ShowBusinessMan [Search results for New Year

  • Go Daddy Super Bowl XLVI "The Cloud" Sneak Peak with Danica Patrick and the PussyCat Dolls

    Go Daddy Super Bowl XLVI "The Cloud" Sneak Peak with Danica Patrick and the PussyCat Dolls

    Go Daddy is one of the first 2012 Super Bowl advertisers to give us a sneak peak at what they are up too. Go Daddy's Super Bowl commercials include two spots this year, "The Cloud" features Danica Patrick and The PussyCat Dolls and what seems to be some short of heavenly angel thing, which reminds me of the Axe Fallen Angel ads.

    The official press release:
    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Super Bowl 2012 will mark a product milestone for Go Daddy. The world’s largest provider of Web hosting, domain name registrations and net-new SSL Certificates is known for its edgy ads with smokin’ hot Go Daddy Girls, but for the first time ever, Go Daddy is using one of its two edgy new Super Bowl commercials to specifically reference its cloud-based offerings.

    Go Daddy has long delivered services “in the cloud” – providing individuals and businesses more efficient and less expensive online options. Now, it’s taking its product marketing to Super Bowl viewers with fun references to Go Daddy’s innovative offerings such as 4th Generation Hosting, known as 4GH.

    The 30-second ad is called The Cloud. It features Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick and the new Pussycat Dolls, along with several core product references in a “divine” setting. The Cloud is also Go Daddy’s most ambitious production in the company’s eight-year Super Bowl history. The storyline includes a revealing moment and an extravagant set design.

    “How can we produce a Super Bowl ad that’s fun, edgy, slightly inappropriate and also speak to cloud-based products?” asked Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. “Like only Go Daddy can … trust me, it’ll be as GoDaddy-esque as ever. Danica will surpass her most revealing Go Daddy moment, from back in 2008 when she gave us the big unzip!”

    Danica recently ranked the Internet’s Most Searched Athlete and she’s also a sort of Super Bowl staple. By most observers’ count, Danica has been in more Super Bowl ads than any other celebrity, and with this year’s campaign, she will have 11 big game ads on her resume, all with Go Daddy Productions.

    “Doing Go Daddy’s Super Bowl commercials is always interesting, but this year’s are epic,” Danica said. “The commercials are very funny – there’s physical humor, and in The Cloud there’s a big-time dance routine. Yes, I dance. And I’ll say this, the dance sequence is as GoDaddy-esque as it gets!”

    Go Daddy’s other 2012 Super Bowl ad also features Danica, along with her Go Daddy Girl colleague and fitness guru Jillian Michaels. Like Danica, Jillian is a strong woman and successful entrepreneur.

    “I like the way Bob and Go Daddy portray women as strong and successful,” Jillian said. “Yes, the commercials are edgy and hot … but the Go Daddy Girls always have the last laugh, they are the ones in control. A lot of people don’t realize this, but Bob’s executive staff is made up of more women than men.”

    The 30-second ad featuring Jillian and Danica is designed to bring massive consumer attention to the.CO domain, the Internet’s most popular new domain name extension. While Go Daddy is working to keep the specifics of the storyline under wraps for now, it has said the ad features a stunning international supermodel whose world-class body drew this comment from Jillian on-set: “If I made a DVD about how to get a body like hers, I’d be a gazillionaire.”

    .CO Internet S.A.S. CEO Juan Diego Calle makes a cameo appearance in the Internet-only version of the commercial, along with Bob Parsons. “Not only was filming the Super Bowl ad a fun way to spend a work day, we know it will help take dot-CO to the next level – driving more business and boosting brand awareness,” said Calle. “Last year’s Super Bowl ad helped us to finish our first year with more than one million dot-CO domain names registered by people in more than 200 countries – and made dot-CO the hottest new Web address in the world!”

    Go Daddy partnered with.CO Internet for the first time in the 2011 Super Bowl with great success. As for its cloud-based products and services, Go Daddy has been in the cloud since before the term was coined. Not surprisingly though, most people have more awareness of Go Daddy’s commercial campaigns … that may change with this year’s advertising leap into the cloud.

    For the Pussycat Dolls, featured prominently in The Cloud’s outrageous dance scene, 2012 marks their first-ever Super Bowl commercial and serves as the unofficial launch of the new Pussycat Dolls.

  • Tropicana Trop50 welcomes 2012 with New Year's TV commercial

    Tropicana Trop50 welcomes 2012 with New Year's TV commercial

    On January 2, Emmy nominated Trop50 spokesperson, Jane Krakowski, returns to Canadian television in a cheeky New Year's themed television commercial for the brand. Inspired by her 30 Rock character, Jenna Maroney, the 30-second spot features Jane — as her sassy alter ego — with her girlfriends dishing about life and welcoming the New Year while enjoying Trop50.

    Credits:
    via: PraxisPR1

  • Champs Sports: Game Loves an Audience Ad Campaign

    Champs Sports: Game Loves an Audience Ad Campaign

    Translation has unveiled the second chapter of its ongoing brand campaign for Champs Sports with “Game Loves an Audience,” a dynamic new marketing program for the back-to-school season. Seizing on the pins-and-needles feeling of anticipation that comes along with every new school year, “Game Loves an Audience” is all about looking good, and wanting everyone to see it. The campaign reinforces Champs’ well-established “We Know Game” tagline with three :30 spots, daily content for Champs Sports’ social media channels, digital banners, and a custom digital hub.

    “The first day back to school is more than just a day,” notes Translation CCO John Norman, “it’s the red carpet moment of the school year. It’s a reunion, a chance to try something new, and a special moment to stand out. It’s the perfect time for a brand like Champs Sports to help you show off your game with new kicks, stylish tees, and a fresh look.”


    “Game Loves an Audience” is the follow-up to “Game Never Sleeps,” Translation’s summer campaign for the athletic footwear and apparel retailer. Each element of the new campaign – from the music, to the fashion, to the storylines of the individual films – is rooted in a commitment to cultural relevancy, continuing Translation’s overarching strategy of appealing to both the on- and off-field passions of the modern day student athlete. The new digital hub, allows users to rank the most #FirstDayWorthy gear in Champs’ colossal inventory of new styles with a contemporary “swipe-to-like” design.

    “Translation, through its new brand work, has done an exemplary job of expanding on the idea of ‘We Know Game’,” explains Champs Sports Director of Marketing Scott Burton. “We’re showing that ‘Game’ is as much about athletic skill as it is about swagger and confidence in all other arenas. Moreover, the work is done through the lens of a high school athlete, making the impact and its meaning to our consumers relevant during this time of year when students are going back-to-school.”

    Creative Credits:  
    Brand/Client: Champs Sports
    Campaign Title: Champs Sports Back to School Campaign
    Spot Title: “Joy Ride,” “First Period,” “Practice”
    Launch Date: August 2014

    Agency: Translation
    Chief Executive Officer: Steve Stoute
    Chief Creative Officer: John Norman
    President: Nils Peyron
    Executive Creative Director: Jay Berry
    Executive Creative Director: Marc d’Avignon
    Creative Director: Mat Jerrett
    Associate Creative Director, Copywriter: Matt Herman
    Associate Creative Director, Art Director: Matthew McFerrin
    Art Director: Adam Chang
    Copywriter: Greg Dyer
    Art Director: Allison Bulow
    Copywriter: Jameson Rossi
    Director of Content Production: Miriam Franklin
    Producer: Carole McCarty
    Assistant Producer: Monica Johnson
    Head of Brand Strategy: Tim Flood
    Strategist: Shon Mogharabi
    Music Supervision: Nick Pacelli
    VP Account Director: Daniel Mize
    Account Supervisor: Patrice Caracci
    Account Executive: Steven Molinari
    Asst. Account Executive: Jackson Brodie

