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Buckle up and hold on tight! To demonstrate that the all-new 2014 Subaru Forester puts the sport back in SUV, creative ad agency DDB Toronto created the Forester Family Rally. In a nutshell, they put families in a Forester on a rally course.
Press:

Toronto, April 10, 2013 — Subaru Forester Campaign Puts Real Families in the Driver’s Seat
Subaru Canada is inspiring families to experience the adventure and adrenaline of rally racing with the launch of its new 2014 Forester campaign, “Forester Family Rally.” Developed by the integrated groups of DDB Canada’s Toronto office, the comprehensive national campaign kicks off with the 30-second television spot, “Family Rally.”
Playing host to an organized rally event, the agency challenged six families to “hit the road” on a closed track, in the performance-driven Forester. The TV spot follows one of the six families conquering the mountainous terrain. It captures natural bursts of excitement as the family of four cheers on their mother with every twist and turn. The ad highlights some of the Forester’s new features like the X-MODE™, which sees the mother safely navigating the vehicle through challenging terrain with a swift push of a button. The spot drives viewers to visit www.familyrally.ca for a closer look at the new 2014 Forester, highlights from the other participating families’ rally runs and to enter a contest for the chance to compete in Subaru’s next family rally.
“With the new Forester launch, we wanted to pay tribute to Subaru's rich history and renowned reputation in rally racing” says Todd Mackie, creative director, DDB Canada. “By capturing the driving experience of real families on a rally track, we were able to depict the fun and adventurous spirit of the Forester, while demonstrating its high performance and handling.”
Via the “Forester Family Rally” hub, developed by Tribal DDB Toronto, users can watch each family’s rally run, switching camera angles for a closer look at the action, monitor each family member’s heart rates as their Forester goes through each turn of the track, view post-race interviews and check-out the results. For the truly adventurous, users can either book a test drive or register for a chance to compete in the next Forester Family Rally event via the microsite.
In August 2013, Subaru Canada will fly five qualifying families to Tremblant, Quebec for an action-packed, rally-themed competition. “ Developed by DDB Public Relations, the Forester Family Rally experience will kick off with adventure-themed competitions, including: rock climbing, go-karting and paddle boat racing, followed by a climatic performance family rally event on a closed course. Families will collect points over two days, with the winning family taking home a brand new 2014 Forester.
“The new 2014 Forester really puts the ‘sport’ back in SUV,” says Geoff Craig, director of marketing, Subaru Canada. “The campaign cleverly proves how everyday drivers can tackle a variety of terrains with confidence, reinforcing how the Forester is different from other compact SUVs, with its all-wheel-drive and superior road handling capabilities.”
Pre-roll, print, digital, social, public relations, radio, direct mail and in-dealership marketing round out this integrated campaign by driving traffic to the Forester Family Rally hub. Each program element contributes to create excitement and conversation surrounding the 2014 Subaru Forester, while encouraging families across Canada to qualify for the next Forester Family Rally event, taking place in August 2013.

Credits:
Client: Subaru Canada Inc.
Agency: DDB Canada, Toronto
Creative Director: Todd Mackie, Denise Rossetto Al
Associate Creative Director:
Copywriter: Allan Topol, Mark Biernacki
Art Director: Pete Ross
Agency Producer: Andrew Schulze
Account Team: Michael Davidson, SVP, Business Unit Director; Peter Brough, Account Director; Julia Morris,
Senior Account Executive; Lindy Scott, Account Coordinator
French Partners: Groupe Rinaldi: Jean-Charles Bullot, Creative; Maurice Rinaldi, President;
Tanya Fouleman, Account Executive
Strategy: Tony Johnstone, SVP Director of Strategic Planning; Sandra Moretti, Senior Strategist;
Kevin McHugh, Strategist
Social Media Strategy: Melissa Smich, Senior Cultivator; Ed Lee, Director, Social Media
Media: OMD: Michelle Jairam, Client Communication Director; Jennifer Thompson, Group Director of Strategy
Event Management: Vehicle Dynamics Group
Production Company: OPC & Family Style
Director: Chris Woods & GoodDearGood
Director of Photography: James Gardner
Line Producer: Oliver van Beek
Post-Production Company: Posterboy Edit
Editor: Mark Paiva & Danica Pardo (Pre Roll)
Online Editor: Axyz – Joel Saunders
Colourist: Alter Ego – Wade Odlum
Audio House: Grayson Matthews
Casting Agency: Jigsaw Casting – Shasta Lutz

The immersive world of PS3 is brought to life in the fantasy fairground setting depicted in the ‘Family Day Out’ TV commercial, which sits at the heart of the new campaign.

As a family arrives and tours the entertainment stalls, different family members explore rich, interactive experiences demonstrating the proposition that PS3 provides "a world of endless family fun".

