 There are certain things you just don't want to see after the holidays
(Christmas trees, the joy on a little child's face). A "Year in Creative" look
back is surely among them, but I feel justified undertaking such a thing in light of
Ad Age's recent citation of you, the consumer, as the best agency in the
land. There is logic in Ad Age's choice, given the
profound change effected by consumers' increasing ability and inclination to
actively participate in branding.
Profound change
But I'm taking a last, loving look at
the year in ad creative precisely because there was so much great work that came
out of actual, two-plus-person agencies. It's worth noting here that YouTube's
Top 60 videos of all time (read: "of the last year or so") include three
brand-related clips, each created by an agency (the videos were: Sky One's
live-action "Simpsons" intro; Nike's Ronaldinho crazy feats clip; and 2005's
Sony "Balls").
Some of the best
Here are some of the rest of
the best examples of brand communications that you, the consumer, didn't create.
Web sensations with maximum media impact came from agencies of every
size and orientation: the almost-seditious Ecko "Still Free" from new-model
startup Droga5; the monster hit Dove "Evolution" from Ogilvy & Mather,
Toronto; the refreshingly ribald Philips Bodygroom "Shave Everywhere" site from
Tribal DDB; Goodby, Silverstein & Partners' ingenious Saturn/Google Maps
"Get to Know Your Dealer" campaign; Mother, New York, and the Barbarian Group's
beer-cannon escapades for Milwaukee's Best Light; and the excellent Adicolor
films, born from agency/creative connector Idealogue, a plugged-in producer and
the unfettered imaginations of a group of young filmmakers. (Creativity
described one of the films thusly: "a post-pubescent girl ... is bathed in what
looks like strawberry milk and then covered in a skintight crust of fuchsia
sequins, while her teddy bear comes to life and observes with adoring
curiosity." I just love that this refers to branded content for a major
advertiser.)
Other blockbusters
Other broadcast and
web-originated blockbusters cut new paths in their categories: Charmin's "A
Little Bit Rude" gave us a graphic depiction of "touching cloth"; McCann San
Francisco's "Mad World" for Xbox "Gears of War" introduced a vulnerable
video-game killing machine; Geico's "Airport," from the Martin Agency, brought
performance virtuoso to insurance advertising. TBWA/Chiat/Day New York's Combos
campaign, "Man Mom," and Skittles spots "Beard" and "Trade" redefined the
snack-ad genre; DDB Paris' truly wonderful "Mr. Patate" for Hasbro did the same
for toys. Spot highlights were many: Berlitz's "German Coastguard" from BTS
United, Oslo; Fed Ex's "Stick" from BBDO, New York; Leo Burnett Milan's
"Underwater World" for Ariston.
Yes, there were a few missteps in the
name of attempting innovation, but out of the efforts came a number of
successes. Among them: the R/GA-facilitated synergistic sensation that was the
Nike-Plus tie-in with Apple; Fallon London's Tate Tracks, which united music and
art in the coolest way; and TBWA Auckland's "Be the Ball" for Adidas.
Burger King video games
And then there are Crispin Porter
& Bogusky's Burger King video games, among Xbox's 10 2006 best-sellers. I
guess it's no Super Bowl spot or fun with fizz. But creating brand-relevant
entertainment, an ongoing connection with the consumer and even a new revenue
stream for your client? I'd like to see you do that.
(Source: advertising age)
|
