Mercedes gladly smashes up own museum

This Mercedes-Benz ad from Merkley + Partners is extremely well edited and directed. Almost the entire 30 seconds are a prelude to the 2010 E-Class crashing through the clear wall of the automaker's museum in Germany to "take its rightful place" beside vintage models. The museum looks intriguingly retro-futuristic from the outside. Inside, it's just a roomful of old cars. Why smash through the glass at all? Perhaps it's road rage related to plummeting sales. Flying splinters, screaming treads, a car screeching to a full stop indoors—such havoc could turn off potential buyers. And yet, that makes the spot subversive and edgy, and the car, by extension, cool. So, ultimately, the ad is asking if I'm subversive, edgy and (dare I say it?) cool enough to buy a car that's subversive, edgy and cool enough to be driven through a window. Damn right I am, Mercedes! Hondas are for wimps who like to drive outside on the road.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on June 22, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Automotive, Gianatasio, Mercedes-Benz, Merkley

Dave & Buster's loads of fun for little people

Some might take offense at Merkley's first work for Dave & Buster's, which shows patrons interacting with miniature versions of themselves who are supposed to represent the "fun" trapped inside them. Personifying fun is fine, but why go the Mini-Me route? At the restaurant, you could trip over one of them and break an arm or a leg. And they're all but guaranteed to come up a little short on the bill. All un-P.C. kidding aside, and even overlooking the height issue, this first spot in the campaign has problems. The actors' deliveries seem stilted and rushed. And does the mini-chick really need extra time to prepare for a night out at some high-tech sports bar? If that's Romeo's favorite place to take his dates, maybe the woman should play the field. I'm only 5-foot-4 in heels, and if I really wanted to "Feed my fun," Dave & Buster's wouldn't be on the dance card. OK, I'm 5-foot-3 in heels. Not that I wear heels. Much.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on April 9, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (7)
Filed under Dave & Buster's, Gianatasio, Merkley, Restaurants

Arby's latest commercials may turn you on

The latest Arby's spots from Merkley + Partners are kinda dumb, and I mean that in the best possible way. One new spot is posted above; three more are here. The vignettes are stupid enough to be entertaining and memorable, but not so overcooked that they outstay their welcome—like bad puns can do when writers get lazy. The casting adds to the fun. The rugged types in "Manly Men" are copiously craggy-faced and more beefy than beefcake. They're like rejects from an audition for The New Village People. In other words: They're perfect! The average couple in "Birthday" (above) are also spot on. They really do seem like everybody's neighbors, and this is exactly the kind of banal kinkiness we'd expect the folks next door to indulge in. My own fantasy involves poppy-seed buns and gives a whole new meaning to the term "drive through." Who knew Arby's food was so sexy?

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on November 6, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (6)
Filed under Arby's, Gianatasio, Merkley