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A King Escapes Drudgery of His Throne Thanks to PlayStation in New Epic From BBH

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My kingdom for a console!

A bored medieval monarch abdicates his throne—well, he vanishes, at any rate—to find fantastical fulfillment in the larger-than-life world of Sony PlayStation 4 in this rollicking two-minute brand film from BBH New York.

Heavy is the head—eh, sire? In time, all those fawning courtiers and bejeweled baubles fail to satisfy. As for lounging around all day in a full suit of armor, well, it gets old after a while. And rusty.

But thanks to the epic eye of Epoch Films director Martin de Thurah, our sad sovereign soon gets his mojo back in explosive, cinematic PS4 style:

Adweek responsive video player used on /video.

There now, in the midst of much pixelated sound and fury, His Majesty clearly feels better. All hail the raging royal!

"This is an ode to adventurers," PlayStation svp of marketing Eric Lempel tells AdFreak. "It will particularly inspire fans to keep exploring exciting worlds like those featured in the ad—from swinging through the streets of Manhattan as Spider-Man or exploring the lush, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon Zero Dawn. Some viewers will also pick up on many of their favorite games from the past, so the spot will be sentimental for some."

All told, "nearly every scene in this ad contains an Easter egg from an iconic video game, and there are more than 70 in total," Lempel says. Can you spot the apple of Eden from Assassin's Creed? The Gjallarhorn from Destiny? That strange relic from the Uncharted series? Do any of us even have lives anymore?

De Thurah—famed for directing blockbuster campaigns from Under Armour,Samsung and Delta—paints this PS4 tale in similarly broad, high-impact strokes. The 60-second edit, placing greater emphasis on the ruler's video valor, feels especially vital:



Ultimately, de Thurah and his team shot for five days in the Czech Republic, including interiors and exteriors at two castles built in the 13th and 14th centuries.

"One of the biggest production challenges was matching the scale of the props and costumes to their appearance in the video games they were pulled from," says Lempel. "Gamers are a passionate audience, so it was important to us to accurately represent the game worlds they know and love."

In bringing that vision to life, "there were times when the team would look around and have to pinch themselves at the scale and intricacy of some of the props," he says, "many of which were realized for the first time outside of their game worlds."

Of course, the notion of folks escaping the drudgery of the daily grind for a dip in the digital gaming dimension is nothing new. EA's Star Wars: Battlefront trailer notably used a similar central conceit, though PS4's effort creates a more urgent, intense sensory canvas.

Sweet dreams of escape and greatness have timeless appeal, no less for potentates perched on their thrones of power than for us plebes chasing high scores from our nacho-stained recliners.

In that sense, PS4 and its ilk level the playing field, allowing just about everyone to join in gaming exploits fit for a king. (Provided you can handle the price tag, peasants!)

CREDITS
Client: Sony PlayStation
Eric Lempel, Senior Vice President Marketing & Head of PlayStation Network, Sony Interactive Entertainment America
John Kohler, Vice President, Marketing, Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Eric Lachter, Director Brand Marketing, Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Brad Bennett, Senior Brand Manager, Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Alex Gomez, Brand Manager, Sony Interactive Entertainment America

BBH:
John Patroulis, Creative Chairman
Ari Weiss, Chief Creative Officer
Dean Woodhouse, Creative Director
Hugo Bierschenk, Creative Director
Kate Morrison, Head of Production
Adam Perloff, Executive Producer
Sean McGee, Head of Business Affairs
Finnian O'Neill, Business Director
Justin Marciani, Account Director
Johnny Skwirut, Account Executive
Brian Groff, Account Executive
Kendra Salvatore, Strategy Director

Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Martin de Thurah
Director of Photography: Kasper Tuxen
Line Producer: Anura Idupuganti
Production Designer: Floyd Albee
Editor: Mikkel EG Nielsen
Assistant Editor: Alex Liu
Editorial Company: Rock, Paper, Scissors
Visual Effects: The Mill
Color: Fergus McCall
VFX Supervisor / Lead Compositor: Nathan Kane
VFX Supervisor / CG Supervisor: Christian Nielsen
VFX Producer: Dan Love
VFX Executive Producer: Sean Costelloe
Sound Editing/Mixing: Chris Afzal
Score: Philip Kay* 
*based on the song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by The Eurythmics
Sound Design: Adrian Aureliu


Warner Bros. Acquires Gaming Culture Hub Machinima

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Machinima, a digital programmer with a focus on gaming and fandom culture, was just acquired by Warner Bros.

