Legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin announces the creation of the AXE Apollo Space Academy. No joke.
Now, the Unilever brand is pushing the envelope just a bit more in two ways: entering the Super Bowl advertising derby, and launching a Red Bull-esque promotion in which it promises to send 22 people just to the edge of space, with the tagline: "Leave a man, come back a hero."
The Super Bowl ad doesn't seem like such a big deal in comparison, but it will be for Axe. The brand will be airing a 30-second TV ad during the Super Bowl titled "Lifeguard" which, according to a press release, "includes a twist at the end" that aligns with a larger creative campaign scheduled for launch this month.
That other creative campaign — which Gaston Vaneri, Axe brand director, promised would take the brand "to new heights" — involves what it's calling the Axe Apollo Space Academy. The brand's new online contest promises to send winners to the edge of space and back aboard a private craft: a Lynx space plane built by the U.S. company XCOR Aerospace and operated by the tourism firm Space Expedition Curacao.
At a normal ticket price of $95,000, the plane is set to begin passenger flights in 2014. Winners of the Axe contest must write about why they should be chosen to fly, while others online will vote on the entries, and must attend a three-day training course. The deadline is Super Bowl Sunday, February 3.
"Space travel for everyone is the next frontier in the human experience," Buzz Aldrin, member of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon and the world's second moonwalker, after the late Neil Armstrong, said in a statement, according to Axe. "I'm thrilled that Axe is giving the young people of today such an extraordinary opportunity to experience some of what I've encountered in space." via: Dale Buss @ BrandChannel
Scion has announced today that their lifestyle gallery and retail space on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles, called the Scion A/V Installation, will host cult fashion label Hood By Air for a month long installation opening May 18. "Scion's goal is to continually support influential and emerging artists with the opportunities and resources that otherwise might be unavailable to them," says Jeri Yoshizu, manager of sales promotions at Scion, "Hood By Air was a brand we felt would really embody the conceptual retail experience we set out to deliver through this gallery space." The Scion A/V Installation is a retail and gallery environment that merges Scion product and lifestyle for the first time by offering consumers the opportunity to test-drive vehicles from the space itself. "Scion A/V Installation is a step in a more interactive direction for the retail gallery," says Yoshizu, "The focus of the space is affordable artwork, and limited edition products. Adding a test drive component moves Scion and our art initiatives closer to each other than they've ever been." The Scion A/V Installation project will bring New York City based fashion label Hood By Air to the west coast for the brands first pop up retail installation. "The partnership between Scion and Hood By Air was a natural step for the cultural strategy we focus on," explains Jeri Yoshizu, manager of sales promotions at Scion, "Scion A/V hosted a concert in Brooklyn with A$AP Rocky. It was during an interview with the rapper that we first began the Hood By Air conversation. It became clear that this would be a perfect partnership to shed light on the work we are doing at Scion and also support these emerging talents across the music and art worlds." The Scion A/V Hood By Air pop up exhibition, entitled "MORPH," will serve as the debut of a capsule luggage concept collection and feature three silicone art objects inspired by hiking luggage, tattooed skin and jewelry piercings as the focal point for the exhibit. On May 18th the Scion A/V Installation space will be transformed into a space reminiscent of a high school locker-room wherein the limited edition products will be sold for the duration of four weeks. Scion A/V has partnered with Hood By Air to produce an entire inventory of limited edition Hood By Air items that will sell within the space, including but not limited to the coveted Hood By Air Classics t-shirt collection in never before seen color-ways, backpacks, posters, water bottles, Emory boards, small accessories and more. The opening reception of the Scion A/V Presents: Hood By Air "MORPH" will be held on Saturday, May 18th from 7 – 10 p.m. at the Scion A/V Installation, located at 7667 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. The Hood By Air exhibit will be present within the Scion A/V Installation space for the duration of four weeks following the opening reception and close on June 16th. Credits: Creative Agency — Sydney Reising, New York.
MoneySupermarket is set to launch its biggest and most epic ad so far with the latest iteration in its ‘You’'re So Money Supermarket’ campaign with epic Alan starring in the "Astronaut" advert.