    Production Company: @radical.media, Los Angeles
    Director: Michael Lawrence
    Director of Photography: Alex Disenhof
    Executive Producer: Donna Portaro
    Line Producer: Scott Cunningham

    Editorial Company: Cut + Run NYC
    Editor: Dayn Williams
    Assistant Editor: Katie Pehowski
    Post Executive Producer: Rana Martin
    Post Producer (“Joy Ride,” “First Period”): Olivia Chiu
    Post Producer (“Practice”): Ellen Lavery

    Telecine Company: CO3 NYC
    Colorist: Damien Vandercruyssen
    Producer: Katie Andrews
    Assistant Colorist: Matt Paul

    On line: Cut + Run
    Flame Artist: Joseph Grosso
    Assistant: Matt Dolven
    Producer: Julia Williams

    Audio Post: Heard City
    Mixer: Evan Mangiamele
    Executive Producer: Gloria Pitagorsky
    Producer: Katie Flynn

    Music by: Elias Arts
    Creative Director: Greg Grifith
    Producer: Matt Phenix

  • IKEA 2013 | Bright Shiny Colours Advert

    IKEA 2013 | Bright Shiny Colours Advert

    Press:
    IKEA, the leading home furnishing company, today announces the launch of a new cross-platform advertising campaign titled ‘Bright, shiny colours’, which aims to inspire the nation to bring life into their homes with inspiring new home furnishing solutions available in-store this autumn season.
    The campaign coincides with the launch of the new 2013 IKEA Catalogue and launches with a TV advert in the UK and Ireland on September 8, during the ‘X-Factor’ on ITV1. Three versions of the advert have been produced and include 60” and 30” adverts that run until October 7, as well as a full length two-minute ‘music video’ running exclusively online at http://www.youtube.com/ikeauk.
    The ‘Bright Shiny Colours’ advert, created by the agency Mother, tells the story of a woman who goes on a magical journey through the new IKEA Catalogue. The woman’s home starts out in beige and white before we see her step ‘through the catalogue’ and into a Technicolor IKEA showcase full of inspiring designs. When she emerges from the other side she has bags of inspiration to transform her home.

    The advert is shot like a music video and pays homage to great dance sequences from the films Flashdance and Singin’ in the Rain, as well as the legendary Top of the Pops dance troupe Pan’s People. The music, ‘Bright Shiny Colours’ was originally a Shirelles track, but was given a modern re-working by quirky band 99 Trees.
    The campaign will be supported by other activities in owned media platforms including the IKEA FAMILY loyalty programme, the IKEA Website and in-store communication, as well as through earned media with PR activities.
    Peter Wright, IKEA UK and Ireland Marketing Manager, said, “With the new season approaching we adapt our homes to make them cosier as more time is spent out of the cold. But that doesn’t mean our homes have to look and feel the same all year around. We want our new campaign to demonstrate that it’s easy and affordable to bring new life into your homes, through showcasing in a fun and surprising way the many new products and solutions we have available in the new Catalogue and our 19 stores, which will ultimately give them a reason to reconnect with IKEA.”
    The campaign was developed with the new functionality of the 2013 IKEA Catalogue in mind, which now includes a range of extra interactive content. Readers can use their smart-phone to get even more inspiration when holding it over the page, for example looking behind closed doors, changing curtains or even viewing demo films, pictures and 3D content, all accessible by using the IKEA ‘app’ for Iphone and Android.
    Freddy Mandy, a creative at Mother, said: “We got excited by the bright, colourful new range of IKEA products and wanted to make a film that showcased them in an exciting way. Working with David Wilson and 99 Trees allowed us to make something that feels fun and energetic. It brings to life what we think it would be like to take a trip through the new IKEA Catalogue.”
    IKEA also recently updated its website, www.IKEA.com, with a mobile version as a result of increased mobile traffic to the site. Customers can browse products, create shopping lists, find the latest offers and locate their nearest store with the updated user-friendly mobile site.
    Credits:
    Creative Agency: Mother
    Art Director: Mother
    Copywriter: Mother
    Planner: Mother
    Agency Producer: Mother
    Director: David Wilson
    Production Co.: Blink Ink
    Producer: Patrick Craig
    Editor: James Rose
    Editing House: Cut & Run
    Post Production: MPC
    Animators & Illustrator: Jonathan Harris, Michael Zauner and Nick Edwards
    Audio post-production: Sam Ashwell @ 750mph
    Sound Design: Sam Ashwell @ 750mph
    DoP: Marc Gomez Del Moral

  • Motors Liquidation Company

    Motors Liquidation Company
    GMC

    New General Motors Company

    On Friday, on July, 10th, procedure of bankruptcy of concern General Motors has come to the end. The Company management and administration of the US president of Barack Obama managed to "turn" this process rapidly — legal investigation GM lasted only 40 days while Chrysler — one more autocompany, not managed to go through present crisis, 42 days for this purpose were required.

    Thus, during the largest for all history of the USA of bankruptcy the old and slow giant who with 1931 till 2007 was the largest motor-car manufacturer in the world, has given way new, "mobile and flexible" General Motors Company. At least, so represents results of proceeding the official press release published on a site old General Motors. The companies which already actually does not exist.

    But at a management "new GM", and also at representatives of administration of the US president of Barack Obama who supervised over autoconcern re-structuring, yet it is a lot of occasions to pleasure. To survive, the company had to leave afloat only four marks from eight — Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. The others will be sold or liquidated, in due course. And such measures, in turn, demand to reduce number of North American factories GM with 47 to 34 pieces and to close 40 percent of the dealer centres in territory of the USA.

    Naturally, at such serious curtailment of production has not managed and without "human losses". So, till the end of 2009 of work third of personnel serving enterprises GM in the USA will lose almost — from 91 thousand workers will be dismissed 27 thousand persons. And it only those who worked directly on General Motors. And if to consider personnel reductions at the enterprises of accessory manufacturers the figure of the future dismissals in automobile branch of the USA can grow several times.

    Chevrolet Camaro

    Besides, General Motors Company it is necessary to go and on scale reduction of a management. From 1300 managers and top-managers in the near future will write the letter of resignation or leaving on pension more than 400 persons. Till this moment to such radical measures in relation to the supervising personnel in GM did not resort yet.

    The chief executive of company Fritz Henderson appointed to this post shortly before bankruptcy, will keep the place and in the new company. However now Fritz Henderson will supervise not private, and is faster the state corporation — the share of Exchequer of the USA in the new company makes 60 percent. The administration of the president has actually nationalised GM when it became clear, that the company independently solve the problems cannot.

    In exchange the state "has forgiven" 10,6 billion dollars of debts from given out in the beginning of year as grants of 19,4 billion dollars, and has gratuitously given 30,1 billion dollars more for financing of procedure of bankruptcy and renewal of work after end of all formalities.

    Besides, GM it was necessary to pay off with "nature", that is the actives, and with other large creditors. Almost 18 percent General Motors Company were received by the trade-union fund guaranteeing social security to workers and pensioners GM before which at the company to bankruptcy the debts in 20 billion dollars have accumulated.

    Buick LaCrosse

    About 12 percent of actives has got to Canadians who for the last half a year have rendered to autoconcern the financial help at a rate of 9,5 billion dollars.

    The remained 10 percent of actives remain on hand "old GM" which, by the way, so any more is not called. New name General Motors now — Motors Liquidation Company, and the new company, during re-structuring, managed by right of succession the most part of debts, including 16 factories stopped to bankruptcy.

    Motors Liquidation Company: Optimization of the Sales

    Naturally, Motors Liquidation Company long will not exist. For liquidation it is allocated 1,75 billion dollars and in some years the structure will disappear — after will pay off on debts. And here General Motors Company it is necessary to come back to a world car market and to work in conditions which have put on a survival side all North American car industry — because of the growing prices for oil and financial crisis for today of sale of the American manufacturers in the house market have fallen to indicators of the beginning of 80th years of the last century.

