Leo Burnett London – Freeview
Freeview unveiled its biggest ever advertising campaign from Leo Burnett London this week to launch its connected TV service Freeview Play. The new “Set Yourself Free” TV spot launched as a premiere ad break during Emmerdale under ITV’s “Proud to present” banner and was introduced by the channel’s continuity announcer. The ad is a two minute CGI film which opens in an Orwellian world with an army of TVs brainwashing inhabitants to “Conform,” “Upgrade” and “Subscribe.” The TV campaign will also include 60 and 40 second versions plus product adverts which explain the features and benefits of Freeview Play. It will also be complemented by in-store, print and outdoor advertising as well as digital and social activation.
Freeview unveiled its biggest ever advertising campaign this week
Owen Jenkinson, Freeview head of marketing, said: “Set Yourself Free is really an emancipation story. The aim of the advert is to challenge category norms and show that there is a better, savvier way to watch free TV in a visually striking and compelling narrative.” The spot, which is set to a new version of the iconic “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables, performed by Sarah Kingsmill and recorded specially for the campaign, features visual effects by Electric Theatre Collective and was directed by Sam Brown at Rogue and Sam Taylor and Bjorn- Erik Aschim at The Line. MEC is Freeview’s media buying agency.
AMV BBDO – Whiskas
Kitten Kollege is a new campaign for cat food brand Whiskas by AMV BBDO in a unique collaboration with Google and Mediacom featuring creative content designed for mobile with the aim of entertaining and educating current and prospective kitten owners. The content, which has been developed with online comedy site College Humour, juxtaposes the earnestness of promotional university films with charming and adorable kitten chaos. Basically, it takes smart advantage of the world’s fascination with cute cat videos, but does so with a sly wink and a nod. Kitten Kollege welcomes kitten owners to learn more about kitten care in the cutest possible way. In a series of online tutorials, designed to be both educational and entertaining, a charming class of kittens and their tutors will help to answer the questions search insights have shown are most commonly asked by kitten owners (and prospective ones).
The adorable Kitten Kollege is a new campaign for cat food brand Whiskas by AMV BBDO in a unique collaboration with Google and Mediacom
Anthony Dean, cat portfolio manager at Mars Petcare, Whiskas parent company, said: “This is a hugely exciting project bringing to life our expertise in all aspects of kitten care in the most unique - not to mention cute – way. Kitten Kollege has been a landmark project in many respects. It represents MARS' considered approach to online content; mobile-led media planning: a new collaboration between AMV BBDO, Google, AMV Flare and MediaCom and a first in co-creation for AMV BBDO. Rob Messeter and Mike Crowe, creative partners at AMV BBDO, added: “Focusing on mobile first, developing scripts with our analytics team around search insights and the lightning-fast pace of content development and production were all new. It’s the sort of project we’re doing much more of – bringing the newer disciplines from around the agency together. Also, it’s not every day you get to launch a whole new YouTube channel and work not only with a bunch of cute kittens, but some sharp people at Google and College Humour."
Twofifteenmccann – Halo 5
In March, Xbox and its agency twofifteenmccann, aired a series cryptic 15-second teasers that cast doubt on the reputation of Halo franchise hero Master Chief, introduced a potential new hero, and began the countdown to the launch of Halo 5: Guardians, which drops at the end of October. Last week, part one of the official launch campaign for Halo 5 aired, and it was pretty spectacular to say the least. The “A Hero Falls” spot cast assumptions that the chief was no more, but the follow-up spot, titled “The Hunt Begins” and released last Sunday, shed tantalizing new light on the story revealing what happened on the alien planet where the Master Chief supposedly fell. It’s a big, bold, cinematic campaign that really gets the blood pumping, especially if you happen own an Xbox One!
The Halo 5 campaign by Twofifteenmccann is a reliably cinematic achievement
A key supporting element of the launch is a digital “Visualizer” experience, created with Active Theory, which aggregates all social conversation and user-generated content into a unique 3D particle animation visualization. Each particle represents a fan comment, posted from directly inside the experience or through social media. The experience went live last week and will transition along with the audience’s changing perspectives in “The Hunt Begins.”
72andSunny – Guitar Hero
Lots of excellent video game ads this week. In the latest trailer for the upcoming Guitar Hero Live from Activision and by 72andSunny, rock star Lenny Kravitz and actor James Franco show off some “Rockstar 101,” as each attempt to out-do each other at the game. Franco and Kravitz take on the living room as their stage, dissing each other’s performances as they both vie for the virtual audience’s approval. The ad suggests that we’ll all soon be doing the same when the game hits all current generation consoles later this year.
Lenny Kravitz and James Franco show off to each other at the new Guitar Hero Live game in the new ad by 72andSunny
According to the press release, Franco and Kravitz were both fans of Guitar Hero and couldn't wait to get their hands on the new game, which makes the subsequent joking and wisecracking seem authentic and natural. It also helps that both are trained actors of course. To direct “Win the Crowd,” 72andSunny and Activision recruited Jonathan Krisel, co-creator of Portlandia and an SNL veteran, to capture the hilarity that ensues when a real musician and wannabe musician feed off of the innovation of the new game, which features live crowds reacting to your playing style.
Ogilvy & Mather – Coke Zero
Coke Zero usually likes to promote how it tastes, but the brand's latest campaign is largely focused on how the drink sounds. In a continuation of a campaign marketed to those who have never tried the zero-calorie drink, Coke Zero has launched a new spot in partnership with ESPN College’s GameDay show and Shazam. In the ad, created with Ogilvy & Mather, the GameDay cast walks viewers through how to use music-identification service Shazam to receive a free Coke Zero at 7-Eleven, Domino's, QuikTrip and Speedway. Unfortunately it doesn’t work at Tesco, so the UK are out of luck. We had to feature this campaign though because it’s just too smart to ignore!
In the ad, created with Ogilvy & Mather, viewers are talked through how to use music-identification service Shazam to receive a free Coke Zero
According to Coca-Cola, 85% of millennials have not tried Coke Zero, but nearly 50 percent of those who try it go on to become monthly drinkers. So, the “Drinkable” marketing campaign is aimed at getting consumers to sample the product. This is the third year Coke Zero has partnered with College GameDay. Earlier this year, Coke Zero launched a new campaign aimed at winning over consumers who hadn't yet tried the soft drink. The “You Don't Know Zero ‘til You've Tried It” campaign integrates multiple broadcast spots, traditional media, digital retail and social media engagement.
