Commentary

Out To Launch

JohnsonJohnson“Love is family. Love is life,” says a voiceover in Johnson & Johnson’s global brand campaign “For All You Love.” Black-and-white photos of babies, toddlers, moms, dads and grandparents appear onscreen while a slow version of Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” plays. Surprisingly, I only noticed a handful of J&J baby shampoo stills and one Band-Aid being put to good use. Watch it here, created by TBWA/Chiat/Day.

WindowsPhoneWindows Phone launched a great TV spot highlighting the smartphone wars between iPhone and Samsung Galaxy users. Wedding attendees record the ceremony on their smartphones, with one side of the family being team iPhone; the other is Samsung Galaxy. Each side throws barbs at one another, until an all-out brawl erupts, ruining the wedding cake, shrimp cocktail tier and everyone’s dignity. The spot ends with two caterers amusingly recording the drama on their Windows Phones, convinced that both sides live for the drama and rivalry. See it here, created by CP+B.

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The latest ad for the NBA Playoffs takes fans back to last year’s Game 5 Western Conference Semifinals as the LA Lakers face elimination against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fans worldwide watch and react as the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook steals a pass from Kobe Bryant, runs down the court and makes an impossible shot, putting the Thunder in the lead. See it here, created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners.

 

KoolAidKool-Aid Man wants the world to know he’s just like the rest of us, except his pants comes in flavors like cherry, watermelon or grape. Juicy! The first spot follows Kool-Aid Man on a typical morning; he wakes up, showers, picks his flavor, exercises and crashes through his door when leaving his home. See it here. A second ad promotes Kool-Aid Liquid, a product similar to Mio. Kool-Aid Man drinks his beverage from a glass because people get freaked out if he drank from his own head. Watch it here, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, NY and produced by MassMarket.

MagnumMagnum ice cream launched a fun site called Magnum Pleasure Hunt – Gold Rush. The object of the game is to play five different games in an effort to rescue the captured prince and receive an ice cream treat. Looks like the rescuing shoe is on the other foot. In “Wild Fire,” our heroine had to extinguish a fire on a Tetris-like board. “Fencing Fury” was easy, pitting heroine against a sword-wielding enemy. I’d play “Lights Off, “”Bombs Away” or “Runaway Train,” but I’m on deadline! Lowe Brindfors and B-Reel created the site.

LookGoodFeelBetterLook Good Feel Better, a charity that helps men and women with cancer improve their appearances due to the side effects of the disease, launched a print campaign this month in Vanity Fair, People and Glamour with ad space donated by the magazines. Creative, seen here and here, shows women during treatment and women post-makeover. Ads encourage readers to donate time or resources to the cause. Vitro created the pro bono campaign.

 

SafteyFirstCarmichael Lynch is an agency that loves biking. So much so that agency staffers were treated to a fleet of limited edition ARTCRANK Shop Bikes, available for all employees to use. The bikes, built at Handsome Cycles, also serve as a fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief. For every bike sold, Handsome Cycles makes a donation that will allow World Bicycle Relief to provide a complete bike to a community in Africa. Check out this ad for ARTCRANK’s opening night party, where a turtle on a bike wears his shell as a helmet. In addition, the Carmichael Collective, let a Bike Matador loose in Minneapolis, challenging bikes instead of bulls. I’d love to try this while running, but I predict it would end badly… for me. See it here.

PublicWorksIn France, The W agency created an ad for the French National Federation of Public Works depicting what would happen if the public works employees stopped working. A road race is taking place, with hundreds of runners on a crowded street. A man on his lunch break actually loses his bottled water to a fast-paced, but thirsty runner. When the lead group gets halfway across a bridge, the runners suddenly stop because the bridge is only half-complete, leaving runners with nowhere to go. “The public works, you can’t stop the future” closes the ad, seen here and directed by Ivan Bgrovic of Wanda Productions.

ChuckeCheeseRandom App of the week: Chuck E. Cheese launched its first-ever augmented reality app, called “Chuck E.’s Say Cheese!” The app works via multiple “Say Cheese” markers found throughout every Chuck E. Cheese store. When the app is launched, in-store markers activate an augmented reality camera and, when the camera is pointed toward a marker, Chuck E. “magically” appears and poses alongside guests. The app was created by The Richards Group and Reel FX. Users can download the app for free in the App Store or the Android App Market.

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