An extension of the feel good theme – Save Money, Feel Epic! – the new ad due to launch this Monday (January 7) was created by Mother London and takes money saving into space!
As the brand looks to continue to amplify just how awesome it feels to save money, the latest ad follows the transformation of everyday man ‘Alan’, who feels epic after saving £300 on his car insurance.
Filmed on location, Alan and his family join a crowd of spectators waiting to see a rocket launch. Having grabbed his son’s lunchbox and a cycle helmet, Alan marches straight through security in the direction of the launch pad. In a scene reminiscent of Apollo 13 or Armageddon, no one seems to mind that Alan is wearing a cycling helmet as he walks across the gantry and into his seat.
As the rocket takes off, we see Alan’s wife look for the car keys; failing to find them, the ad cuts to Alan looking on calmly as he notices the key float up past his head.
The action is set to the famous Top Gun soundtrack of “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin.
Mother has created a full-length 60” and 10’’ ad for the launch, which focuses on car insurance. There will also be a radio version of the ad.
The campaign will also have additional marketing support with activity across PR, CRM, and social media channels.
Paul Troy, Director of Consumer Marketing, MoneySupermarket, said: “Times are pretty tough out there right now for families in the UK. Comparing the cost of household bills can make a real difference to every day family budgets. Saving money, particularly in January when you’re trying to get the new year off to a good start financially, can feel amazing and give you a great sense of achievement. In the ad Alan saved £300 on his car insurance, however, the average amount MoneySupermarket customers can save by using the site is an even more heroic £394. What better way to demonstrate the euphoria you can feel when you get a great deal than to watch our hero waltz onto a space rocket and launch into space?”
Tim McNaughton, Creative Director said: “In this ad our hero Alan from Stoke-on-Trent saves money on his car insurance and feels so totally epic that he strides past the security at Cape Canaveral Space Center and leads a crew of lantern-jawed, Yankee astronauts into space. Go Alan, you sexy, money-saving hero! Go!”
Credits: Creative Agency: Mother, London Director: The Glue Society Production Company: Independent Producer: Jason Kemp Editor: Adam Spivey @ The Playroom Post Production: The Mill Audio post-production: 750mph DoP: Don Burgess MEDIA Media Agency: Mediacom
2014 Kia Sorento Space Babies Super Bowl commercial teaser...The space babies of planet Babylandia are suited up to embark on an epic journey nine months in the making. So fasten your diapers this adventure will blow your mind into another dimension.
An extended version of "Space Babies" will be viewable at YouTube.com/Kia leading up to the Super Bowl Sunday. Kia returns as a Super Bowl advertiser for the fourth straight time. After becoming the first advertiser to debut a Super Bowl commercial in movie theaters before the big game last year, "Space Babies" will air on more than 33,000 screens nationwide beginning on February 1 as part of ScreenVision and National CineMedia's FirstLook. "It has an answer for everything" is a fully integrated marketing campaign incorporating TV, cinema, digital, print, social media and in-dealership components.
Created by creative agency David&Goliath, and directed by Jake Scott the KIA spot is scheduled to air in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVII.
BC Children's Hospital Foundation and DARE Vancouver have launched a compelling new campaign to urgently raise funds for the construction of a new children's hospital. The strategic challenge was to acquire major gift fundraising, while also getting to the bottom of 'why' a new facility is needed, and why it's needed now.
The resulting campaign created by DARE Vancouver’s Associate Creative Directors, Addie Gillespie and Mia Thomsett, landed on the stark truth that BC Children’s Hospital simply did not have enough space to perform the level of care required on an ongoing basis. A growing population, bigger operating teams, greater use of technology and cramped patient rooms are just some of the reasons why a new and larger building is required. The foundation is raising $150 million to support construction of the new hospital.
To illustrate the issue, the DARE campaign uses optical illusions to visually bring the space shortage to life for potential donors. Gillespie and Thomsett said, "It wasn’t until we toured the hospital that we really understood the problem. We needed to come up with a simple way to demonstrate the hospital’s dire lack of space.”
