Michelin Man a friend to roadkill everywhere
The bulked-up Michelin Man gets really superhero-like in this new spot (posted below), the second in a new global campaign from TBWA\Chiat\Day, following the earlier "Gas Pump ad. This time, Bibendum saves a purple bunny from getting smooshed on the pavement like its less fortunate forest-mates. The Psyop-animated spot says Michelin tires stop up to 14 feet shorter than those of the competition. ("At what speed?" you might ask, but get no answer.) Frankly, the way that rabbit struts out into traffic, he had it coming. Bibendum is almost godlike here, reviving the crushed critters—which look more like gremlins than woodland creatures—so they can continue to dig up gardens and get snared in hunters' traps. Thanks, Bibendum! That's his name, it's true. I would've guessed Frank.
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Published on December 7, 2009 | Permalink
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Nissan's hamster-wheel guy is going places
How does the guy in this Nissan spot from TBWA Toronto (directed by Mark Ziebert) get from place to place in his giant rodent wheel? It's clearly stationary, not a mode of transportation at all. Does he take it apart and reassemble it in various locations during the day? If it's a metaphor, that's even worse, because I always interpret metaphors incorrectly. Let's see, his soul-crushing struggle with the wheel means he's … I dunno, happy? Whatever the case, he'd better get ready to really fly. The giant hamsters from the Kia Soul ad are in hot pursuit. They want their wheel back. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on December 4, 2009 | Permalink
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Prostate cancer gets a proper street beating
TBWA\Chiat\Day goes the high-testosterone vigilante route in this pair of anti-prostate-cancer PSAs. The guy in the cancerous-mass suit looks like an alien from '70s Dr. Who or the grotesque but misunderstood Horta from Star Trek. Sure, it strikes the first blow in the spot above. But the thing was cornered by that gang of scruffy toughs with their "Movember" men's-health-month moustaches and was basically just defending itself. And the dudes are so ... unlikable. It's unfortunate when PSAs drum up sympathy for the diseases they're battling against. Contrast this approach with last month's New Zealand breast-cancer campaign. Same basic concept, but the NZ effort quietly generates menace by simply allowing the deadly growth to expand, just like it does all too often in real life. |
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Published on November 20, 2009 | Permalink
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PC breaks promises, plenty of fashion rules
Apple is moving quickly to try to dampen the early enthusiasm over Microsoft's Windows 7. And this new "Get a Mac" ad, with John Hodgman breaking his promises through the years, is one of their best yet. UPDATE: Below are two more new commercials from the series. |
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Published on October 23, 2009 | Permalink
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TBWA goes overboard for Jameson whiskey
Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man in the World had better move over and make room for John Jameson! TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York goes the historical namesake/founder route in what's billed as the first-ever TV ad for the venerable Irish whiskey. Johnnie Walker recently played the history card, too, but that ad was like 90 minutes long. Jameson's narrative takes 30 seconds, so barflys won't have to look up from their drinks very long to take in the plot. J.J. leaps overboard to rescue a barrel of spirits that's broken loose and slipped beneath the waves. The brogue's thick, the action's tense, and that squid puts Dentyne's fetid sushi roll to shame. This spot could almost double as an alcohol-awareness PSA if Jameson hadn't surfaced at the end. I'll say it anyway: Don't drink and dive! —Posted by David Gianatasio Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on October 22, 2009 | Permalink
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Ads promise highly odd Vancouver film festThe movies featured at this year's Vancouver International Film Festival (running through Oct. 16) are not guaranteed to have fully developed characters, interesting settings or compelling plot lines. But they will have bestiality, nonsense and subtitles. That's the somewhat questionable promise made in the three mock-warning ads above, from TBWA\Vancouver. It's not exactly a ringing endorsement of independent film (who really wants to see "a ridiculously out-of-place dance scene and an ending so arbitrary it's almost genius"?), but it does suggest an upside to movies like these: You might not enjoy or even understand them, but they will challenge you in some way, if you're up for it. Thus, the tagline: "An open mind is advised." This is par for the course for TBWA and the VIFF, which have worked together for 15 years. Last year's ads showed people reacting nonchalantly to bizarre post-festival happenings in their everyday lives. The tagline explained: "After 16 days of film, nothing will faze you." —Posted by Tim Nudd Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on October 6, 2009 | Permalink
