Volkswagen Surprises Pedestrians with a Beat Boxing Electric Vehicle

Volkswagen E-Up Beatbox

Over the years we’ve become accustomed to sound of traditional gas-powered vehicles, but electric vehicles run relatively silent at low speeds making them a potential danger to blind or the disabled. Earlier this year the US government required that all EVs produce some kind of sound until they reach 17 mph. Exactly what those sounds will end up being has been open to debate and creative thinking.

Interactive agency DDB Tribal used the silent-running Volkswagen E-Up to demonstrate one creative solution involving vocalist and beatbox artist Fatih Sahin.

[via Car Scoops]

Sweden

Illustrator Uses Washing Machine as Canvas in Samsung Austria Ad

Samsung Vibration-Free Washing Machine

Back in art school the washing machine in our building was far from vibration-free. To avoid having it run wild during it’s wash cycle we ended up tethering it to the wall with a couple of strong bungee cords. We had enough trouble remembering to separate our darks from lights, let alone considering the machine as an inspiration for art.

In a new campaign titled ‘Wash & Create’ for Samsung Austria, Vienna-based illustrator Boicut — who has done work for brands such as Nike, Vans, Converse and Hennessey — demonstrates his creativity and steady hand to create an elaborate sea monster-themed illustration using the Vibration-Free washing machine as his canvas.

The ad was created by TRAKTOR Wien.

[via Gute Werbung]

Austria

Kmart’s Revisits Popular ‘Ship my Pants’ Ad with a Holiday Twist

Kmart - Ship My Trousers

Back in April, DraftFCB brought new attention (and over 20 million YouTube views) to Kmart with the double-entendre filled ‘Ship my Pants‘ TV commercial. That was followed shortly by the similarly themed ‘Big Gas Savings’ ad and the more recent Joe Boxer tie-in ad ‘Show Your Joe’.

With the holidays in full swing, Draft FCB has brought back ‘Ship My Pants’, but with a Charles Dickens twist as ‘Ship My Trousers’. The same actors from the original commercial are now dressed in period costume as characters from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

[via Agency Spy]

USA

Mates Raise Their Glasses to a Departing Friend in Tullamore Dew Short Film

Tullamore Dew - The Other Wall

If I was to create — what at least in in my head, would be the perfect Irish whiskey ad — it would look and sound like ‘The Other Wall’, a new ad from Tullamore Dew.

The long version (embedded below) starts out with a group of black suited lads walking across a lush green hillside to the tune of ‘The Parting Glass’. (here’s a version of the song by The Pogues)

They stop and turn as one quotes James Joyce, “Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.”

Glasses are passed around as the four take a seat on on a stone wall over looking a cemetery. The lads one by one fill their glasses and join in on the song. One raises his glass and offers a toast; “glasses up to my brother Jerry.”

For all purposes it appears they are there to say a final farewell to a dear friend. But then the church bell rings, a bride appears and it’s obvious that Jerry is being toasted before he departs on another kind of journey.

‘The Other Wall’ ad was created by New York ad agency Opperman Weiss and directed by Laurence Dunmore of RSA Films.

[via Ad Week]

USAIreland

Foot Locker Ad “Rights the Sports World’s Wrongs” with Tyson, Holyfield and More

Foorlocker - Week of Greatness

In the new spot promoting Footlocker’s ‘Week of Greatness’, Cleveland Cavalier point guard, Kyrie Irving feels that all is right with the world,

Kyrie may be right on the money with that thought, as the ad goes on to show Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield making up over the “ear incident”, Dennis Rodman booking a one-way flight to North Korea, Craig Sager burning his colorful sports jackets, and Brett Favre realizing it’s time to walk away… from pie.

The ad was created by BBDO New York, and directed by Jim Jenkins of O Positive Films.

FYI: there is a Tumblr blog dedicated to Craig Sager’s colorful wardrobe. However, in my opinion he doesn’t hold a candle to our very own Don Cherry.

[via Agency Spy]

USA

Baileys Christmas Ad Features Modern Spin on Classic Nutcracker Story

Baileys Nutcracker

Experiencing a live performance Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite have become a Christmas holiday tradition for audiences around the world.

Agency BBH London and Baileys have pulled together a ‘A List’ of talent to create a condensed stylized take on the classic tale. Leading the production is ‘Three Little Pigs‘ director Ringan Ledwidge, ‘Black Swan’ choreographer Benjamin Millepied, composer, pianist and producer, Nicholas Britell, costume designer Rosa Dias and set designer Sarah Greenwood. The dancers are Royal Ballet Dancers Steven McRae as the Nutcracker, Thiago Soares as the Mouse King and Iana Salenko as Clara, the heroine of the story.

The retelling begins with the group of girls heading out through a snowy forest for a girl’s night out at Candyland. After enjoying a complimentary Baileys, a suave Nutcracker steps forward for a dance. Soon they’ve attracted the attention of a tattooed Mouse King, who steps forward and makes a grab for Clara. Before you can say “pirouette” there’s a full-scale dance-battle going on between the two. Clara ends it all with a spinning round kick to the face of the Mouse King, before heading off for more fun (and Bailey’s) with the girls.

