Bank of America Leaves Footprints Behind

Heading into Chicago this weekend,  outdoor signage for the 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon caught my attention.  The campaign's images, runners formed from colored footprints, are accompanied with the individual's reasons for being at the race.  All over the Windy City the campaign has a presence, from murals to lamppost signage. From BBDO, New York, the campaign is part of a digital fundraising push for 123 charitable causes.  As one article states, the campaign "illustrates the theme that every participant and spectator who attends on race day directly contributes to the impact that the race leaves behind."  Great art direction for a great cause, I can dig it.

Trident: A Little Piece of Happy

Trident's new campaign "A Little Piece of Happy" actually brought a smile to my face. Mission accomplished JWT, New York.  A simultaneous website contains all the commercials in addition to happy articles, pictures, music and even a coupon to make you happy.  My favorite spot is "Daisy."

Mini Cooper: Minimalism

Love the visual and the concept of this commercial for the Mini Cooper.



Advertising Agency: Webguerillas GmbH, Munich, Germany
Creative Director: Colin Conrad
Project Manager: Moritz Capelle
Other additional credits: Jochen Hirschfeld

Livestrong: #8

Maybe it's because I support the LIVESTRONG cause, but I immediately was attracted to, and understood this visual. I also like the vertical text and logo placement, upper right hand corner instead of the overused lower right hand corner. Kudos to Marmalade.

"Lance Armstrong was dealt one of life’s most difficult hands. He has managed to survive to ride for an incredible eighth Tour de France title. Win or lose, he’s already won just by being there. No matter what life throws at you. No matter what obstacles are in your path. No matter if the voices in your head are telling you that you can’t go on. Live every minute of your life with every ounce of your being. Unite and help us fight cancer. Because whatever you face, you can Livestrong."

Advertising Agency: Marmalade, Melbourne, Australia
Art Director: Tim Forte
Copywriter: Dan Forestal
Photographer: Chris von Menge
Retouching: Imagenation
Published: July 2009

Dos Equis: The Most Interesting Man in the World

I absolutely love the creative genius behind The Most Interesting Man in the World campaign for the imported beer brand, Dos Equis. Done by EuroRSCG, the commercials are accompanied by the company's excellent interactive website that includes The Most Interesting Academy. The noteworthy part of this campaign is that it has produced measurable sales growth. According a recent Ad Age article, "Through mid-June, a period when imported beer sales dropped 11%, sales of Dos Equis rose more than 17%, moving the brand into eighth place among imports (in a tie with Stella Artois), when shipments rose 13%, claims Advertising Week."

Some of my favorite liners describing the MIM:
"He once had an awkward moment just to see how it feels."
"His blood smells like cologne."
"Even his enemies list him as their emergency contact number."

Television Spots











In addition to the traditional 30 second television spots, the campaign also includes shorter advice spots from the MIM.





Couldn't forget the print ads.


And a radio spot.

WWF: It's your turn

Another batch of brilliantly simple ads for the World Wildlife Fund, by JWT Singapore and from Cannes Lions 2009. The signature black and white of these print ads is signature of the organization's identity. An easy to grasp idea is another mark of a WWF ad.

JWT Singapore
Executive Creative Directors: Ali Shabaz, Tay Guan Hin
Creative Director: Ali Shabaz
Copywriter: Pradeep D'souza
Account Manager: Peter Cheung, Group Account Director
Art Directors: Christiano Choo, Karen Muck
Production Manager: Neo Kian Heng

Honda Insight

From Rubin Postaer and Associates, comes these commercials for the Honda Insight. I enjoy the choreographed idea of showing a subject and then revealing more people, with their Insights of course. The music is well-chosen: fun, welcoming and relaxing.

Fiat: ecoDrive

Latest to spark my interest is the sharp website design by AKQA, for FIAT. Done for the Italian automobile maker's new ecoDrive initiative that clocks how you drive your FIAT ultimately to reduce the driver's carbon footprint by analyzing the results and changing habit. Basically, it's Nike+ for your FIAT. The website has fresh graphics and though buying a FIAT isn't in my near-future, exploring the website was definitely worth it.

