Out to Launch
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Falling billboard reveals subliminal message. A killer tan really is a killer. Let's launch!
  • fifththirdbankFifth Third Bank has launched a TV ad promoting its mobile banking app that illustrates the amount of time saved when banking digitally. The ad shows a woman with a small baby strapped to her chest, grabbing a number as she waits in line at the DMV. The minutes feel like years, and the woman's baby grows to the size of a young teen, causing Mom and son to topple to the ground.  Watch it here, created by Leo Burnett Chicago.

  • jackintheboxJack in the Box has launched a 60-second TV spot that explains how the hamburger chain found the latest burger flavor. And it's... wait for it... "legendary." The spot follows Jack as he rides his motorcycle through rain, fog and sandstorms until he smells something delicious: garlic herb butter. After Jack finds the source -- a camping cowboy cooking dinner -- he does the only logical thing: take the cowboy and burger home. And that's how the Buttery Jack burger came to be, according to an enthusiastic employee telling the story to three hungry customers. A 30-second version of the ad ran as a regional Super Bowl ad on the West Coast. Watch it here, created by David&Goliath.

  • wheatthinsWheat Thins used an outdoor billboard to participate in some not-so-subliminal marketing in a TV campaign launching Feb. 9. When an on-street reporter in Los Angeles interviews pedestrians about their favorite snack foods, a Wheat Thins billboard behind them starts falling apart, with the letters W, H and N, falling onto parked cars and valet booth. The remaining letters spell out "Eat This," an unsubtle way to promote Wheat Thins as an ideal snack food. See the videos here and here, created by The Escape Pod.

  • killertanTanning beds might leave you with a killer tan, but they also might kill you. Just one tanning session increases the risk of melanoma by 20%, according to Mollie's Fund, a not-for-profit melanoma awareness organization. To convince tanners about the dangers of tanning beds, Mollie's Fund took to the streets of New York's Time Square and offered users a free tanning session. Customers who tried to redeem the coupon were led down a hallway and straight to their funeral. A room was set up like a church with mourners sitting in pews. A tanning bed was used as a casket and each consumer's picture was placed atop the tanning bed next to the words "R.I.P." Each visitor was then shown a video about the deadly side effects of tanning. Watch it here, created by Area 23.

  • jell-oJELL-O has "101 ways to make you smile" in a new TV ad that debuted during NBC's "State of Affairs." I would love to make that 102 ways, hoping the company brings back Pudding Pops. Until then, we have "Faces," a 30-second TV spot that showcases creative ways to use JELL-O products, making a variety of smiley faces on each dessert, from animal faces, vampire looks or just a smiley face made with fruit. "Made With JELL-O-V-E" closes the ad, seen here, and created by Leo Burnett Chicago. This is the first campaign for JELL-O created by Leo Burnett after winning several Kraft brands last November.

  • turbotaxTurboTax has created a trio of ads encouraging people to do their own tax returns, because no one knows you better than yourself, right? The spots each have a Mardi Gras theme. In "Mardi Gras," people live through events with catastrophic consequences: One employee is fired when she's found drunk and riding a float. A woman chokes on an engagement ring her boyfriend slipped into a glass of champagne. The coughed-up ring falls inside a tuba, where a man chokes and takes his entire band down with him. See it here. "Mardi Gras Statues" is happier, with a pair of city statues falling in love. Watch it here. The final ad, "Mardi Gras Loud Noise," features a man needing medical attention while on vacation. His left ear will never be the same. See it here. Wieden+Kennedy Portland created the campaign.

  • toyotaToyota launched an online campaign to support teen-driving safety. TeenDrive365 shows the impact a parent's behavior has on how a teen will behave behind the wheel. Online videos follow parents attending a support group called "Parents Who Drive Bad Anonymous." Each parent dons a fastened seat belt and pledges to set a better example for teens when driving. In the first video, a father tries reciting the pledge while also checking texts and fantasy football scores. See it here. Another video shows a mom confronting her son about her bad driving behaviors. Turns out she is speaking to a mannequin wearing headphones. Hope the real conversation goes better than that. Watch it here. The final video stars NHRA driver Antron Brown describing the importance of having zero distractions while racing -- or when driving his teenage daughter around town. See it here. Parents can find more resources at www.TeenDrive365.com. 360i created the campaign.

  • vauxhallcorsaVauxhall Corsa has launched a 60-second spot that illustrates the versatility and adventurous personality of the car and its owners in Britain. "The A-Z of Corsa" sings the alphabet through various moments,  whether spontaneous adventures or everyday moments. H is for a hitchhiker, I is for ice cream cone, and the letter P is just that. Watch it here, created by 101 London and directed by Bob Harlow of Somesuch.

  • slingshotRandom iPhone App of the week:Polaris Slingshot launched an augmented reality app that places consumers practically in the driver's seat of the three-wheeled motorcycle. The Slingshot 360 App and interactive brochure offer vehicle tours and videos, while using augmented reality technology to bring Slingshot to three-dimensional life. The free app was created by The Integer Group and Bully! Entertainment. Download it here.