Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Usher & More Sacrifice Their Digital Lives To Save Others.

above: Lady Gaga is Dead

A multitude of celebrities from superstar Lady Gaga to photographer David LaChapelle have sacrificed their digital lives to help save millions of real lives affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India in a new awareness campaign for Keep A Child Alive by TBWA/ Chiat /Day, New York.

Starting on December 1, which was World AIDS Day, the world's most followed celebrity Tweeters began sacrificing their digital lives to help save millions of real lives affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.

That meant no more Twitter or Facebook updates from any of them. No more knowing where they are, what they had for dinner, or what interesting things are happening in their lives. From here on out, they're dead. Kaput. Finished.

Jennifer Hudson Is Dead:


But they don't have to die in vain. And they don't have to stay dead for long. Just watch their Last Tweet and Testaments, and buy their lives back.

Every single dollar helps Keep a Child Alive fight this terrible disease. And when $1,000,000 is reached, everyone will be back online and tweeting in no time.

You can even join the fight yourself by sacrificing your own digital life. If Khloe and Kim can live without Twitter for a few days, maybe you can too.

Kim and Khloe Kardashian Are Dead:


Together, with a little digital sacrifice on our parts, we can give millions of real people the care, love and hope they deserve. We can give them life - the one thing none of us can live without.

The following fabulous shots of the 'dead' celebs were taken by Markus Klinko and Indrani, with styling by GK Reid. The one exception is the Justin Timberlake shot which was taken by Peggy Sirota.

The other "Dead" Celebs:

Alicia Keyes:

Justin Timberlake:

Bronson Pelletier:

Daphne Guinness:

David LaChapelle:

Elijah Wood:

Janelle Monae:

Jay Sean:


Kimberly Cole:

Ryan Seacrest:

Serena Williams:

Swiss Beatz:

The Buried Life:

Usher:



©2010 Keep a Child Alive. Keep a Child Alive is a registered 501c3 charity. US Texting Disclaimer: $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill/deducted from your prepaid account. Message & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to 90999 to stop. Full Terms: mGive.org/T. In the UK, Text "BUYLIFE" to 70500 - SMS donations are charged at £5 to your phone bill. Always seek the permission of the bill payer. Keep a Child Alive will receive a minimum of 81% of this fee due to network charges and processing.

New Michelin Ads: Proof That The Right Execution Changes Everything.

above: a still from the second animated Michelin spot in the new global campaign, Saddest Road.

Michelin's latest advertising campaign, "The Right Tire Changes Everything" has refreshed an ad icon that was fast fading into "Speedy -Alka Seltzer-land." But thanks to a new advertising campaign by TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York, the lovable white tower of tires, known in the US as The Michelin Tire Man, is back with a vengeance.

The recent animated Michelin television commercial "Evil Gas Pump" directed and edited by Pysop, has been making the rounds on blogs and magazines and winning honors and accolades in several trade publications. With its digital rejuvenation of the beloved Michelin Man, the spot deserves the kudos.


above: a still from the animated Michelin spot, Evil Gas Pump

But the next one, is just as fabulous, if not more so. Saddest Road is the second in the animated series, soon to be followed by a third. Once again, the animation and music are wonderful and Bibendum, (our tire man's actual name) is once again a hero worth worship.

Take a look at "Saddest Road":


I am not sure the same creative team at TBWA/Chiat/Day New york did all the spots, but at the end of this post are the credits for Evil Gas Pump, which, if you have not yet seen is right here:




The print work, while attractive, is no breakthrough creative, given it is just a lift from the television and the headline is a disappointing rehash of the tagline. But I suppose you could argue the cop out that it's a cohesive campaign because both the tv and print showcase the wonderful animation.

Examples of the print work for Michelin:



According to Michelin Corporate's press release "The new campaign’s slogan – “The right tire changes everything” – is intended to illustrate the competitive advantages of Michelin tires in media outlets around the world." The worldwide campaign initially launched in the United States in early October and then will gradually be deployed in 55 countries – in Europe and Asia in early 2010, followed by Africa, the Middle East, India and South America.

They also designed a new US site for the brand:

 
 above: the home page of the new site.


According to Adweek, the fourth quarter advertising effort cost $20 million.
       

Credits:
Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day
New York Chairman & CCO: Mark Figliulo
ACD/Art Director: Anthony DeCarolis
ACD/Copywriter: Erik Fahrenkopf
Executive Producer Media Arts: Matt Bijarchi
Director of Broadcast Production: Ozzie Spenningsby
Senior Producer: Jason Souter
Production: Psyop, New York
Director: Psyop
Creative Director: Marie Hyon/Marco Spier
Executive Producer: Lucia Grillo
Senior Producer: Lydia Holness
Producer: Lisa Munoz
Lead Designers: Anh Vu, Helen Choi
Designers: Kitty Lin, Jaye Kim, Ben Chan, Pete Sickbert-Bennett
Lead Technical Director: Tony Barbieri
Lead CG Animator: Pat Porter
CG Animators: Gooshun Wang, Royce Wesley, Kevin Phelps, Michael Shin, Angelo Collazo, Russ Wooton
Lead Ligthing TD: Anthony Patti
CG Lighters: Cody Chen, Szymon Weglarski, Helen Choi, Jeff Chavez
CG Modelers: Soo Hee Han, Tom Cushwa, Rie Ito, Tony Jung, Dan Fine
CG Rigging: Goo-shun Wang, Stanley Llin, Jordan Blit
FX: Miguel Salek, Jonah Friedman
Lead Compositor: Jason Conradt
Compositors: Manu Gaulot, Gabriel Regentin
Editorial: Psyop
Editor: Cass Vanini
Mix: Sound Lounge
Sound Engineer – Philip Loeb
Sound Design: Sound Lounge
Sound Designer- Marshall Grupp
Producer: Martia Guinn
Music: Human
Composer: Human
Executive Producer: Lauren Bleiweiss