BMW Expression of Joy

A few weeks back my friend was reading the architecture and design magazine, Dwell when she showed me the brilliant media and creative placement BMW had done. To coincide with the launch of the automakers Z4 Roadster (also a sweet design in itself, the first BMW roadster with a retractable hardtop), Expression of Joy is how artist Robin Rhode used paint, a massive canvas and the Z4 to create a piece of art.

With help from GSD&M Idea City in Austin, Texas, and Dotglu in New York, Expression of Joy fuses innovation with raw creative talent. The paintbrush became the tires of the Z4 and the brushstrokes depended on however Rhode manuevered the vehicle. The website contains several videos to show the process, along with the entire canvas. Visitors to the site can create their own Expression of Joy by disecting the canvas. My Expression of Joy is below.
An article from Brandweek discusses the media used, including the cover takeover of Dwell's June issue that originally sparked my interest.

Go with Visa: First Global Campaign

Back in March, Visa with the help of TBWA\Chiat\Day, launched their first global campaign, "More People Go with Visa" changing from the previous , "It's everywhere you want to be." Morgan Freeman smartly remains their spokesperson, the always comforting voice of reason. I like both of the two commercials below because of the tone and the visual story. The first is in a pizzeria and shows the stylistic flair of an old school pizza-making joint, something you don't get from a chain restaurant. And I love Mambo Italiano as a backdrop. The second spot, features an aquarium visit and has beautiful color movement. According to a Visa press release, the global campaign reflects "the company's evolution to a single, global company" and now enables the brand to use one unified marketing tactic. Not only is this money saving for Visa, but it also reflects how Visa customers, (specifically in the U.S.) are cutting back, and being smarter about their spending.

Panamericana Escola de Arte e Design : Part Dos

Here's more from AlmapBBDO's campaign, How Far Does Your Creativity Go for the Panamericana Escola de Arte e Design. The original print ads (one below) are in an early post.


These new ads are clever placement ideas including napkins, placemats, bathroom stalls, t-shirts and even grafitti, all that get people to interact with the ads.

Advertising Agency: AlmapBBDO, São Paulo, Brazil
Creative Directors: Marcello Serpa, Luiz Sanches, Dulcídio Caldeira
Copywriter: Andre Godoi
Art Director: Andre Gola
Producer: José Roberto Bezerra
Account Supervisors: Martha Almeida, Isabela Filippi
Advertiser’s Supervisor: Enrique Lipszyc

iPod Shuffle Ads

Advertising Agency: Cap Q, New York, USA

Creative Director / Art Director / Copywriter / Illustrator: Steve Quint

Ads for the ultra-tiny iPod Shuffle. These prints are relatable and visually shows how the product is used. Two points for Cap Q.

Bosch IXO Ad

Advertising Agency: Jung von Matt/Elbe, Hamburg
Executive Creative Directior: Sascha Hanke, Wolf Heumann
Creative Directior: Andreas Ottensmeier, Harald Gasper
Art Direction: Roman Mitterer
Copy: Christine Graf

Copy reads, "Unexpectedly powerful: the IXO with Lithium-Ion technology." Art direction like this catches the eye, then brings the reader in to figure it out, through the copy. Perfect harmony.

Hot Wheels

"Parquet"/"Carpet"/"Tile"

Advertising Agency: Ogilvy, London; UK Creative Director: Alasdair Graham; Head Of Art: Andy Bird; Art; Directors: Andy Wyton, Jason Mendes; Copywriters: Jason Mendes, Andy Wyton; Photographers: Chris Jelley, Photolibrary; Retoucher: Trevor Qizilbash @ Tag; Art Buyers: Coral Stafford, Brigette Martin; Agency; Producer: Mark Doyle; Account Manager: Leah Walsh; Account Supervisor: Kate Dowling

Produced by Ogilvy, London, this campaign plays off the setting Hot Wheels are used within: the home (specifically different flooring in a home.) This idea also taps into the key insight that a child is not imagining their Hot Wheels driving around their living room or kitchen, but rather places like a forest or an ocean-side highway. By integrating both images, the prints show the reality of Hot Wheels and the imagination of a child. I also like that these ads don't show the product. It is uneccessary and would just add clutter. The strong visual protrays just what needs to be said.