According to Variety, sources familiar with the deal estimate the value to be around $100 million. 

The Information first reported rumors of an acquisition about a month ago and suggested a similar price. Today's news comes after Warner Bros. made two rounds of investments totaling $40 million in the company.

Machinima is built from the fans up and will "operate as a wholly-owned part of the recently formed Warner Bros. Digital Networks group, housing the studio's digital and over-the-top businesses," according to Variety.

"Since making their first investment in Machinima in 2014, Warner Bros. has been an active business partner in our transformation, so we already have proof points as to how the companies can work together to accelerate Machinima's growth plans," Machinima CEO Chad Gutstein said in a statement to Variety. "We'll now be able to take full advantage of Warner Bros.' intellectual property, sales and distribution, while still creating content for social and premium digital platforms that gamers and geeks love."

Machinima reaches over 151 million dedicated viewers each month, and coordinates a talent network of over 30,000 people.

"Machinima is a strong gamer and fandom content and social brand with enormous reach and high engagement with audiences that play our games and are big fans of DC films and television shows," said Craig Hunegs, president of business and strategy for Warner Bros. Television Group and president of Warner Bros. Digital Networks, in a statement to Variety. "This acquisition is another meaningful move forward as Warner Bros. develops more direct relationships with our consumers."

The move is a step for Warner Bros. as it tries to stay relevant and embrace the gaming culture as a whole.

This Video Game Ad Is the First Film in 14 Years From the Director of Die Hard

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What happens when a group of heavily tattooed thugs, a precocious snow-white cat and a team of special ops assassins appear in the same ad? Don't fret—the feline emerges unscathed. The drug dealers? Not so much.

Ubisoft continues its full-scale marketing assault for the hotly anticipated title Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands with a 90-second mini-movie from action maven John McTiernan, the filmmaker behind Die Hard, Predator and The Hunt for Red October.

The sleek and muscular live-action commercial, created by DDB Paris with a touch of whimsy, centers on a righteous execution that would be at home in any blockbuster flick. It also shows off a number of McTiernan trademarks—visceral style, clever reveals and darkly funny flourishes.

The ad, called "The Red Dot," is said to be McTiernan's first produced film in 14 years following a string of legal troubles that eventually landed him in jail for a year. 

The spot follows a curious cat as it chases a laser pointer around a room where scary-looking dudes are playing cards. The military team outside—the tagline reminds us: "Some are soldiers, we are ghosts"—take aim and fire with deadly precision, to the strains of a Spanish-language cover version of "Tonight I Fell in Love" that serves as the oddly playful soundtrack.



Ubisoft execs, who described the game as their "largest action adventure ever" when they previewed the latest in the hit franchise at E3 last summer, have already used some groundbreaking marketing for the title, including ads targeted at specific types of gamers on Facebook.

Another piece, with A-list Hollywood talent, is coming soon. Roberto Orci (Star Trek) and Avi Youabian (The Walking Dead) worked on the upcoming 30-minute live-action promo video, dubbed "War Within the Cartel."

The branded content aims to give some backstory about the Santa Blanca drug cartel in Bolivia and the world that the heroes are invading. The video comes via a partnership with Amazon and Legion of Creatives with distribution on Ubisoft's Twitch channel on Feb. 16 and then Amazon Prime Video.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands launches in March for Sony PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

CREDITS

Creative Executive Director: Alexander Kalchev
CR & DA: Patrice Dumas
TV prod: Sophie Megrous
Production: La Pac
Advertiser: Geoffroy Sardin, Guillaume Carmona, Clément Prevosto, Pierre Miazga
Game Advisor: Alban 404
Agency: Marie-Elise Archambaud, Olivier Guillerot
Strategic planners: Sebastien Genty, Dominique Castellano

Snickers Turned Its Preroll Ads Into Wacky Little Video Games You Can Actually Play

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From Snickers' point of view, skipping its YouTube preroll ads is just as bad skipping one of the Mars candy brand's chocolaty treats when you're hungry. 