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Cell-phone service the cheapskates will loveA Down-Under version of Jack Black with Andy Rooney eyebrows stars in Whybin\TBWA's "It's alright to be tight" campaign for Comtel Just Prepaid cell-phone service. "Tight" can sometimes mean drunk, and these ads are Australian, so it is kind of a surprise that everyone stays sober. "Tight" here means miserly. In the spot above, our shaggy, cheapskate hero seeks the cheapest arrangement for a relative's funeral. ("How much for just the hole?") In one of the spots below, he comes across flowers on a roadside pole and deadpans that he's found a gift for his mum's birthday. The actor's spot-on portrayal is repugnant and appealing at the same time: We'd never want to be associated with such a crass doofus, but we all sometimes wish we could behave like he does and get away with it. Via Adland. |
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Published on September 8, 2009 | Permalink
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Noted TV-set killer Alice Cooper sells Sonys
Alice Cooper looks about 80 years old in this new Sony spot from TBWA, airing in the U.K. His roadie "Lloyd," who disturbingly bares his butt-crack at one point, looks even older. That's all part of the joke in this likable, Spinal Tap-inspired ad directed by George Hickenlooper of Epoch Films. It touts a Sony initiative designed to convince people to trade in their old televisions to get money toward new Bravias. Alice discusses his penchant for tossing TVs out of hotel-room windows, noting that it was easier to do in the '80s because "they bolt them to the wall now." He adds: "I once threw out my own TV. I thought I was in a hotel room." If Alice shows up at a Motel 6 trying to take advantage of that rockers-stay-free promo, they'd be well advised to turn on the "No Vacancy" sign. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on August 25, 2009 | Permalink
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Absolut goes all out for unexceptional copy
So, Absolut vodka and TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York got some international folk artists to shelve their integrity long enough to physically build, word by word, Absolut's new theme line. Considering the time, money and effort involved, one would hope it would be a really catchy, inventive phrase, instead of a clunker like "Doing things differently leads to something exceptional," which reads like a motivational poster from sixth-grade homeroom. At the risk of sounding trite, this is Absolut crap. —Posted by David Kiefaber See also: |
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Published on August 5, 2009 | Permalink
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New Starburst spot has a few wee problems
Oh good, another dumb Starburst ad. I needed more of those in my life. At least this "Contradictions" spot, by TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York, tries to include the product somewhere in there. But I'm having trouble figuring out what's contradictory about a Scottish Korean. That's more of an odd pairing than a contradiction. The albino lifeguard is a better example. Though of course he might work at an indoor pool. —Posted by David Kiefaber |
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Published on July 17, 2009 | Permalink
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Skittles linked to premature aging and death
Here's the latest odd Skittles spot from TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York. Forget about Skittles making you feel young and attractive this summer. Instead, they could cause you to lose your hair and your mind, and might actually kill you. There's also the question of why the guy would keep his precious candy hourglass out in the living room if it's so vital to his very existence. What, doesn't he have his own bedroom? —Posted by David Kiefaber |
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Published on July 13, 2009 | Permalink
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There's 'a little gay in everyone,' says TBWA
So, TBWA Zurich's flamboyant new commercial for the EuroPride 2009 festival, taking place next month in Switzerland, insists there's "a little gay in everyone," which it illustrates by having a drag queen burst out of some poor guy's chest like a club remix of Totall Recall. Not to slight the LGBT community—they mean well—but we don't buy this claim. Take Powers Boothe, for example. Nothing gay about that man. They might have a case for Sean Connery, though. —Posted by David Kiefaber |
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Published on May 28, 2009 | Permalink
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Pepsi Throwback ads resurrect 1970s relics
