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Ads of the Week: Kwiffing, a Cantona scarecrow, a very adult playground and other stories

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Droga5 – Kwiff

Kwiff, a new mobile-only sports betting app that aims to add an extra thrill to sports betting by “kwiffing” or boosting odds, is releasing a fully integrated campaign that describes the feeling of being “kwiffed.” The “It’s perfectly normal. Until it’s kwiffed” campaign, created by Droga5 London, comprises three humorous films that celebrate the feeling of winning before you’ve actually won, which differentiates kwiff’s offering over other sports betting apps who are all about shouting loud about bonuses and free bets. One execution features a class of man-children being told by their teacher that not only do they not have homework that evening, they can finish the day bursting giant bubble wrap. Another, featured above, features a man who is so proud of catching a falling glass from a cupboard before it hits the floor that he carries it around with him to his grave. It's pretty cheesy stuff, but that's the whole point and the actor at the centre of the campaign really sells that look of unbelievable, stunned joy.

Southpaw – Honda Civic

Honda Europe has launched an emotionally charged campaign to promote the launch of the new Civic Type R. The “Are You Type R?” campaign, which comprises online content/VOD, press and OOH, was created by the Hakuhodo-owned Southpaw, which won the account in April following a competitive pitch. It positions the Civic Type R not just as a performance car – but as an attitude, and is designed to prompt a reappraisal of both the Civic range and the Honda brand through the notion that “with risk, comes reward.” The hero spot (above) is an adrenaline-fuelled mishmash of clips from a challenge called “Reach The Racing Line” that Honda held at the Lausitzring in Dresden. It features various social media influencers and aims to show off the 'risky' nature of the new car. It's pretty hardcore stuff and is actually the first time Honda has run a pan-European influencer campaign

hasan & partners – Plan International

Every year in developing countries seven million children under the age of 18 become mothers. To raise awareness of the issue, child rights organisation Plan International has commissioned a clothing collection that the world should not need - maternity wear for 12-year olds. The fashion-inspired campaign was conceived by hasan & partners to highlight the shocking facts about child mothers and to drive donations to Plan International. Two online films(see above) billboards, international social media and PR programme support the campaign The clothes are modelled by a Zambian girl called Fridah who became pregnant at the age of 12. Her baby is due in September. The campaign was shot by award-winning photographer Meeri Koutaniemi whose images brought worldwide attention to female genital mutilation. It's a defiantly optimistic way to highlight such a worrying problem and I commend the teams involved for trying to use a little more light than shade on this one. It would have been far too obvious to go the more typical, dark and depressing route.

Taylor Herring – EasyJet

Europe’s leading airline easyJet has announced a new route to the land of nod with the release of “Jet Sounds;” a ground-breaking charity single and album comprised entirely of engine noise. The single and extended cut album was recorded at 39,000ft en-route from London Gatwick to Nice and features the sublime harmonics of a pair of CFM56, twin spool, high bypass, turbo fan engines. The album and single, created by the Taylor Herring agency, were released on Friday 11th August, with the oddly calming video promoting the release featured above. The release was inspired by research, which confirms that white noise can help to send people to sleep. Recent reports explain that white noise allows the brain to block out sleep interruptions by displacing background noise and loud interruptive peaking sounds such as traffic, snoring and barking dogs. It is a competitive week in the music charts with easyJet facing rivalry from chart-topping pop star Pink, indie band Bastille and American rockers Fall Out Boy.

BrandOpus/Brokkr – 9NINE

Brokkr, the new full-service communications arm of global brand agency BrandOpus, have helped 9NINE Brand Foods to create a playground for adults in London. 9NINE (previously 9BAR) has recently unveiled a new logo, packaging and a renewed focus to provide Super Seed nutrition in all 9NINE products. To support their new focus, 9NINE wanted to raise awareness but were limited to a relatively small budget. They needed a smart, impactful idea that would create social conversation around the idea that 9NINE gives you happy energy. The Playground was an all-weekend event in London Fields in Hackney, designed to give Londoners a chance to let loose and release their inner child. A massive climbing frame; a 6-meter high slide; swings, seesaws, ball pits, log-swings, space-hoppers, all soundtracked by music from Regression Sessions. The event was free to attend but all profits from sales of 9NINE products went to local play initiatives. The event was promoted through PR and social media, getting people to book places in advance, and all 3000 spaces were booked up. Pre-event it was covered by Timeout, Metro and The Guardian amongst other print and online publications, gaining over 1 million views on their social sites. Post event it was covered by a number of outlets including BBC London and ITV.

