Freshpet- Home
The new ad from Freshpet is simple, sweet, and topical.
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Jack Daniel’s- With Love
This new ad is not just a reminder of the reality of home confinements and quarantines: it is also an example of how creators of commercials are resourcefully adapting to it.
Supermarket Coronavirus Scare
From a report in The Philadelphia Inquirer:
A woman who intentionally coughed on more than $35,000 worth of groceries at a Northeast Pennsylvania supermarket and claimed she had the coronavirus has been arrested.
On Wednesday afternoon, the woman, identified by police as Margaret Chirko, went into Gerrity’s Supermarket in Hanover Township, near Wilkes-Barre, and coughed on the store’s entire selection of fresh produce as well as some bakery items, meat, and other food, co-owner Joe Fasula said in a statement.
Also according to the same report:
She has been charged with threatening to use weapons of mass destruction and making terroristic threats, according to the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and is being held on $50,000 bail.
RIP Kenny Rogers
My favourite song: Ruby, don’t take your love to town.
It’s also a great song to understand the genius of the man. Listen to the original recording by Waylon Jennings as well as Johnny Darrell’s version and you’ll appreciate the brilliance of how Kenny transformed it.
NYC Health- Sex and Coronavirus
You could say that this guide from the NYC Health Department was much needed. And you have to admire the candour and the matter-of-fact language. Still, you can see why some people found it amusing.
You are your safest sex partner.
If you do have sex with others, have as few partners as possible.
The NYC Health Department may change recommendations as the situation evolves.
The Great Toilet Paper Scare
This is a 10 minute short film, that premiered on The Atlantic Selects, an online showcase of short documentary films, curated by The Atlantic.
From the accompanying report:
Some experts regard the toilet-paper shortage of ’73 as a case study in the mechanics of the rumor mill. Earlier that year, the stock market had crashed, losing more than 45 percent of its value—one of the worst declines in history. To make matters worse, an oil embargo caused gas prices to spike dramatically. Fear and uncertainty were in the air. The climate was ripe for the spread of misinformation.
As Steuart Henderson Britt, the late Northwestern University marketing professor, put it at the time: “One person says there could be a problem. The next person says there probably is a problem. The next person says there is a problem.”
You don’t have to look far to find parallels between 1973 and today. Just days after the first case of the coronavirus was identified stateside, Americans started stockpiling toilet paper, despite the fact that most stores had it in stock.
While on the subject, according to a separate report from the BBC:
Toilet roll panic buying is leading to blocked sewers as people with no loo paper are forced to use alternatives, a water company has warned.
Deadwater Fell
Technically, you could call this 4 hour mini-series a crime drama but that’s a rather superficial description. The ‘crime’ is, in effect, a plot device to explore a few serious issues. And the end result is both hard hitting and thought provoking.
The story centres around two picture-perfect couples, in an idyllic Scottish village. Early on, we see a tragedy befall them. It quickly becomes clear that there is more to it than meets the eye. What follows gives the appearance of a conventional whodunnit, and it may be tempting to consider every key character as a suspect. I would strongly suggest not doing so. There are but two broad possibilities to what has happened, and both are deeply tragic in their own way.
It is superbly written and directed, the performances are uniformly strong, and it shines with moments of absolute brilliance.
I would recommend not watching the trailer.
Pornhub- Coronavirus
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Pornhub is making headlines. Two weeks ago, there were reports of “coronavirus porn” going viral. Last week, it offered free access to premium content across Italy. That has now expanded to include France and Spain. And for those who need further encouragement, there is this ad campaign.
Dollar Shave Club- Borrowed for a Reason
While the latest commercial by Dollar Shave Club may be interesting in itself, the research that led to it, is probably equally noteworthy. According to one report:
Feedback from DSC members inspired the limited-time offer and campaign. According to a brand survey, 25 percent of women said they sometimes "borrow" their partners' or roommates' razors for leg, bikini-zone and armpit grooming. (Oh, and 10 percent said they sometimes secretly use their significant others' toothbrushes. On their teeth, presumably.)
RIP Max von Sydow
Advice from an assassin: from Three Days of the Condor.
The cover up of the murder of Anne Lively: from Minority Report (contains spoilers).
Probably one of his best interviews available online: courtesy DP/30.
Burger King- Listen to Yourself
The creative agency behind this new ad from Burger King France calls it a “guilt-freeing brand movie that will do you the greater good”. It urges you to ignore what others say and instead, go with your gut, especially if you feel like indulging in a Whopper.
From the tongue-in-cheek press release:
Family, friends, colleagues, social networks, magazines, trends, brands… They’re always telling us what’s best for us. “Do this. Do that.” What if, one day, we decided to say stop ? What if we just choose to indulge ourselves ? Because there’s nothing better than listening to our needs.
That’s exactly what a woman decides to do in the new BURGER KING® campaign, which you really should watch because… no, you know what? Watch it or don’t watch it, just do as you please.
Pig Starts a Farm Fire
It was the headlines that caught my attention.
From The Guardian:
Burning calories: Pig sets farm on fire by excreting a pedometer
From the BBC:
Bacon saved after pedometer-eating pig's poo starts farm fire
That led me to this notable tweet from the Fire service:
Should be an oink not a tweet. Tadcaster and Knaresbororough firecrews attended a fire to 4 pigpens near Bramham. No pigs harmed. Cause of fire attributed to a battery powered pedometer carried by one of the pigs (to prove it was free-range), which was eaten by the other pigs. After nature had taken its course, it's believed that the copper from the batteries reacted with the pigpens contents and in conjunction with dry bedding, ignited burning approx. 75sqm of hay. A hosereel was used to extinguish the fire and save the bacon.
Fanta- Unleash Your Inner Idiot
To be more accurate, Fanta’s new campaign is called “In the Name of Play”. The centrepiece of the campaign is a 90 second film styled as a sports ad, complete with training clips and an inspirational soundtrack. Except that instead of sportspeople, it features internet celebrities who have become famous for pulling off stunts that some would consider to be outright dumb.
This is how the creative agency behind it, summed it up:
There's an idiot in all of us. Isn't it time you set yours free? Our new campaign for Fanta celebrates the real people behind some of the most hilariously dumb videos on the internet. The true champions of play.
In line with that, the OOH campaign makes its point a lot less subtly.
The Evolution of Red Lipstick
This 2 minute animated short from CNN tells the rather interesting (colourful?) history of red lipstick.
Lessons from Contagion (2011)
Thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 film is receiving a lot of attention and, by some accounts, has become one of the most watched movies of 2020. As I was trying to make more sense of its popularity, I came across this one line review from a user on IMDb:
Forever changed the way I view hand washing and touching my face.
Violeta- Toilet Paper Can Save Your Ass!
A campaign aimed at increasing public awareness in Croatia about colon cancer symptoms.
For anyone who is curious to check out the “poster inside”, click here.
Ford EcoSport- Surf Tag
São Paulo city, Brazil, has an estimated 150,000 surfers. But pursuing that passion isn’t easy. Getting to a good surfing spot means travelling upwards of 100 miles, often a lot more. With that in mind, Ford launched Surf Tag for owners of its EcoSport SUV. It’s a special toll tag offering surfing weather forecasts and toll-free access on select days. Here’s a link to the campaign video.
Volvo Trucks- The Tower
The latest commercial from Volvo Trucks is drawing comparisons with the 2013 Epic Split commercial. No question: stacking up four trucks is an impressive feat. And there is something to be said about getting the CEO to stand on top of the moving stack. Still, in my opinion, the stylistic choices come in the way of conveying the awesomeness of what was accomplished. In that respect, I think that the behind-the-scenes video does a better job.