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Ted Williams Reads Valentine’s Tweets for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Kraft Golden Voice of LoveIt’s been a little over a year since Columbus Dispatch videographer Doral Chenoweth stumbled across the then homeless Ted Williams standing alongside traffic with a hand-written sign asking for donations.

Now the smooth talking Ted Williams is ‘The Golden Voice of Love’ in a new Valentine’s Day campaign for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

From February 12 to 14, Williams will be creating personalized videos in which he reads the best of user’s Valentine’s Day Tweets tagged with #VoiceofLove. The video will then be posted to Kraft Macaroni & Cheese YouTube Channel and tweeted to Kraft’s Twitter profile.

For every tweet tagged with #VoiceofLove Kraft will make a donation of 100 boxes of Macaroni & Cheese to Feeding America, up to 100,000 boxes.

The campaign was created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

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Valentine’s Flash Mob Spreads the Love at Indigo Books in Toronto

February 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Indigo Valentine's Flash MobIt seemed like just another day at the Bay & Bloor location of Indigo Books, until a young man carrying a bouquet of roses began singing ‘Happy Together’ to a what seems like an Indigo employee. The people at the store may have thought they were about to witness a very creative engagement proposal, until the man jumps up onto the counter and another half dozen performers join in on the performance.

Just as things seemed to be over, a performer disguised as an author signing books stands up and begins singing the Stevie Wonder classic ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ as he hands out gifts to startled shoppers. The performance with Calvin Harris’ ‘We Found Love’ and wraps up with Roy Orbison’s ‘You Got It’.

It’s too bad that the ending comes off sounding so commercial with the song’s lyrics changed from ‘You Got It’ to “Anything You Want, We Got It”. But in the end it’s a promotion afterall.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing, Experiential Tagged With: , , , , ,

Budweiser Surprises Toronto Rec-League Teams in Super Bowl Ad

February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Budweiser Canada Flash Fans AdWhen the guys from Les Amigos and the Toronto Generals showed up for their recreational league game at the Port Credit arena (capacity 700) back in December they had little idea what was in store for them. The two teams had been told that a documentary production crew was at the rink was there to shoot footage about rec league hockey.

During the second period, 500 fans in team colours, costumes and bodypaint rushed into the tiny arena to the surprise of the players. As Budweiser banners around the rink were unfurled the fans were followed by costumed team mascots and a play-by-play crew and soon gave the quiet rec-league game an NHL atmosphere, including kerfluffles.

Tied at the end of regulation time, the Generals came out on top 4-3 after an overtime goal. I suspect both teams had ample opportunity to celebrate with a few Buds after the game.

It’s a thrill to see the local Port Credit hockey arena featured in a national ad. The 52 year-old arena had only recently re-opened after over a year of extensive renovations.

The ad will be seen this Sunday during CTV’s Super Bowl broadcast.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing, Experiential, Sports Tagged With: , , , , ,

Adriana Lima, Chuck Liddel & Motley Crue Kickstart Kia’s Super Bowl Ad

February 2, 2012 By 1 Comment

Kia Dream CarIt looks like Kia America is going for the dude market with their 2012 Super Bowl commercial (the extended version is embedded above).

In the ad, Mr. Sandman enters the bedroom of a sleeping couple. He lightly sprinkles dream dust to the woman and instantly she’s riding across grassy hills on white horse with a well groomed guy in a puffy shirt (basically a romance novel come to life). But as Mr Sandman rounds the bed, he trips on a pair of slippers delivers a overdose of golden dream dust to the unsuspecting sleeping man. The next thing you know all hell breaks loose as the man finds himself in a white Kia Optima. Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima drops the flag he speeds off (closed course, professional driver, blah blah blah) in front of a grandstand of cheering bikini-clad women as Motley Crue rock out on stage to ‘Kickstart My Heart’.

But no sir, it’s not over yet. The random awesomeness continues with a cowboy riding a bucking rhinoceros, lumberjacks sawing a truck-size sandwich and Chuck Liddel kicking a guy until he explodes. Soon the man and woman’s dreams cross paths in a more tranquil happy ending.

The ad was created by Kia’s ad agency David & Goliath and directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Film Works.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing, Automobiles Tagged With: , , , , , ,

WWF Promote National Sweater Day with the Granny Call Centre

February 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WWF National Sweater DayMark your calendars fellow Canadians; February 9th is National Sweater Day. The WWF (supported by Loblaw) wants you to lower your heat a few degrees to help take action against climate change and they’ve created the Granny Call Centre, complete with a full roster 20 Grannies, Nanas, Oma, Gammies and Bubbies who will personally call you on February 9. Just choose one of the lovely ladies and book a time on February 6, 7 or 8 for your Sweater Day reminder call.

I love the campaign creative. The Sweater Day website interface is adorable (and I don’t use that word often). The hand-sewn felt buttons, knitting yarn and lace doilies look awesome.

