Nice New Honda Civic Tourer Spot from Wieden+Kennedy London Highlights The Inner Beauty.

From the Honda Newsroom:
Honda finds the ‘Inner Beauty’ with TV campaign for all-new Civic Tourer

The creative team behind Honda’s recent smash-hit viral film ‘Hands’ is aiming for further success with a new TV advertising campaign to welcome the Civic Tourer into Honda dealerships across the UK.

The campaign celebrates the idea that beauty is about much more than what appears on the surface. The creative plays to the trend in design, engineering and wider society of looks being valued over substance. The viewer is taken on a journey through various objects, including a golf ball, suitcase, chest of drawers and a guitar amp, to reveal the inner beauty of each.



It then goes on to position the new Civic Tourer as another perfect example of ‘Inner Beauty’; dynamic and sporty-looking, yet under the surface there lies practicality and function. That hidden substance includes a huge, class-leading 624 litres of boot space, secret storage compartments, concealed door handles, innovative safety features and Honda’s unique ‘Magic Seats’.



‘Inner Beauty’ comes hot on the heels of the critically acclaimed ‘Hands’ film, which to date has received almost 10 million views and won two awards. Creative agency Wieden+Kennedy London has once again teamed up with directors Smith and Foulkes of Nexus Productions to create the new campaign.



Inner Beauty debuts as a 60-second spot on 3 February; followed by further 60- and 30-second spots on television and video-on-demand.

Olivia Dunn, Head of Marketing for Honda (UK) comments: “Take a first glance at the Civic Tourer and you see a great-looking car. This campaign takes the viewer beyond that first appearance to emphasise the balance between style and performance, and the incredible practicality that the car delivers. Once again the team behind ‘Hands’ has brought the message to life in a fresh, innovative and compelling way in line with Honda’s high standards and unique style.”

As with many Honda commercials of recent years, the creative idea for the new campaign was in part inspired by time spent interviewing Honda engineers. Adrian Killham, Chief Engineer for the new Civic Tourer spoke at length to the team behind ‘Inner Beauty’ about the considerable amount of time spent on the design of both the exterior and interior, and his hope that people would want to look deeper than what’s on the surface to discover what lies beneath.


above: Honda 'Hands', which won several awards, celebrates the curiosity of Honda engineers, which has led to some of the most successful Honda innovations over the past 65 years.

Scott Dungate, Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy London, adds, “Beauty is more than just the outside. Beauty also lies inside, in how something fits together and works. We wanted to create a film that yes, showed the external beauty of the car, but also celebrated the wonder of the inside and how it works.”

To celebrate this new campaign, Honda (UK) will be running a five-day Twitter competition, launching on 3 February to coincide with the new TV adverts’ premiere. A short hypnotic loop from the ad will be Tweeted daily, each clip featuring a cleverly concealed word that relates to a great prize. Fans will need to find the hidden word and tweet it to @Honda_UK, using the hashtag #CivicTourer for the chance of win. Prizes include a camera, £743 to spend in one of the world’s most famous department stores (reflecting the car’s 74.3mpg performance) and a holiday for two. Follow @Honda_UK on Twitter for further information.



Designed and developed in Europe, the British-built Civic Tourer delivers distinctive styling, class-leading utility, advanced technology and an impressive balance between fuel economy and performance. With the lightest in class and super-frugal 1.6 i-DTEC engine, the first from Honda’s next generation Earth Dreams Technology range, the 1.6 diesel version offers low running costs with a highly competitive 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions from just 99g/km. The new Civic Tourer is the world’s first production car to feature a Rear Adaptive Damper System and features an all-new suite of innovative passive and active safety systems.

The new Civic Tourer is available to order now, arriving in dealerships in February 2014, with OTR prices starting from £20,265 for the 1.8 i-VTEC S model. For further information please visit www.honda.co.uk/civictourer

Car Max Super Bowl "Slow Clap" Ad is Well Done... And Then Done Again With Puppies!

Car Max has released a nice new spot that will air in the upcoming Super Bowl. Then, as a bonus, they then went ahead and recreated it with puppies - claiming that if the Super Bowl has a "puppy version" then why not their ad?



The premise is the same for the two versions: A customer leaves the Car Max lot and during his drive home receives the "slow clap" from everyone he passes. Even the cupid in a front lawn fountain breaks into the sarcastic applause. To add a little pop culture cameo, actor Sean Astin appears in the commercial referencing his role in the 1993 sports tearjerker 'Rudy'.

