Rugby Never Looked Like So Much Fun. JWT London's Serious Play For HSBC.

JWT London has created this wonderful spot for HSBC as part of their Rugby Sevens sponsorship. Starring former England and British Lions player Jason Robinson and past Australia captain George Gregan, the fast-paced and exciting tv ad was shot by director Paul Middleditch of Plaza Films and beautifully edited by Andy Packer.






The spot (shown below in its entirety) features real life Green Army Men, Cowboys, Centurions, Ninjas, Luche Libre, Elves and more engaged in an exciting game of Rugby played through the streets of Hong Kong.

It captures the popular trend of spectators wearing fancy dress at the tournament and the seriousness with which people take their costumes. It is also intended to represent the bank’s dedication to the growth of the game both at a professional and a grassroots level.



What a fun way to raise awareness of HSBC’s co-title sponsorship of the 2012 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tournament.



Title HSBC “ Serious Play”
Agency: JWT London
Global Creative Directors: Axel Chaldecott, Daniel Hennessy
Art Directors: Miles Bingham, Kevin Masters
Copy Writers: Kevin Masters, Miles Bingham
Director: Paul Middleditch
Production Company: Annex, Plaza Films
Editor: Andy Packer
Editorial Company: Annex Films London
Editor: Peter Whitmore
Editorial Company: The Editors Sydney
Sound: Sam Ashwell
Song: “Lonely Boy” The Black Keys

Bueller, Bulldogs & Beckham. A Look At 15 Of The Most Anticipated Super Bowl Commercials.

The practice of leaking Super Bowl spots before the actual Game Day is growing. And at about $3.5 million dollars a spot, it's no wonder big name brands are trying to get as much bang for their buck as possible.

Automotive companies in particular are sharing their spots on YouTube, Facebook and with bloggers and PR companies. Some with extended versions, others with a teaser.

For those who watch the Super Bowl more for the commercials than the actual sport, this may alleviate the need to tune into the game all together, a bad thing for network tv. For those who like to watch the spots multiple times, it's good for the companies.

Either way, here's a bunch of tv spots (and a few teasers) that will be airing on February 5th's 46th Super Bowl. References to 20+ year old movies and tv shows like Star Wars, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Seinfeld seem to hint at the age of the creatives behind the ads.

Acura NSX "Transactions" with Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld is so excited about the new Acura NSX that he will stop at nothing to acquire the very first one. Check out the extended version of Acura's big game commercial:


Honda "Matthew's Day Off" extended version
Honda’s ad already sparked mass conversation thanks to last Thursday’s teaser. The commercial, directed by Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover, Due Date, etc.), features Matthew Broderick playing himself in a grown-up version of his celebrated role as Ferris Bueller alongside the all-new 2012 CR-V. Using themes from the original film to bring Honda’s “Leap List” campaign to life, the spot is meant to reinforce how the CR-V helps consumers conquer their aspirations before life’s next big phase.

True fans may also spot dozens of “Easter Eggs” hidden in the commercial that pay homage to the original film; fans are encouraged to join the conversation at Facebook.com/HondaCRV.


Volkswagon "The Bark Side"
A canine chorus barks a familiar tune. Keep an eye out for our 2012 Game Day commercial—it will all make sense. Love Star Wars and Volkswagen? You'll love this.


Chevy Sonic "Stunt Anthem"
The all-new Chevy Sonic is up for adventure. Watch Sonic's first time skydiving, bungee jumping, kick flipping, and performing with OK GO. 100% real stunts. For behind-the-scenes content, check out http://letsdothis.com/stunts


Chevy "OK Go -- White Knuckles" Talented Dogs


Chevy "Happy Grad"
Watch Zack Borst's winning entry to Chevrolet's Route66 competition. This Chevy ad will appear during Super Bowl XLVI. Filmed by Borst and company in four hours "Happy Grad" beat out 198 other video submissions and 400 scripts in the contest. Check out more about Chevy and Super Bowl XLVI at http://www.chevrolet.com/culture.