    Despite forthcoming difficulties, in General Motors Corporation in the future look with optimism. At least, in words. So, the 77-year-old ex-head of department of design GM, come back to the company right after end of procedure of bankruptcy to the place of the vice-president "new GM", considers, that the new proprietor, in the near future, has every chance to become the leader of the automobile market not only in America, but also all over the world:

    "Now the main reason for purchase of cars GM consists not that they are made in America, at factories GM, or that we have finished bankruptcy procedure. The main thing - for last five years we have completely updated our lineup, and I can tell, that now we make probably best cars and pickups for all history General Motors".

    GMC Terrain

    However many North American experts do not believe, that existing lineup GM is competitive and can bring in the income. "Bankruptcy has not changed cars which are sold by dealers General Motors, and after all at the expense of them the company earns money", — the president of consulting firm Maryann Keller and Associates Merian Keller has declared in interview to agency Bloomberg.

    However, Keller was mistaken in the formulation — does not earn, and loses. After all only for last five years - those about which the ex-head of department of design GM spoke, the North American motorcar giant has lost about 88 billion dollars.

    Related Posts: Crisis

  • Super Bowl Ad Watch: Budweiser Tweets For The First Time — Name The New Clydesdale Foal

    Super Bowl Ad Watch: Budweiser Tweets For The First Time — Name The New Clydesdale Foal

    Budweiser has launched its first-ever Twitter account – www.twitter.com/budweiser. The account went live last night.

    The iconic brand marked the occasion with another "first" involving the Budweiser Clydesdales – tweeting the first photo of a member of the elite "Budweiser Clydesdales Class of 2013," a beautiful 150-pound baby born the morning of Jan. 16. It was the brand's first-ever Tweet.

    Using #clydesdales, Budweiser also is asking Twitter followers of @Budweiser and Facebook friends to help name the young equine star, who will be seen by an estimated 110+ million viewers next Sunday during Super Bowl XLVII.

    "This newest member of the Budweiser Clydesdale family was 7 days old on the day this part of the Super Bowl commercial was filmed," said Jeff Knapper, general manager of Clydesdale operations. "A star was truly born on Jan. 16."
    More than 30 baby Clydesdales are expected to be born this year at the 300-acre Warm Springs Ranch, the state-of-the-art breeding facility for the Budweiser Clydesdales in Boonville, Mo.

    On Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 3, the Budweiser Clydesdales will appear in a new 60-second spot, "Brotherhood," which chronicles the bond a Clydesdale foal shares with his trainer. Partially shot at Warm Springs Ranch, "Brotherhood" will take the Clydesdales advertising into new territory by providing a new level of access to their early years.

    This is the Clydesdale's 23rd Super Bowl spot since first appearing in a big game spot in 1986.

    In addition to the baby foal born this month that will appear in the spot, other young Clydesdales, including an 8-month-old and a 2-year-old, will be featured, in addition to a full hitch of eight adult horses.
    Budweiser's Twitter channel debuts after the social media platform introduced age verification, allowing the beer to restrict its tweets to users 21 and older.

    2013 A MILESTONE YEAR
    The Clydesdales celebrate a major milestone in 2013 – the 80th anniversary of their association with Anheuser-Busch. The Budweiser Clydesdales have been an integral part of Anheuser-Busch's heritage since April 7, 1933, and their strength and majesty symbolize Budweiser quality as well as integrity, achievement, success, perfection and team spirit. They were formally introduced to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition for beer.
    "The symbol has become synonymous with Budweiser — the quality that goes into the beer, as well as the time, energy and passion we put into taking care of the horses," Knapper said.

    How is the baby Clydesdale featured in the commercial doing? Both mother, 7-year-old Darla, and baby are doing well, reports John Soto, supervisor of the breeding operations at Warm Springs Ranch in mid-Missouri.
    "We have had two foals born so far this year and they're both doing very well," Soto said.

    "We take great pride in each and every one of our horses, and Warm Springs Ranch is a great home," Knapper said. "The Budweiser Clydesdales are the envy of the equine world. We treat them like royalty, and they are among the best-cared-for animals in the world."

    Anheuser-Busch has about 200 Clydesdales in its herd, with about half of them at Warm Springs Ranch in Cooper County.

    via: PR Newswire

  • Cuprinol The Cheer it up Garden Shed Advert

    Cuprinol The Cheer it up Garden Shed Advert

    Today sees the launch of a new ad campaign for garden wood care brand Cuprinol. The repositioning kicks off with a charming and surreal campaign by 18 Feet & Rising, which champions their Garden Shades range, urging people to cheer up their gardens.

    The first push is 'Whimpering Garden', a 30” TV ad in which an unloved garden shed is cheered up with a lick of Cuprinol.

    In the ad, a couple is woken up by what sounds like a crying baby, but actually turns out to be their distraught shed. After the husband tries, and fails, to pacify the weeping shed with a giant bottle of milk, the wife produces a tin of Cuprinol which works a treat. The spot’s strapline is: “For protecting and brightening your garden. Cuprinol. Cheer it up.”

    The ad, directed by Thai star Suthon Petchsuwan, highlights the emotional pull of the AkzoNobel-owned brand, which boasts a 94-strong colour range, as well as a rich heritage in practical wood protection. The spot will be on air in the lead up to the Easter and May bank holiday weekends, and will be available online.

    18 Feet & Rising developed the idea behind the 'Cheer It Up' positioning, as well as the TVC and its digital amplification.

    The brand re-launch also includes a new logo and new packaging across all its products, designed by Brand design consultancy Springetts, and the launch of a new website on 27 March developed by AnalogFolk.

    Along with its new brand identity, Cuprinol is launching new products this year, including ‘Less Mess Fence Care’ and next generation garden shades, with four-year weather protection. In addition to the 34 existing shades, the brand is also launching 60 new colours for the Garden Shades range.

    Kathryn Ledson, Senior Marketing Manager AkzoNobel, said: “Cuprinol has always been passionate about protecting garden wood and enhancing outdoor spaces. We want our new campaign to show people how simple it can be to add personality and colour to outside spaces and inspire people to ‘Cheer It Up’! With the new range of Garden Shades, it’s the perfect time to brighten up Britain’s gardens!”

    Rob Ward, Head of Strategy at 18 Feet & Rising, said: “Cheer it up' repositions the category from a boring, brown chore to a colourful, emotional reward that encourages the nation to bring out the best in their gardens.”

    Credits:
    Client: Kathryn Ledson, Senior Marketing Manager
    Creative Director: Anna Carpen
    Creatives: Anna Carpen, Stephen de Wolf & Behrad Taherparvar
    Account Director: Adrienne Little
    Strategy: Rob Ward
    Agency Producers: Emily Hodgson & Julia Methol
    Director: Suthon Petchsuwan
    Producer: Hugh Bacher
    Post Production: Mum Films
    Media Planning/Buying: Mediacom
    Production: TWC Films

  • "cärpe-díem mañana -The Hilfigers" | Tommy Hilfiger Multi-Media Ad Campaign

    "cärpe-díem mañana -The Hilfigers" | Tommy Hilfiger Multi-Media Ad Campaign

    The Tommy Hilfiger Group, which is wholly owned by PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH), announces its Fall 2013 global advertising campaign, cärpe-díem mañana, featuring The Hilfigers – the beloved all-American family at the heart of the brand’s marketing strategy. The new campaign finds Chloe setting off for college, and when one of the The Hilfigers’ youngest moves on campus to start her first year, the whole group of eclectic characters tags along to help her settle in. The campus is teeming with new faces as several new characters join the family shenanigans.

