Out to Launch
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
What would Jesus do in a marketing meeting? McDonald's celebrates 60 years in Germany. Let's launch!
  • goodtoknowcoThe Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment launched its first TV spot educating Colorado residents on the rules of retail marijuana. "Good To Know" is a light-hearted, animated, 60-second ad that focuses on the state's laws as they apply to retail marijuana. Users must be 21 and older, and should not drive or use in public places. Users can walk, skip or hop -- but cannot bring retail marijuana out of state, which turns the ad into a tourism campaign, encouraging folks to stay in-state for a while. The ad drives viewers to a website, GoodToKnowColorado.com, where residents can learn more about retail marijuana laws. See it here, created by Cactus.

  • mcdonaldsRussian clown Oleg Popov, also known as "the Sunshine Clown," is the perfect example of someone who made his work his play and his play his work. McDonald's celebrates its 60th anniversary in Germany with a 1:30 ad that pays tribute to Popov, who still performs at the young age of 84. Viewers watch as Popov entertains an audience of fans young and old; once the show is over, Popov removes his makeup and drives to McDonald's. He enjoys a late-night burger and fries and tips his hat to another clown, Ronald McDonald. "When you make people happy, you never get old," closes the ad, seen here, and created by Thjnk Tank, a Leo Burnett hybrid German agency. Alex Feil directed the spot.

  • kraftmcKRAFT Mac & Cheese launched a trio of ads for its ongoing "You Know You Love it" campaign. "Young at Heart" stars the adorable Estelle Harris as a grandmother who chooses to sit at the kids' table so she can eat macaroni and cheese. Harris steals her granddaughter's seat, forcing the young girl to move to the adult's table, knowing full well her grandma's motives. See it here. In "Airplane Detour," a mom feeding her son uses the old spoon as an airplane trick, but the plot twist is mom feeds herself a spoonful of mac and cheese. Watch it here. The final ad, "Pots Galore," emphasizes the amount of protein found in mac and cheese, along with a father's inability to use just one pot to cook dinner. See it here. CP+B created the campaign.

  • jesusWhat would Jesus say in a marketing meeting? He might question his ability to walk on water. Luckily, Montreal-based creative production company 1one has a seat at the table and specializes in epic stunts. To showcase the company's production and post-production offerings, 1one created a promotional video with lg2 that gives viewers a seat at a brand planning meeting for Jesus, the client. Team members describe how 1one can help Jesus top his previous stunts like turning water into wine or giving sight to the blind by walking on water. Jesus might be skeptical, but 1one convinces him the project can be successfully done. Watch it here.

  • m&msM&M's tweaked a current movie theater ad to run during the Academy Awards. That movie theater version served as a PSA asking audiences to turn off cell phones during the movie. The TV version is a mock action-themed movie trailer ad with the tagline: "Movies are better with M." The ad features all six of the M&M's "spokescandies" reenacting classic action movie scenes, like Orange driving a runaway bus, Blue jumping from a burning building to a hovering helicopter, and Red interrogating a criminal. The ad ends with the M&M's discovering that their movie trailer is just an ad and not a future film. Watch it here, created by BBDO New York.

  • mikeslemonadeMike's Hard Lemonade launched an animated TV spot that tells the story of the brand's inception. It was founded back in 1999, so I feel old at the start. The company came to life in Mike's garage and took the beer category by storm. The company prides itself on only using natural ingredients and creating new recipes from scratch -- most likely not in the garage anymore. The spot serves as a precursor to an upcoming summer campaign. Watch it here, created by TRISECT and produced by Sarofsky Corp.

  • kiaBlake Griffin believes he can fly... in a Kia Optima. The NBA star is passionate off the basketball court, playing an overzealous action hero in an upcoming blockbuster movie. Rather than fly in a jet, Griffin prefers to fly in his Kia Optima, causing the director's ulcer to flare. With help from special effects, Griffin ends up flying in his car, hopefully taking the enemy by surprise. Watch it here, created by David&Goliath.

  • JordansWieden+Kennedy Amsterdam launched a 30-second black-and-white ad starring NBA star Blake Griffin. Running in Italy and France, the spot promotes the latest Jordan brand collection available at Foot Locker stores throughout Europe. Griffin rises above any negative comments from those who doubt his talents, closing the ad with a slam-dunk. See it here.

  • adidas180LA launched a global 60-second spot for adidas sports performance. "Take It" shows high school, college and professional athletes making a difference in their sport by giving their all in the moment. They must forget past games and focus only on the present. Look for Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Lionel Messi, Derrick Rose, John Wall and Joakim Noah throughout the ad, seen here.