Stephen Forgacs, Director of Communications for BC Children's Hospital Foundation says, "We were in the middle of our capital campaign and needed a message that would resonate with potential donors at all levels, opening the door to conversations regarding the need for a new hospital. Dare seized on a simple truth about our hospital, that we’ve run out of space, and leveraged that to design some very compelling creative." Visit www.GiveSpace.ca to help.
Credits: Agency: Dare, Vancouver Executive Creative Directors: Rob Sweetman, Bryan Collins Associate Creative Directors: Addie Gillespie, Mia Thomsett Art Directors: Addie Gillespie, Mia Thomsett Copywriters: Addie Gillespie, Mia Thomsett Agency Producer: Mike Hasinoff Account Lead: Natalie Wu, Marcel Da Silva Planner: Catherine Piercy TV – ‘Hospital Ward,’ ‘Operating Room’ Director: Miles Jay Production Company: OPC FamilyStyle, Toronto Executive Producer: Harland Weiss. Donovan Boden Producer: Tony Di Marco Director of Photography: Andre Pienaar Post Production: PosterBoy Edit, Toronto Editor: Mark Paiva Telecine: Alter Ego, Toronto Colorist: Eric Whipp, Wade Odlum Online: Crush, Toronto Sound Design: Adelphoi Music, London Voice-over Casting and Record: GGRP, Vancouver Sound Mix: Koko Productions, Vancouver
GE puts robots on the move in a new TV ad created by BBDO. The ad features famous robots from the past and introduces innovative brilliant machines to come.
The robots are coming out of the woodwork to attend a mega-summit at an unknown location. A star-studded group that includes Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation), B-9 (Lost in Space), K.I.T.T. (Knight Rider), and Robby the Robot (Forbidden Planet) has gathered to get their first glimpse of the next generation of artificial intelligence — the "brilliant machines."
The robots want to a firsthand look at the technology that will make machines work better and smarter. Join them to see how the new products from GE are integrating innovative technology with the ability to communicate, making the world work in ways never seen before. Join the revolution.
Snoop Lion, aka Snoop Dog, Reggae's new heavy-hitter, stars in Alex and Steffen's powerful new ad for Adidas Space Diver. Teaming up again with Creature of London, their flair for stunning effects and powerful imagery shines through, as our hero summons a pluming maned king to patrol alongside him. Alex & Steffen's last collaboration with these sporting giants provoked an other worldly response that saw the Adidas Space Diver sell-out in only three days!After seeing this, we're expecting no different. Credits: Director: Alex & Steffen
If you have been following the adventures of the AXE Apollo Astronaut ad campaign and wondering where the story goes after he steals the girl from the Fireman and Lifeguard, now we know. In the latest AXE commercial for the Deep Space Body Wash our hero the Astronaut makes his way into the shower to lather up with Deep Space shower gel after well watch the ad and figure it our for yourself.
The was created by the creative ad agency BBH and if you haven't been following, the Fireman spot can be seem HERE and the Lifeguard spot HERE.
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 emperor's role as head of the military required special ceremonial 'armour'. Worn for reviews, it was made more for show than active battle [Credit: ROM]“The ROM’s exhibition takes visitors on a remarkable journey to the heart of the Forbidden City — once off limits to all but a privileged few,” said Janet Carding, ROM Director and CEO. “Carefully selected by our curatorial team, these extraordinary artifacts from Beijing's Palace Museum will give visitors an inside view of life within the Forbidden City and immerse them in China’s rich history. The exhibition is the centerpiece of the Museum’s Centennial, bringing to life our promise to connect our visitors with their communities, world, and with each other.”
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.”
The emperor's role as head of the military required special ceremonial 'armour'. Worn for reviews, it was made more for show than active battle [Credit: ROM]In December 2012, Dr. Shen travelled to China with co-curator Dr Wen-chien Cheng, the ROM’s Louise Hawley Stone Chair of Far Eastern Art, and curatorial advisor Dr. Sarah Fee, the Museum’s Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Textiles and Fashion to spend time in the vaults of the Palace Museum and select the most compelling objects in the vast and storied collection.
