NHS | Covid it ain’t over yet

Covid cases are going down (slowly) in the UK but there are still lots of people in hospital, many on ventilators.

By: MullenLowe London 

The Gun Violence History Book| Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence

Agency: FCB Chicago
Client: Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence
Country: United States

For over a century, gun violence has been a deadly issue in the USA. One of the reasons for this problem is a loophole in the law.

FCB Chicago needed to create a campaign, with a small budget, that could gather support for Universal Background checks which would help close the loophole. There has been so much gun violence in America that if it was all captured in a book, it would probably stop a bullet. Introducing The Gun Violence History Book.

Never Standing Still | Hong Kong Ballet

Agency: Design Army

Client: Hong Kong Ballet

Country: Hong Kong

In 2018 a new artistic director took the helm at Hong Kong Ballet, facing dwindling membership, a city in turmoil, and perceptions that ballet was for the elite. After successfully rebranding in 2018, the goal for the Ballet’s 40th anniversary was to establish it as a national institution and reach new audiences.

The strategy was to blend traditional and pop culture to celebrate the Ballet’s heritage and innovative spirit. Design Army’s work helped increase subscriptions by 33%, and elevated Hong Kong Ballet’s position as a cultural institution nationally and one of the most vital ballets in the world.

Eyes Say More Than Words| Georgetown Optician

Agency: Design Army

Client: Georgetown Optician

Country: United States

Georgetown Optician is a purveyor of luxury eyewear with multiple retail locations in Washington, DC. The challenge was to create an integrated brand campaign to showcase its 2020 collection. The campaign includes in-store, online, in product and print, but the focal point is the film. 

Our world is louder than ever before, so Design Army imagined a place where eyes say more than words. They took visual cues from eccentric 1970s style, specifically high school yearbooks. Georgetown Optician has since been recognised as one of the most creative and innovative retail brands in global eyewear.

It's Between You| WhatsApp

Agency: AlmapBBDO

Client: Facebook

Country: Brazil


This film had a great responsibility as the first WhatsApp film in the world. Facebook and AlmapBBDO decided to tell a real story focused on Brazilian carnival, showing a relationship between carnival rivals and a great fire that changes this relationship through the app. 

To bring more reality to the story, they filmed in real samba communities in Rio, with real fire and with actors who are actually residents of these communities.

The 9'58 Biography|PUMA Brazil

Agency: BETC São Paulo

Client: PUMA Brazil

Country: Brazil


In 2009, Usain Bolt broke the 100m world record and made history. But behind this incredible mark, there is a lot of sweat, training and effort. In 2019, ten years later, PUMA Brazil wanted to tell this story, showing an angle that few people know, creating a tribute as outstanding as the world's fastest man. 

BETC São Paulo created a biography that shows all the training and effort behind that mark. But Bolt's biography could not be an ordinary book. It had to be as fast as him. So, the biography is also a flipbook, showing an animation that lasts 9.58s, and recreating the iconic race.

New Lives| Voiceless Women

On the dark web, closed prostitution forums flourish, and men share reviews of sexual encounters with trafficked women, with no legal repercussion. NEWLIVES wanted to be a mouthpiece for these women by using the reviews of their abusers. It went undercover on the dark web, and extracted hundreds of reviews and the names of authors, then had actors and real sex workers lip-sync them un-edited in a very explicit film that exposed both words and usernames of each reviewer for the world to see.

Agency: Uitch Iscratch/No Sleep

Client: Newlives / New Lives + 10 EU NGOs

Country: Denmark

We’re the Superhumans| Channel 4

http://wearethesuperhumans.com/

This inspiring campaign, launched by Channel 4’s in-house creative agency, 4Creative, to advertise the 2016 Rio Paralympics, is an ideal example of marketing that works, developed from a deep understanding of their audience.

In the lead up to the event, having conducted extensive research into athlete perceptions and audience attitudes, the marketing team launched a campaign called ‘Freaks of Nature’, challenging the perceptions of disability in sport, soon to evolve into the follow-up campaign entitled ‘Meet the Superhumans’.

