Required: Responsible vs Irresponsible

Socially Responsible


Don't litter. Stay Pure



Be smart. Wrap it up.



Be yourself, don't let the world affect you.

Socially Irresponsible


Three million views and counting. Really? Really.



Tell kids to eat fast food and they'll look good. Cause kids have self control and all...



Marry cause he's cute, make sure it just looks good.

Required: Fallon Coming together

Fallon loves the idea of things falling together. A snowball gaining speed picking up everything in it's wake, a million pictures coming together to make a flip book, or a bunch of youtube movies spliced together to make a really cool communications ad you've got to hand it to Fallon for the interconnectedness they bring to everything. By no means an agency that decides less is better.

Wongdoody

The old saying is that you have to show how your product works. This is Wongdoody's response to that. They use creative visual pieces to capture the essence of Alpine electronics and demonstate it's strength, security, or just awsomeness by speaking louder than words. I think they accomplished it. The visuals remind you of a bad hurricane blowing the trees away, something you could generate from the back of your car, if only you have Alpine.

Secret Weapon Marketing

Greatest part of the ad? The last second of Tony Hawk slashing Bam's tire. That's the genius that can happen when your only working on three clients and can spend all your creative focus on crafting the best ads possible. Though to compliment SWM on ads alone isn't fair, they take an approach that uses a full IMC to get their message across, it just immolates from the ads first.

Modernista

Cadillac was long the brand of the snoody and wealthy. Than Modernista, that crafty devlish Boston ad agency came along and shook things up. They injected youth into the brand which was what it so desperately needed. Not through the mention of sexual innuendos in the copy, but in the flashy and smooth art direction that makes you widen your eyes just a bit to take it all in.

72 and Sunny

How do you make learning cool? Watch the discovery channel, it's got something for whatever you love. Or at least that's what 72 and Sunny tells us and I'm inclined to believe them. The creative jingle gets in your head and you can't help but wonder how often those guys from Myth busters set each other on fire. The final product here makes Discovery channel not just a learning channel, but a cultural channel.

Mother

Can Coke be as synonymous with summer as it is with Christmas? That was the task presented to Mother and the colorful campaign has exceeded expectations. Open happiness is aligning the cool beverage as summer with it's cool flavor and joyful attitude being what everyone wants during the summer months.

Droga5

By now it seems like just about everyones seen this video of Marc Ecko tagging Air Force 1. It started news stories, investigations, denials from the pentegon and got everyone talking about Marc Ecko. The stunt generated so much free publicity for the Ecko brand that it created a movement and drew public recognition to the power of viral marketing as the next wave of advertising. Just imagine what a campaign of viral videos spread out over a year would look like. Droga5 has.

Ground Zero

How do you promote something when so many imitators before have proven that online journalism can't be on par with newspapers? When promoting ESPN.com, Ground Zero must have asked this very question and through careful art direction they were able to appeal to sports fans as sports fans. The copy showed they knew what made fans tick and that ESPN.com was here for them.

Taxi

Taxi really proves that having a small budget doesn't mean your ad is going to bland. In fact it simply means your creative style must come to light and push the issue that much more which they do in this fantastic ad for Canadian Sports.

Rethink

This commercial really explored the meaning of "the devil within". As common with a lot of smaller independent agencies the work is edgy to a T. The truth is this commercial gains notice from the beginning and while we laugh at the guy we worry to just what demons are we hiding inside ourselves that we don't want anyone to see?

R/GA

It's almost impossible to describe R/GA's work in interactive. Flawless comes to mind when you work your way through the NikeID site.



Beyond just basic web design (where they custom make so much of their technology) R/GA believes in fully encompassing the digital experience as you can see above. Constantly pushing the levels of design this is one company that will be on the cutting edge for a long time.

Cramer-Krasselt

It might not be the first time you've seen an ad like this. But that's not what makes it great. It's the spoken copy weaving through the ad much like the various cars move through the desert. The idea of a car company not being a time line of progression but rather a family tree of growth ingrains the idea Porsche as a growing object. Something you will care for and nurture in much the same way.