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. ”
This gemstone-decorated gold ewer was used only on special occasions such as the emperor’s birthday [Credit: ROM]“The Forbidden City is a true celebration of Chinese culture and history," said Nicole Boivin, Chief Branding and Communications Officer for the exhibition’s Lead Sponsor Manulife, “As a global company, Manulife is committed to engaging the international communities in which we live and work, including China where we've been operating since 1897. Partnering with the ROM to support this exclusive exhibit is an excellent way to honour the China-Canada Cultural Exchange and the ROM’s 100th anniversary.”
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.
'Being Ruler is Tough' was the motto Emperor Yongzheng inscribed on this seal. At his wish, copies of this seal were placed in different rooms for his use and as a reminder of his role [Credit: ROM]Upon arrival, before reaching the admissions desk, visitors are introduced to the Forbidden City in the exhibition’s Prologue. An intricate model including many of the complex’s significant features is displayed in the Thorsell Spirit House, complemented by the one of the ROM’s most recent acquisitions — a yellow-glazed bowl, commissioned by Ming Emperor Wanli. The colour yellow was strictly reserved for royal families and could not be used in any way outside the Forbidden City unless explicitly permitted by the emperor himself.
Thrones were not made for comfort, but as a symbol of the ruler’s imperial and authoritative power. All the pieces here are part of the 'throne set' [Credit: ROM]Visitors next enter The Inner Court, the residential space where only the imperial family and their eunuchs lived. Empress Dowager Cixi, a towering presence over the Chinese empire for almost half a century, is profiled in this section. Stunning gilt silver nail guards represent her. Up to six inches long, they protected the extremely long nails of imperial women — signifying their leisure status. Also on display are the opulent objects of the emperor’s everyday life including silk dog coats, gold eating utensils, and the last emperor’s gilt bath tub.
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.
Pages like this, in a fourteen-sheet album, presents the emperor assuming various ethnicities and characters – in each he is accompanied by an animal or a bird. [Credit: ROM]Finally, Twilight of the Last Dynasty portrays the Forbidden City’s last chapter as it began its transformation to the Palace Museum. Here, visitors learn of the fall of the empire during the last dynasty and the imperial collection’s fate. The magnificence of imperial life is countered by the poignancy of the last emperor’s departure. As visitors are brought back to their own world, they gain an appreciation for the Forbidden City then and now.
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.
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.
Here is a funny spoof ad/spec ad for the European Insurance Company Centraal Beheer that takes the Felix Baumgartner/Red Bull epic space jump to new heights, literally. Centraal Beheer known for their funny commercials may not have officially approved this ad but we love it.
Credits: Creative Agency: Khanna \ Reidinga Directed by Gerrit Willemsen (CZAR) Post production by Justin Baker (the Bakery) Sound by Feike de Wit (Soundcircus Kees Kroot) via: Amsterdam Ad Blog
Ketel One Vodka is launching a unique outdoor live event, by 180 Amsterdam, featuring the world’s only ‘GIF-iti’ artist as part of its international “Do One Thing Well” campaign.
Celebrated British street artist INSA, who creates art in public spaces that is brought to life online, is painting intricate murals in an event space in Amsterdam’s arts district, Roest.
INSA meticulously paints and repaints his images on a wall by hand and photographs each version. The images are then played in sequence online as an animated GIF, in a process he has dubbed “GIF-iti”.
When INSA’s Ketel One animated GIF-iti is complete, it will be projected on screen at a launch party in a bar at the event space on March 22nd. Then the animated work will then be seeded globally online, alongside a making-of film.
Ketel One chose INSA for the campaign because, it says, like the Diageo-owned vodka brand, INSA “has a bold vision and a history of not doing things by the book”.
Al Moseley, Executive Creative Director at 180 Amsterdam added: “INSA's work epitomizes the 'Do One Thing Well' philosophy. And this project is unique in pushing the boundaries between an event, outdoor and digital.”
To view the GIF-iti come alive digitally as an animated GIF, go to: https://www.themoderncraftproject.com/en-us/latest Ketel One’s “Do One Thing Well” campaign, which first launched last year, celebrates the passion and skill required to achieve success. The brand is committed to honouring modern craftsmen who bring traditional skills into the 21st century and push their work further.
