In a world where the average consumers' attention span is now shorter than a 10-second Snapchat video, the best digital ideas these days are "dead simple and clear," according to Matt Murphy, partner and executive creative director at 72andSunny.

To put that statement to the test, Murphy will spearhead the Interactive Advertising Bureau's judging panel of 32 ad executives—which also includes DigitasLBi's chief content officer Scott Donaton and Airbnb's CMO Jonathan Mildenhall—as jury chair for the trade organization's MIXX Awards this year, which recognizes the industry's best digital work. To qualify, work must have run between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016, and an awards show will take place at the IAB MIXX conference during Advertising Week in September.

Adweek talked with Murphy about what makes great digital creative, why VR and Snapchat are top priorities on his radar and how emojis are sparking big, cultural ideas for marketers.

Adweek: What are you looking for in this year's entries?
Matt Murphy: I boil it down to three things: Simplicity, purpose and fun.

Everyone is so ADD these days—their necks are craned on their phones, they're not paying attention to anybody—and I was reading this stat that said that the average attention span of a goldfish is nine seconds, and the average attention span of a human being is eight seconds. That was a fun, holy shit moment; although we beat goldfish at life expectancy, we really suck at focusing and paying attention.

When you think of that mentality, great ideas have to be so dead simple and clear.

And then the add-on to that is when I use the word, "purpose." Ideas in this day and age that are really great somehow add meaning or value to someone's life. It's not gratuitous anymore, there's something more to it. No one wants to be disrupted [or] reminded of ad-like messaging. But if you give them something that adds value, purpose or meaning, I think people will take time and open up to that idea.

One thing that I think is really important when we look at the work this year is [asking,] 'How does it reflect back on this year in culture?' These days, there's a lot of ideas about making the world a better place—equality and using technology to create more opportunities for people. I love that work is getting so thoughtful and meaningful for the greater collective.

Is that different from work you would have seen a year before?
Last year the Ice Bucket Challenge was awarded 'Best in Show' with the IAB and in many other award shows. The simplicity of that effort and the groundswell of people wanting to participate in that to join a bigger cause—you can't deny how people feel in this day and age and wanting to be connected to something greater.

Is creative keeping up with data and targeting in digital?
Savvy marketers can use data in a really meaningful way to allow creativity to be even more impactful.

Everything is measurable, but there is a lot of data that can lead to great creative output. It's hard to say if [marketers] are keeping up with creative—I really think the smart ones use data to allow them to be more brave in their creativity.

What types of digital ads are you most excited about right now?
You cannot ignore VR right now. It's the uncharted sandbox that everyone wants to play in because it's so immersive.

The challenge is, what do you do in that space that doesn't feel gratuitous? No one really understands how to use storytelling to mass effect just yet, but everyone is open and trying to be the best in class and break new ground there.

And then, have you ever heard of Snapchat? There's someone here who won the Snapchat Shorts at Tribeca Film Festival. In talking to him, he opened my eyes to the power of Snapchat stories, but nobody's really crushing it yet in terms of telling really meaningful stories. The smart money is trying to figure out who is going to get there first and how well they can do it.

As a creative, how do you plan which platforms to create content for?
It comes back to answering, 'Why? What is it that you are trying to do?' How people behave on Snapchat is so inherently different from a VR experience.

Snapchat is still a very social, sharing-oriented [app]—it's very disposable. Your mindset is that you're going to riffle through it, you don't treat it like a precious moment in time versus a VR experience, [which] is something you have to settle in. Through investing time, you're going to get something out of it, but it's very singular.

Is that more of a challenge than it was a year or two ago?
Every good brand should have a clear North Star and a clear mission on who they are and why they exist. If you don't know why you're there and what you want to achieve, then potentially it's not the right thing to do.

Brands have been having this similar challenge for the past decade. The only change is that there's newer platforms and things are moving faster, but your strategic use of them needs to be so dialed [in]. If you get stuck in the clutter, then it's going to result in a fail.

I think it's interesting that something as simple as an emoji is now a huge idea. When you listen to the story about why that's a powerful idea and it's coming from something in culture that people actually ask for, then it doesn't become random—it actually becomes super strategic and intentful—that's modern marketing.

What do you think we'll be talking about next year when looking at 2016's work?
Something that we don't talk about enough is how work actually is successful. This comes down to execution—what did you set out to do and how innovative of an approach was it?

If you were on the fence about whether to become a pro surfer this summer, Coors Light is out with a new campaign that might make you wonder why you ever hesitated.

The ads, created by 72andSunny, combine a couple of themes that are currently popular among marketers—appealing directly to millennials' perceived appetite for adventure, and the use of 360° video.

In the first ad, pop on a virtual reality headset (or just spin around with your cursor on the video's desktop version) for a stunning view of the ocean, shot at surfing hot spot Ship Stern Bluff in Tasmania, Australia, from the perspective of a dude or dudette catching a huge wave. Twist the camera to see the water towering above—imposing enough to be thrilling, beautiful enough to put a smile on your face.

Naturally, there's a cold beer waiting for you onshore.

"Every climb deserves a refreshing finish," reads the copy. "We all have mountains to climb; what's yours?" This is welcome clarification for a mixed-sporting metaphor that would've felt wonky if the footage weren't so charming. 



It's masterfully paced, with a slow crescendo in both the visuals and the soundtrack, building to a clear, splashy high point and making otherwise boring sports footage come across as surprisingly satisfying. 

