The Super Big Game

Super Bowl. March Madness. Can't say those things on TV unless you pay big bucks. Of course, you can make fun of the fact that you can't say those things on TV... and Samsung does, very effectively.

War Horse, Fleetwood Mac and Two Buds

Budweiser does it again. Each year, they air a Clydesdale spot in the Super Bowl, and in 2013 they combined a "War Horse" storyline with music from Fleetwood Mac. It's a solid effort and a terrific image spot.

Sell It Like Beckham

One good way to make a great spot is to hire a world-class director and a world-class celebrity. Case in point, Guy Ritchie and David Beckham for H&M.

Exploring The 90s

To launch the new Internet Explorer, Microsoft clearly had a very specific target audience in mind: Generation Y.

Follow Your Heart

Effective commercial from Zoosk. It grabs your attention, puts a smile on your face, and tells you what to do. Textbook greatness.

Going Deep

This PSA has it all: A superstar athlete, a cute kid, and a positive message. Once again, a great concept trumps excessive production costs.

Funny Business

Tips from a master as Jerry Seinfeld shares his joke writing secrets.

Star-Powered Solutions

When a chronic social issue continues to take innocent lives, Hollywood attempts to succeed where politicians have failed. Some of the biggest names in entertainment put their beliefs on the record in hopes of encouraging the public to create a mandate. Will it make a difference? Stay tuned...

The Write Message

Effective educational videos entertain, and what better way to communicate your message than with interesting images drawn at the speed of thought?

First World Problems

DDB New York created this moving spot for the Haitian charity "Water Is Life." It sheds light on a serious global issue, and the creative direction really hits home.

Hall & Oates & Google

Ok, so Google Docs didn't exist when Hall & Oates wrote Maneater in 1977, but Google brilliantly uses the two pop icons in this very effective spot.

Dart Hits The Bullseye

No better way to launch a new car model than with a terrific TV commercial, and Dodge really hit the ball out of the park with the creative. Here's a look at the long-form spot that launched the campaign.

So Long, Conventional :30 TV Commercials?

James Franco stars in a 2:45 online commercial promoting the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, and it's everything a :30 commercial dreams of being. It's entertaining, interesting, informative, and to date, has already generated a whopping 3.5 million opt-in views.

Damn Good Creative

George Lois has been called the original Don Draper (just don't call him that, he hates it), and his new book Damn Good Advice is a must read for anyone working in advertising these days.

If you've ever heard of Jiffy Lube, Lean Cuisine, Tommy Hilfiger, or MTV -- you've seen his work. Now's your chance to go behind the scenes and here how it all came together.

It's a quick read, yet full of great stories and inspiration.

1,000,000,000,000 FPS

Femto-photography is a new type of camera technology that shoots one trillion frames per second. This technology may someday be used to build cameras that can look "around" corners or see inside the body without X-rays.

7 Minutes of Terror

Here's a five-minute video, featuring members of NASA's Jet Propulsion Labratory, talking about the challenges of landing a rover on the surface of Mars. It has the look and feel of a movie trailer, and it's all real.

The Mini MINI Store

Here's a smart campaign from DDB Paris. The spot is great, and the concept shows the power of truly original creative. Bravo!

Top Dog Branding

Great branding and identify package. It all starts with a name that makes a real emotional connection, the icon works on many levels, and the simple tw-word tag line says it all.

Picture Perfect

Here's a great video promoting stock photography from Getty Images, featuring 873 highly-selected photos from... (wait for it...) Getty Images. Extremely well done!

Seeing The Future

Google has a ton of exciting projects in the works, and here's a preview of one titled "Project Glass."

Barack Obama - The Movie?

When it comes to political spots, here's a creative way to fly above typical negative ads. This is a highly-produced "trailer," for a soon to be released 17 minute video -- and having Tom Hanks as your narrator certainly doesn't hurt.

Playing With The Cubs

An Impossible Dream + Beautiful Execution = Great Spot

Annoying One Billion People

Have you heard of Annoying Orange? If not, you will.

Annoying Orange is a YouTube sensation, recently topping one billion online views. Developed on a shoestring budget, the web series was recently picked up by Cartoon Network. Merchandising deals are in the works, and this creative concept is already a multi-million dollar property.

For more, the read this great article from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Enough. Is. Enough.

JCPenny recently launched an ad campaign that does a great job teasing a new pricing structure. The music is perfect, the spot is humorous, and the creative drives an effective message.