Credits: Creative Agency: 180 AMSTERDAM Executive Creative Director: Al Moseley Creative Director: –Galen Graham Art Director: –Ben Bartels Copywriter: –Joe Craig Account Director: –Andrew Smith Agency Producer: –Pam Prior
All around the hull of the longest Viking warship ever found there are swords and battle axes, many bearing the scars of long and bloody use, in an exhibition opening in Copenhagen that will smash decades of good public relations for the Vikings as mild-mannered traders and farmers.
A violent animated backdrop to a reconstructed Viking warship [Credit: Guardian]"Some of my colleagues thought surely one sword is enough," archaeologist and co-curator Anne Pedersen said, "but I said no, one can never have too many swords."
The exhibition, simply called Viking, which will be opened at the National Museum by Queen Margrethe of Denmark on Thursday, and to the public on Saturday, will sail on to to London next year to launch the British Museum's new exhibition space.
In contrast to recent exhibitions, which have concentrated on the Vikings as brilliant seafarers, highly gifted wood- and metal-workers, and builders of towns including York and Dublin, this returns to the more traditional image of ferocious raiders, spreading terror wherever the shallow keels of the best and fastest ships in Europe could reach, armed with magnificent swords, spears, battleaxes and lozenge-shaped arrows. "The arrow shape did more damage," Pedersen explained, "the wounds were bigger and more difficult to heal than a straight-edged slit."
Other powers employed the fearless warriors as mercenaries, including Byzantium and Jerusalem, but some were anxious to keep weapons of mass destruction out of their hands: a Frankish law forbade selling swords to Vikings. They got them anyway, as the exhibits prove.
A skull from a grave in Gotland bears the marks of many healed sword cuts, but also decorative parallel lines filed into the warrior's teeth, like those recently found on teeth from a pit of decapitated bodies in Dorset, in what must have been an excruciating display of macho bravado.
"Probably only a small percentage of the Vikings ever went to sea on raiding parties, but I think those who stayed home would have told stories of great warriors, great ships and great swords they had known," Pedersen said. "It was very much part of the culture."
Some of the objects assembled from collections in 12 countries, such as a heap of walnut-sized pieces of amber, or jewellery made to incorporate Islamic and Byzantine coins, probably did come through trade. Others, such as a pair of brooches from the grave of a Viking woman made from gold intricately twisted into tiny animals, originally panels chopped up from a shrine made in Ireland to hold the relics of a saint, certainly were not.
One magnificent silver collar found in Norway has an inscription in runes saying the Vikings came to Frisia and "exchanged war garments with them" – but that may be a black joke. Iron slave collars from Dublin confirm that the wealth they sought wasn't always gold and silver.
This is the largest Viking exhibition in more than 20 years, bringing together loans from across Europe, including hoards from Yorkshire, Norway and Russia, a silver cross and a diminutive figure of a Valkyrie, a mythological battlefield figure, both found in Denmark only a few months ago. Loans from Britain include some of the famous Lewis chessmen carved as fierce Viking warriors, biting on the edge of their shields in an ecstasy of rage.
The most spectacular object, fitting into the gallery with just 1.7 metres (5ft6in) to spare – the new space in Bloomsbury has already been measured carefully – is the sleek, narrow hull of the longest Viking warship ever found, specially conserved for the exhibition and on display for the first time. Just over 36m in length, it was built to hold at least 100 men on 39 pairs of oars.
The ship was found by accident at Roskilde, home of the famous Viking ship museum. The museum was built 50 years ago to hold a small fleet of Viking boats that were deliberately sunk 1,000 years ago to narrow and protect the approach to the harbour. In the 1990s, workers building an extension chopped through the massive timbers of what turned out to be nine more ships, including the awesome length of the warship, estimated to have taken around 30,000 hours of skilled labour to build: only a king could have afforded such a vessel.
Recent scientific tests show it was built from oak felled in 1025 near Oslo, probably for King Cnut the Great – the sea-defying Canute to the English – who conquered England in 1016, and Norway in 1028. Only a quarter of the timbers survived, but they included the entire length of the keel.
