Out to Launch
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Babies sing "La Vie en Rose." Tillamook says goodbye to big food. Let's launch!
  • TBWA launched a two-minute video on International Women's Day that illustrates the real-life struggles ad women face in the workplace. "Take The Lead" features ad men like Lee Clow, Jean-Marie Dru and John Hunt reading actual quotes from ad women, which were compiled via an anonymous global survey. Here's a sampling: "I shouldn't say 'I'm sorry,' but I do it all the time." "I'm not the right voice for a sports brand." "Having a kid hurts my career." "When I told my former boss I was going to have a baby, he said, 'But your career was going so well.'"  "I'm an executive, a female and a creative. Apparently I'm a unicorn."  The video closes with the tagline: "Women's issues are everyone's issues" and the hashtag #TakeTheLead2020. See it here. "Take The Lead" is part of a larger TBWA initiative, Project 20\20, which was launched in 2015 to increase women in leadership roles across the TBWA network by 20% by 2020.

  • Winter is the perfect season to indulge in copious amounts of comfort food and McDonald's in France launched an American Winter menu that features rich, heavy ingredients like cheese, bacon and mushrooms. In a series of three ads, a man in an extreme situation goes to his happy place for comfort: he envisions eating an item off the McDonald's American Winter menu. In "The Bear," the man is changing a flat tire and forced inside his car to avoid a bear. When the bear breaks a window and rocks the car, this man thinks of good times -- eating McDonald's by the fire. See it here. In part two, we see the man out of his car and attempting to cross a river by walking across a fallen tree. He falls on that tree hard, but thinking of McDonald's soothes his pain. Watch it here. The final ad shows our not safe for outdoorsman making a spear out of a tree limb. When he tries to stab a fish, he stabs himself in the foot. See it here. TBWA\Paris created the campaign, directed by Ben Gregor of Moonwalk.

  • Forget like; it's all about the love in an online video for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The company reacted to Facebook's new Reaction buttons with a 60-second video that scrolls through a person's typical day on Facebook. There's plenty of things to like, whether it's the birth of a child, food pics, vacation pics, animal videos or exercise tips, content is liked in abundance. The video ends with a teenager getting her first car -- a Chevy Malibu -- and people loving, not liking the post, using Facebook's new set of Reactions. See it here, created by Commonwealth//McCann.

  • I still love a milk chocolate hollow Easter bunny, even though it's not the best for me. Tillamook launched a 60-second ad during the Academy Awards that encouraged viewers to drop over-processed, artificial ingredient-laden food for real food that's both tasty and healthy. Tillamook produces dairy products with natural ingredients, free of artificial growth hormones, high fructose corn syrup, artificial coloring and flavoring. "Goodbye Big Food, Hello Real Food" takes a look at processed food of yesteryear that many of us might still consume. Remember the bight orange cheese in a can? It makes a smashing appearance. So does cereal with fake coloring, soda, ice cream in bold colors and individually packaged pieces of cheddar cheese. Those were the days. The over-processed foods are destroyed and replaced with delicious shots of all-natural cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and a look at the cows it all comes from. "Tillamook. Dairy Done Right," closes the ad, seen here, and created by 72andSunny. Floria Sigismondi directed the ad.

  • This is by far the quirkiest ad I've seen for a supermarket chain in quite some time. U, a supermarket chain in France, created a business model that benefits client, farmers and consumers. The brand's ultimate goal is to make the world a better place for the next generation. With that mantra in mind, U launched a 60-second TV spot where newborn babies sing, or scream cry if you want to be technical, the beloved Edith Piaf song, "La Vie en Rose." The ad cleverly weaves together the screams of newborns in one hospital. We're talking babies that are seconds old, babies in the maternity ward, babies getting a bath and babies in an elevator, leaving the hospital. They all have strong vocal chords and are not afraid to use them. "For happier generations tomorrow, let's shop responsibly today," closes the ad, seen here, and created by TBWA\Paris.

  • Dodge is running a trio of TV and online ads that convey the essence of the Dodge Brothers. In "Wolf Pack," the fleet of sporty, speedy Dodge vehicles stick together... like a pack of wolves. See it here. "Pick-Up" captures the feeling of any father who dreads the time when his daughters are old enough to date. A Dodge Charger is cruising down the road, and a dad stops working to admire it. When the car pulls up the driveway and leaves with his two daughters, Dad's emotions take a turn for the worse. Watch it here. The final ad, "Old Man Story," is an online-only ad that tells the typical grandparent's tale of walking five miles to school... uphill. The grandchildren of the Dodge Brothers heard a different tale. Rather than complain, the brothers simply built a car to drive uphill. See it here. Wieden+Kennedy Portland created the campaign.

  • Suspend belief for a moment and enjoy the sweet meaning behind this ad for Nissan Europe that promotes the NP300 Navara truck. The ad begins with a group of kids playing soccer in a small area near an abandoned factory. A group of men and their trucks enter the factory and start working. It looks like fun to the kids, but the meaning is much more important. With some heavy tools and the technology found in the NP300 Navara, the abandoned building is transformed into a large, open-air soccer stadium for both the kids and adults to enjoy. See it here, created by TBWA\G1 and directed by Tristan Patterson.

  • Golf isn't an easy sport -- and in the latest campaign for adidas Golf, athletes are determined to up their game and strive to be the best golfer, not just one of the best. "Motivation" promotes adidas Golf TOUR360 BOOST footwear and stars Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, and Sergio Garcia. These men work hard on the course to improve their game and off the course in the gym. Narrated by Day, the ad explains the mindset of an adidas athlete, which is to be the best in the world, not just one of a handful of great athletes. The spots close with the tagline: "Legends Aren't Born. They're Crafted." Watch it here, created by Venables Bell & Partners.

  • Random iPhone App of the week: Put your creative hat on with Animatic, an app that allows users to create hand-drawn GIFs and videos that can be put together to make moving animations reminiscent of flip books. With the mention of flip books, I feel like I'm dating myself and can't wait to keep drawing! The app is easy to use, even if you're not artistic (I'm not). Users create pictures using a frame-by-frame editor and, once pictures are complete, can export animations into GIF or video form. Created by Inkboard, the app is free in the App Store.