Tuesday, November 17, 2009

LARGE INDEPENDENTS

Dentsu



Dentsu – Marcom (India)
Honda City – “The Race”

I wish that I could say this wasn’t like all the typical manufacturer car ads out there but in many ways it is. It has beautiful landscapes with winding roads, puddle splashes, and great music. All of these elements make it a good commercial, but it doesn’t make it anything remarkable. And when I say remarkable I’m not saying it needs to be groundbreaking, I’m just saying its not worth making any sort of remark about. I enjoyed it though, and it showed off the exterior of the car nicely, I also think the color they chose for the car was excellent.


Wieden + Kennedy



Wieden + Kennedy – Portland
Nike – Pro Combat TV ad

When I hear the name Wieden + Kennedy, I expect good things. Nothing too sarcastic, never boring, just something classic and intriguing. This ad delivers. Although I’m not a huge football fan, I found this ad really entertaining. The shutter speed, exposure, and lighting were all incredible. The breath coming out of everyone’s mouth into the cold air was a great way to set the scene too. And the end was totally unexpected. Some sports commercials are starting to run dry with newness but I think this one was pretty unique.

Bartle, Bogle, Hegarty



BBH
Axe Body Spray – “Part good, part bad”

I would love to show this ad to the TAI grad students and hear them dissect it. Once again, axe pushes the limits of stereotypes and continues to disregard society in favor of a few laughs and some timid teens clearing out the shelves. Stereotypes must be somewhat true or they wouldn’t exist, but it doesn’t mean that they should be used to sell or should be perpetuated without disclaimer. I may be a prude, but I am not in favor of most axe ads and do not approve of their tactics.

Richards Group



Richard’s Group – Dallas
Fruit of the Loom – Cirque

I find the new Fruit of the Loom ads really pleasant, they kind of remind me somehow of the FreeCreditReport.com commercials because of the appearance of the guys and the way they parade about in a sarcastic sort of way. This one is a tad different though because its trying to emulate the popular circus style shows from Cirque du Soleil and others. I think The Richards Group has brought Fruit of the Loom up a few notches in my head and I’m sure more people are considering purchasing them now if not for any other reason but brand awareness.


Doner


Doner – USA
The UPS Store – “A Happy Holiday”
Wow! Very Impressed by this ad I found from Doner for The UPS Store. It’s cool because it’s in a sepia tone which fits nicely with UPS’s signature brown color. Also it has a whimsy reminiscent of old Christmas movies and it combines an animated pop-up book that has a Tim Burton feeling to it, but not so much that its creepy. It’s nice and festive. Reminds me a little of the work Wieden + Kennedy did for coke of the inside of the coke machine making a coke for you.

Cramer-Krasselt


Cramer-Krasselt Hampel Stefanides – NYC
Yellowtail Wine – Godzilla

It’s a funny commercial and the ending and product are unexpected but I’m not a fan of the way Yellowtail chooses to advertise. I guess they know what niche they want to fill, but to me they are a wine that will never be taken seriously – probably ever again. Wine can be fun and not always serious, but it shouldn’t be stupid and that’s what I feel like this commercial is.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Ads as Art

D&G - In House



In my opinion some of the most artistic advertisement are the ones
done for the major fashion houses such as Dolce and Gabbana. The ad
has excellent composition and looks like a contemporary yet classic
family photo or something. The clothes are all shown very clearly and
it's not too racy or suggestive either. It is still selling a
lifestyle and a product but I think the lifestyle here is a little
deeper in meaning than most other products that advertise this way.
D&G has ads like this with about the same number of people in them
about 4 times a year with each new collection. I also thought it was
interesting that they are all done in house. While it doesn't surprise
me because it seems obvious that the designer would want not only a
hand in the production of the clothes but also in the way they are
advertised as well.



Fallon - BMW - The Hire series - Powder Keg



I received a DVD in the mail in about 9th grade from BMW with all the
short films in the series called The Hire. Each one is spectacular and
unique because they were all done by seperate directors. They each
have their own mood, plot, and car. The Powder Keg is one of my
favorites because of the story and the way that it slowly develops. It
has a lot more depth than the other films. I consider it art because
it's beautiful to me and evokes emotions. Take a look and see what you
think. Watch hostage or star to compare.


TBWA/Chiat Day - Apple - iPod - Mary J. Blige



These ads for the Apple iPod have truly broken the mold. The iPod is
never shown in detail, and the product features are never discussed.
Each of these ads is just good music and dancing with a silhouetted
figure. In this specific ad we see a little more than just a
silhouetted Mary J. Blige. We also see shades if gold on her body. All
of these commercials are really fun and make you want to dance and get
the point across while providing simple entertainment.



VitroRobertson - Audi - R8 - Racetrack



This is one of my favorite ads of all times. For some reason I always
think of the cinematic elements in Titanic when I see this commercial.
It's the attention to detail that can really pleasantly surprise you
when you watch this. They move so seamlessly from period to period an
the excitement grows and grows. It seems like the R8 has been planned
forever and its release just makes sense.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

MDC

Crispin Porter + Bogusky



Crispin Porter + Bogusky - Boulder
Burger King – “Whopper Virgins”

I thought the idea of finding Whopper “virgins” was awesome. I think it would be smart for Pepsi to do the same thing. The Pepsi challenge that BBDO created is somewhat similar to this because they took away the label and asked people to tell them which soda tasted better. But CPB goes a step further and finds people who have no knowledge of either brand even when they are indentified. I prefer Burger King to McDonalds, especially their burgers and I’m not surprised these virgins did too. I think if a lot of people closed their eyes to brands a lot of people would open them back up with a new favorite product.

VitroRobertson



VitroRobertson
Audi – R8 “The Hostage”

It seems these days that the cooler the car the more guns there are surrounding it. When you watch this commercial you forget your watching a commercial. It feels like you walked into the middle of an action movie, and right when the climax dissolves you realize it’s advertising the R8. One thing I thought was a little different was the clips of the car at the end, kind of a spooky snippet of shots.

Cliff Freeman & Partners



Cliff Freeman & Partners
Baskin Robbins – “Do the Ice Cream and Cake”

This is definitely one of my favorite commercials, and also one of the catchiest out there right now. I liked this the first time I saw it. Its cheap and kind of stupid, but its fun and I guess that’s really all that matters. Sadly, we won’t be seeing any sequels of this one as Cliff Freeman has closed its doors. Oh yeah and the way the figures move on this commercial kind of reminds me of Gumby… anyone else?


Kirshenbaum Bond



Kirshenbaum Bond
Avon – Christian Lacroix perfume

I would prefer not to comment on this ad. Not because its not good work but what is perfume and cologne advertising anyway. Many things are advertised as lifestyles but perfumes and colognes are strictly that only. The end.