Two more clips—one for whitewater kayaking, shot at Behana Gorge in Wooroonoran National Park in Queensland; the other for downhill biking in nearby Cairns—offer similarly fun rides, though the cycling spot is probably the weakest of the three (a precipitous drop in the kayaking clip, meanwhile, is simply too good). 

The campaign genuinely capitalizes on the 360° perespective. Many of the moments are exciting from any direction, making this a far better application of the technology than, say, inviting viewers to turn and face a Holiday Inn shower head just to avoid looking at Rob Riggle yammering in a yellow raincoat.

Other marketers have illustrated how VR footage can be useful for populations that can't be where they want to, for reasons ranging from illness or work obligations. But Coors Light's treatment captures how, for a broader audience, the technology can be a window into new experiences.

Whether that's enough to sell more seltzer beer to twentysomethings isn't clear, but there are worse ways for a brand to package its lifestyle. And while spurring adventure might be its purported goal, the approach also promises that, soon enough, nobody will ever have to go anywhere or do anything for kicks. 

Popping on a VR headset is way easier—and much dryer—than actually learning to ride waves.

CREDITS

Client: Coors Light
Chief Executive Officer: Gavin Hattersley
Chief Marketing Officer: David Kroll
Senior Director Marketing: Elina Vives
Director of Marketing: Ryan Marek and Brendan Noonan
Associate Marketing Manager: Jen Naye Herrmann

Agency: 72andSunny
Chief Executive Officer, Founder: John Boiler
Chief Creative Officer, Co-Founder: Glenn Cole
Executive Creative Director, Partner: Bryan Rowles
Executive Creative Director, Partner: Jason Norcross
Creative Director: Jed Cohen
Creative Director: Galen Graham
Lead Designer: Anthony Alvarez
Sr. Writer: Alberto Garcia Orte
Jr. Designer: Chris Ruh
Jr. Writer: Matt Fink
Executive Film Producer: Jim Haight
Sr. Film Producer: Perrin Rausch
Jr. Film Producer: Jamie Glass
Group Brand Director: James Stephens
Brand Director: Andrew Krensky
Brand Coordinator: Anthony Fernandez
Business Affairs Director: Christina Rust
Jr. Business Affairs Manager: Noah Winter
Group Strategy Director: Matt Johnson
Strategist: Eddie Moraga

Production: Unit 9
Executive Producer Unit 9: Luca Delaurentiis

Production/Editorial/Visual Effects: Rapid VR
Director: Dave Klaiber
Executive Producer: Susannah Dilallo
Producer: Rita Gagliardi
VR Technician: Dan White
VR Assistant: Bek Hawkey

Music: South Music
Executive Producer: Ann Haugen
Head of Production, Partner: Dan Pritikin

Is Todd Gurley actually vegetarian?

You have to wonder after watching this Carl's Jr. commercial starring the Los Angeles Rams running back. The spot shows Gurley supposedly biting into the California Classic Double Cheeseburger, but it's blatantly obvious that the burger isn't real—it's a digitally inserted photo that isn't fooling anyone.

Check out the YouTube comments—almost every one is mocking. "That CGI burger is as inflated as your prices," says one. Says another: "Feel free to send me some burgers at my email. Thank you. Also save them in photoshop so I can eat them at a higher res! Thanks!"

The ad has 92 likes and 700 dislikes on YouTube, as of this writing.

PetaPixel says the same burger photo was even used in separate shots in the ad:



We've reached out to Carl's Jr. for comment on this, and will update if we hear back. In the meantime, Gurley has taken over Carl's Jr.'s Instagram for a couple of days, where he continues to have lots of fun not eating the chain's food. 

For those not currently embroiled in the ongoing and emotionally charged debates taking place within the European Union, a massive vote—the EU Referendum—is on the horizon. On June 23 the United Kingdom will decide to either remain in the European Union or leave, sparking conversations about the potential impact either option would have on immigration, trade agreements and short and long-term economic effects.

The vote—nicknamed Brexit to signify a British exit from the EU—has, understandably, stirred concern and discussion within the advertising community both in the U.K. and throughout other European ad agencies. Many of the industry's biggest names have vocalized their opinions on a possible Brexit, including WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell and Publicis Groupe chief executive Maurice Lévy—both are decidedly anti-Brexit. 

At this year's Advertising Week Europe in London, Sorrell kicked off a three-plus hour session dedicated to discussing the impact a possible Brexit could have on the industry. Sorrell noted that should the people vote in favor of leaving the EU, WPP would most certainly "lose influence in four of our top 10 markets—Germany, France, Italy and Spain … I know clients will close plants, I know that jobs will go," he said.

One of Sorrell's main arguments surrounding the vote revolves around immigration—a major point of contention in the overall Brexit debate. Supporters of the 'vote leave' camp argue that being a member of the EU has led Britain to lose control of immigration, with laws allowing free movement among the 28 countries. However, many U.K. ad agencies rely on the fact that they can hire talent from outside of the country to come and work for them. Agencies argue it creates a more European mindset, which in turn leads to a stronger roster of global clients. 

"We have significant numbers of staff from other EU countries and the thing is, it's one of the reasons U.K. agencies are able to work so well across the region," adam&eveDDB chief executive James Murphy told Adweek. "Also one of the reasons U.K. agencies pick up a lot of global ad accounts is because they're seen as open to the world and globally, internationally minded."