Although the exhibition includes sections on Viking politics, strategic alliances through marriage and trade, and beliefs including the contents of the grave of a sorceress with her iron magic wand and little pots of narcotic drugs, the warlike tone was dictated by the ship, which was itself a weapon of war. Vikings sang about ships – one refers to a new ship as "a dragon" – played as children with toy ships and, if rich enough, were eventually buried in ships.
The displays and some of the contents will change in London, but in Copenhagen the ship is spectacularly displayed against an animated backdrop of stormy seas and a ferocious raid that leaves the target settlement in flames.
The animation was made in the United States and the Danish team was initially dismayed as it appeared to show raiders attacking a much later medieval walled town. Eventually, curator Peter Pentz said, a Hampshire site saved the film: they agreed it was plausible that the towers and curtain walls could represent the ruins of a Roman shoreline fort, such as Portchester castle near Portsmouth.
As well as the swords, some bent like a folded belt to destroy their earthly use as they went into a warrior's grave, there is one unique weapon, a battleaxe with an intricately decorated golden shaft. Such golden axes are described in the sagas, but this, from a settlement in Norway, is the only real example ever found.
"I think the main point was to impress, not to kill somebody," Pedersen said, adding with satisfaction: "but you can kill somebody with it if you want.
Viking, National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, until November 17 2013
Author: Maev Kennedy | Source: The Guardian [June 19, 2013]
The first video from Converse and La Blogotheque in a new series of music video's features the Franz Ferdinand song Love Illumination. The series entitled EMPTY SPACE showcases a wide range of artists playing in empty venues across Paris. The quintessentially French establishments provide the perfect setting for intimate, unexpected and powerful moments that allow their music to shine...
Track: Love Illumination by Franz Ferdinand Produced by Chryde & Matt Buchsenschutz Directed by David Ctiborsky
Press: What if you could buy a new car alongside your everyday groceries? This is the scenario imagined in Volkswagen’s latest spot to promote the affordability of the Volkswagen brand and its most accessible model, the Jetta.
“Butcher”, which began airing this month, opens with a woman ordering four sirloin steaks in a traditional food market. She then asks, “How fresh is the Jetta?” just as she would while contemplating a roast or rack of lamb. The camera then pulls back to reveal two silver Volkswagen Jettas dangling and gently swaying behind the counter from the market’s ceiling. After briefly considering the affordable price, she spontaneously decides to buy the “one on the left”.
View Volkswagen Jetta “Butcher": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWdAXw7ziOo View “How to Hang a Jetta” — a behind-the-scenes of the spot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_58EBCceAw
The spot, developed by Toronto-based agency Red Urban for Volkswagen Canada and directed by Untitled Films’ Jean-Michel Ravon, is an extension of a campaign launched late last year in the UK.
Since the impulse buy is familiar to most shoppers, communicating the brand’s message was easy. Executing the creative idea, however, was much trickier. Key to the spot’s believability was finding a location where two cars — at roughly 3,000 pounds apiece — could be hung from the wall or ceiling. Since Volkswagen Canada’s spots avoid using computer graphics as a way to reinforce Volkswagen’s authentic style, a very large space was needed.
“Choosing a location was tricky because we wanted the atmosphere to feel intimate, but the size of the vehicles ruled out small shop settings,” said Christina Yu, Executive Creative Director, Red Urban.
The stables of a downtown Toronto historical castle, Casa Loma, were eventually discovered and booked for the shoot. The stables provided a quaint space with high ceilings and authentic style details, like the subway-tiled walls so common in traditional food markets, which were a perfect backdrop for the concept of the shoot.
The next obstacle the team needed to overcome was hanging a hefty car from the ceiling in a way that looked seamless and believable.
“The big challenge was to hang the cars so that they would sway a little,” adds Yu. “To accomplish the stunt, we removed the engine, transmission and fluids from both vehicles to reduce the overall weight. A European trailer hook part was installed and reinforced before employing a custom rig solution to hoist the cars up inside the Casa Loma stables.”
Lynne Piette, Brand Marketing Manager at Volkswagen Canada, says, “We expect that the spot will resonate well with consumers as they begin the New Year. Providing a premium product and experience that's accessible to the masses is at the core of the Volkswagen brand, and this Jetta commercial represents exactly that.”
