Out To Launch

by Amy Corr, Dec 12, 2012, 1:34 PM

• Comment
• Recommend (2)
• Tweet
• 

Hurricane Sandy might be over, but rebuilding has just begun. The New York state Governor’s Office launched a series of PSAs for the Empire State Relief Fund, whose mission is to help New Yorkers rebuild and restore what was lost. Celebrity New Yorkers appear in each ad, and the central spot features them in a casual setting, sitting down and describing their personal love of New York. Interspersed with personal recollections from Edie Falco, Al Pacino, Steve Buscemi, Brooke Shields, Whoopi Goldberg and Robert DeNiro are black-and-white stills of New York landmarks and homes ravaged by Sandy. See it here. In one spot, celebs hold pictures of destroyed homes and declare that the act of people working together to help those affected is bigger than Hurricane Sandy. Watch it here. Another spot features the celebs with photos of destroyed homes, telling viewers their hearts are at these homes. See it here. In the final spot, DeNiro, Pacino, Michael J. Fox and Nathan Lane utter words that begin with re: rebuild, restore, repair and revive. Watch it here. Deutsch NY created the campaign pro bono.

An Ad Council PSA goes a more direct route in asking for aid to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. George Washington, on the dollar bill, stars in the PSA. The dollar bill takes the shape of a bed, stethoscope, hammer and wood, home and a hand, illustrating the multitude of things it can accomplish. Donations don’t need to be hefty to make a positive impact on others. The PSA encourages folks to visit Sandy.AdCouncil.org, where there’s a list of charitable organizations working to help those affected by Sandy. See the ad here, created pro bono by Free Range Studios and RadioFace.

KFC hit such commercial success with its holiday ads promoting an 8-piece meal with a dozen cookies that it created three extended online videos as a treat. A grown man is sandwiched between his two kooky aunts who ridicule his dating life and mock his ex-girlfriends. The only solution is handing them a piece of KFC and enjoying the silence. Watch it here. In the next video, our guy is bombarded by his nephews, playing that annoying “I’m not touching you” game as they place a finger thisclose to his face. Cookies keep the boys at bay. See it here. Two uncles keep stressing the importance of a five-year plan. Fried chicken saves the day. Watch it here. Draftfcb Chicago created the campaign.

Carmelo Anthony stars in a cute 15-second spot for Kids Foot Locker. Two friends are convinced their pal morphed into Carmelo Anthony on the court because he buys his gear at Kids Foot Locker. In reality, the friend just grabbed some water -- and Anthony really is playing, blocking and competing against a group of kids playing b-ball. Watch it here. The second ad features Dwight Howard as a force to be reckoned with on the court -- but a scaredy cat when hunting ghosts in abandoned building at night. Through a night vision lens, Howard hears a noise and runs screaming like a kid to safety. I’d react the same way. This was all a hypothetical situation because Howard is a dominant presence off the court, too. Wearing “Foot Locker Approved” kicks, natch. See it here. BBDO NY created the campaign.

TiVo launched two TV spots starring the quarterback everyone loves to hate, Tim Tebow. In “Slow-Mo” a brother and sister tell Tebow that they just bought a TiVo. They also share their mother’s dirty little secret: she watches anything Tebow-related in slow motion. See it here. In “Passing,” the young sister thinks Tebow is cool and talented but not as great as the TiVo Stream, because lots of people can throw footballs. TiVo Stream is one of a kind. Watch it here. The ads were created in-house, and R2C Group handled the media buy.

o.b. ultra is back on shelves and an “Endless Celebration” gets the party started. The site, created by Lowe Roche, Toronto, features more than 50 interactive clips celebrating the return of o.b. ultra absorbency tampons. This is a massive time suck. In one video, a quirky guy danced the “Amy”; in another clip, my mouse turned into a hand that slapped the rear end of a football player. Touchdown, indeed. The site lets you replay your clip or ask for another, truly making this effort the endless celebration it calls itself. When you tire of the videos, download coupons.

Innocean Worldwide Canada and Thinkingbox partnered to create a tricked-out Kia Rio that cheered for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC soccer team. On game days when Whitecaps’ fans tweeted using the special hash tag #kiacheerwcf, it triggered the Kia Rio to “cheer” via lights, car horn and car alarm sound effects, in real time. The event was simultaneously captured on two 80-inch monitors. See a demonstration here.

 

The AARP and the Ad Council launched a PSA to provide information and support to the more than 42 million unpaid caregivers nationwide, many who feel isolated and alone. “Silent Scream” illustrates the physical, emotional and mental strain on caregivers, showing an ill family member next to their caregiver, who is uttering a loud scream that can’t be heard. The PSA encourage caregivers to visit www.aarp.org/caregiving or call 877-333-5885 for help and knowledge that caregivers are not alone. See the ad here, created by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners.

Random iPhone App of the week: BGF 9000 and Stink Digital created the 'Give Em Ragú’ App, allowing families to use photos and videos from mobile phones, Instagram and Facebook albums to create their own Ragú commercial and share with family and friends. Once pictures or videos are selected and a title is created, the app will pair the phrase with an original Ragú jingle. The video can be shared through Facebook or YouTube. The app is free in the App Store.

• Comment
• Recommend (2)
• Tweet
• 

Be the first to comment on "Out To Launch"

Leave a Comment