Adidas giving soccer the 'Heroes' treatment
To illustrate its hunt for the best soccer players on earth, Adidas has assembled some of the best comic artists on earth. Above is the newest installment in "The Ultimate Search," a Heroes-esque series narrated by French football legend Zinedine Zidane. Ad agency 180 in Amsterdam and its offspring agencies Riot and Detail commissioned three graphic novels for the ad series, featuring artwork by Jae Lee, Ryan Benjamin and J.G. Jones (whose comic was repurposed into the Web video about Liverpool's Steven Gerrard). Zidane's dream team also features Argentina's Lionel Messi, who didn't get his own comic book but still merited ads like the one below. This series has been running since May, and with seven more spots for Zidane to fill, you can bet Adidas will be dragging it out for many more months to come. By that point, it will probably have outlived its own inspiration. —Posted by David Griner
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Published on September 29, 2009 | Permalink
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Playing fantasy sports is a beastly business
Anyone who's lost sleep (and money, so much money) playing fantasy sports knows how the beleaguered coach of the all-animal team feels in this cute clip promoting the new soccer fantasy games at my11.com. There's some good-natured beastly butt-sniffing, the kind most human teams save for the locker room. The coach's performance is spot on, especially when he moans, "You are the winger. The winger is supposed to be lightning fast," at a turtle that's nonchalantly nibbling at some grass. Not the best attitude for a player that can be turned into soup. He's better suited to shell games, but shows more spunk than most of the fantasy picks I've made through the years. I always go for the dogs. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on September 24, 2009 | Permalink
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D.C. United kicks Fairfield hotels up a notch
Pro soccer players kicking a ball around in a place where they shouldn't really be doing so? That's what we find in this amiable video created by Marriott's PR folks to promote its Fairfield Inn & Suites brand. (It kicks off, so to speak, an integrated campaign that agency mcgarrybowen has created around the brand's "Staying is believing" theme.) Ben Olsen and some D.C. United teammates seem to be having fun as they play an impromptu game in a Marriott lobby. The downside, of course, is that there's already a legendary commercial in which big-time soccer players kick a ball around in an unusual venue: the one featuring stars of the Brazilian national team at an airport, on behalf of Nike in 1998. A new video can't help but invite comparison with the earlier one. And with all due respect to Marriott's effort, which is perfectly pleasant, D.C. United against Brazil isn't much of a contest. But the new video does end with a nice flourish as it offers this disclaimer: "We are professional soccer players. Don't even think about trying this inside a Fairfield Inn & Suites." OK, consider it not done. |
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Published on April 3, 2009 | Permalink
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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. |
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Published on March 13, 2009 | Permalink
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Bailed-out BofA still enjoys its U.K. football
Americans, here's your tax dollars at work: In the U.K., Liverpool's football team has just signed up Bank of America as a major sponsor. BofA, which has received about $45 billion in U.S. federal rescue money after its acquisition of Merrill Lynch and its toxic assets, is the parent of MBNA, which supplies Liverpool's credit card for supporters. (At the end of the year, MBNA announced major worldwide layoffs, so it's a safe bet many of those on the street might have liked a little of the cash that will now underwrite the careers of Bentley-driving footballers and their high-maintenance WAGs.) Liverpool, currently sitting at No. 3 in the U.K.'s Premier League, has a rich history, and wants to leverage its potential globally. (The club also demolished Real Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.) Team manager Rafael Benitez has made no secret of his frustration that Liverpool doesn't get the same place on the world stage as Manchester United. But Liverpool already has deep pockets, with revenues of more than $277 million annually—hardly in need of a bailout money from the U.S. government. —Posted by Noreen O'Leary |
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Published on March 11, 2009 | Permalink
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