A coffee maker saves George Clooney's lifeGeorge Clooney and John Malkovich star in this new McCann Paris ad, directed by Robert Rodriguez, for Nestlé's Nespresso. Clooney gets demolished by a falling piano, but Malkovich, at the pearly gates, gives him a second chance at life in exchange for his Nespresso coffee maker. Clooney once insisted he wouldn't do just any old commercial, but this spot isn't even as good as Spike Jonze's Softbank spots with Brad Pitt. Via Animal. —Posted by Tim Nudd
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Published on November 9, 2009 | Permalink
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McCann's gamers highly stimulated by Xbox
The dude's enraptured look toward the end of this U.K. spot (posted below) by McCann Erickson for the Xbox 360 is, to cop a phrase from another McCann campaign, priceless. One might say even call it orgasmic. At any rate, he's clearly enjoying himself as he strums on his Guitar Hero mini-guitar. Note also, if you will, the position of said instrument. I'm not panning this approach or the spot by any means. On the contrary, such a take on gaming is more honest and compelling than most of the effects-crazed entries in the genre. Video games today are all about immersion. This guy, if nothing else, looks pretty darn immersed. His geeky pal off to the side playing DJ Hero seems awfully happy, too. You could interpret their looks as signs of near-euphoric digital satisfaction, which surely casts the product in a glowing light with much of its target audience. Casual gamers and those who don't indulge, of course, will smirk and assume the guys are just wasting time playing with themselves. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on November 9, 2009 | Permalink
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Avis helping out baseball's abused mascots
McCann Erickson's "Billy the Bear" baseball mascot needs a "rental health day" in this Avis commercial. He bitches about his sweaty costume, the rude fans and his grueling work schedule. The Boston Bruins' guy-in-a-bear-suit would kick this wimp's ursine ass. Hockey: tough, unforgiving. Baseball: Waaaaa, we can't finish the game because it's raining! Actually, all baseball mascots, save one, are already home for the off-season. And the Phanatic will join the rest after the Yankees brush aside the Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series. It had to go six, people, so the Pinstripes could capture the title at home in the first year of the new Yankee Stadium. By the way, the Yanks don't have a mascot ... yet. One more torturous outing from Phil Hughes, however, and he might be demoted. Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on November 4, 2009 | Permalink
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Dentyne Ice kills smelly, smoking-gun squid
This unsettling Dentyne Ice ad from Thailand has it all: a cheating husband, a jealous wife and a giant, horrible squid. The sea beast represents the man's sushi-breath from a secret after-work dinner. The wife smells it when he gets home and flies into a rage. So, the man pops a Dentyne Ice and, with more anger than seems appropriate, breathes a big "Ahhhhh" into the woman's face. Weird. By McCann in Bangkok. —Posted by Tim Nudd Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on October 22, 2009 | Permalink
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Grand Shoes are for big feet, not small dogs
A playful pooch does not fare well in this clip from McCann Sweden for Grand Shoes, an online retailer that specializes in large sizes. You can't see it that well, but he gets clobbered by the flying sneaker, which is probably at least a size 18. Considering the way dogs have misbehaved in some recent ads—mauling cell-phone consumers and leaving their waste around for kids to ingest—I'd say Fido had it coming. Still, I'm sure he'll quickly recover, and be treated like royalty back at home, wrapped in the comforting embrace of a canine Snuggie. Via Ads of the World. —Posted by David Gianatasio Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on October 5, 2009 | Permalink
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Race relations a whole lot better in a hot tub
It's refreshing, after all this Sotomayor business, to see advertising from countries where mentioning race doesn't automatically beckon wingnuts. Above is a detail from this larger McCann-Lowe ad from Belgium for Luxor hot tubs, featuring a Klansman lounging with, from the looks of him, Freddy "Boom Boom" Washington in one of their deluxe models. The simple tagline is: "Extremely relaxing." There's been a rash of this kind of stuff in the Old World of late. Who knows why. What we do know is that Pat Buchanan should never see this ad. Via Copyranter. See also: |
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Published on August 7, 2009 | Permalink
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Purity Organic juice calms the worst temper
Judging by the severity of his mood swings, the guy in this Purity Organic commercial (by McCann Erickson, New York) needs more than fancy orange juice to steady himself. Blood-pressure medication might be in order. But healthier organic juice is a start, and Purity is nothing if not organic. They mention this about a billion times on their Web site. Also, the only thing more entertaining than watching this hothead at choir practice will be the Parents Television Council complaints generated by this ad. |
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Published on July 28, 2009 | Permalink
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Flying trash apparently gets everyone hornyMcCann Paris should be lauded for this Durex condoms ad, in which the wrapper wafts in the breeze, leaving intense sexual desire in its wake. Since the tagline roughly translates to “condoms that generate desire,” this is most fitting. What's cool about this ad is the lack of judgment; there's a good spread of age, class, and orientation here, and it's all presented in a positive, even encouraging, light. And in a culture where sex is one of the most politicized topics imaginable, the simplicity of this worldview is appreciated. I do hope those cops were off-duty, though. |
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Published on July 20, 2009 | Permalink
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WebVet, for when your animal is pissing fire
