TV is the bright spot in your sad, painful life

Bad stuff happens in life. You accidentally hook up with a transvestite. You get run over by a car. You're attacked by a shark and lose both of your hands. You stumble on a landmine and get blown to smithereens. Your wife sleeps with your best friend. But that's OK. You've still got your dignity—and your television shows. This glass-half-full reminder, set to the tune of "Que Sera Sera," is courtesy of Sky TV and DDB New Zealand.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on December 3, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under DDB, Freaky, New Zealand, Nudd, TV

Canadians all sick and tired of cancer's crap

Web videos are the centerpiece of DDB's "Join the Fight" campaign for the Canadian Cancer Society. Non-actors whose lives have been ravaged (and in some cases, ruined) by the disease address the illness as if it were a person, expressing their outrage, grief and resolve to keep fighting. Unlike TBWA's recent prostate-cancer ads, where the disease is played by a guy in a costume, here cancer is an unseen yet palpable presence. We get the idea that the fight is tough, often heartbreaking, but sometimes winnable. The message is gritty and honest, but empowering. If I were cancer, I'd clear out, because that guy in the white T-shirt who spits into the mirror looks angry enough to whip the disease with his bare hands.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on November 30, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Canada, Cancer, DDB, Gianatasio, PSAs

Australian diaper ad shows 'poop explosion'

An infant makes a serious mess inside his mommy's crossover SUV in this Australian ad for BabyLove diapers. Mom can handle No. 1's and No. 2's, but when the kid unleashes a No. 3 (aka a "poop explosion"), she can't hide her disgust, and will need Harvey Keitel to clean out the inside of the car. (In a state of shock, she uselessly tries the windshield wipers first.) By DDB Melbourne. Via auto blog Jalopnik, which is concerned about whether the vehicle—identified as a Holden Captiva—can recover.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Previously on AdFreak:
Huggies ads capture babies' crapping faces

Published on November 12, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (4)
Filed under Australia, DDB, Diapers, Gross, Nudd

Garbage talks trash in French recycling ads

The giant trash heap in DDB Paris's campaign for French environmental agency Ademe seems like a decent enough fellow. Once you get past the stench of week-old cafeteria croissants and rotting Brie, he's got a certain joie de vivre, an offbeat je ne sais quoi that's irresistible. I think it's the accent. He sounds like Gerard Depardieu. In fact, there's a certain hulking, physical resemblance, though the pile of garbage is a better actor. He doesn't seem that much worse than most co-workers. Myself included. HR can't bully me into cleaning up my cube, but those memos sure come in handy for swatting away the flies.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 27, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under DDB, Environment, Europe, Gianatasio

'All Together Now' spot continues to inspire

A few months back, we wrote about an advertising student who was inspired by Budweiser's "All Together Now" spot and decided to take her own low-budget stab at it. Now, one of her friends from London has made yet another homage to the ad, and it's quite an impressive bit of stop-motion goodness. The video was created as a side project by Isaac Bell, a photographer, editor and designer for DDB London. It's definitely one to watch several times, though you'll still be hard-pressed to catch all the clever bits of background animation. I'm sure his agency overlords have given him some hearty encouragement, probably along the lines of: "Nice job. Now quit dicking around with the stapler and get back to work."

—Posted by David Griner

Previously on AdFreak:
A great beer ad, without the massive budget

Published on October 23, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Budweiser, DDB, Europe, Griner

Fresh Step. For cats who really need to pee.

I've never fancied cats, and this Fresh Step print campaign by DDB West isn't going to turn me into a feline fan. See the three full ads here. At first glance, I thought the anthropomorphized beasts were playing soccer, perhaps trying out for that all-animal fantasy squad. In fact, they're "holding it." As if any ginger tom worth his whiskers would have such consideration for the humans who pay his room and board. The headline reads: "Cats everywhere are having a hard time smelling their litter boxes." Great, now they'll have an excuse for befouling the newly shampooed furniture. Thanks, Fresh Step! Via Adland. Oh, and don't be fooled by the ad below ("Show us some love. We'll return the favor," by GP Y&R for the Australian RSPCA). Cats don't clean up their own hair. I call Photoshop!

