Out to Launch

by Amy Corr, Jul 3, 2012, 2:29 PM

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Cedar Fair amusement parks launched "Thrills Connect," an amusing TV campaign that illustrates the close bond that occurs between complete strangers riding roller coasters. In "Embrace," a man and a woman exchange pleasantries before their ride starts. Upon conclusion, the pair are locked in a tight embrace. Seated behind her, and unsure of what to say, are her husband and son. Mom decides to make everything better with funnel cakes. See it here. In "Language Barrier," a teenager tries to make small talk with a Chinese man seated next to him. The man doesn’t speak English so there’s little to say… until the ride ends and the teen becomes fluent in Mandarin. Watch it here. Cramer-Krasselt created the campaign.

“Race you” is such a common phrase uttered by kids. In an Olympic-themed ad for McDonald’s, competitive nature exists for both kids and adults, as friends swim, run, bike, dunk and jump their way to edible prizes: McDonald’s food. Egg McMuffins and French fries are at stake throughout friendly rivalries. The spot ends with basketball players LeBron James (Team USA) and Luol Deng (Team GBR) entering the Olympic stadium to a flash of photographers. “For the gold,” says Deng. “And a Big Mac,” replies James. See the ad here, created by DDB Chicago.

“Actions speak louder,” reads a print ad from Gatorade, running in Sports Illustrated and The Miami Herald, congratulating Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade on his championship win. Nothing motivates players to do better than proving their naysayers wrong. Inside the championship trophy Wade is hoisting above his head are negative headlines like: “Wade comes up short”; “Wade still an elite player”; and “D-Wade far from faultless in series.” See the ad here, created by TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park launched a TV spot promoting its Cheetah Run, where visitors can get a close watch of a cheetah race down a 330-foot-long track. "Toy" stars Robert, a zebra that lives at the park and is unimpressed by the cheetah’s quick speed. Robert swiftly changes his tune when he sees the cheetah catch and rip open a plush toy that happens to be in the shape of a zebra. See the ad here, created by M&C Saatchi, Los Angeles and produced by The Mill.

Gatorade, in conjunction with the Women's Sports Foundation, launched a great TV ad in support of the 40^th anniversary of Title IX. “Keep Her In The Game” takes place on a soccer field. As girls play, a woman’s voice on the PA system says things like: “Are your abs bikini ready?” and ”Time for a makeover.” These insecurity-provoking announcements prompt the girls to shed their soccer gear for makeup, high heels and short dresses. A voiceover then explains that, due to societal pressures, girls drop out of playing sports by the time they are 14 at a rate twice as higher than boys. Watch it here. In addition, athletes like Billy Jean King, Serena Williams, Hope Solo and Abby Wambach have changed their social media profile pics to photos of themselves as 14-year-old athletes, accompanied by the line: "If I walked away then, I wouldn’t be here now." TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles created the campaign.

Let’s take a look at this PlayStation ad promoting MLB 12 THE SHOW, now that the baseball season is half over. The spot takes a look at the city of Chicago celebrating a Cubs World Series win. Residents are beyond happy. They’ve been waiting a long time. And judging by this year’s midway record, they’ll be waiting at least another year. “Cubs Win” shows the sheer joy of Chicago residents as they take to the streets to celebrate. One of my favorite scenes is of an elderly man in a wheelchair who cuts off his beard. In reality, this revelry is happening inside a video game, but it’s so real that players can’t help but get a bit choked up at the possibility of a Cubs win. See it here, created by Deutsch LA.

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