DDB Stockholm – Samsung
I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick to the teeth of Christmas already, so this week's AOTW (which also happens to be the final one of 2015) will not feature a single, solitary Christmas spot. I promise. Kicking off proceedings we have this interesting campaign from DDB Stockholm for Samsung, which tackles the topic of TV Dinners. Most people eat their dinner in front of the TV at some point, often while watching an episode of their favourite show. In order to keep pace with the ability of Samsung’s latest-generation SUHD TV that takes viewing to a new level, the standard of TV dinners also needs to be raised. This is the thinking of Samsung and DDB Stockholm as they launch the “Fine Watching” concept in an exclusive event at the Michelin-starred Frederikshøj restaurant in Aarhus. Danish celebrity chef and TV personality Wassim Hallal has exclusively composed two different three-course menus based upon the HBO series Game of Thrones and Sopranos.
Samsung and DDB Stockholm have launched the “Fine Watching” concept in an exclusive event at the Michelin-starred Frederikshøj restaurant in Aarhus
Nordic influencers (foodies and journalists) were invited to enjoy these meals in two sittings in front of Samsung’s latest SUHD TV curved Nano Crystal Display. While the SUHD TV played episodes of the shows with razor-sharp image quality and an impressive colour rendering, the food provided the additional dimensions of taste and smell. Henrik Lethagen, Marketing Manager at Samsung, said: “Television drama is an art form and, at this level, so is cooking. But there is still something of a taboo about eating in front of the TV. We’re hoping to change this with Fine Watching.” The menus are available at Samsung’s Nordic Facebook pages, so now the only ingredient you need for your own boutique TV dinner experience is the TV itself.
Perfect Fools Stockholm – Casumo
Casumo, the online casino, has unveiled the second phase of its Erase Boredom campaign with Epic Banana Flip, a berry-inspired interactive game designed to raise a smile and position the brand as Finland's number one entertainment destination. Created in co-operation with Perfect Fools Stockholm, the work establishes Casumo’s Erase Boredom website as a top platform for fun online content that delivers the brand’s mission to erase boredom. The game and related YouTube video take their cue from research that reveals Finns believe bananas are the most boring fruit. However, the film points out that the banana isn’t just a fruit, it’s a berry, so is actually Finland’s most misunderstood berry. The Epic Banana Flip game gathers the nation’s boring berries together and asks Finnish people to flip them from a frown to a smile, helping to make all of Finland's bananas happy again.
72andSunny – Dropbox
Dropbox and 72andSunny unveiled a new campaign this winter season (Dropbox’s first major brand effort), which celebrates creative freedom. Kicking off the campaign is a film, created with production partner Nexus, which speaks to the inspiring results derived from enabling people to work the way they want. To tell the story, 72andSunny and Nexus assembled over 100 collaborators and filmed them creating whatever they wanted. The diverse creative group was comprised of a range of professions including scientists (The Imperial College of London), designers (Barber Osgerby), food photographers (Yuki Sugiura), and even a pair of jelly sculptors (Bompas & Parr). Instead of replicating situations in a controlled studio, the shoot happened across various studios, offices and laboratories, filming makers in their element. The result is a film that feels like a peek inside Dropbox, a service that (as a creative myself) I probably couldn't do without!
Dropbox and 72andSunny unveiled a new campaign this winter season (Dropbox’s first major brand effort), which celebrates creative freedom
Julie Herendeen, Dropbox’s VP of Marketing, said: “We’re inspired by the amazing things our users do with Dropbox. Whether they’re producing documentaries, designing new products, or building skyscrapers, this campaign celebrates the wonderful creativity and collaboration enabled by Dropbox.” Matt Jarvis, Chief Strategy Officer and Partner at 72andSunny, added: “Awesome things happen when people collaborate, which is why it's a founding principle of 72andSunny. To capture the real, electric-like energy that comes from the creative process, we brought together some of our favourite makers and collaborators to help Dropbox tell their story.”
The Barbarian Group – Pepsi
Crystal Pepsi is back (in the US at least), and with help from creative agency The Barbarian Group, they're kicking up quite a fuss about it. Pepsi announced that it will re-release Crystal Pepsi, its clear cola from the 1990s for a limited time. The only way to get a bottle is to sign up for a sweepstakes through the brand's loyalty program, Pepsi Pass, and 13,000 winners will win a complimentary six-pack of the fizzy drink. The Barbarian Group released an ambitious spot to underline the campaign, featuring a janitor who finds that one floor of his office building is still stuck in the '90s, working hard on the Crystal Pepsi release. At just under three minutes it's a little long, but the concept is solid and the execution is very authentic, even down to the dodgy VHS scan lines!
Mother London – LateRooms.com
Having launched its first TV advertising campaign since 2013 just four weeks ago, hotel bookers, LateRooms.com, has reported tremendous early success from the “It’s Going To Be A Great Night” marketing campaign, which has been supported by an integrated social, digital and PR approach. As its title suggests, LateRoom.com’s new £5 million campaign cuts right to heart of the excitement associated with a great night out, with the TVCs focusing on the buzz around a night out with friends, music gigs, football matches and New Year’s Eve. The campaign by Mother London sees LateRooms.com make a bold departure from the typical mould of travel advertising, aligning the brand with the moment that customers first get excited about their next big event or occasion. The preliminary results are promising: within the first weeks of the campaign going to air brand impressions were up 30% against expected run rate, while direct traffic to the site was 5% ahead of forecasted figures for the period. LateRooms.com App downloads are also up by 18% on the pre-campaign rate.
LateRooms.com, has reported tremendous early success from the “It’s Going To Be A Great Night” marketing campaign by Mother London
LateRooms.com’s bold new marketing approach has also been replicated across PR and social with some similarly impressive results. Through its work with PR agency Brazen, the brand has enlisted the services of Irish vlogging superstar Cian Twomey, the UK and Ireland’s fastest growing social media personality. Cian produced bespoke video content to amplify the ad across Facebook and Twitter - receiving almost 4 million views and 187,000 reactions, comments and shares. Elsewhere, LateRooms.com is set to work with influential bloggers and online titles across a variety of sectors to reflect the diversity of its customer base and their needs. Georgina Crosswell, Head of Marketing for LateRooms.com, said: “Our campaign is a bold new direction for LateRooms.com, giving us real standout against our competitors and giving us cut through at this noisy time of year. Initial feedback to the campaign has been really positive and we’ve developed an even stronger tone of voice which is resonating well with the UK audience.”
Honourable Mention: Feed – eBay
Considering the fact that today might as well go down in history as “Star Wars Day,” considering the timely release of the 7th instalment in the franchise, I'd be remiss not to include this delightful, subtle banner ad activation by the Feed agency for eBay. As Star Wars mania reaches its peak, Feed have created a lighthearted take-over for eBay's homepage which goes live today. Shot from the perspective of a Stormtrooper’s private life, written in Yoda speak and featuring an eye-catching animated BB-8 droid dropping down and running across the screen, the homepage take-over will appeal to all Star Wars fans. Simone Micheli, ECD at Feed said: “I love the detail, especially the Stormtrooper's Death Star poster, this activity is a very eBay take on a popular theme.” The banners will run on eBay's homepage across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK who will be seeing The Force Awakens tonight and promises no spoilers.
