Tarantino's Softbank ad is hilarious, baffling
We recently mentioned that Quentin Tarantino was shooting a commercial for Japan's Softbank. Well, here's the finished product. It's both mystifying and awesome at the same time. Not that it will help, but here's some background on the campaign, from Julie in Japan: In the ads, the father is a white dog, the mother is a Japanese woman, the daughter is a famous Japanese pop star and the brother is an African-American man. The ads are funny because the father is really strict but he's a dog, so he's adorable. The family doesn't make any sense to look at, but they act like a regular, typical Japanese family and that's why it's funny. And here's a loose translation of the dialogue from a CNet reader: It starts with the older woman asking the dog if he's going to a town called Tosa. The dog says yes. Then, the younger woman asks if Tarantino is going along, whereupon he declares "I am Tara!" At that point, in the long version, Tarantino does his samurai impression "Hai-ya! Samurai spirit!! Get him with the samurai sword! Ho-ha!" etc. The dog says "I'm determined to go to Tosa!" The older woman tells Tara to calm down, and he says "Yes". Then, the phone rings, the younger woman says "It's the phone", and the older woman says "It's your wife." Tara gasps. The wife asks for Tara, he responds with another "I am Tara!", then she yells "Get home right now!" For a more straightforward set of celebrity Softbank ads, check out Brad Pitt's work for the company. —Posted by Tim Nudd |
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Published on December 8, 2009 | Permalink
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Quentin Tarantino to appear in Softbank ads
Quentin Tarantino threatens to single-handedly set U.S.-Japanese relations back to pre-Godzilla days in an upcoming Softbank commercial. The clip above, screened by the bank at a conference, shows the director hamming it up during rehearsal. He joins the popular "White Family" campaign, which features a talking-dog father and an older brother played by American comedian Dante Carter. Tarantino will play "Uncle Tara-chan," and it looks like he's channeling John Belushi's old "Samurai Night Fever" routine, but Belushi was actually more restrained. Brad Pitt, who starred in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, appeared in some Softbank ads this summer, playing the personal assistant of a Sumo champ. There's no humongous wrestler in Tarantino's spot, as far as we can tell. But this is an Asian commercial, so the presence of a talking dog as the head of a mixed-race (and breed!) family should come as no surprise. —Posted by David Gianatasio Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on November 13, 2009 | Permalink
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Actors bring ShareBuilder silhouettes to life
Ever want to step into an ad? It probably beats what most of us do all day. I'd like to enter an Apple poster and kick Mr. Long in the shins. But that's just me. If you'd rather kick Hodgman, that's fine, too. Unfortunately, it's not Apple but ShareBuilder that's letting folks "walk into" ads this week with window displays at the NBC Experience Store in New York's Rockefeller Plaza. It's a metaphor for walking into the world of personal investing. At the live installation, actors replace the silhouettes used in the client's new print campaign. Now, these aren't famous actors like Long or Hodgman, they're those off-Broadway types who make up about three-quarters of Manhattan's wait-staff and bartending ranks. Headlines promise that "anyone can invest and get a share of their favorite brands." Maybe those window actors can follow the advice, start "gradually buying up" chunks of Disney and Viacom and put themselves in some prime-time shows.
