McCann London – Bisto
As part of the “Bisto Together Project,” which launched last year, McCann London has created a new campaign showing how home-cooked food can bring people together. Launching two new ranges under in the Bisto Made Simple brand, the “Bisto New Baby” campaign, focuses on a young couple that has just had their first child. The ad captures the moment when a grandmother meets her grandchild for the very first time, and while she spends time with her new granddaughter, dad cooks the family a delicious, wholesome meal, made simple with Bisto. It's a simple, elegant concept for a simple, elegant product. If you want bell and whistles look elsewhere, but then, would a cinematic opus really suit such such a low-key product as instant gravy? The campaign, which includes radio ads, broke this week across the UK.
Wieden+Kennedy – Need for Speed
The Need for Speed franchise has been through quite a few ups and downs over the past couple of decades, including a risible film spin-off featuring Jesse from Breaking Bad trying to play a bad-ass (in case you're wondering, it wasn't particularly convincing). The new reboot, however, aims to take the series back to its street-racing routes, and the subsequent campaign from Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, reinforces this by composing a 90-second film primarily out of actual game footage. Yes that's right, actual gameplay footage for once! The spot is the result of endless nights capturing by Ghost Games, the internal production team, EA's Mediaworks, and W+K Amsterdam directing the game’s hyper realistic graphics, which allowed the game to speak for itself (for once).
The TVC for the new Need for Speed game by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, is composed primarily out of actual game footage
The footage featuring the virtual racer’s paradise of Ventura Bay is aptly accompanied by a new arrangement of the classic Coolio track, “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which is soulfully played by an orchestra to bring a surreal sense of beauty to the insane domain of illicit street-racing. The “Paradise” spot is also narrated with a dialogue from the counterculture ‘60s classic film “The Wild Angels,” delivered by Rebel Célèbre Peter Fonda. The film is now live with versions running online, and which will be accompanied in coming weeks by a social activation. David Smith, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam creative director, said: “Man is born free, but he lives in chains. Our campaign says forget the chains, let's get off the hook. It doesn't get more relevant than that.”
JWT London – HSBC
Our agency of the week JWT London hits another home run with this beautiful new film for HSBC called “The Museum of Procrastination,” which supports the roll out of HSBC’s new global brand positioning “Supporting Human Ambition.” This reinvigoration of the brand is being supported by a global jet-bridge print campaign that is currently being rolled out around the world. The light-hearted and playful film features a group of people being shown round the awe-inspiring ‘The Museum of Procrastination’ by a charismatic guide. It's a strange place of wondrous rooms and magical displays, symbolising good intentions that were never realised. From unused gym membership cards and unfinished novels, to musical instruments barely played. The Museum stands as a testament to all those pursuits, ideas and inventions that were never explored, or never given the chance of coming to fruition. It's definitely got a “Willy Wonka” vibe to it, with some stunning visuals and a unique message. We love it!
adam&eveDDB – Waitrose
In the first of two adam&eveDDB Christmas ads this week (because we all know Christmas officially begins in November now), Waitrose is gearing up for its first Christmas campaign by featuring an array of delicious festive products in an advert that celebrates the diverse and unique ways we celebrate the festive season. From Wookey Hole Cave Aged Cheddar and Signature Spice Christmas Pudding, to Turkey Breast Parcels with Pork, Gingerbread & Apricot Stuffing, each scene is filled with delicious festive food available in Waitrose stores this Christmas. The ad also features a cameo from Heston Blumenthal, whose famous Christmas range is back in stores this season. The ad was written by Patrick McClelland and Feargal Ballance and directed by Simon Ratigan at HLA, who also directed the brand’s recent Autumn at Waitrose campaign.
Waitrose is gearing up for its first Christmas campaign by celebrating the diverse and unique ways we celebrate the festive season
As well as the TVC, the campaign also includes 10 second 'moments', 20 second product spots, a press campaign, as well as innovative interactive digital display. Waitrose will also be celebrating all of the special and individual moments that symbolise Christmas on its social channels by encouraging people to share what really #MakesChristmas for them. Rupert Thomas, marketing director at Waitrose, said: “We celebrate with food, we unwind with food, we get to know each other with food. Delicious things to eat make the moments that matter even more memorable, especially at Christmas.” Richard Brim, ECD at adam&eveDDB, added: “Our ad for Waitrose celebrates all those little moments that make Christmas, Christmas, and that’s 9 times out of ten all about the food.”
adam&eveDDB – Mulberry
adam&eveDDB launched its second Christmas campaign for Mulberry this week in order to remind customers that a Mulberry bag is a unique. The two minute online film is a playful take on the Nativity Story featuring a very British ensemble of characters who come from far and wide to witness the “Miracle of Mulberry.” The campaign, which broke this week, encompasses an online film, social activation and a website competition. Ricard Brim, said: “I don’t think you can underestimate that joyous moment when you receive the gift of a Mulberry handbag. So with that in mind this idea is simple, funny and couldn’t be more Christmassy if it tried.” Anne Marie Verdin, brand director at Mulberry, added: ”Everyone at Mulberry loves Christmas and every year we like to put out an amusing tongue-in-cheek little story about how difficult it is to get Christmas right.”
Honourable Mention: DLKW Lowe – Domestos
DLKW Lowe and Scramble have been working on a short film promoting “Water Aid,” the charity set up to publicise the fact that only one third of the world's population has access to acceptable levels of sanitation. It aims to bring attention to the fact that having access to sanitation is a basic human right. Yet today, 2.4 billion people still lack access to a toilet, and almost 1 billion of these have no choice but to relieve themselves in the open. To achieve this, it asks visitors to the Global Citizen Festival if they would ever consider going for a dump in a see-through toilet, and then gives them the chance to do so. A genuinely thought-provoking idea.