Veering away from convention, the campaign portrayed Paralympians in a new light, as fearless ‘superhumans’ as opposed to people to pity.

Dramatically changing the way their audience viewed disabled athletes, 64% of viewers stated that the Channel 4 coverage had had a favourable impact on their perceptions of people with disabilities, with 82% agreeing that disabled athletes were as talented as their able-bodied counterparts.

Winning a number of national and international awards, the campaign quickly became the second most shared Olympics-related ad of all time on social media.

“One of the main challenges we faced was overcoming the indifference people felt towards the Paralympics”, says 4Creative Business Director, Olivia Browne. “One of the key ingredients to the idea’s success was the single-minded belief that the Paralympics did not have to be second best to the Olympics and could have its own voice, swagger and attitude.”

Agency: 4creative
Client: Channel 4
Award: Black & Yellow Pencil / Film Advertising Crafts / Direction for Film Advertising, 2013

Channel 4's live broadcast of the opening ceremony on the night of August 29 2012 was watched by 11.8 million TV viewers - its largest audience in ten years. The campaign also successfully raised awareness and understanding of disability in sport and helped the London 2012 Paralympics become the first Paralympic Games to sell out.

When Channel 4 became official broadcaster of the Paralympics, just 14% of the population said they were looking forward to the event. By the time the event closed, 64%* of the population agreed that the Paralympics were as good as the Olympics - a figure that rose to 79% among those who had watched Channel 4's Paralympics coverage. Meanwhile, 69%* of viewers said it was the first time they had made the effort to watch the Paralympics.

Other findings underlined this attitudinal shift. By the games' end, 65%* of viewers felt Channel 4's coverage had had a favourable impact on their perceptions of people with disabilities. 82%* agreed that disabled athletes were as talented as able-bodied - 91% among those who had watched the coverage. 68% felt the coverage had had a favourable impact on their perceptions of disabled people in sport.

Meanwhile 'Meet the Superhumans' was widely-praised for its creativity and impact winning many national and international awards including a D&AD Black Pencil, four D&AD Yellow Pencils and a Nomination at D&AD Awards 2013.


Channel 4 set out to make its coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games the biggest event in Channel 4's history and, by doing so, take Paralympic sport to another level. The end result was a powerful and striking campaign at the heart of which sat a 90-second TV ad, 'Meet the Superhumans'.

This film presented a number of Paralympians in 'do or die' training mode with reference to background stories and a climax depicting the intensity of elite sport competition set to a rousing musical soundtrack. Showing Paralympians as powerful warriors rather than people to pity was a striking break with convention.

'Meet the Superhumans' was Channel 4's biggest marketing push in 30 years. The campaign's scale plus its attitude, energy and production values helped create an unprecedented atmosphere of anticipation and excitement in the build up to the games.

The broadcaster's live broadcast of the opening ceremony was watched by 11.8 million TV viewers - its largest audience in ten years. The campaign also successfully raised awareness and understanding of disability in sport and helped the London 2012 Paralympics become the first Paralympic Games to sell out.
The Story


"Working with a broadcaster like Channel 4 was an opportunity for the Paralympics' organisers to take Paralympic sport to a whole new level," says Channel 4 Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Dan Brooke.

Channel 4 has a public service remit set by parliament which requires it to be innovative, distinctive, represent alternative views and bring minority voices centre stage. As a result, its winning bid for the Paralympic broadcast rights was underpinned by a number of important commitments.

For example, it committed to significantly increasing broadcast coverage - it eventually broadcast 500 hours, 400% more than the BBC's Paralympic coverage from Beijing in 2008. It also pledged to make the games more accessible to a wider audience; ensure at least 50% of the event's TV presenters were disabled; and explain disabled sports in new and more engaging ways.