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Published on November 5, 2009 | Permalink
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You don't know who Sun Life is? Damn you
What's in a name? Nothing all that compelling, judging from the first glimpse of The Martin Agency's new integrated campaign for Sun Life Financial. It follows two unfunny guys who try to raise the company's profile by convincing brands with "Sun" in their names to add "Life" after it. The "humor" is DOA in the kick-off spot above, in which K.C. & the Sunshine Band are encouraged to become K.C. & the Sun Life Band. Still, it's good to know K.C. survived the '70s, even if most of his hair didn't. These days, he looks more suited for an endorsement of Sunsweet Prunes, which would actually benefit from adding some "Life" to its moniker. I'm kidding, sort of. K.C.'s forever cool (if not forever young). The campaign will also feature riffs on the Sun Life State and Cirque du Sun Life. Whoa, who wouldn't wanna follow this campaign's Twitter feed?! —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on November 3, 2009 | Permalink
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MFS's new commercials great for Halloween
Take the platitude-spitting talking heads of the new Edward Jones campaign, and throw in the "I am" certitude of Microsoft's PC ads. Then add the creepy "glowing eyes" effect of horror films like Village of the Damned. What do you get? Oddly enough, it's Allen & Gerritsen's latest TV spots for investment house MFS. They almost make the frigid Edward Jones commercials look warm and fuzzy by comparison. Here, their eyes eerily alight with blocks from the MFS logo, folks deliver lines like, "I am an MFS fund" and "I am an MFS investment." What they are is possessed, and one guy's admission that "I'm all about the alpha" underscores the "alien" feel. At the end, they seem to "beam" the retinal images toward viewers in an effort to bend our minds to their investment-driven will. Good lord, they're inside my brain! I understand now, and I obey! |
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Published on October 29, 2009 | Permalink
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IM chatting gets heavy in John Hancock ads
As Kenneth Hein mentioned over on BrandFreak, sports fans sit through the same commercials over and over at this time of year. During the baseball playoffs, the new "Cursor" ads for John Hancock, by Boston's Hill Holliday, are among those playing on a loop. The spots, which show people texting and instant messaging each other about their financial situations, are meant to have the same quiet, unassuming vibe as the agency's classic "Real life. Real answers" work for the client back in the '80s. On its Web site, John Hancock says the new campaign "captures the truth and realness of our advertising legacy in a contemporary manner." Maybe it's a bit too contemporary. The format allows for plenty of peace and quiet. But showing life's big conversations happening over text and IM doesn't seem true to life for these characters (except maybe for the sister in the airport), and makes them seem distant from their families—a far cry from the emotional impact of John Hancock's classic Bill Heater/Jenny Katherine spot, one of the best commercials ever made about family and money. —Posted by Tim Nudd |
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Published on October 21, 2009 | Permalink
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Edward Jones ads look like poor investment
Edward Jones talks up face-to-face relationships in some new, bare-bones ads by Cramer-Krasselt (see more here) that achieve the opposite of the intended effect. The spots play like a cross between over-artsy fashion/fragrance commercials and bad Twilight Zone-type episodes.They take place in a monochrome universe where everyone speaks in taglines. Sometimes lips move, sometimes they don't. A bearded guy stares into the camera with such intensity, surely the lens will crack. Is he trying to ignite a stock-market rally with the power of his mind? Why is everyone sitting on little cubes? Get these folks some chairs! The spare setting, choppy visual style and annoyingly ambient background music make the brand appear aloof, distant and disconnected from the here-and-now. These are lectures, not conversations, and the "Join us" at the end enhances the effect. They seem trapped: spokescharacters in search of an exit. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on October 16, 2009 | Permalink
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Growing up hard to do in AMV's Aviva spots
New spots by AMV BBDO in London for financial services/insurance firm Aviva Life evolve the company's "Moments that matter" theme. This time around, we get tales of two dads, both dealing in different ways with growing older. Young professional dad in "Grow Up" (above) has plenty of hair, a go-getter attitude and a perfect TV-commercial family at home. Let's hope he doesn't get disillusioned by the second spot, "Again" (below), with its haggard, beefy dad who can't even do household chores without his wife reminding him that his pants are a big too snug these days. And her cockney nasal twang is like music to my ears! Speaking of music, note the jangly-happy pop for the young dad and the sedate, vaguely ominous tones for the middle-aged guy. Indeed, the tempo slows for us all. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on October 14, 2009 | Permalink
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Offspring of idiots need college savings too
A donation to a college-savings program is a lot better gift for your child or grandchild than a canister of plutonium or a knife-throwing kit. That's the message in these new spots from Red Square Agency in Mobile, Ala., for the CollegeCounts 529 Fund Campaign, a college-savings product managed by Van Kampen Investments. The children in this campaign are the perfect 529 candidates, too, as they'll need as much education as possible to counteract the effect of their genes. |
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Published on September 18, 2009 | Permalink
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Is honesty one of HSBC's big brand values?
These U.K. HSBC spots from JWT London that focus on "integrity" and "responsibility" are gorgeously filmed, but they're so achingly ironic and hypocritical, they make my head spin. Yes, HSBC has refused government bailout money, but the firm is now cutting 6,100 employees, yet still managed to find $1.67 billion to bid on ING's private banking business. Meanwhile, the bank holds forth on the topic of social justice in ads that show a paparazzo and fisherman who "do the right thing." It must be comforting for the C-suite suits to see their gold-tinted vision of reality reflected back at them during commercial breaks. Would they spike the photo of the year or toss back the first big catch in weeks, if it meant losing a ton of money? Of course not. Would you? Integrity and responsibility begin with honesty, something these ads sorely lack.
