Commentary

Out to Launch

MethProjectThere are some things you can’t sugarcoat in life, like the physical and psychological effects of meth use on addicts and their loved ones. Darren Aronofsky directed four TV spots for The Meth Project, an organization hoping to discourage first-time meth use with gritty and graphic situations that are hard to stomach. These ads are not for the faint of heart. “Deep End” left me speechless. A beautiful young woman transforms into a ravaged meth addict with discolored skin, facial scabs and drastic weight loss. She’s standing over her bathroom sink, having recently cut her wrists, as her mother runs in screaming “Oh, God, what did you do?” See it here. A man “Desperate” for money to buy more meth turns to prostitution to make a quick buck. Watch it here. A meth user is brought to the “ER” in the next ad, seen here. On meth, she went from mild-mannered to needing to be physically restrained on a gurney. A guy high on meth trashes his younger brother’s bedroom, going so far as pushing the brother into a framed glass poster, in an effort to find money. Watch it here. Organic created the campaign, produced by Wild Plum.

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Google GoMoMullen created an intro video, along with site design, for Google's GoMo initiative. The objective: to ensure that every brand has a mobile-friendly website that’s easy to navigate on a smartphone. The animated intro video explains the importance of having a mobile-friendly website (additional revenue stream) and how GoMo can help brands make simple, yet effective, changes to their sites. Users unsure about how mobile-friendly their site may be can test their site using the GoMo meter and receive personalized recommendations. See the intro video here.

 

GoGoNot to be confused with GoMo, we now have a campaign for GoGo, a provider of in-flight Internet access. The company launched its first TV and online campaign, featuring a man who’s overly excited about the ability to send email and update his Facebook status while flying. As he talks aloud to himself, he mocks those with limited tech options, saying, “What did you do, play another game of solitaire on your little computer phone? How very 2008 of you.” Just as he utters the snarky remark, he looks toward the man sleeping next to him that just woke up. His neighbor does not look amused. See the ad here, created in-house, with post-production handled by Mode.

 

State StreetIt’s true: nobody gets a tin watch when they retire, and Olympic athletes don’t hope for silver. Gold is the metal sought after and worth a pretty penny. State Street Global Advisors launched a print campaign to promote its GLD product, SPDR Gold Shares ETFs. Creative for “Nothing Like Gold” gets right to the point, showcasing a stack of gold bricks and copy such as: “No one ever says, go for the silver” and “There isn’t a pot of copper at the end of the rainbow.” The ads, seen here, here and here, are running in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Barron’s. The Gate Worldwide created the campaign.

 

Apartments.comKind of hard to get hot and heavy with your date when Mom and Dad are sitting on the next sofa. And let’s try not to imagine Mom and Dad in the shower together, while their son starts shaving. These creeptastic scenarios are courtesy of Apartments.com and its first-ever TV campaign. The moment a man and his date get inside his house, they are all over one another. The pair makes it to the couch but something distracts the woman. It’s the man’s parents, sitting on a loveseat, watching TV in the dark. The feeling of shock and awe is mutual. See it here. In the next ad, “Family Shower,” the same son attempts to shave but can’t find his razor. It’s in the shower, being used by his parents. They are conserving water… Watch it here. Contagious LA created the campaign.

 

IvoryIvory launched a TV and print campaign highlighting "Ivoryisms," or random product facts etched on bars of soap. “When dirt changes its formula, so will we,” reads a stack of soap in one ad, seen here. Soap is having an “Identity Crisis” in the next ad, seen here. Bathroom soaps take the shape of animals, flowers, cars, a cowboy hat and, my personal favorite, bacon and eggs. Then there’s Ivory. "Meticulously scented to smell exactly like soap,” reads the final stack of soap, seen here. Print ads, like this, follow suit with simplistic copy written in soap. Wieden+Kennedy Portland created the campaign.

 

Art Director's ClubThe Art Directors Club launched an online and print mailing campaign to promote its call for entries. Deadlines for entry are Jan. 20 for Design, Photography, Illustration and Interactive; Jan. 27 for Student, and Feb. 10 for Advertising and Integrated. Posters and postcards encourage creatives to “Keep fighting the good fight” despite daily obstacles, like scheduling a meeting, when you’re sitting in a meeting. One of my favorite ads shows da Vinci presenting his portrait of Mona Lisa to a client. The response? “Come back when you have more digital.” Then there’s a photo shoot for a can of tuna paired with the statement: “I want it to be Irving Penn meets Helmut Newton.”  See the ads here, here, here, here, here and here, created by DDB New York.

 

HardeesAwkward family photos get a tad creepier in a TV spot for Hardee’s. Promoting its Cheddar Biscuit, “Say Cheese” shows a family of four at a park, lined up for a family portrait. Or so we think. The family smiles and says “cheeeeese,” but nothing happens. They change positions and repeat. Turns out, a man is sitting on a bench, eating his cheddar biscuit, causing the family to creepily gawk. In their defense, the sandwich looks GOOD. See the ad here, created by David&Goliath.

 

 

Nike Jordan AppRandom iPhone App of the week: To launch the new Melo M8 shoe, Nike’s Jordan Brand created The Nike Jordan Post-Up App that pays tribute to Carmelo Anthony’s New York roots. The app allows users to place giant images of Melo on wallscapes throughout New York. Consumers can upload and share their photos online, view other user-created murals and locate nearby retailers. This might be as close to a basketball season as you get. The app, created by Blast Radius, is available for free in the App Store.

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