Shawn Johnson risks life to sell a candy bar

Check out Shawn Johnson doing a backflip over a hurtling bobsled in the Nestlé Crunch video above. The press materials suggest that "gymnastics sites have been abuzz with close fans of hers debating whether the move is real"—which, if true, means her fans are morons. This second video, with Apolo Ohno skating on a bobsled track, is a bit more believable—except for the fact that he's wearing long skates at the beginning and the end of the run, and short skates in the middle.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on December 22, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Candy, Celebrity endorsements, Nestlé, Nudd, Olympics

A coffee maker saves George Clooney's life

George 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

Previously on AdFreak:
George Clooney doesn't want to do terrible ads for crappy companies
Brad Pitt serves a sumo in Softbank's spots

Published on November 9, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Celebrity endorsements, Europe, Food and drink, McCann Erickson, Nestlé, Nudd

Juicy, sexy cranberry rocks Raisinets' world

You can't eat just one Raisinet, or watch just one of Nestlé's animated Webisodes touting the fruit-candy brand's cranberry line extension. In fact, you can watch two of them, because that's how many of the unabashedly goofy/trippy minute-long clips are currently available. Bitchy raisins (they look more like purple teeth or alien brains) razz a cranberry (who resembles a bloated tick) and say things like, "Oh, for fruit's sake!" A funky, Shaft-style song plays when the new berry arrives: "Who's the sassy fruit that's high on..." "Don't say that!" "But I'm talkin' 'bout energyyy. Cran's got it!" All of this takes place in a magical land of milk-chocolate swimming pools and waterfalls I thought existed only in my mind, or in Southern California. It's completely entertaining. I can hardly wait for the "Dance Off" in episode 4. Hurry up and post it, for fruit's sake!

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 19, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Filed under Candy, Food and drink, Gianatasio, Nestlé, Raisinets

Butterfinger is laughing with you, not at you

Nestlé's Butterfinger has found out something interesting about its young-adult target demo: that they love clever, irreverent humor! I had always thought that was universal, but what do I know? How does one market to people who like humor—besides, you know, the way the rest of the world does (i.e., by making funny commercials)? Well, the candy bar is sponsoring Yahoo!'s comedy network, has launched a humorous video contest (which needs more submissions), and now, through a deal with Levity Entertainment Group, is playing a three-minute Butterfinger sketch video before all shows at 28 Improv and Funny Bone clubs nationwide. So, they're appealing to people who like comedy by advertising in comedy clubs. It's so obvious, it might just be brilliant! Or maybe they're actually visiting the clubs to learn a little more about comedy themselves. Judging by the recent TV spot posted above, they could use a little help.

—Posted by Rebecca Cullers

See also:
Follow the (brown) finger with Butterfinger

Published on August 14, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Butterfinger, Candy, Cullers, Nestlé

Trapped humans forced to sell Kit Kat bars

Kit Kat has dropped a few human vending machines into London's Victoria Station as part of its new U.K. campaign. The human vending machine isn't new—the Japanese, always first in all things vending machine, have employed them. But this execution really fits nicely with Kit Kat's "Working like a machine?" campaign. The TV spots, "Checkout" (posted below) and "Arrivals," show people literally working like machines and then getting (you guessed it) a much-needed break. The effort is apparently part of Nestlé Confectionery's biggest U.K. ad campaign ever, with a total spend of £21 million. For that money, I hope they at least get three TV spots. While I have nothing bad to say about the concept (rock it, JWT London!), let me beat up on the press release for a second. It raves that the human vending machines give consumers "the added bonus of having a person to chat to [who will] physically hand them their chocolate treat." You mean, just like a regular vendor? No, the joyful novelty here is just seeing someone trapped inside a box full of chocolate. Photo: techfever on Flickr.

—Posted by Rebecca Cullers

Published on February 26, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Cullers, Europe, JWT, Kit Kat, Nestlé