By directly referencing a variety of entertainment and gaming experiences available on the platform – from motion control games on Sports Champions 2, and HD movies on demand such as Ice Age 4, to new ways of playing on Wonderbook and games for everyone such as Little Big Planet Karting, the ad also underlines the promise that PS3 brings the family together – whatever their particular interest or taste.

The accompanying print execution invites mums to enter the world of PS3 by visiting playstation.com/family to discover and learn more about the different features the console offers. Digital creative draws on elements of both the TV and print work to further drive traffic online.

“With a world of gaming and entertainment titles, this campaign for PlayStation 3 takes a unique take on play, igniting the imagination of our audience to discover a range of new experiences as a family” says Al Moseley, Executive Creative Director at 180 Amsterdam.

The campaign began airing on December 7 in the UK where it will run until the end of the year, will also be seen in Ireland, Poland, Austria, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Credits:
Creative Agency: 180 Amsterdam
Creative Directors: Graeme Hall and Martin Terhart
Art Director: Robbie Graham
Copywriter: Rachel Holding
Production company: Park Pictures
Directed by: Ben Dawkins
Post-production: Glassworks, Amsterdam.

Last Wednesday night's back-to-back season premieres of "Duck Dynasty" became the #1 telecasts in network history! An astonishing 8.6 million viewers tuned in to see America's favorite family, making "Duck Dynasty" the #1 nonfiction series on cable. Perhaps even more impressive is the record-shattering 5.0 million adults 18-49 and 4.9 million adults 25-54 who tuned in; as well as the incredibly successful Social Media campaign that led up to the premiere.

The original press release and "The Quack is Back" spot below:

The creative team at A&E called on long-time collaborators at entertainment agency BIGSMACK to help conceive, write and produce a hilarious Season 3 promotional campaign for their biggest runaway hit in the cable net’s history: “Duck Dynasty.” Under the creative leadership of Head Creative Andy Hann and Senior Creative Director Matt Hall, the BIGSMACK team collaborated with A&E’s in-house team to write, produce, and post for an extensive campaign, that is being rolled out now, as a daily countdown to the launch of the third season on February 27th at 10/9c.

Hann and director Scott Whitham co-direct an unbelievable 21 spots in just two days. The BIGSMACK team shot in the deep rural bayou of Louisiana in the dead of winter, up against tremendous challenges. To view a selection of the creative results, go here: http://wdrv.it/VVWojD

“’Duck Dynasty’ has literally become a phenomenon for A&E, being their highest rated show to date,” says BIGSMACK’s Hann. “It has huge fan appeal, so we were thrilled when they asked us to take a crack at what appeared to be the impossible. We jumped right in with the A&E Senior Creatives Maria Pecoraro and Keith Kopnicki, and fleshed out and wrote a mountain of scripts over the course of a week. Kudos to the A&E marketing and creative team, who worked many weekends and late night hours to make sure this was a successful campaign. This project was a great opportunity for BIGSMACK to show what our company can do, pulling from all of our resources to make this roll-out campaign a reality, and a funny one at that.”

One of the most successful reality series currently on television, “Duck Dynasty” features the Robertson’s, a Louisiana bayou family living the American dream as they operate a thriving business while staying true to their family values and lifestyle. After creative concepting and writing In New York and Philadelphia was complete, the BIGSMACK production team flew down south from the east coast. They were met with seven inches rain soaked roads in early January, and show fans appearing on-set to get a peek at the Robertson’s, known for their signature long beards. CD Hann and Whitham directed the 21 spots with just two days to shoot the show’s main characters. Strategically planning the logistics for the shoot, they had two crews shoot simultaneously at an enormous Bayou location in Monroe, Louisiana.

“We went in with a plan of course, but due to the volume of spots, unpredictable weather and an unfamiliar location, a lot of adjustments and improv had to happen in Monroe days and hours before the shoot,” explains BIGSMACK’s Head of Marketing Andrew Kobliska. Mud soaked roads, trucks and equipment coming from hundreds of miles away, and crew arriving the night before were part of the challenges the production team was up against. “While Andy was directing one spot, he had to think about the next two spots so we could have a crew set things up ahead of time. The crew was awesome: great hustle; great attitude. The DP's Andrew Turman and Patrick Loungway were absolutely incredible. Because of the circumstances, the DP's had to act essentially as Co-Directors, and they really came through. The members of the Robertson family were all good sports. They hung in there with us and they were willing to do whatever we asked, which included being submerged in freezing water! They have natural talent, and great comedic timing. They really are a wonderful, funny family, which is why they are loved by so many fans worldwide.”


