Ad Crunch

Papa John’s has employed the services of a company called Circlemakers to promote its 100 per cent whole-wheat pizzas. And the result has been quite simply tasteful. Circlemakers specialise in producing crop circles and so they created one for Papa John’s too. The end result was so good that in- and outbound Denver international passengers couldn’t help but let their mouth water at the sight of a delectable pizza spread across six acres in a wheat field in Commerce City from the sky. 
By the way, the ad trick is not anything new. Circlemakers have done similar assignments for Microsoft, Nike, Greenpeace, Hello Kitty and The History Channel to name a few. At this point, let me tell you about Ad-Air, which is a gigantic billboard maker. Yeah, it would be a poor choice when compared to the crop circle agenda, but let us not forget what a safe bet it could be to cover up a bad wheat-shaving job.
Via adrants

Indian ad arena is witnessing an all time Peter Pan fixation. Brand endorsers are being changed more frequently. The face of brands is getting younger and younger. Maybe it is an attempt to always connect with the under-21 group, but the fact remains that Pepsi did drop Sachin Tendulkar to come up with the ‘youngistan’ concept with Ranbir Kapoor marching with the cola baton. Similarly, Deepika Padukone will soon be the new brand ambassador for BSNL after Preity Zinta.
Apparently, endorsements in India are witnessing a generational shift as more and more brands was to be known as ‘youth brands’. Experts believe that with the latest trend catching up, an Imran Khan or a Ranbir Kapoor can ask for higher endorsing fee as compared to John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan. However, some media barons still believe that Amitabh Bachchan and SRK will continue to appeal to all segments owing to their iconic status. But all are in agreement that the endorsement sector is becoming more of a tactical than strategic play with brand managers expecting quarterly results.
Hey, but what about long term brand building?
Via livemint

 
Class and Style are being splashed across New Zealand as the Chandelier Billboard for Ford G Series comes on display. When it comes to ultra-luxe cars, the automobile maker knows how to make it well as well as, how to project it well! Bringing alive the dream of Ford Company JWT New Zealand has created this rather unique billboard with special lighting effects that highlight the glamour, glitz and sophisticated style of the G series. For this, the agency got in touch with Bootleg to produce some special chandeliers which were artistically placed over the billboard. These bright chandeliers add to the charm of the latest car model being advertised during night time.

 
This billboard also emphasizes the change in trend these days where in, agencies create different kind of ads that are made especially for nighttime display. Kudos to the team which came up with this brilliant idea! Here are the credits:  
Angus Hennah : Executive Creative Director
Rod Prosser : Art Director
Peter Ogden : Copywriter
Geoff Francis : Typographer
Simon Harper : Photographer
Geoff Francis : Retoucher
 
Source: Adland

Fatherhood is not an easy job. Especially when your chubby sweetheart tiny tot gives you a hard time changing diapers! There ought to be something special about moms. Isn’t it? See for your self. This funny viral video of behind-the-scenes titled ‘Inside The Diaper’ tells you just how difficult it is for a papa to handle the act of diaper-changing! What makes this Huggies commercial witty is not just the brilliant performance by the ‘shooter’ red chubby cheeks kid but the deliberately serious tone of the voice over. Not to forget puns like ‘golden moments’ and ‘whiz kids’!

The credits for this thoroughly enjoyable TVC are:
Ad Agency: JWT New York; Walt Connelly (Executive Creative Director);
Richie Glickman (Creative Director); Vikas Bhalla (Art Director);
Shelly Lubbers, Kirsten Larson (Agency Producer);
Directors: Bryan Buckley, Keith Musli; Editor: Will Znidaric;
Production Company: Hungry Man New York.
 
Source: bestadsontv

The latest ad technique by David Barton Gym is impressive yet lacking in some ways, to say the least. With a nude model as the centrepiece and two art-school dudes sketching her, the ad clicks immediately. The picture shouts out loud that the gym will get you in that beautifully sculpted shape (of course that of the model dearies). The tagline “I’d pay to see you sweat” is a bit ambiguous. Who is willing to pay is not very clear. Is it the artists or the gym itself? A li’l improvisation needed there.
Then again, the nudity may be a hassle. Not many countries are appreciative of the human form down to the basics. C’mon India has the naughty Axe chocolate ad banned. I seriously wonder what will happen to this one.
And may I ask where the hell was David Barton himself? We would have loved to see him on this ad.
Via adweek

 
Just being skilled is not enough if you don’t know where you can sharpen your skills and how you can use them in a better manner! Atleast the print ads of Career Junction urge you to ‘Put your skills to better use’ if you are the lost-in-my upstairs kind or simply if you just want to have the cutting edge. The art displayed in the grocery list ad is simply gorgeous! However, the other two ads fade out in front of this one. As a whole the campaign might look a bit odd but their creativity works well for me (so to say).