Doner

There's a line in every work by Doner. Not just the tag line, but a thread that's woven in through all their advertisements for a brand. In the case of Mazda, the blonde haired boy in awe of the car has been a perennial statement every year. This helps hold the brand together with the ever changing creative landscape that Doner works in. Once somethings been done it's done, and they want to find the next aggressive ad. Even if it's placing a car in the time of the gladiators.

Richards Group

Guys have absolutely no shot at having the perfect romantic way to ask a girl anymore. The Richards Group and Zales has officially put the nail in the coffin in that category. In the meantime they also happen to have a pretty good understanding of the brand equity and why people shop at Zales and than the Richards Group funnels that into a romantic ad that will leave every guy wondering how their gonna top that. And every girl waiting to find out.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty

Doesn't even show a bottle or anything to do with alcohol. The advertisement works purely off the brands already built in identity which is something BBH has helped build and maintain. The simple graphics help quietly speak to the sophistication while the "Signature Autograph" copy gives weight to the uniqueness that is Johnnie Walker.

Weiden + Kennedy

Creativity is key here. The off the wall ramblings and flow of the ad makes this one unforgettable. In fact when I went to pull it off youtube it'd already been viewed over nine million times on that video alone not including the hundreds of copies that have popped up all over the web. Not bad for a guy on a horse. Off the wall and creative.

Dentsu

Keeping it simple and straight. This wonderbra ad clicks with the one posted earlier in this blog. It's not about the sex or the attraction but simply about the results. That's all that's promised which is simple and straight forward. Dentsu ran this ad in Singapore and without ever having to say a word got their message across.

Kirshenbaum Bond

If you want the best, fly the best. kbs+p certainly enjoyed themselves in creating this ad campaign simply because the photography can only be captured in one place and with the right people. The gumption of a small NY agency to poke fun at top celebrities and show the casual demeanor in which they travel certainly promotes the brand as the undeniable top of the market.
(ps - had the most fun on the website clicking on all the people and reading bios)

Cliff Freeman & Partners

Walk into Spencer Gifts, find something in teen culture, use it to educate teen culture. This is a great twist on a comedic poster which is than used as a teaching point for a PSA. Most teens and college kids have seen this poster before and once confused by the ending press on to figure out what the ad's for which is when the twist hits and we're reminded we're all human. Great ad from a now defunct agency.

VitroRobertson

I'll never forget seeing this ad in a classroom. I think it was high school but the teacher was commenting on the peacefulness of the scene and how it was so perfect since it used the basics of what a guitar is to sell a Taylor Guitar. That's when I knew I wanted to be in advertising. Cause you can take something so peaceful and meaningful and use it to convince people that their highbrow thoughts are something that your going to live up to. VitroRobertson managed to do.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky

And you thought Best Buy was just for buying stuff. A great example of the aspects of the creative revolution where a small bit of the business is used to truly promote the overall business that Best Buy represents. Creative, funny, socially responsible, Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

McKinney

What inspired me about this campaign was the in your face motivation it gave you. The urge to push yourself just a little more, to strengthen yourself to be a better person or the person you want. It was as if the ad was taunting you to become a meaner, fitter, leaner person. Not bad for a North Carolina agency.

Euro RSCG

A sophisticated brand that should be enjoyed by everyone. This commercial keeps the traditional image of scotch as being a sophisticated mans drink and yet broadens the horizons opening it up to so many different sorts of people that in the end there is no target market, but rather a broadening of horizons for Chivas. Euro RSCG handles a similar clientele across the board making them professionals at luxury for everyone.

Arnold Worldwide

Good Work Works screams the motto on Arnold Worldwides website. Their damn right it does. From Truth, to Southern Comfort, the agency has turned out some of the most simple and brilliant ads. They stay away from degrading culture and rather focus on the tradition and doing things right the first time. This ad for southern comfort puts a new spin on the traditional "if you can read this your not drunk" scheme making it memorable and smooth.

