Out to Launch
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Halloween ads. A ton of "Star Wars" memorabilia in Kraft Mac & Cheese ad. Let's launch!
  • Stephen Curry and Jamie Foxx star in the latest ad for Under Armour, promoting Curry's second signature shoe, the Iron Sharpens Iron Curry Two. Curry has changed the game of basketball and he's done so in less than one second. It takes Curry a mere .4 of a second to release the ball, the fastest shot ever measured. Foxx is the voiceover for Curry as the pair stand on a dark basketball court. Using some sweet pyrotechnics, Foxx briefly lights up the court -- and each time Curry swiftly releases the ball and makes the perfect shot. And he's only 27!  See it here, created by Droga5 and directed by Henry-Alex Rubin.

  • One man's collectible is another kid's dinner. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese crammed a room full of "Star Wars" memorabilia in a commercial touting its partnership with the franchise. A proud father shows his massive "Star Wars" memorabilia collection to his young son. The boy can't understand why unopened boxes of "Star Wars"-themed Kraft Mac & Cheese sit on a shelf, with no plans to be eaten. After dad explains that the items are for collecting, not playing with or eating, the boy brilliantly remarks: "This is a room of lies." See it here. In addition, Kraft launched a custom website, KraftStarWarsRoom.com, where users can get a closer look at the memorabilia found in the commercial. CP+B created the campaign.

  • The Strategic Milk Alliance, a venture representing dairy producer organizations across English-speaking Canada, launched a series of TV ads that illustrate the lifelong connection Canadians have with milk and their favorite foods, like cake and cookies. The first ad shows a young girl drinking milk with her birthday cake and ends with a young woman who still has milk with her cake. See it here. The next 15-second ad features a boy, and eventually man, who drinks milk with every sandwich. Watch it here. The final ad depicts the obvious pairing of milk, cookies and eating them in the kitchen while talking on the phone. See it here. DDB Canada created the campaign.

  • "The Most Interesting Man" (MIM) has a unique answer for everything, and Halloween is no exception. Dos Equis launched two Halloween-themed ads where the brand's interesting spokesman shares his feelings on masquerade parties and vampires. When it comes to masquerade parties, MIM gives thumbs up, as long as the the fun continues at his house post-party. See it here. MIM is no fan of vampires. He prefers living beings nibbling in his neck rather than the undead. Watch it here. Havas Worldwide created the campaign.

  • Nothing makes a house a home like a great set of Halloween decorations -- and carrying on family traditions. That's the gist of Coldwell Banker's Halloween-themed ad. A mom decorates her home on Halloween as a way to make happy memories with her family, similar to the ones she had as a child with her parents. This marks the first time the real estate company launched a Halloween spot. The ad will run on A&E, Discovery Channel, NBC, Nick at Nite and TLC. See it here, created by Siltanen & Partners.

  • CP+B Miami launched its first TV ad for letgo, a mobile app that lets users post, buy and sell items. The app lets users communicate with potential buyers for free. The debut ad, "Cliff," shows how much emotional meaning material items have to owners. We see a man dangling off a cliff and holding on to an overturned tractor trailer with one hand. The man's other hand is holding his beloved bowling ball, which he clearly loves more than life itself. His friend, out of harm's way, posts the bowling ball for sale on letgo and seconds later a man climbs up the mountain with interest in the ball. Crisis averted? See the ad here.

  • TD Bank launched a series of TV and cinema ads that are heavy on the dramatics. A small issue for one person can feel like a natural disaster for another. A local florist is stuck with a customer and might not make it to the bank on time. In his mind, he had to cut through traffic, slide over cars and ride a dumpster to arrive on time. TD Bank stays open an extra 10 minutes, so no worries going forward. See it here. A woman can deposit a check by phone in the next ad, seen here, and avoid a rainstorm. In the final ad, a woman uses mobile tracking to monitor her wife's excessive spending habits. Watch it here. Tierney created the campaign, directed by Benji Weinstein of Tool North America.

  • We're all guilty of bring the tech devices to the bedroom, which prompted DAN Paris, the digital agency of TBWA\France Group, to create Just The Bell, a wooden cube controlled by your smartphone. Since many of us use our smart phones as alarm clocks, Just The Bell becomes an alarm clock that won't interrupt sleep as a tech gadget can. Leave the phone in the kitchen and grab a decent night's sleep... or do something else in the bedroom, as this how-to video encourages.  The alarm can be snoozed by a small movement or turned off completely with a longer movement. If you want to know what time it is in the middle of the night, shake the cube and it blinks the number of hours a user has left to sleep. With a prototype created, the agency is using a French crowdfunding site to raise money and make Just The Bell happen.

  • Random iPhone App of the week:The High Museum of Art in Atlanta updated its ArtClix app, created by Second Story. ArtClix delivers educational content about works of art to smartphones. A museum that wants you to look at your smartphone instead of seeing the pieces in real life? Users can join real-time conversations in the Community section of the app, which links museum experts with patrons to discuss art and answer questions. The redesigned app features a custom palette of "Highmojis," graphics in the style of emojis that allow visitors to share their emotional reactions to art. An "ArtSelfie" feature allows visitors to take a selfie with a work of art as the backdrop and share on social media. There's also a redesigned interface and navigation pages. ArtClix is available for free in the App Store.