Getting Ready to Work

While at the movies last week I saw this new spot for Levi's.

I love their new Go Forth campaign. The style, imagery and tonality really hits home what their brand is all about - heritage, quality and effortless style.

This new ad - Ready to Work - brings the campaign into the backyards of modern America. A fantastic piece of film that makes me proud to wear my 501s...

Tricks of the Trade: Old Spice Questions Are Answered

A great interview with Isaiah Mustafa - the Old Spice Man.

It turns out that I probably spoke too soon in my last post. W+K's latest pool out actually uses very limited CGI! Instead, it relies on an amazing set, beautiful surroundings, a fancy cake dispenser and a man made waterfall!

Definitely worth watching if your a fan of the work.

Video Game - E3 2010 - Movies and TV

Old Spice Answers With Questions...

Within what seems like hours of winning the Grand Prix at Cannes, Old Spice has released another iteration of their "man your man" campaign.

Though it keeps true to the original creative idea, for some reason this spot seems a little more forced (perhaps tracing to the more aggressive use of CGI?)... Regardless, it really is great and I give it less than a week to reach a million views.

Swan Dive!

Nike Re-Writes The Future

Another ad from Nike's great campaign for the 2010 world cup.

This time around they are focusing solely on Robinho from Brazil.

Though I like this pool out of the earlier work, I personally enjoyed how the initial spot focused on both sides of the coin... the future that would be written by either the player's success and failure. To me this made the launch ad work no matter who wins the cup in the end. I don't know if I can say the same for this one...




Here is another video that builds off of the campaign's launch ad. Seeing Rooney washed up and living in a caravan thinking about his failure is classic (and perhaps fitting if not for his wife's modelling gig!).

Nike Asks Players To Write Their Future

With the World Cup in full swing I thought it was time to bring up this ad.

A great piece of film showing how the definitive moments in these games can either lead to super-stardom or crush the hopes of a nation.

Some have said that it rides too much on a few key players and may not deliver for Nike as the tournament knocks them out, but I personally don't think this is the case.

Showing Rooney's fear of loss (or perhaps his real fear of ending up in a caravan) and Drogba's missed goal really allows this ad to work either way and show how these events go beyond the game and impact the world around us.

The one miss I can see is that we all know Ronaldo will play himself when he makes it to Hollywood.

Enjoy.

America: Cars & Freedom

A new ad for the 2010 Dodge Challenger.

Created in honour of the England vs. USA world cup match, this ad celebrates all that is great about America in true epic style.



That's right. Cars & Freedom. (Cue the single tear).

Unfolding Cadbury Flake

An eerily stunning new spot for Cadbury Flake.

Visually striking, the ad focuses on a intricate flowing dress to represent the layers of the Flake bar itself.

To get noticed in a highly fragmented category, Cadbury seems adamant on pushing some of their brands using ads that force consumers to think beyond their products. My issue with some of these ads is that the brand itself becomes an afterthought and is often left out as an intricate part of the creative.

Perhaps a bit dramatic, but to me this ad stands out from the eyebrows and gorillas of the past and perfectly incorporates specific brand traits into visual form. Wrapping it all up in the brand's indulgent relaxation position.

A true representation of the media arts.

Tropicana Solves The Arctic's Lack of Sun

So Tropicana has launched a new campaign and has fully moved on from its packaging mishaps of last year.

A truly beautiful and heartwarming spot. And I really enjoyed it... the first 10 or so times I saw it - during the week it launched!

Though I am a fan of ads that try to move a brand beyond its functional traits (and build associations beyond the product itself), this type of emotional advertising is probably not best served by extreme amounts of media frequency.

I'm sure it will win some awards, but if I were managing the brand I would be a little concerned with this ad would warming peoples' hearts, and then wearing them out.

Perhaps an example of a fantastic spot that was delivered to market in the wrong way...

Absolut's New Anthem

Something new from the Absolut World.

An enchanting spot showcasing artistic projects from around the world - celebrating the brand's global history and appeal.

Singing In The Shower With BK!

Burger King has just launched a new campaign in the UK - one that has almost nothing to do with burgers at all!

Their new Shower Cam site features a girl singing in the shower while wearing BK themed bikinis (think sesame seed buns, fried eggs and something that looks like Eggs Benedict?!).

And to make things better they are allowing people to vote on what the cam girl will wear (and sing) next!

Makes me want want a whopper!

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Update: It looks like the link to the BK site doesn't work anymore... a sad day I know!

To keep it alive, here is a video from my favourite source for entertainment - Fox News. The opening line is classic.

Jay-Z Covers For Rhapsody

Well I guess his retirement is officially over.

A new ad promoting Jay-Z's latest album over Rhapsody. For those familiar with the covers of his past albums you'll notice that the is basically a collection of vignettes that put him into these classic poses.

Very nicely done.



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Update: For those not familiar with all of his album covers, here is a nice comparison video. Enjoy.