Appropriately enough the full 2 minute ad debuted during the UK TV premiere of ‘Black Swan‘.

Baileys Christmas Nutcracker

The making of our Baileys Christmas Nutcracker

[via Creativity]

UK

Young Couple Show Off Their Cardboard Box Home in New Kiwibank Ad

Kiwibank - Life in Paperdale

As a kid, one of the most fun experiences I can remember was being handed a large empty cardboard box that our family’s new freezer had just arrived in. My mind exploded with possibilities for the box.

I used my mother’s best steak knives to carve out doors, a windshield and a pair of super-groovy teardrop protholes to create a ‘sweet’ 1970s-style van. The van lasted through several imaginary road trips, but met with a soggy end after a hard summer rain.

In a new ad (that reminded me of that story) from Kiwibank targeting first-time home buyers, we meet Sally and Simon Brown, a young couple who have created their dream home made entirely from cardboard boxes and a lot of packing tape. The couple were undeterred when one of the walls blew away on a windy night. They simply went down to the supermarket and got a new one.

With the introduction of a law that prospective home buyers must have a 20% deposit to take out a mortgage, and the ad hopes to encourage them to work with Kiwibank to find creative ‘out-of-the-box’ ways to make their dream come true.

The ‘Life in Peperdale’ ad was created by the Assignment Group, and directed by Jason Stutter of Spooky Pictures.

[via StopPress]

New Zealand

New Hennessey Spot Features Story of Racing Legend Sir Malcolm Campbell

Hennessey - Malcolm Campbell: The Man Who Couldn't Slow Down

The latest spot in Hennessey’s ‘Never Stop, Never Settle‘ campaign features a lavishly-produced short film entitled ‘The Man who Couldn’t Slow Down’ featuring British racing legend Malcolm Campbell. In the 1920s and 30s, Campbell set speed records on both land and sea in vehicles nicknamed Bluebird.

One complaint — and I am by no means an auto-historian — is that the audio at the beginning of the ad refers to the Bluebird’s February, 1935 speed-record attempt of 276 mph, while the car shown in the ad appears to be the Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird, recreating the events of February, 1931 when Campbell rocketed across Daytona Beach for a (then) record speed of 246 mph (396 km/h).

The 1931 Bluebird (as shown in the ad) is on permanent display at the NASCAR exhibit hall at the Daytona International Speedway. The Bluebird in the film was built by Ghostlight Industries, a San Fernando, California-based provider of on-screen vehicles for the entertainment industry.

Yes, it clearly appears that I am more interested in the car than the Cognac.

‘The Man Who Couldn’t Slow Down’ is the latest spot is ‘Never Settle, Never Stop’ campaign created by Droga5 NY. Other films in the campaign have featured Erykah Badu, boxer Manny Pacquiao and director Martin Scorsese.

The Man Who Couldn’t Slow Down was directed by Martin de Thurah for Epoch Films.

The Making of “The Man who Couldn’t Slow Down” (featuring Nas)

[via PopSop]

USA

Demon Office Chair Wreaks Havoc in New Zealand Insurance Company Ad

NZI Insurance - Devil's Chair

A reclining office chair that may have been sent from deepest, darkest bowels of hell is the star of “Devil’s Chair”, a raucous animated ad for New Zealand Insurance company NZI.

The ad created by Draft FCB New Zeland and animated by Assembly Films features the evil chair being passed from one person to another, and the mayhem that ensues when it’s unwitting owner leans back to relax. The cow pooping made me laugh out loud, but then again that’s the kind of high-brow humour I enjoy. Shit happens.

Bonus points to everyone involved for the inspired use of Ennio Morricone’s theme from the Clint Eastwood classic The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.

It all comes together at the end with the tagline “Bad’s not going anywhere. Neither are we.”

[via StopPress]

New Zealand

Awesome or Creepy? Dolls Make the Most of Small Spaces in New IKEA UK Ad

IKEA - One Room Paradise

Despite what you may see in TV ads, or real estate show, not all families lives in a large suburban home or spacious downtown condominiums. So, it’s refreshing to see ‘One Room Paradise’, a new ad for IKEA UK, showing how a young mother and son brighten up their small apartment with colourful and useful items from the Swedish company.

However, the mother, son (and babysitter? grandmother, neighbour?) give off a slight creep-factor, thanks to their large plastic doll heads.

As usual, the music choice is spot on. The track is a remake of a song from Aretha Franklin 1964 album Runnin’ Out of Fools, sung by Elayna Boynton. Elayna teamed up with Anthiony Hamilton to perform Freedom, featured on the Django Unchained soundtrack.

The ad was created by Mother London, and directed by Megaforce for Riff Raff Films.

[via The Drum]

UK