"We work with clients in France, Germany, Italy, Spain. One of the reasons they come here is they think they are going to get brilliant creativity from people who share a European mindset, not who have a parochial or nationalistic mindset," Murphy added.

Benedict Pringle, founder of website Politicaladvertising.co.uk, noted that U.K. agencies are increasingly acting as regional hubs for Europe and if clients start to feel that "British agencies begin to have a Little Englander mentality, there's [a] reason why Amsterdam or Paris may start to look more attractive."

On the flip side, the U.K. remains one of Europe's largest exporters of advertising services. Pringle noted that the leave side might argue that if the U.K. were to leave, it should have no trouble securing a favorable trade deal with the EU and could allow some of the industry's top talent from the U.K. to succeed by reducing the levels of immigration into the country.

72andSunny Amsterdam managing director Nic Owen, feels differently. The agency is extremely diverse, with over 30 nationalities represented, and a number of members coming from the U.K. "Not needing to get visas for these people saves time and money," Owen said.

Then, there's the financial aspect to consider.

On the one side, the Campaign for an Independent Britain argues that while there may be some minor adjustments immediately following a vote to leave, like a "sudden short-term fall in the value of sterling," the long-term benefits would hugely outweigh any minor setbacks, John Petley, operations manager for the Campaign for an Independent Britain, argues.

Agency analysis would argue otherwise. A recent report from Publicis Media's Zenith suggests that leaving the EU would end up costing the U.K. 70 million pounds (roughly $99 million) in ad spend growth per year, reaching 1 billion pounds ($1.45 billion) by 2030. The report argues that while the immediate effect on the U.K. ad market "would be muted," a Brexit would have a long-term cost for the U.K. ad industry … It would also threaten to make cross border accounts in Europe more costly and cumbersome to operate," Jonathan Barnard, Zenith's head of forecasting, stated in the report. 

The upcoming vote has also drudged up plenty of emotion, which spilled over into violence last Thursday when a Labour MP from West Yorkshire, Jo Cox, who had been campaigning to keep the U.K. in the EU, was murdered by a man who shouted "Britain First" as he shot and stabbed the mother of two to death.

As the vote approaches, it seems increasingly more likely that a British exit could in fact be possible. According to cheeky website Brexit Belly—which uses Financial Times data to measure the percentage of voters leaning towards leaving (the outies) and those leaning towards remaining (the innies)—as of Monday June 20, the split between "innies" and "outies" is even, both at 44 percent.

"I don't think anyone is clear in terms of what the exact fallout will be. We will still work closely with brands and people in the U.K., but it will just make things a touch harder, for no valid reason that I can see ... there will be additional bureaucracy to deal with," Owen added.

Consumer packaged goods aren't usually considered a creative canvas for agencies. But these six campaigns proved otherwise—showing that even staid categories can be fertile ground for fascinating creative ideas, and massive viral hits. 

 
•Old Spice
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Year: 2010

W+K had been revitalizing the P&G brand for a while, but nothing could prepare the world for Isaiah Mustafa in his towel—at once, the ideal man and the ultimate parody of him. With its sharp writing and hyperbolic visuals, this spot defined postmodern masculinity and created a whole, often-imitated style of self-aware advertising.

 
•Dove
Agency: Ogilvy Brazil
Year: 2013

The Unilever brand's "Campaign for Real Beauty," launched in 2004, reached its apotheosis with "Real Beauty Sketches." As part of a brilliant social experiment, a police sketch artist drew women as they described themselves, and as others described them—illustrating, quite literally, women's issues with self-esteem.

 
•Cheerios
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
Year: 2013

This General Mills brand became a somewhat unlikely pioneer for progressive advertising after a quiet, cute spot with a mixed-race family got swamped by racist comments online. The brand seemed taken aback at first, but embraced its sudden role as a leading voice for acceptance by running a follow-up spot on the Super Bowl.

 
•Honey Maid
Agency: Droga5
Year: 2014

Mondelez also took up the cause of inclusive advertising with "This Is Wholesome," a campaign showing the full range of real American families. The launch spot showed gay dads, two mixed-race families (one military) and a single dad—and the lauded campaign has also touched on everything from divorce to disability to immigration.

 
•Axe
Agency: 72andSunny
Year: 2016

For years, this Unilever brand was stubbornly troglodytic in its ads, appealing to young men with bluntly sexist portrayals of women. But lately it's been evolving, and this year rolled out a campaign with an impressive, grownup take on manhood. One guy in high heels, another in a wheelchair—this isn't your older brother's Axe.

 
•Knorr
Agency: MullenLowe
Year: 2016

Tatia Pilieva, who directed the famous "First Kiss" film a few years back, returned with this great branded work for Unilever's soup mixes and condiments brand. It was another social experiment about affection—to see if strangers could fall in love over food. With almost 60 million views, it's one of 2016's most viral ads to date.

This story first appeared in the June 20, 2016 issue of Adweek magazine.
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Gatorade and Snickers are Emmy nominees for a second straight year, as five spots were announced Thursday as contenders for the 2016 Emmy Award for Best Commercial.

Gatorade is a nominee for "Dear Peyton" by TBWA\Chiat\Day, and Snickers for "Marilyn" by BBDO. The favorite, though, might just be the Ad Council's "Love Has No Labels" film from R/GA, which broke through to become an enormous viral hit. 

Emmy voters seem to favor feel-good, socially progressive spots, too, as they awarded the 2015 Emmy to the Always "Like a Girl" spot by Leo Burnett.

