Out to Launch
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Crack that whip. Devo bows new tune via Dell ad. Corelle plates are sturdy, yet stylish. Burger King and "The Simpsons" unite for world domination. Let's launch!
  • Crack that whip. Devo bows new tune via Dell ad. Corelle plates are sturdy, yet stylish. Burger King and "The Simpsons" unite for world domination. Let's launch!

    The marketing department behind "The SimpsonsMovie" is drumming out great campaigns, and I'm enjoying every minute. First came the handful of 7-Eleven's that morphed into the show's fictional Kwik-E-Mart, then came the fashion spread in Harper's Bazaar, coupling Simpsons characters with animated fashion icons. Now comes a partnership with Burger King, fulfilling the goal of world domination. "Outtakes" is a behind-the-scenes look at a commercial shoot starring Homer and a slew of double whoppers. Watch it here. "Krusty" takes on the King in another ad, trying to convince consumers to buy his Krusty burger over the whopper. Krusty takes a cheap shot at the King, who ends up delivering the final blow. Click here to watch. The best ad, "World Domination," features Kang and Kodos on a mission to "Simpsonize" humans. Their leader is the King masquerading as an alien. Watch it here. Each ad drives traffic to SimpsonizeMe.com, where users can morph themselves into their favorite character. Crispin Porter + Bogusky created the ads, and Mindshare handled the media buy.

    He directed the movie "Garden State," then Dunkin' Donuts ads. Whatever works for you, Zach Braff, I'm down. The two spots posit life if Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and supermodel Naomi Campbell were mere commoners and held office jobs and did their own yard work. While Frehley's office presentation is entertaining, it fails to offer much else. Watch it here. As for Naomi? A tree does not grow in her front yard -- it takes the brunt of her anger after she breaks a heel. Watch the ad here.Hill Holliday created the campaign and handled the media buy.

    Remember the Old Spice TV spot from last week featuring a bar of soap laden with pubic hair? Just when you though you irretrievably filed that memory away, a print version appears! Ah, yes, the solution to the pubes on soap quandary is Old Spice body wash. Click here to see the ad. Wieden+Kennedy Portland created the campaign and handled the media buy.

    Hilton Garden Inn launched "Tomorrow's a Big Day," a print campaign focusing less on amenities and more on the guests. Ads can be found in USA Today, Inc., The Week, Golf for Women and Golf throughout 2007. Creative highlights the reasons why guests are residing at the hotel, whether they're attending a wedding, golfing or traveling for business, and how the hotel ensures the guests are well-prepared for their outings. Click here, here, here, here and here to see the ads. The campaign also consists of a heavy online ad buy on Oprah.com, ESPN.com, Forbes.com, CNET.com, Weather.com and SportsIllustrated.com, to name a few. Print ads drive traffic to StayHGI.com. DGWB created the print campaign and handled the media buy. Swafford & Company Advertising created the online ads.

    First came "Whip it" and 17 years later, Devo launched "Work it" in the latest ad for Dell. Promoting its XPS laptop, this is the second ad in the company's latest campaign. Last week's ad touted the array of colored laptops available, while this week's gets more mechanical. Devo-style. There are women with tools building a big, strong, powerful motor that fits into the thin Dell notebook. Did I mention that the song's great and has been in my head all day? Watch the ad here.Mother New York created the campaign and PMI handled the media buy.

    Perry Ellis is paying tribute to campaigns of yesteryear in its fall print creative, running in GQ, Details, Esquire and T: the New York Times Magazine. Recent Perry Ellis campaigns featured vignettes of models in green-tile shower stalls and depictions of unsettling domestic scenes. The latest ads take place at a deserted beach, Fire Island to be exact, a nod to where Ellis frequented. Click here, here and here to see the ads. Laspata/Decaro created the campaign and media buying was handled in-house.

    Corelle launched four print ads positioning the dishware as both strong and chic. Using the tagline "Beautiful under the harshest conditions," plates are found unscathed atop a coral reef, a rock bed and a desert. Click here, here and here to see the ads. My favorite ad features a delicate plate in a thorny bed of roses. See it here. Ads are running inBlueprint, Domino, Elle Décor, Essence, Everyday with Rachel Ray,Glamour, InStyle, InStyle Home,Latina Magazine, People en Espanol and Redbook. Cramer-Krasselt created the campaign and handled the media buy.

    The Nevada Power Company launched an energy-saving TV spot in May that pitted a bodybuilder against a hamster to see how much energy it would take for each to light up a light bulb. The bodybuilder pedals aggressively on an exercise bike only to create a spark. The hamster walks its wheel, and the energy-saving light remains lit. "Looks funny. Saves money," concludes the ad. Click here to watch. It reminds me of my favorite ESPN Sports Center spot where Lance Armstrong pedals the electricity to the Sports Center offices. Watch it here.R&R Partners Las Vegas created "Hamlit."