Team One Advertising

Finding the one characteristic that binds a target market together can be tough. Unless their insane NHL fans. Than anything goes, which is why this edgy and witty idea works so well. In a multiple print and tv campaign Team One did a great job of not just putting together a good ad, but finding the one characteristic in their target market. Insane fandom.

Kaplan Thaler Group

One of the most well known insurance icons you either hate the Aflac duck or you love it. But you can't ignore it. While the Geico Gecko is cute, it's not nearly as polarizing as the duck causing mayhem which is exactly why Kaplan Thaler Group invented it. And the ducks worked well for them.

Fallon Worldwide

Quick story. When this ad ran people were calling into the Travelers marketing department worried that the man looked like a pedophile when he picked up and flew the kids home. True Story. However it set itself up as a lynchpin for the campaign which premiered during the Final Four basketball tournament three years ago. The campaign continued in Fallon's fashion of drawing people into the ad in unexpected ways and engaging them with the brand.

Leo Burnett

Ok so the fact that the title character of this long ad is my name first drew me in. But it was the roller coaster which held me captive. The roller coaster of tugging both at your heart strings and making you laugh. That's what Leo Burnett manages here making it easy to see why the man has risen to the heights he has.

Saatchi & Saatchi

Intensity is key with Saatchi & Saatchi. Whether it's in their outstanding ad for visa or the visual intensity of the ESPN couches campaign the fact of the matter is that Saatchi & Saatchi so often captures the human traits and emotions of each of us. Laying on a couch till we become a part of it, or rushing to what we enjoy the most. Intensity is key.

Hal Riney

Hal Riney is an unbridled genius when it comes to art direction. And that's exactly what his companies ads show.


An understanding of how a picture can speak a thousand words and really show just how incredible art can be. Wouldn't you stop to take a second look at an image like this.

Publicis

Certainly not behind on the times are we? Publicis comes out with a very modern ad which plays off of today's pop culture of facebook friend requests. Hilarious, kinda promoting self image, and true, Wonderbra loves to pick on pop culture ideas and simply post their logo in the bottom which keeps them forever relevant and in peoples minds. A good idea when your selling sex. Another great example of when selling a product doesn't look like your selling the product.

T.A.G.

T.A.G. likes pushing the boundaries. Taking a steryotype and running in the opposite direction. Their advertisements for Catalyst Accounting and CORE shopping area have both won awards for this very reason and certainly prove themselves as a fun creative group.

Campbell Mithun

I seem to really be enjoying print and TV ads, but as this one is for one of my favorite snack foods we'll run with it. Campbell Mithun knowing it's target audience was outdoorsy people focused their campaign on finding where they found their playground. Beautifully art directed, the consumer found themselves getting lost in the activity and wanting to experience it for themselves. Least I did.

Mullen

This campaign was run heavily back in my hometown of Boston and it was desperately needed. The Bruins had for a long time been positioned as the team that never wanted to spend money on anything. Including players. The emergence of this campaign helped change the way people were perceiving the brand. Showing that things were changing. Even if there were gonna be new rules in place

Deutsch Inc.

Ok that was cool. Going in the opposite direction of so many ads which focus on one tiny bit of the product, Deutsch decided to flip that idea on it's head and show...well everything. At once. A fun campaign Deutsch has developed a fun campaign and flipped traditional advertising on it's head.

Hill Holliday

Hill Holliday holds two of my favorite accounts. Dunkin Donuts (favorite brand...must be a Boston thing) and Liberty Mutual. A couple of summers ago I worked for Travelers Insurance in the marketing division and in chatting with the CMO she mentioned how she wished they'd thought of one idea first. Strong and stable, the responsibility project that is run by Liberty Mutual focus on all the associated characteristics insurance companies want while never really saying much about insurance itself. Advertising that's not advertising at it's best.

