Out to Launch
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Pizza orders help students learn English. Lean Cuisine rebrands. Let's launch!
  • Prior to the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, Esurance launched a sweet video supporting marriage equality, told through the eyes of children. While at a wedding, kids describe what their dream weddings would include -- and there's everything from donuts and pets to volcanos and snazzy outfits. I did enjoy one young boy's take on kissing his bride: "When I kiss the bride, it's gonna both be exciting and disgusting." Gay men and women then describe feeling like outsiders, never dreaming that they, too, would be able to marry. When the kids are asked how they would feel if their dreams were unable to become reality, they were sad and disappointed, and said they believed that everyone should be able to get married as long they love the other person. Watch #EqualDreams here, created by Leo Burnett Chicago and directed by Tom Dey of Native Content.

  • File this under "Why wasn't this product invented sooner?" Shopping-cart handles are touched daily by countless people and probably cleaned only when left out in the rain. Basically, a hotbed for germs. Lifebuoy soap got a "Handle on Hygiene" in Dubai when it partnered with the country's largest supermarket and equipped each shopping cart with a circular contraption that sanitizes cart handles before consumers touch them. When the device is activated and swiped across the handle, Lifebuoy claims 99.9% of all bacteria is killed. We need an oversized version for every subway pole, stat. See the device in action here, created by Geometry Global.

  • Volkswagen Canada launched a pair of sweet ads promoting the 2015 Tiguan and 2015 Passat. Playing off the brand's "Unforgettable" branding model, the ads feature teenagers having their fate changed for the better, thanks to the great control of the Tiguan and Passat. "Prom Night" supports the Tiguan and young love. When a father drives his daughter and her date to a school dance, he gets the romantic ball rolling by taking a few turns too fast, making the young couple hold hands. When the pair leave the car, the boy's hand begins to move from his date's back to her derriere, which elicits a loud horn beep from the Tiguan. Message received. See it here. The Passat ad scores a nervous teenager his driver's license, since the car handles multiple bump smoothly and comes equipped with leather seats and a rear-view camera to distract the instructor from crappy driving. Watch it here. DDB Canada created the campaign.

  • Now this is real-world experience. FCB Brasil teamed up with Bella Vista Pizzeria, a Culver City, Calif.-based pizza parlor, to help students at the CNA Language School in Sao Paulo gain experience speaking English with customers ordering pizza. When a person calls to order a pizza from Bella Vista Pizzeria, they're connected with a CNA student in a classroom in Brazil. With their instructors listening in, students take the orders, which are rerouted back to Bella Vista, and make small talk with consumers. The longer the patrons speak with the students, the greater the discount they receive on their order. Watch "Hello Pizza" here.

  • Lean Cuisine has launched an online video to support its rebranding theme, #WeighThis. Rather than stressing about a number on a scale, Lean Cuisine wants consumers to weigh the things in life that matter most to them. Often, these precious items cannot be measured. When a series of women of all sizes are asked to approach a scale, it's clear that none of them want to be weighed. When told that they will not be weighed, the women are visibly thrilled. The women are then asked about their biggest accomplishment and answers include getting divorced, going back to college, making the dean's list as a single mother, weightlifting, donating bone marrow to a sick sibling, and traveling the world. Nice to see the woman weigh their achievements rather than themselves.  Watch it here, created by 360i.

  • UTEC (University of Engineering & Technology) used engineering to solve a contamination problem in the Bujama region of Peru. Irrigation comes from local rivers, but these rivers are contaminated with arsenic, lead or cadmium, which then seeps into nearby farmland and crops. The university created an "Air Orchard" billboard that grows pollution-free lettuce using irrigated moisture from the air. The billboard consists of 10 large dehumidifiers that carry water through a series of tubes coated in nutrients. The PVC tubes reflect the sun's rays and boost photosynthesis. The result is 2,800 heads of lettuce that are given away weekly to passersby who stop and inquire about the billboard. See how the billboard works here, created by FCB Mayo Peru.

  • Just how much can the Subaru Impreza handle? Think rough terrain, bad weather, bad drivers and distracted pedestrians. Various Impreza owners are shown during happy moments and fits of rage. The car can hold items for an impromptu birthday meet-up, a construction tie-up, potholes, mudholes, a pedestrian who walks into a stopped car, and an erratic driver. But does it cook bacon? If it doesn't, I'm not interested. Watch the ad here, created by Red Urban. John Mastromonaco of Untitled Films directed the ad, edited by Marc Langley of Rooster Post.

  • To support the National Park Service centennial in 2016, the NPS and the National Park Foundation has launched a 60-second TV spot called "Find Your Park." Beautiful shots of birds, trees, mountains and oceans are shown throughout the ad, which then pays tribute to important historical figures like Harriet Tubman, Thomas Edison, and Abraham Lincoln. Viewers then watch as visitors enjoy park surroundings, whether it's an art exhibit, white-water rafting, camping or trail running. "Find Your Park," closes the ad, seen here, and created by Grey New York.

  • Random iPhone App of the week: Media planning software company Telmar updated its Keystone Cross-Media app that gives advertisers media planning access anywhere. Keystone users are now able to analyze advertising options using the latest information on the delivery and usage of media. The app is available on all Apple devices, including the Apple Watch. Telmar clients will get Keystone as part of their service package, while a standard version is available for $199.99 in the App Store. Download it here.