PETA for this spot for portraying hip hamsters in a digital computer imagery instead of exploiting them. Making the hamster look cool again is not an east task, but D&G do a great job of taking this idea and making it work. The campaign has had great viral success and popularity. This commercial has soul which is important because it directly relates back to the product.
6. Venables, Bell & Partners SF
This ad is beautiful and the music is stunning. It first showed during the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics in front of millions of viewers. I love how the Mercedes turns into an Audi and than the tagline "progress is beautiful". Really nice work from the San Francisco agency. It's neat to see how everything in the commercial evolves into a better version of what it originally was. 7. Jung Von Matt - Hamburg, Germany
I really enjoy how Mercedes handles this spot and differentiates itself from any other typical car commercial. I also think the dream characters are a neat way to portray the point of the Attention Assist. The only thing missing is how the Attention Assist program actual works. It would be nice to see because it could explain to the consumer if this is truly something they'd be interested in purchasing.
I personally found Dentsu to be one of the most interesting agencies on the list. They have an awesome headquarters, designed by famous French architecht Jean Nouvel, in Shiodome, Minato, Tokyo that stands 700 ft. tall with 48 floors and is the 11th largest building in Tokyo. My fascination with Dentsu arose from their complete domination in the advertising world throughout Japan. They currently double the sales of their nearest competitor and produced the first newspaper advertisements as well as the first television commercials in Japan. Dentsu is highly involved with Toyota which has a IQ line currently out. Its interesting to see how American car commercials and Japanese car commercials are so different. I feel that Chevy commercials uaully pitch heavy nationalism while Japanese cars pitch versatility and thinking small. 2. Weiden & Kennedy - portland
W+K has produced countless classic campaigns for Nike, which is what made my decision to blog about Nike so easy. The Revolution spot was one of the first that truly put Nike on the map as the leading shoe for all sporting needs. Weiden and Kennedy do a great job of emboding all the various aspects of the company in this short montage. I love the art direction of the spot and the Beatles song perfectly fits in, creating the beginning of a revolution for a company that was soon about to take off. 3. Bartle Bogle Hegarty - london
This spot for Audi was done by the British agency BBH and won numerous awards including Creative Circle 2009 Gold, Cannes Lions 2009 Film Bronze, Clio Awards 2009 TV Bronze, and ADC Awards 2009 Broadcast Merit. The London office takes credit for this particular creative spot, but other notable BBH campaigns include Johnnie Walker "Keep Walking" and the "Axe Lynx effect" - two personal favorties. I love the art direction in this, it really reminds me of the UPS spots with the whiteboard, where the illustration really comes to life. 4. Richards Group - dallas
The Richards Group currently stands as the largest indpendently owned agency in the country and reports annual billings of $1.25 billion. The Dallas based agency broke out with this "Scream" ad in the 2008 Super Bowl. A year later in the 2009 Super Bowl, the Richards Group and Bridgestone also did the memorable Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head spot. Other memorable work includes the Corona commercials with the tropical settings and the Chick-Fil-A "Eat mor Chikin". As far as the two Bridgestone ads are concerned, I see comparisons between the two. The ability to escape unexpected obstacles are focal points along with screaming and aggitated wives.
5. Doner - detroit
I find this spot entitled "Storm" to be unique because of the great design and graphics that are illustrated throughout the spot. The Doner creative team does a great job at creating fantastic visuals that keep the consumer interested up until the end. The advertisemet cuts back to regular acting and allows UPS to get their general point across which is important. The metaphor of the storm being the difficulties of running a business is also very cool. job well done.
6. Cramer+Krasselt
The chicago agency does a neat job of advertising the new Porsche. Explaining and showing the different types of old Porsches will get anyone interested in cars attention. The lineage is shown from how the classic Porsches differ from the new ones and how all Porsches are indirectly linked to one another. The visuals are intresting as the 40 odd cars are racing in the middle of nowhere and than the shot at the end resembling a "fammily tree" is a great way to cap off the spot.
