Lenovo has moved on (at least for the moment) from comparing itself to Apple to having Kobe Bryant play Beethoven on the piano with symphonic accompaniment for no reason. Really. There's barely a connection made between Lenovo's product line and Kobe in this Chinese spot, though there are worse things in life than gratuitous piano playing. For those of you who are surprised that Kobe had this talent, check out his six-second video that was the inspiration for the ad. He has said the Moonlight Sonata, in particular "calms me down when I reach my breaking point."
Kobe Bryant Brings His Mad Beethoven-Playing Piano Skills to Lenovo Ad
Taco Bell Brings Doritos Locos Tacos to Canada, Makes Impatient Critics Literally Eat Their Words
Be careful what you say about Taco Bell in Canada. The chain is liable to etch your angry rants on taco shells and force them down your throat. That's what happened in this stunt from ad agency Grip Limited in Toronto, which marked the long-awaited arrival of the celebrated Doritos Locos Tacos in the country by using a special laser to burn exasperated tweets from impatient customers right on the first batch of shells—and then invited those same customers to a "special fan event" where they literally ate their words.
Back in the U.S., meanwhile, Taco Bell has rolled out the new Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos, and is promoting them with two new spots from Deutsch LA. The first, titled "The World's Most Hottest Idea," shows various people discussing the spicy taco's flavor, oblivious to actual fires erupting around them. (Note the movie marquee in the last frame, "Gordy and Brian Take on Delaware," which refers to the creative team who created the spot.)
The other new spot, "No Pican," is the first commercial from the Deutsch LAtino multicultural marketing practice, and will target Latino audiences.
See those two spots, and credits for all three, below.
CREDITS
Client: Taco Bell Canada
Campaign: DLT Eat Your Words
Agency: Grip Limited, Toronto
CD: Ben Weinberg
CD: Pat Andrews
Copywriter: Trevor Gourley
Art Director: Julia Morra
Director of Client Services: John Miller
Account Director: Cheryl Gosling
Business Manager: Liliana Coimbra
Producer: Liz Crofton
Production House: Data Armada
Editor: Duane Vandermeulen
Music/Sound: Imprint Music
Post Production: Grip Limited
Chief Marketing Officer: David Vivenes
Director of Marketing: Michael Van Horne
Marketing Manager: Veronica Castillo
—————
Client: Taco Bell
Spot: "The World's Most Hottest Idea"
Client Credits
President: Brian Niccol
Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer: Chris Brandt
Brand Creative Director: Tracee LaRocca
Senior Manager, Brand Experience: Aron North
Manager, Brand Experience: Ashley Prollamante
Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles
Group Creative Director: Brett Craig
Creative Director: Jason Karley
Creative Director: Josh DiMarcantonio
Senior Art Director: Gordy Sang
Senior Copywriter: Brian Siedband
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Senior Producer: Mila Davis
Music Supervisor: Dave Rocco
Production Company
Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, CA
Director: Matt Aselton
Director of Photography: Nigel Bluck
Executive Producer: Marc Marrie
Managing Director: Mal Ward
Line Producer: Scott Kaplan
1st A.D.: Craig Pinckes
Editorial Company
Cut and Run in Santa Monica, CA
Editor(s): Jay Nelson
Assistant Editor(s): Luke McIntosh and Sean Stender
Senior Producer: Amburr Faris
Executive Producer: Carr Schilling
Post Facility
MPC in Santa Monica, CA
Colorist: Ricky Gausis
Visual effects Company
Method in Santa Monica, CA
VFX and Online Artist: Jason Frank
VFX Assistant Artists: Patrick Vollkommer
Creative Director: Claus Hansen
Producer: Stephanie Alllis
Music/Composer
Massive Music in LA, CA (Music Festival scene only)
AFM Stock Music (Airbrushing scene only)
Sound Designer Company
740 Sound Design LA, CA
Sound Designer: Rommel Mollina
Assoc Producer: Jeff Martin
Executive Producer: Scott Ganary
Audio Post Company
Lime Studios, Santa Monica, CA
Mixer: Rohan Young
Assistant: Patrick Navarre