The Car Max "Slow Clap" spot that airs during the game will only be 30 seconds, but here's the extended version:


As if creating an entertaining spot for the Superbowl weren't enough of a challenge, they then went ahead and recreated it with puppies:

Slow Bark - CarMax "Puppy Version" of Big Game Commercial 2014:


A few more frame comparisons for you- because I had fun making them:




A shout out to Mashable for bringing this to my attention.

Geek Branding. Spock vs. Spock in New Two Minute Ad For The Audi S7.

The new Audi S7 looks as aerodynamic and almost as futuristic as the latest USS Enterprise, with an interior dash that rivals the NCC-1701's main bridge. Therefore, casting Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto in a face-off for command of the coolest vehicle was a fun move by Audi and a nice tie in to the upcoming May 16th release of J.J. Abrams' movie, Star Trek: Into Darkness.





So, what happens when old school goes head to head with new school in a battle of speed and wits? Leonard Nimoy and his Mercedes take on newbie Zachary Quinto and his all-new Audi S7 in this two minute film promoting the new Audi. Engage....




Although newbie Spock schools the original legend in the spot (shown above), Nimoy gets the last laugh with the good ol' Vulcan Nerve Pinch.

Starring: Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto
Written & Directed by: Paulilu (Paul W Downs & Lucia Aniello)
Executive Producer: Joseph Assad, PMK·BNC

Follow Audi on twitter @Audi
Get more information on the S7 at http://audi.us/18SEJtQ.

The Controversy (and the Talent) Behind The Beautiful Farmer Commercial for Dodge Ram Trucks From The Super Bowl.

One of the most memorable spots on yesterday's Super Bowl - and one that has made it on most reviewers "Best Spots of the Super Bowl" lists - is also one which has been stirring up some controversy, at least amongst the ad community. Frankly, anyone outside of the advertising business could not care less, so I won't be surprised if you've stopped reading this already. But back to the subject at hand.

You may think the uproar is because of the numerous mentions of "God" or because of the the fact that some feel Farming has radically changed since Paul Harvey gave the speech used as the voice over at the National FFA Convention in 1978, but it's actually the spots' originality which has been questioned. I wanted to clear up a few things regarding that as well bring some credit the well-deserving photographers whose work was used in the ad.

Created by the Richards Group, the two minute spot with the Paul Harvey voiceover is an updated version of a concept originally seen in a video for Farms.com.

The Dodge Ram Truck  "Farmer" Super Bowl commercial:

The Farms.com video:


But let it be known that Farms. com has made a point of publicly supporting the ad with both tweets and this new description under their own video on You Tube:



As well as including this info in a hovering window atop the You Tube video:


While it's not the first Super Bowl commercial to have been inspired by a previous one, nor the first to take an already produced idea and make it far superior in terms of production quality, both The Richards Group and Farms.com - as well as the Chrysler brand - are to be commended for creating and running an ad that was powerful in its quietude and a refreshing change from the fast-paced, noisy, special effects ads that dominated most of the broadcast.

Whether or not you feel the ad was derivative, one thing that is not debatable is the incredibly stunning imagery in the ad and it is those photographers whose work I want to bring to your attention.

Below are the ten photographers whose beautiful imagery is to credit in the Dodge Ram Truck "farmer " Spot:
Andy Anderson
William Allard
Jim Arndt 
Daniel Beltra,
Mark Gooch,
Andy Mahr,
Kurt Markus,
David Spielman,
Matt Turley and
Olaf Veltman.

Creatives from The Richards Group who worked on the spot include Creative Directors Jimmy Bonner and Rob Baker and Freelance art buyer/ producer Deb Grisham.

Addendum: If it wasn't already clear, the Dodge Ram Farmer ad by The Richards Group also stands as a testament to the importance of production values and having people in charge with taste. Creatives, Account Staff, Producers and most importantly, a client, that understand the impact of visuals in addition to the content and copy (and sometimes the need to spend a little more) can make all the difference. Imagine if they'd simply run the Farms.com version.

UPDATE: For every view, download or share of “Farmer” located on the brand’s website at www.ramtrucks.com/keepplowing, Ram will make a donation to FFA. Funds raised will go to local FFA chapters for student programs geared toward fighting hunger in communities across the country.

A New Spot For Europe's Revolutionarily Designed Ford B-MAX Dives Head-First Into Demonstration Land.

