The line-up this week features a wide variety of brand creative strategy. We’ve got a blockbuster movie brand partnership that won’t make you puke, an ambitiously goofy experiment in real-time content creation, a classic case of heartwarming storytelling, a fun piece of cultural satire, and last but not least, an iPhone ad.
Ready? Onward!
Apple “The Only Thing That’s Changed Is…”
What: A peppy, if predictable, introduction to the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.
Who: Apple, TBWA/Media Arts Lab
Why We Care: The only one of all its new ads revealed this week done by TBWA/Media Arts Lab, this spot is trademark Apple. It doesn’t really have to blow our minds with a completely different approach, just add a few new bells and whistles (in this case, narrator Lake Bell and that Bill Hader cameo) to a tried and true formula. Just like the phone.
Under Armour “Leave Your Mark”
What: A new teaser for Ridley Scott’s upcoming blockbuster The Martian that poses as an Under Armour ad from the year 2035.
Who: 3AM, Droga5, Under Armour, RSA Films
Why We Care: Too many brand product placements in film are a cruel joke, as distracting to our eyes as they are insulting to our intelligence. But this is a fun, and more importantly, fitting partnership that will hopefully point the way for others. Read more about the strategy behind it here.
Jet.com “#Jetspree”
What: A collection of 50 short, goofy real-time ads, all shot and posted on September 9, and based on the shopping-cart contents of Jet.com customers.
Who: Jet.com, SS+K
Why We Care: As a new e-commerce site, Jet.com needs to get people’s attention and one way the brand wants to differentiate itself is through a more personalized approach. So what says personal more than making a yodeler sing about that portable DVD player you just bought?
Guinness “Never Alone”
What: A heartwarming look at the tough story of retired rugby star Gareth Thomas and the challenges of coming out.
Who: Guinness, AMV BBDO
Why We Care: It’s an inspiring true story, incredibly told within an ad, but then nicely extended with a four-minute profile that takes a closer look at Thomas and his remarkable journey as a gay professional athlete.
Mount Pleasant Group “Quitbit”
What: A spoof on our borderline obsession with the potential for wearable technology, to remind us to plan ahead for the one thing in life we know will happen.
Who: Mount Pleasant Group, UNION
Why We Care: Look, we love the idea of Fitbit and are as excited about wearables as the next nerd, but this is a funny, yet eerie, way to put modern culture’s ongoing quest for innovation into some perspective.