Audi "Vampire Party"
See the new Audi commercial and find out what happens when an Audi S7 shows up at a party full of vampires.


Toyota "Reinvented"
The brand's 60-second long spot is called “Reinvented” and continues the same theme as the first ads of the 2012 Camry last year, albeit with a more cheeky and humorous tone.
“Reinvention is a powerful idea and one we took to heart when we redesigned America’s most popular car with the launch of the 2012 Camry and elevated it above the competition,” said Bill Fay, group vice president of marketing at Toyota USA.

“The Super Bowl provides a forum to really drive home the reinvention message of the seventh-generation Camry, using humor to resonate with the American public," he added.
The “Reinvented” spot will be one of two 30-second commercials Toyota will be airing during the game on February 5.


Suzuki "Sled"
American Suzuki Motor Corporation will once again advertise during the Super Bowl with an all-new television commercial called "Sled", which highlights the automaker's all-wheel-drive 2012 Suzuki Kizashi sport sedan, which also starred in the company's first-ever Super Bowl ad -- entitled "Wicked Weather" -- during last year's big game.


KIA "Drive The Dream" Teaser
At last year's game, Kia took on the time traveling theme to show off its new Optima sedan. For this year's commercial, the South Korean automaker has chosen the topic of dreams to introduce the new 2012 Optima Limited edition.

Titled "Drive the Dream" and directed once again by Noam Murro who is helming the upcoming 300 spin-off, "300: Battle of Artemisia", the new 60-second commercial is set to air during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI.

“After working with Kia for the Super Bowl last year I was drawn to work with the fast-growing brand again by the idea of exploring people’s ultimate fantasies in a fun and lighthearted way, and I am certain we have created a spot people will be talking about after the game,” said Murro.

The new ad brings together several stars including Victoria’s Secret model Angel Adriana Lima, the Mötley Crüe, mixed martial arts champion Chuck Liddell and champion bull rider Judd Leffer.

“Mötley Crüe had a blast doing the Kia commercial,” said the group's bassist Nikki Sixx. “A hot model, a fast car, a pro fighter, pyrotechnics and rock n' roll...What's not to love?”

Kia said that the the complete “Drive the Dream” ad will make its premiere on February 2 on more than 18,000 movie screens across the country. The company also released a teaser of the ad, which you can watch below.


Lexus Teaser
The Lexus Super Bowl 2012 Ad will promote the new 2013 Lexus GS 350. It is the first ever Super Bowl Ad for Lexus.


Bridgestone "Time to Perform" Teaser
"Bridgestone Americas was one of the first companies to begin offering highly produced and entertaining teasers ahead of our Super Bowl commercials when we began doing so four years ago," said Philip Dobbs, Chief Marketing Officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. "Now it has become standard practice for Super Bowl advertisers to produce really creative and suspenseful teasers. This year's sneak peak reveals how the Bridgestone brand plans to change the world of sports with its new line of tire technology-infused performance balls (and puck) that were introduced in the first "Press Conference‟ TV spot of the campaign.

Bridgestone "Time To Perform"

Bridgestone "Press Conference"


Skechers "Mr. Quiggly" Teaser
Kim Kardashian is replaced by a french bulldog named Mr. Quiggly in Skechers GOrun 2012 Big Game Commercial.


H&M David Beckham Bodywear Collection Teaser:
H&M teases their new commercial for David Beckham Bodywear in Super Bowl XLVI. In the spot he is sporting various pieces from the new collection including the briefs (USD 12.95) and trunks (USD 14.95). The ad will air during the 2nd quarter of the Super Bowl.


Special thanks to SupercarHall for some of the additional info

The Skinny On That 'Security Cam Catches Thief' Video For LG's Slimmest OLED TV.

Very rarely do I come across a television ad that I immediately wish to play a second time - either to simply enjoy it again or to see how it was done. Both are the case with LG's new guerilla-style security cam spot for their Slimmest OLED television directed by Hans Knaapen of Electric Zoo for Y&R Amsterdam. Rather than say another word, I'll simply let you experience it for yourself.



