Adweek

Artists Give Old Domino's Signage a Second Life in 'Second Hand Logos' Project

David Kiefaber — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:58:43 GMT

Say what you want about Domino's (it's an abomination unto the Lord), but they have one of the better branded Pinterest projects I've seen in a while—Second Hand Logos. Since Domino's recently redesigned their logo, Crispin Porter + Bogusky got to thinking about what happens to a company's old signage, clothing, store materials, etc. So, the agency commissioned 10 artists to make stuff with old Domino's employee shirts, pizza boxes and other company ephemera. Lots of it is for sale, and Domino's is being gracious enough not to demand a cut of the artists' sales, which is pretty cool of them. More of the work will roll out in the coming days. Doesn't make this any less accurate, but this is a good example of effective consumer outreach.

Apple Finds Its Footing Again With Evocative Film About Third-Party iOS Apps

David Gianatasio — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:36:49 GMT

My colleague Tim Nudd recently wondered if Apple, at a crucial time of transition in the company's history, had lost its voice in the new "Our Signature" manifesto commercial.

Vegetarians Have a Beef With Red Robin's Garden Burger Ad

David Gianatasio — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:33:59 GMT

Back in January, Red Robin basked in the glow of good publicity after the manager of one of its North Carolina restaurants comped a pregnant patron $11.50 and added a good-luck message to her bill. Aww! The coverage this week, however, is closer to aww-ful, as the chain is taking heat from vegetarians for a commercial touting its 24 burger options. The 15-second spot includes the line, "We even have a garden burger … just in case your teenage daughter is going through a phase." The actress's overdone delivery, probably intended as conspiratorial, comes off as condescending. Now, you'd think vegetarians would be too scrawny and weak to kick up a fuss, but they flocked to social media (where else?) and accused the chain of being disrespectful and callous, demanding that it pull the ad and/or apologize. On Monday, Red Robin's communications chief, Kevin Caulfield, told the Huffington Post that the ad "is planned to be out of rotation and no longer on the air very soon." The controversy will have no lasting impact, and I expect any ill will to vanish as soon as the commercial does. It's not like the chain's employees posted videos of themselves licking garden burgers or sticking their toes in the lettuce—yet. Behave, burger people! See a few more spots from the campaign after the jump.

red robin says it offers a gardenburger "just in case your teenage daughter is going through a phase." how many groups did it just insult?
— Chris Ziegler (@zpower) June 18, 2013

Kraft Salad Dressing Ad Gets Best Present Ever: A Slap From One Million Moms

Tim Nudd — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:17:00 GMT

Kraft's saucy ad campaign (via ad agency Being) for its Zesty Italian salad dressing launched in early April, but it's taken a rebuke from One Million Moms to give it a sudden enormous boost of visibility.

Microsoft Bashes Siri Again in New Ad Showing Off Dell's XPS 10 Tablet

David Kiefaber — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:43:10 GMT

Microsoft vents its inferiority complex with Apple yet again—by humiliating Siri—in this new spot from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, following a similar ad last month that got more than 5 million views on YouTube.

Mother's New Campaign for Optimum Is Completely MIDWULS

David Gianatasio — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:00:54 GMT

Mother New York made up a word, "MIDWULS," using the last seven digits of Optimum's phone number, and created an integrated campaign around it. MIDWULS, we're told, is "that incredible feeling that comes when you get a great deal on TV, phone and Internet" by signing up with Optimum.

Max Page, Volkswagen's Little Vader, Makes the Most of His Jedi Powers

Tim Nudd — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:00:54 GMT

A year ago this week, Max Page—known to ad geeks as the 8-year-old actor who played Little Vader in Volkswagen's 2011 Super Bowl ad—had open-heart surgery for a congenital heart defect.

Heineken Celebrates Corny #DadJokes in Father's Day Hashtag Campaign

Tim Nudd — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:56:30 GMT

If you are male, the moment you have a child you are required to drastically alter your sense of humor in ways both profound and irreversible. Where before you were witty and sharp, you must now become broad and pun-heavy. This is mostly so you can embarrass your offspring, although, counterintuitively, it is also guaranteed to make them love you more. (The whole thing is probably evolutionary in some complex way.) This Sunday, for Father's Day, Heineken will celebrate this oddity of the human condition with a #dadjokes campaign from Wieden + Kennedy in New York. You submit your cheesiest dad joke with that hashtag to @Heineken_US, and the brewer will meme-ify its favorites—posting your joke next to stock photos of awesome dads through the ages. Heineken will add its own #dadjokes throughout the day, too, and all of them will be archived on a special #dadjokes Tumblr. Join in Sunday, and make it the most groan-inducing site on the Internet. Credits below.

Family Guy Pleads for an Emmy With Racy Spoof of HBO's Girls

David Kiefaber — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:25:52 GMT

Fox's Family Guy has a new "For Your Consideration" ad for this year's Emmy Awards, because Seth MacFarlane's unfunny Rat Pack schtick hasn't ruined enough award shows yet.

