McDonalds"“A to Z”

McDonalds in the UK is running “A to Z”, an integrated advertising campaign deisgned to reassure parents about the high quality of McDonalds food, commitment to corporate social responsibility, staff training opportunities, environmental initiatives and its commitment to their local communities. “Everything from our ingredients to our people. Discover what makes McDonald’s.” A 60 second television commercial has kids, parents and farmers interacting with each letter of the alphabet to bring to life behind-the-scenes stories. The campaign is carried over online at a-z.mcdonalds.co.uk, instore (trayliners), in print ads and on the side of McDonald’s trucks. Intricate illustrations build on the handmade feel of the TV, each depicting an individual letter and the story it represents or collecting the entire 26 stories together.

Credits

The A to Z campaign was developed at Leo Burnett, London, by copywriter Graham Lakeland, art director Richard Robinson, planner Jessica Summerfield, working with McDonalds marketing manager Jo Webster.
Media was managed at OMD UK, London, by planner Andrew Lloyd.
Filming was shot by director Sara Dunlop via Rattling Stick, London, with producer Stuart Bentham and director of photography Nanu Segal.
Editor was Bill Smedley at Work Post. Post production was done at The Moving Picture Company (MPC), London, by VFX producer / supervisor Anandi Peiris. Audio post production was done at Wave Studios, London. Voiceover is Mark Wooten.
Print work was by illustrator Kate Forrester.

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Gap| Behind the Scenes.

From looking at just the first few pieces they've produced, it seems like this is an attempt to distance themselves from the pop advertising of the past — and maybe distinguish themselves from corporate cousin Old Navy. The work will take the viewer behind the scenes of the company's various departments, highlighting the people behind the products. It's not exactly a new approach, but it might just be what the clothier needs to do to relaunch their brand, one that has been the target of so much negative press. (Or was all that negative press just on design blogs? I can't quite tell. Ha.)
The first spot weighs in at 1:30 and features GAP's 1969 denim studio in downtown LA, and all the eager faces behind the product - considered by most to be GAP's best. It's hard not to appreciate the effort and passion they seem to put into their work, and if it doesn't exactly change my perception of them as a corporation, it might just start that process.
Pico 1969 Denim Studio

Here's a nice quote from wwd.com, “It’s quite a shift,” from past campaigns, said Seth Farbman, Gap’s global chief marketing officer. “This is the beginning of a longer-term strategy” that continues for the holiday season and into next year at least, and also continues to feature different operations and people at Gap. Farbman, who is based at Gap’s Global Creative Center in New York, declined to disclose which Gap operation will be highlighted next."
1969 Denim Studio Profile: Rob Crews

1969 Denim Studio Profile: Masako

A product-specific ad/video/thing:









Gap is turning to storytelling in its new global campaign, promoting its 1969 denim collection with "real people" (to start with, the team behind the collection, at its Los Angeles denim studio) and some other local touches, including tapping into the mobile truck craze and even featuring the studio's resident dog.
The first major campaign by the brand's new CMO, former Ogilvy exec Seth Farbman, the "1969: L.A. and Beyond" campaign aims to tell "the story of its 1969 fall collection from the inside out. Starting with the personalities behind the denim, 1969: L.A. and Beyond gives a transparent look at the designers and how they come together each day to create the latest in denim fits, fabrics and washes. Taking it from the studio to the real world, the campaign also shows how the denim comes to life in various cities by the people who wear it."[more]