Executive Producer: Jessica Locke
End Tag Mnemonic:
Method Studios-Santa Monica, CA
Executive Producer: Robert Owens
Additional Deutsch Credits:
Chief Executive Officer: Mike Sheldon
Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Account Directors: Amanda Rantuccio
Account Directors: Christi Johnson
Account Supervisor: Steve Scutellaro
Account Executive: McKenna Pickett
Account Planners:
Chief Strategic Officer: Jeffrey Blish
Group Planning Director: Christian Cocker
Traffic/Business Affairs:
Director of Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Business Affairs Manager: Nestor Gandia
Director or Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sarah Brennan
—————
Client: Taco Bell
Spot: "No Pican"
Client Credits:
President: Brian Niccol
Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer: Chris Brandt
Brand Creative Director: Tracee LaRocca
Senior Manager, Brand Experience: Aron North
Manager, Brand Experience: Ashley Prollamante
Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles
Group Creative Director: Brett Craig
Creative Director: Jason Karley
Creative Director: Josh DiMarcantonio
Art Director: Luis Farfan
Senior Copywriter: Armando Samuels
Senior Copywriter: Natalia Cade
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Producer: Ilene Kramer
Music Supervisor: Dave Rocco
Production Company
Cortez Brothers/ Marina Del Rey, California
Director: Esteban Sapir
Director of Photography: Travis Cline
Executive Producer: Ed Rivero
Head of Production: Ashlee Cohen
Line Producer: Asori Soto
1st A.D.: Mariano Andre
Editorial Company
Beast LA /Santa Monica, CA
Editor(s): Kevin Garcia
Assistant Editor(s): Gabriel Ordonez
Executive Producer: Jerry Sukys
Head of Production: Darby Walker
Producer: Mary Stasilli
Post Facility
CO3/ Santa Monica, CA & Method Studios/Santa Monica, CA
Colorist: Sean Coleman @ CO3
Online/VFX Artist: Tim Rudgard @ Method Studios
Assistant: Louis Schachte @ Method Studios
Executive Producer: Robert Owens @ Method Studios
Producer: Stephanie Allis @ Method Studios
Visual effects Company
Method Studios/Santa Monica, CA (graphics lifted/adapted from previous Taco Bell spots)
VFX Artist: Tim Rudgard
VFX Assistant Artists: Louis Schachte
Creative Director: NA
Producer: Stephanie Allis
CD VFX Supervisor: NA
Music/Composer
Elias Arts LLC, Santa Monica, CA
Executive Producer: Ann Haugen
Producer: Katie Overcash
Composer: Jack Shenker
Creative Director: Brett Nichols
Sound Designer
740 Sound Design & Mix/ Los Angeles, CA
Sound designer(s): Rommel Molina, Nicholas Interlandi, Michael Dillenberger
Executive Producer: Scott Ganary
Associate Producer: Jeff Martin
Audio Post Company
Tono Studios/Santa Monica, CA
Mixer: Juan Felipe Valencia
Executive Producer: Noel Miranda
Producer: Monica Sotelo
Additional Deutsch Credits:
Chief Executive Officer: Mike Sheldon
Account Management Credits:
Group Account Director: Walter Smith
Integrated Account Supervisor: Steve Scutellaro
Account Director: Amanda Rantuccio
Account Director: Mildred Grijalva
Account Director: Christi Johnson
Account Executive: McKenna Pickett
Account Planners:
Chief Strategic Officer: Jeffrey Blish
Senior Account Planner: Pearl Owen
Traffic/Business Affairs:
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Abilino Guillermo
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Director of Broadcast Traffic: Carie Bonillo
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Sarah Brennan
Burger King Takes Laziness to a New Level With Its French Fry Burger
Nothing compliments flame-grilled perfection better than golden fries, right? The problem is, it's too much work to eat a burger, then put it down, and then pick up, dip and eat a french fry. It's madness really. (Light bulb!) Thankfully, Burger King has answered our prayers with the "French Fry Burger." It's a burger topped with, you guessed it, delicious french fries. The chain will be offering the flame-grilled masterpiece starting Sept. 1 through the fall for $1 in an effort to push back against McDonald's Dollar Menu. Now, if only Burger King could manage to work out a burger, fry and drink sandwich. Now, that would be impressive.