A "Super" Spot

Zach Borst, a 26-year-old filmmaker from Long Island, N.Y., won a Chevy commercial contest with this one-minute spot about a kid getting a new Camaro as a graduation gift. It was shot in four hours.

Chevy is spending a minimum of $3.5 million to air it during the Super Bowl, before an anticipated audience of 110 million people.

Ooh La La

Beautiful girl. New car. Great copywriting. Message received.

Microsoft Welcomes You To The Future

Ever wonder what tomorrow may bring? Take a look, because Microsoft certainly has more than a few ideas.

Brilliant To The Core

It's hard to find a creative person who doesn't have great admiration for Steve Jobs.

Here's a link to his famous Stanford graduation speech. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth fifteen minutes of your time.

Back For The Future

Nike recently raised close to $6 million for the Michael J. Fox foundation, by auctioning off 1,500 exclusive pairs of the "most famous shoes never made." And yes, that's Bill Hader.

When Being Dumb Is Smart

Actors Jason Bateman and Will Arnett started dumbdumb® to create brand-inspired entertainment content, reaching audiences across all forms of social, digital and traditional media.

Their goal is to enhance traditional marketing and ultimately revolutionize the way advertisers connect with their audiences.

To see some of their work, click here.

Know Your Type

Yes, there's more to life than just Arial and Times New Roman.

If you've ever wanted to learn more about type, here's a great guide you should download. Yes, it's free.

The booklet was produced by Studio DVA for FontShop International, and it helped generate 23 million unique pageviews to their website.

Eat. Move. Learn. Applaud.

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage - all to turn 3 concepts based on movement, learning and food into 3 beautiful and compelling short films.

These videos were commissioned by STA Travel Australia, and by the huge online following they've developed, I'd say they got their money's worth.



Click here to watch the other two videos: MOVE and LEARN.

Audi Drives A Great Spot

Here's one of the best car commercials airing right now. The concept and copywriting really stand out, and Audi makes an effective case for their Certified Pre-Owned program.

Toyota Goes Hardcore

Stepping out of their typical marketing comfort zone, Toyota unleashes a rap video and the results are impressive. 9.5 million views and counting, Toyota has reason to brag.

Local TV Commercials: The Show

Here's a new cable TV show I suspect you might find interesting.

It all started when Rhett and Link launched a silly little website titled ilovelocalcommercials.com -- and they've since attracted more than 80 million views on YouTube.

Learn more and see some clips at Rhett and Link: Commercial Kings on IFC.

Great Ad... Can You Guess What It's For?

Here's what I love about this ad: the sketch is so good that you could pretty much tag the end with anything. Really well done.

Cooking Up A New Strategy

How do you market something in a crowded field? Try taking a different approach, like Home Run Inn pizza. They recently unveiled a new campaign showing folks how they can grill their pizza for some unique summertime fun. It's a simple idea, that's a real home run.

Amazing Subway Pictures

Check out these pictures from the Swedish Subway system.

They put some real thought and energy into making their public transit system unique.

Cliche Logos

The swish, the one legged pointy man, and the swishy one-legged pointy men are among some of the cliche logo designs called out in this article by TheLogoFactory.com.

Now that they point it out, there are a lot of really similar logos out there.

Doug Gives Ford A Hand

Just what the world needs, another puppet with a million facebook friends. All kidding aside, it's a great campaign. Enjoy.

If you like what you see here, there's plenty more at youtube.com/focusdoug and at facebook.com/focusdoug

Apple Announces Final Cut Pro X

Apple announced a big update to Final Cut Pro- which absorbs Soundtrack and Color, and reducing it's cost from $999 to $299 and making it available for download.

It's appearance looks similar to that of iMovie's graphite-colored interface.

It should be noted, however (and this is a huge FCP fan saying this), that Adobe had 64-bit editing capabilities first.

Case In Point

To promote a wooden cell phone case, they used a wooden ball on a wooden xylophone ramp rollercoaster that plays "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". Brilliant. I especially love how the main camera motion is in the jib shot- otherwise they use well-composed lockdowns to show the stillness of the forest.

The Guy Who Thinks Different

Lee Clow is one of the most respected creative minds in the world today, and here's your chance to spend a few minutes with him.

3 Elements. 2 Days. 1 Amazing Feat.

Our colleague, Jim Snapko, made this short film as part of the 48 Hour Film Project in June of 2010, and "Per Bianca" is now an official selection of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival -- the most prestigious international film festival in the world.

Jim had to include these three elements: (1) Prop = pliers; (2) Character = Chef Paul WIlliams; (3) Line = What do you want to know?

Great work one from of our own. Good luck, Jim!