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Published on September 11, 2009 | Permalink
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Spot the Komodo dragon, win free checking
I'd begun to worry about FirstBank and TDA Advertising & Design. Client and agency change creative direction approximately every eight hours, yet I hadn't heard from them in a while. Whew. They're back now with some cute "Where's Waldo?" parodies. According to the new ads, consumers can "win" free checking accounts at FirstBank by spotting giant, colorful, impossible-to-miss bacon cheeseburgers, Komodo dragons and Seawolf-class attack submarines in various unexpected locales. It's probably wise to make the puzzles easy. This way, if anyone anywhere has any money left at all, FirstBank's got a shot. —Posted by David Gianatasio See also: |
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Published on September 3, 2009 | Permalink
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Brad Pitt serves a sumo in Softbank's spots
In the grand tradition of Americans doing wacky Asian ads, Brad Pitt is back with a few more commercials for Japan's Softbank. In the new spots, directed by Spike Jonze, Pitt plays a personal assistant to sumo champ Musashimaru. The tagline is, "Serving you in any way necessary," which in Pitt's case involves Pitt feeding sushi to the 520-pound Samoan (in the ad above) and daintily carrying him when his shoe breaks (in the ad below). In reality, Softbank's slogan is quite literal. It's is a diversified corporation that owns a financial-services company and the Fukuoka Hawks baseball team, and is the official carrier for the Japanese iPhone 3G. Clearly, they have enough money to hire Western talent (including, previously, Wes Anderson) to wipe the mouths of their yokozuna when the moment arises. |
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Published on August 25, 2009 | Permalink
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Aussie bankers flee small-business owners
M&C Saatchi's cinematic, stunt-heavy spot for Australia's ANZ Bank takes a bit too long to cut to the chase. Or I suppose it's the chase that takes too long. Whatever. By the end, most viewers will have figured out the punch line. The guy's a small-business banking professional. Warning: Spoiler ahead! Oops, I was late with that spoiler warning, but it doesn't matter, because the ending's not that much of a surprise. Still, the ad's engrossing and stands up to repeat viewings. You can't blame the guy for bolting, though. If those agitated Aussies were my clients, especially in this economy, I'd run too. I suppose ANZ deserves credit for accomplishing what would seem like an impossible task: generating sympathy for bankers in our age of recession and bailouts. |
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Published on August 24, 2009 | Permalink
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Japan sells government bonds with taxi ads
As the U.S. continues to set new records for deficit spending, America could look to Japan for a little inspiration, at least when it comes to advertising government bonds. Late last month, Japan's ministry of finance began hawking bonds on the backs of Tokyo taxi seats. The pitch, which will also use posters (like the one here) and TV spots, is the latest in a series of campaigns using celebrities to flog the country's massive debt. Earlier ads starred Koyuki, the one-named actress and model who starred alongside Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai. Current ads feature Junko Kubo, a former anchor on Japan's public broadcaster NHK. They use the tagline, "Peace of mind. Piece of happiness." That promise of mental bliss is a hard sell: At current spending levels, Japan's debt is expected to become 197 percent of GDP next year and 300 percent within 10 years. The lessons of Japan, itself the second-largest holder of U.S. government paper, appear to be lost on Washington: By the end of fiscal year 2010, U.S. debt is expected to reach nearly 100 percent of GDP, meaning that for every dollar the U.S. economy produces, the government will owe a dollar. —Posted by Noreen O'Leary |
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Published on August 24, 2009 | Permalink
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FreeCreditReport band still not phoning it in
Despite my best judgment, despite my knowledge of their deceptive practices, despite having even been one of their victims back in the innocent days of 2000, I just can't help but like these FreeCreditReport.com jingles. In the newest installment, the down-and-out trio go all nerd rock to explain how the lead singer ended up with the world's oldest cell phone. Other than the cringe-worthy lyrics about how he "coulda got my knowledge on," it's another commendably catchy tune in their commercial catalog. The month-old roller-coaster spot below is pretty good, too. —Posted by David Griner |
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Published on July 31, 2009 | Permalink