Dirk Nowitzki's Parody of Geico's 'Hump Day' Ad Is Actually Pretty Awesome
Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, clad in his uniform and flip-flops, horses around in this parody of Geico's "Hump Day" commercial, strutting through the team's administrative offices and asking various cube-jockeys, including the team's equine mascot Champ, to "Guess what day it is?" Dirk is stoked because it's game day, unlike the original ad's talking camel, who was more of a Wednesday fan. The spoof's punch line, also playing off the Geico ads: How happy are folks who buy Mavs' season-ticket packages? Happier than Dirk on a game day! It's a cute spot, and Dirk finds the perfect mix of goofy charm and self-deprecation. And while we're on the subject of music—sorry, my transition game is off today—Dirk's also amusing in this beat-boxer clip co-starring wacky German D.J. Flula and a couple of Mavericks dancers. Oh, he can't match Kobe Bryant's mad classical piano skills, but still, check it out. "Satisfaction" guaranteed!
'Every Tech Commercial' Packs All the Category's Clichés Into One Handy Spot
If you love live-chatting with babies and put tremendous stock in the opinion of bakers, then you probably love most tech advertising. In its new parody, "Every Tech Commercial," CollegeHumor skewers some of the most frequent clichés from ads for apps, smartphones, tablets and assorted other gadgets. It's an admirable collection, though it omits my personal favorite trope: the early adopter who smugly solves someone else's problem using the device, instantly becoming a hero to some poor Luddite loser.
Barton F. Graf 9000 Denies Involvement in Horse Stunt Outside Wieden + Kennedy
Barton F. Graf 9000 says it wasn't involved in a stunt early Thursday when a guy in a horse suit appeared to be trying to poach staff for the agency outside Wieden + Kennedy in New York. W+K's Kevin Wang snapped this photo outside his agency's offices this morning, writing on Twitter: "Dude. BFG just took poaching to a whole new level." The message is pretty blunt, too. "I have no idea who it is or why they'd be doing it," Barton F. Graf's Eric Kallman tells AdFreak.
Barton F. Graf 9000 has been in major growth mode recently. As Gerry Graf told me in April:"We're bringing in creative technologists, people who know the social space. It's a chicken-and-egg thing. If we bring in the talent before we get certain assignments, then we end up getting those assignments. It's always a little bit of a risk, but it's worked out for us."
Dude. BFG just took poaching to a whole new level. Spotted outside WK (cc @nudd@adland): pic.twitter.com/Hrb1VP9Gfl
— Kevin Wang (@Mister_Wang) August 29, 2013
Flo Can't Be Your Wife, but Your Wife Can Be Flo, in Progressive's Odd Little Ad Fantasy
Do you wish your wife were more like Flo, the ever-peppy, white-aproned saleswoman for Progressive Insurance? Do you wish your home were more like the Superstore, the white-walled setting of dozens of Progressive commercials, and regular habitat of Flo? Probably not. Still, this new spot from the brand shows you what it would feel like anyway. It starts off with the sort of fairly routine "Have you heard about [Product X]?" discussion about which only marketers fantasize, and ends with a husband's whole world—including his spouse—being transformed into a scene from a light-filled insurance salesroom. According to Progressive, it's the first Superstore ad sans Flo—or at least, with Stephanie Courtney as Flo. She is approaching her 100th commercial for the brand, but also finds herself joined by a growing cast of characters and guest stars. Naysayers, don't get your hopes up, though—she's survived much worse than a little vacation.