Credits:
Project: 21-spot promo campaign for the launch of “Duck Dynasty,” Season 3
Client: A&E
EVP, Head of Marketing: Guy Slattery
Sr. Creative Director. Brand Creative: Maria Pecoraro
Senior Writer/Producer: Keith Kopnicki
Director of Operations, Brand Creative: Brett DiPretoro

Advertising Agency: BIGSMACK
Executive Creative Director: Andy Hann
Head of Marketing: Andrew Kobliska
Executive Producers: Heidi Erney, Kevin Lahr
Writers: Tom Pace, Joe Nelms, Bob Shea, Andy Hann, Laura Gillespie

Production Company: BIGSMACK
Directors: Andy Hann, Scott Whitham
DPs: Andrew Turman, Patrick Loungway
Producer/AD: Michael Dean
AD: Nick Conway

Editorial Company: BIGSMACK
Senior Creative Director: Matt Hall
Senior Writer/Producer: Laura Gillespie
Designer/Animator: Rick Malwitz, Jason Harmon
Editor: Rob Graham
Sound Engineer: Bob Schachner

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.

The creative team at A&E called on long-time collaborators at entertainment agency BIGSMACK to help conceive, write and produce a hilarious Season 3 promotional campaign for their biggest runaway hit in the cable net’s history: “Duck Dynasty.” Under the creative leadership of Head Creative Andy Hann and Senior Creative Director Matt Hall, the BIGSMACK team collaborated with A&E’s in-house team to write, produce, and post for an extensive campaign, that is being rolled out now, as a daily countdown to the launch of the third season on February 27th at 10/9c.

Hann and director Scott Whitham co-direct an unbelievable 21 spots in just two days (view them all on YouTube HERE. The BIGSMACK team shot in the deep rural bayou of Louisiana in the dead of winter, up against tremendous challenges.

Duck Dynasty’ has literally become a phenomenon for A&E, being their highest rated show to date,” says BIGSMACK’s Hann. “It has huge fan appeal, so we were thrilled when they asked us to take a crack at what appeared to be the impossible. We jumped in with the A&E creative team and literally fleshed out and wrote a mountain of scripts over the course of a week. Kudos to the A&E marketing and creative team, who worked many weekends and late night hours to make sure this was a successful campaign. This project was a great opportunity for BIGSMACK to show what our company can do, pulling from all of our resources to make this roll-out campaign a reality, and a funny one at that.”

One of the most successful reality series currently on television, “Duck Dynasty” features the Robertson’s, a Louisiana bayou family living the American dream as they operate a thriving business while staying true to their family values and lifestyle. After creative concepting and writing In New York and Philadelphia was complete, the BIGSMACK production team flew down south from the east coast. They were met with seven inches rain soaked roads in early January, and show fans appearing on-set to get a peek at the Robertson’s, known for their signature long beards. CD Hann and Whitham directed the 21 spots with just two days to shoot the show’s main characters. Strategically planning the logistics for the shoot, they had two crews shoot simultaneously at an enormous Bayou location in Monroe, Louisiana.

“We went in with a plan of course, but due to the volume of spots, unpredictable weather and an unfamiliar location, a lot of adjustments and improv had to happen in Monroe days and hours before the shoot,” explains BIGSMACK’s Head of Marketing Andrew Kobliska. Mud soaked roads, trucks and equipment coming from hundreds of miles away, and crew arriving the night before were part of the challenges the production team was up against. “While Andy was directing one spot, he had to think about the next two spots so we could have a crew set things up ahead of time. The crew was awesome: great hustle; great attitude. The DP's Andrew Turman and Patrick Loungway were absolutely incredible. Because of the circumstances, the DP's had to act essentially as Co-Directors, and they really came through. The members of the Robertson family were all good sports. They hung in there with us and they were willing to do whatever we asked, which included being submerged in freezing water! They have natural talent, and great comedic timing. They really are a wonderful, funny family, which is why they are loved by so many fans worldwide.”

Credits:
Project: 21-spot promo campaign for the launch of “Duck Dynasty,” Season 3

Client: A&E
EVP, Head of Marketing: Guy Slattery
Creative Director: Maria Pecoraro
Senior Writer/Producer: Keith Kopnicki
Director of Operations: Brett DiPretoro

Advertising Agency: BIGSMACK
Executive Creative Director: Andy Hann
Head of Marketing: Andrew Kobliska
Executive Producers: Heidi Erney, Kevin Lahr
Writers: Tom Pace, Joe Nelms, Bob Shea, Andy Hann, Laura Gillespie

Production Company: BIGSMACK
Directors: Andy Hann, Scott Whitham
DPs: Andrew Turman, Patrick Loungway
Producer/AD: Michael Dean
AD: Nick Conway
press via: Hypeworld

Nina Nesbitt sings a beautiful cover of Fleetwood Mac song "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" in the new John Lewis Home Insurance TV advert, "Things Matter."