Have You Met TED?

The TED conference was born in 1984 as a way to bring people together from three distinct worlds: Technology, Entertainment, and Design -- hence the name.

Since then, TED has become one of the most respected creative organizations in the world, showcasing remarkable people and exceptional ideas.

The Other Daily Show

Rupert Murdoch recently launched the first daily newspaper that's exclusive to the iPad. It's called The Daily, and it features great interactivity and graphics.

You can download the app and get two weeks for free, but their business model is definitely based on paying subscribers.

Should be interesting to see if they hit a home run out of the gate. Convincing folks to pay for online content is not an easy sell.

Either way, you're certainly looking at the future of media -- and it's safe to say that video is going to play a key role.

Das Great Long Form

Here's a collection of long-form VW videos, featuring SNL's Bill Hader. They're great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNM7bphMtTc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWFUD0RVsvE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAcoMfAbryg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAA2IKVy8ZQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxmn9u2fy4Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G4JbdOnios

Small World

In this video, Toy Thailand, the filmmakers use tilt shift effects to make their footage look like they're shooting miniatures. This has been done a lot lately, but they execute it really well.

Music + Video

I saw this video and thought it was really cool how they shot and edited it. They transition really well from shot to shot. Good stuff. It's Regina Spektor and the song is titled "Samson."

No, Not Adverb Log... Adver Blog

http://www.adverblog.com/

Here's a cool website that should be on your radar. It's got lots of fun, interactive ads.

In Constant Motion

Here's a great source for motion templates:

http://www.applemotion.net/

Got any others?

Saving A Latte Bucks

Starbucks just revamped their logo. Most folks will probably think it was purely an artistic decision, but dropping a color will significantly reduce printing costs, and by removing the text, the cups can now be used in all parts of the world -- yet another cost savings.

National Geographic's 7 Billion People

National Geographic has done it again with this thought-provoking video about the world's population being at 7 billion and growing. But the problem isn't that we're going to run out of space--every human on earth standing shoulder-to-shoulder would only fill an area the size of Los Angeles.

Cutting The Paper

Rather than adding a popular "Please consider the environment before printing" tag to their e-mail signatures, the World Wildlife Fund took things a step further. They created an unprintable .pdf format.

Whether you subscribe to this ideology or not (perhaps you're opposed to saving trees), you have to applaud the ingenuity and spot-on brand awareness. It's quite brilliant. You can download the free app from this link.

Projecting The Future of Magazines

When Virgin's Richard Branson decided to start up a new magazine, he wasn't kidding around. Not only is "Project" exclusive to the iPad, but it's cool as heck.

Each monthly issue is $2.99 at the App Store. Learn more about this revolutionary publication here.

Welcome To The Danger Zone

Great, fake spot. How'd they do the accident?

Thanks to Owen for sharing.

stash DVD magazine

Check this site for inspiration. I'm big on Motion Design so this is fascinating for me.
-Steve




http://www.stashmedia.tv/?p=5732

The Making of A Filmmaker

The beautiful video Serena shared at the Creative Summit.

Not Quite Naked

The TSA's search methods have been causing a lot of controversy lately. The X-Ray scanners make you practically naked in front of them.

There isn't much we can do to get around that, but you can make your statement at 4th Amendment wear.

Slip into the shirts or underwear, which have the 4th amendment on them in metallic ink. Upon looking at your x-ray, the TSA will see your body, your lack of dangerous weapons, and some cleverly-placed words regarding our rights to unreasonable search and seizure.

One Smart Cookie

Cookie Monster takes a page out of Betty White's playbook, rallying Facebook fans to help him land a hosting gig on Saturday Night Live:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cookie-Monster-should-host-Saturday-Night-Live/130316933655526

He's even posted a SNL audition reel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-PkQRh3QXA

As of this moment, the man in blue already has attracted more than 65.000 Facebook fans, and he's a lock to appear on every major newscast. You gotta love a puppet playing the media like a puppet.

iGigging On NY Subways

iPhone marketing or band promotion? You be the judge, but either way, it's cool and it works.

(Courtesy of our friend, Mark B.)

Light It Up

Old dogs... learn new tricks, justify the source.

Understand the science behind the eye and the specular highlight.

http://www.poweroflighting.com/

(Courtesy of our friend, Danny T.)

The World Gets Greative at the Guggenheim

http://www.youtube.com/play#p/c/A9C90FECA0F7EEDA/4/18usd0iV3eI

TV: Man's Best Friend

Don't think TV advertising is effective? Check out Harvey...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSnUlcHvdqA

Good. Fast. Cheap.