Rounding out the nominees are RPA's exquisite animated spot "Paper" for Honda and, somewhat oddly, 72andSunny's "Year In Search 2015" montage for Google.

The Droga5 team that made Under Armour's Michael Phelps spot will feel (rightly) aggrieved that they got bumped by the run-of-the-mill Google work.

See all five 2016 Emmy-nominated ads below:

 
Gatorade "Dear Peyton"
TBWA\Chiat\Day
Production Company: Smuggler

 
Ad Council "Love Has No Labels"
Agency: R/GA
Production Company: Persuade & Influence/Mindride

 
Snickers "Marilyn"
Agency: BBDO New York
Production Company: O Positive

 
Honda "Paper"
Agency: RPA
Production Company: Reset Content

 
Google "Year In Search 2015"
Agency: 72andSunny
Production Company: Hecho en 72

With retirement looming, Red Sox designated hitter/first baseman David Ortiz is preparing for the next stage of his life the only way he knows how: By making terrible puns as he attempts to name potential business ventures.

Ortiz, who's already founded Big Papi's Kitchen, is the new centerpiece of the new SC@Night campaign from ESPN and 72andSunny. The campaign is built around highlighting the fans, athletes and celebrities who watch late night SportsCenter. In this video spot, Ortiz brainstorms new business names while watching Stan Verrett and Neil Everett reel off zingers, much to the chagrin of Eduardo Rodriguez and David Price.

Like a lot of athletes, Ortiz isn't a natural actor, but he has pretty good comedic timing, and "Papi gonna be rich" is exactly the kind of dumb thing I would quote endlessly in middle and high school. That, and 72andSunny's awareness of the Internet's masochistic fascination with puns, is what really makes this spot a winner.

CREDITS

Agency: 72andSunny
Chief Creative Officer/Founding Partner: Glenn Cole
Executive Creative Director/Partner: Jason Norcross
Creative Director: Jed Cohen
Sr. Designer: Dave Estrada
Sr. Writer: Nick Ciffone
Jr. Writer: Carlyle Garrick
Jr. Designer: David Jung
Group Brand Director: James Stephens
Brand Director: Jessica Francis
Brand Manager: Rochelle Farnum
Brand Coordinator: Hector Romero
Director of Film Production: Sam Baerwald
Sr. Film Producer: Eric Rasco
Group Strategy Director: Matt Johnson
Strategy Director: Heather Lewis
Business Affairs Director: Christina Rust Jr.
Business Affairs Manager: Noah Winter

Shortly after completing her run on the hit ABC reality series The Bachelor (and making an appearance on the spin-off series, Bachelor in Paradise), Sarah Herron felt the timing was right to launch a nonprofit. The art director and creative producer at 72andSunny started SheLift, an organization she hopes will change the lives of young girls struggling with self-confidence.

In 2013, Herron became the first contestant to appear on The Bachelor with a physical disability. Herron was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome and as a result has only one arm. After appearing on the show, Herron said she received an outpouring of messages and letters from viewers of the show thanking her for being such a strong role model for young girls everywhere.

"I was someone girls felt they could resonate with because up until then it was as though to be a contestant on this show you had to be physically perfect and beautiful, have perfect hair and the perfect wardrobe," Herron said. "Rarely did girls go on the show representing different body types and shapes, and not only that but the vulnerabilities and insecurities that come with that."

When she was eventually eliminated from the show, Herron finally felt she had an opportunity to make a difference. A lover of the great outdoors, Herron created SheLift after climbing Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. SheLift will hold day events, but will focus on larger hiking or skiing adventures to get girls outdoors and help them "find their confidence and self-worth by accomplishing something they never thought they could do before," she added.

The long-term goal is to organize one big outing, from backpacking adventures to camping trips, every quarter.

Once she had the idea, it took Herron roughly one year to get SheLift up and running. She credits her experience at 72andSunny and in the creative industry with helping her pull it off. During her time at the agency, Herron has worked on accounts including Carl's Jr. and anti-smoking initiative Truth, and has "been surrounded by some of the best leaders who have taught me everything that I know," she said. "I have fortunately gotten to spend time with the best strategists and creative directors and producers to come at this from every angle with the most knowledge that I could bring to the table."

The tobacco-slagging Truth campaign is back to inspire, or maybe just torture, teenagers with more anti-smoking rhymes.

A new ad, set to air during this Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, focuses on a statistic largely overlooked among millennials—that people who habitually suck down cigarettes have significantly less cash than people who don't. And it does that, for better or worse, in song form.

"I'm stuck with Pee-Pop, who smells like a foot, while my squad's at the movies, and they're seeing something good," raps the first young man in the minute-long video, as he laments not being able to afford to join his pals—he's broke because he smokes.

It's part of a new ad push, unified under the hashtag #Squadless and created by Truth's agency, 72andSunny (MDC sister shop Assembly is handling media planning and buying). With some two and a half minutes of airtime scheduled for the VMAs, the campaign is the organization's largest on the show since first partnering with it in 2014.



Based on research that showed 88 percent of 15- to 25-year-olds didn't know that smokers have an average of 20 percent less income than non-smokers, the campaign will also include a :60 featuring a Diplo track, as well as digital and social components that will featuring singer Macy Kate and Vine star George Janko.