Called "Things Matter", the new advert centres around your belongings, the things you have in your home that you perhaps don't appreciate everyday but wouldn't be without, as well as the sentimental items. The common thread through all of them is that everything matters. We want to capture the emotional side of insurance with the family connection to your home and its contents. We believe this fits in perfectly with the John Lewis Insurance brand and is what sits at the heart of all our products. The fundamental reason for any insurance is to make you feel you have the right protection for your home, your pets and even your car.

Using stop-frame animation, we follow the story of the entire contents of a family's house coming to life in ways that reflect their personality and character making their way out of the house, and assemble on the lawn for a family photo. It's a touching, poignant portrait of our family and all the items they own.

We strive to provide excellent product design and customer service and with our new positioning we're aiming to change the landscape of the insurance market with a more emotional story. via:

Credits:
Creative Ad Agency: adam&eve DDB
Executive creative directors: Ben Priest, Ben Tollett, Emer Stamp
Creatives: Simon Lloyd, Christine Turner, Rory Hall, Steph Ellis
Agency producer: Sophie Smith
Director: Dougal Wilson
Production company: Blink
Animation: Clapham Road Studios
Producer: Ewen Brown
Production manager: Josh Smith
Lighting: Camera Man
Editor: Joe Guest
Post production: MPC
VFX Supervisor: Tom Harding
Audio: Anthony Moore at Factory Studios
Music: Finger Music

The Royal Ontario Museum unveiled The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China’s Emperors, presented by the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation with Manulife as Lead Sponsor. The exhibition is on display in the Garfield Weston Exhibition Hall from Saturday, March 8 until Monday, September 1, 2014. Presented in collaboration with Beijing’s Palace Museum, the show brings to Canada for the first time approximately 250 treasures that were part of Chinese imperial life for five centuries in a city strictly off-limits to all but the emperor, his family, and his personal servants. These objects are the relics of a momentous chapter in China’s long and fascinating history.

More than 80 of the exhibition’s objects, including textiles, calligraphy, paintings, and armour, have never before travelled outside the Forbidden City. Complemented by stunning artifacts from the ROM’s own internationally celebrated Chinese collections, these objects tell captivating stories and reveal the fascinating characters that made the Forbidden City the centre of an immense empire for more than 500 years. Due to the significant number of light-sensitive textiles and paintings, there will be an extensive rotation of objects half way through the exhibition’s engagement, presenting a new opportunity to experience the stories and exquisite objects of the Forbidden City.

The ROM has partnered with Beijing’s Palace Museum to create an exhibition that uncovers untold stories about life in the courts of the Chinese emperors. Dr Chen Shen is the exhibition’s lead curator and the ROM’s Vice President, World Cultures and Senior Curator, Bishop White Chair of East Asian Archaeology. He said, “This exhibition allows Canadians to see, for the first time, the finest objects hidden from view in the Forbidden City. We have worked with our Palace Museum colleagues to develop untold stories about life in the courts of the Chinese emperors; ensuring ROM visitors will enjoy many of China’s national treasures, many of which have never left the palace. These objects — both luxurious and everyday — provide the unique opportunity to advance our understanding of the people who lived within the walls of the Forbidden City.”

Robert H. N. Ho, Founder of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, said “The Foundation is pleased to present The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China’s Emperors in Canada. Advancing the understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture is a key mission of our foundation. Robust educational programming in support of the exhibition should encourage wider exploration by the public, especially teachers and students. The Foundation is also proud to once again be working with the ROM, an outstanding institution which together with Beijing’s Palace Museum, has developed this wonderful exhibition, bringing to life the 600-year-old imperial palace and revealing for the first time many of its treasures and secrets. ”

The ROM’s exhibition uncovers the stories of the Forbidden City and China’s last emperors who led their lives deep within the palace’s opulent interior. Through intimate encounters with everyday objects, visitors meet a cast of real characters, including emperors, court officials, concubines, and eunuchs — castrated men who served the imperial families. The ROM’s exploration of life inside the mysterious Forbidden City transports visitors through increasingly restricted areas — the palace’s great halls, grand courtyards, and intricate terraces and roofs, until visitors ultimately gain access to the most private space of all: the emperor’s personal study.

Imperial throne set, The Palace Museum, Gu115711 (throne, footstool only) © The Palace MuseumIn the exhibition’s entrance, visitors gain information about the fascinating locale before progressing into The Outer Court, the official space where the emperor displayed his power only to those invited inside. In this, the exhibition’s largest area, ceremonial bells, suits of armour, weapons and large-scale paintings tell the story of the emperors’ governing and military battles. An exhibition highlight dates to the reign of Emperor Qianlong — a throne, symbolizing his authoritative power. This area also introduces visitors to the first of several characters, including Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong, two of the most accomplished emperors of the Qing dynasty.