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Previously on AdFreak:
Spay the cats before they ruin your Web site
Cats could use a little positive advertising

Published on October 15, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Animals, DDB, Fresh Step, Gianatasio

DDB fights breast cancer with musical butts

Ever slide on a pair of jeans and feel an unmistakable eruption of divine glory from your buttocks? You know the feeling—like riding a giant seahorse through the denim countryside? Well, that sensation has finally been captured in an ad—specifically, in this spot for Lee National Denim Day, an annual fund-raiser for breast-cancer research. The Oct. 2 event encourages supporters to create teams and gather donations. Two DDB Chicago animators created the spot above as a promo for the agency's team, "DDB Cheers for a Cure." So, if you're a DDB fan (or a job applicant looking to score brownie points), you can donate a few bucks to help them reach their $10,000 goal. Or you can make your own team, especially if you're at an agency that also wants to get in line for the Lee creative account. (Has Lee made a memorable ad since Fallon's Buddy Lee spots?) Oh, and in case you were confused like me, this isn't the Denim Day that advocates against sexism and rape. (That's April 23.) Lee National Denim Day supports a variety of breast-cancer initiatives and predates the other Denim Day by about three years.

—Posted by David Griner

See also:
Latest breast-cancer PSAs let it all hang out

Published on September 28, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Apparel, Breast cancer, DDB, Griner, Lee, PSAs

DDB stocks up on cute for New York Lottery

Oh sure, any commercial can pack the cute cannon with puppies, kittens, piglets and ducklings. But putting them all in little tiny pajamas? That's some straight-up innovative brilliance by DDB for the New York Lottery in the new spot above. The Huffington Post even declared it "perhaps the cutest lottery commercial of all time." If cuddly adorableness isn't your thing, you might at least like the other recent spot below, which squeezes a lot of stylized animation into a mere 15 seconds.

—Posted by David Griner

See also:
Little Bit o' Luck has big creepiness factor
In down times, the lottery's bigger than ever

Published on September 23, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under DDB, Griner, Lotteries, New York Lottery

Win the Lotto, redeem your sucky childhood

This ad from DDB New Zealand has a Wonder Years vibe, as a balding, middle-aged family guy comes across a childhood wish list in the garage. Turns out he's achieved most of his goals. He married his grade-school crush ... and he's become a millionaire—thanks to the local lottery, of course, which is the client in question. As for being a "hero" and an astronaut, well, I guess he's still working on it. It's a sweet, smartly cast and overall extremely well-done spot that almost made me forget that lotteries are for compulsive suckers like me willing to waste our money for a crack at jackpots we'll never win. Besides, the guy can't be a real lottery winner. If he were, he'd have a full head of hair and a trophy wife, he'd send the brats off to boarding school, and for damn sure he wouldn't still be living down at the ass-end of the world! Via Adoholik.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on September 15, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under DDB, Gianatasio, Lotteries, New Zealand

What other WWF ads has DDB Brazil done?

In their joint apology for the now-infamous 9/11 ad, DDB Brazil and WWF Brazil mentioned their previous collaborations: "The two entities have worked together for three years to mobilize people, efforts and resources for the good of the environment. A single error should not obscure past successes, nor prevent future ones." So, what other work have they done together? Here's a sampling of their ads since 2007. All images via Ads of the World. (Side note: Some people have said this week, erroneously, that it's a red flag to see Brazilian ads written in English—that they're more likely to be fake. Most ad people presumably realize that's not the case. Agencies in non-English-speaking countries routinely do English versions of their print ads so that English-speaking creatives and journalists can review them without needing to translate. It's like adding subtitles to TV spots.)

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on September 4, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (9)
Filed under DDB, Nudd, WWF

DDB, WWF reeling from fallout over 9/11 ad

UPDATE, Friday. In their joint apology for this now-infamous 9/11 ad, DDB Brazil and WWF Brazil mentioned their previous collaborations. Here's a sampling of ads they've done together since 2007.

UPDATE, Thursday evening. So, it appears the video version of the print ad was the work of DDB Brazil as well, and was entered into the Cannes festival this year. Meanwhile, over at Adweek.com, Barbara Lippert offers her view of the whole fiasco.

UPDATE, Thursday, 1 p.m. ET. The U.S. headquarters of the WWF has just updated its statement to acknowledge that someone at WWF Brazil may have indeed signed off on the 9/11 ad. See the full statement here.

