Creative of the Week |
To announce the twenty-fifth anniversary of Mount Sinai Hospital’s Samuel Lunenfeld Institute, we created this ad — not to reinforce the twenty five year history of ground-breaking research. Instead, we wanted to focus on the future discoveries we know will come from the Institute. |
The Creative Process – Apollo vs. Dionysus |
A lot of people wonder where ideas come from. There’s no magic. An idea is just the fallout from a heated internal struggle. The battle between the rational and intuitive sides of your brain. Left and right. PC and Mac. Mr. Belvedere and Jack Black. The Greeks figured this out along time ago. Their mythology documents a constant reckoning between the two. Apollo vs. Dionysus. Where if one side dominates, it eventually falls to the other. The cycle continues. The human condition does not suffer imbalance. Coming up with ideas is no different. It’s a bi-polar process that demands a meeting of these two minds. Dionysus is creative. Apollo is the critic. If they could speak to you directly, here’s what they’d say:
Dionysus: Unleash the beast Let go Don’t think so hard Be stupid Get into the god hole Be a kid Get out of the way Be real Dream a dream Laugh Think with your gut Feel Open a vein Play Leap faithfully Be Free Apollo: That sucks. Get back to work. - Mike Vinakmens, Copywriter, mikev@marshall-fenn.com |
Creative of the Week |
We created this ad for the Maple Leafs program at the Air Canada Centre. It reflects the 30-second ad we created for the LCD screens at the venue. |
Creative of the Week |
This campaign ran in Gay Bi-Sexual Lesbian Transexual magazines to communicate that Harrah’s properties in Atlantic City are a perfect getaway for the GBLT community. |
Super Bowl Ad Round-up |
It’s Super Bowl Monday, the day everyone gets to play creative director – no one more so than bloggers. So, in keeping with this world of lowest common denominators, Creative Director James Dunlop and Senior Art Director Steven Kim offer opinions on some of the interstitial highlights of Sunday’s game. In case you missed them, click here to see all of the ads in a new window.
The Careerbuilder spots are funny. “Job Fairy” has a rather lame fairy jobmother trying to re-create a guy in different career positions, all of which suck. And “Worst Seat” depicts the collegiate antics of an annoying co-worker as a reason to find a new job. But during a period where many are out of work, and others are just grateful to have a job, these spots seem to miss the mark. – JD
A wonderful campaign. I know, I know, talking babies isn’t new. We’ve seen it before. Yet this campaign by E-Trade continues to make me laugh with witty dialogue and seamless post-production. In this installment, our hero baby apologizes to his girlfriend on video chat for not having called last night because he was too busy diversifying his portfolio. His girlfriend replies, “Oh and that milkaholic Lindsay wasn’t over?” He denies, but of course, but guess who inadvertently pokes her head in at the end. All I can say is I have a new favourite word: Milkaholic. – SK
This is a really nicely written spot. I love the almost automaton, lifelessness of the subjects we see as the voice lists all the points to which men have agreed to acquiesce. It’s a manifesto that concludes with being able to drive a Charger. I’m not even a Dodge guy but I can relate to the insight: mans’ real estate has been systematically eroded to the point where little is left. Hey, isn’t Dodge a Chrysler product? Wow, hard to believe Chrysler didn’t bugger this up. – JD
I admit, I’m a sucker for anything that has anything to do with Chevy Chase. Which is why this spot resonated with me and made me laugh along the way. But the idea is solid as well: a fake ‘Vacation’ trailer starring the Griswold couple that drives you to homeaway.com where you can find vacation homes. Great link to brand and great use of celebrities. And a helpful explanation on ‘complimentary water.’ – SK
Coke has two spots in this year’s Super Bowl pool. The Simpson’s parody is okay, but I prefer “Sleepwalker” where a guy sleepwallks from his tent, Mr. Magoo-like, through the dangers of the African veldt, to a fridge where he opens bottle of happiness. As an execution, the Simpson’s spot is an undoubtedly a better deliverer of the idea: Open Happiness. But the freshness and originality of “Sleepwalker” makes us laugh and isn’t that what Super Bowl ads are supposed to do? – JD
A simple, solid spot that probably didn’t disappoint many Megan Fox fans who’d been anticipating it as much as the big game all winter. The slapstick take on her celebrity and her assets is effective. And, despite what all 16-year old boys might be thinking right now, I like how she was used in the spot: Sparingly. In essence her screen time bookends the story allowing ample time for comedy in the middle. Now if only she could be as funny as Betty White. – SK
BBDO New York has come out with another good Snickers spot. Working to the idea “You’re not you when you’re hungry” they use Betty White to depict a guy underperforming in a friendly game of football. It’s simple, entertaining and insightful. I only wish they hadn’t followed their formula of a reprise quite so slavishly, because even Abe Vigoda being violently tackled lets us down after that great moment with Betty White. Now if they’d exhumed Bea Arthur …. – JD
GoDaddy also has two contributions to the mix this year. I loved this campaign when it first came out, but I really think it’s run its course. “News” is another execution that ends with a hot news chick loosening her hair and preparing to disrobe, and then suggesting we go online to see what happens next. But we’ve seen this before with the female motorcycle cop and it just feels old. “Lola”, about an effeminate football star who uses GoDaddy to start his business, is so bad even flies would hesitate to lay their eggs on it. – JD
I hate almost all car advertising and this is definitely one of them. Well maybe ‘hate’ is a strong word. I’ve certainly seen worse. But what I don’t like is how predictable this ad is. In the first few seconds you hear a voiceover: “There’s the Mozart Piano Sonata….” juxtaposed against beautifully lit close-ups of automotive sheet metal in a factory. So immediately the secret is out: This is an ad for the Hyundai Sonata. And to suggest at the end that this car now comes with better paint than Mercedes-Benz? Really? Is this even true? Okay, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it is. It’s still not a credible claim that is going to motivate me to gravitate me to this brand. – SK
Like the GoDaddy spots, Google’s ad is done in-house. Unlike GoDaddy, this is really good. (After Dave Letterman’s ad for the Late Show, I think this is the best spot from Sunday night.) There was a time when in-house agencies produced weak stuff but not any more. In an age of digital media, this spot uses TV to provide a simple demonstration that’s beautifully crafted. My only question is: why is Google advertising at all? – JD |
Creative of the Week |
Hand sanitizers were placed around Mount Sinai Hospital to encourage people to help control the spread of the H1N1 virus. |
Creative of the Week |
This Holiday Card was mailed to donors who gave to Mount Sinai Hospital as a reminder to do their part in controlling the spread of the H1N1 virus. |