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French siren is an Israeli-born AngelenoDogs and investment advice don't usually make for captivating commercials, so it's probably safe to credit much of this State Street spot's success to little-known songstress Rosi Golan. Her haunting vocals, admittedly combined with some great direction and expressive animals, make for a truly memorable ad, even if you have trouble remembering (or even understanding) what it's advertising. Like many viewers, I was inspired to look up the singer and was a bit surprised to learn that the classic French styling was the work of an Israeli-born woman who grew up in Los Angeles and taught herself to play guitar six weeks before her first live show at age 19. Her theme song for this commercial has sparked many comments of praise on YouTube and Facebook, with some visitors even stopping to thank financial juggernaut State Street for helping them discover her music. In return, the company has thrown us a bone and posted a link where you can download the song for free. |
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Published on July 22, 2009 | Permalink
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Can we please get a new metaphor, people?These two ads, nearly identical in concept, for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Franklin Templeton Investments, both appeared in Time's June 22 issue. Apparently, finding a good metaphor in these trying times is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack, because that's what they both came up with. An unfortunate coincidence, made more unfortunate by the fact that those are the only two investment-company ads to appear in Time this week. I figured the generous readers at AdFreak could give the financial industry a little bailout of our own by sending them a better metaphor. Place your donation in the comment area below. (Donation is not tax deductible.) |
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Published on June 24, 2009 | Permalink
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Banks make their latest wild bets on poniesAdweek's Mark Dolliver says this Ally Bank commercial from BBH dilutes its positive message by accentuating the negative aspects of its "evil" competitors. Fair enough. But here's an even more salient point: If the spot's to be believed, some bank out there is giving away free ponies! Once I find out which one, I'll open up an IRA, 401(k) or whatever it takes to make them pony up with the horse! As freebies go, this is exciting. I normally can't even take a few "complementary" lollipops at Citizens in Boston without the tellers giving me dirty looks. Those jerks. (Note: I retract the word "jerks" if Citizens is the bank handing out the horsies. Make mine a Shetland, please.) |
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Published on May 22, 2009 | Permalink
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FirstBank gives giant ads to tiny businesses
The indefatigable Colorado team of FirstBank and TDA Advertising & Design change marketing tactics as often as Microsoft and Crispin Porter + Bogusky. The latter make headlines worldwide. FirstBank and TDA, well, they'll always have a home here on AdFreak! No ski masks or light planes this time—instead, the bank has launched an outdoor and online pitch that includes promotions for various local small businesses. "We care about small business," the ads explain. Now, wags might ask why FirstBank would start making ads for other people when its own ads haven't been so hot. Still, Abbey the babysitter, Rod the wedding singer, Joan the math tutor and Mrs. Bennett the piano teacher will appreciate it (and they've probably never heard of Cannes or the Clios anyway). FirstBank swears they're real customers. Who knows, the way the economy's going, GM, Chrysler or Bank of America could be requesting some of this free-ad action. |
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Published on May 19, 2009 | Permalink
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Currency copulates in racy German bank ad
Bontrust Bank in Germany takes the idea of multiplying your money to its immodest conclusion in this delightfully NSFW commercial in which Abe Lincoln (of $5-bill fame) bangs German pianist Clara Schumann (who graces the 100 DM note) Queen Elizabeth II (who's on various English banknotes). The agency behind the spot is Grabarz and Partner, and Optix Digital provided the animation. To learn about how the spot was made, head over here. It starts out sweet enough, with Lincoln and Clara falling in love. But at :39, Abe unleashes the Lincoln log, and the viewer is "treated" to some hard-core monetary multiplication. After a short time cut, we see Clara pushing four small children in a buggy. They look just like their parents! How bucolic and motherly! A second later, the skank hits on Chairman Mao. Ouch! My guess is the current recession made it impossible for Abe to provide for his children, so Clara did the only thing she could and sold herself to the highest bidder. The moral of the story? When times are tough, Bontrust is the best pimp for your money. |
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Published on May 11, 2009 | Permalink
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Credit scores pee on the rug, hump your leg