The folks at WebVet know a thing or two about pets, even ones whose insides are so ravaged that they become living flamethrowers when they urinate. (Cesar Millan would probably just kick the dog into shape.) WebVet is pleased with the YouTube views so far. "That puppy's going global," they write on the WebVet blog. It's unclear who would win in a fight between this dog and Air Action Vigorsol's famous ice-farting squirrel. Via Adrants. UPDATE: The spot was done by McCann Erickson in New York and was largely the work of a young creative team: copywriter Jason Schmall, art director Mat Bisher and producer Eric Tao. |
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Published on July 16, 2009 | Permalink
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Kevin Spacey flies American, never RyanairKevin Spacey is the new face of American Airlines over in the U.K., and the carrier is already getting its money's worth out of him. The actor appears in three new spots from McCann Erickson, including the one above, directed by Michel Gondry, in which he searches for the perfect seat—beginning at the Old Vic theater (where he's been artistic director since 2003) and eventually settling into an American business-class lounger. The airline claims this is Spacey's first on-screen appearance in an ad campaign, though he has done voiceover work before. The two-time Oscar winner (for The Usual Suspects and American Beauty) also appears to be working overtime for the company. The video below, from the Financial Times ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Awards, held in London last Thursday, shows Spacey announcing an award for Ryanair, which he then ridicules when it becomes clear no one from the Irish carrier has shown up. |
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Published on March 24, 2009 | Permalink
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Life flashes before a Heineken bottle's eyes
The beer bottle in this Irish Heineken ad from McCann Erickson Dublin has quite the memory, but how does its experience differ from that of other bottles, really? And does it die when its contents are depleted, or when it breaks? What started out as a fun little commercial about beer has turned into a big philosophical quagmire. Good thing it's an Irish ad. No other culture has melded thinking and drinking nearly as well. |
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Published on March 4, 2009 | Permalink
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Men are simple creatures. And proud of it.
After being lectured at length by JC Penney's "Beware of the Doghouse" video, we men could use a bit of empowerment these days. Stepping forward to remind us of our simple blessings is Goldstar, an Israeli beer that uses the tagline, "Thank God you're a man." Comparing the sexes in the areas of romance, wardrobe and urination, these flow charts were created by McCann Erickson Tel Aviv and posted over pub urinals. It's no toilet soccer, but it's still pretty sharp. —Posted by David Griner |
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Published on December 19, 2008 | Permalink
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Chevys handle nicely through wedding cake
Cake is a big thing in auto ads lately. Last year, Fallon London baked up that sedan-shaped cake for Skoda. And now we have this McCann Argentina spot in which a pair of twentysomethings drive their Chevy Spark through a giant wedding cake. The meaning of the stunt is unclear, but it probably has something to do with rebellion. The tagline is, "Life has just begun." |
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Published on November 21, 2008 | Permalink
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Don't waste time insulting Peyton Manning
McCann Erickson and MRM cast Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in this new TV and Web push for World MasterCard. Manning visits hotels in rival cities where the Colts play this season. In each, he trades on his "nice guy" persona, interpreting the hostility of staffers in positive ways. In Boston, a hotel operator warns Manning that he's "going down," and the QB replies that indeed he is—to the fourth floor for a massage. The Colts edged the Patriots 18-15 on Sunday, so that rubdown worked wonders. He should just snap "No tip!" to these bellicose bellhops. There's a microsite where consumers with nothing better to do can send friends and family a customized "video pep talk" from Manning. He covers his mouth when the recipient's name is dubbed into the message. Frankly, it's tough to make out what he's saying much of the time. This guy always sounds likes he's got a face full of doughnuts! —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on November 3, 2008 | Permalink
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Suicidal animals star in global-warming PSA
McCann Portugal created this anti-global-warming spot on behalf of Quercus, the country's national nature-conservation association. The animation is nice and bleak, the piano music plaintive. But the science seems dodgy—will animals really start committing suicide en masse if global warming gets worse? (The tagline is, "If you give up, they give up.") If post-apocalytpic movies have taught us anything, it's that human folly usually brings great opportunities for wily non-humans. —Posted by Tim Nudd |
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Published on September 24, 2008 | Permalink
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Ghostly figures give Weight Watchers a try
Weight Watchers has introduced a campaign that unintentionally fuses elements from a few other recent AdFreak favorites. Mix the health-conscious public nudity of Blue Shield of California with the socially aware Jessica Alba duct-tape session of Declare Yourself, add in the goal of squeezing into those Levi's mini promo jeans—and you've sort of got Weight Watchers' "Lose for good" initiative. (McCann Erickson may really regret that tagline if the business ever goes into review.) The work features a video showing translucent tape sculptures of women in a New York City park. According to Adweek.com: "Before long, puzzled passersby examine the figures and start touching and manipulating them." Yep, that's a New York City park for you. There's a tie-in to raise funds to combat global hunger. That's nice, but it can't compare with unwrapping the tape to find Jessica Alba inside. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on September 12, 2008 | Permalink
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McCann tries to make baseball look exciting
—Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 29, 2008 | Permalink
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