And in perhaps the most brain-meltingly millennial media themed sentence ever, the release reads: "YouTube personality Timothy DeLaGhetto, Vine stars Lele Pons and Brent Rivera, will also support the #Squadless campaign by creating their own rap verses to start a rap battle on MTV's VMA Pre-Show Snapchat live story."

One or two of those names might be vaguely familiar to the olds in the audience—at least, the olds familiar with Truth's advertising. Last year, DeLaGhetto had a hand in the campaign's Tinder-themed anti-smoking ad, a full-blown music video that left some, if not many, viewers reeling, and desperate for a cigarette. (Earlier this year, meanwhile, Truth was seen urging audiences to save the art of cat videos by not exposing felines to second-hand smoke—an effort that included an awkward "Peetition" requiring would-be signatories to share pictures or their pets urinating.)

The new musical number is short, at least, and despite sporting one of the more obvious and stilted lyrical flows in the history of hip-hop (if it can be called that), manages one brilliant line, from the guy whose empty pockets leave him enough free time to become a Photoshop god. Confined to his room, he confesses: "I don't have the memories or experiences to share, but I can put my head on the body of a bear."

That moment of charming idiocy is the ad's first saving grace (though it could reasonably be argued that the kid should be grateful for his newfound skill, which in the modern economy he might be able to parlay into a better-paying job). The second redeeming moment comes in slapstick form, when a young woman faceplants in the dirt from a significant height, though the point on which it's based is perhaps a bit convoluted: "If you smoke, you'll end up with a face full of bee stings, because you tried to climb a tree to see a concert your friends were going to but had no money to buy a ticket."

In other words, the set pieces are willfully absurd—which itself wouldn't be a bad thing, if they didn't also come across as contortionist attempts to avoid preaching. The larger point, meanwhile—suggesting smoking cigarettes will lead to being alone—might seem counterintuitive, given that lighting up is often a social habit.

More likely it's clever, though, given that the point is clearly meant to hit millennials where it counts—in their infamous FOMOs. But mostly, and unfortunately, what the ad seems to convey, is that do-gooder marketing executives think what kids really want these days is to cringe endlessly.

That's a shame, given how important the message is. Or maybe it's an ingenious sleeper strategy, insofar as one of the best arguments for everyone everywhere quitting smoking forever is that nobody would ever have to cringe at one of these intentionally embarrassing spots again.

CREDITS
Client: Truth
Agency: 72andSunny

Sonos wants to solve all your modern audio woes, especially when it comes to listening to music at home.

The wireless speaker brand is out with a new ad campaign from 72andSunny built around the myriad pitfalls of listening to tunes in the digital age, when songs may be plentiful but, the brand says, headache-free sound systems are not.

Fifteen-second spots showcase common frustrations like trying to play a banger—say, Skepta's "Shutdown"—on your laptop, but not being to squeeze out enough volume. Or maybe you're trying to put a date in the mood with some romantic music streamed from your phone to a Bluetooth speaker, and getting interrupted by a call from your mom. (Though in that case, your mom might actually be saving you, and your partner, and Sonos, from the incredibly explicit next line of Spank's "Lay You Down.")

Ten such commercials run the gamut from impossible assembly of a complex home stereo to poor compression on your home entertainment system—meaning when you turn up the volume to hear the dialogue on the movie you're watching, the surprise explosion in the next scene is guaranteed to wake your infant and ruin the tiny little island of relaxation you thought you'd carved out in your evening.

See the spots here: 

"You're better than this," Sonos promises in the wake of each disaster, a phrase that's the campaign's title and not an altogether unconvincing proposition. A 60-second compilation of the shorter clips—including one starring Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones, borrowed from the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man—makes the same general point.



A longer, duller video reveals more of the thinking behind the strategy (while also showcasing the brand's voice control option), though further explanation isn't really necessary. Any music fan has experienced a version of at least one of the problems Sonos is targeting. Whether it can really solve them doesn't matter—that it says it can is enough to pique interest.



On some level, that says more about how spoiled the current audience is than anything else. Effortless, instantaneous, unhindered satisfaction isn't just what consumers expect these days, says Sonos—it's what's they deserve. Imagine the horrors of having to pull a 78 out of its sleeve and align the stylus—or, gasp, go see musicians play live—to hear a song. But that's besides the point. Reality being what it is, why not pursue the easiest effective technical solution?

Still, it'd be nice if Sonos would come in and design your entire house, too.

CREDITS
Client: Sonos
Chief Marketing Officer: Joy Howard
VP Global Brand, Creative Director: Dmitri Siegel
Director, Global Brand Design: Andrew Clark
Director, Global Campaign & Marketing: Lorrin Pascoe
Specialist, Campaign Marketing: Christen Fallon

Agency: 72andSunny
Chief Creative Officer: Glenn Cole
Group Creative Director: John Boiler
Group Creative Director: Gui Borchert
Creative Director: Jeremy Wirth
Lead Designer: Sean Matthews
Lead Writer: Lauren Ferreira
Designer: Jonay Urbina
Chief Production Officer: Tom Dunlap
Senior Film Producer: Nick Gaul
Group Strategy Director: John Graham
Senior Strategist: Anneliese Rapp
Group Brand Director: Yen Lovgren-Ho
Brand Director: Ryan Griffin
Sr. Brand Manager: Jessica Brewer
Brand Coordinator: Molly Mohr
Art Producer: Melissa Harris
Business Affairs Director: Jana Nauman