Here are nine new 15-second spots from TBWA\Chiat\Day that Pepsi unveiled today to promote Pepsi Throwback, its nostalgia beverage featuring '70s product packaging and, to my personal delight, real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. The retro theme extends to the media buy, as the ads are running on Hulu alongside old shows like Hill Street Blues, Battlestar Galactica (the original) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The spots are pretty amusing, showing the Throwback can interacting with artifacts from the '70s. But Pepsi's notion that the '70s are "considered new" because millennials weren't around to experience them the first time ignores the fact that the '70s have been mined for nostalgia for years now. Also worrisome: Three other ads were made in conjunction with the folks at CollegeHumor.com, who wouldn't know funny if it flashed them and took a picture. But at least Pepsi is stepping up and producing ads to fit Hulu's specialty content. That alone makes them look like they have a clue. |
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Published on May 18, 2009 | Permalink
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Laid-off ad execs make over business cards
Tom Van Daele, a former creative director at TBWA\Chiat\Day, heads up Unknownlab, an "ideas company" launched by recently laid-off TBWA\C\D employees. One of the lab's projects is Cards of Change, an "upbeat online database" dedicated to collecting business cards and stories of industry folks who have been shown the door. The idea is to take your old business card and scratch out the contact info, replacing it with a new e-mail address along with a story of positive change. Luckily, my contributions at AdFreak are indispensable, so I'll never have to make use of the service. Hey! How'd my card get down there?! Real funny, guys! Is there something I should know? Seriously. Why won't AdFreak return my calls anymore!? —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on May 7, 2009 | Permalink
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Heineken chugs another walk-in fridge spot
TBWA\Neboko in Amsterdam had so much success with its recent Heineken spot with the walk-in fridge (the second ad down) that it's created this follow-up. One of the guys in the earlier spot was apparently so astonished by the beer room that he tries getting one installed in his own house. It doesn't work out as planned—confusing "walk-in fridge" and "walkin' fridge" is understandable. But his friends are still impressed. One can only imagine their reaction if he'd gotten a Walken fridge instead. |
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Published on April 27, 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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Zimbabwe ads printed on trillion-dollar bills
The Zimbabwean, a newspaper written by Zimbabwean journalists in exile, is running an ad campaign in South Africa courtesy of TBWA Hunt Lascaris that uses the most pointed substrate in history: thousands of worthless Zimbabwean bank notes. With inflation so out of control that a trillion-dollar banknote can't even buy a loaf of bread, TBWA came up with the genius idea of plastering them across billboards and posters, offering free tear-away trillions with information on The Zimbabwean. Headlines like, "It's cheaper to print this on money than paper," "Thanks to Mugabe, this money is now wallpaper" and "Fight the regime that has crippled a country" are screened onto the bills, which were also sent via direct mail to South Africa's top corporate executives. It's a bold statement to the Zimbabwean government, which has already put a 55 percent "luxury" tax on the newspaper, and was most likely behind last year's torching of a Zimbabwean delivery truck. Check out paper's Flickr stream for full coverage of the Trillion Dollar Campaign. Via Boing Boing. —Posted by Rebecca Cullers |
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Published on April 14, 2009 | Permalink
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Tiger Woods learns to focus in Gatorade ad
Here's the first ad in the new "Woods of Wisdom" campaign for Gatorade Tiger from TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles. The animated spot promotes the reformulated Gatorade Tiger Focus drink (which now contains theanine, which aids in concentration) and shows Woods as a kid learning to keep his mind from wandering on the links. He does this with the help of a wise old grizzly bear (who looks and sounds a lot like Woods' late father Earl) and a literal waterfall of Tiger Focus, which the boy eagerly slurps up. Samuel L. Jackson is among the voice talent for the campaign, and funk master Bootsy Collins did the original music. This first spot also has a heavy Nike flavor, as Woods and the bear both sport Nike logos on their caps, and Tiger does the hacky-sack thing with the golf ball at the end—the same trick he made famous in the legendary 1999 Nike commercial. |
