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Agency of the Week: Leo Burnett

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Bringing out the fun for McDonald’s

Leo Burnett London unveiled the second ad in the new McDonald’s “Good times” brand campaign this week. The campaign celebrates the role the brand plays in the lives of their customers, and the little things that make their days easier. It positions the fast food restaurant as a place where kids can be kids, and families can share a relaxed and enjoyable time together. Of course, we all know this is a heavily idealised version of the McDonald’s we all know and love, but there’s something comforting about the consistence of the brand’s vision in their marketing.

Leo Burnett London unveiled the second ad in the new McDonald’s “Good times” brand campaign this week

The ad, titled simply “Fun,” tells the story of a little boy whose quest for fun is thwarted at every turn. Everywhere he goes his childish enthusiasm for life means he wants to make the most of every opportunity: run on the grass at the football stadium, jump on the beds at the bed store, and jump in a big muddy puddle in his brand new trainers. Unfortunately, however, the world is full of lots of rules and restrictions that mean he can’t have all the fun he wants. Until, that is, his luck takes a turn with a family trip to McDonald’s. The reliably twee ad was written and art directed by Matt Collier and Wayne Robinson, and directed by Sean Meehan at Bold. It will be airing nationally over the summer in both 60 second and 40 second formats.

Celebrating 100 years of Bonds

Last weekend, Bonds, the largest underwear brand in Australia, launched its biggest campaign ever to celebrate its centenary year in a fun spot directed by Goodoil’s Uncle Friendly .The TVC was created by Leo Burnett Melbourne and is set to the iconic INXS song, “What You Need.” It brings Australians of all ages together to celebrate through dance and movement the spirit of the brand over 100 years. Five 20-year-olds, 200 six-month old's and a 75-year old mixing it up with a 25 year-old are all part of the “100 year” cast who represent the love, colour and life of Bonds. It’s rare to see different age groups represented in such a way, so whilst the ad is more than a little sentimental, it’s also surprisingly fresh.

Bonds, the largest underwear brand in Australia, has launched its biggest campaign ever to celebrate its centenary year

Emily Small, senior marketing manager of Bonds, said: “We want to celebrate our 100 years with a campaign that engages with all Australians across all demographics and showcases our wide product offering.  The INXS track captures our Australian spirit, and we felt it was fitting for our 100-year celebration.” Melinda Geertz, chief executive officer of Leo Burnett Melbourne, added: “In true Bonds tradition, we’ve used the language of music and dance to bring to life Bonds’ 100 year milestone, and we’ve paid tribute to the everyday Australians who have made Bonds such an iconic Australian brand.”

Taming pink horses for Honda

A distinctly colourful new campaign has been created by Leo Burnett Melbourne for Honda Australia to show off the off-road capabilities of the CR-V Series II SUV. The campaign is led by a 60-second TVC directed by Goodoil’s Hamish Rothwell. It tells the story of a young girl and her pink toy horse, which meets with an unfortunate accident and loses its head! Her Dad plays along with the girl’s wishes and loads the family into the CR-V, which takes them to the fanciful “Ranch of the Rainbow,” home to real live horses of every conceivable hue. It’s charming, well-acted and gets the point across admirably, and the twist ending with the young boy purposely beheading his toy dinosaur is a nice touch. The TVC is also being supported with an integrated campaign that includes cinema, outdoor, online, social media and dealer communications.

A colourful new campaign has been created by Leo Burnett Melbourne for Honda Australia to show off the off-road capabilities of the CR-V Series II SUV

Honda Australia director Stephen Collins, said: “The CR-V is a core model for Honda both globally and locally. With such significant upgrades made recently on the Series II range, we wanted to support this important model with a new campaign that taps into the fun and energy of the CR-V,” he added. Jason Williams, ECD at Leo Burnett Melbourne, added: “The idea came from the insight that having children is its own adventure, and sometimes you have to go on a bit of a wild goose chase to appease the imagination of a young child.”

Respecting the water for the RNLI

Leo Burnett Change, the arm of Leo Burnett London specifically created to work on cause-based campaigns, launched a new PSA spot for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution earlier this week, which invites viewers to hold their breaths alongside a rather harrowing video as part of the “#RespecttheWater” campaign. In the first of two cinematic films by Blink director Tomas Mankovsky and Leo Burnett Change, the voiceover challenges the viewer to hold their breath, then simulates a terrifying drowning. Afterwards, we're told that on land most people could hold their breath long enough to survive, but in cold water we can barely hold our breath for 10 seconds. A second film shows various drowning scenarios, where the shock of cold water or an unexpected wave turns a fun day out into a tragedy. The films, the first national drowning prevention PSAs from the charity, are showing in cinemas across the U.K. and Ireland.

Leo Burnett Change launched a rather harrowing new PSA spot for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution this week

It’s an interesting, but incredibly bleak way to get people’s attention, drawing viewers in with the test before educating them on a danger they might not have been aware of. Royal National Lifeboat Institution hopes the message can help halve the number of people who die each year in British and Irish coastal waters by 2024, with the current estimate at around 200. The campaign also includes OOH, digital, social, radio and experiential components, as well as tailored safety programs, a safety roadshow and a bespoke campaign microsite.

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