Out to Launch
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
A doll that's sensitive to sunlight. Harlequin has fantasy escape routes for bored wives. Let's launch!
  • State FarmThe latest State Farm ad discloses where the Coneheads reside -- and, contrary to popular belief, it might not be another planet. The popular alien family, made famous on "SNL" by Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman, want you to believe they come from France. "Magic Jingle: Coneheads," launched yesterday and features the lovable family summoning their State Farm agent when their mircowave breaks. The agent is thrilled to be in space, having thought the family originated from France. Realizing their mistake, the Coneheads sing the magic State Farm jingle again, transporting them to a cafe in Paris. Akyroyd wields a baguette in the agent's face and points to the Eiffel tower for proof of location. See it here. The Coneheads recreated the memorable "Jake from State Farm" ad in May. Watch it here. If you're into animals that tweet, Orion, the Conehead cat who appeared in the "Double Check Your Search" video, has a Twitter account, @OrionTheFeline. DDB Chicago created the campaign.

  • Taco BellThis video for Taco Bell is part "Divergent," part "Hunger Games" and part "Gattaca." I like it. In "Breakfast Defectors," a city is run by army men that look like Ronald McDonald, and residents are forced to eat the same boring breakfast every day. Two young rebels decide to defect to greener pastures, but first they must escape the henchmen. My favorite part of the video is when the henchmen slide down McDonald's slides as they try and catch the rebels before they make it to the top of the wall. Once the man and woman reach the top, they jump into a river of balls and peel back a poster to reveal a hole in part of a wall. It's very "Shawshank Redemption." The pair make it to another city full of sunshine, colors, friendly people and a variety of breakfast options. The 3:00 video ends with the website BreakfastDefectors.com, where visitors can watch the video and peruse breakfast options. See it here, created by Deutsch LA.

  • The more I read about Birchbox, the more I want to try it. The online beauty sample subscription service launched an ad campaign promoting its service and the ease of use compared to shopping in a brick-and-mortar store. "There's a Better Way" depicts the often-unpleasant experience of department store shopping: perfume is sprayed in one's face, free makeovers are offered and a woman wearing too much tanner tries to sell it unconvincingly. So the woman in the spot scurries home and retrieves her Birchbox package, filled with five customized beauty samples. See it here, created by Resource/Ammirati. In addition to the TV spot, Birchbox has a retail partnership with the Gap, where the beauty store will be available for a limited time in Gaps in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston.

  • Wrap your brain around this fun fact: Harlequin publishes 110 titles a month in 34 languages in 110 markets. But women read, on average, one title every five years. Hoping to change these stats, Harlequin has launched an ad campaign to promote "Whatever You're Into," the company's revamped book series. There truly is something for everyone. The first ad, "Escape the Everyday" takes place in the laundry room, atop the washing machine. A woman is passionately kissing her cowboy when the pair are interrupted by the woman's husband, who grabs a pair of shorts from the dryer, smells them, and leaves. The cowboy is just a fantasy of the woman reading a Harlequin novel during the spin cycle. See it here. The second ad involves a sexy man in uniform, his lady and the sofa. The pair are hot and heavy when the husband, sitting next to them, asks if there's any more chips in the house. Watch it here. BBDO Toronto created the campaign, produced by Someplace Nice.

  • What a smart way to get kids to understand the importance of wearing sunblock. NIVEA Sun Kids visited beaches in Brazil and gave kids three and older a NIVEA doll. What makes this doll different than others is that the doll turns bright red when out in the sun without sunblock. Once sunblock is applied, the doll's regular color returns. It's an easy way to explain to kids the reason why moms are always slathering sunblock on them. Now, the kids can protect their doll by applying sunblock when playing on the beach. Watch the doll in action here, created by FCB Brasil.

  • This mini bar is much pricier than your typical hotel room impulse buy. Fashion brand Pimkie created a "Mini Fashion Bar" that's available at Banks Boutique Hotel in Antwerp. It's self-explanatory; it's like a mini bar, but for fashionistas. Clothing, accessories and shoes are placed in a mini closet in a person's hotel room. Clothes and accessories are selected based on the hotel's location, the weather and what events are taking place nearby. If a guest likes an outfit, they can pay for it when they check out of the room. If a guest needs a different size than what is supplied, there's a number to speak to a fashion concierge, who can bring alternative sizes to their room. Additional mini fashion bars will soon appear in hotels in Milan, Barcelona, Berlin and Paris. Hotel owners can apply for their own mini fashion bars at minifashionbar.com. Watch a tutorial here, created by Happiness Brussels.

  • BICWhen men's facial hair becomes a hot trend, razor companies must convince guys the opposite is true. BIC plays dirty in a series of online videos for its Flex 5 Razor, implying that men with facial hair are lazy, lack class and have common manners. In "Elevator," a man with facial hair does not hold the door for an approaching woman. A Mary Poppins-esque character appears to shape this boy into a man. She shaves his face, tucks in his shirt and now he's ready for love -- and to hold an elevator door. See it here. When a bearded guy hardly greets his girlfriend when she meets him at a bar, Mary Poppins goes wild, shaving his face and implying he's no gentleman. With a smooth face, the man offers his lady his seat, changes the big-screen channel and buys her a drink. Watch it here. In the last video, a man steals a woman's taxi. Mary turns the man from "lamentable to presentable," and he exits the cab for the woman. See it here. Cramer-Krasselt Chicago created the campaign.

  • tecateThe eagle has landed in a campaign for Tecate Light, targeting "bi-cultural" Hispanics in Ariz., Calif., N.M., Nev. and Texas. "Born Bold" brings the brand's black eagle logo to life as it soars the skies, searching for the bold flavor of Tecate Light. The eagle is searching for his friend's apartment but lands inside a different apartment with a hip crowd drinking Tecate Light. Since the strangers have good taste in beer, the eagle stays. Not weird at all. See it here, created by Saatchi & Saatchi NY.

  • Random Apple Watch App of the week:Retale, a location-based mobile platform that brings retail circulars to a digital format, launched an app for Apple Watch. The Apple Watch app adds new functions like geo-fencing proximity alerts that allow users to clip coupons inside the app. The proximity alerts send notifications when users are close to stores where the clipped coupons can be redeemed. In addition, the app also allows retailers to send users up-to-date information about local stores and special offers -- right to their wrists. Download the app here and see a video of the app in action here.