Monistat Is Sorry (not Sorry) for Making Wearers of 'Granny Panties' Feel Bad
Monistat used "granny panties" in a recent ad as a metaphor for how women feel when they have a yeast infection. Now, though, after supposed complaints from the granny-panty-wearing community, Monistat is backtracking. On a new grannypanties.org website, the pharma brand—perhaps inspired by maxipad maker Bodyform's faux contrition—has issued the following heartfelt apology that's anything but heartfelt:
To the makers and wearers of granny panties everywhere, we here at Monistat offer our sincerest apologies.
By helping millions of women feel like their sexy selves faster, we've seen some unintended repercussions. We have painted your treasured unmentionables in an unflattering light, and as a result, the market for bloomers is dwindling by the day, and the international granny panty industry has fallen on tough times.
And though there will always be some who choose to allow their undergarments to ride up to their lower back for all to see; this does not mean they should be judged. Their choice of comfort over conformity is a bold one. Those very hip-huggers helped pave the way for the g-strings, thongs, and boyshorts of today.
But the days of 10-gallon skivvies and support that stretches for yards are coming to an end. And honestly, we're not all that sad to see them go.
Monistat, of course, manufactured both the controversy and the apology. But it's nicely executive by ad agency Allen & Gerritsen. Particularly amusing is the accompanying video on the website depicting a faux talk show, Box Talk With Kitty Montgomery, in which women square off from both sides of the granny-panty issue. Check out the video below.
Agency Creates Greatest Ad for an Executive Assistant in the History of Executive Assistants
Rich Silverstein is apparently not an easy boss to have. The notoriously demanding co-founder of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco is looking for a new executive assistant, as his current assistant is leaving. And judging by the Craiglist help-wanted ad, and the crazy-fun accompanying website, you should almost certainly NOT apply for this job. Here's how the Craigslist ad starts out:
Have you ever looked greatness in the eyes—and cried because it was so damn beautiful it hurt your feelings?
If not, you should really get to know Rich Silverstein.
Rich has been inducted into halls of fame—yes, plural. His achievements read like a novel, albeit one written by Stephen King.
You've probably heard stories. And they're every bit as true as they are misleading. He is tough and expects greatness. But he holds himself to the same impossible standards.
The success he's had is the stuff of Mad Men. And the stuff of madmen.
Rich Silverstein answers to nobody. And that nobody could be you.
Then there's a list of prerequisites for the job (one of them is that you must not be "an agency spy. Or ever have written for AgencySpy"), along with a link to work4rich.com.
That's where things get truly cray cray, as the application process turns out to be a series of ludicrous Web challenges, including transcribing a fast talker's gibberish and memorizing a set of names in just two seconds.
You have until Sept. 6 to get past that step in the process, and then "Rich will handpick his favorites and invite them to the Google Hangout of the century." That should be a doozy.
Yes, that's right, you enjoy your current job just fine, thank you.
Credits below.
CREDITS
Creatives:
Zach Canfield
Pablo Rochat
Adaye Worku
Creative Developers:
Chris Allick
Russell Shearer
The Weird, Sweet Story of Chocolate Bars in Europe That Are Mysteriously Missing Pieces
Chocolate is both the medium and message in this Milka campaign from Paris agency Buzzman. Some 10 million of the chocolatier's flagship Alpine milk bars destined for sale in France and Germany, the brand's biggest markets, were cast in new molds for a September promotion. Each bar is missing a single chocolate square, though the overall 100-gram weight has been maintained, as the remaining squares are a tad larger. Using a code on each package, consumers can either request the missing squares for themselves … or send them to someone else, along with a "tender note" explaining the gift. (The offer is actually subject to local weather conditions, to avoid melting.) Milka says the effort is designed to let people truly experience its "Dare to be tender" tagline. It's a clever idea, but you know … even with a note, I'm not so sure I'd really get the point from a single, tiny chocolate square. If your feelings are so tender, just send me the whole bar! I'm partial to almonds. Also, caramel. A carton would be nice. Via Adverve.