Production: HECHO EN 72
Sr. Producer: Jonny Edwards
Line Producer: Brian Armstrong
Director: Gui
Borchert
Director of Photography: Max Gutierrez
Print Credits:
Vendor: HECHO EN 72
Studio Designer: Frank Lucero
Retoucher: Franz Steiner
Producer: Jacqueline Kynoch
Executive Producer: Cindy Bohm

Post Production: HECHO EN 72
Editor: Thomas MacVicar
Assistant Editor: Ted Stanley
Post Producers:  Becca
Purice & Ryan Curtis
Colorist: Michael Gossen
Motion Graphics Producer: Caroline Anguiano
Lead Animator/Designer: Jae Yoo
Animator: Joseph Moon
Audio Producer: Whitney Fromholtz
Mixer: Brian Naas

Playing a sport well, and becoming a career athlete, doesn't just mean you've studied a list of plays, stuck to a workout regimen and mastered exactly how something should be done, though that's certainly a part of it.

It means you've done all that and found creative ways to make the game your own. 

That's what this high-energy Adidas spot from 72andSunny says, arguing that it is the sports brand for creative athletes—unlike say, Under Armour. Yes, the copy for the new work seems to take a swipe at UA, which has been pitching itself as the brand for athletes serious about training.

"Yeah, yeah, hard work and dedication. But that's not enough. You look at this cookie-cutter, copy-and-paste BLAH," the narrator says as the frenetic camerawork—which is the real star of the spot—moves from football fields to basketball courts with what seems to be a reference to Under Armour's "Rule Yourself" and its hundreds of copies of Stephen Curry. 

It's funny, though. For a campaign arguing for creativity, Adidas seems to be cribbing from its two major competitors. The Under Armour references serve as the advertising version of a subtweet, which is fun and arguably works for what the brand is intending. But the freewheeling, opinionated voiceover, whether intentionally or not, feels a lot like what Nike's been doing lately, and that doesn't seem to gel with the ad's core argument. 

The ad, which will debut during tonight's NFL season opener on NBC—the Carolina Panthers versus the Denver Broncos, in a rematch of Super Bowl 50—is meant to serve as "a rallying cry for athletes everywhere to tap into their imagination and embrace and utilize creativity in sports," according to an Adidas spokeswoman. 



Of course, it helps to show athletes who exemplify that point. That's why the spot features Von Miller of the Denver Broncos, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs, Paul Pogba of Manchester United, James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Moriah Jefferson of the San Antonio Stars, Brandon Ingram of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets.

Kevin Hart's upcoming stand-up concert film is called What Now? Which is the question he poses to his uninterested wife and son in this Xfinity ad by 72andSunny New York.

This is one of those weird, cross-promotional deals where Kevin's movie and the X1 voice remote are given equal weight, like a Russian nesting ad. I'm not a big fan of those, and the only reason this one works is because it's totally believable that Kevin Hart would troll his family by making them watch his stuff all the time.



As for what Kevin should do now that he's been a comedian, actor, rapper and hand model, that one's a little above my pay grade. Whatever he decides, he shouldn't stray too far from what I feel is his Platonic ideal situation—antagonizing Ice Cube.

Is Coors Light's new campaign an ad for the beer brand or for a fashion designer? Well, it's kind of both.

In a new documentary-style spot, Coors Light shifts from schlepping beer to a long-form piece that tells the story of a Los Angeles-based fashion designer and entrepreneur named Shezi. Shezi says that he has always dreamed about opening up his own shop—and got close to finally doing so—before a heart tumor pushed back his plans last year.

After learning about Shezi's past, racing music kicks in and we follow Shezi on his journey to recovery, ultimately ending in a kick-off party to finally open his store called OU:RS in Hollywood (there is also an ecommerce site).

"Doctors would tell me to walk three times a day, and I would walk five times a day. I started getting stronger and that's when you can't stop me," he says in the spot.

There is also a Hispanic version of the clip with subtitles.

Besides branding at the beginning and end of the clip, a Coors Light bottle only makes a brief appearance during the party scene, which is by design. The two-and-a-half minute spot is Coors Light's first piece of branded content for a web series dubbed "My Climb. My Story." that will include more films during the next year. The spot will be shared to Coors Light's Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

72andSunny has been developing the brand's broader lifestyle appeal and moving away from humorous ads since winning the account last year. In the agency's first work for the brand in February, it focused on the brand's own "mountain" and story.

"Now we wanted to go out and find real people, helping them tell their story to inspire others facing obstacles on their journey," a rep for 72andSunny said. "This branded content series is a way for us to focus on fresh, diverse voices in culture."

"We searched broadly for unexpected and compelling stories of real people taking on challenges, bringing the campaign idea to life. When Shezi's story surfaced, we instantly fell in love with his dynamic character and incredible perspective. His story was exactly what we had in mind and we're so excited to help share it."