The exhibition’s climatic section takes visitors inside the Emperor’s personal spaces that were once forbidden to all but the emperor. As rulers, emperors were bound to strict institutionalized governance. However, their choices were their own in collecting and personal cultivation. This area showcases some of the most exquisite objects in the imperial collection including jades, calligraphies, and ceramics and an exceedingly rare porcelain “chicken” cup, commissioned by Emperor Chenghua for his mother; only two such cups exist today in the Palace Museum. In this section, a British-made musical clock and the character of a Western missionary represent the foreign dignitaries who gained access to the Forbidden City with gifts from their homelands — pieces much admired by Qing dynasty emperors.

The Forbidden City

China’s imperial palace, known to the world as the Forbidden City, was built from 1406 – 1420. It was the center of government and home to China’s last 24 emperors of the Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing (1644 – 1911) dynasties. Made up of about 980 buildings and 8700 rooms in over 90 architectural complexes, the Forbidden City remains to this day the largest palace complex in history. Once strictly forbidden to all but the emperors, their families, servants, invited guests, and most trusted officials, the palace gates are now open to all.

The Palace Museum

The Forbidden City became the Palace Museum in 1925, one year after the last emperor was forced into exile. Located in the heart of Beijing, the magnificent site spans over 720,000 square metres and houses the largest collection of China’s imperial treasures. Designated by China’s State Council as one of that country’s most important protected cultural heritage sites in 1961, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. Today, it is considered one of the world’s most important museums. Popularly called The Forbidden City, it houses over 1.8 million art treasures spanning 5,000 years of Chinese history with many from the Qing imperial court. It is one of the world’s most visited museums, welcoming a record 182,000 visitors on October 2, 2012.

Source: The Royal Ontario Museum [March 08, 2014]

New Wheat Thins commercial features Stewie and Brian from "Family Guy" doing exactly what they do best: argue and fighting.
The ad pays homage to Stewie's ongoing difficulties with a certain pronunciation.

Credits:
Client: Wheat Thins
Title: "WHheat Thins — Family Guy"
Agency: Being, New York
Creative Directors: Lisa Topol and Samira Ansari
Art Directors: Mitchell Ratchik, Jelani Curtis
Copywriters: William Burks Spencer, Christopher Stephens
Executive Producer: David Fisher
Producer: Dwight Clifford
Business Affairs Director: Samantha Norvin
Sr Talent Manager: Brian Enright
Group Account Director: Caroline Winterton
Account Director: Kim Tice
Account Manager: Catherine Sweeny
Project Manager: Tanya Woods

Editorial: Chop Shop
Editor: Daniel de Winter
Production:
Production Company: Fox Television Animation
Executive Producers: Seth MacFarlane, Kara Vallow
Producers: Kim Fertman, Shannon Smith
Production Manager: Brent Crowe
Associate Producer: Charles Song
Production Coordinator: Leslie Rider
Director: Brian Iles
Voices: Seth MacFarlane
Editor: Eric Brown
Music:
"Hair Pie" written and performed by: Ron Jones
Trademark Licensor: Fox Film Music Corp / Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp

MICROSOFT UNVEILS FIRST EVER MULTI-PRODUCT CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN
18 October 2011: Last night Microsoft launched its first ever global, multi-product advertising campaign designed to showcase the unique everyday experiences that can be realised through its latest products and services. With an investment of over £5.5 million, it encompasses Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox for Kinect and Office to demonstrate an interconnected family scenario. The first in a series of 30-second TV ads aired at 20:15 during The Gadget Show on Channel Five and will run until the end of January.

The campaign, led by US ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, includes activity across TV, digital and search and will roll out globally across 35 countries including UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Over the last year Microsoft has launched some of the industry’s most innovative and compelling products, such as Windows Phone and Kinect. These, combined with Windows and Office, provide a unique experience for the consumer. The campaign showcases the interconnected story through visual and relatable moments in everyday life for families around the world. It will provide a deeper understanding of how the products work together and inspire audiences to stay connected this Christmas.

The inaugural advert shows a family witnessing some embarrassing ‘dad dancing’ to Dance Central 2 on Xbox 360 Kinect which is unknowingly captured on his daughter’s Windows Phone. She shares the footage with her brother who edits and remixes it in Windows Live Movie Maker on his Windows PC, before uploading it to SkyDrive – where it is beamed to friends and family around the world. The living-room scenario showcases the connectivity of Microsoft’s suite of products and their integration on consumers’ everyday lives.