AT&T's Guinea Pigs Kim and Carl Are This Year's Funniest Talking Ad Animals
Here's a brilliant spot starring two god-fearing guinea pigs arguing over whether their house is possessed by an angel or a demon. The ad is just one execution in a tiny, web-only BBDO campaign starring talking animals for AT&T Digital Life, a technology and security solution that lets you control electronics in your home while you're away. The insight that advanced technology probably seems like magic to our pets is delightfully simple, and the voice acting and writing for these adorable guineas is spot on—particularly when Kim threatens to get on Carl "like a bum on a pork chop" if he doesn't stop his "rantin' and ravin'" about devils. The other two spots, about a skeptical cat and a turd-eating dog, are OK, but somehow lack the timing and charm of Kim and Carl. In fact, I could see the guineas in a series of their own. But next time, double check the set design. That's totally a hamster wheel, and you don't want to kill your stars.
Why Brands Should Be Wary of Animated GIFs
Attention brands in social media: Just because you can now use animated GIFs on Facebook doesn’t mean you actually should use animated GIFs on Facebook. Or, to be more specific, you probably shouldn’t post any GIFs featuring scenes from movies, TV shows or celebrity appearances—which negates about 99 percent of the good options out there. For a professional opinion on the issue, we turned to attorney Michael McSunas, one of the legal field’s top social media experts and senior counsel for marketing at Chrysler (though he notes that the following are his opinions, not those of Chrysler).
McSunas says the only way to post an animated GIF of a celebrity on your business page without risking legal trouble would be to get the permission of everyone featured in the clip, the copyright holder of the original recording and (just to be safe) the person who actually made the GIF. This applies to GIFs featuring noncelebrities as well.
“It would be a case-by-case basis,” McSunas says, “but if we were going to actually use a GIF, I'd say we'd need consent from the TV show. Or if it's a GIF of someone falling down, we'd want permission from the person falling down. I would treat it like any video. We'd need releases.” Without releases from liability, businesses risk legal action for using a celebrity’s likeness without permission or violating the copyright of a film studio, animator or other content creator. Here are McSunas’ tips for businesses that want to use animated GIFs on their social media channels:
1. Make your own GIFs featuring your own copyrighted materials.
2. If a GIF’s not yours, get written releases from the people featured in it and the copyright holder.
3. Don’t have releases? Consider linking off to the GIF or retweeting someone else’s post rather than embedding it in your own social channels.
4. If you’re making a GIF from a program your business sponsors, be sure you still have permission from the copyright holder.
5. Just because other brands get away with using a GIF, that doesn’t mean you will. And the larger your business, the more likely you are to become a target of legal action.
Be safe out there. Our thanks to Michael McSunas, whom you can follow on Twitter at @AdLawGuy. Image via Giphy.
Facebook Just Can't Handle Boobies, Human or Otherwise
Whether they're nourishing babies or enriching the biodiversity of islands in the Indian Ocean, boobies just don't sit well with Facebook.
The social network has long been criticized for its inconsistent approach to breastfeeding photos. And now, a small Australian island's tourism board says a Facebook ad inviting eco-tourists to its Bird 'n' Nature Week has been unfairly banned—for a pun about the seabirds known as boobies.
"Some gorgeous shots here of some juvenile boobies," the ad read, next to images of the Red-footed Booby, Brown Booby and endangered Abbott's Booby. That copy is certainly suggestive, and you may even consider the innuendo mildly pedophilic. But Christmas Island tourism marketing manager Linda Cash figured at first that the ban was a mistake. She tells Travel Daily News:"We presumed our original advert was blocked automatically so we appealed to Facebook directly who re-affirmed the campaign was banned due to the sexual language—particularly the use of the word 'boobies.' "
Sam Collins, founder of Ethos Travel, which offers trips from the U.K. to Christmas Island, adds: "One of the world's great eco-tourism destinations is being deprived of its lifeline because someone at Facebook cannot comprehend that a booby is a bird."
Christmas Island has used the same "juvenile boobies" joke before, as seen in this photo series from January.