"We knew from the outset editorial and advertising would need to work hand-in-hand if we were to achieve our goal of representing the event and its athletes as elite and world class with unique ability beyond their disability," Head of Marketing James Walker adds. "The challenge was: how?"
The Strategy


An internal, cross-departmental team was assembled spanning marketing, editorial and Channel 4's in-house creative agency / production company 4Creative which develops and produces creative campaigns for Channel 4 programming. "As both the marketing team and 4Creative report to me, the relationship is more equal partners than client and agency," Brooke explains.

Research into athletes' perceptions and audience attitudes was commissioned to help inform from the outset the overall vision and tone for both Channel 4's Paralympic editorial coverage and marketing. On-going attitudinal tracking was also put in place to gauge shifts over time and help feed into the early stages of creative development.

In August 2010, two years before London 2012, Channel 4 broadcast a documentary called 'Inside Incredible Athletes' - its first Paralympic-themed programming. This was supported by a marketing campaigned called 'Freaks of Nature' designed to challenge perceptions of disability in sport and encourage viewers to question their own prejudices.

"The intention was to change people's attitudes and to do that we needed to take them on a journey," Walker says. "'Freaks of Nature' was intended to challenge by turning the meaning of the phrase on its head. The idea was that if great athletes are considered exceptional and different, why not apply the same standard to Paralympians?"

The concept and the attitude it encapsulated provided an important part of the foundation for the campaign that would become 'Meet the Superhumans.'


In late 2011, work began in earnest on the London 2012 Paralympic Games launch marketing campaign at the heart of which would be a TV commercial. "The commercial was always going to be the centrepiece because TV is the strongest medium," Walker says. "And TV is the best medium to sell TV."

4Creative's starting point was the idea that Paralympic athletes are 'superhuman' - an evolution from the 'Freaks of Nature' campaign. "The line is the idea - I can't separate the two," explains Tom Tagholm, Channel 4's former Network Creative Director, who conceived and directed the 'Meet the Superhumans' campaign. "I'll normally try to write a visual idea and end in a line that sums up the thought in a strong way. It's what happened here."

What was needed was a creative execution that would make people both watch and think again about what they were watching - to wonder at who would win, rather than wonder that a disabled athlete can compete at all.


Tagholm's idea was for a film depicting the pain and joy involved in the intense preparation for and participation in elite, world-class competition with reference to some of the Paralympians' back stories - an explosion, a car crash, a mum in hospital. Its success would depend on conveying the emotional intensity, energy and attitude of the athletes themselves.

A decision was made to shoot live sports footage at Paralympian test events and storyboard iconic shots which selected athletes would then be asked to recreate.

"One of the main challenges we faced was overcoming the indifference people felt towards the Paralmypics. One of the key ingredients to the idea's success was the single-minded belief that the Paralympics did not have to be second best to the Olympics and could have its own voice, swagger and attitude," says 4Creative Business Director Olivia Browne.

"We absolutely embraced the athletes: their stance, the ways they've adapted to their sport, the ways they use their bodies. We sought to capture their 'take us as we are' spirit in a way that hadn't been done before - to celebrate the ability beyond their disability."

Led by producers Gwilym Gwillim and Rory Fry, the 4Creative production team spent 16 days shooting Paralympians all over the country but only for limited periods of time due to their intense training regimes. At all times the emphasis was on the need to find camera angles that were new and felt special. "On some occasions up to ten cameras were used - a mixture of formats including Phantom, Alexa and Canon 5D," Browne adds. "We even invented rigs that didn't exist to get right to the heart of the action."


Striking the right balance in the created scenes between footage that was both natural and shot from the heart of the action was also a challenge. Meanwhile, the back story scenes were storyboarded then shot as a "flashback moment" that would appear only briefly to provide an emotional jolt in the middle of the film.

"I didn't know these scenes would come in the middle of the ad until I got a little way into the edit," Tagholm says. "It just seemed the right place to not dwell on or over-dramatise these moments, but ensure they are felt in a vivid way."

The importance of attitude and emotional intensity made 4Creative editor Tim Hardy's role critical. Pace was essential - each shot had to be high energy, with nothing slow or moody. It was about being unapologetic with every aspect of the production - including the choice of music. Which is why when early on in the edit Hardy suggested Public Enemy's 'Harder Than You Think' all involved agreed the fit was perfect.