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Published on April 9, 2009 | Permalink
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French condoms can leave bizarre tan lines
Who better than the French to unfurl some cheeky fun in the prophylactic category? TBWA's ads for Hansaplast long-pleasure condoms have a beach theme, and though the gals keep their swimsuits on, those handprints suggest they were probably removed (or subverted) at some point for a decent (or maybe indecent) length of time. Said indentations imply a midday frolic in plain sight, but this is France, so probably nobody cared. At any rate, these ads are more naughty and playful than recent U.S. efforts by LifeStyles (frantic but soft-core) and Trojan ("stimulus package" line cute, but patriotic theme patently unsexy). As for Hansaplast ... whoa! What's that blonde been up to? Her priceless, world-weary expression says it all. Ooh, la la! Via Ads of the World. |
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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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New Skittles spot has tender, chewy middle
Skittles rebounds from the misstep of the tailor-shop spot with this new ad by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York for Crazy Cores Skittles. The candy has differently flavored insides and outsides, which the commercial dramatizes with a character named Steve, who's undergone a transplant and now has the insides of his hospital roommate, Jose. The two of them are now cosmically connected, mirroring each other's movements and sharing a tender moment at the end. "Transplant the rainbow. Taste the rainbow," says the line at the end. Directed by the masterful Randy Krallman. |
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Published on March 18, 2009 | Permalink
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Hillshire Farm is inspiring more meat poetry
"Bang bang choo-choo train/Eat lunchmeat on the aeroplane." Such are the lyrics in this loopy Hillshire Farm spot via TBWA\Chiat\Day that debuted a while back but hasn't gotten nearly the buzz it deserves. At first I thought it was set aboard Air Force One because of the politician type flashing the victory sign and his Secret Service detail. But then, what's everyone else doing there? I think way too much about these kinds of things. I need to get a life, or more cable stations. The spot's so earnestly silly, it's addictive. I've got that song wedged in my head, and it's shearing off lean slices of brain matter as I type. It's true what they say: Meat is murder. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on March 16, 2009 | Permalink
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Heineken ads taste good all over the worldA couple of fun Heineken ads here. The one above is courtesy of Wieden + Kennedy and stars John Turturro, who delivers an ultra-cool, tongue-twisting, philosophical monologue about the fine art of imbibing (not recommended during a field sobriety test), all while roaming the outer-spacey landscape of the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York. Our sister blog BrandFreak has more. A second 30-second spot with Turturro will air in 27 markets during the Super Bowl. The ad below, from TBWA\Neboko in Amsterdam, is just stupid guy humor, but amusing nonetheless. And lest you think the walk-in fridge is a mere fantasy, have a gander at these step-by-step instructions on how to build one in your basement. |
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Published on January 21, 2009 | Permalink
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Latest Skittles ad needs some adjustments
Here's the latest Skittles spot from TBWA\Chiat\Day, involving some unusual antics at a tailor shop. Not sure about this one—its weirdness seems a little forced, and the characters are a little flat. Also, Gerry Graf, who's been at Saatchi since the summer, is listed in the credits, so this one must have been sitting on a shelf for a while. |
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Published on January 14, 2009 | Permalink
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Combustible pets rely on Pedigree digestive
Anyone who's been a dog owner can relate to this Pedigree campaign by TBWA Paris. See all three ads here. "Beware of the dog" signs are permuted to reflect all-too-common canine terrors like bad breath, diarrhea and obesity—problems that can be fixed with Pedigree dental, digestive and diet formulas. The headline in the ad above might seem like hyperbole. But as I recall the sorry state of my parents' kitchen after their fox terrier ate something she shouldn't have, like a banana cream pie or a pair of socks, I can personally confirm that it isn't. In fact, these signs could be most effective for deterring intruders. The work almost makes a person want to buy a cat. If Fido's offended, well, life is ruff. Via Ads of the World. —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on December 22, 2008 | Permalink
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