'Assassin's Creed' ads give cold, dead stare
To promote Assassin's Creed 2, video-game developer Ubisoft is running some of the most enigmatic and compelling pre-roll ads I've ever seen. OK, so they're actually the only enigmatic and compelling pre-roll ads I've ever seen. The 15-second spots, from agency Cutwater, feature little more than dead stares and the game's Web address. You can watch them all here. Sure, there's a lengthier version, complete with contract-killing hero and some slick gameplay footage. But I really prefer the pre-rolls spots, which operate under the premise that "gamers get it." For more from this campaign, check out Adland's writeup, too. —Posted by David Griner
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Published on November 12, 2009 | Permalink
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Magic butt amazes in cheeky Ray-Ban spoof
The Ray-Ban video "Guy Catches Glasses With Face" (which has gotten 4.3 million views on YouTube) now has a worthy successor in the clip above, titled "Guy Catches Laptop With His Butt." It was done by computer-parts maker MSI, and it's as impressive as it sounds. Meanwhile, the latest non-spoof effort in Cutwater and Ray-Ban's "Never Hide" series is below. Ray-Ban had a booth at South by Southwest, where it invited people to record 20 seconds of whatever they wanted. The DJ duo SqueakE Clean took the 800-plus video clips and made a music track with them. See also: |
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Published on August 11, 2009 | Permalink
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Ray-Bans withstand bursting paint bubbles
Here's the latest Ray-Ban "Never Hide" video from Cutwater, directed by Francesco Carrozzini of GL-X. The last few Ray-Ban clips weren't that great. This one is visually pretty entertaining, and actually connects to the product being advertised: a new line of colored Wayfarer sunglasses. Carrozzini says he was inspired by Albert Lamorisse's The Red Balloon from 1956, which also featured a sentient red balloon, though not an explosive one. (Balloons are also flying high lately thanks to Pixar's Up.) Carrozzini shot the ad in high-speed Phantom HD, which captured the detailed slow-motion images. |
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Published on June 12, 2009 | Permalink
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Cutwater gets this great idea for Ray-Ban ad
Cutwater has released this new video in the "Never hide" series for Ray-Ban. It features a ball rolling and bouncing down the streets of San Francisco—an idea that worked pretty well in the past, so why not do it again? It's actually a single ball this time, and it's big and red, and there's a dude inside it wearing Ray-Bans. Cutwater's Chuck McBride directed this one himself. There's also a Flickr set of photos showing the ball hanging out and partying. So, that's sort of different. |
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Published on May 4, 2009 | Permalink
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Cutwater's Ray Ban virals get more randomCutwater had that big hit in 2007 with the "Guy catches glasses with face" video (below), which has gotten about 4 million views on YouTube. Now, the agency is back with some more virals for the sunglasses brand, although this time the product is much less central. Four videos have rolled out in the last four weeks, the most popular one being the sloppy "Cow gives birth to a dude" (above). The adult-size, slimy newborn emerges with sunglasses on—that's the extent of the product connection. Still, the thing's gotten almost 1.7 million views, so there's a market for this stuff. The other three new videos, "Disco Ballers," "Green Screen Guy" and "Tallest ice cream," don't feature any halfway believable stunts or nasty birth footage, so they might not do as well. |
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Published on January 28, 2009 | Permalink
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Levi's wants it both ways, and it's working!
Levi's artsy, monochrome Cutwater campaign celebrates the "average woman," comfortable with herself and her Levi's jeans. Meanwhile, the brand's sophomoric EVB-produced viral effort urges the gruffer sex to "Unbutton your beast," as if we needed the added provocation. My first thought: Oh, those denim jerks, they're trying to have it both ways. My revised opinion: Those button-fly geniuses, they're trying to have it both ways—and succeeding! Both campaigns are perfectly tailored (ha!) to their respective audiences: empowering and sympathetic for the ladies, disposable and "naughty" for the gents. The ads aimed at women are cinematic, for the sex that insists on schlepping out to the movies on Friday nights. The work targeting men lives on the Web, because that's where we watch our porn. I mean, where we check out movie schedules to plan fun Friday nights for our significant others. What's more, both campaigns have received their share of mainstream and trade-press attention, touting the Levi's brand well beyond the paid-media investment. So, kudos, Levi's! Too bad the economy's shot and soon no one will be able to afford jeans. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go unbutton ... I mean, buy some movie tickets for the weekend. (Phew, nice save!) —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on October 8, 2008 | Permalink
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Don't even think about looking at her jeans
Here's another Levi's ad from Cutwater, which did the model-in-reverse spot from earlier this week. This second one's cute, but it's a little long, as in Gone with the Wind long. Did they really need a full minute and a half to get the concept across? By the time the girl gets knocked out, I'd stopped caring, opting instead to wonder who's responsible for the music—it sounds like Max Raabe. Also, speaking as a man here, how are jeans that punish me for looking at hot chicks (and vice versa) a worthwhile investment? Maybe the creative were drinking too much of this when they came up with the idea. |
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Published on August 29, 2008 | Permalink
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Levi's steps back to reveal the average girl
Let me get this straight. Levi's "Onion Peel" spot by Cutwater, breaking this coming Monday during Gossip Girl, shows the reverse transformation of a corset- and fishnet-wearing supermodel into an average gal in Capital E jeans? I sat through the 90-second Fellini-esque monochrome clip thinking: She dolls it up again at the end ... right? No way. She's beautiful just being herself. Her Levi's-branded self, but it's advertising, after all, and it's about as deep a message as we're likely to get in an apparel spot this year. Um, Levi's ... there is a sequel where she dresses all sexy again, or undresses, which would be even better? ... Right?! ... Here's a spot that Fellini did direct. It's not for jeans, but it should appeal to guys because it's simplistic, colorful and silly. Mmm, yes, that's the stuff. My brain just stopped working. The man was a genius. Bravissimo! —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 27, 2008 | Permalink
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