Credits: Title: "Butcher" Client: Volkswagen Canada Creative Agency: Red Urban ECD: Christina Yu AD: Liam Johnstone CW: Sarah DiDomenico Broadcast Producer: Anna Tricinci Integrated Producer: Terri Vesgo Account Directors: Caroline Kilgour, Sonia Ruckemann
Production Company: Untitled Films Director: Jean-Michel Ravon Executive Producer: Lexy Kavluk Line Producer: Tom Evelyn DP: John Houtman Production Designer: Michael Walker
Editorial Company: Rooster Post Editor: Paul Jutras
Post Production: Track and Field Online Compositor: Ernie Mordak Music and Sound Design: The Eggplant Music Producer: Adam Damelin via: Glossy
A young nurse learns the shocking secret behind her brand new medical degree in the second ad for Band-Aid brand bandages. Check out the Band-Aid Musical here .
Credits:Agency: Mommy Space Island ProductionsDirector: Will KindrickProducer: Jeffrey BenavidesDirector of Photogrpahy: Chris SaulComposers: Adam Deibert Editor: Tony HelloSound: Ryan KnouffCasting Director: Brighton Hertford, Ellen HoulihanProduction Design/Art Department: Adirenne Garcia, Sharmila Ray, Sonja JohnsonHair/makeup: Jill GalstererWardrobe: Ashli Pingry1st Assistant Director: Trina K SandalGrips/PA'S: Joe Lujan, David Yeaman, Kyle Wright, Charlie Valencia, Aaron WhitePost Production Supervisor: Tony HelloStarring:Brighton HertfordMichael Coady Brody Fitzgerald
Nicole Kidman, Gabrielle Union, Julianne Moore, baseball legend Willie Mays and more of Hollywood’s brightest are lending their voice to Futures Without Violence’s new Respect Challenge in a new PSA ad campaign. Press:
Nicole Kidman credits her parents. America Ferrera thanks her fifth grade teacher. And Willie Mays recognizes the impact of his father. To kick-off an online campaign and contest called The Respect Challenge, the national nonprofit Futures Without Violence has produced a PSA that features top celebrities expressing their gratitude to a person who taught them a valuable life lesson — a lesson in Respect. The PSA, a key ingredient in the national Facebook campaign which launches on Monday, September 10, features responses from such VIP talent as Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, Gabrielle Union, America Ferrera, Joe Torre, and Willie Mays. Aretha Franklin’s iconic song, “Respect,” provides the soundtrack for the video. The PSA will also be available on Facebook, futureswithoutviolence.org, giverespect.org. and YouTube. “There’s never been a better time for a national conversation about Respect,” says Esta Soler founder and president of Futures Without Violence. “Whether you’re on the political campaign trail, or just headed back to middle school, let’s stand up to bullies and remind them about Respect.” The interactive Facebook campaign, designed to celebrate everyday role models and heroes, provides an opportunity for the public to write an online thank you note, or post a thank you video about the person who taught them Respect. Two lucky entrants will earn a donation of $10,000 to a school or nonprofit organization of their choice, as well as a VIP trip to New York City to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. After the initial entry period (September 10 – October 12), fans will be invited to vote on 10 finalists who have submitted a compelling written note or a video. Scheduled for an online launch on Monday, September 10, The Respect Challenge was introduced at the San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game on Sunday, September 9, when the Giants hosted their annual program, Strike Out Violence Day. Baseball legend Willie Mays, featured in the PSA, made a special appearance during the festivities. Futures Without Violence, a national nonprofit and social change organization with offices in San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston, created the campaign with the generous help of AKQA, one of the most-respected ideas and innovation agencies in the world. AKQA’s San Francisco Media team not only provided strategic consultation but secured more than $400,000 in donated online advertising space for the campaign and contest. Wildfire, a division of Google, and a leading social media marketing software provider, also volunteered their services to design and implement the Facebook application, and America Online’s in-house creative team offered their services to create compelling online banners and advertising units. Macy’s, the founding partner of the RESPECT! campaign, has a strong history of support for education and awareness programs that promote positive solutions for healthy relationships. “We hope that the positive stories generated through this campaign will remind us of the life-changing role that parents, teachers, coaches, and so many other mentors can have on shaping young lives,” said Martine Reardon, Macy’s Chief Marketing Officer.