Paul Davies, Director of Marketing Communications at Microsoft UK commented: “In the run up to the festive season our thoughts turn to keeping in touch with loved ones. The great technology from Microsoft enables people to do this in new and exciting ways. Our latest campaign demonstrates just some of the things that that families can do using Windows PCs, Windows Phones, Kinect for Xbox, and Office to communicate with each other. Not only is it simple and easy, but the technology can enable them to stay connected, often in entertaining and surprising ways.”

Wallace, Gromit and a cast of cuddly characters are back, the charming duo are here in the Google+ Hangouts "Tis the Season for Get Togethers" web film.

'Tis the season for get-togethers. But, for families that are spread out over cities or even countries, it can be a challenge to get everyone together during the holidays. You can create a Google+ hangout for your family to open presents together, sing carols or just catch up face-to-face-to-face.

This year, Google has added a little holiday cheer to Hangouts invites with a personalized Wallace and Gromit video invitation to be sent to your family and friends.
Go here to send yours — http://familyhangouts.withgoogle.com/

Credits:
Agency: Adam & Eve DDB, London
Client: Google
Production Company: Aardman Animation Ltd.
Digital Production Company: rehabstudio

The UK based Co-Operative Food launches a new Christmas advert campaign directed by Peter Cattaneo entitled "Here For You For Life". The ads are heart warming and food-a-licious focusing on typical family scenarios. Full press below.

The Co-operative Food is launching its Christmas offering in a new multi-million pound festive campaign. Unveiled today (1 November), the campaign, created by Leo Burnett, marks a change in direction for the community retailer and highlights how the Co-operative is helping families keep the show on the road this Christmas.

In a series of television ads, many of them to be screened at prime time over the next eight weeks, The Co-operative Food will focus on the quality and availability of its products in moments of family need during the festive season, using a new strapline “Here For You For Life”.

The first 30-second brand commercial, directed by Oscar-nominated Peter Cattaneo of Full Monty fame, will appear on advertising breaks tonight. The ads will set key seasonal products against a backdrop of family situations at Christmas – for example, an unexpected guest arriving for Christmas dinner or the sudden need for a forgotten present – providing viewers with instantly recognisable scenarios and highlighting the retailer’s breadth of range and convenience.

There are 27 different executions of the commercial in all and the campaign will also be backed by national print advertising.

Steve Murrells, Chief Executive of The Co-operative Food, explained: “This Christmas, more than ever, people will be looking for real value close to home and, with a food store in every UK postal area, The Co-operative is perfectly placed to deliver.”

“However, rather than simply concentrating on price and product, this campaign will bring home the essential part The Co-operative Food can play in fulfilling those needs we all have in everyday life and especially at Christmas. It also has the added benefit of stressing the longevity of, and trust in, The Co-operative.”

The campaign, represents the first fruits of the partnership between The Co-operative Group and Leo Burnett, which was appointed as lead advertising agency earlier this year.

Justin Tindall, Executive Creative Director of Leo Burnett commented: "This new campaign is all about looking through the window of British life at Christmas. Real life, relatable situations in which The Co-operative can always be depended upon to have the right product at a fair price."

Peter Cattaneo has a wide range of ad credits to his name including work for Audi, KitKat, Volkswagen, Camelot and McDonald’s. He is also the director of the award-winning BBC 2 comedy ‘Rev’ about the tribulations of a vicar running an inner city parish.

Katherine Kelly, known to Coronation Street fans as Rovers Return barmaid Becky, has done the voice over for the campaign. Kelly has also recently won rave reviews for her performance in “She Stoops to Conquer” at the National Theatre.

Project name: The Co-operative Food Christmas 2012 campaign
Client: Steve Murrells, Chief Executive The Co-operative Food
Brief: The campaign positions The Co-operative Food as helping people keep the show on the road this Christmas.
Creative agency: Leo Burnett http://www.leoburnett.co.uk/
Creative Director: Justin Tindall
Copywriter: Phillip Meyler/Darren Keff
Art director: Darren Keff/Phillip Meyler
Planner: Tom Roach
Media agency: Rocket
Media planner: Ben Harrison
Production company: Academy
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Director of Photography: Stuart Bentley
Editor: Scot Crane — The Quarry
Post-production: MPC
Music: Juri Seppa
Exposure: National television

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

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

"Sharing is Not Caring" is Sprint's new campaign, which highlights the advantages of Sprint's truly unlimited data plan. Created by Team Sprint — Leo Burnett & Digitas, the TV spot "Meeting" features a typical family gathering gone awry when they realize sharing one data plan can be complicated. The humorous spot shows the conflict that can arise when several people are forced to share a limited amount of data.

