Out to Launch
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
May-December romance sparked by... peanut butter? I believe it. Vacation is closer than you think. Let's launch!
  • KAYAKDo you remember the bully Frank Reardon from this KAYAK.comcommercial? Reardon is banned for life from using the travel site’s services because he bullied the site’s founder. The adult Reardon is making a plea for a second chance, in a 60-second video, seen here. He wants access to KAYAK.com and his fate is in the hands of social media. KAYAK.com wants users to visit Reardon’s Facebook page and Twitter handle to weigh in on the decision. Tweet your thoughts to KAYAK as well. Barton F. Graf 9000, LLC created the campaign.

    SnickersA college-aged guy finds love in the supermarket in a pair of ads for Snickers Peanut Butter Squared. He falls hard for the sample lady, even though she’s old enough to be his grandmother. Clearly, there is no age limit on cougars. In a TV ad, seen here, a mom refuses to allow her son’s girlfriend to join the family on a beach outing. The dad rethinks his ground when he tastes the peanut butter and chocolate candy. In the online-only spot, mom describes her shattered dreams of becoming a grandmother. Her son tells her not to fret, since his girlfriend has grandchildren. Had this been a shared pitch, she'd be reaching for gin. See it hereBBDO New York created the campaign.

    NKLAKevin Nealon lends a comedic hand to help solve a serious problem: the killing of animals in Los Angeles shelters. The Best Friends Animal Society has a goal to make Los Angeles a no kill city by 2017. In the latest PSA for NKLA, Nealon lists a bevy of problems in the world, most leaning on the ridiculous side of the spectrum. Think kangaroo impotence, turf toe and infant baldness. Nealon takes a serious tone at the ad’s conclusion, encouraging pet owners to spay and neuters their animals and to adopt from shelters. See the ad here, created by Let There Be Dragons.

    CarnivalCruiseNew Yorkers, your ship is closer than you think. Carnival Cruise Lines launched an outdoor campaign to remind city dwellers that the port to a tropical paradise is just around the corner. Buildings were altered into modes of transportation to escape the urban jungle. A fire escape on an apartment building was painted the same color as a waterslide depicted in an adjacent billboard. The next piece shows a man ziplining from his apartment to a sunnier, tropical destination. Elevator doors were affixed with a hammock and ocean view, stating: “You’re just a hop, skip and jump away from cruising year-round from NYC.” Lastly, a cruise ship billboard was placed in Times Square, giving the illusion that the ship was docking in the middle of the theater district. Where, if they want more imaginative escapes, they can book "Wicked."  See them hereherehere and here, created by Arnold Worldwide.

    CapriSunFinally, Capri Sun launched a resalable pouch. Where was this when I was a kid? I can’t tell you how many times I sent a plastic straw through both ends, resulting in being covered in Capri Sun… and still thirsty. An ad promoting the increase in size and reseal ability features the old pouch morphing into the new size inside a refrigerator. As it transforms, it knocks every other perishable item to the kitchen floor, like a deranged health nut. The transforming pouch looks very angry, think David Banner when he became the Incredible Hulk. Which one will clean the mess? See the ad here, created by SS&K, New York, produced by Blacklist and animated by Wizz Design.

    MountainDewMountain Dew launched “Reverse,” a TV spot showcasing the brand’s promotion with The Dark Knight Rises. See a city in turmoil through the eyes of Batman as windows are shattered, a car explodes and a man casually buys a Mountain Dew from a vending machine. The ad drives viewers to a microsite where users can redeem points for apparel and prizes. See it here, created by BBDO New York.

     

    UnitedWayThe United Way of Greater Milwaukee launched an outdoor teen pregnancy prevention campaign that depicts rats and snakes crawling on teen girls. The ads, posted in bus shelters throughout the city, feature two young girls overtaken by rats and snakes. Copy reads: “What kind of man preys on underage girls?” and “When an older man has sex with an underage girl, it’s more than creepy. It’s statutory rape. Learn how to encourage healthy relationships.  BabyCanWait.com” See the ads here and here, created by Serve Marketing.

    MilkPepMilkPEP launched a print and TV campaign touting the benefits of drinking chocolate milk after a hard workout. After a long run, I replenish the same way. The "my After" campaign is competing with high-caloric post-exercise drinks like Gatorade and Muscle Milk. It features basketball player Carmelo Anthony and ironman athlete Mirinda Carfrae following difficult workouts with a glass of chocolate milk. Unlike typical milk campaigns, there will be no chocolate milk mustaches found. See the ads here and here, created by Deutsch NY

    WeeMailRandom iPhone App of the week: If your unborn child is already on Twitter and Facebook, then this app is ideal for you. Wee Mail, developed by BooneOakley and Limbua, lets parents hear from their kids before they even know how to text… or feed themselves. Entering the baby’s due date and gender, if known, sets up Wee Mail. Parents-to-be will then receive daily messages from their child, some informative and some funny. One little lady asks: “I’m always naked and demand a lot of attention. You sure I’m not a Kardashian?” Another amusing quip reads: “Great. Nine months of solitary for something my dad did.” When he's a teen, he'll kill for the same isolation. The app is available for free in the App Store.