    Now in its seventh season, The Hilfigers campaign remains the ultimate personification of the preppy heritage and irreverent spirit of the Tommy Hilfiger brand. The campaign is photographed by Craig McDean, styled by Karl Templer and creatively directed by Trey Laird of Laird + Partners.

    “Collegiate traditions and the preppy, Ivy League look were some of my earliest design inspirations and the starting point for our signature style,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “It was exciting to shoot this campaign at a location that embodies our brand heritage. There’s no better setting to highlight the collegiate prep inspirations, British sartorial influences and rich Anglo fabrics of the Fall 2013 runway collections.”

    For Fall 2013, a select group of bloggers were invited to the campaign shoot where they were given behind the scenes access to the collection and Fall 2013 shoot. The bloggers were styled in looks from the collection before they were photographed alongside The Hilfigers, integrating these bloggers into the campaign experience and allowing them to develop exclusive content for their websites and social media channels. The bloggers announced the campaign to their global audiences just days before the images broke in September books.

    Adding a new layer to the seasonal campaign, Lisa Birnbach, author of the The Official Preppy Handbook, created spirited, individualized head-to-toe descriptions for each character’s unique style that play on brand’s preppy-with-a-twist heritage. The quintessential cast of college characters includes the “Natty Professor,” the “A-Student,” the “Bookworm,” the “Ice Queen,” the “Après Dude,” the “Professional Student,” the “Social Chair,” the “Field Tripper,” the “Alum Prez,” the “Teacher’s Pet” and the “All American.” The head-to-toe images, accompanied by Lisa’s playful depictions, will be included in multi-page inserts in select September books, outdoor advertising and on tommy.com.

    “Lisa Birnbach is a true prep connoisseur and the perfect person to characterize The Hilfigers’ unique prep style,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “I’ve loved working with Lisa throughout the years and we are excited to have her prep expertise included in this campaign season.”

    “The Hilfigers continue to personify the global creative vision for the brand,” said Avery Baker, Chief Marketing Officer for The Tommy Hilfiger Group. “This season we’re incorporating new content elements that celebrate the brand’s history of infusing an unexpected twist to preppy tradition. Lisa Birnbach’s playful depictions of the family’s iconic prep style add further emphasis to the youthful irreverence that has long been at the heart of the Tommy Hilfiger brand, while our global blogger partnerships celebrate the increasingly international outlook of preppy style in a way only Tommy Hilfiger has achieved. The Hilfigers campaign resonates globally with our consumers now more than ever and we are excited to continue bringing fans of the brand engaging, shoppable content each season.”

    Photographed in a preppy, collegiate setting with hair by Eugene Souleiman, and makeup by Mark Carrasquillo, the campaign features a similar cast of eclectic characters from past campaigns: Jacquelyn Jablonski, Bernard Fouquet, Chloe Blackshire, Arthur Kulkov, Julia Hafstrom, Lea Sorensen, Toni Garrn, Thomas Gledhill, Kim D, Sacha M'Baye, Tidiou M'Baye, Viggo Jonasson, Jourdan Dunn, Tian Yi and two Basset Hounds named Morgan IV and V. New additions to the family this season include Sasha Luss, Cora Emmanuel, Katya Riabinkina, Benjamin Eidem, RJ King and Marlon Teixeira.

    “The heart of The Hilfigers campaigns is all about storytelling, and this season we really tried to take it to the next level,” said Trey Laird, Laird + Partners Chief Executive and Creative Officer. “With Chloe headed off to college, the whole clan descended on campus en masse! The university setting provided the ideal backdrop for not only that perfect fall collegiate feeling, but also new characters to bring it all to life.”

    Cärpe-díem mañana will break worldwide Fall 2013 as a multi-media program with an online, print, outdoor and social media presence. The advertising campaign will break in September 2013 issues starting July 23 with full print ads running globally in key fashion publications such as Vanity Fair, Vogue, InStyle, ELLE, Glamour, GQ, Men’s Health and Esquire; multi-page inserts will be featured in select issues. New York City; key European cities such as London, Paris and Milan; and top districts in Hong Kong will have outdoor campaigns. Tommy.com and the brand’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels will feature the campaign images and video. For European consumers, a new feature on tommy.com will allow fans of the brand to seamlessly shop and discover the iconic Tommy Hilfiger products, collaborations and new collections.

  • Toronto SickKids Sing "You Got It" in New "Together We Will" Ad

    Toronto SickKids Sing "You Got It" in New "Together We Will" Ad

    An emotional and uplifting new TV ad for Toronto's Hospital For Children's (Sick Kids) fall brand campaign. The commercial is wrapped around their signature line "Together We Will," and helps to capture the strength, compassion and determination that make SickKids the incredible place that it is.
    This spot feature real SickKids patients, families and staff singing along to Roy Orbison's "You Got It" and highlights unconditional love among families and the lengths to which they go, together with SickKids staff, to help make sick children better.

    Learn more about the campaign please visit www.sickkidsfoundation.com/together. Full Press Release below.

    SickKids campaign rallies community to come together to support children’s health “Together We Will” emphasizes strength in unity Picture this: A four year old leukemia patient braving the MRI table for his next scan. A newborn in an isolet hooked up to oxygen. A child being rushed to the emergency department by ambulance. A dad cradling his baby in a rocking chair in the baby’s hospital room. A teenage cancer patient in her bedroom putting on her wig. A mom and her son doing crafts in a hospital playroom in between his treatments.

    These are just some of the scenes portrayed in a new marketing campaign for The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) set to launch November 12 for six weeks through to December 31, leading up to the busiest giving season of the year. The campaign is centred on the tagline “Together We Will” and emphasizes the strength of a community coming together to help improve children’s health. SickKids staff, patients and families featured in the ads help capture the strength, compassion and determination that makes the hospital an incredible place to the thousands of families who rely on it each year.

    The creative concept is brought to life with a focus on the breadth of people it takes to help a sick child, both at home and at SickKids. Set to the emotional lyrics of Roy Orbison’s You Got It, the television spots feature children, youth and their parents together with SickKids staff in real hospital settings singing along to “…anything you want… you got it… baby.” The spot closes with the caption: We’ll do anything for them. But we can’t do it alone. Together We Will.

    Twelve patient ambassadors aged 17 months to 17 years old from throughout Ontario, with conditions ranging from brittle bone disease to organ transplants and various childhood cancers, are featured in the campaign. Although many of them are in active treatment, these young patients muster all of their energy to sing along and lend their help to inspire people to support the hospital through donations.

    “These scenes capture some of the most poignant moments between a child and their parents or their medical team, reflecting the family-centred care approach at SickKids,” says Ted Garrard, President and CEO, SickKids Foundation. “This campaign truly illustrates the lengths to which staff and families will go, together, to help improve and save children’s lives. Families know they can count on the multidisciplinary medical teams at the hospital when their children need them. This holiday season we need the community’s support to help SickKids continue to be there for anything our patients need, now and in the future.”

    In keeping with the spirit of a community joining forces to help children who need life-saving medical care, a mural featuring leukemia patient Hunter Kemp, 5, and a sampling of 19 representatives from his SickKids circle of care will be installed at Dundas subway station. In the mural, Hunter is joined by his family and his extended SickKids family who have been there for him throughout his cancer treatment, including everyone from his nurse and oncologist to his Child Life Specialist and psychologist. Hospital President and CEO Mary Jo Haddad is also featured. The mural symbolizes the group of people who come together when a child is seriously ill and bears the caption: Together We Will. No Matter How Many of us it Takes. The mural is the focal point of a subway station domination which also includes branded wrapped pillars, stairs and turnstiles.

    The ‘Together We Will’ theme is also integrated with the print campaign which features patients photographed with either a parent or someone from their SickKids medical team with aspirational claims of what can be achieved together with community support. Together We Will Make a Hospital Feel Nothing Like a Hospital and Together We Will Search for Answers are examples of how the print campaign aims to inspire people to help SickKids achieve its vision to advance children’s health in Toronto and around the world.