Don't let shared data divide your family. Say no to sharing and yes to Sprint with Truly Unlimited(SM) data, text and calling to any mobile. No throttling, no metering, no overages. All while on the Sprint network.

Campaign Credits:
Client/Ad Campaign: "Sharing is Not Caring" Unlimited Campaign
Agency: Team Sprint — Leo Burnett & Digitas
SVP, Executive Creative Director: Michael Boychuk
Associate Creative Director — Art: Ryan Dickey
Associate Creative Director — Copy: Bryan Karr
Executive Producer: Nicky Furno
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Aaron Stoller
Producer: Mala Vassan
Director of Photography: Bryan Newman
Editor: Carlos Lowenstein

IKEA's latest advert features Gnomes who sabotage a couple who are trying to improve their garden. The commercial that is a music video features music by The Palace Of Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra and The Heritage Singers doing a cover song of the Mötley Crüe song Time for Change.

The adverts, which launch on Saturday 13 April, look at a family trying to transform their garden with IKEA outdoor furniture, but they have some opposition to the change, from the ultimate embodiment of everything that’s tired and dreary about British gardens – the garden gnome. The gnomes will do anything possible to keep the garden the way that they like it – kitsch and dull. Every improvement the family makes, hanging colorful SOLVIN DEN solar-powered lights, erecting a KARLSÖ gazebo and introducing the ARHOLMA outdoor sofa, angers the gnomes, who do anything to stop the family.

The campaign, which features a 60 second TV ad and a 2 minute music video, uses the insight that although the UK are a house-proud nation who love their gardens, we simply aren’t making the most of them, whether big or small or come rain or shine. The campaign is intended to inspire people to give as much thought to how they furnish their outdoor space as they would any room inside of their house, showing off some of the most inspiring IKEA solutions along the way, whatever the weather.

Credits:
Client: Ikea
Creative Agency: Mother, London
Director: Mike Maguire
Production Co.: Biscuit Filmworks
Managing Director: Shawn Lacy
Executive Producer: Orlando Wood/ Colleen O’Donnell
Head of Production: Rachel Glaub
Producer: Gustav Geldenhuys
Production Designer: Alexis Ross
Editor: Ed C @ Final Cut
Post Production: The Mill
Audio post-production: 750mph
DoP: Ulla Pontikos

UPDATE: April 26, The Gnomes speak:

This has gone on long enough, IKEAS attempt to throw us out and replace us with affordable flat packed garden furniture is simply ridiculous. The time has come to fight back!

We, the garden gnomes of the United Kingdom are uniting as we fight to bring back our rightful place in the luscious green gardens up and down this beautiful country.

We have Billy, admit that we belong in gardens and he shall not be harmed. Your choice....

All cultures throughout time have tried to honor and commemorate those they have lost. A new exhibit at the Oriental Institute Museum will show how the living cared for the dead, and how the ancients conceptualized the idea of the human soul in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Israel/Palestine.

The Oriental Institute’s Neubauer Expedition to Zincirli, Turkey in 2008, during which an inscribed funerary monument was discovered, inspired the exhibit. The monument, which dates to about 735 B.C, is carved with an image of a man named Katumuwa seated before a table heaped with offerings and with a lengthy inscription in Aramaic—a language widely used in the ancient Middle East. The text proved to be the longest-known memorial inscription of its type.

“The text gave us a whole new understanding of the ancient belief system in eastern Turkey and northern Syria. Although Katumuwa knew that the realm of the dead could be a cruel and lonely place, the rituals he describes that his family would enact on his behalf would give him a happy afterlife,” said exhibit curator Virginia R. Herrmann, PhD’11. Herrmann, now a visiting professor at Dartmouth College, was part of the team that discovered the stela and co-curated “In Remembrance of Me.”

The text also revealed that the rituals took place not just at the grave or in the home, but in a private mortuary chapel next door to a temple—exactly the setting where the Katumuwa stela was discovered. The stela itself is in the Gaziantep Museum in eastern Turkey, but a precise facsimile of its front has been produced for the exhibit.

Rituals of remembrance

Other sections of the exhibit explore how commemoration and communication with the dead was enacted, the importance of banquet scenes, and how the concept of the soul differed in ancient Egypt, Iraq and Israel/Palestine.

Rituals of remembrance of lost loved ones—from memorial services to Day of the Dead celebrations in Latin America and even the “funeral selfie” phenomenon—continue to be an important aspect of many cultures.

Jack Green, chief curator of the Oriental Institute Museum, said, “In coordinating this exhibit, we found that although death can often be a taboo topic in Western society, there are plenty of examples today that commemorate the dead through festive and colorful celebrations—the Dia de Muertos being just one example.”