President of Volvo Trucks Isn't a Daredevil. He Just Plays One in This Insane YouTube Stunt
Claes Nilsson, the president of Volvo Trucks, talks up the Volvo FMX while standing—it is soon revealed—on a truck being suspended over the water by a crane in this crazy YouTube video, which calls out its own craziness. (There's "no trick filming," the automaker assures us.) I'm not a fan of ads calling attention to their own composition—that "needs a hook" line grates on me like sandpaper—but there's something undeniably endearing about a man in a suit wearing a hard hat. Plus, you have to admire the bluntness of the stunt, and its effectiveness (almost 700,000 views in two days). As the top YouTube comment saliently wonders of the FMX: "How can it possibly carry the weight of his balls?"
Dunkin' Donuts Apologizes for Blackface Ad, but Not Everyone Is Sorry
Dunkin' Donuts in Thailand has just seen a 50 percent bump in sales on the heels of a new print, TV and Facebook ad campaign, and the CEO of the local franchise is crowing about the sugar rush. So what if it's all because of a controversial ad?
No, really, CEO Nadim Salhani says—so what? The ad in question shows a smiling woman in blackface with bright-pink lipstick holding the chain's new "charcoal donut." Predictably, this is kicking up a fury—outside its target region—though Salhani says that's just "paranoid American thinking." Salhani, whose teenage daughter is the model in the ad, further asks the Associated Press: "We're not allowed to use black to promote our donuts? I don't get it. What's the big fuss? What if the product was white and I painted someone white? Would that be racist?"
Dunkin' Donuts in the U.S. sees the situation differently, posting an apology on its website and promising a swift takedown due to the campaign's "insensitivity." Human Rights Watch called the ad "bizarre and racist." There's no word on whether Salhani, a surefire candidate in his own mind for father and marketer of the year, is still employed.
Up-and-Coming Actress Frenches the Rainbow in Latest Weird Skittles Ad
Skittles continues to walk the line between cute and creepy. How successfully it does so is, of course, a matter of personal taste. This new spot from DDB Chicago, "Skittles Smile," sets my choppers on edge for some reason, but I'm about 96 years past the target demo, and it probably works just fine for its intended audience. The ad's high-school-age heroine clearly savors the flavor of her deep-kiss encounter with a boy who has Skittles for teeth. (Were his baby teeth Pez?) The girl is played by Laura Spencer, who has gained a following from her role in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, an Internet reboot of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Spencer also appears in a current Sprint commercial, though swapping spit with her co-star in that one would've been a grave mistake. Credits below.
Behind the scenes of the new skittles "SMILE" commercial aka best wrap surprise ever! http://t.co/xMhcRT2YA2
— Laura Spencer (@itslauraspencer) September 3, 2013
CREDITS
Client: Mars/Skittles
Agency: DDB, Chicago
Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director: Mark Gross
Creative Director, Copywriter: Kathleen Tax
Creative Director, Art Director: Marisa Groenweghe
Vice President, Producer: Will St. Clair
Production Manager: Scott Terry
Vice President, Senior Account Director: Kate Christiansen
Vice President, Account Director: Gwen Hammes
Account Executive: Jennifer Marks
Account Manager: Trace Schlenker
Senior Vice President, Group Strategy Director: David "Chizzy" Chriswick
The Band Gets Back Together in NBC's Brilliantly Cheesy Promo for The Voice
We've all been there. Heartbroken, bearded and alone. This is place that some might call "the dumps," an unbearable place full of darkness, loneliness and misery. It's all because you've been without "the one" for far too long. (It reminds me very much of the time my dog ran away when I was 5. I still wonder where Kujo is. Or that time my 7th grade girlfriend left me because I got braces.) And even though Blake Shelton takes you fishing to cheer you up, it's not working. You still miss 'em. I guess the only thing left to do is belt out arguably the most passionate lyrics ever laid to vinyl: "Reunited," by Peaches and Herb.