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation: Deathbed

Advertising Agency: CHI&Partners, London, UK
Creative Director: Ewan Paterson
Art Director: Dave Masterman
Copywriter

: Ed Edwards
Photographer: Stock
Designer: Kylie McLean

I love this kind of ad. It is completely visual with no need for copy (not to knock copy!) It is also an image that instantly is understandable. While the message couldn't be clearer: cigarettes=death. The quicker an audience can understand your message, the more likely they won't dismiss it. Sometimes, ads have an amazing creative idea but it takes to long to get it, whether it is the visual and/or the copy. As an ad lover, I'd take an extra moment to figure such pieces out, but most consumers won't. Luckily, this ad sidesteps that trouble by making the idea easy to grasp.

Brazilian Association of Advertising Agencies

Advertising Agency: Neogama/BBH, São Paulo, Brazil
Executive Creative Director /Copywriter: Alexandre Gama
Art Director: Márcio Ribas

Way to sell yourself smartly. The mark of a good ad agency.

Art & Copy Film

I got an e-mail about this film and I totally want to see it, unfortunately I'll have to wait awhile because I can't get to any of the screenings. The synopsis from the film's website,

"Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, HYPE!, SCRATCH), ART & COPY captures the creative energy and passion behind the iconic campaigns that have had a profound impact on American culture. Featuring rare interviews with... industry legends, the film seeks to identify the elements that transform a slogan into a pop culture catch phrases.

The movie was filmed and edited during a four-year period and had an unusual source for its funding -- The One Club, a non-profit organization dedicated to the craft of advertising headquartered in New York.

ART & COPY provides a window into the creative process and the individuals who have changed our lives in ways we may not realize,” said Mary Warlick, CEO of The One Club. “The movie looks at advertising not as products flying off the shelf but as the work of a few American heroes who feel passionately about their craft, ideas, and the ability of ideas to change how people feel.”

Ray Ban: Chameleon

Advertising Agency: Cutwater, USA
Production company: Method labs
Song: Yusef, “Eat My Bear”

From Ray Ban's new campaign "Never Hide" celebrating color in the iconic shades.

Panamericana Escola de Arte e Design: How Far Does Your Creativity Go

Advertising Agency: AlmapBBDO, São Paulo, Brazil
Creative Directors: Marcello Serpa, Luiz Sanches, Dulcídio Caldeira
Copywriter: Andre Godoi
Art Director: Andre Gola
Producer: José Roberto Bezerra
Account Supervisors: Martha Almeida, Isabela Filippi
Advertiser’s Supervisor: Enrique Lipszyc
Published: February 2009

As someone who doodles a lot, I love these ads for the Panamericana Escola de Arte e Design. These print ads hit the nail on the head because they focus on a simple everyday occurrence that creative individuals understand. This is what makes good ads: a key insight specific to the target.

Frito Lays: Made For Each Other

I saw a few of these spots for Frito Lays on television. The ads, done by the San Francisco agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, promote Frito Lay's chips and dip products as an inseparable combo. The tactic is smart because it shows that each product enhances the other. It's true love, snack style. I enjoy the animation that gives objects, like magnets and glasses, human emotions. The music used in each ads are fresh and fun. There are five in total and below are my two favorites.

"The Magnet"



"Little Bright Eyes"


Creative directors Rick Condos and Hunter Hindman, art director Jessica Feeney, senior copywriter Alexandra Tyler, executive producer Amanda Cox, senior producer Julie Hart, producer Jonathan Percy, music producer Todd Porter, account manager Nida Haider, associate account manager Mark George.

Logo animation on all spots was designed by Cobra Creative. The web site was produced at B-Reel.