Credits:
Advertising Agency: Y&R, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Creative Directors: Lionell Schuring, Sheldon Bont

Art Directors: Theo Korf, Nick Plomp

Copywriter: Andrew Maaldrink

Director: Hans Knaapen

Production: Electric Zoo

Postproduction: Postoffice

On a side note, LG's newest and the world's largest OLED TV , shown below, is 55" and only 4mm deep and will be unveiled at this years Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Bing Brings Back Rankin/ Bass Stop-Motion Rudolph For A Holiday Ad Campaign

above: Microsoft executives Aaron Lilly, left, and Sean Carver, pose with figures from the animated show 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.'

On November 23rd, Microsoft's Search Engine, Bing, kicked off the holidays with a new twist on some of the most beloved characters of all-time. Building on the iconic Rankin-Bass production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the stop-motion animated classic that first premiered in 1964, they are introducing a series of new stop-motion animation shorts (all shown in this post) featuring the original characters.


above: a still from one of the four stop-motion animated Bing commercials for Christmas 2011

Produced by Bent Image Labs, the new shorts will appear in select holiday TV programs including holiday specials like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, “Frosty the Snowman”, and “South Park Christmas”, and in movie trailers for hotly anticipated winter movies, “Arthur Christmas”, “The Muppets”, and “Happy Feet Two.”

Bing Bumble-Less:

“Bumble”, the more beloved name for the Abominable Snow Monster, features the lovable Bumble, who has lost his scary roar. He uses Bing to search for “scary monster” and once inspired by a few Bing Videos, perfects his roar to be appropriately scary again.


Bing Hot Yoga:

Yukon Cornelius becomes exhausted from pulling Hermey and Rudolph on his sled and collapses in the snow. Luckily, Bing helps him find the closest hot yoga studio using Bing Local.


Bing Social Search:

Hermey, Yukon and Bumble are tired of the winter weather and are in dire need of a vacation. Bing Travel saves the day via a “fabulous island resort” search, highlighting Hermey’s friends who have “liked” specific resorts, leading to Bing Travel and the perfect destination.


Bing You Won't Believe This:

Santa and Mrs. Claus get a little crazy in the workshop with bubble wrap, search on Bing Video for bubble wrap how-to’s, and hilarious antics ensue.


Microsoft Corp. licensed the rights to the characters from Rudolph's 47-year-old holiday special after convincing their owners that the Bing commercials would add an endearing chapter to the reindeer's story. The rights to Rudolph and the rest of the cast are owned by the children of Robert L. May, who wrote the story in 1939 while working as a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store (May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, later wrote the famous song).

Aaron Lilly, a Microsoft executive who helps conceive Bing's promotions, came up with the idea to build holiday ads around the Rudolph story two years ago. It didn't happen then because the Aflac insurance company had already bought licensing rights to the characters for that holiday season.

Microsoft declined to say how much it's spending on the Rudolph campaign.

Thanks to Sean Carver and Aaron Lilly of the Bing Team for information

The Sexist Lingerie Ads with Gisele Bundchen that Brazil Wants to Ban.

Is breaking bad news to your significant other easier when you're sporting sexy lingerie? That's the message behind Brazilian lingerie brand HOPE's campaign - urging women to use 'their natural charms' when delivering less than appealing information to their husbands. Are men really that easy? If you look like Gisele, I bet they are.



The land of waxed coochies and sexy supermodels is considering a ban on the ad campaign (whose three spots are shown below).

Brazil's Ministry for Women called Wednesday for the suspension of a television ad campaign featuring lingerie-clad supermodel Gisele Bundchen, saying it reinforces the stereotype of women as sex objects.



The agency said in a statement it was asking the state council on advertising to halt the use of the ads with Bundchen, the Brazilian native who is believed to be the world's highest paid model.