I love the quirkiness and edge that embodies Crispin Porter. They have great viral techniques which I feel can get you very far in today's advertising world as social media is rapidly changing. Burger King has become one of their cornerstone clients and is consistently coming out with great work and ideas. The Whopper freakout is a perfect example of a great campaign turned viral, which ended up getting massive amounts of buzz and exposure. "The King" has become a fictional superstar with the success of BK advertisements. I chose this particular spot because although its funny, like most Burger King ads, it holds a purpose and is relevant to the product. I feel theres a slight similarity with the "Messin with Sasquatch"...something about those practical Jokes 2. VitroRobertson
Scrolling through the VitroRobertson website, this particular ad caught my eye. I like the graphics and design the creative team creates in the beginning, but unfortunately nothing ever really ensues. Theres no real competetive advantage thats ever displayed so I feel the typical consumer would have a difficult time picking this phone over others. There needs to be a point of difference before I can consider this advertisement good. 3. Cliff Freeman & Partners - NY
I was sad to hear Cliff Freeman had to shut it's doors recently, after such an impressive track record. Although I don't remember it, the "Wheres the beef?" campaign will go down as one of the most memorable tag lines in advertising history, as Cliff Freeman will be remembered for that and other famous taglines. PIZZA! PIZZA! is by far my favorite from Cliff Freeman. Hailing from the greater Detroit area I hold a special place in my heart for Little Caesars and Cliff Freeman is partly responsible for the turnaround that company had. The 2 for 1 deal gave Little Caesars an advantage over rival pizza companies as it was the first of it's kind. 4. Kirshenbaum Bond - NY
Although their biggest client is Target, I chose this spot by Kirshenbaum Bond because I love the direction that it goes in. It has an upbeat tempo to it that I feel is necessary, especially in car advertisements. It drifts away from the typical "ultimate driving machine" that we've become so accustomed to, into a car that people can take Joy in. I wonder if those stunts were real?
This spot Arnold Worldwide produced for Carnival Cruise Lines gained a lot of public awareness for setting the Guinness World Record for the world's largest inflatable beach ball and pinata. I like this ad because the Carnival vacation experience is underlined by spontaneous fun which is directly shown in the spot. The Carnival experience is "fun for all, all for fun" and Arnold WW uniquely captures real Carnival consumers having fun, and that makes it fun to watch. 2. EuroRSCG
The New York office of EuroRSCG is responsible for creating the very popular "most interesting man in the world" campaign for Dos Equis along with the catch line "stay thirsty my friends". The compay has also created a website www.staythirstymyfriends.com where you can test your skill in patience and strength (by arm wrestling Mao, Churchill, Stalin, or even our most interesting man), apply to become the most interesting man in the world’s personal assistant and view various photos with our host performing assorted “manly” feats. I enjoy these spots primarily for the humor (lives vicariously through himself) but also becasue of the rugged brand image Dos Equis has incorporated. It's like a poor mans version of the Marlboro Man. Good Job. 3. McKinney
To be completely honest I chose this spot from McKinney because this was the best I could find. I really didn't like their website, it was hard to find past work they've done and very boring and standard. They had few televsion and print ads and nothing that was very interesting at all. This spot is alright but the visuals can get repetitive and annoying. The companies print ads look like something from the yellowbook pages. Overall I'm not impressed
Although this isn't one of their most noteable clients, I enjoy the creative approach Publicis takes with Hungry Man. The creative team does a good job of relating to the brand through the use of satire. Clearly this product is targeted for men, who want to eat like men, so why not base your commercials in the same direction. The entire campaign is based off of the double standard that men primarily eat hearty foods while women typically eat salads, quiche, or in this case Orange Mocha Frappacuinnos. Other advertisements are similar, usually with one guy eating something feminine or acting like a girl, while the other indluges in a real man's dinner, and acts like a man. Clearly Hungry Man has thrown out any chance of a healthy approach and are solely concentrating on men who like to pig out. A full pound of food in one TV dinner is a quick way to clog your arteries. But hey you are what you eat. It's pretty funny that most of the men in these commercials are overweight...maybe Publicis should switch that up atleast
2. Saatchi & Saatchi - NY
I chose this particular spot from Saatchi & Saatchi not because of the quality of the advertisement, but rather the originality of producing a one second commercial during the Superbowl. The spot is no different from their approach of a good, honest beer at an affordable price, so why waste $3 million on a :30 second spot? The company ran advertisements promoting the one second commercial a week before the Superbowl to gain national attention. They also created a website, www.1secondad.com. Supposedly the reasoning behind this was to make fun of Anheuser-Busch for spending so much money during past Superbowls. Whether the campaign was considered a success or not is irrelevant to me. I like companies that are willing to take risks and be original, although economically, this wasn't much of a risk at all. Nice Job.
3. Leo Burnett - London
I remember first watching this ad years ago and getting such a kick out of it. Although Leo Burnett has created countless icons that have affected so many people in different ways, I chose to blog about this particular spot because of the pure comical genius that unfolds. I love the first ten seconds when the narrators voice comes on and you think it's going to be serious and than in comes John West...fighting with the bear for the freshest salmon. Enduring the worst to get the best possible product...very clever and very funny.