Fiat's Abarth 500 Is So Fast, You Can't Follow It on Twitter

Tim Nudd — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:19:17 GMT

Here's a fun Twitter stunt from Germany for Fiat's Abarth 500 turbocharged hatchback. If you try to follow the vehicle's official Twitter page, you get a direct message saying that no one can follow the Abarth 500, because it's just too fast.

Has O'Charley's Created a Poor Man's Ron Swanson?

David Griner — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:26:57 GMT

I doubt I'm alone in believing that Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson (played by Nick Offerman's mustache) is one of the best characters in TV history. The folks at O'Charley's seem to be such fans that they've created their own "spokes-patron" who seems to be an homage to television's favorite steak-devouring Libertarian. The "Brock Roland" character appears in two new spots for O'Charley's. In one, Roland introduces himself by saying he'll gamble on push-up contests and love, but not on steak. In the second spot, he adds an order of chicken fingers to his cowboy sirloin, which might get a nod of respect from Swanson, who likes to order his steaks in threes and once asked a diner for "all the bacon and eggs you have." Check out one of the O'Charley's spots below and another after the jump, where you'll also find a few of our favorite Ron Swanson food moments.

Huggies Makes Pregnancy Belt for Men So They Can Feel Their Baby Kicking

David Kiefaber — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:10:03 GMT

Huggies and Ogilvy & Mather Argentina made a belt for men that allows them to feel their unborn baby's kicks. The belt is synced up with the real-time movements of the baby in the mother's belly, apparently through some kind of wireless sorcery.

Volkswagen Uses Sinatra's 'My Way' to Great Effect in Schizophrenic New Ad

David Gianatasio — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:54:12 GMT

Adam&eveDDB once again gambles on an unconventional approach for Volkswagen in this new U.K. spot, which offers cornball renditions of "My Way," including one performed on pan pipes, for the first 40 seconds (more than half its running time) while keeping the Golf GTI out of sight. Then—badda bing!—Frank Sinatra's iconic version of the song kicks in, and the car's in every freaking frame, zipping around the Las Vegas strip and hot wheelin' on the roof of the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino. This segue from weird home-video/YouTube fodder to big-bucks commercial glitz could've been jarring, but is handled so smoothly that it pays off in an ad that's different enough to be memorable without seeming ridiculous. There's a making-of clip for viewers who wish to double down. Also, have a look back at adam&eveDDB's VW spot from last month, when it really hit the jackpot with an unusual and compelling commercial highlighting the automaker's fuel-saving start/stop technology.

Crescent Moon Becomes the Lime in the Bottle on Heavenly Corona Billboard in NYC

Tim Nudd — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:56:50 GMT

The moon isn't made of cheese. It's made of lime. Corona and ad agency Cramer-Krasselt have put up a fun billboard in New York City which—on certain nights of the month, from a certain angle—makes the waxing crescent moon look like a slice of lime resting in a Corona bottle.

Domino's Tests Delivery of Pizza by Remote-Controlled Drone

David Kiefaber — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:29:17 GMT

Drones are in the news for all sorts of horrible reasons, but Domino's might salvage its reputation somewhat by eventually—someday—using them to deliver pizza. The company's DomiCopter—a joint effort by U.K.

Designer Remakes NSA's Slides to Make Them (at Least Look) Less Hideous

Rebecca Cullers — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:12:21 GMT

This week in celever self-promotions, freelance presentation designer Emiland De Cubber has created a great SlideShare that markedly improves the PRISM slides from the leaked (and terrifyingly designed) NSA PowerPoint.

The 11 Grossest Fast-Food Abominations in the World

David Griner — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:02:43 GMT

For all the talk of healthier options at fast-food joints these days, what really seems to succeed is excess. In recent years, restaurants around the world seem to be competing to come up with the oddest, most sauce-slathered, diet-destroying dish possible. So, who has come out on top? We decided to ask the experts at EpicMealTime, YouTube's most popular gluttonous gourmets.

Senator Strips in Cheeky Ad Aimed at Fighting Money in Politics

Katy Bachman — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:00:04 GMT

Here's something you don't see every day: a stripping politician. No, it's not Anthony Weiner. It's an ad for Represent.us, a new organization created late last year to fight the influence of money in politics.

Jack Link's Causes a Meaty Rain to Fall on Omaha for National Jerky Day

David Gianatasio — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:43:23 GMT

Beef jerky raining down from the sky. We've all dreamed about it. I'm pretty sure it's prophesied in the Bible somewhere. Well, Jack Link's and ad agency Carmichael Lynch brought the fantasy to life on Tuesday night to celebrate the second annual National Jerky Day, which, of course, is today (as if you didn't already know). Thousands of Jack Link's packages with tiny parachutes were dropped from a helicopter over the Omaha Champions Village baseball complex. This is what passes for entertainment in Nebraska. More salty, meaty events are planned for today nationwide. The brand's Sasquatch mascot will hand out samples at the Hollywood & Highland Center, though passersby might just think it's Kevin Smith. The jerky drop was the culmination of "Operation Sky Meat," which featured teaser videos of a pigeon, plane, rocket and radio-controlled toy chopper attempting to sky-drop Jack Link's products, though all climaxed in fiery explosions. Yes, I spoiled the endings, and I've had a crap attitude through this entire post. It is Jerky Day, after all.

