Out to Launch
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Golfers sing classic Lionel Richie tune. Recycling pirates? Let's launch!
  • Under Armour launched "Rule Yourself," a 60-second anthem for athletes everywhere, illustrating how a combination of hard work and discipline makes us all stronger. The stunning ad features NBA player Stephen Curry, ballerina Misty Copeland and golfer Jordan Spieth practicing their crafts. Each athlete is multiplied countless times, so it appears as if each is surrounded by an army of themselves, practicing their golf swing, dribbling basketballs or pirouetting. "You are the sum of all your training," closes the ad, seen here, and created by Droga5.

  • Don't quit your day job, PGA TOUR players. To promote the PGATourLive.com website, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Ben Crane, James Hahn and Keegan Bradley multitask by playing golf and singing the lyrics to Lionel Richie's classic song, "Hello." The site allows golf fans to watch their favorite players live every Thursday and Friday. See the tone-deaf players sing here, on a site created by GSD&M.

  • I wonder if "arrrrgh" stands for recycling? To promote Pirate Island at the Columbus Zoo, Ron Foth Advertising launched a 60-second TV spot featuring eco-friendly pirates who do their part in saving the environment. Pirate Island is a new eco-adventure boat ride at the zoo, so it's no surprise that the ad's pirate are more lovers than pillagers. These men recycle treasure maps, use organic cotton for flags, and light lanterns with energy-efficient bulbs. In addition, the pirates propel their "ship" forward by pedaling. "Pirates so green, they even bike to work," closes the ad, seen here. And check out the pirate's hook in the shape of a recycling logo.

  • Did I just get emotional watching a surfing video? Yes, I did. Reef, a line of surfing equipment and apparel, launched a beautiful campaign highlighting things that are more important than winning a sports competition. The two-minute video introduces viewers to Nicolas Gallegos, a man who is unable to surf because an accident left him paralyzed. We also meet Martin Passeri, an Argentinian surfer who understands the important things in life. During the Argentine Surf Championship, Passeri, favored to win, did something unexpected: He took the waves with Gallegos on his back, enabling Gallegos to live his dream of surfing, if only for a few seconds. Passeri was disqualified from the competition, but he's a winner in my book. Watch the video here, created by McCann Buenos Aires.

  • Pet food company The Honest Kitchen launched a social media campaign looking for the year's "most honest pets." Pet owners are encouraged to snap a picture of their beloved dog or cat engaging in an unbecoming act with copy written as the pets' inner thoughts. Led by an in-store and online sampling program, this campaign gives pet owners a chance to have their pet featured in The Honest Kitchen's 2016 Pet Calendar and win a weekend trip with their pet. More than 600 retail stores are participating in the program. Participants can also enter on social media using the hashtag #HonestPetsContest on Instagram or Twitter or by uploading photos to a dedicated website. "Hey Mom, you're out of toilet paper," reads one entry. "I much prefer mud baths to regular baths," reads another. Consumers can vote for their favorite confession and earn a sample or coupon from The Honest Kitchen. Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners created the campaign.

  • LG Electronics dubbed its amusing TV spots promoting its smart TVs "The Science Behind." TVs may be smarter, but content watched on them is a bit more lowbrow. Each of the four ads begins with a serious voiceover explaining the technology inside these fancy, intelligent TVs -- as viewers watch goat videos, turn their TV into a fish tank, watch their cat follow the remote button and fall asleep during a TV show marathon. No rocket science necessary. M&C Saatchi Stockholm created the campaign.

  • Dell launched a BtoB campaign to raise awareness of its enterprise capabilities. "Future Ready" illustrates the future of business and technology to a target audience of C-suite execs and IT decision-makers. The debut ad, "Beat Again," is set in the distant future and shows tech's role in finding a new heart for a young girl. The girl's genetic makeup was stored in the cloud; using predictive analytics software, a match was found. The heart and the young girl made their way to the hospital, and the spot ended with Mom able to place her head on her daughter's chest and listen to her heartbeat. Watch it here, created by Y&R New York and VML New York.

  • Random App of the week: This app isn't available just yet, but it's something most of us could use. Naked Europe partnered with LimitEar to launch www.hearangel.com, a website promoting the upcoming HearAngel app that will go into development later this year. HearAngel will monitor how someone listens to music and other audio, alerting them when they're close to overexposure and potential hearing damage. The website explains how the app works, and includes an audio player that simulates the effects of permanent hearing damage. Users can also sign up on the website to be kept informed of the release date of the app.

  • The second ad in Old Spice's "Make A Smellmitment" campaign is a 15-second spot that might make you lose your sanity. "Interruption" stars Isaiah Mustafa and Terry Crews vying for your attention span and Old Spice scent. Mustafa's Swagger and Crews' Bearglove are your options. My vote goes to Mustafa because he's calm, collected and not screaming in my face. Your move, Crews. See the ad here, created by Wieden+Kennedy Portland.