4. Fallon Worldwide
The Minneapolis based agency gets credit for the uber clever spots promoting the overall vacation experience and different islands that the Bahamas has to offer. I like the "Bahamavention" idea because it portrays people who are in dire need to take a vacation from a comical stand point. Holding these mock interventions is a funny way of getting the point across, that when you feel irritable and frustrated, the best way to relieve stress is to take a vacation, and the best place to take a vacation is in the Bahamas. The creative team did a nice job of placing a pun on the words and incorporating the Bahamas into the overall message of the spot
5. Kaplan Thaler Group - NY This rather risque print ad comes from the Kaplan Thaler Group and their client Trojan, which has become accustomed too pushing the boundaries with all their advertisements. The vibrating ring condom is being promoted with the tag line:"make each one special" referring to the rollercoaster spelling out orgasm. When dealing with condom advertising, its pretty obvious that a sexual innuendo is going to come about. The hard part for advertising agencies, such as Kaplan Thaler, is to find a way to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack. Becasue Trojan is the most noteable condom brand, one would think they had already accomplished that, but I feel that I've seen this before...The Fireworks...The Rollercoaster...its outdated. Time for a new metaphor.
6. Team One Advertising - LA
I like how Boost Mobile takes a different route when advertising for their new product. Instead of arguing about their features or their service capabilites, they instead show off how much fun it is to own one. The use of partying seniors is a cute and funny way to show just how much fun it is to own a Boost mobile. While the product may be considered inferior to other wireless telephones they really diffentiate themselves from the common cell phone advertisement. Team One does a nice job on trying to win back some market share by the use of entertaining advertisement. Ten Kinds of Nasty!
Aside from my fascination with Peyton Manning as an athlete and his rather impressive abilities as an actor, I chose this particular spot from McCann Erickson for a few different reasons. First, I'm always impressed with an agency that can come up with an idea and stick with it over the years. It really shows how well the creative team is when you can produce over 300 different ads, all with basically the same concept, and still be successful. Second, I think MasterCard does a terrific job of creating itself as a player in the credit card industry. With the success of VISA "Everywhere you want to be" and AMEX "Don't leave home without it" McCann does an excellent job of creating brand position. And thirdly, the tagline "priceless". So utterly simple yet has the ability to mean so much. It gives the consumer the possibility to purchase the things that truly matter to them, but in the end all of their spending accumulates to something money can't buy, hence "priceless".
2. The Martin Agency - Richmond
The Martin Agency is really one that caught me by surprise. Possibly becasue of their rather random location, I expected dull and standard work, but it's actually the contrary. I chose the Geico campaign becasue I think it does a good job of illustrating brand recognition. I love the general message "So easy a caveman can do it" and the different ways they portray the Cavemen becoming irritable at their utter fame. Even when approaching two females, in this particular spot, the moment is spoiled when an ad for GEICO motorcycle insurance pops up. I also enjoy when companies begin to become more subtle with their message as time goes on. For example, recent Caveman commercials show a mere look of disappointment on the faces of the Cavemen rather than explaining why they are so frustrated. It forces the viewer to kind of put two and two together and think a little bit harder to fully comprehend the commercial. Geico also has "celebrity" fictional characters in the green gecko and the wad of money that reiterates somebodys watching me. Very creative stuff especially when considering that they are trying to sell insurance
3. TM Advertising - DTOWN, TX
TM Advertising is most noteably known for its work with American Airlines and Nationwide Insurance and has offices in Dallas, Austin, and Seattle. I enjoy this spot becasue it does a good job of personalizing with the viewer. It shows that if you care about someone than you need an airline that's just as devoted as you are. People want to connect with companies, and commercials like the one TM does, gives a brand like American Airlines human emotions. Rep it Mark Cuban
4. DraftFCB - NY
I like the general message DraftFCB portrays with their spot here, which actually aired during the 2008 Superbowl, urging for a wake up call for parents to lock their medicine cabinets. I think it promotes social responsibility, but I think there are a few mishaps which could have been avoided. If interpreted in the wrong way, it basically tells kids that you don't need a drug dealer to get high and you can simply go into your parents medicine cabinet. I feel that a commercial explaining the negative consequences of abusing perscription drugs would be more effective to the overall purpose of this spot. That way the message is targeting the kids rather than the parents.