Carmichael Lynch

Carmichael Lynch and Harley Davidson seemingly go together when it comes to advertisements. It's hard to say anything about them that hasn't already been said. What strikes me as most important is the positioning of the brand through advertising. In this ad the parts creating the face of the end user shows the seriousness of a biker to be able to perform the maintenance on his bike himself. To know his ride inside and out and to trust the make the Harley. Not bad from a simple art directed advertisement for a motorcycle

Lowe

Lowe understands the complexity behind a brand and works to elevate that brand level. What started off as a joking art directed campaign turned into a heavily elaborate print and outdoor campaign for Stella Artois. With building sized wall ads with ingenious traps to art displays involving the Stella at the center, the brand was promoted as something worth going through any trappings to obtain. Certainly a creative image but a high level of sophistication is associated with the idea that helps build the overall brand image.

DraftFCB

What strikes me the most about this campaign was it's ability to play off fears. Learning experiences still are connected to emotion and fear is a very powerful one. DraftFCB approached this problem in a slightly controversial way by scaring possible drunk drivers. In a county where drunk driving accidents are double the worldwide average, these roadblock posters played off those fears to control an epidemic of bad decisions. Very frightening to see if driving drunk, and highly affected the campaign was a huge success. What strikes me is DraftFCB's fearlessness to push the boundaries of what might be seen as a fear campaign, something public opinion often doesn't like.

TM Advertising

What is it about ads these days that hate writing. As an ADD culture we often detest anything longer than two words, and often that is pushing it. TM Advertising however has found a way to use engaging copy to it's advantage again. What's most appealing about this campaign is how the graphics fly over the mobile phone and artfully draw your eyes to the overall message. AA mobile is now available. A Texas agency, the flair of it's writers is certainly something I enjoy the most.

The Martin Agency

Ever try running three campaigns at once? Not only does the Martin Agency do that for Geico they do a rather good job of it as well.





Each of the above commercials is not only geared towards a specific target market but they all sell the product. Even the horrid cavemen ads have generated a large following.

McCann Erickson

Depression can be a serious issue, so often advertising focuses on bright sunny images which rarely are the exact things that only worsen depression. McCann instead speaks to their target market in a really understanding way using the art and creativity of the piece to work for them. In all their print advertising this is a common thread where simplicity and understanding of their client is key. For such a large global agency the impression that I get from the company is that creativity is forefront and key. Something that can often be lost when so much work needs to be generated on a deadline.

Grey

An amazing campaign for a company I know nothing about. Grey advertising focused on the art direction creating an appealing campaign for an industry that is often rift with sexual innuendos and half baked ideas (i.e. Abercrombie). While the picture above only shows an old style classic version of the campaign, modern futuristic ads were also created. A true variation of styles Grey has definitely proven that they are not grey and bland.

JWT

Released just recently this new Smirnoff campaign has been a fast favorite of mine. Creative, socially responsible, memorable and well executed it's hard to not enjoy. For me one of the things I notice the most these days is advertising that helps influence people to be more responsible. It's not hard to ask yourself if what you've created is socially responsible or not, but often when your caught up with so much work it's easy to forget. Like being socially responsible JWT is also pushing new ways to advertise and is staying on top of so many hot topic issues in our world

Young & Rubicam

Human characteristics to unhuman characters. An advertising trick that has been around for quite some time but yet much like Y&R is done with style and grace. Another one of the older agencies they're modern approach to traditional ideas has had a refreshingly creative stance to it. Even their website is easy and simple to use and designed for a younger generation. Overall I found their work to be sophisticated and smooth, much like the clients they represent.

Ogivy & Mather

One of the old giants in the advertising world, they always seem to have a handful of big name accounts. Dove is just one of them, unfortunatly their work has always seemed a bit bland to me. On the plus side this usually means the ads are culturally sensitive while promoting the product. Their most recent campaign for Dove created a splash at the Superbowl but has since been pretty bland. Nonetheless, one of the old school classy agencies that has an astounding history and is well routed in that history.