ABOUT FUTURES WITHOUT VIOLENCE:For more than thirty years, Futures Without Violence has been working to promote healthy relationships and safe communities that are rooted in respect. Our educational programs, leadership training and public action campaigns reach parents, teachers, coaches and mentors, as well as legislators, physicians, judges and service providers who are influential in shaping the lives of young people.To learn more, please visit us at Futures Without Violence.org. ABOUT THE RESPECT CAMPAIGN:RESPECT! is a social action campaign to raise awareness and engage individuals from all walks of life in positive solutions to end and prevent violence. The RESPECT! Campaign is an initiative of Futures Without Violence, and Macy’s is the Founding National Partner.
This month sees the launch of the new IKEA TV advert, "One Room Paradise", a film showing how one doll and her son make the most of their small space thanks to solutions from retail giant. The music is a re-record of an old Aretha Franklin song, by up and coming soul singer Elayna Boynton, who recently found fame singing on the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. Scroll to the bottom for the extended music video version of the commercial.
Explore the set of the spot with a tour by the doll as he/she shows you how IKEA solutions help her and her son live in a One Room Paradise, below.
Integrated campaign brings GE Monogram to Canadian travelers via enRoute and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges
Press: Toronto – March 4, 2014 – GE Monogram is proud to announce their partnership with EnRoute, Air Canada’s inflight travel magazine, for a new integrated content series highlighting notable chefs and food personalities in Canada. This is part of a broad initiative with Spafax – an international leader in content marketing and custom publishing. The upcoming campaign titled ‘GE Monogram Presents The Chef Series,’ will run across several platforms with the goal of providing rich content to consumers in transit.
“GE Monogram is inspired by the love and respect of food and supports causes that bring food to the forefront,” says Philippe Meyersohn, GM Marketing and Training, GE Appliances Canada. “We want to focus on Canada’s growing love of food and show our appreciation for Canadian chefs. Aligning with EnRoute and their various properties allows us to share our love of food with Canadians across the country.”
The integrated campaign will include a print component in the spring and fall issues of enRoute, featuring a series of seven full page editorials known as “The Chef Series,” which will present a distinct interview with a chef or food personality. The campaign’s video element will involve award winning chef interviews shot in a GE Monogram kitchen space. The video series will air on Air Canada’s inflight video systems during the fall, but is also scheduled to air on the Food and Documentary channels. Both the print and video series will live online at enroute.aircanada.com for the duration of the campaign, where users can experience content as it’s published.
To complement the campaign, GE Monogram will hold a contest in August for Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge guests in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver airports, whereby GE Monogram displays will be set up, inviting lounge guests to enter for a chance to win two tickets to enRoute’s 2014 “Canada’s Best New Restaurant” event held in Toronto in November 2014, including return flight and accommodations.
Our favorite Baby is back in a new ad for ETrade. The ETrade baby shows us how to spend our money in the spot entitled "Save It." From playing Polo, running with the bulls in Spain, to going into space with his dog, relaxing in hot tub with a Panda and yachting.
Credits: Creative Ad Agency: Grey, New York Chief Creative Officer: Tor Myhren Art Director: Corel Theuma Assistant Producer: Sophia Pellicoro Copywriter: Peter Holmes, Jonathan Koffler, Pieter Melief Creative Director: Kimberly Kietz, AJ Mazza, Leo Savage Editor: Alex Cohan — Vision Post Assistant Editor: Jackie Helfgott Director of Broadcast Production: Bennett McCarroll Executive Producer (Vision Post): Gary Hirshfield VP/Executive Producer: Kimberly Kietz Still Frame Retouching: Vision Print Studio Still Frame Retouching: Peeqmedia NYC Art Producer: Ana Suarez Associate Art Producer: Lauren Brunelle Special Effects: The Mill — New York Executive Producer: Jared Yeater