"I wrote 'Meet the Superhumans' to a hip hop track and this is where we looked first," Tagholm explains. "'Harder Than You Think' has the energy and the swagger and happens to work lyrically so it's got a few things going for it."

What did the Judges Have to say about Meet the Superhumans?

Watch our D&AD Black Pencil Judging film to find out.


Throughout the campaign's development, Channel 4 was in regular and close contact with Olympic organiser LOCOG, the Paralympic authorities and local sports governing bodies as well as its own sponsorship partners: Sainsbury and BT. "The big discussion with our external partners was about the unconventional way we proposed promoting the sport," Brooke explains. "But we were confident in our approach and the knowledge that we had won the broadcast rights because of (not despite) our commitment to handling them in a Channel 4 way."

Another challenge was when to launch 'Meet the Superhumans' to maximise its potential impact, Walker adds: "The question was whether to start it before, during or after the Olympics. Before seemed the right option allowing us both more time to build reach and to show clearly that the Paralympics can be the equal of the Olympics."

So 'Meet the Superhumans' was mass-launched simultaneously across 78 TV channels on Tuesday July 17 2012 at 9pm to reach at least 50% of the UK TV audience in one fell swoop. The film was supported by a series of posters continuing the 'Superhumans' theme and a stunt - 'Thanks for the warm up' - in which Channel 4 used Twitter and outdoor media in the final days of the Olympics to thank that event for preparing the audience for the Paralympics.

Looking back, Brooke believes Channel 4 creative culture played a central role in the campaign's success. "Our remit to be innovative and distinctive is so deeply engrained when I turn down ideas it's more likely to be because they are too conservative," he says.

"Some might question whether a cross-departmental committee is the best way of developing creative ideas. But it works for us because more people in a room allows more stress testing and sharpening of ideas, not less. 'Meet the Superhumans' typifies the importance of being bold while staying true to your core brand values and demonstrates the value of taking a creative risk."

Tagholm agrees: "The thinking was to go big and never be apologetic. You can't do this in an organisation if people are scared."

Credit:

Channel 4 is proud to present the 3-minute trailer for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Signed & Subtitled and Audio Described versions are available in the playlist. Download the track at http://wearethesuperhumans.com from Sat 16th July, with all profits going to the British Paralympic Association. Writers: Strouse/Adams Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Ltd Hannah Cockcroft – ParalympicsGB Wheelchair Racer 00:32 Mel Nicholls – ParalympicsGB Wheelchair Racer 00:34 Joren Teeuwen - Netherlands Paralympics High Jumper 00:37 Matt Stutzman – USParalympics Archer 00:49 ParalympicsGB Wheelchair Rugby Team 1:00 & 2:24 Iaroslav Semenenko – Ukrainian Paralympic Swimmer – 1:26 Richard Whitehead – ParalympicsGB Athlete 1:27 & 2:09 ParalympicsGB Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team 1:32 Piers Gilliver and Dimitri Coutya - ParalympicsGB Fencers 1.35 & 2:11 Ellie Simmonds – ParalympicsGB Swimmer 1:54 Libby Clegg – ParalympicsGB Sprinter 1:55 Sam Ruddock – ParalympicsGB Shot Put 1:56 Jody Cundy – Paralympics GB Cyclist 1:57 David Weir – ParalympicsGB Wheelchair Racer 1:57 Will Bayley and Kim Daybell – ParalympicsGB Table Tennis 2:07 Jessica Jane Applegate – ParalympicsGB Swimmer 2:10 Ali Jawad – ParalympicsGB Powerlifter 2:11 Natalie Blake – ParalmypicsGB Powerlifter 2:11 Micky Yule – ParalympicsGB Powerlifter 2:12 Chris Skelley and Jack Hodgson – ParalympicsGB Judokas 2.30

Year in Search|Google

Another powerful example of a brand using data to drive creativity is Google’s ‘Year in Search’ campaign. Much like Spotify’s data-fueled creative effort, the stars of the search giant’s annual campaign were its users.