UPDATE, Wednesday evening: DDB Brazil posted a statement on its Web site Wednesday, signed by both WWF Brazil and DDB Brazil, claiming shared responsibility for the creation and initial approval of this ad, which has caused a firestorm of controversy since Tuesday morning.
  The English version of the statement reads: "WWF Brasil and DDB Brasil would like to jointly express their regret for the unfortunate incident involving the 'Tsunami' ad for World Wildlife Fund Brasil. The ad does not convey either the philosophy of the client or that of its advertising agency. It was created and approved in late 2008, mistakenly, and was solely the result of lack of experience on the part of a few professionals from both parties involved. In no way was it done in bad faith or with disrespect to American suffering. WWF Brasil and DDB Brasil acknowledge that such an ad never should have been made, approved or published. We reiterate our apologies to all those who may have been offended by it. The two entities have worked together for three years to mobilize people, efforts and resources for the good of the environment. A single error should not obscure past successes, nor prevent future ones."
  Below is our original blog post from Tuesday morning, plus several updates made since then.

— — — — —

Just in time for the anniversary of 9/11 comes this tasteless, nightmarish print ad for the World Wildlife Fund, showing dozens of planes headed for lower Manhattan. See a larger version here. The copy reads: "The tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9/11. The planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Preserve it." Unfortunately, respect is the main thing lacking here. Exploiting one tragedy to try to prevent another is just stupid and self-defeating, and will always backfire. Via Advertolog, which credits the ad to DDB Brazil.

UPDATE: It appears this ad actually managed to win a merit award for public service at The One Show this year. We spoke to a rep at the U.S. HQ of the WWF in Washington. She said the group "strongly condemns the messaging and the imagery" of the ad, and she added: "We can promise you this ad does not reflect the thoughts and feelings of this organization." WWF further says the ad was "never authorized or approved by any WWF person on the planet" and that the group is investigating the "unauthorized and illegal use of our logo." The group's official statement on the matter can be seen here.

UPDATE: DDB Brazil has apologized for the ad, and a rep there tells the New York Daily News that the creative team behind it "is no longer with the agency."

UPDATE: We've received an e-mailed statement from DDB Brazil in which the agency, while still apologizing for the ad's creation, claims it was approved for publication by the local branch of the WWF. The statement reads: "The 'Tsunami' ad for World Wildlife Fund Brasil was created by a team at DDB Brasil in December 2008, approved and ran. The team in question is no longer with the Agency. DDB Brasil apologizes to anyone who was offended or affected by the ad. It should never have been made and it does not portray the philosophy of the agency."
  We're told the ad ran just once, in a local newspaper in Brazil.
  This conflicts with the WWF's statement that it "did not authorize [the ad's] production or publication." Officials at the WWF in Washington tell us they are still looking into the chain of events and wouldn't comment further. If the agency's version of events is true, then the ad is not fake or "scam," the WWF would bear greater responsibility for it, and it would have been eligible for this year's One Show, where it somehow managed to win a merit award. (The ad has since been stripped from the One Show site.)
  A video version of the ad (posted below) has also been unearthed. DDB and WWF are denying any involvement in the video.

—Posted by Tim Nudd and David Gianatasio

Published on September 1, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (199)
Filed under 9/11, Brazil, DDB, Environment, Gianatasio, WWF

Low-sodium meals push salt shaker to edge

Poor Salty. In this animated clip from DDB Toronto (directed by David Hicks of Sons and Daughters, and with visual effects by AXYZ), the reduced-sodium Sidekicks entrees from Knorr send the sad salt shaker trudging out into a melodramatic dark and stormy night, unloved. Worst of all, he has to listen to Michael Bolton's version of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" for 45 seconds. It's a wonder he doesn't dive off that overpass! Too much sodium can take years to kill a person, but Bolton's overblown delivery could put you in your grave by the second verse. Salty should cheer up. He might get used even more if these Sidekicks meals turn out to be too bland. And if not, Pepper will be keeping him company in the cruel world just as soon as that family decides to cut out the spicy foods.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (5)
Filed under Canada, DDB, Food and drink, Knorr

Air freshener that handles visible butt odors

My colleague Dave Kiefaber probably thought he'd found the goofiest odor-related ad of the year when he posted that Doc Bottom's Aspray spot. Sure, that had cartoon-style green smoke wafting from a plumber's rear end. But take a whiff of this! Direct from China—possibly the smelliest nation on earth, if only because it's the most populous—comes this sophomoric stankfest from DDB Shanghai. It's a print campaign for TianTian pocket-sized air freshener. The people's offensive emissions here are so objectionably intense, they resemble ... I dunno, 3-D asterisks or some kind of horrific stink-buds blossoming from the folks' hindquarters. Hey, it's cute when you're an infant, but get too "relaxed" as an adult commuter and your fellow passengers will be spraying your Chinos with TianTian. Not that I'd know from personal experience, of course. Via Ads of the World.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 3, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under China, DDB, Gianatasio