So, to boost viewer engagement in the prerolls, Impact BBDO in Dubai just unwrapped "Pre-Video Videogames"—ads you can actually play that are also packed with loud, silly hunger scenarios. 

In the first spot below, a school-bus driver behaves like a crazed WWE wrestler because he hasn't had a nosh. Users hit pause to try to help him snag Snickers bars that sail across the screen. 



Dude looks like a caveman. And he certainly shouldn't be driving while munching on a Snickers. Think of the children!

Next, a tennis umpire behaves like a member of Spinal Tap:



Has that guy been working the Australian Open? Rumble-tum officiating might explain those big upsets.

Impact BBDO has been trying to evolve the brand's long-running "You're not you when you're hungry" positioning. "The Warning," a goofy time-trip commercial, is another recent example, and the new "Pre-Video Videogame" spots take things a step further. (They will also run as traditional TV ads, and viewers can play using the pause button on their remote controls.)

The results are diverting in a bone-headed kind of way, but will viewers really find this stuff unskippable?

CREDITS
Client: Snickers

Agency: Impact BBDO Dubai
Regional Executive Creative Director: Fadi Yaish
Creative Director: Jamie Kennaway, Stephanus De Lange
Associate Creative Director: Dio Santos
Regional Account Director: Frances McCabe
Senior Account Manager: Lina Ghulam
Editor Lead: Joris Bosdriesz
Motion Graphics Lead: James Keith Elgie
Senior Broadcast Producer: Anju Purushot
Broadcast Producer: Rajaa Chami
Post Producer: Ann Geleen Amparado

Production House: Good People
Director: Maged Nassar
Executive Producers:  Michel Abou Zeid
DOP:  Pierre Mouarkesh

Grade: Karim Mira, Lizard VFX

Online: Serena, Dubai
Producers: Mahmoud Al Jabban, Daniela Borges, Romy Raad
Flame Artist: Miguel Ruiz
Graphics: Gary Fedorenko, Yunus Ali

Music & Sound Design: Mango Jam, Dubai

Cannes’ Innovation Grand Prix Winner Brings Voice Search to Obsolete Phones in Rural Areas

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CANNES, France--While some categories have been more liberal in their awarding of statues at this year's Cannes Lions, the Innovation category doled out a comparatively small number--six Lions culled from a shortlist of 21--with the Grand Prix winner using an existing technology in a simple and meaningful way for those without internet in rural areas....

Cannes Lions Names WPP’s MediaCom Media Network of the Year for 2018

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CANNES, France--After falling to Omnicom for the past three years, WPP made a big comeback at this year's Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, with MediaCom scoring the highly coveted Media Network of the Year Lion. The announcement went live this evening at the end of the festival's penultimate awards show. This win came largely on...

7 Reasons Why EMV Is Outdated for Influencer Marketing Measurement

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Last month, social influence analytics service Klout shuttered its doors after 10 years. Klout would rank the influence of social media profiles on a scale of 1 to 100. Given the rise of influencer marketing, why would a service that scores influence for marketers go under? Ultimately, black-box one-metric numbers provide comfort but are meaningless--measurement...

The Speech JFK Never Gave, Now Digitally Assembled, Wins Creative Data Grand Prix at Cannes

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CANNES, France--President John F. Kennedy never got a chance to deliver his 1963 speech at the Dallas Trade Mart, where he hoped to address America's role in the world and the principles that must guide the nation. Kennedy was assassinated en route to the venue, and those who arrived hoping to hear him speak instead...

Giant Piles of Garbage Win Big at Cannes

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CANNES, France--No one likes to see a bunch of trash win at the Cannes Lions, but in this case, it's worth an exception. "Trash Isles," a pollution awareness campaign from AMV BBDO London for The Plastic Oceans Foundation and sponsored by LADBible, today claimed its second Grand Prix at the advertising festival, adding a PR...