Google creatively put insights into action, exploring the emotional story at the heart of every search term that dominated 2016.

Honing in on everything that made that year particularly memorable, including its most shocking news stories from Brexit and Trump’s election to Syria and the Orlando shooting, Google managed to turn the widespread perception of 2016 as a year of disproportionate lows on its head to spread a message of hope, ending with the words: “Love is out there. Search on.”

Aptly highlighting how Google is not just a search engine for the world at large, but a source of learning where people turn for answers, the campaign was a clever play on emotions that once again proved its dominant influence over the online world.

“From Powerball numbers to Olympic champions, whether making dessert or becoming a mannequin, this year affected us all in different ways.” says Ben Gomes, VP Search.

“Through all the highs and lows, people came to Search to learn more and understand.”

Ref:

• https://www.google.com/intl/en-GB/trends/2016records/
• https://trends.google.com/trends/yis/2016/GLOBAL/
• http://google.com/2016 | #YearInSearch

C R E D I T S: Brexit - Ruptly Trump & Hillary Supporters - Associated Press (AP) US Election map: ABC BLM Protesters - AP Dallas PD Vigil - Ruptly Dallas PD memorial - ITN News Source Orlando PD - Steven Fernandez Aleppo Wall - Russia Insider Omran Daqneesh - AP Refugees welcome - Shay Murphy Justin Trudeau at pride - Canadian Press Hillary Clinton @ DNC - CNN Doaa Elghobashy @ Olympics - AP Simone Biles performance - USA Gymnastics Prince with guitar - Richard E. Aaaron Special thanks to www.alicenter.org/ Ali with mic - AP Bowie with Lighting Bolt - Duffy Archive & Bowie Archive Aziz Ansari w/ Lighting - Photo by Crackerfarm/Under The Table Additional Lighting Makeup shot - Dade Freeman Bear and Deer - JukinMedia Secret Life of Pets available on Google Play Zianna Speaks to City Council - CNN Refugees at Sea - Vice News Border embrace - ITN/Reuters Dallas Protest - Dallas Morning News

#ProjectLiteracy |Pearson

Pearson: Project Literacy

Project Literacy, the global campaign led by Pearson and FCB Inferno, has received international praise for its inspiring message and efforts to tackle the pressing issue of illiteracy.

Based on the discovery that illiteracy impacts over 750 million people worldwide, or one in ten people alive today, Pearson set out to raise awareness that this crisis contributes to a large portion of the world’s biggest problems.

Driving the message that words have the power to end illiteracy, the campaign included a 90-minute film with a particularly harrowing narrative and a social media campaign that onboarded a whole host of influencers.

In less than a week, #ProjectLiteracy reached over 10 million people on Facebook, while the film has now earned more than 12.8 million views, with Project Literacy being asked to join the UNESCO Global Alliance for Literacy. Emilie Colker, Vice President of Brand and Social Impact at Pearson, founding partner of Project Literacy says:

“This campaign has brought a largely invisible issue to the attention of millions.”

About Pearson 

We’re here to keep the whole world learning In a fast-changing world, education is the key to success. For many people, learning is the route to a job to support their family or the skills to help them make progress in their career. For others, it’s simply a lifelong passion for discovery. For every learner, at every stage of their life, education is the path to opportunity and fulfillment. Our world-class tools, content, products, and services are designed to help people adapt to our changing world, navigate its challenges and opportunities, and ultimately make progress in their lives. Because where learning flourishes, so do people.
We want to improve access and outcomes in education for learners around the world. We do this by combining expert content and assessment, powered by our services and technology. We’re proud to be a trusted partner to schools, colleges, and students. 