Before you know it, the sun will shine again, the animals will begin to chirp again, and Christina Aguilera's angelic voice will rise behind you—seconds before she pulls a Jesus and walks on water to join you and Blake. If that's not magical enough for you, there's more. Moments later, Poseidon, ah hem, the great Cee Lo Green, emerges with three lovely mermaids to round out the hook. "Reunited and it feels so good!"
At this point, you may have a hard time believing what you've just witnessed, but what the hell. The band is finally back together! Or is it? This all can't be real, right? Guess, we'll have to tune into NBC's The Voice on Sept. 23 to see if dreams really do come true.
Universe's Most Indulgent Gum Gets a TV Commercial to Match
Stimorol Sensations, a South African gum that appears to be the same thing as Trident Layers, claims to be the most indulgent gum in the universe. In its latest spot by Ogilvy Cape Town, an office drone pops the layered gum, slips away into an indulgent fantasy of synchronized swimmers and fruit waterfalls that cop a feel, and, of course, walks across water to play a saxophone duet with a parrot. The whole thing was put together using an indulgent set that included 30 tons of pink goo. Check out the behind-the-scenes video for shots of the set and a delightfully unenlightening interview with the quirky director, Trevor Clarence. Credits below.
CREDITS
Client: Stimorol Sensations
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Cape Town, South Africa
Executive Creative Director: Chris Gotz
Associate Creative Director: Tommy Le Roux
Creative Group Head: Prabashan Panther
Agency Producer: Anthea Beylis
Art Directors: Reijer van der Vlugt, Matthew Pullen
Copywriters: Justin Osburn, Dean Paradise
Production Company: Your Girlfriend
Director: Trevor Clarence
Executive Producer: Linda Bogle
Postproduction: Black Ginger
Sound Design: We Love Jam
Voiceover Artist: Adam Behr
Yahoo Will Unveil a New Logo at Midnight. Do Any of These 30 Options Beat the Original?
Yahoo is just hours away from that terrifying moment for any brand: the unveiling of a new logo. But the company has approached this rebranding a little differently.
A month ago, it launched "30 Days of Change," a project in which it unveiled a new logo each day—displaying each one on its homepage and throughout its network in the U.S. "It's our way of having some fun while honoring the legacy of our present logo," Yahoo said.
The project has now featured 29 logos. The 30th, set to be introduced tonight at midnight ET/9 p.m. PT, will be the company's official new logo. Yahoo has not said whether No. 30 will be one of the previous 29, or a completely new mark. (If it's one of the earlier ones, then this whole thing appears to have been an elaborate focus-group test—wise, perhaps, given the vitriol that greets many new corporate logos.) This much we do know: "We'll be keeping the color purple, our iconic exclamation point and of course the famous yodel," says the company. "After all, some things never go out of style."
Whatever the case, it's worth looking at the 29 and asking if any of them is an improvement on the original. (Apologies for leading the witness, but we should mention that the Day 10 logo has fared best among the public, according to polling site Polar.) In fact, we have a 30th option to consider, too—as 99designs held its own unofficial contest to develop a new Yahoo logo, and has picked a winner.
So, below, check out Yahoo's 29 options from the past month, plus the 99designs victor. And tell us: Should any of them actually be the new Yahoo logo?
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28
Day 29
99designs winner
The A.1. Steak Sauce Card: It's Everywhere You Want to Eat
If anyone out there considers themselves a card-carrying A.1. steak sauce enthusiast, you'll soon have the actual card to prove it. The venerable steak sauce and Crispin Porter + Bogusky have launched the A.1. for Life campaign, which rewards hard-core A.1. brand loyalists with perks like a VIP card that can get you steak sauce whenever you want it, wherever you are. Not bad. The campaign also offers swank Major League Baseball seats and—for the simple cost of your dignity—tickets to any Live Nation concert in America. (You have to upload a video of yourself singing an "A.1. Love Song" to get those.) Finally, you could win a belt buckle, watch or fedora with secret hatches for smuggling sauce packets around town. This seems like the most natural fit, because I feel like anyone who would call themselves an A.1. enthusiast also owns a fedora and wears it with casual clothes.
Via Co.Create.