Out to Launch
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
People that live in bouncy houses shouldn't throw sharp objects. Moet launches first global campaign. Let's launch!
  • montanabbqHow can anyone, except vegetarians, refuse meat as a currency? Montana's Cookhouse & Bar offered its best of BBQ sampler, consisting of BBQ ribs, sausages, chicken, brisket, and shrimp, to various businesses in Toronto as currency for various services and items. You might be surprised at how much the actor -- the only person really paid for his services -- was able to attain with meat. Even the production crew and advertising agency, One Twenty Three West, agreed to take part of their payment in BBQ. This must be good BBQ. Over two days of bartering, the spokesman, or should I say smokesman, received such goodies as a manicure, men’s skin-care products, new shoes, a haircut, a bouquet of flowers, an area rug, and a real tattoo. Watch out, Bitcoin. See the compilation video here. Additional long-form videos show the actor receiving a psychic reading, massage, MMA lesson, yoga lesson and flowers.

  • tacobellHere's an ad to let you know the Breakfast War between Taco Bell and McDonald's is still going strong. Taco Bell debuted a new item on its breakfast menu, the grilled breakfast burrito. So the brand reunited a group of men named Ronald McDonald, who appeared in Taco Bell's breakfast menu campaign earlier this year, to test the burritos. There's no plot twist here; the Ronald McDonald's love the latest breakfast menu addition. When a producer off-camera asks the Ronalds if they would buy a burrito from a burger place, one Ronald answers with this winning line: "You don't go to a sushi bar and order spaghetti." Or a steak house and order chicken or a seafood restaurant and order pasta... See the ad here, created by Deutsch LA.

  • benjaminmooreBenjamin Moore launched a funny mockumentary, featuring a family in unique living quarters, to promote its Regal Select REVIVE paint for vinyl siding. A charming but fictitious family, the Hopsons, opts for a two-story bouncy house because all their neighbors' houses have vinyl siding that can't be painted, according to Mr. Hopson. The home is clearly a great core workout -- but leave the high heels at the door. Entertaining is troublesome due to a weight limit and applying make-up with precision is impossible. But the family makes it work, until they see their next-door neighbor getting his vinyl siding painted. That's when the bouncy house dream deflates -- both in the mind of Mrs. Hopson, and in reality, when a runaway lawn edger pokes a hole in the house. "Vinyl, meet paint," closes the ad, seen here, created by The Martin Agency and directed by Nick Jasenovic.

  • moetMoet & Chandon launched its first global digital spot, targeting Millennials who like to have a good time. "L'ascenseur (the elevator)" showcases Nectar Imperial Rose as the drink of choice when going big on a night out. The video begins with images from the Moet Maison in Epernay, France. After that, an elevator door opens and the bottles are poppin', to an original hip-hop track by Squeak E. Clean. The party-goer with fine taste in Champagne visits multiple floors full of gambling and dancing, but it's the top floor that suits him just right. He whisks a bevy of attendees from the bottom and middle floors to the top, where a DJ and bottles of Nectar Imperial Rose continually flow. "Success is a matter of style" closes the ad, seen here, created by Omelet and directed by Samuel Bayer.

  • PhillipsVenables Bell & Partners launched a pair of comical ads for The Phillips 66 Company. In "Professional Demonstration," a man who is good at everything explains the benefits of using Phillips 66 gas. It's like fiber for a car's engine. And viewers should trust this man's advice, since he's a professional, mechanic, police officer, housekeeper, doctor, motivational speaker and male model. What's not to trust? See it here. In "The Odds Are Great," Carl fuels up at Phillips 66 and reads about the brand's Tank5 sweepstakes, where one in five players win. Loving these odds, Carl dreams of other scenarios where he has a one in five chance of winning: a track meet, the Academy Awards and Miss America pageant. In Carl's world, he easily wins each time. Watch it here.

  • donatevoiceThe Canadian Women's Foundation launched a TV campaign that gives a voice to young girls forced into sex trafficking, while educating Canadians that this problem is happening in their country. The first spot shows an older man telling the story of a young girl who was approached by a modeling scout at the mall. She was instead brought to a hotel, forced into performing sexual acts and eventually taken from her hometown, unable to see her family. Watch it here. Another ad shows a middle-aged man describing one girl's older boyfriend, who forced her to sleep with other men. See it here. The final ad shows a woman narrating one girl's story about a boyfriend who introduced her to drugs and then threatened to hurt her family if she didn't prostitute herself. Watch it here. Each ad drives viewers to GiveMyVoice.com, a site where people can donate their voice and narrate a girl's story. DDB Canada Toronto and Tribal Worldwide Toronto created the campaign.

  • edwardjonesEdward Jones launched an online recruitment campaign that encourages potential employees to "make more than just a living." An online video, "Notes of Thanks," targets professionals with five to eight years of experience by showcasing a more personal side to a career: the relationships forged between financial adviser and client. Edward Jones hopes to expand to 20,000 financial advisers by 2020. The video follows the life of an Edward Jones financial adviser. His desk is filled with thank-you cards and party invitations from clients he's helped over the years. The man isn't just a business relationship; he's become a part of his clients' lives. He may also be a saint, for he's not only helping his clients, but volunteering and helping his community when he's not working. See the video here, created by Lowe Campbell Ewald.

  • geGE launched a series of documentary-style videos that highlight how advances in GE technology affect people around the world. In the first video, we follow a doctor in Japan who makes house calls to island residents on his jet ski. He brings ultrasound equipment with him that's small enough to hold in his hand. See it here. The next video shows a young boy in China who is attending soccer camp and taking his first airplane ride. He's not afraid and he looks forward to flying through clouds. Watch it here. The final video is pretty fascinating. It shows how tidal turbines and the moon brings power and energy to the Scottish Islands. See it here. BBDO New York created the campaign.

  • bushbeansRandom iPhone App of the week: Bush's Baked Beans created "Bush's Bean Dash," an app that allows players to help Jay avoid obstacles while collecting beans and ingredients for the entire line of Bush's Baked Bean flavors. Jay's beloved dog Duke will offer advice and clues along the journey. I wonder if he'll spill the beans and share Bush's secret family recipe? The game has a very retro feel to it -- think Super Mario Brothers back in the day -- and three different zones to travel through: the farm, barn and countryside. Jay must gather recipe ingredients while jumping and avoiding bumble bees, loud chickens and gophers. When Jay's bean meter runs out, the game is over. The app, created by Pysop and Doner, is available for free in the app store.