Play sports as a child, avoid shame later on

Here's an odd little PSA campaign by DDB Vancouver for KidSport BC that encourages children's participation in sports—mostly so they don't become complete social lepers later in life. Of the three commercials, only the swimming-pool spot really pays off the tagline, "Sports skills are life skills." (Knowing how to swim could indeed help you save someone's life.) On the other hand, being able to catch Post-it notes thrown at you by the office hottie seems less crucial to one's general well-roundedness. And getting kids to play sports so they can use sporting clichés in their dead-end corporate jobs later in life—that's just depressing. How about this cliché instead: that sport is good for kids because it gets them off the couch and teaches them to play well with others? Via Osocio.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on July 28, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (6)
Filed under Canada, DDB, Nudd, PSAs

Enjoy the bright side of life in a Volkswagen

DDB London and director Noam Murro suggest "Positive Thinking" in this musical European spot (above) for the Volkswagen Passat. The song reminds me of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" (below) from Monty Python's Life of Brian. That sing-along by the crucified still seems good-naturedly sacrilegious three decades later. The VW tune's not bad, but the guy in the ad hasn't really had such a rough day, so he just comes off like a whiner doing a bad Michael Caine impression. Or maybe it's Anthony Newley. Our hero can always sell his Passat to pay the bills. Those sheep in the butcher truck have a lot worse coming to them. Positive thinking won't save them from winding up hoof-deep in mint jelly.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on July 13, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Automotive, DDB, Europe, Gianatasio, Volkswagen

Evil children can't wait to get to McDonald's

DDB Stockholm remains king of the weird McDonald's commercials with new spot above, in which the prototypical childhood car-trip question takes on a sinister aspect. "Not there yet? Stop at McDonald's!" a bird screams at the car at the end. In terms of weirdness, it's up there with some of the agency's other creations, including the cliffhanging french-fries eater and, below, the two dudes with the same nose.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on July 1, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under DDB, Europe, Food and drink, Freaky, McDonald's, Nudd, Restaurants

DDB offers glimpse of Brazil's other wild life

Good lord, they've created humanimals in Brazil! And these beast-people with razor-sharp claws and vicious fangs all drive sub-compact cars! Did we learn nothing from The Island of Dr. Moreau? We certainly didn't from last remake with Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer, because nobody bothered to watch it. Brando and Kilmer—what were they thinking? Seriously, these DDB Brazil ads for Zoo Safari are, in a word, seamless. The central images are simple yet striking and perfectly in sync with the "Blend in" theme. I just hope those park visitors aren't driving Chevy Impalas. That would make them stand out that much more as prey. Via Ads of the World.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on June 25, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Animals, Brazil, DDB, Gianatasio

McDonald's: for when your pick-up lines fail

(Click the images to enlarge.) DDB Stockholm did this amusing six-panel print ad for McDonald's, in which a would-be Casanova gets ever more desperate with the one-liners during a night on the town—and then settles for a Big Mac. Tagline: "When it's time to go home since 1973."

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 1, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (7)
Filed under DDB, Europe, Food and drink, McDonald's, Restaurants

DDB Poland child-welfare ads pack a punch

"You can lose more than your patience," is the theme of a new print and poster campaign by DDB Poland that makes shattering impression, literally, for the "Good Parent" appeal of the Nobody's Children Foundation. See two full ads here. Broken dolls have been used before in similar contexts, but that doesn't dilute the visual impact. The key elements aren't the shattered "children," though their ruined limbs and cracked faces tend to linger, uncomfortably, in one's mind. It's their juxtaposition with the unsettlingly sterile household surroundings, and the flawless photographic compositions, that deliver the emotional knockout punch. Child-welfare groups worldwide should get permission to use the ads. They convey a message that translates in any language. Via Ads of the World.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on May 29, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under Child welfare, DDB, Europe, Gianatasio, PSAs