CREATIVE CREDITS
Client: Coors Light
Chief Executive Officer: Gavin Hattersley
Chief Marketing Officer: David Kroll
Sr. Marketing Director, CFOB: Elina Vives
Sr. Marketing Manager: Danielle Rappoport
Associate Marketing Manager: Jamie Lugo
Director, Marketing Communications, MillerCoors: Scott Bussen
72andSunny
Group Creative Director: Frank Hahn
Creative Director/Designer: Galen Graham
Creative Director/Writer: Jed Cohen
Sr. Designer: Gabo Curielcha
Sr. Writer: Francisco Puppio
Jr. Writer: Matt Fink
Jr. Designer: Chris Ruh
Group Strategy Director: Matt Johnson
Strategy Director: Robyn Pocrnich
Jr. Strategist: Chelsea Gilroy
Data Strategist: Annie Yuan
Group Brand Director: James Stephens
Brand Director: Andrew Krensky
Brand Manager: Jena Casiean
Brand Coordinator: Brittany Lewis
Community Manager: Sofia Hexsel
Business Affairs Director: Christina Rust
Business Affairs Manager: Noah Winter
Business Affairs Coordinator: Tempest Johnson
Group Production Director: Nicole Haase
Executive Film Producer: Jim Haight
Sr. Film Producer: Lindsey Wood
Film Producer: Jamie Glass
Jr. Film Producer: Chloe Scott

PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Production Company: HECHO EN 72
Director: Daniel Addelson
Director of Photography: Logan Triplett
Hecho Creative Director: Evan De Haven
Senior Producer: Jonny Edwards
Line Producer: Brian Armstrong
Jr. Producer: Michael Bergin
Colorist: Logan Triplett
Editors: Daniel Addelson, Aaron Leichter, Amanda Tuttle and Stevo Chang

New York has long served as the heart of the media and advertising industries. Los Angeles, by contrast, pumps out a steady flow of popular culture and has its own agency scene to match. This global headquarters for the entertainment and production industries—with a dash of tech innovation—creates a wealth of opportunities for trend-smart ad shops that aren't afraid to draw talent and collaborators from outside the "traditional" marketing world. As clients cut budgets and the storied broadcast TV model evolves, these organizations are increasingly comfortable moving beyond the familiar. Thankfully, their hometown has a wealth of alternatives to offer.

R/GA

"The idea that the commercial should be interrupting [your viewing experience] is no longer accepted," said R/GA founder Bob Greenberg—and for his agency's L.A. office, this means more partnerships with local production companies like Maker Studios and Fullscreen that specialize in influencer-driven content. "Hollywood's unbundling creates opportunities for both agencies and clients," added R/GA vp and managing director Alex Morrison, noting that eight of today's top celebrities among teens are YouTube stars, and that a near-majority told a recent poll that such "creators" understand them better than their own friends. "There's no better place to have those conversations than in L.A. where programming decisions are made and talent resides," Morrison said.

The products of this trend can be seen in recent R/GA work for Corona, which recruited YouTuber Casey Neistat to promote its Cinco de Mayo Lime Drop event, and Royal Caribbean, which sponsored a millennial soap opera-style series called Royal Crush produced in collaboration with AwesomenessTV. "The new model is very different than asking a YouTube star to read an ad about your product," said R/GA global CMO Daniel Diez.

Omelet

Omelet has been so focused on embedding itself in the influencer market that it hired Ironing My Underwear star and Red Bull branding veteran Ty Stafford as senior content strategist. "He understands how to make money for brands," noted Omelet co-founder Ryan Fey. "Let the influencers run a bit versus telling them what to do and then making a media buy." The independent shop frequently works with local talent native to the film and fashion industries. Digital Domain handled VFX for last year's Pokemon Super Bowl spot after working on the award-winning special effects for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And Omelet recently collaborated with local production unit GenPop and neighbor Smashbox Cosmetics to create a 360-degree video tour of the latter company's studio.

"It's almost like L.A. is episodic," said Fey regarding the volume of locals with brand-worthy stories to tell. "It's the longest-running series ever."

TBWAChiatDay

 

A photo posted by Backslash (@tbwabackslash) on Oct 4, 2016 at 11:22am PDT

Omnicom's creative shop went in a different direction by drawing on local talent to create its own internal media channel called Backslash. "It's very much a global editorial unit," said Sarah Rabia, a former journalist who serves as the office's director of cultural strategy and ultimately determines what TBWA's 10,000-plus employees from L.A. to Tokyo will see on their feeds. The official Instagram account @tbwabackslash offers the public a passing glance at what Rabia calls "our collective intelligence around the world" as produced by more than 200 "culture spotters" in 36 cities—each with a "beat" ranging from the hottest subreddits to the newest fashion lines.

Each day the team runs three Instagram posts, one internal all-staff email and a two-minute video that goes live in real time from Shanghai to Culver City, Calif. Recent subjects include the evolution of black masculinity and a mini-documentary starring the curator of L.A.'s Getty Museum. TBWA hopes that Backslash can eventually double as a PR tool, but for now it aims to help the agency deliver more informed work to its clients.

Rabia cited talent, time zone and temperament in explaining why L.A. makes the best possible headquarters for her agency's custom content unit: "We have a very hybrid team, which is what you can take from Los Angeles."

72andSunny

72andSunny worked for the city in a very direct way this year by designing the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic Bid Committee's official logo and website. It also collaborated with locals like Kobe Bryant, Will Ferrell, Jessica Alba and Mayor Eric Garcetti to make a film promoting L.A. as a potential host city for the 2024 Summer Games. And, in a more charitable development, the shop made a short film highlighting the efforts of architect Frank Gehry and nonprofit River LA to turn the river that flows through the city into a reliable water source and public space.

"We're aware of how fortunate we are—this is an electric moment for Los Angeles, and 72andSunny has a seat at the table of so many incredible civic projects," said director of brand innovation Kelly Schoeffel. "This city affords us the creative freedom to do what we love—which is to keep exploring and reinventing how we show up in culture."