Well, here are the credits:
Advertising Agency: TBWARAAD Middle East, Dubai, UAE
Art Director: Sakib Afridi, Amritraj Gupta, Rishi Chanana
Creative Director: Nirmal Diwadkar
Copywriter: Abraham Varughese
Illustrator: Amritraj Gupta
Photographer: Kundan Raut
 
The other two ads:

 
 
 
 
 
Source: AdblogArabia

Animal Prints are in vogue not only on ramp but in the world of advertising as well. Perhaps that’s why the print adverts by Animal Planet which provide a keen take on the time consuming process of wild life documentaries look wining material to me! The channel makes good stuff featuring the length and breath of the life of any being in the animal kingdom. But it’s only now that it reveals who’s behind their award wining documentaries. The animals themselves? May be! Nevertheless, the channel does feel the need to advertise about their authentic ways employed in making a wildlife documentary.

What I liked the most was the intelligent visuals! Here are the credits:
Category:  Publications & media  
Advertising Agency: DDB Germany / Duesseldorf
Copywriter: Heiko Freyland
Creative Directors: Heiko Freyland, Alexander Reiss
Art Directors: Alexander Reiss, Michael Kittel
Illustrator: Stefan Kranefeld
 
More

 
Source: Coloribus

Out of Home advertising is on an upward swing in world’s biggest democracy. The public in India today is actively absorbing media messages particularly in form of outdoor advertising. To capitalize on the fact Idea Cellular of Aditya Birla Group, has come up with an OOH campaign exclusively for Mumbai- the city that never sleeps! Idea’s idea is simple-if it’s a Mumbai number…then the idea cellular owner belongs to the city. Apparently the by making such a direct link between the identity of a city to the identity of a person living in it, the brand wants to increase it’s expand its consumer base in this city of glamour and grit. Designed by Lowe (Mumbai, India) the OOH is pretty direct in its approach displaying people from all walks of life from brand ambassador Baby B (Abhishek Bachchan) to an ordinary house wife and a police man.

The campaign is in English language. So, while the company hopes to reap any benefits in sales of its product lets pray the campaign doesn’t get marred by the wrath of Shiv Sainiks who are adamant that every sign and billboard in Mumbai must be in Marathi language and not English or Hindi. That’s amchi mumbaikers for you!

 Latest additions to the idea OOH:

Source: agencyfaqs

HBO was looking for some cutting edge advertising for its new “True Blood” series, and so entered Campfire. The agency created a spectacular insider campaign that had them sending mails all through May to vampire bloggers and science fiction geeks. And the mail was a piece of art with a message in an invented ancient language, which lead recipients to the website, www.bloodycopy.com. There was more. On the website, an enigmatic gatekeeper stood bold allowing only “true vampires” to get access.
It’s interesting to know that HBO is hitting its target audience straight in the curiosity bracket. Usually, something that is easily available rarely garners interest, so HBO is doing just the opposite. A cool approach, really!  But there is a glitch. The “True Blood” will really have to live up to the expectations the great ad campaign is creating.
Via thirdwayblog

Celebrities in ads are always a huge welcome. And this time it will be TV actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld smiling his way to the bank. If the buzz is to be believed, Microsoft is willing to pay him a whopping 10 million dollars for a 300 million dollars worth ad campaign. Co-starring with Seinfeld will be none other than Bill Gates himself.
MDC partners Crispin Porter and Bogusky are the masterminds behind the advertisements as Microsoft readies to promote itself in context of its mobile, Vista and Live platforms in a global campaign. Apparently, a variation of the phrase “Windows, not walls” will be used. Why the phrase? Well, looks like Crispin had come up with it to win his latest project.
The ads will be aired in September and other comedians like Chris Rock and Will Ferrell may also appear.
Via brandweek