Tiny poor people don't get McDonald's fries

One last unusual TV spot for the week, and it's from McDonald's, which wants you to know that a large group of miniature, impoverished peasants are crawling around in the bowels of your car, tired and hungry, just waiting for you to drop a single golden-brown McDonald's french fry, which to them is basically a giant shed of potato that could feed the entire horde for a year. But don't worry about letting them go hungry. Why would you want to feed a large group of people with food you'd normally throw away? That's not what McDonald's is all about. Keep that fry for yourself—remember, no one wants it more than you! By DDB Chicago.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on May 8, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)
Filed under DDB, Food and drink, Freaky, Nudd, Restaurants

Lipton hosting giant sapphic fruit-pool orgy

DDB Paris created this bizarre and trippy new commercial for Lipton Forest Fruit tea, showing women of all ages dive-bombing into a pool of giant fruit, as the Willy Wonka song about the "world of pure imagination" plays. Naturally, the playful scene occasionally turns sultry, as several women are seen ravishing the huge fruit with abandon (red juice dripping down their chins). The camera also at one point lingers on another model's butt. "This is your tea time," says the voiceover. Imagine what supper must be like.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on April 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under DDB, Europe, Food and drink, Lipton, Nudd, Tea

Melons blitzed in mad Czech McDonald's ad

What in hell's name is going on in this McDonald's ad from the Czech Republic? It advertises something called the CBO, which is a McDonald's sandwich with chicken, bacon and onions. Beyond that, it's anybody's guess. From the looks of it, a cityscape is being attacked by giant seed-shedding watermelons, and the superhero-like CBO has been drafted to save the day. The onions are mad scientists who've invented some kind of new weapon, which the chicken will use in an aerial attack, with help from bacon, on the killer melons. The dialogue is hard to make out, not that that would necessarily clear things up. McDonald's hates fruit—maybe it's as simple as that. Perhaps DDB Prague can explain more.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on April 6, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (4)
Filed under DDB, Europe, Freaky, McDonald's, Nudd

Deathbed chainsaw ad irks New Zealanders

This comical spot from DDB Auckland for Stihl chainsaws is harshing some people's buzz down in New Zealand. In the ad, which is pretty tame, a son misrepresents his father's final whispered dying wish in a plot to snag the prized Stihl machine. To some, that's simply no laughing matter. "I was really horrified," says Adrian Cooper of Media Matters in NZ, a group devoted to protecting kids from the horrors of television. "I thought, this is not good enough. It's simply not good enough, and it's not the New Zealand I know. ... I think that any mature, responsible, thinking adults looking at that would find it offensive." DDB creative director Toby Talbot shrugs off the controversy. "It's a shame, it's a pity some people feel that way," he says. "I think, generally speaking, a lot of people see it for what it is—it is actually quite a light-hearted ad."

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on March 31, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Controversy, DDB, New Zealand, Nudd, Stihl

DDB's Sol spots are odd, but in a good way

Most ads that attempt to be weird fail for one of two reasons. Either they're trying too hard and feel forced (like the crappy series with Jack in the Box's round-headed mascot) or they don't go far enough (like Old Navy's SuperModelquins, which are hardly weird at all). When the proper balance is achieved, however, it can be a thing of beauty. Which brings us to Sol beer's campaign from DDB Argentina. See all three ads here. They manage to be weird in an endearing way, appear well targeted to its audience and never overpower the brand. They're weird with you, not at you. They're almost parodies of weird ads, taking the familiar elements that fall flat in other spots and doing them just right. Male bonding over suds and soccer is the general theme. But "Hugs," above, doesn't head where you'd expect, "Pep Talk" really scores on the field. And you'll lap up the stupidity of "Weird." Don't worry, the ads are better than my commentary on them. Hmm, three entertaining spots from DDB. Now that's weird! Via Ads of the World.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on March 13, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Alcohol, DDB, Gianatasio, Soccer, Sol

Pam helps your bratty spawn rule the roost

This spot from DDB San Francisco for ConAgra's Pam cooking spray seems stuck in an Eisenhower-era time warp. The cupcakes are sticking to the pan? So what? You've come a long way, baby! Haven't you? The fact that it's all revealed as a bad daydream makes things worse, because it equates a non-stick, sitcomy world with perfection. The tagline, "Pam helps you pull it off," isn't exactly a feminist rallying cry, either. Look, those brats don't need sugary treats. Why give them more energy to howl? Serve 'em spinach and broccoli. Cold and raw. That's how I was raised, and look how I turned out. Those kids must've sat slack-jawed through month after month of Baby Einstein, because they sure lack any sort of social skills.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on March 5, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under ConAgra, Cooking, DDB, Gianatasio, House and home, Pam