Using demonstrations to sell an automobile is nothing new. Largely pioneered by ad agency Team One for the Lexus brand in the late 80s and early 90s, we have since seen maybe hundreds of on stage and in situ demonstrations from various car manufacturers - most of them forgettable.


above: the unique door design of the Ford B-MAX is a perfect feature for a demonstration

But here's one you most likely will not forget. Agency Blue Hive of London has launched a pan-European campaign to promote the brand new Ford B-MAX, focusing on the car’s revolutionary design. This ground-breaking vehicle has removed the central b-pillars and seamlessly integrating them into the doors allowing unobstructed access through a 1.5m opening.


above: a still from "Life is an Open Door"

Beautifully shot at the Olympic Swimming Pool in Barcelona, the ad features a diver leaping from a 10m high board headlong through the open doors of a B-MAX that’s suspended above the pool water and down into the water below. The key being, of course, there's no central b-pillar to block his way.



To bring the concept to life, the agency commissioned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated movie director Martin Campbell (whose many directing credits include Casino Royale and Goldeneye). The team also enlisted one of the world’s best stunt coordinators Tom Struthers (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises).


above: The dive stunt itself was performed by stuntman Bobby Hanton, who has doubled for Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises and is currently shooting Thor 2 where he is Chris Hemsworth’s double.

This campaign also marks the first project under the new Executive Creative Director of Blue Hive, Karin Onsager-Birch, who arrived in May after spending 11 years at San Francisco hotshop agency Goodby Silverstein, to head up the creative department.

Gaetano Thorel, Vice President of Marketing at Ford of Europe, said: “I’m delighted with the new B-MAX campaign. Across every media, the work clearly highlights the car’s ingenious design. I also think the TV commercial is great and accurately portrays us as a bold and exciting brand. Both the B-MAX vehicle and the communications around it bring our Go Further principle powerfully to life.”

Karin Onsager-Birch, Executive Creative Director at Blue Hive, added: “The ‘Life is an Open Door’ campaign idea just sings out of this spot. It's the ultimate visual product demonstration. A simple stunt that celebrates the unique design of the car – in a ballsy way. Ford's motto is Go Further*, with this spot we took that quite literally."

"Behind the Scenes" video:


The 360-campaign will run across 28 markets and is spearheaded by a dramatic 40” cinema and 30” television commercial that airs on October, 22nd 2012 in the UK.

Full Credits:
Agency: Blue Hive
Client: Ford of Europe
Creative: Steve Clarke
Creative: Serge Pennings
Executive Creative Director: Karin Onsager-Birch
Producer: Lindsay Moyes
Business Director: Fabio Ruffet
Account Director: Dario Verrini
Senior Account Manager: Ina Foelster
Director: Martin Campbell, Black Label
Producer: Dom Freeman
Director of Photography: Roger Pratt
Stunt Coordinator: Tom Struthers
Stunt Performer: Bobby Hanton
Editor: Gareth McEwen. The WhiteHouse, London.
Post Production: Jay Bandlish (The Mill, London)
Sound Engineer: Munzie Thind (Grand Central Studios, London)
Music Consultants: Finger Music.
Original music: Hawkwind: 'Master of the Universe'.
Vice President, Marketing, Ford of Europe: Gaetano Thorel
Marketing Director, Ford of Europe: Maureen Graham
Manager, Creative Services, Ford of Europe: Usha Raghavachari
Small Car Communications Manager, Ford of Europe: Catherine Blee

* If the tagline "Go Further" sounds a bit familiar, you may recall that ad agency Goodby Berlin Silverstein coincidentally used the similar tagline "Go Farther" for the Isuzu brand years ago.

Bueller, Bulldogs & Beckham. A Look At 15 Of The Most Anticipated Super Bowl XLVI Commercials.

The practice of leaking Super Bowl spots before the actual Game Day is growing. And at about $3.5 million dollars a spot, it's no wonder big name brands are trying to get as much bang for their buck as possible.

Automotive companies in particular are sharing their spots on YouTube, Facebook and with bloggers and PR companies. Some with extended versions, others with a teaser.

For those who watch the Super Bowl more for the commercials than the actual sport, this may alleviate the need to tune into the game all together, a bad thing for network tv. For those who like to watch the spots multiple times, it's good for the companies.

Either way, here's a bunch of tv spots (and a few teasers) that will be airing on February 5th's 46th Super Bowl. References to 20+ year old movies and tv shows like Star Wars, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Seinfeld seem to hint at the age of the creatives behind the ads.

Acura NSX "Transactions" with Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld is so excited about the new Acura NSX that he will stop at nothing to acquire the very first one. Check out the extended version of Acura's big game commercial:



Honda "Matthew's Day Off" extended version
Honda’s ad already sparked mass conversation thanks to last Thursday’s teaser. The commercial, directed by Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover, Due Date, etc.), features Matthew Broderick playing himself in a grown-up version of his celebrated role as Ferris Bueller alongside the all-new 2012 CR-V. Using themes from the original film to bring Honda’s “Leap List” campaign to life, the spot is meant to reinforce how the CR-V helps consumers conquer their aspirations before life’s next big phase.