5. Lowe - London
Kinda gross yet kinda awesome. I honestly think I'm yet to find an axe campaign that I haven't liked. Also represented by BBH and VegaOlmosPonce, The Axe effect targets young males and sends a rather blunt message that if you try our product, chicks will like you. I'm sure they're not the first company to send this message, but they're the first company to be so bold about it (atleast in our generation). It has become the focal point of their advertisements and now I feel they hold a niche in the advertising world. This particular spot produced by Lowe, which isn't as outlandish as other Axe work, does a nice job with their visuals and narraration for their short story. While I enjoy the over-the-top work, it's also a nice change to see a more subtle approach to the brand.
6. Carmichael Lynch
The Minneapolis based agency Carmicheal Lynch takes credit for their notable work with Jack Link's beef jerky. The highly successful and creative campaign has attracted millions of viral users on youtube and created a feeding frenzy for the company, helping Jack Link's become the best selling beef jerky company in the US. Jack Link's sales have risen 47% according to ACNielsen, which is a perfect example of how advertising can be so effective and what it's all about. I love the practical joke approach that the creative team explores with Sasquatch being the butt of every one. It's a very fun idea, to not only use a mythical character, but rather to poke fun at one. Very Well Done.
7. Hill Holiday - boston
Product of the Boston agency, the Budweiser spot "clydesdales" pays tribute to...America?? Horses?? Beer?? I'm not really sure. While some may find the horses and sceneary beautiful, I find this ad to be a bit cheesy. I can't really find any sort of connection between the purpose of the ad and Budweiser as a company (besides the fact they've done other commercials like this one). The music and dullness of this ad make me want to go to sleep. Advertisements are suppose to attract and become a staple in the consumers mind, and I can't say either of those happened to me.
8. Deutsch - LA
This spot produced by Deutsch for Coors Light is hysterical. I'm not entirely sure if Coor's Light can take credit for creating the term "Wingman", but they definately brought the idea to a national spotlight. I wonder how Coors Light fares with the targeting of women. With this spot and the highly famous "twins" ad, you can't help but wonder if women are attracted to advertisements like this or repulsed. I persoanlly don't find anything wrong with their advertisements from a cultural stand point, but they must've been going after a predominately male target audience...very interesting. Does anyone else notice a strong connection between this and the "real men of genius" campaign by Bud light? I DO!!
9. Mullen - Boston
The Mullen Winston-Salem office created this spot for National Grid. I thought the creative team did a really nice job with the visuals, especially the scene with the little boy and the polar bear in the swimming pool. The Power of Action is a simple yet strong message that demonstrates how simple everyday behavior can go a long way in preserving the environment. It's also a very cool idea how you can adopt your own Polar bear, which truly encompasses the idea of a viral campaign. I recently saw an ad with several polar bears stuck on a melting glacier, huge black eyes staring back at you, and at the end gave a phone number for people to donate money to help save them from global warming. In reality, I'm sure very few people can say that they've actually donated to help save a polar bear, which is why I believe Mullen's idea is more effective. It offers a different approach that's easy and creative without the guilt trip of having to witness sick or dying animals in need.
10. Campbell Mithun - Minneaplois
This product from the Minneapolis based agency was actually one of three chosen by H&R block to be used in the 2009 Superbowl. The ad focuses on just one of the aspects H&R block specializes in the company's Second Look Review policy. I feel that when creating a television ad, especially one thats going to be aired during the Superbowl, the simpler the better. Campbell Mithun uses a cheeky way of creating a situation where a forgiving Death merely confronts his former accountant. The thins I enjoy most about the spot is the tagline "Nothing in life is certain except Death and Taxes" ...AMEN! 11. T.A.G. SF
This is a recent promotion for Microsoft's XBOX produced by TAG. The San Fran based agency created this online ad of a pair of lips walking through the streets singing Aha's Take On Me, selling the Lips game which is essentially Karaoke. I think TAG does an alright job on this piece. While I enjoy the song and even the creepy lips walking through the streets (why does it have legs?) I think it needs another component to be considered "good advertising". A minute of some amatuer singing a song that was big in the 80's doesn't really captivate todays XBOX user. I also feel that it doesn't even compare to other XBOX ads that are way more visually stimulant and entertaining. (McCann Erickson's water balloon fight)
As we have witnessed in class, as well as other mediums, Ogilvy and Dove have teamed up for a new prospective to sell beauty products to women. The award winning ad's are part of Dove's 'Real Beauty' campaign. This campaign actual began with research and findings that concluded that only 2% of women find themselves to be beautiful. Dove, with the help of Ogilvy, than launched the Real Beauty campaign which "aims to change the status quo and offer in its place a broader, healthier, more democratic view of beauty." The thing I enjoy most about these ads is that it shows the rest of the advertising community that it isn't hard to be socially responsible and creative. It truly is a step in the right direction and even better because it shows class in the fashion and beauty world.