Gap, of course, isn't the first brand to feature "real people" including its own employees — J. Crew, Zappos andAmerican Apparel are a few brands just in the fashion/retail space who've been down that path, while Seattle's Best Coffee, Red Lobster, Domino's, Cathay Pacific, and Perdue Farms have . But Farbman, a former journalist, is eager to bring storytelling back to the brand in a Levi's-like move designed to give it more street cred and a variety of hooks to play up to its 1.6 million Facebook fans and also style bloggers, who've already started talking up the campaign.
“When I first joined Gap, I was surprised by the unexpected, untold stories across the brand—particularly about our people and the real-life experiences and situations they’re inspired by,” said Farbman in a statement. “Fall is our first step in sharing what’s different and inventive at Gap, and we’re starting with our 1969 studio. We want our customers to see who’s behind the product and how their individual personalities and lifestyles influence what we offer in our stores around the globe.”
While Levi's has been creating experiential brand stories with pop-up locations in San Francisco, London and now Berlin to play up its "we are all workers" theme, Gap is looking to tacos and celebrity chefs to bring the 1969 campaign to the streets.
According to Ad Age, there "will also be an experiential element, with a taco truck, inspired by the Los Angeles locale of the studio, set to make appearances in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Starting this week, the "Pico de Gap" food trucks will sell tacos for $1.69 (though if you show off Gap duds, they're free), as well as hand-out coupons." The trucks will feature celebrity chefs who will broadcast their location via Twitter.
More from Gap's press release on the campaign launch:
"Led by creative director Rosella Giuliani, the 1969 design team is a collective of artists, musicians, action sports junkies and trendsetters. Women’s design director, Nicole King-Burroughs, turns to art for style inspiration, while women’s merchant, Masako Konishi, views fashion as more instinct than intellect, applying emotion as opposed to regulated rules to make her fashion choices. Men’s design director, Jason Ferro, brings his background as a rebel skater, surfer and musician to the design table, while men’s merchant, Cale Margol, uses denim as a canvas to tell a modern and progressive story. Wash specialist, Rob Crews, started in the industry when he was just 16 years-old and fell in love with the creative process of taking raw denim into a washed state through different hand treatments.

Providing further inspiration to the design team, the 1969 studio feels like the personal atelier of a denim architect, not the headquarters of a global brand. Once a cigar factory, the vast and open loft studio is based in the heart of the garment district on West Pico Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles. This Gap denim epicenter is an ever-changing canvas for ideas, featuring art books, mood boards, vintage buttons, Japanese work wear catalogues and back issues of surfer magazines, set against a backdrop of sun-filled floor-to-ceiling bay windows.
Aligned with how people want to discover and share information, 1969: L.A. and Beyond will live primarily in the digital world via a series of video vignettes and sponsored editorial on Gap’s Facebook page and on outlets such as DailyCandy, FabSugar, Glam, Hulu, LookBook, Pandora, Refinery29, RollingStone and TrendCentral. The campaign will also run in the August issues of national magazines including Glamour, GQ, InStyle, People StyleWatch and Vogue. Customers will also see the campaign in Gap’s windows nationwide where each designer will be profiled with photos and quotes. 1969: L.A. and Beyond was developed in partnership with Ogilvy and Cool Hunting."
The campaign was developed in Gap’s Global Creative Center in New York, and is designed to be global with different parts of the campaign allowing international markets to balance according to their needs. According to Ad Age, "spending on the campaign will be flat compared with last year, though a greater percentage of the budget is going toward digital and social media, a spokeswoman said. In the third quarter of 2010, Gap spent about $30 million on measured media, according to Kantar Media."
Graphicology's take on the campaign (watch the initial L.A. spots below, with "beyond L.A." to follow): "On one level, this seems to be much ado about nothing, but it still works. A little transparency, even quite polished transparency, can be beneficial if your brand has a story to tell, and I think everyone can agree that GAP is one such brand. Even if these spots are not the most surprising pieces of communication - my hope for this campaign is that it is just a start of things to come. Hopefully, more heartfelt, intelligent and eager advertising from the company and agency Ogilvy."
Gap 1969 Denim Studio Los Angeles: Go inside the Pico creative loft in downtown Los Angeles, where Gap's 1969 denim design team works on fits, cuts, washes and other design elements to create a truly unique approach to affordable, cutting-edge jeans


Gehind the scenes at the 1969 Denim Headquarters in downtown Los Angeles:
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Gap 1969 Denim Profile: Rob Crews. "We take the raw denim and turn it into its washed and final state. We go into it wanting to make every garment the very best." 
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Gap 1969 Denim Profile: Masako Konishi. "What we challenge ourselves to do is to take the idea of denim as a staple and to move it forward; to keep it new and to keep it fresh," says Masako, Gap 1969 women's denim merchant. "Being inspired by truly creative people is what I love about my job." 