    Elements of the campaign include mass marketing with television, print and out-of-home advertising including a branded domination at Dundas subway station and at 10 Dundas St. E., elevator wraps in 35 buildings and presence on 110 elevator screens throughout buildings in downtown Toronto. A: 60 second television spot is the focus of the campaign, with supporting 15-second spots, print ads and digital banner ads. The 60-second spot will run before every movie in six Cineplex theatres in the Greater Toronto Area.

    There is also a digital component called SickKids Free Movie Day. People can help fill a virtual theatre online at www.sickkidsfoundation.com/together to send SickKids kids on an exclusive movie experience this holiday season. Cineplex will provide a complimentary movie screening for young patients who are healthy enough to attend the theatre in the new year.

    The campaign website will go live on November 9 at www.sickkidsfoundation.com/together and will feature the 60-second television commercial and patient stories. People who wish to support SickKids can donate by visiting the Together We Will campaign website.

    The Together We Will concept, creative and digital development was handled by JWT and media planning and buying was handled by Maxus. Partners Film produced the television spots, directed by Kathi Prosser, and photography for the print campaign was done by award winning photographer and filmmaker Mark Zibert.

    Credits:
    Client: Sick Kids Foundation
    Agency: JWT, Toronto
    VP/Managing Director: Neil MacLellan
    Copywriter: Jed Churcher
    Art Director: Andy Brokenshire
    Agency Producer: Raquel Rose
    Account Director: Michelle Ching
    Production Company: Partners Film
    Director: Kathi Prosser
    Executive Producer: Aerin Barnes
    Line Producer: Amalie Bruun
    Director of Photography: Tico Poulakakis
    Editing Company: Panic and Bob
    Editor: David Baxter
    Music: Eggplant
    Producer & Music Director: Adam Damelin
    Producer: Nicola Treadgold

  • Brain Games With Jason Silva — National Geographic Promo Ads

    Brain Games With Jason Silva — National Geographic Promo Ads

    Right on the heels of three extraordinarily successful projects — garnering record breaking ratings for their clients — BIGSMACK unveils a new promo campaign for the National Geographic Channel. The energy-packed, mind-tickling campaign for the channel’s newest series “Brain Games” broke earlier this week in anticipation of the series launch on Monday, April 22nd at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

    Under the creative leadership of Founder/Head Creative Andy Hann and Senior Creative Director Matt Hall, BIGSMACK collaborated with National Geographic’s in-house creative team to complete the creative concepting. BIGSMACK wrote, produced, and created extensive CGI and graphics for the new launch campaign. http://www.bigsmack.tv/work/nat-geo-brain-games/

    Hosted by Filmmaker and TED Talks icon Jason Silva, the new television series will use illusions, mind games and interactive experiments to reveal the inner workings of the human brain. Each episode of “Brain Games” will explore a different topic. These will include attention, fear, perception, sense of time and memory. Silva is a self-professed "wonder junkie," who has spoken widely about neurology, the human brain, and technology. The timing of the show is perfect, as President Obama announces a broad new research initiative to invent and refine new technologies to understand and map the human brain. Silva is joined on “Brain Games” by “The Gentleman Thief” Apollo Robbins, a deception specialist.

    “National Geographic Channel has been a great, long-term client of ours,” says BIGSMACK’s Hann. “We worked on the promo for the “Brain Games” special last year, and it was so popular and successful that Nat Geo decided to turn it into a series. We were thrilled when they came back, and asked us to work on the promo campaign for the new series. We have a very collaborative relationship with Nat Geo. They really utilize us as a collaborative creative agency, and we work very well with their in-house team. They have a great deal of creative trust in us, which we really appreciate. This was a hugely fun campaign for the BIGSMACK team to work on. One of the biggest challenges was the research that we needed to do in order to find fun, and thought provoking examples of brain puzzles and teasers; as well as the choreography of the spots which required the cameras, experiments, and the on-screen talent to be in sync. Many of the shots were all done in one-take, which was quite a feat.”

    Hann shared the director’s chair on set with BIGSMACK’s Senior Creative Director Matt Hall, since a great deal of the work was done in CGI and post, after the studio production wrapped. “The series host, Jason Silva, is renowned for his ability to improv,” explains Hall. “So we gave him an outline, but he added a lot of the material on his own while we were shooting. Because of the improv, most of the CGI/effects were added in the postproduction phase, without a lot of pre-planning. The creative process was truly an evolution, with BIGSMACK working with the in-house team at Nat Geo. At every stage, something new was added on-screen, continually making the spots that much better, and leading to a great end result.”

    Due to the outstanding success of promo and show launch campaigns created and produced by BIGSMACK in the last 6 months, the team has been hard at work in the studio. “I couldn’t be more proud of the quality of work that continues to come from Andy and our BIGSMACK team” says Head of Marketing Andrew Kobliska, “The idea generation is endless, and this team truly understands how to create a successful campaign for our clients.”

    Credits:
    Project: Multi-spot promo campaign for the launch of new series “Brain Games”
    Client: National Geographic Channel
    SVP/Group Creative Director: Andy Baker
    CMO: Courteney Monroe
    Design Director Marketing & Creative: Carla Daeninckx
    Director Ad Sales & Cause Marketing: Allison Mitchell
    VP Creative & Consumer Marketing: Emanuele Madeddu
    Producer: Valerie Carrillo
    Agency, Production & Post Company: BIGSMACK/New York & Philadelphia
    Head of Creative: Andy Hann
    Senior Creative Director: Matt Hall
    Head of Marketing: Andrew Kobliska
    Executive Producers: Heidi Erney, Kevin Lahr
    Senior Producer: Rich DiNublia
    Senior Writer/Producer: Laura Gillespie
    Production Coordinator: Meg Hughes
    Director: Andy Hann
    EFX Director: Matt Hall
    DP: Andrew Turman
    Line Producer: Larry Schwartz
    Design/Animators: Jason Harmon, Rick Malwitz
    Graphic Artist: Dan Hoffman
    Editor: Mark Farkas
    Mixers: Bob Schachner, Mike Taylor
    Colorist: Janet Falcon

  • PUMA Introduces Mobium and Adaptive Running Technology with Cats

    PUMA Introduces Mobium and Adaptive Running Technology with Cats

    Puma introduces us to it's newest technology in running shoes with the commercial above for PUMA Mobium shoe, the running shoe that was inspired by cats, yes cats, see video below.

    A cat's paws contract to provide propulsion and expand to provide cushioning. PUMA Mobium Elite's Expansion Pods, inspired by a cat's paw, adapt to your foot with every step. Welcome to Adaptive Running.

    Press:
    PUMA Launches The Nature of Performance in 2013.
    PUMA Celebrates A Year Of Innovation With Groundbreaking Performance Product Introductions & New Campaign Launch 2013 signals a pioneering year for PUMA, as the global sportlifestyle brand re-energizes its performance positioning through the introduction of a new cross-category performance platform — The Nature of Performance. The Nature of Performance underpins a new creative and marketing campaign, in addition to serving as the inspiration for a collection of innovative new products in the Football, Running, Training and Fitness categories.

    PUMA's Nature of Performance platform is a red thread that unifies all of PUMA's performance categories with a consistent voice, look and feel. Grounded in nature and the athlete's innate desire to perform at their best level, The Nature of Performance takes us on a journey that is at once personal and universal. Through it, we come to understand certain campaign insights:

    • The Nature of PUMA Football: Whether it's in your nature to be power hungry, a glutton for speed or a control freak, PUMA builds inspired products to amplify you and your team's instincts.
    • The Nature of PUMA Running: It's in our nature to disrupt the monotony of running. It's making a routine run feel fresh again, and it's in our nature to get you out the door.

