Out to Launch
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Lotto ads without the lotto. Axe creates a tool for guys trying too hard on social media. Let's launch!
  • haydaySupercell has launched the first TV spot for its mobile farming game, Hay Day. I'm guessing this is a game that's similar to Farmville, where users can grow and maintain a farm and lose hours upon hours of daylight to keeping the faux farm up and running. The debut ad stars a singing "Cowboy" who talks to animated chickens and pigs about the uniqueness of Hay Day. It never rains, yet the crops are plentiful. Craving bacon? There's an animated pig, happy as a pig in you know what, who's eager to serve you a plate. See it here, created by Barton F. Graf 9000.

  • carlsjrYou know summer is just around the corner when Carl's Jr. and Hardee's launch a TV spot full of '80s hair band music and breasts -- chicken breasts. The roosters in one town cannot be fenced in, for they're on a mission to find the biggest chicken breasts around. Set to the tune "Nothing but a Good Time" by Poison, "Everybody Wants Some" follows roosters flocking to a town by truck, subway and on foot, each surrounding their final destination: a Carl's Jr. that sells "the biggest chicken breasts in fast food." Shouldn't this ad fall under the same category as Mr. Potato Head eating Lay's potato chips? Cock-a-doodle-do. 72andSunny created the ad, seen here.

  • axeThis might come as a surprise to some, but people can overdo it when it comes to sharing on social networks. (No!) Axe launched a tool for guys, the "Social Effort Scale," which calculates whether they're trying too hard on social media. Do we really need to see every location you check into, or countless selfies of your abs? The site promotes Axe's new hair styling line, MATTE EFFECT by Axe Platinum Series.  Guys log into the Social Effort Scale website via social media profiles. The site uses an algorithm that calculates how often they post on social media, how often they update status, whether emojis are used and how many retweets they  get. After receiving their score, guys can view a list of cities that are trying to hard in the social media department in real time. Check out an intro video on how the site works here. Barton F. Graf 9000 and Unit9 in London created the site.

  • oregonlottoThe Oregon Lottery has launched a TV ad that doesn't mention the latest scratch-off game or big prize amounts that players can win. Rather, it celebrates the opening of Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Oregon's second largest state park. The pristine park was privately owned until it was purchased for the public, funded with $13 million from the Oregon Lottery. The park area, on the largest stretch of the un-dammed John Day River, is just breathtaking. There's plenty of things for hikers, equestrians, bikers and runners to do and see. The ad is a part of the Lottery's "It Does Good Things" campaign, which highlights how Lottery dollars positively impact communities across the state. See the ad here, created by BPN.

  • coloradolottoJust when I thought the Oregon Lottery campaign was unique, here's a similar campaign for the Colorado Lottery, highlighting all the positive things that come to fruition when a state lottery ticket is purchased. In a 60-second spot entitled "Play," weekend warriors are shown hiking, biking, campaign, skateboarding, trail running, kayaking and fly-fishing with beautiful mountains serving as background. The viewer doesn't realize it's an ad for the Colorado Lottery until the last five seconds, when a voiceover explains that lotto proceeds help fund the places residents most love to play. Since 1983, the Colorado Lottery has contributed more than $2.5 billion in proceeds to fund parks, recreation, open space conservation, wildlife preservation and community playgrounds. Watch the ad here, created by Cactus.

  • hondaHonda launched a fun online video to support its "Fastest Seat in Sports" sweepstakes. Starring Mario Andretti, the video follows the racecar driver as he issues "slow citations" to unsuspecting pedestrians in Chicago. Taking too long to snap that selfie will result in a citation. The same goes for walking slowly or taking too long to decide on what type of salsa to buy. Andretti is accompanied by four members of the "Honda Speed Patrol," who all dole out tickets for carefree, time-is-not-of-the-essence movements. The "Fastest Seat in Sports" sweepstakes gives racing enthusiasts the opportunity to start an IndyCar Series race in the Honda 2-seater driven by Andretti. Participants can win a trip to one of 10 races, so buckle up and hang on to your helmet. See the video here, created by RPA.

  • nissanRemember last year when Nissan teamed up with Amazon.com to deliver a Nissan Versa Note in a giant Amazon box? The pair teamed up again this year to promote the Nissan Rogue, this time using a big locker. The locker is smack-dab in the heart of San Francisco, and when passersby tweet, comment or post photos about the locker using the hashtag #GiantLocker, they earn a code that opens one of the locker doors, unveiling various prizes. One person's code will open a door and win a Nissan Rogue. Participants can follow the giant locker on Facebook (Facebook.com/NissanRogue) or search for the hashtag #GiantLocker on Twitter and Instagram. TBWA\Chiat\Day LA created the campaign.

  • devinecolorI don't know what it is about paint ads, but they make me believe that I can accomplish any DIY job on my own. Take this ad from specialty paint company Devine Color. The company launched a new line of paint colors and repositionable wallpapers to be sold at Target stores, and its debut ad makes DIY jobs look easy and achievable. The ad shows a woman tackling a handful of small such jobs without looking stressed, tired or covered in paint. "See how simple stunning can be" closes the ad, seen here, created by mono and directed by Angela and Ithyle.

  • poopmdRandom iPhone App of the week: PoopMD is a mobile app, developed by Johns Hopkins Children's Center and HCB Health, that helps parents monitor for abnormalities in their newborn's stool, namely the light-colored stool associated with biliary atresia, the leading cause of pediatric end-stage liver disease. Using color recognition software, PoopMD allows parents to snap a photo of their baby's stool, receive feedback on its color within seconds (anything but red, black and white is OK), email the photo and results to their baby's doctor, and store results for future reference. The app also sends reminder notifications for stool-color checks every two weeks between birth and the first 60 days of life. Download the free app here.