Gap 1969 Denim Profile: Cale Margol. "I wear jeans every day. I really don't wear anything else," says Cale Margol, men's denim merchant for Gap 1969 jeans. A background in surfer wear and architecture helps inspire his work on the 1969 denim men's line. "How do you do something that sets [you] apart from the next brand?"
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Gap 1969 Denim Profile: Jason Ferro. "I take a lot of inspiration from the street, from music, from the art world," says the head designer for Gap 1969 Men's Denim. "When you can capture your attitude and your self-expression through your clothing, that's what you want to do." Meet Jason, his band and his dog, Louie (also at top): 
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Gap 1969 Denim Profile: Nicole King-Burroughs. Nicole started her career as an intern at Gap. "I basically joke that I was born and raised at the Gap," she says. "Everyone here basically lives into the lifestyle as well. We're really designing for ourselves." 
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And there's a slew of Gap 1969 product videos, of course — a few:
Denim Skinny Boot Jean in Black: What's the newest denim cut? Masako, Gap 1969 Denim women's merchant, is betting on the skinny boot, a legging with a subtle bootcut flare at the heel:
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Gap 1969 Denim Men's Straight Fit Jean in Clean Gray. The Gap 1969 Men's team is thinking beyond blue: For fall, they've created a versatile dark gray color for their popular straight fit jean:
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Taipei City, Taiwan: Beef Noodle Soup

One of my best noodle experiences ever at this Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup shop tucked away in Ximending, a poppin’ trendy shopping area in Taipei City. The Beef Noodle restaurant was actually on the outskirts of all the action so it was a little hard to find, especially because the only information I had was the name of the restaurant, written in chinese, on a piece of note paper. A challenging find as I can’t read Chinese. Challenging but not achievable! When the restaurant was finally in sight, I still wasn’t that sure I had found it. I had to ask a couple of people before I finally decided that this was it. Not the usual set up that I’m used to in the states.
The outdoor kitchen is in the front facing the street.

Dining area da back. Ho Holey ah.

PALDO Bibim Men Korean Spicy Flavor

These are pretty awesome! Sweet, savory, garlicky, spicy and cold! Garnished with honey smoked turkey, organic pea shoots, some jalapeno & a perfectly cooked egg! What an awesome meal. Yummy! Yummy!

DOLL Instant Noodle Pickled Vegetable Flavor August 1st, 2011

Very salty and actually tasted like pickled cabbage. I enjoyed the texture of the noodles as they were nice and round and slurpy.

Illusional advertising

Victim Support |Find The Strength

Victim Support, a UK charity giving free and confidential help to victims of crime, witnesses, their family and friends, is running a print, radio, television and ambient advertising campaign featuring the stories of people affected by crimes. Launched in May 2010, the campaign began with the narratives of victims of attack, burglary and domestic violence, written in handwriting across the faces of the victims, with a reference to the role of Victim Support in helping each one find the inner strength to face life again. The campaign, promoting Victim Support’s new logo and strapline, “Find the Strength”, was followed up with a further campaign with the tagline, “Invest Now”.

On Saturday 11th June, 27 volunteers performed a mini flashmob drama in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens. Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK8G6Ei3-g4

Credits

The Find the Strength campaign was developed at MWO, London, by art directors Steve Williams, Mark Hurst, Jo Webb, copywriters Martyn Smith, Natasha Freedman, Jez Cripps, and photographer Jad Oakes.

Australia Post| Zing Your Thing

Australia Post has released “Zing Your Thing”, an advertising campaign designed to promote parcel services to small and medium businesses that trade online. The campaign, online at zingyourthing.com.au, uses “Zing”, a red furry ball that comes in any size, a metaphor representing the different products and services that small businesses may provide.

Click on the image below to play the Introducing Zing video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBrIDs5PTV0

Click on the image below to play the Zing Yoga (Balanzing) video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=osxoFfAElz0

Click on the image below to play the Zing Fashion video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV-eOXyagLk

Click on the image below to play the Zing Bo video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iB64fOyHTU

Credits

The Zing campaign was developed at Marmalade, Melbourne, by creative director Neil Mallet, creatives Frank Trobbiani and Brian Thacker, agency producer Beaver.
Filming was shot by director Trent O’Donnell via Jungleboys with director of photography Simon Chapmanand producer Nicola Patterson
Digital work was by Amnesia Razorfish.

Australian Government |Clean Energy Future

The Australian Government has launched “Clean Energy Future”, an integrated advertising campaign design to provide the Australian community with information about the Government’s plan for a clean energy future. The campaign, online at cleanenergyfuture.gov.au, climatechange.gov.au, Facebook, Twitter (@cefgovau) and Youtube, provides information on what the Government’s plan means for households, businesses and communities. Television commercials feature real Australians who work in large and small organisations involved in creating a clean energy future for Australia. The campaign also includes print and radio advertisements, along with brochures.