    Similar insights have been developed for PUMA Golf, PUMA Training, PUMA Fitness and PUMA Ecosphere and will feature in the creative executions for each.
    Created in collaboration with advertising partner Droga5, the Nature of Performance campaign for ATL and BTL features the product as hero in each treatment, with a minimalist deconstructed "set" using a simple gray background, exposed staging and technical features, and athletes in motion showcasing the 'epic moment' of athletics. Stylistically new for PUMA, the Nature of Performance creative is designed to evoke a visceral reaction and tap into our nature as performance athletes.

    PUMA also partnered with video production house Juliet Zulu to develop a series of technical films and TVCs for The Nature of Performance that will roll out online, by category, beginning in February 2013.

    "With The Nature of Performance, we've found our own unique voice within the performance space," said Filip Trulsson, Director of International Marketing at PUMA SE. "The platform works across all of our sport categories and offers a compelling and effective way to convey pinnacle performance PUMA products and the user experiences at its most natural state."

    The Nature of Performance platform launch coincides with a series of innovative new product introductions in Spring/Summer 2013, including ground-breaking footwear and apparel styles for Running and Training.

    PUMA Mobium Elite is a first generation PUMA Adaptive Running™ shoe that's built on a system of interdependent technologies that are proprietary to PUMA. The patent-pending technologies of the Mobium Bands, the Windlass Chassis and the Expansion Pods work together allowing the shoe to expand and contract as the foot naturally does through the gait cycle. PUMA has identified this new category of running — Adaptive Running — after two years of intense biomechanical research, development and testing. PUMA Mobium Elite encourages a more natural movement and efficient stride.

    In addition to innovative new product introductions, PUMA is also introducing for 2013 a unique naming and labeling concept designed to make it easy for consumers to identify which products best fit their performance needs. The PUMA CELL system consists of 14 CELL names, each of which corresponds to a specific key performance benefit — dryCELL for moisture management, visiCELL for increased visibility and powerCELL for compression, to name a few. PUMA CELL is a proprietary system the brand has developed to ensure product benefits are clearly communicated and identifiable to the consumer.

    I love everything about this campaign, especially Puma Designer Raymond Horacek (video below) who quotes the great architect Antoni Gaudi, "...man does not create, he discovers" in his design process. Raymond and the PUMA Innovation Team studied the way big cats move and how the human foot changes in length, height and proportion during the running step that gave birth to Adaptive Running.

    Credits:
    Creative Advertising Agency: Droga5
    Video Production House: Juliet Zulu

  • Nascar On Fox — View The Show Ad Is A Thundering Thrill

    Nascar On Fox — View The Show Ad Is A Thundering Thrill

    Engine Room Creates New NASCAR On Air Graphics/Branding Package For Fox Sports; Photo-Real CG Show Open Establishes An Exciting New Look for NASCAR ON FOX

    Hollywood, CA — Engine Room’s latest NASCAR project for Fox Sports revved into high gear during the Daytona 500 broadcast. The expansive, high-energy package will air throughout the NASCAR ON FOX fourteen-week season and involved the creative development, design and production of the Show Open (Daytime and Night versions) as well as two new NASCAR ON FOX branding icons to be rolled out in the coming weeks.

    For the last two seasons, Fox Sports has tapped Engine Room for custom animation pieces involving intensive and rapidly produced, animated comic-style CG recaps of each weekly NASCAR race. This year’s the collaboration went into overdrive, with Engine Room delivering an entire broadcast sports package that showcases the thrills, spills and upsets intrinsic to NASCAR, all with a beautiful new hyper-real look. As part of the Open’s signature design, are animated race cars that reflect the evolution of new 2013 custom body styles from the big three automakers in a wild race to the finish line. Engine Room was also tasked with designing two new branding icons for FOX SPORTS to be used throughout the racing season. The new chrome, energy infused Fox X-Car and its high-tech robot driver Speedus, a powerful 3D animated cousin to FOX Football robot Cleatus, is a lightning-fast racing mascot on wheels.

    VFX Supervisor Dave Piedra, Creative Director Dan Schmit and EP Michael Caplan led the Engine Room design and animation team throughout the intensive process that spanned nine months, from the design phase to the execution of each deliverable in the campaign, which included two complete packages, the first for day races and a second to air during the season’s night competitions.

    “Our work with Fox Sports is always incredibly rewarding thanks to the vision and passion of EVP/Creative Director Gary Hartley and his team,” says Engine Room’s Dan Schmit. “We are proud of how our ongoing collaboration with Fox Sports has evolved for more than a decade from a relationship based on our live action skills, to now providing large scale creative branding projects where we have been invited to do it all, from developing original concept, through feature-level visual effects CG execution. Gary saw our potential early on and we look forward to many more years of exciting collaboration and visionary work in support of Fox Sports.”

    About Engine Room:
    Engine Room is a global creative arts studio specializing in visual effects, live action and design for television, commercials, feature film and new media.

  • Virgin Atlantic Fly In The Face of Ordinary Epic New TV Advert

    Virgin Atlantic Fly In The Face of Ordinary Epic New TV Advert

    Virgin Atlantic launches a great new ad campaign, "Fly In The Face of Ordinary" that celebrates the extraordinary talents of the airlines employees. The multimillion dollar advert highlights the amazing skills of the airline's staff of crew, designers, pilots and everyday pioneers.

    The campaign launches as the airline expands it's domestic flying program in the United Kingdom with service between London Heathrow and Manchester, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Virgin Atlantic is also looking for 150 new staff for the launch and the epic two minute commercial gives us an insight into the kind of people that make Virgin Atlantic "fly in the face of ordinary" and provide prospective passengers a welcome splash of red in a weary world of grey.

    "Our advertisement is a powerful New Year message encouraging everyone to look again at young people and the talents they have to offer to businesses and industries all over the country. People are at the heart of Virgin Atlantic and this campaign celebrates them," said Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic and went on to say: "We're always on the lookout for gifted people to grow our business. Our staff hold the keys to the future of Virgin Atlantic; they work so hard, and we are delighted to dedicate this new advert to them."

    Credits:
    Creative Advertising Agency: RKCR/Y&R, UK
    Executive Creative Director: Mark Roalfe
    Creative Partners: Pip Bishop, Chris Hodgkiss
    Business Director: Vicky Jacobs
    Producer: Jody Allison
    Production Assistant: Flo Clive
    Music Producer: Dan Neale
    Production Company: Partizan
    Director: Antoine Bardou / Jacquet
    Producer: David Stewart
    DOP: Andre Chemetoff, Damian Morisot
    Production Designer: Nick Ellis
    Editing House: Work Post
    Editor: Bill Smedley
    Post production: MPC
    Post Production Producer: Julie Evans
    Sound Studio: Wave Studios
    Sound Engineer: Aaron Reynolds
    Composer: Guy Farley

  • Jaguar at Play | Newest TV Spot

    Jaguar at Play | Newest TV Spot

    Jaguar is launching today a new television advertisement in the U.S. that communicates the brand’s resurgence by spotlighting its high performance cars and their innovative new design. The new 30-second spot is the first ad from Jaguar’s new global ad agency of record, Spark44, and showcases the brand’s highest performance models: the XFR, XJL Supersport and XKR-S.

    “Jaguar represents seductive design, innovation and performance. This new television spot truly communicates the excitement surrounding the brand with our new high performance line-up,” said David Pryor, Brand Vice President of Jaguar North America. “The ad boldly shows off the three highest performing models in the Jaguar fleet, the XFR, XJL Supersport and XKR-S. We couldn’t be more proud of our 2012 model year collection and are thrilled to showcase it through a spot that reflects a new, progressive approach to the brand.”