The ads "reinforces an erroneous stereotype of women as sex objects and ignores the progress made in ending sexist practices. It also represents discrimination against women," the ministry said in a statement.



In the ads for the Brazilian intimate wear brand Hope,"Bundchen is clad in panties, a bra and high heels, in an effort to distract her husband when she delivers bad news -- about damaging the car, exceeding her credit limit, and her mother coming to live with them.

The TV ads send a message "that sensuality can melt any man" and "encourages Brazilian women to use their charms... to minimize the reactions of their husbands," the ministry said.

The ministry managed to ban a beer ad in 2010 featuring US model Paris Hilton in suggestive poses.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

It's About Time. Nike's Back to the Future Shoe, Campaign and Charitable Auction.

To raise funds for Michael J. Fox's Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Nike designed 1500 pairs of Nike MAG shoes based on the kicks worn by Fox's character Marty McFly in the original movie, "Back To The Future" to be auctioned off on ebay and at select Niketown stores.



The project consists of the shoe auction, a short film, poster designs, ceramic models of the shoe, souvenir pins and impressive displays- complete with DeLorean, flux capacitor, hoverboard and more.





The MAG shoes feature an electroluminescent outsole, spage-age materials and a rechargeable internal battery good for 3,000 hours. Designed by Tinker Hatfield and Tiffany Beers, the Nike shoes took six years, three restarts and thousands of hours. Not recommended for athletics, it's a coveted collectible by both entertainment industry and sneaker freakers.


above: Tiffany Beers and Tinker Hatfield designed the collectible shoe



By now, all of the shoes have been auctioned off, but the Wieden + Kennedy two minute film featuring Bill Hader with Christopher Lloyd reprising his role as Dr. Emmett Brown is quickly climbing the viral charts:



Tinker Hatfield, Donald Fullilove and KD also make appearances in this short film about the most famous shoes never made, in an effort to support the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research.



2011 Nike Mag Price Infographic
For sneaker collectors and enthusiasts curious about the recent 2011 Nike MAG developments, a pricing infograph has surfaced courtesy of Fordham University Graduate School of Business student, Zach Kingsley:



This piece of information above illustrates the economics of getting a pair in the most popular size 10. The infographic compares the price points of Nike’s coveted shoe against a timeline to see its steady decline. Updated every night, sources of this infograph come from eBay’s completed listings of MAG’s nightly sales.

Poster designs for the Back For the Future Event:


above: Back to The Future Nike poster designs by Kate Gibb, Brent Rollins, La Boca and Will Sweeney

Michael J. Fox says a few words about the project:


Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
To learn more, go to www.back4thefuture.com

Prius Goes Plural and Creates A People Person To Introduce The New Models.

The original Toyota Prius, now in its third generation, is being joined by three new models; the Prius v coming in fall 2011, the Prius Plug-in and the Prius c Concept- both coming in spring 2012.



To introduce viewers to the growing Prius Family from Toyota, Saatchi LA devised an unusual effect for a television commerical, creating one metaphorical person by assembling 18 different human bodies - a unique way to communicate meeting the needs of multiple people.



The metaphor then unravels when the "people person" sees the new Toyota Prius models parked outside. The spot was directed by Mr. Hide (who directed the Prius Harmony spots in which the landscapes were created with people) and was mostly shot with live-action, large-scale props, and some green-screen help to create backgrounds. The spot is airing in both 60 second and 30 second versions.






The set, a suburban neighborhood, was shot using a miniature set. See how they did it in the video below.





It took a lot of people to bring this effect to life. Below is a list of the full credits.