2. Y&R - NY
In this original spot, LG has teamed up with Y&R to create a PSA uring all texters to give it a ponder before you send hurtful gossip around the interweb. The spots all use James Lipton and his high powerful almighty beard, which gives teenagers the ability to stop their wrong doing. I find all the TV and print ads for this campaign hysterical. I love it when agencies can create a PSA and make it funny while also sending the right message. The core of the program is a microsite, www.giveitaponder.com, that features webisodes for the campaign. The campaign began by research that resulted in many teens thinking it was ok and normal to gossip and send explicit material over a text message. There are more than 20,000 texts per second being sent, so LG decided that now was the best time to create their campaign.
3. JWT
JWT Mumbai created this television spot which is considered to be the first Cricket commercial Nike has ever done. I enjoy this spot because it shows a gritty and gutsy showing of Cricket and took the sport to the streets of India. It also incorporates truly powerful visuals and up beat music which keeps non cricket fans (me) entertained throughout the 2 minute spot. Last year, JWT India won various awards including Abbys and AME for the Nike Cricket commercial.
4. Grey - NY
E*Trade aired the "baby" campaign in the 2009 Superbowl and than spent more money on a social net during and after the original spot in the Superbowl. This includes a twitter page for the baby (that was updating during the game) and a facebook page where you can become a fan and have access to all the commercials. I like the idea of the baby becasue it's very original to have a baby become the spokesperson for a banking and finance company. I also like how E*Trade did a lot of social media that jumpstarted a viral campaign for the company.
Let it rain!! Alice Cooper getting the nod from Martin Williams to lead in this Staples spot...very cool. I like it when agencies take a risk and endorse in someone who can be seen as controversial. I mean I'm not really sure if Alice Cooper can be considered controversial but it is different. But hey his song makes sense for the purpose of the ad, so I guess it all works out...isn't that the little girl from Californication?? yup
LatinWorks based out of Austin, TX was founded in 1998 by Manny Flores and Alejandro Ruelas. Their most notable work came from the 2008 Super Bowl in which Carlos Mencia teaches a group of foreigners how to order a Bud Light. It was the most replayed commercial according to TiVo. This spot was the follow up that already has Carlos working witht the foreginers at a bar. Im usually not a very big fan of Carlos Mencia, but this is a catchy one. The agency does a nice job of being comical but not offensive. Adweek claims that they won "Ad Bowl" with the original spot.
Wow really nice work from Dieste, proud to say the Dallas based agency is producing adss like this...although upon further research it was their San Fran agency that did this particular spot... The art direction is very cool. It almost looks like the commercial is done with play dough. I like the overall idea of the ad the most. I'm also impressed with their website, which is very creative and interactive. You can easily surf through and find exactly what you're looking for.
GSD&M Idea City produced a line of PGA Tour spots. The ones we watched in class, with the shopping cart and the richochet off the house, were probably my favorite but I wanted to switch it up for my blog. The great part about this commercial is that it is so simple. Its litterally just Tiger tying his shoes and standing up and walking out of the room. I guess thats what you get for endorsing with a super star. All you need is him doing the simplest of tasks and a little survivor and you're set...also props to GSD&M Idea City for having the coolest name out of all the agencies.
The audio response tests were done by 180 Amsterdam for Amstel Light. There are a few other ones I found on their website that had a similar point to this spot. I chose this spot becasue I thought it was original. Although I'm not the biggest fan of either of the 3 "experiment" ads, I still thought the creative team did a good job. Something about looking into someones mouth and seeing waterworks doesnt get it doen for me. The old school scientists are pretty cool though...
I love goofy ads like this one, they always remind me of the Starburst llama spots and the Skittles Taste the Rainbow campaign. I feel that GS&P takes a different road when they're dealing with Emerald Nuts comapred to their other clients. But at the same time I feel that you have to go on a different route, I mean they're nuts. What seperates Nut Brand A from Nut Brand B?? Not the taste thats for sure. Spots like this one can help the consumer differentiate a normal snacking brand from Emerald. Trying to be whacky and original only works if you make it work, and sometimes companies can try and take things too far. That's why I'm impressed with the entire Emerald campaign that GS&P does.
