Out to Launch
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
How do smartphones work? Taco shells made from Doritos -- not a joke. Let's launch!
  • InfinitiInfiniti launched a trio of TV ads promoting its JX vehicle. "We Choose" illustrates that parents can drive a safe vehicle without compromising their identities. The car’s backup collision intervention system sees a van coming before dad does, preventing a collision. See it here. The built-in personal assistant in the JX saves dad from sleeping in the “Dog House” when he forgets his anniversary: reservations are booked for a romantic dinner. Watch it here. Watching "See the Invisible," I’m thinking three things: dad is either a bad driver, his hedges need to be trimmed, or he should start backing into his driveway at night. Case in point: another close call takes place in his driveway, this time involving a young boy pushing his teddy bear inside a toy car. See it here. TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles created the campaign.

     

    FirstBankA Heli-bus? Sure, right after I get my jetpack. A skier can dream, though. FirstBank launched a Heli-bus to shuttle skiers between a complimentary, FirstBank-sponsored parking lot and the base area of Copper Mountain, Frisco, CO. In reality, it’s just a bus with a helicopter design wrapped around it and 25-foot long non-working propellers on top. “Heli-Skiing. Now as affordable as Free Checking,” reads the side of the bus, seen here. The Heli-bus runs every 15 minutes, seven days a week, throughout ski season. TDA_Boulder created the campaign.

     

    ArmourHow do you sell sex to a mainstream audience? Keep the cheesy music and bad plots so it appears that an adult movie is about to begin. Then direct viewers to pay-per-view channel Amour to "Make Fantasies Happen." A woman gets pulled over for speeding in “Officer Biggs.” Wondering what she can do to avoid a big fine, she shows the policeman her ample bosom. The officer gives her two options: dispute the ticket in court or community service. See it here. The pool man comes to clean a dirty pool in the next ad, seen here. “You know what else is dirty?” says one sunbather. “The filter,” replies her friend. What’s a pizza deliveryman to do when his customer is dressed in only a towel and has no cash to pay for pizza? Tell her he accepts all credit cards. Watch it here. “Fantasies happen, but only on Amour TV,” closes each ad, created by Dare Vancouver, directed by Tim Godsall of OPC/Biscuit Filmworks and edited by Arcade Edit.

    SonyXperiaSony launched a sweet TV spot promoting its line of Xperia smartphones that uses stop-motion animation to bring a child’s vision to life. An eight-year-old boy wonders how smartphones work in “Mind of a Child.” The ad script is the thoughts of the young boy, who’s convinced that a set of worker robots, each with a specific job, make a smartphone work. Each robot is also pretty happy in his robot life, since he’s never seen what it’s like to be human. The same goes for us humans who have no idea what’s inside a smartphone. See it here, created by McCann Worldgroup and directed by Wes Anderson.

     

    CoronaCorona Extra launched “Spotlight,” the latest TV spot in its “Find Your Beach” campaign. “Spotlight” opens on a beach, where the band Everest performs their song “Let Go” to a crowd of three. In reality, the band is performing in a crowded club where three friends, relax, toast one another and envision themselves enjoying a private concert on a moonlit beach. The line “find your beach” closes the ad, seen here and created by Cramer-Krasselt.

     

    CokeZeroCoke Zero launched a TV spot in conjunction with upcoming summer movie “Battleship.” Two friends on a seemingly normal fishing trip encounter anything but normal when a can of Coke Zero is opened. A large spaceship emerges from the ocean, beams up the can and vanishes. When the pair opens more Coke Zero, they discover battleships surround their boat. Best just to relinquish the entire supply. Watch the ad here, created by CP+B.

     

    HSBCRugby is “Serious Play.” This 90-second video promotes HSBC’s co-title sponsorship of the 2012 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tournament that took place March 23-25. Players and spectators alike are passionate about the game, with the latter donning elaborate costumes to show support. This ad was so fast-paced, I actually thought Nike was behind it. In the video, set in Hong Kong, teams are outfitted in an array of costumes, from cowboys, green army men, elves and gladiators to Elvis attire. Their “field” is the streets and rooftops of Hong Kong -- and these men are not afraid to do whatever it takes to get that ball. Read: there’s lots of body slamming. Former rugby players Jason Robinson and George Gregan make cameos in the video, seen here, and created by JWT London.

     

    TacoBellI’m both intrigued and nauseated by this concept. Along with launching a new slogan, “Live Mas,” Taco Bell launched a new taco supreme, with a taco shell made from Nacho Cheese Doritos. “Pockets” served as a teaser ad for the taco launch. In it, a man comes home from a late night and empties his pockets. There’s a concert ticket stub, matches, pictures, sunglasses and a Taco Bell hot sauce packet. See it here. The debut ad, “Road Trip,” chronicles a man’s quest to try the new taco supreme before it launched nationwide. That meant driving 965 miles with his friends to the closest Taco Bell offering it. I’m all for road trips, but I’d prefer a bigger outcome than a Doritos taco shell. Draftfcb Orange County created the campaign.

     

    SmashYourFoodRandom iPad App of the week: Kids can play with their food without getting dirty with "Smash Your Food." The app teaches kids what is healthy and -- what’s not -- by having them guess how much sugar, salt or oil is in their favorite foods and then smashing the food to find the answers. Watch out burgers, French fries and soda; you will be smashed in the name of good nutrition. There are 40 foods on five levels for kids to smash, ranging from doughnuts to entire meals. Then the educational part comes into play. Did you know there are 25 cubes of sugar in a medium-sized milkshake, and 16 teaspoons of oil in a serving of chili cheese fries? Those stats would make anyone run for an apple instead. The app is available for free in the App Store.