Martin Williams

Martin Williams

LatinWorks

LatinWorks is known for it's slightly strange humor. The ability however to make just about anyone laugh however is well served in this ad for Starburst. Carlos Mencia makes an appearance in another ad for Bud light with more creative humor. The common thread here is that it's a universal humor that is funny because it's so often not what people are expecting. Certainly a trademark for this agency

Dieste Harmel & Partners

There's a particular image that Gatorade commercials always manage. The similarity is close to that of some nike commercials with the difference being people sweating colors. Dieste also does something that so many agencies are looking to do these days in which they made an international commercial. While they are a Spanish speaking agency, this commercial could easily play in France, Africa, even the US. In a global economy so many ad agencies are looking for advertisements like this where they can be branded the same across the world and be enjoyed by any audience.

GSD&M Idea City

Inspire me to use your product. Or in this case travel. Idea City manages to find inspiration in something as mundane as business travel. They've gone on to produce such top quality ads for Southwest that even my Dad can't help but comment and laugh. Than encourage me to fly southwest. But when this ad was released the airline travel was in a severe slump and the reaction of many business travelers was to take Southwest as ads like this one inspired them to travel cheaply and in a fun manner.

180 Amsterdam/180 LA

Show me something I've never seen before. Impress me. That's certainly what this ad did for Adidas and the Womens World Cup. Anyone in the target market, people who have an appreciation and love of sports, is going to respond to seeing something as impressive as this.

Goodby Silverstein

Snack food has a boring way of selling itself. Which is why the fun character who seemingly causes mayhem in all facets of life is so delectably enjoyable. The reimagining of him in this campaign by Goodby Silverstien reminds people of what Cheetos has marketed itself as for years. The provocateur of the mundane into the wild. Purely creative in the mayhem he causes the overall position of the brand was maintained while introducing a generation of people in the target market to a character who had almost been forgotten.

TBWA

In so many ads agencies try to reach out and strum our emotional heartstrings. For me this campaign for Pedigree dog food managed to really hit a cord with mine. Emotional, sweet, and loving the campaign included interactive websites, TV spots, and a store in Times Square where you could interact with rescue dogs. Extremely successful in both positioning Pedigree as a product that cares about it's consumer (the dog that is) and helping shelters around the US it was a massive success that everyone loves reading about. It also eventually led to me rescuing my first dog, Beamer, who lives with me even now.

DDB

"Lets take a walk through time. No literally lets stop time."

Must have been one interesting meeting at DDB when this video idea was born. The web based video was so successful for Panasonic that it's been spoofed in everything from SNL to a 50 cent rap video. It won at the Cannes festival as well and had anyone who watched it on the web talking and trying to figure out the in's and outs of what they'd just seen. Truly this is a case where viral is not only used as a way of selling a product but as an art form that will be reflected on in the future.

BBDO

There seems to be only one way to sell beer and that's by using "boy/beer" humor. Here BBDO twists the traditional selling of beer with a town simply having fun enjoying their beer. Who wouldn't want to be a member of a community that celebrates it's beer in this way. The ad helps reflect some of the qualities that are associated with Guiness including the freewheeling fun nature of the product that celebrates the bold and creative. Certainly a concept that this ad is able to convey.

Superbowl Ads

The BEST
Bridgestone: Whale of a Tale
Richards Group, Dallas

all the Doritos commercials- they were just home runs, well done, decent punch line
Consumer-Generated

Google: Search
Classy, well done, smooth, no voiceover
Done in house.


The WORST
Boost Mobile Shuffle
180, Los Angeles

ALL the Bud Light Commercials
Cannonball, St. Louis

Monster.Com
BBDO

the Blah commericals
I added a new category of not bad but not great commercials
Cars.Com- a redo of last years
DDB, Chicago

Dove: Manthem
Ogilvy