True fans may also spot dozens of “Easter Eggs” hidden in the commercial that pay homage to the original film; fans are encouraged to join the conversation at Facebook.com/HondaCRV.



Volkswagon "The Bark Side"
A canine chorus barks a familiar tune. Keep an eye out for our 2012 Game Day commercial—it will all make sense. Love Star Wars and Volkswagen? You'll love this.



Chevy Sonic "Stunt Anthem"
The all-new Chevy Sonic is up for adventure. Watch Sonic's first time skydiving, bungee jumping, kick flipping, and performing with OK GO. 100% real stunts. For behind-the-scenes content, check out http://letsdothis.com/stunts



Chevy "OK Go -- White Knuckles" Talented Dogs


Chevy "Happy Grad"
Watch Zack Borst's winning entry to Chevrolet's Route66 competition. This Chevy ad will appear during Super Bowl XLVI. Filmed by Borst and company in four hours "Happy Grad" beat out 198 other video submissions and 400 scripts in the contest. Check out more about Chevy and Super Bowl XLVI at http://www.chevrolet.com/culture.



Audi "Vampire Party"
See the new Audi commercial and find out what happens when an Audi S7 shows up at a party full of vampires.



Toyota "Reinvented"
The brand's 60-second long spot is called “Reinvented” and continues the same theme as the first ads of the 2012 Camry last year, albeit with a more cheeky and humorous tone.
“Reinvention is a powerful idea and one we took to heart when we redesigned America’s most popular car with the launch of the 2012 Camry and elevated it above the competition,” said Bill Fay, group vice president of marketing at Toyota USA.

“The Super Bowl provides a forum to really drive home the reinvention message of the seventh-generation Camry, using humor to resonate with the American public," he added.
The “Reinvented” spot will be one of two 30-second commercials Toyota will be airing during the game on February 5.



Suzuki "Sled"
American Suzuki Motor Corporation will once again advertise during the Super Bowl with an all-new television commercial called "Sled", which highlights the automaker's all-wheel-drive 2012 Suzuki Kizashi sport sedan, which also starred in the company's first-ever Super Bowl ad -- entitled "Wicked Weather" -- during last year's big game.



KIA "Drive The Dream" Teaser
At last year's game, Kia took on the time traveling theme to show off its new Optima sedan. For this year's commercial, the South Korean automaker has chosen the topic of dreams to introduce the new 2012 Optima Limited edition.

Titled "Drive the Dream" and directed once again by Noam Murro who is helming the upcoming 300 spin-off, "300: Battle of Artemisia", the new 60-second commercial is set to air during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI.

“After working with Kia for the Super Bowl last year I was drawn to work with the fast-growing brand again by the idea of exploring people’s ultimate fantasies in a fun and lighthearted way, and I am certain we have created a spot people will be talking about after the game,” said Murro.

The new ad brings together several stars including Victoria’s Secret model Angel Adriana Lima, the Mötley Crüe, mixed martial arts champion Chuck Liddell and champion bull rider Judd Leffer.

“Mötley Crüe had a blast doing the Kia commercial,” said the group's bassist Nikki Sixx. “A hot model, a fast car, a pro fighter, pyrotechnics and rock n' roll...What's not to love?”

Kia said that the the complete “Drive the Dream” ad will make its premiere on February 2 on more than 18,000 movie screens across the country. The company also released a teaser of the ad, which you can watch below.



Lexus Teaser
The Lexus Super Bowl 2012 Ad will promote the new 2013 Lexus GS 350. It is the first ever Super Bowl Ad for Lexus.



Bridgestone "Time to Perform" Teaser
"Bridgestone Americas was one of the first companies to begin offering highly produced and entertaining teasers ahead of our Super Bowl commercials when we began doing so four years ago," said Philip Dobbs, Chief Marketing Officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. "Now it has become standard practice for Super Bowl advertisers to produce really creative and suspenseful teasers. This year's sneak peak reveals how the Bridgestone brand plans to change the world of sports with its new line of tire technology-infused performance balls (and puck) that were introduced in the first "Press Conference‟ TV spot of the campaign.

Bridgestone "Time To Perform"


Bridgestone "Press Conference"


Skechers "Mr. Quiggly" Teaser
Kim Kardashian is replaced by a french bulldog named Mr. Quiggly in Skechers GOrun 2012 Big Game Commercial.



