I'll take the animated leprechaun over this guy any day.
The latest two ads for Lucky Charms feature an actual, real-life man playing the role of the beloved animated leprechaun many of us grew up with. For starters, this guy has no accent
and his outfit seems ill-fitting. I couldn't warm up to him. In the first ad, the leprechaun emerges from a duffle bag filled with cereal. He
cheers on a female pole vaulter by throwing a bowl of cereal, discus-style, to her coach. This sets off a series of good-luck vibes, and the gal vaults over the pole.
The second ad pokes fun at reality dating shows. A bachelorette must choose between three remaining men: two are studs and one is a lovable dark
horse. With the leprechaun's help, our Seabiscuit wins the woman's heart. Saatchi & Saatchi New York created the campaign, directed by Josh+Vince.
How many groundskeepers did it take to change each of the
NFL stadium's end zones to read "Team USA," rather than the name of the home team? I have no idea, but it's a job well-done. The NFL created its first-ever Olympic-themed spot to
support Team USA during the Summer Olympics. The 80-second spot is set to an updated version of the "Star-Spangled
Banner" recorded by St. Vincent. Groundskeepers at each stadium are equipped with stencils, paint machines and American pride. The spots concludes with results from a handful of teams. The home team's
logo is at each end of the end zone, with "Team USA" taking up the remaining area. "This summer, we are all one team," closes the ad, created by Grey New York.
Coleman F. Sweeney is the "World’s Biggest
Asshole" in an almost 3-minute video for Donate Life. Sweeney is played by actor Thomas Jane, and Will Arnett provides
narration. Sweeney steals women's undies from the laundromat, shoots a paint gun at his neighbor's dog, poops in the women's bathroom and has a bumper stick on his truck that reads: "I can go from 0
to horny in 2.2 beers." He's a real gem. One day, while arguing about the bill at his local diner, Sweeney keels over and dies of a brain aneurysm. When doctors find out Sweeney was an organ donor, he
went from asshole to hero in a matter of seconds. His heart, liver, tendons and corneas went to people in need. "Even an asshole can save a life," closes the video, targeting millennials to register to become organ donors. And pay attention to an ever-slower version of Coldplay's "Fix You" playing throughout the video. The Martin
Agency created the campaign, directed by Speck and Gordon of Furlined.
Is there room for Donald Trump on Mt. Rushmore?
GSP founders Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein wonder in "Mt. Rushmore," the second ad launched by the pair in an effort to get folks to vote in November. Part of "History is Watching" campaign, the ad was made with a fast turn-around; it addresses Trump's recent comments that
second amendment people could deal with Clinton. As a shot of Mt. Rushmore appears onscreen, viewers hear words of wisdom from Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Viewers then
listen to Donald Trump's remarks regarding Hillary Clinton and what could happen if she is elected president and able to pick Supreme Court Justices. "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can
do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know."
BMW launched a pair of TV spots for its 330e
electric hybrid car that directly targets Tesla, without mentioning the company by name. "The car you've been waiting for... without the wait," begins the campaign, targeting the much-hyped, but
yet-to-launch, Tesla Model 3. The first ad talks about putting a deposit on a car, only to wait and wait, when you can skip all that and drive
BMW's 330e electric hybrid car right now. The second ad shows a man impatiently waiting on his doorstep while a voiceover talks about ringing
in the New Year twice and doing your taxes twice before that certain sought-after vehicle is ready. Or, the man can do what his neighbor did and buy a BMW hybrid. The ads are running throughout the
Olympics. The Vault NYC created the campaign.
Talk about lost in translation. ElaN
Languages is an online translation tool that challenged the behemoth that is Google Translate to convert wedding vows to English, with interesting results. International couples wrote wedding
vows in their native language and ran them through ElaN Languages and Google Translate. You want everything to be perfect on your wedding day, so how did Google Translate interpret romantic, loving
vows? Think lines like: "You're my biggest size," "I promise not to use a map at night" and "I promise to grow old with you and keep your
children alive." Things went smoother when ElaN Languages took over. J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam created the campaign.
PepsiCo launched its first sustainability ad,
focused on recycling. The 30-second ad asks viewers whether they would complete only 50% of a task. Most wouldn't, so the ad playfully
illustrates people doing half of a task: shaving half of a dog's fur, running half of a race and mowing half a lawn. The U.S. recycling rate is less than 50%, so Pepsi encourages folks to go all in
and recycle bottles and cans. PepsiCo Recycling has partnered with local retailers, K-12 schools and college campuses to provide recycling bins where people need them.
Random iPhone App of the week: In case you don't
watch enough politics, there's an app to provide further data and commentary. CNN Politics app tracks polling, voting and fundraising data and offers personalized alerts and
notifications when news breaks, which seems like every 15 minutes. The CNN Politics app was built using CA API Management and CA Mobile App Analytics products. The management software transfers and
aggregates data points from numerous sources, including CNN polling data, Federal Election Commission data and the CNN/Pivit Political Prediction Market, to help users draw conclusions based on how
the election is tracking. Download the free app here.
Geico launched "It's Not Surprising," a
new savings campaign that features actual customers and how much they saved after switching insurance companies. The ad starts with a group of
kids playing Marco Polo in a pool. Also inside the pool is a confused, resurrected, Marco Polo, wondering what the fuss is all about. Having Marco Polo in the pool is surprising, says the ad. It isn't
surprising to save money using Geico. The Martin Agency created the campaign.