    In “Jaguar at Play,” the models are shown as animated objects — teasing, challenging and playing with each other in a variety of environments, ranging from the rural forests of northern San Francisco to urban industrial locations. The spot communicates the heightened sense of life drivers feel when they get behind the wheel — agile, powerful and exhilarated.

    The spot debuts on the NFL Network on December 1 and will also air, in the U.S. only, on national cable and locally, including CNN, ESPN and Comedy Central. It was directed by Vic Huber, of Coyote Productions, and features an original score from Anthony Marinelli.

  • The Kool-Aid Man Is Back In New "Smile" Ads...Oh Yeah!

    The Kool-Aid Man Is Back In New "Smile" Ads...Oh Yeah!

    Ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi reinvents the iconic Kool-Aid man and "Oh Yeah" he's still busting through walls.

    Kool-Aid is unveiling a new look for its big red mascot Monday, as the powdered drink brand looks to refresh its image and tout a new liquid mix.
    The Kool-Aid Man, known for busting through walls and his "Oh yeah!" tagline, will now be computer-generated and take on the personality of a celebrity trying to show he's just a normal guy. In past ads, the character was played by an actor in foam costume and had little to say or do besides crashing through a wall with a big, smiley face.
    The campaign comes as Kool-Aid plays up its liquid mix, which debuted in January. The new mix reflects a push by Kraft Foods to adjust to changing tastes and replicate the success of its liquid flavour enhancer called MiO.
    MiO, which people squirt into water for flavour, has already spawned copycats including Coca-Cola Co.'s Dasani Drops. Executives say people like them because the small bottles are easier to carry around than powder mixes and let people add as much or as little flavour as they like.
    The growing popularity of liquid mixes hasn't been good for Kool-Aid. In 2012, the brand's U.S. sales were down 5 per cent to $338 million, according to the market researcher Euromonitor International. That was following a 4 per cent drop the previous year.
    The liquid mix is a return to Kool-Aid's roots. It began as a syrup called "Fruit Smack" in 1920. The product wasn't modified into a concentrated powder until 1927, when it was renamed "Kool-Ade." The current spelling followed in the early 1930s.
    The Kool-Aid Man, meanwhile, made his first appearance in 1954 and has taken on various looks through the years. Kraft says his last big makeover was in 2000.
    'He didn't really have a developed personality'Erica Rendall, senior brand manager at Kraft Foods Group Inc., says the new ads are intended to fill in the blanks in Kool-Aid Man's character so people can relate to him.
    "He said a few things here and there [in the past], but he really didn't have a developed personality," she said.
    In one of the new commercials, the scene opens with the character's round silhouette behind a shower curtain. When he steps out, he's a clear pitcher of water and he explains in a voiceover that his life isn't all "cherry and sweetness."
    "I put my pants on one leg at a time," the voiceover notes, as he stands in front of a pantry full of Kool-Aid mixes deciding what to wear. "Except my pants are 22 different flavours. I've got grape pants, I've got watermelon pants."
    But Kraft isn't abandoning trademarks of its past campaigns in the new ads, which were developed by the ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi. At the end of the commercial, the Kool-Aid Man heads out to work by calming busting through the front door. When he emerges, he waves cheerily to two awestruck kids riding their bikes past his front lawn. via: CBCnews — AP

  • Microsoft Dons A Shiny New Logo Design

    Microsoft Dons A Shiny New Logo Design

    In advance of one of the most significant waves of product launches in Microsoft’s history, today they unveil a new logo.

    It’s been 25 years since we’ve updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change. This is an incredibly exciting year for Microsoft as we prepare to release new versions of nearly all of our products. From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs. This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning. via Microsoft's Blog

    Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela opens the Microsoft Store in Boston, which dons the company's new logo, on Aug. 23, 2012.

  • 'Viking Voyagers' at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall

    'Viking Voyagers' at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall

    National Maritime Museum Cornwall is bringing the Vikings to Cornwall in a new major exhibition called Viking Voyagers, opening on 20 March 2015. The new exhibition, featuring nationally and internationally historically significant artefacts, explores what is behind the popular myth of the bloodthirsty raiders, what it meant to become a Viking and shows how their mastery of maritime technology was the secret to their success.

    'Viking Voyagers' at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall
    Ships and boats were vital to Viking expansion; they explored and colonised, were invaders and migrants and the seas and rivers were the highways and byways to amassing huge wealth and power through raiding and trading.

    Their power was built on their knowledge of boatbuilding and their seafaring skills, enabling them to sail across the Atlantic’s icy waters to Newfoundland and Iceland, down to the warm Mediterranean to Istanbul and as far East along the river Volga as Ukraine and Russia.

    Visions of horned helmets, unkempt beards and fearsome raiding fighters carried by longships that were dragon headed war beasts come to mind when thinking of Vikings. However, this new show dispels the myth and reveals that just like us they also wore jewellery, combed their hair and many were entrepreneurs, using smaller boats and ships to do business and seek new opportunities far from their Scandinavian homelands.

    This new show invites you to encounter these Norse voyagers and the people and things they met along the way, contrasting the mayhem of the raiders, pillagers and ransackers with the resourceful trader, boat builder, craftsman and family man, woman and child.

    The humanising of the Vikings is conveyed through engaging interactive displays that amplify what life was like as a Viking. With institutional and loaning partners including the British Museum, National Museum of Ireland, National Museum of Denmark and Manx National Heritage and others, a stunning number of artefacts show a culture that enjoyed ostentation and hierarchy as well as ritual, religion and the simplicity of family life.

    These archaeological finds, which are over 1000 years old, include weaponry, jewellery, household implements, slave chains and coins, richly showing the global reach of the Vikings and their ships.

    Richard Doughty, Director of National Maritime Museum Cornwall says: “It is enormously exciting for National Maritime Museum Cornwall to be bringing the Vikings to Falmouth and hosting historically significant artefacts, in what is undoubtedly our most important exhibition to date. The Museum’s legacy of award winning work has now afforded us the opportunity to access national and international collections, securing loans with major partner Museums, and offering Cornwall and the South West a unique first in being able to see these items outside of these national and international institutions.”

    “This new state of the art show has taken years to develop. You might think you know the Vikings but you will have never experienced them in the way this new exhibition promises. All I can say is watch out, the Vikings are coming!”

    The theatre is provided by a beach market scene. A full scale replica of a 14m coastal cargo Viking ship, from 11th century Denmark, invites you to climb aboard and discover what it was like to sail and row in these awe inspiring vessels, and explore the wares they carried.

    The iconic Viking small boat, a 6m Norwegian faering, built by ‘apprentice Viking boat builders’ from Falmouth Marine School, is the centrepiece of a ‘touch and feel’ boat builder’s yard. Visitors can hold tools and materials used to design these clinker-built ships with their shallow drafts, which allowed them to navigate inland rivers and conquer kingdoms.

    The history of Britain and Ireland was transformed by the impact of Viking raiding and colonisation. We still utter their words in our everyday language such as starboard, berserk, kid and ransack. What began as small encampments up river grew to be Viking towns such as Dublin, which for a time was the centre of the European slave trade. Cornwall was very much part of the Irish Sea world, and the exhibition will reveal tantalising evidence for Vikings in Cornwall.

    Dr Tehmina Goskar, Exhibitions Registrar at the Maritime Museum says: “The story of the Vikings is incredibly alluring. Not only have they left us with a legacy of beautiful storytelling in their Sagas but also an astonishing material culture. Above all, the Vikings were sailors, their men, women and children thrived because of their skills with boats and seafaring so with our harbour location, celebrating the sea and small boats, there is no better place to come to hear their stories.

