Out to Launch
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
A subliminal way to learn a new language. A new way to drink milk. Let's launch!
  • There are many things a person shouldn't come between: dueling rams, boxers in a ring, a kid about to hit a pinata, meat and a cleaver. All these scenarios and more are shown in a 45-second ad commissioned by the UK Department of Transport encouraging cyclists in the UK to "Hang Back!"

    The PSA warns cyclists of the dangers of riding alongside lorries, or large trucks, that are making left turns. One-third of bicycle accidents in the UK involve left-turning trucks. The visual of the gap between truck and bike, decreasing in a matter of seconds, is a frightening scenario to watch.

    Rather than risk the chance of a collision, bikers are encouraged to hang back and let the truck pass first. AMV BBDO created the ad, directed by Tom Haines of Bold Company.

  • Boost Mobile has joined the political fray by doing something to help balance voter inequality in low-income neighborhoods.  Boost is offering the use of all its stores as polling stations on Nov. 8. Many people must wait hours on end to cast their ballot, due to lack of volunteers or locations. Boost Mobile has already implemented this program in southern California counties, along with Cook County in Chicago. The company extended the offer to 817 county election boards nationwide. Election officials in need of new polling places can contact Boost Mobile directly at elections@boostyourvoice.com. Boost Mobile employees will also be volunteering on election day at a number of polling places.

    Supporting the initiative is a video called "Boost Your Voice – Equal Access For All," a Web site, and change.org petition, enlisting the public's help for equal voting access and to put pressure on election officials to adopt innovative. The video shows polling outrage as town residents wait in lines that are blocks long, where it might take hours to vote. Let's hope election officials take Boost Mobile up on their offer. 180LA created the campaign.

  • Nature's Bounty launched a series of TV ads under a new brand identity: "Better Off Healthy." Three TV ads take a look at the future of three people who regularly use Nature's Bounty products to illustrate how taking care of your body when you're younger plays a big role in managing events at an older age.

    One guy takes probiotics to help digestion and his gassiness. Wherever he gets stuck, whether it be a crowded train elevator or an air duct, his future self is thankful. A woman takes fish oil for her heart and also runs and eats a healthy diet so her future self will be prepared for any potential challenges. Future self warns the woman not to marry a man named Dan, who coincidentally just introduced himself to the woman.

    The final ad, my favorite, features a woman looking to improve her hair, skin and nails with Nature's Bounty supplements. After 30 days, her skin glows, her hair is lustrous and an office meeting gets more interesting when a faulty air vent, coupled with a co-worker's music taste, turns the woman into a supermodel... kind of. Droga5 created the campaign.

  • September was World Literacy Month, and Burger King's McLamore Foundation created a campaign to illustrate how one out of five people in the world cannot read or write.

    A drive-thru menu and packaging became garbled bunches of letters that consumers were obviously unable to read at one Burger King location. Some customers attempted to pronounce nonexistent words, and employees eventually explained the reason behind the menu when they pulled up to the restaurant's window.

    The Burger King McLamore Foundation works with nonprofits globally to support initiatives dedicated to improving literacy. Code and Theory created the campaign.

  • Dairy Farmers of Canada launched an amusing tongue-in-cheek campaign to remind Canadians that milk is still a great beverage to drink, despite the massive competition it faces. Playing upon the fact that many of life's favorite drinks have their very own glasses -- coffee, wine, beer -- DFC created "The Milk Glass." A 60-second video positions the glass as a game-changer for milk drinkers. The company spokesman describes the challenges that went into creating the glass: it had to be lightweight, ergonomically friendly and round. Nothing is wrong is milk, so the glass was where improvements had to be made.

    Along with the video is a website where Canadians can actually buy their own milk glass. The last time I checked the site, the glasses had sold out. No word on if any more fancy, customized milk glasses will be available. DDB Canada Toronto created the video, Mirum created the website and Initiative handled media buying and planning.

  • Warning: this ad is incredibly emotional. Each year in France, close to 100 000 animals are abandoned. The 30 Millions d'Amis (French for "30 million friends") Foundation launched an online video that illustrates the unseen, but unbroken, bond that a pet has with its owner.

    Told in a series of flashbacks, the video begins with an injured man regaining consciousness at a hospital. The first to notice is his beloved dog, lying beside his bed. Viewers eventually see what landed the man at the hospital. First, we see a crash and the dog pulling the man away from the car, moments before it explodes. Next, we see the man driving and spotting the dog in his rear-view mirror. Shocked at the sight, the man neglects to see a branch down in the road, swerves and wrecks his car.

    The man was shocked because minutes prior, he'd brought the dog, HIS PET, deep into the forest, removed his dog collar and drove off. Just like that. "He will never abandon you," closes the video, created by Buzzman Agency and MEC Media. Vincent Lobelle directed the spot.

  • The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change launched a TV and social media campaign that asked kids to think of ways to solve climate change. "Let's not leave it for our kids to figure out," sets out to show parents that not working on solving climate change now will result in a big mess for their kids to clean up. In the first ad, environmentalist David Suzuki speaks to an auditorium full of kids, giving them the harsh facts about the Earth's future. When he's done speaking, the camera pans around to capture the stunned, confused looks on the children's faces.

    In the next ad, kids with pen and paper outline climate change and the things adults should be doing to help. Canadians are encouraged to get involved with the Ontario Government's 5-Year Climate Change Action Plan.

    Grey Canada created the campaign and PhD Canada handled the media buy.

  • Langenscheidt is a publishing house in Europe that teaches foreign languages. Since printed dictionaries are becoming archaic in a digital world, the company came up with a smart way to learn a new language simply by browsing websites.

    Grey Germany created a browser plug-in for Langenscheidt that teaches people new languages subliminally. It takes less than a second to get to a new site. Using the plug-in, users will see a different word each time they visit a new site, along with the translation in their native language. Users can learn a slew of different languages, the plug-in can be customized based on word difficulty, or terms can be related to the types of content visited online.

  • Random iPhone App of the week:Perfect365 is a makeup app created by ArcSoft that I wish existed decades ago. Using virtual makeup tools and a bevy of color options, users can create customized looks and play around with looks to find the perfect look. Upload a selfie and the app uses face detection to determine the best shades of foundation, eye shadow, eye liner, lipstick and blush. The free app also offers beauty tutorials from YouTube beauty vloggers, production recommendations and daily makeup and style tips. Get experimenting!