Here's a car spot that didn't cost a zillion dollars to produce and it doesn't have any complicated effects. It's a user-generated ad for Toyota and it's something we could all easily do.

http://current.com/groups/on-current-tv/88882603_toyota-relationship.htm

Amazing Commercial, with no CGI

Chances are, many of you have seen this commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ve4M4UsJQo

But if you're like me and you haven't, it's for the Honda Accord, and it's called "Cog". Oh, and apparently the most expensive commercial ever made. 6 million pounds (UK), 606 takes. Why that many takes? Because there was NO CGI. This was all agonizingly done by hand. It took FIVE MONTHS of setup before they were ready to shoot. I believe the only post work they did was lightening the car as it rolled off the platform.

Here's a website with some background:

http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/2110.asp

Prepare to be wowed.

Simpsons intro, Banksified

http://creativity-online.com/work/the-simpsons-banksy-intro/21549

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/the-simpsons-explains-its-button-pushing-banksy-opening/

New Coke, Gap Style?

After 20 years, Gap changed their logo and the feedback was not what they expected. After being blasted on the web for days, they decided to drop it.

Music Video: Shot without cameras

This is a really cool video for a Radiohead song called "House of Cards". What makes it so unique is that there weren't any cameras- just laser "scanners" that measure depth and terrain like radar.

http://vimeo.com/2037463

If you're interested, here's the "making of" video.

http://vimeo.com/1552605

The video is immensely popular. Just goes to show you what can happen if you think in a completely different way- who would have thought you could create video without a camera?

Owen

Re-inventing The Wheel

What's the best way to increase NBA jersey sales? Re-do all of them -- that's Adidas' plan.
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/09/21/adidas-uniforms/index.html

The Onion Hits The Nail On The Head

We've all met this bowling alley owner.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/bowlingalley-owner-wants-tv-ad-to-look-more-matrix,530/

Purity is Good

This is a pretty funny message from Smart Water- just thought it was worth a share. I laugh every day at this billboard- on my way in to work.

http://www.jotpix.com/video.aspx?y=17SFCKezd5w

What's Next For The iPad?

This isn't breaking news, but it looks like down the road, the iPad may have a built-in, touchable keyboard.

The idea is that keys would be embedded in the screen, and then rise and retract to give you an actual touchable surface.

http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/will-apple-islate-tablet-have-a-tactile-keyboard--660209

Gobbledygook

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If you don't know what this is, CLICK HERE.

Success By Design

If you're into Art Direction and Design, Communication Arts is a must-have magazine subscription. At the very least, keep an eye on their web site -- lots of good ideas.

The Writing On The Wall

I'm not a big fan of graffiti, but Banksy takes the art form to a whole other level. http://www.banksy.co.uk/

He's amazingly talented, thought-provoking, gutsy, and probably most importantly, elusive.

Where Do You Find Creative Inspiration?

How many hours of TV do you have to watch in order to see all the latest ads? Subscribe to the CREATIVITY email and know what everyone's talking about.

Ad Critic's CREATIVITY

Amazing Commercial

While this has been around for a long time, it's still one of the coolest commercials ever.

It's a spot for a Sony Bravia LCD tv. These people launched thousands of little bouncy balls down a San Francisco street. It's just a really well-made piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zOrV-5vh1A&feature=related

Plum Flower

by Serena Moy

Click below to check out my short film. It took place in China, but all shot in Illinois. No telling what you can do with some magic dust. Enjoy!

http://imaginingourselves.imow.org/pb/Story.aspx?G=1&C=0&id=1059&lang=1

The Final Word

Is "website" one word or two? Can you hyphenate a long web address? Answers to these questions and many more can be found in the 16th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. It's one of the most respected writer guides and it's all-new for 2010.  http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Manual-Style-16th/dp/0226104206

Serious Monkey Business

Quite simply, the world's greatest local car commericals. http://www.trunkmonkeyad.com/

Need Some Space?

Next time you could use some really cool photos and videos from outer space, you've got two choices: build your own space capsule or visit www.nasa.gov/multimedia

As a U.S. taxpayer, you're actually allowed to use the footage -- even for commercial purposes, as long as you give the proper credit.

Points On The Board

Here's a super-smart ad for Tivo. Doesn't get much simpler, or better.

Photoshop Tennis Anyone?

A great idea started years ago by Chicago agency, Coudal Partners: http://www.layertennis.com/. Two talented Photoshop artists take turns one-upping each other, and the results (and process) are usually pretty fantastic.