The folks at The Martin Agency, who created the inanimate wad-of-bills Kash character for Geico, are now portraying credit scores as shaggy, growling canines in a new campaign for FreeCreditReport.com. Kash never blinks a googly-eye, but these credit scores are darn feisty. Only FreeCreditReport can housebreak these puppies! Though silly in the extreme, the approach fairly accurately captures how it feels to be dogged (ha!) by numbers that can be tricky to manage or even understand. Does this mean the client has retired its signature struggling-band spots? "No way," says vp of advertising Mark Hriciga. "You'll definitely see more of them. Think of it like they're in the studio working on their next album and the tour dates will be announced soon." It's good to see the wanna-be rockers finally getting some credit. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on April 23, 2009 | Permalink
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Visa ad imagines if technology never shrank
Whybin\TBWA of Sydney scores with this fun Visa Debit Card spot from Australia that depicts a world where technology hasn't kept pace with consumer demands. The images of contemporary folks lugging around outdated hardware like fax machines, dial TVs, typewriters and turntables really resonate. I fondly recall the days of unwieldy portables with rabbit ears and even jerry-rigged stereos set up to play LPs and 45s. And you're asking: What the hell are LPs? It wasn't really so long ago that when you left your home or office, you were effectively out of touch with the rest of the world, with no aesthetically beguiling system of tree-wrapped phone cords (watch the spot) to kept you tethered to humanity. And you're asking: What the hell are 45s? Let's just say they're a primitive medium that, at least at my house, often came in picture sleeves with Rick James on the cover. Via Ads of the World. |
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Published on April 21, 2009 | Permalink
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FirstBank not quite as evil as the other guys
Colorado's FirstBank, with help from Denver agency TDA Advertising & Design, will make a bold contemporary statement of sorts on Friday above Coors Field during the Phillies-Rockies game with a small plane towing a huge sign that reads: "This is the closest thing we have to a private jet." No cushy executive perks or bailout bucks for these toque-topped, frostbitten local bankers. In your face, Bank of America! Actually, FirstBank's earlier effort inviting customers to bank in ski masks probably came closer to capturing the tenor of these tense times. If it really wants to generate some buzz (ha!) with its plane, it should shower Coors Field with money. |
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Published on April 9, 2009 | Permalink
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New ad for Visa Debit both super and freaky
By all rights, this TBWA\Chiat\Day spot for Visa, with its off-key take on the song "Super Freak," should fall as flat as the notes sung by its geeky, goofy and overly exuberant cast. And yet, I could not look away and immediately wanted to watch it again. It even manages to convey a coherent message: Life's freaky enough without having to worry about every online transaction, so trust Visa Debit. (Note to self: Trot out this post for smart-ass counterpoint the next time Visa Debit is implicated in identity theft.) And the sound you hear under your feet is not Rick James rolling over in his grave. That dude got insanely high on life, music and anything else he could lay his hands on. I imagine he's checking out the spot from the Great Beyond, bopping his head in approval and wishing he could take a hit off whatever those actors are smoking. |
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Published on April 2, 2009 | Permalink
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Let's blame the economic crisis on 'Forbes'
Forget about the sub-prime mortgage meltdown and Wall Street greed. The real cause of global economic turmoil? Underpaid journalists and the capitalist tool they wield at Forbes. That's the view of Russian tycoon Alexander Lebedev, who is suing the magazine for reporting that he lost $2.5 billion in the current financial crisis. "I am positive that Forbes magazine, which has repeatedly posted wrong information about me and some others, must be held responsible for the world financial and economic crisis," he says. "The magazine had been inflating the false bubble of billionaires for too long. The bubble blew up and struck a blow to the finance and economy of many developed countries." OK then, the former KGB officer may have found one way to make money in these dismal times: He is demanding "compensation of material and moral damage caused by this defamation." Lebedev appears to be in good company. Forbes estimates that Russia has lost two-thirds of its billionaires, with oligarch-heavy Moscow being replaced by New York as the city with the world's most billionaires. (What Wall Street meltdown?!) Lebedev is no stranger to the cause of free speech. In January, he bought London's loss-making Evening Standard for a whopping £1. He now owns a 75 percent stake in the publication and wants to add politicos like Mikhail Gorbachev and Tony Blair to its editorial board. He also owns a 39 percent stake in Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta. —Posted by Noreen O'Leary |
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Published on April 1, 2009 | Permalink
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