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles
Client: Toyota
ECD: Margaret Keene
ECD: Chris Adams
ECD: Mike McKay
Creative Director: Ryan Jacobs
Creative Director: Jeff Church
ACD/Copywriter: Andy Kadin
ACD/Designer: Zach Richter
Copywriter: Kimberley Ragan
Art Director: Rebecca Johnson-Pond
Production Artist: Clint Hudspet
Director of Integrated Production/Multimedia: Tanya LeSieur
Broadcast Senior Producer: Jennifer Pearse
3D Producer: Carl Deo
Prod. Co.: The Sweet Shop
Exec. Producer: Philip Detchmendy
President of Prod. Co.: Paul Prince
President of Prod. Co.: Steve Dickstein
Director: Mr. Hide
Editing Company: Bikini Editorial
Exec. Producer: Gina Pagano
Editor: Avi Oron
Assistant Editor: Sterling Robertson
Finish/Special Effects: Eight VFX
VFX Supervisor: Jean Marc Demmer
Exec. Producer: Baptiste Andrieux
Exec. Producer: Shira Boardman
VFX Producer: Donna Langston
VFX Coordinator: Douglas Scruton
Roto & Paint: Marianne Magne
Roto & Paint: Chris Fregoso
Roto & Paint: Natalia Schkliar
3D Artist: Mathias Jourdes
3D Artist: Shuichi Nakahara
3D Artist: Jerome Platteaux
3D Artist: Kevin Culhane
3D Artist: Oliver Arnold
3D Supervisor: Giancarlo Lari
3D Supervisor: Vania Alba-Zapata
Compositor: Raphael Mosley
Compositor: Andy Davis
Compositor: Mathieu Caulet
Compositor: Yann Mallard
Compositor: Stephane Allender
Compositor: Marcelo Pasqualino
Compositor: Dave Stern
Compositor: Joe Chiao
Compositor: Tony Petitti
Compositor: Colleen Smith
Music/Supervisor: Agoraphone Music/ Beth Urdang
Music/Editor: Go Home Productions/ Mark Vodler
Sound Design/Mix: Lime/ Rohan Young

Brilliant Ad for Nighttime Bus Service Shows The Ugly Side of Partying.

Ever wonder how you appear to other people when you're drunk? It's not pretty as this inventive and interactive spot for Movia, a Danish nighttime bus service shows you.

A girl sipping a cocktail is feeling pretty fierce:

Mouseover her and she's not quite as glamorous:


The Byturen spot from the Copenhagen ad agency Bocca is a compelling interactive video which uses a special effect to emphasize how different one appears and behaves when they are drinking and suggests taking the bus home at night rather than driving.

The video is double layered and interactive. It shows a typical youthful night out, drinking and dancing, flirting and frolicking. But move your mouse over the video and the ugly truth is revealed.

Primping in the ladies room:

Mouseover it and you'll see she's having a fashion faux pas:


Sloppy drunk young men and women look skanky, urinate on the floor and behave very unattractively when you pass your mouse over the movie.

Taking a leak:

Mouseover him and you'll see he's missed his target by a longshot:


The copy at the end of the spot asks: “Is it time to get home?” at which point we see our main characters riding the bus home - undoubtedly much to the relief of sober drivers on the road.




SORRY, LINK IS NOW CORRECT!
Go ahead, try it yourself here.

Advertising Agency: Bocca, Coppenhagen, Denmark
Art Director: Lisbet Krøll
Copywriter: Ulrik Søby
Director: Adam Bonke
Photographer: Adam Wallensten
Production Design: Emil Walter
Sound design: David Stubbe Teglbjærg
Music: Upright Music
Stylist: Lea Sonne
Production Company: NobodyCph
Client: Movia
Campaign: “Is it time to get home?”
Date: 2011

Kia uses Nail Art in a Stop-Motion Animation Film to Market the Picanto.

To market the new KIA Picanto, Kia Motors of Korea came up with a novel way to say "small." Using painted fingernails as stop motion animation to serve as a metaphor for packing things into a small vehicle.













The project took 25 days (and nights), 900 fingernails, 1200 bottles of nail polish and 2 hours to complete each piece of nail art.







The result is a video (cut as a :21 second teaser, a 1:13 second spot and a 2 minute director's cut)



Full version:





The director's cut, shown below, includes nails painted to call out features -like those shown below- as well as for the stop motion animation:





Images from the director's cut only:









Kia Picanto microsite