    “I am completely delighted to bring amazing Viking antiquities to Cornwall for the very first time, some of which have never been on display in any museum before. Working closely with our Guest Curator Dr. Gareth Williams of the British Museum, a world-leading expert in the Vikings and also an outstanding Viking re-enactor himself, has been an immense privilege and a lot of fun, and hopefully visitors will feel this from the way we tell the story of the Viking Voyagers in the show.”

    The two year exhibition, funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a number of generous trusts and foundations, aims to show how the Vikings were a maritime culture, not an ethnic group but something you became when you wanted an adventure.

    Ben Lumby, Exhibitions Manager concludes: “Aboard their ships Vikings reached further than any culture had before them and they have left huge legacies behind since the 300 years of the Viking Age from the 8th to 11th centuries. This atmospheric exhibition will evoke the Viking world through thought-provoking stories, stunning exhibits and engaging interactives which take you on an epic journey. We invite you to discover who the Vikings really were and what was the secret to their success. ”

    Viking Voyagers runs from 20 March 2015 to 22 February 2017.

    Source: National Maritime Museum Cornwall [Jabuary 16, 2015]

  • "Keep the Merry! Dump the Myth" Controversial Billboard In Times Square

    "Keep the Merry! Dump the Myth" Controversial Billboard In Times Square

    The New Jersey American Atheists proudly boasted about the launch of their controversial Winter Billboard Campaign in recently erected in New York's Times Square.

    Atheists Share the True Meaning of the Holidays with Times Square Billboard

    Cranford, NJ—American Atheists’ latest billboard, located in the heart of New York City, is set to launch on December 11, 2012. Strategically positioned in Times Square (across from the M&M store), the billboard will display images of Santa and Jesus with the message, “Keep the merry! Dump the myth!”

    David Silverman, President of American Atheists stated, “We know that a large population of ‘Christians’ are actually atheists who feel trapped in their family's religion. If you know god is a myth, you do not have to lie and call yourself 'Christian' in order to have a festive holiday season. You can be merry without the myth, and indeed, you should.”

    Mr. Silverman continued, “We encourage people to be honest with themselves and their families this year. If you don't believe in god, tell your family—honesty is the greatest gift, and they deserve it.”

    Teresa MacBain, Communications Director and a former pastor stated, “The true beauty of the season—family, friends, and love—have nothing to do with the gods of yesteryear. Indeed, the season is far more enjoyable without the religious baggage of guilt and judgmentalism. Dump the myth and have a happy holiday season.”

    The billboard will remain in Times Square from December 11 through January 10, 2013.

    The ad is the latest in holiday-themed billboards put up by the group every year. In 2011, American Atheists posted a variety of ads as part of a “Myth” campaign in three states with images of Santa, Jesus, Greek god Poseidon, and the Devil with the phrase, “37 million Americans know MYTHS when they see one.”

    The Catholic League has battled it out with Silverman's group in the past, even posting opposing signs on each end of the Lincoln Tunnel in 2010. But Catholic League spokesman Bill Donohue said Silverman went too far this year.

    "This year it's different," he said. "This is vile. When you depict Jesus on the cross with a crown of thorns, this is exploitative. We as Christians never harass, intimidate or insult atheists. But they can't seem to say, 'We simply disagree with you.' They have to insult us."

    via: Fox News

  • New IKEA "Living Together" Advert

    New IKEA "Living Together" Advert

    IKEA is launching a new campaign in the UK and Ireland, titled ‘Make Room for Your Life’, which examines how good storage can improve your life at home. The work continues the brand’s new strategy to demonstrate an understanding of the everyday challenges that people face in their homes.

    ‘Make Room for Your Life’, which launches on 19th January, explores IKEA’s storage ranges and highlights a wide range of smart solutions for everyday storage problems. The campaign uses the insight that poor storage doesn’t just cause mess and clutter, it also affects our relationships and the people we live with. By illustrating the effects of poor storage, the new spot demonstrates that making room for your life through good storage can be the first step towards happiness and wellbeing.

    The campaign launches with the TV ad ‘Living Together’ in the UK and Ireland on 19 January. The spot, created by the agency Mother, shows a couple kept apart by a maze of mess. However, thanks to smart storage solutions from IKEA, the couple can tidy their way through the maze, removing the clutter from their lives to finally meet across a KIVIK sofa bed.

    ‘Living Together’ features a cover version of the Bee Gees song ‘Living Together’ by the band An Escape Plan. Three versions of the TV advert have been produced and include 60” and 30” adverts that run until 23 March on TV as well as a full length music video running online at http://www.youtube.com/ikeauk. The campaign also features outdoor, press ads and two filmed documentaries that will be launching on 11 February on the IKEA UK YouTube page.

    Peter Wright, IKEA UK and Ireland Marketing Manager, said, “With the second burst of our new brand campaign it is our ambition to continue the revitalisation and transformation of IKEA brand in the UK and Ireland. ‘Make Room for Your Life’ demonstrates our understanding of everyday life at home and the problems that a lack of good storage gives everybody. We hope to show that we are more relevant than ever to help with consumers’ everyday challenges and ultimately for more consumers to choose IKEA more often for their home furnishing needs.”

    The campaign is also integrated into the IKEA FAMILY loyalty programme with a series of editorial-style e-newsletters, direct mail and product focused online content, created by agency LIDA. The emails direct members of the programme to further online content packed with ideas and tips to help them ‘make room for your life’ and suggest how they can cut out clutter and get sorted with storage in order to be more organised for the year ahead. They also give a taster of the new products launching in-store.

    Freddy Mandy, Creative Director, at Mother, said: “The idea for the campaign came from the observation that mess and clutter in our homes keep people apart emotionally as well as physically. We decided to illustrate this in our TV spot which shows a couple unable to get to each other because their stuff forms a maze keeping them apart. They have to clean up their home in order to be together.”

    “We all have that space in our homes that really isn't a space – it's a dumping ground. The direct mail piece homes in on this insight and shows that with a little help from IKEA's ingenious storage solutions, you might actually see that carpet again” says Nicky Bullard, Executive Creative Director of LIDA.

  • M&M's Ms. Brown Sets Up Red In "Devour" Spot

    M&M's Ms. Brown Sets Up Red In "Devour" Spot

    M&M's newest commercial gets a little dangerous as Ms. Brown introduces Red to a chocolate loving beauty, things quickly get ugly as the red headed woman wants to "Devour" our little funny loving red M&M as she drives off with him.

    Credits:
    Ad Agency: BBDO, New York.

    M&M's 2013 Super Bowl Ad Watch News:

    Today Mars Chocolate North America introduced M&M'S® Brand's new integrated marketing campaign called 'Better With M™,' which includes a new 30 second television commercial that will air during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLVII.

    "'Better With M' showcases how M&M'S irresistible chocolate makes moments more fun and delicious," said Roy Benin, Chief Consumer Officer, Mars Chocolate North America. "The 'Better With M' story is delivered through our colorful spokescandies, whose irresistible chocolate always makes moments even better – be they watching the Super Bowl, baking cookies, gathering the family together for a movie or even tailgating."
    In addition to the Super Bowl ad, which was created by BBDO New York, highlights of the year-long 'Better With M' campaign include multiple English and Spanish television, print and digital ads, in-store displays, consumer promotions and multiple social initiatives focused on Facebook and the hashtag, #betterwithmms. The first television ad from the new campaign – starring Ms. Brown – will being airing today.

    A cornerstone of the campaign is a new cause-related marketing effort designed to make 'America Better With M' by funding the construction of Habitat for Humanity homes across the nation. As part of the initiative, M&M'S is also encouraging, as well as incentivizing fans to help 'M-Prove America' by volunteering at Habitat job sites nationwide.
    "'Better With M' represents one of the largest marketing efforts in M&M'S history," added Benin. "We're confident our full range of communications and activities will excite consumers from the Super Bowl all the way through next winter's holiday season."
    via: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1ypL6)