Turns Out IHOP’s Burger Stunt Didn’t Do Much to Drive Foot Traffic

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Remember IHOb? It feels like ages ago, but really the announcement only broke last week. While the news--that the International House of Pancakes was temporarily changing its name to IHOb, or the International House of Burgers--set the internet ablaze, new data from Foursquare suggests the marketing stunt didn't drive as many customers to the brand's...

U.S. Supreme Court Rules States Can Ask Ecommerce Companies to Collect Sales Tax

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In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that states can require ecommerce companies to collect sales tax, upending an industry and possibly pushing the issue towards Congress to ultimately resolve. The ruling, in South Dakota v Wayfair, sided with South Dakota's 2016 state law and overturned a previous 1992 decision in Quill Corporation...

Philip Morris Wants to Say Goodbye to Smokeable Cigarettes for Good With the Media’s Help

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When you think of Philip Morris, you probably think of cigarettes. But the 171-year-old tobacco company is now looking to sever that association. Today at the Cannes Lions festival, the company called on the creative and communications communities to help push its agenda of creating a "smoke-free world." Yes, you read that correctly: Philip Morris...

How Data Comes Into Play at the Intersection of Media and Marketing

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CANNES, France--As Cannes Lions neared its close Thursday evening, Adweek, with sponsor partner The Boston Consulting Group, hosted its final discussion on how data is helping to transform marketing and media strategies. The group included Frank Einecke, managing director, media buying solutions for Google EMEMA, Martin Cass, CEO, MDC Media Partners and Assembly, Dominic Field,...

ABC Officially Picks Up The Conners, a Roseanne Barr-Free Spinoff of Roseanne

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Three weeks after ABC abruptly canceled its top-rated series, Roseanne, the network has finally found a replacement show: a spinoff of the sitcom starring everyone but Roseanne Barr, whose racist tweet caused the show to be shelved in the first place. ABC announced today that it is picking up The Conners straight-to-series with a 10-episode...

P&G Dominates at Cannes Lions, Winning 2 Grand Prix in Film

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CANNES, France--Procter & Gamble began the year by invading the Super Bowl with the inescapable "It's a Tide Ad" campaign, and now the CPG giant has successfully conquered the Cannes Lions. Two P&G spots, "It's a Tide Ad" from Saatchi & Saatchi New York and "The Talk" from BBDO New York, shared the top spot...

Messenger Kids Gets a Pledge, Kindness Stickers and an Appreciation Mission

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Facebook revealed several new features for its Messenger Kids application, as well as two more countries where it is available: Canada and Peru (both iOS and Android). The social network introduced Messenger Kids last December, giving children access to features of its flagship messaging app, but with full parental control. Product management director Loren Cheng...

New Online Privacy Legislation in California Could Head Off Proposed November Referendum

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A bill that aims to strengthen online privacy laws for consumers in California could replace a potential November ballot initiative backed by privacy advocates and opposed by the tech industry. Today, state lawmakers introduced the California Data Privacy Protection Act, which would allow consumers to know what information companies collect from them while also giving...

In 25 Years, Google CMO Lorraine Twohill Is Only the Second Woman to Accept Cannes’ Creative Marketer of the Year

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CANNES, France--Google CMO Lorraine Twohill is only the second woman in 25 years to accept the Creative Marketer of the Year award at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. She closed her winning speech, where she noted that Google is "not an easy client" and that the company doesn't give its agencies "easy briefs," by...

Madonna Badger References More Than 15 Women’s Movements in a Stirring Appeal to the Ad Industry

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CANNES, France--Madonna Badger stepped on stage wearing black at the Cannes Lions closing awards show Friday night and delivered a stirring speech that summed up several recent movements to lift up women in an industry and world that has often held them back. "Yes, she is equal, and yes we are definitely women not objects,"...

YouTube Unveiled New Monetization Options for Creators at VidCon

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YouTube used VidCon in Anaheim, Calif., this week to reveal several new monetization options for creators on its platform. Chief product officer Neal Mohan said in a blog post that the Google-owned video site now has more than 1.9 billion logged-in monthly users, along with localized versions in 90 countries and 80 languages. Mohan added...
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