Click on the image below to play the Australia’s Clean Energy Future video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=GclABRT23fA

Click on the image below to play the Creating a Clean Energy Future video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ4EFCPHwus

Click on the image below to play the Cutting Carbon Pollution video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF0MXZq-0Y8

Click on the image below to play the Household Assistance video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcEQuuuuB_4

Click on the image below to play the Why act on carbon pollution now? video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au8-Mr1vGAc

Click on the image below to play the How does carbon pricing work? video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQd_DlkdQ1w

Greg Combet, Minister for the Environment, introduces the Clean Energy Future concept. Click on the image below to play the Greg Combet video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF3bdx5C4_w

Professor Will Steffen, Executive Director of Climate Change institute, Australian National University, and Commissioner, Climate Commission, talks about the risks of rises in temperature and sea level. Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWPN5Ga6g7E

The campaign includes a range of videos outlining the ways households will be helped to deal with the effects of the Price on Carbon. Click on the image below to play Mick’s video in YouTube (HD)

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGsfS-ptODs

The following three commercials are currently set as “private”. Dr Doone Wyborn is Chief Scientist at Geodynamics. Chris McGrath is Development Manager, Infigen, a company responsible for building wind farms. Alex Wonhas is director of the Energy Transformed Flagship in CSIRO, the government’s scientific research community.

Credits

The Clean Energy Future campaign was developed at Smart, Melbourne. The site was developed at Osky Interactive, Canberra.

10 Cool Uses of LED Sign in Times Square

When American Eagle opened its Times Square store in late 2009, most of the attention was on the retailer's sprawling 25,000-square-foot, four-story floor plan. But in the year and half since then, it's the brand's towering building-side LED display that's had the most noticeable impact, even in one of the world's most notoriously cluttered visual landscapes. By the numbers, this digital ziggurat is 15,000 square feet of LED, climbing 25 stories above Broadway and playing animations 18 hours a day. It's one of the nation's premium ad spaces, not only for American Eagle but for the brands and charities that buy (or are given) space there. We've compiled 10 of the more interesting ways the display has been used. Check them out after the jump.

1. '15 Seconds of Fame'
   
   A signature use of the display comes from American Eagle itself—actually, its in-store photo studio, which lets customers pose for pictures that are then displayed on the LED tower, granting them a raucous "15 seconds of fame." Check out the finished product below, and R/GA's case study for more details: American Eagle - 15 Seconds of Fame (case study) 
2. Foursquare
   
   It's not every day that an advertising display itself gets free advertising, but that's essentially what happened when American Eagle's space became home to a massive ad celebrating Foursquare. Sure, it was a great deal for Foursquare, which reportedly didn't pay a dime, but the flood of photos and blog coverage were also great publicity for the Times Square display itself.
3. 'Hear to Help' Haitian Relief
   
   After the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010, American Eagle partnered with Filter magazine to sell a compilation CD, "Hear to Help," with all proceeds going toward Oxfam's relief efforts.
4. Experience China
   
   This video featuring the people of China was commissioned by the Chinese government to help pave the way diplomatically for President Hu Jintao's visit earlier this year.
5. Mexico: 'The Place You Thought You Knew'
   
   Rounding out our trio of international executions is this colorful tourism display for Mexico, which used the ad as part of a campaign aimed at convincing Americans and Canadians that their southern neighbor has more than just beaches.
6. Milus
   
   Now here's a classy way to show the current time. The watch in the ad is accurate in real time and is shown as part of a video loop. You can see it in action here:
   
7. 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1'
   
   Here's a nice wraparound video execution, made to promote Blu-ray sales for the first-last Harry Potter film. Luckily, some wandering muggle snagged a video:
   
8. Fleet Week
   
   American Eagle ratcheted up the patriotism for Fleet Week. Not a bad idea when you've got thousands of sailors and Marines in town looking to check out Times Square.
9. 'Mary Poppins' on Broadway
   
   A photo doesn't do this one much justice, so check out the full animation for the Broadway revival ofMary Poppins here:
   
10. Audi
    
    What, no augmented reality? Audi seemed to pack every other hot bit of mobile tech into this display, which featured QR codes, SMS and location-based check-ins via Facebook Places or Foursquare. By scanning the QR code, you could access a mobile site that let you tweet a message to Times Square. Or learn about the new Audi A7, I suppose.

Before we wrap up, I wanted to show some love to the people behind the scenes. To build the display, American Eagle hired the Barnycz Group to design it, with the screens provided by Barco and the computer systems set up by Activate the Space LLC. R/GA creates much of the content, and the ad space is sold by ABC Regional Sports & Entertainment Sales (which we also thank for providing much of the art for this post).