Out to Launch
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Bikes without riders. Jaywalkers go to extremes to stay connected online. Let's launch!
  • Soft-spoken golf commentators and a mythical sea creature are the latest stars of Geico's "It's What You Do" campaign. Anyone who watches televised golf games knows that the announcers are quiet, monotone and show zero emotion. When a Kracken emerges from a water trap, grabbing hold of a golfer and his caddy, the announcers keep their cool and continue to provide commentary. "Well, he's definitely going to lose a stroke on this hole," says one commentator in a breathy whisper. See it here, created by The Martin Agency.

  • Sometimes, it's better to be low-tech in a high-tech world. Case in point: a TV campaign for Canon Pixma photocopiers. It's rare to see a photo copier nowadays, but Canon illustrates three excellent scenarios that might change your mind about printing your digital footprint. In each of the three ads, the person excitedly says "Never again," in regards to using a photocopier. And then karma comes around and bites them in the rear. A priest begins an emotional eulogy in the first ad, seen here. When his tablet's battery dies, the priest is forced to wing his eulogy, making wrong guesses about the dearly departed, like the number of kids he had and how much he loved his wife. The next ad, the weakest of the three, involves a father and daughter who love baseball, but hate printing tickets. A cracked phone screen negates his ticket purchase, so dad buys a pair of scalped tickets -- from an undercover cop. Watch it here. The final ad involves a proud kid wanting to show his friend a picture of his touchdown catch. Mom hands the kids the camera and tells them to scroll left. The kids find pictures of the parents in compromising positions. The friend says, "Why is your dad handcuffed? He looks scared." And now, those kids are scarred. See it here. Grey New York created the campaign.

  • Awkward Rob Lowe alter-egos are out and the sad sack doppelgangers for Eli Manning and Tony Romo are in, promoting DIRECTV and its NFL Sunday Ticket promotion. When it comes to humor, I'm giving the edge in the first round of ads to Eli Manning; for creepy factor, Romo wins hands-down. Manning's alter-ego is a stand-up comic who subscribes to cable. His outfits and hairstyles are outdated, just like his cable TV. His jokes, however, aren't that bad. See it here. Romo's other half loves arts and crafts and outdated television. His papier-mache projects are sub-par -- but I'd eat his brownie/cupcake combination anytime. Watch it here. Grey NY created the campaign.

  • It's been a long time since Isaiah Mustafa spoke to me: seriously, it's been five years! The memorable Old Spice spokesman is appearing in an ad with another equally memorable pitchman: Terry Crews. The pair join forces for some friendly competition as they help guys make a "Smellmitment" and select their favorite Old Spice scent. Crews plays Bearglove Man and Mustafa handles double duty as Swagger Man and Timber Man. The debut ad, "And So it Begins,"opens with Mustafa’s unforgettable "Hello ladies," line, and quickly jumps from one quirky snippet to another. Midway through his pitch, Mustafa is on a canoe and interrupted by Crews, who emerges from the lake, because this is an Old Spice ad. Crews cruises through the remainder of the ad, trying to convince men to wear Bearglove, until he's stopped by Mustafa's oversized head. "Timber," says Mustafa. This is the first of seven "Smellmitment" ads. See it here, created by Wieden+Kennedy Portland.

  • NRG launched an interesting 90-second spot that asks the question: What's behind the plug? It's not something most of us think about, until the power's out. "Power Behind the Plug" takes place inside an airport, where a temporary charging station has been erected. Viewers initially see travelers looking from left to right and plugging in their device. You see a few people flip-flop and add their device to one outlet only to swap it out to another. My first thought was the initial outlet was wonky, but in reality, the travelers were changing their mind on where their energy source was supplied. Travelers were given three options: solar power, wind power and fossil fuels. "We're changing the power behind the plug, just the way you would," closes the video, seen here. Droga5 created the campaign, the agency's first work for NRG.

  • Jaywalking is so bad in Philadelphia -- one pedestrian is hit by a car every five hours -- that the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities launched a video encouraging residents to pay attention when crossing streets. Another campaign that I can't believe exists. We have to remind people to look up from their phones when crossing the street? The city takes a light-hearted approach in a 3:00 video that profiles serial jaywalkers who use creative means to stay injury-free. One man wears a suit made of bubble wrap in public, while another guy adds flashing lights to his attire. One woman, a fashion student, makes bubble wrap look runway-worthy while she walks and texts. "Jaywalking is the new catwalking," she exclaims. Watch it here. LevLane, Philadelphia created the campaign.

  • Canada is a scenic country, and Cycling Canada wants residents to explore their country on two wheels. A 60-second spot is full of bicycles in large packs -- like the Tour de France -- and smaller groups, like friends taking a scenic ride. The bikes cover all sorts of terrain: pavement, dirt, indoor tracks and trails. But there's one important thing missing: riders. Every bike is touring Canada sans rider, and the ad closes with "hop on," encouraging residents to see their country from a different perspective. Watch it here. Innocean Worldwide Canada created the campaign, produced by Alter Ego and directed by Mark Zibert.

  • Mention healthcare in a conversation and chances are the talk turns heated. Highmark Health launched a 60-second campaign looking to change that attitude and have people stop fighting about healthcare and fight for health. An uphill battle, indeed. The ad uses boxing videos and rams butting horns to illustrate the frustration typically seen between a patient and healthcare provider. The spot then pairs insurer Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and provider Allegheny Health Network as a united front, working together to help patients of all ages. See it here, created by Doner.

  • Random iPad App of the week:Newsweek launched its first iPad and iPhone app, free to current Newsweek subscribers. New readers will get one free issue when they download the app, and can then purchase single issues for $4.99, a monthlong subscription for $3.99 or a 1-year subscription for $39.99. Subscribers will receive each issue on Thursdays, one day ahead of print issues, which hit newsstands on Fridays. Download the app here.