If you’d like to promote National Sweater Day at your office, school or college you can download one of the promotional kits featured on the site.

The National Sweater Day campaign was created by Toronto agency john st. Other recent work by the agency include the Catvertising video, Rethink Breast Cancer ‘Your Man Reminder’ mobile app and the Stanfield’s Guy in His Underwear campaign to raise money for Testicular Cancer research.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing, Non Profit Tagged With: , , , ,

Tropicana Fights the Monday Blues With a Giant Sun in Trafalgar Square

January 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Tropicana 'Brighter Mornings' in Trafalgar SquareBack in 2005, University of Cardiff psychologist Cliff Arnall calculated that January 23 (today) was the most depressing day of the year. Turns out the psychologist had created his formula as part of marketing campaign for a travel agency.

Around these parts the days are slowly and surely getting longer; temperatures for the most part are above zero during the day, and no significant snow has (knock wood) been forecast for the near future.

To combat the effect of short winter days Tropicana lit up London’s Trafalgar Square this morning starting at 6am. The early sunrise was part of Tropicana’s ‘Brighter Mornings’ campaign and a special man-made sun thanks to London artist collective Greyworld.

The sun brightened up the Central London morning with the equivalent light 60,000 lightbulbs, and will stay lit until 7:33 this evening providing an extra 3 hours of daylight. Tropicana even provided sunglasses and deckchairs for Londoners to sit back and enjoy the extra daylight.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing, Experiential Tagged With: , ,

Cadbury Celebrates a Million Facebook Fans with 3 Tonne Chocolate Thumbs Up

January 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Cadbury A Million ThanksBrands may not know what to do with their Facebook fans once they get them, but they are coming up with more interesting ways of celebrating the milestone.

To celebrate the one million ‘Like’ mark, Cadbury live streamed the construction of a gigantic 3 tonne (or 6,600 pounds)’thumbs up’ statue from thousands of blocks of their signature Dairy Milk bars. The intricate ‘Thanks a Million’ thumbs-up construction was completed by a team of eager purple-clad Oompa Loompas.

To complete the construction Cadbury invited Denise, a superfan to place the final square on top. After the party the chocolate was donated to a company specializing in the research of alternate fuels. I’m wondering in the chocolate will be used to create that fuel or a special treat for the hungry researchers.

The ‘Thanks a Million’ campaign was created by London agency Hypernaked.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing, Food & Drink Tagged With: , ,

Samuel Adams Uses Facebook to Crowd-Craft New Beer for SXSW

January 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Samuel Adams “Crowd Craft Project” appSamuel Adams fans can have their say on the creation of a new beer by using the ‘Crowd Craft Project’ app hosted on the Samuel Adams Facebook page.

Fans can use the app to select the color, clarity, body, malt, hops and yeast for the crowd sourced brew, as well as learn more about the brewing process. The folks at Samuel Adams will begin the brewing process once the voting ends on February . 5th.

The beer will make it’s debut at Guy Kawaski’s Girl + Guy party on march 10 at the SXSW Interactive Festival, as well as select bars in Austin and Boston.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing, Food & Drink Tagged With: , , ,

Lily Falls For Blitz the Robot and All Is Right In the World

January 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Energizer ManikakoI have no actual facts to base my opinion on, yet somewhere deep down inside I’ve always known that toy dolls dig robots.

This video confirms it, as Lily (the doll) and Blitz (the robot) fall in love at first sight. Soon it’s tea parties, holding hands to old movies, a proposal by moonlight and finally marriage. (Whispers) Who knew there were so many of those anime folks on ‘her’ side? I won’t tell you how the story ends… i’m sure you’ll break a grin or maybe shed a tear.

‘Gift of Life’ is a wonderous video was funded by Energizer to promote Manikako (My Doll), a Filipino organization that teaches children how to make dolls from recycled materials and old clothes.

Follow Blitz & Lily on Facebook and Twitter.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Volkswagen’s Super Bowl Teaser Features Star Wars Dog Chorus

January 19, 2012 By 1 Comment

Volkswagen Star Wars Dog ChorusVolkswagen’s ‘the Force‘ ad was the runaway hit of last year’s Super Bowl (sorry, Game Day) ads and appeared at the top of several ‘best of’ lists at the end of the year.

It’s still more than two weeks til the big game starts in Indianapolis, and it looks like Volkswagen will again use a Star Wars theme in their ad creative. The teaser ad, titled ‘The Bark Side’ features a chorus of dogs barking the ‘Imperial March’. Included in the chorus are canine lookalikes for Darth Vader, Chewbacca and an Ewok.

The teaser links to a microsite where soon you’ll be able to create a Galactic Super Bowl invite for your friends.

The teaser video was created by Deutsch LA.

Filed Under: Advertising & Marketing, Sports Tagged With: , ,
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