Teaser videos below.

'Greatness Awaits' in BBH's Grand Launch Spot for the PlayStation 4

David Griner — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:01:11 GMT

While most gamers were focused this week on learning what the new Sony PlayStation 4 will look like and how much it will cost ($399), ad geeks were treated to their own big reveal: the console's new marketing campaign. "Greatness Awaits" will be the launch tagline for the PS4, and the campaign rolled out this week with a suitably epic 90-second anthem spot from BBH New York. The agency won the PlayStation account earlier this year, succeeding longtime creative lead Deutsch/LA, whose ads featuring fictional PlayStation vp Kevin Butler were roundly beloved until ending awkwardly with a lawsuit against the star talent. The new guard's inaugural work for the PS4 features actor Taylor Handley (from CBS's recently canceled series Vegas) delivering a long-take soliloquy on embracing your greatness. Speckled with cameos by game characters and self-destructing set designs, the ad ends with the actor diving into the fray to break some pirate legs and clothesline a few clowns. If those are both part of the same game, I'd be willing to pre-order a PS4 today. Credits below.

How Does Superman Shave? Gillette Asks Some Supergeeks Who Might Know

Rebecca Cullers — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:13:45 GMT

Gillette has a super-geeky Man of Steel tie-in and YouTube takeover going on right now, where they ask an impressive list of celebrities, "How does Superman shave?" Bill Nye, the science guy, offers a theory based in materials science. Super-geek movie director Kevin Smith suggests he uses a piece of the spaceship he came to Earth in (while detailing and dismissing some super other amusing theories, including the one from the comics that he uses his heat-vision reflected in a mirror to burn each hair off). The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik (whom you may know as Blossom, and who also has a real Ph.D in neuroscience) puts forth that Superman has super-Nair. Finally, the MythBusters guys give five or six theories before landing on the Large Hadron Collider. Surprisingly, but not in a bad way, no one said with a Gillette razor. It's a smart idea and a great tie-in. Ad agency Concept One came up with the notion for Gillette. If you want to hash over your own theory, tweet at #HowDoesHeShave. Or just search it to geek out on the crazy pseudo-science theories. Asking comic-book nerds to argue an absurd bit of superhero minutiae on social media? Their evil plan just might work! More spots below.

No, Seriously, Golf Is a Real Sport, Says Nike's New Tiger Woods Ad

David Kiefaber — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:31:39 GMT

Tiger Woods's latest chapter in his blood oath to Nike is this ad from Wieden + Kennedy in which the golfer is compared to a track-and-field competitor, a boxer, a basketball player and a baseball player (referencing Babe Ruth, no less). The idea is to stress golf's athleticism, but all it did for me was reinforce how lethargic golf is compared to sports where people aren't driven around in carts with other people who carry all their stuff. I would like to see how Tiger trains for big tournaments, though, so maybe next time Nike could be less roundabout in its approach. Credits below.

Jell-O's Jigglevision Lets You Send Secret Messages to Friends

David Gianatasio — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:38:32 GMT

Jell-O's new "Jigglevision" social campaign from Crispin Porter + Bogusky is not quite as titillating as it sounds. You write a brief message on the brand's Facebook app using various "Jigglevision" patterns as camouflage, then share the note with friends via email or social media.

Help Smash a Menagerie of Talking Animals in This Interactive Skittles Ad

David Kiefaber — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:24:10 GMT

After years of weirdness and grotesquerie, Skittles has found its calling—breaking Grandma's knickknacks. This enjoyable interactive YouTube video from DDB Chicago features a young man who breaks a porcelain unicorn after it promises it will turn into Skittles if he does so. Naturally, the interactive part involves clicking on, and watching the guy break, a bunch of other stuff, including two frogs, two birds and a monkey. It's pretty fun, and I'm glad to see Skittles run those anarchic creative tendencies of theirs through some quality control. Credits below.

10-Year-Old Writes Love Letter to Wieden + Kennedy About 10-Year-Old Honda 'Cog' Ad

Tim Nudd — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:13:45 GMT

Neil Christie of Wieden + Kennedy in London received the letter below on Monday morning from a 10-year-old girl who seems to have fallen in love with the agency's "Cog" spot for Honda—the instant classic which was released a decade ago, possibly before this girl was even born.

"It was astonishing how you did all of it," she writes. "How do you make it so smooth? It must have taken you months to get it right." The girl says she tried a similar experiment "with my little brother Alex's toy truck and my stationary" and managed to make it work. Now, she wants to visit the agency.

Christie writes: "I can't help thinking that a visit to our office will be a bit of a disappointment for Melissa—it's just like a normal office only more untidy—but it's a very good letter for a ten year old. Neat handwriting and only a couple of errors. Perhaps there's a future for her as a copywriter."

A commercial that inspires a love letter from a child a decade after it was made—that is special advertising. See the letter below, along with the spot and the making-of video.