Source: Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago [March 13, 2014]

Funny new commercial for Delissio Pizza, watch as the father forbids this wheel of temptation. In this spot for Nestle's Delissio, we see a drab family clad in beige, anticipating yet another bland, boring dinner. Switching up their regimented routine, mom surprises the family with a delicious Delissio pizza and their lives take a major turn. The commercial was shot with the creative folks at DraftFCB Toronto and edited by Chris Parkins at Rooster Post Production.

Credits:
Advertising Agency: DraftFCB, Toronto, Canada
Creative Group Head: Joe Piccolo
Art Director: Jonathan Hotts
Writer: Matt Prokaziuk
Agency Producer: Anna Neilson
Management Director: Sunil Sekhar
Account Director: Patricia Paravantes
Account Supervisor: Joline Christiani
Production Company: The Corner Store
Director: Stephen Pearson
DOP: Barry Parrell
Executive Producer: Susi Patterson
Producer: Mary Ann Tevlin
Editorial Company: Rooster Post Production
Editor: Chris Parkins
Assistant Editor: Nick Martin
Executive Producer: Melissa Kahn
Colourist: Bill Ferwerda @ Notch
Online: Andrew Rolfe @ Track and Field
Music: RMW Music

A typical family hums to the music of Ozzy Osbourne's song Crazy Train in the new Honda Pilot TV ad entitled "Road Trip"."Road Trip" stars eight family and friends in the roomy Pilot, zooming down a stretch of desert highway. When one of the boys in the third row hits the note of "Crazy Train," the other passengers follow one by one, adding drum beats and sound effects until they're jamming with the full force of the tune. The spot will air during prime network programming such as "Dancing With the Stars," "Big Bang Theory," "The Biggest Loser" and the BCS National Championship.
"The campaign is built to generate awareness of this major vehicle redesign and to continue to differentiate this new, upscale Pilot from the competition," said Tom Peyton, senior manager, national advertising, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The advertising demonstrates the Pilot as a capable vehicle with legitimate seating for eight and a newly refined exterior."
"We knew the cast was going to be as integral to the spot as what they were singing. It was important to find actors, especially the kids, with a true love for the song," said RPA CD/Art Nathan Crow who teamed with CD/Copy Adam Lowrey for this campaign.
Aside from running on TV, the spot will appear on Honda's website and on YouTube and in-theater during November, taking advantage of the high-traffic Thanksgiving weekend. The Pilot campaign featured a YouTube home-page takeover in early October. Other online activations include rich media banners and home-page takeovers on CNN.com. Print media, which can be seen in "National Geographic," "Sports Illustrated," "Shape" and other titles, features a striking roasted-plum background and describes everyday adventures that are made better with the refined Pilot.Credits:
Agency: RPA
ECD: Joe Baratelli
GCD: Jason Sperling
CD/Art: Nathan Crow
CD/Copy: Adam Lowrey
Agency Executive Producer: Gary Paticoff
Agency Senior Producer: Brian Donnelly
Production Co: Imperial Woodpecker
Director: Stacy Wall
DP: Salvatore Totino
Executive Producer: Doug Halbert
Line Producer: Jeff McDougal
Production Designer: Tony Gasparro
Editorial Company: Bikini Edit
Editor: Avi Oron
Executive Producer: Gina Pagano
Visual Effects Company: Mass Market
Lead Flame Artist: Kim Stevenson
Visual Effects Executive Producer: Lexi Stern
Visual Effects Producer: Blythe Dalton
Attribution: Written content created by TRUST: http://www.trustcollective.com
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Share Alike

PBS pokes fun at the current state of TV with this hilarious ad that introduces the not so real show "Meet The Tanners."

A new family is stepping into... the sunlight. Sparks and oils will fly, because for this family getting the perfect shade of perfection is no easy task- and they're going for the bronze. Meet the Tanners.

Credits:
Creative Advertising Agency: Agency: CHI & Partners, New York
Client: PBS
Executive Creative Director: Jeff Anderson, Isaac Silverglate
Creative: Ronnie Lee, Patrick Regan
Head of Production: Dana May
Production Company: Sandwick Media
Director: Paul Riccio
DP: William Rexer
EP: Bill Sandwick
Line Producer: Trevor Herrick
Post Prod: MacKenzie Cutler
Editor: Gavin Cutler
Editor: Mike Rizzo
Audio Engineer: Sam Shaffer
Finishing: Schmigital
EP: Sasha Hirschfeld
Music: APM Music

Sunday Night Football returns Sunday Sept. 7th. It's not just a game but a rallying point, a tradition, an activity that brings people together.

In this heartfelt and emotional promo-series we follow the American family to see how Sunday Night Football is woven into the very fabric of their everyday lives. The #1 show in Prime Time is back...via NBC Sports on YouTube