Ad Digger – 8.12.14
The human face takes centre stage in this week’s best-synced ads, whether it’s dawning hope and inspiration coupled with a big Sixties chorus or face-pulling with a purpose set to stirring indie.
Significant spots happened at night this week: there was another, post-party installment of the New Zealand Transport Agency’s Legends campaign, this time with older and wiser protagonists. Jonathan Glazer continued his work for Canon with a peaceful, all but silent urban wildlife piece, while two very different characters came to life at night in Chanel’s inexplicable Empress Sissi homage. In festive news, Rewe got gross, Save the Children got spoofy, Sainbury’s got on down and Edeka got rhythmic. Harvey Nicks clearly haven’t been visited by any spirits since last year, in stark contrast to Expedia, while McVities lost the yuletide plot entirely (points for the narwhal).
Association Noémi – The Eyes of A Child
This confrontational experiment makes an uncomfortable, revealing watch, and the uneasy loveliness of Lisa Hannigan’s ‘Little Bird’ makes a neat and emotive accompaniment.
Song: Little Bird
Artist: Lisa Hannigan
Agency: Leo Burnett France
Yellow Pages – To the Moon
Recently re-released in a more-music-less-narration cut, Yellow Pages’ tale of a chap creating his own backyard NASA mission with the help of their app is rather cute. A careful cut of Eric Burdon and The Animals’ ‘Sky Pilot’, divested of its tough anti-war message but keeping plenty of warm Sixties grain, fits surprisingly well. Science and astronomy museums may quibble with the representation of their stance on helmet theft, mind.
Song: Sky Pilot
Artist: The Animals
Agency: The Rex Agency
Director: Mike Maguire
Weight Watchers – If You’re Happy
Weight Watchers take things in a very new direction here. Colourful, brief foody vignettes combine with a brash, knowing new take on ‘If You’re Happy And You Know It’. The spot reveals its hand only gradually as it build to a sharply juxtaposed, wry yet understanding look at the eternal plague: comfort eating. To go by Youtube comments it hasn’t been a hit with all of the company’s existing customer base, but for us it’s a treat.
Song: If You’re Happy And You Know It
Artist: Tony Babino
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Director: Martin de Thurah