Leo Burnett – McDonald's

McDonald’s UK has launched a campaign for its Chicken Legend range that positions the quality chicken burger as a reward that we all need and deserve sometimes. Created by Leo Burnett London, the spot broke on Monday 14th August and shows a one-man kayaker about to begin a white-water rapids course. Just as he is about to begin the race he adjusts his glove and accidentally drops his paddle. This causes him to inadvertently spin round so he starts the course backwards. However, despite this, he still manages to successfully navigate the gates backwards and finishes the race, thereby turning his misfortune into a triumph. Another short, smart, softly funny spot from Leo Burnett and McDonald's, who have been doing some great work together recently.

Wieden+Kennedy – Nike

As Mo Farah steps onto the London Stadium track to compete in his final campaign for double gold, Nike’s new film “Smile” celebrates the tremendous sacrifice and resilient mindset behind his record-breaking track career and unbeatable smile. Most people perceive Mo as the guy who smiles and throws his Mobot around. However, this film chronicles the unseen gruelling journey and mental strength behind his smiley persona. The film, from Wieden+Kennedy London and directed by Mark Zibert through Rogue films, gives viewers an unprecedented insight of Mo’s journey and toughest training moments, set against the backdrop of London where Mo grew up. A powerful tribute from London-born spoken word artist George the Poet compliments the images, and captures the human truth we all recognise; that behind every smile, there is a story that is never as easy as it seems.

Saatchi & Saatchi – George at ASDA

It's that time of year again when George at Asda will be rolling out its Back to School campaign, “strong clothes for strong kids.” The integrated campaign aims to highlight the small but significant challenges that children encounter and overcome at school on a daily basis, no matter what age they are. The hero spot from Saatchi & Saatchi London follows three schoolchildren, all of differing ages, and each of whom face a different challenge. The first is a young girl in the school playground, deliberating at the top of a slide whether she’s brave enough to go down. The second child is new to the class and after standing on the sidelines looking on, finally plucks up the courage to ask to join in a playground game. The last is challenged by an older group of children to kick a football back to them and the pressure of getting the kick spot on is immense! Simple stuff, but it's also very relatable and undeniably adorable. The TV spot will be played out until September 4th, with a long form (above) showing in cinemas across the country alongside additional shorter digital pre-roll and social cut-downs.

Saatchi & Saatchi – Toyota

Toyota Europe and Saatchi & Saatchi London have launched the Safe & Sound smartphone app, which uses a humorous threat of embarrassment to stop kids from speeding or using their phones while driving. The app has been released to coincide with the start of school and university summer holidays when the roads will be flooded with young drivers. The Safe & Sound campaign consists of the Mobile app and two online content films, which will feature on all Toyota social media channels. Designed to make driving safer and to give parents peace of mind when their children borrow their car, both parent and child need to download the app and then pair their phones. When a child wants to borrow their parents’ car, the parent simply needs to activate the app by swiping/handing over a set of virtual keys. The app initially works by blocking all social media notifications and incoming calls through the “do not disturb” feature when it detects the car is moving over 9 mph. The app also harnesses a music functionality so that when the young driver touches their phone or exceeds the designated speed limit when driving, the music they are playing through Spotify will suddenly cut out and their parents' embarrassing playlist will kick in instead. Only once the driver stops interacting with their phone or returns to within the speed limit, will their own music return. At the end of the drive, both parent and child are provided with a drive summary on the app. The app arrives at a time when recent UK mobility legislation has just become tougher meaning more points deducted, a greater fine and an instant ban for new drivers caught using their phone at the wheel.