Six Artists Introduce Us To Their Absolut Worlds By Doing Something Exceptional

Absolut Vodka, six artists and director Rupert Sanders (along with ad agency TBWA Chiat Day, NY) got together to each create a three dimensional world in which the Absolut Vodka brand philosophy that "Doing Things Differently Leads To Something Exceptional" is literally spelled out, one word at a time in different materials and environments. In this post are all of the behind the scenes videos as well as the finished art and anthem tv commercial.




above: The film was created by long-standing ad agency of record TBWA\Chiat\Day, directed by acclaimed director Rupert Sanders and designed by production designer James Chinlund.

from the press release:
“Anthem” is a both literal and symbolic manifestation of ABSOLUT VODKA’s belief that ‘Doing Things Differently Leads to Something Exceptional’. But it is the unexpected and poetic manner in which the message unfolds that makes this commercial unmistakably and wholly ABSOLUT. Every vignette in the film – each presenting one word of that anthemic statement – is a genuine artistic installation in and of itself.

“ABSOLUT has always chartered its own routes and done things differently to create a superior vodka and outstanding marketing. With ‘Anthem’ we want to put a stake in the ground and show the ambition of our future communication”, says Anna Malmhake, Global Brand Director at The Absolut Company. “This film gives an artistic nod to our deep creative roots, but more importantly, it delivers a significant promise for the future. ‘Anthem’ conveys our most fundamental brand belief and states that ABSOLUT has a long-term commitment to creativity.”

At six different locations a crew of artisans have created large-scale installations out of ice blocks, wheat, two thousand hanging ABSOLUT bottles, flying lanterns, gigantic balloons and a myriad of glass cylinders. Each installation forms a word and is crafted to tell its part of the ABSOLUT story – from the iconic shape of the bottle and the Swedish winter wheat distilled to the urban landscapes in which ABSOLUT VODKA is enjoyed.

Below are images of the installations (click to enlarge) that spell out each word of the sentence "‘Doing Things Differently Leads to Something Exceptional" and each is followed by a behind the scenes video of the creation. Please be patient for downloads and buffering.

DOING
Snow Sculptures:


The behind the scenes video:

THINGS
Two thousand glass Absolut bottles hanging in the woods:



The behind the scenes video:

DIFFERENTLY
Sculpted haystacks:

The behind the scenes video:

LEADS TO
Flying Lanterns:


The behind the scenes video:

SOMETHING
Gigantic Balloons:



The behind the scenes video:

EXCEPTIONAL
Distillery:


The behind the scenes video:


“Part of our ‘In An ABSOLUT World’ campaign, this spot continues our tradition of inviting the world’s premiere creative visionaries to share their visions of an ABSOLUT world, where doing things differently leads to something extraordinary”, Anna Malmhake said.

credits:
Brand: ABSOLUT VODKA
Title: Anthem

Creative Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day New York
CCO/Art Director: Mark Figliulo
CD/Art Director: Rob Baird
ACD/Art Director: Kris Wixom
ACD/Copywriter: Alisa Wixom
ACD/Art Director: Hoj Jomehri
Art Director: Thiago Zanato
Executive Producer Media Arts: Matt Bijarchi
Producer: Ellen Fitzgerald

Production: MJZ
Director: Rupert Sanders
Executive Producer: Eric Stern
Executive Producer: David Zander
Producer: Laurie Boccaccio
DP: Greig Fraser
Production Designer: James Chinlund

Editorial: Spot Welders
Editor: Neil Smith
EP: Tommy Murov
Producer: Amanda Slamin
Assistant Editor: Marlo Nespeca

Visual Effects: Mass Market
Executive Producer: Christine Schneider
Producer: Luisa Murray
Lead Artist/Shoot Supervision: Thibault Debaveye
2D: Sarah Eim, Pilon Lectez, Eric Almeras, Melissa Huerta, Scott Baxter, Jeff Kim
3D: Clay Osmus, Kyle Cassidy

Color Correct: MPC – Motion Picture Company
Final Color: Mark Gethin

MIX: Audio Engine
Sound Engineer - Robert DiFondi

BEHIND THE SCENES FILMS:
Production Company: Interactive Arts
Videographer/Editor: Jordan Bloch

ABSOLUT VODKA homepage
Check out their Youtube channel here.