H&M David Beckham Bodywear Collection Teaser:
H&M teases their new commercial for David Beckham Bodywear in Super Bowl XLVI. In the spot he is sporting various pieces from the new collection including the briefs (USD 12.95) and trunks (USD 14.95). The ad will air during the 2nd quarter of the Super Bowl.



Special thanks to SupercarHall for some of the additional info

2011 Super Bowl XLV TV Spots: What To Expect [UPDATED]

As we get closer to the XLV Super Bowl, commercials that will air on the championship game are starting to leak onto the internet. Most of those advertising on the year's most expensive media buy [$3 million for a 30 second spot] are no surprise, given they are the same brands that have been dominating the air time between the game for the past few years. But there are a few companies advertising on the game for the first time ever and some new faces shilling for old brands.

This new ad, airing during the game, for the 2012 Volkswagon Passat features two things that are hard to ignore; children and The Force:


Volkswagon will also attempt to bring back the allure of the beetle by teasing you with this agile CGI generated bug:


Coca Cola introduces an ogre in one of their two spots that will air during the game:


Kia Optima is presently running this teaser to get you to tune in to their spot:

The still below gives you an idea of what's to come from Kia:


As always, there will be lots of automobile ads and the expected beverage ads; Coke, Pepsi, Pepsi Max and Budwiser to name a few. Doritos will continue with their user-generated spots [you can vote for your favorite at www.crashthesuperbowl.com].

This Chevy ad that will air starts as a simulation of a cheesy dealership spot and segues into a promo for the next in the Tranformer's movie franchise:


Audi uses the children's book Goodnight Moon as inspiration for this spot which spends almost 60 seconds telling you they are not Mercedes:

Audi will be featuring other spots on the game that take a swipe at "old school luxury." The still below is from their :60 second spot "Release The Hounds" in which 2 stuffy wealthy fogies attempt to break out of a luxury prison:


This Honda CR-V ad, "Forecast" will break on the Superbowl as well:


If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it

The talking babies for ETrade are back for the fourth year in a row with 2 new spots:


Careerbuilder brings back the chimps:


Danica Patrick appears again [this time with Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels] for Go Daddy and once again attempts to drive you to their site with a promise of a titillating 'web only' ad:


And Budwiser's classic Clydesdales are back as one of Bud's five spots to air, this time in a Western Themed spot:


The New
Some of the newer companies [ and concepts] that will air include the following.

Mercedes Benz USA is advertising in the Super Bowl for the first time this year, to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Karl Benz's patent. Two of their five new models will be revealed in the :60 second spot:


Another car company to advertise in the big game for the first time is Suzuki. They will be taking on snowmen, in a spot called "Wicked Weather.":


Kim Kardashian will be shilling for Sketcher's Shape-Ups:


The new edition of the highly addictive game Angry Birds, Rio, will reveal a level code in their spot:


Stella Artois will feature a serenading Adrien Brody:


And Justin Beiber teams up with Ozzy Osbourne for Best Buy:


Bridgestone tires will appeal to your love of woodland creatures with their beaver spot:


And Faith Hill will appear in a spot for Teleflora:

images and info courtesy of CNN and individual brands

No need to DVR or Tivo the game for the commercials anymore since so many sites dedicate themselves to posting and sharing the commercials.

What Hands Can Do: A Beautiful Car Commercial Without A Car.

This spot for the Volkswagon Phaeton is over 8 months old, but it's still worth watching.
It's interesting to see how automotive companies handle "brand" advertising as opposed to hard sell feature-driven product advertising.

Every once in awhile it's enjoyable to see a car ad that has no car in it.

As is the case below:


Grabarz & Partner Werbeagentur GmbH, of Hamburg, Germany, took an auteur approach to their Gold-winning TV spot for the Volkswagen Phaeton. Filmed in black and white, the commercial uses silhouette shadows of hands to create an otherworldly universe of swans, blooming plants and other ethereal creatures. The montage clears back to a simple shadow of hands to reveal the question "Isn't It Beautiful What Hands Can Do?" The hands then close in on the phrase and open up to reveal the car and the text “Phaeton. Hand Made Perfection."

credits:
Agency: Grabarz & Partner Werbeagentur, Hamburg, Germany
Creative Directors: Ralf Heuel, Ralf Nolting
Art Director: Christoph Stricker
Copywriter: Paul von Muehlendahl
Production Company: Deli pictures postproduction
Director: Michael Reissinger
Flame artist: Melissa Panek
Music: Beatsucht, Florian Lakenmacher, David Paulicke