J. Walter Thompson – Pennzoil

Pennzoil is taking on the fastest production car ever made, the brand new 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, in its latest product demonstration meets cinematic car film, “Exorcising the Demon” from J. Walter Thompson Atlanta. Shot on the streets of Pittsburgh, the next evolution of Pennzoil Films continues following an elusive Driver carrying out a mission of tracking and locating the Demon before returning it to its rightful owner. Famed precision driver Rhys Millen (The Fast and the Furious) is behind the wheel and pulls off some pretty thrilling stunts. The driving is also 100% real, highlighting the Demon’s front wheel lift at launch: something only this production car is capable of. Hair raising stuff.

AvL/SE – Hyundai

A man’s Friday-night commute home ends up in unexpected adventure in this fun short film for Hyundai’s Tucson model. Created by AvL/SE in Berlin, “The Switch” sees the hero of the film pick up a hitchhiker, get chased by a crazed clown in a lorry, get stopped by the police only to pull a surprise gun out of the glove compartment, and find a mysterious white dinner jacket in his trunk. It's certainly not without its surprises and will really keep you on your toes throughout. The whole thing feels like a homage to big Hollywood blockbusters, but weaved into the narrative are the car’s features helping the protagonist escape each of his tricky situations.

CP+B – Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker has decided to amplify the meaning of its “Keep Walking” signature message to inspire consumers to listen to their instincts and gather the courage to follow their own truth. This is brought to life with the signature “The next step is inside you,” a concept that was launched in Brazil through an integrated campaign created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky Brazil. As an answer to this change of perspective on what is progress, Johnnie Walker has launched a full media campaign that starts with a film shot in the Atacama, Chile. In the film (above), a train is shown on a rail in the middle of the desert and each one of the wagons is made of glass, revealing solitary young adults, each one individually trapped in space. Inside the wagons, they follow a straight line, following the path proposed by the rail, carrying on with their lives motionlessly, one after the other, conditioned to the space they’re in. It's very stylish, very metaphorical and very cool! The film required a three-day shoot in the Atacama Desert and another 30 days for post-production. The rail shown in the film is real and was part of the location. The glass wagon, however (designed by Marcos Medeiros) was specially produced for the action and later multiplied during the post-production phase. The production company responsible for the film is Iconoclast, and it was directed by Ian Ruschel.

BBH Sport – bwin

bwin's new “Live the Action” is a campaign designed to position bwin as the different, more exciting, more interactive, more inventive betting brand. It is a universal brand platform and the first campaign from BBH Sport since the agency was appointed in March this year. The campaign's hero film, entitled “Black vs Yellow,” was directed by Nima Nourizadeh, the acclaimed film, commercial and music promo director. Nima has helmed feature films including Project X and American Ultra, and directed music videos for Flight of the Conchords, Lily Allen and Mark Ronson. You can certainly see Nourizadeh's heritage in the spot, as it certainly feels like a high-quality music video.

The Corner – Adidas/Manchester United

Fresh from demolishing West Ham 4-0 on the opening weekend of the season, Manchester United kicks off the brand new Premier League season in style thanks to Adidas’ electric #HereToCreate campaign, which showcases United’s new kit. Featuring an all-star line-up of United stars, alongside manager Jose Mourinho, #HereToCreate dramatically illuminates the club’s home ground, Old Trafford (dubbed ‘The Theatre of Dreams’ by legendary midfielder, Bobby Charlton) to declare: “This is our stage and we are born to perform.” #HereToCreate embraces the metaphor, transforming the iconic stadium into a literal theatre stage, on which only the most creative stars can shine. The film’s striking mixture of puppetry and live action-animation adds another dimension to the footballers’ creative talents and energy, as sparks fly from Pogba’s fingertips and De Gea sets a drum kit aflame. Set to the pumping beats of Birmingham rapper, Mist, and East London rap producer, Steel Banglez’ custom-made track, the pacing of the fast-cuts and highly-stylised visuals channel a youthful, grittier edge. Devised by The Corner, #HereToCreate builds on the agency’s history with Adidas, having delivered a number of the brand’s previous campaigns. ENVY Advertising was responsible for executing the full post production and sound design.

Ogilvy & Mather – Kronenbourg

Smuggler director Neil Harris brings us more amusing Kronenbourg tales with Eric Cantona in the latest ad “Scarecrow” from Ogilvy & Mather London. Not much more to say about this one really. It's Cantona doing what Cantona does best. Effortless charm backing up a genuinely bizarre, but hilarious concept.

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