Out to Launch
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Mona Lisa smiles. Mitsubishi breaks records... so does Usain Bolt. Let's launch!
  • 1Who knew grocery store ads could be so romantic? The Co-Operative launched two TV ads for Valentine's Day, featuring a husband and wife describing things they'd rather be doing than grocery shopping. In the first ad, a husband would rather sleep in late on Saturday, hold hands with his wife and feed the ducks than sit in traffic, throw away uneaten sausages and shop in bulk once a week. Watch it here. The wife responds with her own ad, forgiving him for making a commercial because she, too, would rather bond with her husband and children than spend Saturdays grocery shopping. "Only buy what you want, when you want it," closes the ad, seen here. Now go kiss your significant other, stat! TBWA/Manchester created the campaign, edited by Cut + Run.

    2Everyone's a critic, especially when it comes to Super Bowl ads and Academy Award nominations. iN DEMAND, a distributor of movies on demand, launched a TV spot illustrating critics of all ages and sizes. "Everyone's a Critic" highlights a number of nominated films available for viewing on cable via MoD. A little girl pleads with her tea party guests (stuffed animals and dolls) about why an actress should win big Oscar night. A woman playing Bingo with her friend discusses movie sound editing and who should win. Her friend just wants to play Bingo. Watch the ad here, created by Thornberg & Forester.

    3If only all McDonald's spots were this amusing. Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci and Napoleon Bonaparte star in two ads that answer historical mysteries: What made Mona Lisa smile and why did Napoleon always have his hand inside his pocket? The answer is, of course, Big Mac. Da Vinci is frustrated with his subject, who sits sullen and gloomy. "Can you smile," he asks.  During his fit of aggravation, Mona Lisa sneaks inside the stack of books she's leaning on and grabs a bite of a Big Mac. It puts a smile on her face, and da Vinci's. See it here. Many wonder why Napoleon always rested his hand in his chest pocket. It wasn't for fashionable purposes or to alleviate his gout; he was also hiding a Big Mac. Watch it here. TBWA/Brussels created the campaign.

    4Jordan Brand launched "Gadgets," the latest in its "Dominate Another Day" campaign. Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade stars as Agent D3, tasked with bringing the NBA championship back to Miami. Agent D3 is inside the lab of H, his partner in charge of gadgets and goodies. H made advancements to D3's game shoes, allowing him to be fast and explosive on the court. Inside H's obstacle course, D3 can avoid Chinese throwing stars and dunk a basket under pressure. Watch the ad here, created by Wieden+Kennedy New York.

    5Mankind, a Toronto-based grooming studio for men, launched a funny TV spot about a convenience store clerk who was robbed by a man with perfect hair. When asked to describe the perpetrator, the clerk leaves no details behind: "His hair was chocolate brown. Gently tapered on the sides... Textured to appear more full-bodied." It doesn't take the police long to render this description useless. See the ad here. Cossette, Toronto, created the ad, directed by Patrick Sherman and edited by Poster Boy, Toronto.

    6Mitsubishi launched a TV, online and social media campaign promoting an impressive feat: breaking five Guinness World Records in 24 hours. Two Mitsubishi cars broke the following world records: greatest distance driven by a vehicle in reverse on snow in 30 seconds; shortest braking distance by a vehicle on ice; most vehicle figure eights on ice in two minutes; fastest vehicle slalom relay on ice; and fastest driven square lap. Who comes up with these categories? TV ads show a condensed version of the record-breaking performances and drive viewers online to watch extreme driving in its entirety. See an ad here, created by 180LA

    7Track and field star Usain Bolt stars in a TV spot promoting Gatorade's G Series of performance-enhancing products and beverages. The ad shows Bolt hydrating and practicing his skills. His goal is to beat his previous times, making his main competition himself. "Outdo yourself," closes the ad, as Bolt bests his previous time. See the ad here, created by TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles.

     

    8"It's not easy finding great fish." Just ask Legal Sea Foods. They're picky when it comes to the seafood they serve. Three TV ads depict how picky. The first ad features a crabber, who complains how the company won't buy a crab from him because it doesn't meet their standards. Watch it here. Another spot shows a bear successfully capturing a fish in its mouth, and spitting it back into the water. See it here. Even the seagulls are picky, asking one another if they've found worthy fish. Watch it here. Print ads don't mince words on how important fresh fish is to Legal Sea Foods: "There are plenty of fish in the sea. We should know, we throw most of them back," reads one ad. See ads here, here, here and here, created by DeVito/Verdi.

    9Random iPhone App of the week: MedHelp and GE created Sleep On It, an app to improve a person's sleep quality and overall health. Sleep On It has a virtual alarm that allows users to track sleep patterns to determine what factors may affect their sleep. Users can also record their mood each morning and record medications, health symptoms and naps to learn what triggers poor sleep cycles. The app is available for free in the App Store.