BBDO has had quite a week indeed. We've already reported on the global agency network's involvement in a charming new V&A Museum exhibition and its top placings in this year's Gunn Report, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
AMV BBDO unveil another potentially iconic Guinness campaign
John Hammond, Intolerant Champion
AMV BBDO and Irish International have created a new ad for Guinness called “John Hammond, Intolerant Champion,” which broke online earlier this week and will make its debut on TV today (February 3), it will also run on TV, online and in cinemas. The ad, which is filmed entirely in black and white in much the same manner as the agency's other classic Guinness spots, transports viewers back to 1930s New York and tells the story of record producer and talent scout John Hammond; a man who made great strides in bringing white and black musicians together, in an era when many music venues still permitted white audiences only. Hammond would travel the clubs and bars of Harlem seeking raw, undiscovered musical talent for his radio show and he would often be the only white man in the room. Undeterred, he went on to become a remarkable talent scout and was responsible for discovering musicians like Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Aretha Franklin. He signed them to Columbia Records, giving them an incredible platform to be heard, not only by black audiences, but by music lovers across America and the world over.
“John Hammond continues a series of stories from Guinness that feature an ordinary people achieving extraordinary things”
Hammond stood almost alone in championing the potential of black and white musicians working together, and he though he went on to sign legends like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen to Columbia, it was his pivotal role in bringing together black and white musicians that is his most lasting legacy. With a voiceover by Lethal Weapon star, producer and humanitarian Danny Glover, the ad offers viewers a window into Hammond's world. Dazzling scenes from across the city show music lovers of all backgrounds, united together, enjoying and celebrating the great sounds playing out over the airwaves.
“John Hammond is an unsung hero and his lasting legacy on the world of music is a story that has been largely untold”
The ad was directed by Jake Nava, a top music video and film director, whose portfolio includes videos for Adele, Beyoncé and Arctic Monkeys. He said: “It’s fair to say that John Hammond is an unsung hero and his lasting legacy on the world of music is a story that has been largely untold. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to tell an aspect of it in a way that I believe authentically captures the significance of what he achieved.” Stephen O’Kelly, Marketing Director at Guinness, added: “John Hammond continues a series of stories from Guinness that feature an ordinary people achieving extraordinary things. John Hammond, in his search for great music, brought black and white musicians together, over-coming divides and creating a fantastic music and social legacy that continues to this day.”
“Guinness is known for being at the cutting-edge of advertising and for its creative and iconic visual storytelling”
The ad and accompanying historical documentary will be supported with a TTL campaign in TV, digital, social and PR. The campaign also sees Guinness launch using a social first approach to encourage organic share-ability, utilising some of the industry’s most innovative social media formats. The brand has worked closely with Instagram to incorporate the latest technology in the John Hammond ad amplification plans and will be the first brand to launch 60” video on Instagram in GB and Ireland. Amy Cole, Head of Brand Development for the EMEA at Instagram, said: “Guinness is known for being at the cutting-edge of advertising and for its creative and iconic visual storytelling. That's why we're thrilled that Guinness is the first brand to run a 60 second video on Instagram in the UK and Ireland.”
Colenso BBDO fire up the grill for Burger King and get honoured by Contagious Magazine
Backyard Burger King
Every summer, millions of flame grills are rolled out in backyards across New Zealand. So Burger King and Colenso BBDO decided to turn the nation’s BBQs into Backyard Burger Kings, and prove that their real burgers are cooked over real flames. Over the next four months, 50 Backyard Burger Kings will open around the country. Each kit is a Burger King restaurant in a box, complete with ingredients to make 16 Whoppers, plus your own customised cooking utensils, hat, apron, matches and even a light up Burger King road sign. Everything you need to turn your home into the Home of the Whopper. Backyard Burger King kits are being given away through a TV, digital, in-store and social campaign with potential candidates being directed to apply at the bespoke Backyard Burger King website.
