Deutsch – Target “Share the Force”
Deutsch LA is celebrating the launch of brand new Star Wars merchandise (which coincide with the eagerly awaited 7th instalment in the franchise) with a few blasts from the past for Target, the major American retailer. The campaign is a purely joyful celebration of the enduring love children have for Star Wars and the merchandise that inevitably follows in its wake. A bespoke site that allows fans to share their own Star Wars stories has also been launched to support the campaign. Called “Share the Force,” it’s been dubbed as a “Galaxy of memories,” and is being updated daily with content that’ll apparently be permanently archived at LucasFilm. The Star Wars merchandise that the campaign is promoting, meanwhile, can be purchased from Target stores and elsewhere (presumably) from September 4 onwards.
Grey London – Orangina “C’est Shook”
Orangina is finally making a return to UK shores (rejoice good people) and Grey London has unveiled its first work for the brand since winning the business last year in the shape of a quirky brand repositioning campaign that aims to raise the cult brand’s presence and bring the drink into the premium adult market. The campaign will also see the launch of a new “C’est Shook” strap line for the brand, which is a sly nod to the ritual and iconic shake of the Orangina bottle before consuming (don’t tell us you don’t remember). The new line of work officially launched on Wednesday evening (August 26) at Orangina’s very own rooftop club “Boulers,” in partnership with the Institute of Competitive Socialising and Frank PR. The event will run until 2nd September and will see a number of influential vloggers and members of the public take on the iconic French pastime. As well as this unique club, Orangina has created a media-first in creating a suite of Digital OOH that will play out on “Agile inventory,” which effectively means buying unsold or available at the last minute high-profile spaces, freshening up over-run campaigns with dynamic creative. The quirky video that headlines the campaign was directed by American director and photographer Autumn De Wilde through Somesuch & Co.
Heat – EA Sports “Madden the Movie”
In what is perhaps the most over the top promotional video to be released so far this year (though there is little competition in that regard), EA Sports has teamed up with the San Francisco-based Heat agency to create a fake film trailer for the upcoming Madden NFL 16 game. It follows up their Cannes Lion winning Madden Season campaign, and is simply titled “Madden: The Movie.” Whilst it has very little to do with video games or American football (at least to begin with) this really is is brand story telling at its best, delivering entertaining and sharable content that will connect even those who wouldn’t know the difference between a quarterback and a touchdown to the game. It stars comedic actor Dave Franco (brother of James) who embarks on an epic mission with a number of famous friends and associates in order to defeat his rival at Madden by assembling a team of “Epic Playmakers.” It’s silly. VERY silly, but it works.
BETC Paris – McDonald’s “Emoticon City”
McDonald’s France and BETC launched the famous “Come as You Are” signature way back in 2008, but recently, they’ve brought it back to life through “Emoticon City,” a new brand campaign that’s become something of a viral hit. The new ad, which was released earlier this month, focuses on emotions, with the message that whether you’re feeling happy, sad or sideways frowny face, there’s always a place for you at McDonald’s. BETC Paris teamed up with the French directing duo We Are From LA (famous as the masterminds behind Pharrell’s “Happy”), to create the living world of emoticons, which is surprisingly not that creepy.
Beattie McGuinness Bungay – McCoy’s “Go Bold”
Real McCoy’s new “Go bold” campaign, created by Beattie McGuinness Bungay, presents a repositioning of McCoy’s and a move away from its previous “Man Crisps” messaging, which promoted traditional notions of masculine behaviour in an admittedly rather misogynistic manner. The new campaign features an online ad showing a plumber in his car on his daily rounds singing his heart out to Ella Henderson’s chart-topping ballad “Ghost” on the radio at a local service station. It’s not a completely original idea, but it’s the reactions of the customers that really sells it, and we admire McCoy’s for transitioning away from their outdated previous messaging. The online ad is supported by an outdoor campaign, also created by BMB that comprises six headline-led posters emblazoned with alternative rallying cries for men such as: “Go bold. Go enjoy that candlelit bath”; “Go bold. Go order that cocktail”; and “Go bold. Go double denim.” BMB, which handles the KP Snacks portfolio excluding McCoy's, was asked to develop the new campaign while KP Snacks conducts a pitch to find an agency to handle McCoy's advertising account. The “Go Bold” campaign will launch on Tuesday, August 25th and will run for three months. The online ad will run on VOD, YouTube and Facebook and the posters will appear nationwide.