• Content and platforms such as MyLab, Revel, Bug Club, enVisionMATH, and SuccessMaker, plus leading author brands such as Campbell, Hubbard, Ciccarelli, and Martin-Gay 
• Assessments such as GCSEs, A levels, BTECs, WISC-V, PTE Academic, and school assessments using TestNav 
• Services such as Pearson VUE, Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Connections, and English Language centers, e.g., Wizard and Wall Street English

Nike|Never Too Far Down

Nike's back with another uplifting ad designed to give us the courage to get through the pandemic. This 90-second narration from LeBron James reminds us how sports are the ultimate beacon for hope. No matter how far you might be down, like say three games to one or behind 28-3 in the Super Bowl, there's always hope.

The 90-second spot, “Never Too Far Down,” was created by Wieden + Kennedy Portland. Humanity’s comeback story, featuring world-class athletes, is what one would expect from a Nike ad. Narrated by LeBron James, the film features elite Nike athletes, including Serena Willams, Naomi Osaka, Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal, Megan Rapinoe and others.

The three-act structure in the minute and a half spot vacillates from struggle and pain, to finding a way through, to, ultimately, triumph. It’s a hopeful, inspiring message that we’re all hoping to experience before too long.

In classic Nike and W+K fashion, the simplicity of impactful imagery, sound (in this case, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ excellent version of David Bowie’s Life on Mars?) and words make a significant impact. The latter is particularly impressive, with obvious metaphors to the current crisis.

CREDITS:

Client: Nike
Campaign: Never Too Far Down

W+K Portland
Executive Creative Directors: Eric Baldwin, Jason Bagley
Creative Directors: Alberto Ponte, Ryan O’Rourke
Art Director: Lee Jenninigs
Copywriter: Kevin Steele
Head of Production: Matt Hunnicutt
Executive Producers: Jake Grand, Krystle Mortimore
Producer: Emily Knight
Associate Producer: Shani Storey
Group Brand Director: Andre Gustavo
Brand Director: Kate Rutkowski
Brand Manager: Steve Smith
Group Strategy Director: Paula Bloodworth
Global Group Media Director: Daniel Sheniak
US Group Media Director: Reme DeBisschop
Associate Media Director: Emily Dalton
Media Supervisor: Graham Wallace
Sr. Business Affairs Managers: Laura Caldwell, Adam Caviezel
Integrated Traffic Managers: Sabrina Reddy, Billy Mucha
Sr. Creative Operations Manager: David Ramirez
Studio Manager: Michael Frediani
Retoucher: Amy Ellars
Designers: Nick Humbel, Mitch Wilson

Production Company
Production Company: Park Pictures
Director: Lance Acord
Executive Producer: Jackie Kelman Bisbee
EP / Producer: Caroline Kousidonis
Production Manager: Joe Faulstich

Editorial
Company: Spot Welders
Editor: Robert Duffy
Assistant Editor: JC Nunez
Assistant Editor: Fatos Marishta
Managing Partner: David Glean
Executive Producer: Carolina Padilla

VFX
VFX Company: Shipping + Handling
Creative Director, Lead VFX: Casey Price
Creative Director, VFX: Jerry Spivack
VFX: James Buongiorno, Johannes Gamble, Evelyn Lee, Rachel Moorer
Managing Partner: David Glean
VFX Executive Producer: Scott Friske, Dustin LaForce

Color
Color Company: A52
Colorist: Daniel De Vue
Color Executive Producer: Thatcher Peterson
Color Producer: Jenny Bright

Mix
Mix Company: Joint Editorial
Audio Mixer: Natalie Huizenga
Executive Producer: Leslie Carthy

Music Supervision
Company: Walker
Senior Executive Producer: Sara Matarazzo
Executive Producer: Stephanie Pigott
Producer: Danielle Soury

Music
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross “Life on Mars?” by David Bowie

5G Today

Client: ZainKSA
Agency Network: Leo Burnett MEA (Middle East & Africa)
Published/Aired: U/K
Posted: Dec 3, 2019

Marc Jacobs| #CastMeMarc

Want to find fresh talent and build brand awareness at the same time? That's exactly what Marc Jacobs did when he sought out to find the face of his new contemporary label. For the chance to star in the fashion icon's next campaign, all you  had to do was share a photo of yourself on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #CastMeMarc.  Marc announced the winner of his online casting call from his personal Twitter page.