“Backyard Burger King is an engaging way to help reassure people that Burger King’s been using flames to cook Whoppers since 1957”
Says Steve Cochran, ECD at Colenso BBDO, said: “Burger King’s been using flames to cook Whoppers since 1957. Despite almost sixty years of cooking this way, many people don’t know or don’t believe their burgers are still made over real flames. Backyard Burger King is an engaging way to help reassure them they are.” James Woodbridge, General Manager of Marketing at Burger King NZ, added: “We are thrilled with the response to the campaign to date and to have this many entries just shows how many Burger King fans are keen to experience the flame grilled taste for themselves. We’ve always had an active and engaged group of social followers so we can’t wait to see what they share from there own personal Backyard BK’s.”
In other Colenso BBDO news, the agency was recently names as the number one agency in the world by Contagious Magazine in their Contagious Pioneers 2016 list. In their words, the list recognises the “Best and bravest agencies” in the world, and was created to hero those that consistently set the standard for excellence and innovation in marketing. Contagious is one of the worlds leading publications & consultancies for marketing innovation, with its aim being to help brands and agencies understand and adapt to the shifts in marketing, consumer culture and technology. The rankings are derived through the analysis of campaigns featured on the Contagious I/O research and intelligence platform during 2015.
“Doing great work across the breadth of both our client base and in a variety of disciplines is what we strive for, so this result is really rewarding for the team”
Colenso BBDO Managing Director Scott Coldham, said: “To be recognised by a publication with the objective and increasingly high standards of Contagious - and to be in the company of the agencies we are - is truly humbling. Doing great work across the breadth of both our client base and in a variety of disciplines is what we strive for, so this result is really rewarding for the team.” Alex Jenkins, Contagious editor, added: “The great thing about the Contagious ranking is that you can’t game the system. You can’t spend more on award submissions. You can’t shout louder on a jury for your agency’s work. All you can do is consistently produce exceptional work for all your clients.”
BBDO New York unveil pre-roll spots for FedEx and new network campaign for AT&T
FedEd Pre-Roll: Headphones
This week, FedEx launched new pre-roll spots in conjunction with an updated Tumblr site, designed to showcase how FedEx offers its services to help younger start-ups and small business owners reach their goals faster. The work is a twist on the classic montage style often seen in the movies. The 15-second spots take the sometimes mundane and disruptive media type of pre-roll and use it in a witty and enjoyable way, writing short-form stories. Created by BBDO New York, the work will target a new audience for the FedEx brand, running in online channels from now until March 31st, 2016.
AT&T “Formal Wear”
Earlier this month, and also from BBDO NY, AT&T debuted a new network campaign during the College Football Championship called “Your Network.” Now, AT&T is launching a new execution timed to award show season to help further bring to life the Network of You. The ad is another demonstration of how AT&T’s network is best equipped to keep people close to all of the things they find important, including never missing a moment with TV Everywhere. The 30 second ad will launched during the SAG awards, and will run on network and cable TV in the US from now until the end of February.
BBDO Guerrero's playable 8-bit pre-roll
Mountain Dew Playable Pre-Rolls
To launch the Dew Gamer Hub in the Philippines, BBDO Guerrero created a pre-roll campaign with a difference. To bring people to the site (a gaming news and content site similar in concept to IGN, only sponsored by Mountain Dew) the agency produced a series of playable 8-bit games that enable gamers to spend more time with the brand. The three games: “EDSA,” “Balete Drive” and “Intramuros” use local landmarks, and feature unique Filipino characters that would be particularly relevant to local gamers. The games work using native YouTube annotations so that when players hit buttons in the video, the player can jump, shoot and blast their way through the action. Players tend to move on from one game to the next. Meaning, that engagement with the brand is maximised. In fact, people are spending around 12 times longer on these than the average pre-roll. The games have also been receiving rave reviews from retro-gamer groups, and there are already plenty of suggestions for new games.
“This idea shows that innovation doesn’t need to be expensive or elaborate”
BBDO Guerrero Creative Chairman David Guerrero, said: “This idea shows that innovation doesn’t need to be expensive or elaborate but is a question of looking at resources we already have in front of us and using them to the best effect.” PepsiCo Head of Beverages Mikey Rosales, added: “We are always looking for new ways to engage with our diverse audiences and these playable pre-roll ads really connected with the passionate gamers that love Mountain Dew.”