This story first appeared in the October 10, 2016 issue of Adweek magazine.
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With global temperatures rising and the most obscene U.S. presidential election in recent memory taking place, 2016 might feel like the worst year ever. But whether you're an average joe on the street or celebrity swimmer Michael Phelps, Call of Duty's new game, Infinite Warfare, is ready to help you escape.

The new live-action trailer for the Activision title opens on a young man beset by dire news reports. Beside himself, he does the only reasonably thing. He hops in a spaceship and takes off from Earth altogether.

"2016 has been a year full of shock and head shaking," says Matthew Curry, group creative director at 72andSunny, which created the ad. "As we got further into the year, the idea that you could leave the insanity behind to go have some badass fun felt like rich territory. So we came up with the ultimate solution to a world gone mad: Screw it! Let's go to space."

Cue blastoff to a high-octane interplanetary gunfight, wherein the ad fulfills its obligation as a CoD trailer to deliver a explosion-packed, celebrity-studded fantasy blending live action and computer graphics, ultimately featuring surprise banter between Phelps and comedian Danny McBride. (A red-band trailer, launching Friday, will feature more in that vein.) 



As usual, a driving, guitar-driven soundtrack—in this case, "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses—is key. (Past CoD ads have featured "Gimme Shelter" and "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones. Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," meanwhile, featured in a 72andSunny ad for another Activision title, Destiny).

"Classic rock has a timeless cool to it," says Curry. It fits perfectly with the badass fun and swagger of the Call of Duty brand. For this particular spot … we considered everything from end-of-the-world songs to songs about escape. In the end, 'Welcome to the Jungle' had the perfect tone and message to tee up the badass fun of battling through the chaos of space."

As for casting, diversity was the driving factor, based on emphasizing the CoD franchise's broader sales pitch—"There's a soldier in all of us." But there was some strategy in the cameos, as well. "We instantly loved the idea of taking Michael Phelps, the winningest human on Earth, and putting him in space to see how he fared," says Curry. "Danny McBride was the perfect person to steal his kill, and his thunder."

The trailer, launching today, is the culmination of a massive push to promote latest title in a hugely success franchise. Infinite Warfare, launching Nov. 4, is the first to be set in space. "The campaign for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare consisted of literally over 100 marketing elements, all highlighting what is unique and different about this title," says Todd Harvey, svp of global consumer marketing at Activision.

"With 'Screw It, Let's Go to Space,' we've focused on creating a broad message that taps into the pop culture happening around us, while transporting players into the new game world of Infinite Warfare. The launch of Call of Duty is a pop-culture moment, and in that sense, the news of the day serves as a great starting point to play on that sense of escapism to enjoy the next epic entertainment launch of the year."

Past elements in the campaign have included the ambitious "Hostile Takeover" in-game activation in the prior Black Ops 3 title. Social activations launching later this week will include #EarthWorldProblems—a Twitter response campaign from Edelman playing on the popular #FirstWorldProblems trope, and "Terminal Tours" from AKQA—a Facebook Messenger walkthrough of the dangers of playing CoD in space.

As for whether 72andSunny had a specific candidate in mind, as the one moderating punches in the face during a particularly egregious debate, Curry maintains it was "no one in particular. We wanted a line that spoke to the insanity of the election season, so we really gunned at an unbelievable moment. Problem is, things have been so crazy that no matter how hyperbolic we went, you could argue it was still believable."

In other words, strap in.

CREDITS
Activision, Call of Duty Team:
Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing: Eric Hirshberg
Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer: Tim Ellis
Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Marketing: Todd Harvey
Senior Vice President, Consumer Engagement, Digital Marketing, Public Relations: Monte Lutz
Senior Director, Consumer Marketing: Carolyn Wang
Senior Manager, Consumer Marketing: David Cushman
Associate Manager, Consumer Marketing: Jared Castle
Coordinator, Consumer Marketing: Lynn Ballew
Senior Director, Digital Marketing: Justin Manfredi
Senior Manager, Digital Marketing: Rich Elmore
Senior Manager, Digital Marketing: Mario Sgambelluri
Digital Marketing Associate Manager: Peter Bowman
Vice President, Global Media: Caroline McNeil
Senior Director, Global Media: Simone Deocares-Lengyel

72andSunny Team
Chief Executive Officer: John Boiler
Chief Creative Officer: Glenn Cole
Chief Strategy Officer: Matt Jarvis
Director of Strategy: Bryan Smith
Chief Production Officer: Tom Dunlap
Group Creative Director: Matthew Curry
Creative Directors: Robert Teague, Tim Wolfe
Senior Designer: Jon Hall
Writer: Matt Meszaros
Designer: Lauren Albee
Group Production Director: Angelo Mazzamuto
Senior Film Producer: Dave Stephenson
Junior Film Producer: Skyler Courter
Group Brand Director: Rhea Curry
Brand Director: Simon Hall
Senior Brand Manager: Brett Schneider
Brand Manager: Will Nader
Strategy Director: Daniel Teng
Strategist: Jake Watt
Partnerships and Legal Director: Kallie Halbach
Partnerships and Legal Manager: Jesse Sinkiewicz
Partnerships and Legal Coordinator: Molly Hogan

Production Company: Pony Show Entertainment
Director: Peter Berg
Director of Photography: John Schwartzman
Production Designer: Jeff Mann
Partner: Susan Kirson
Executive Producer: Helga Gruber
Head of Production: Gareth Wood

Editorial: Work Editorial
Editor: Jono Griffith
Assistant Editor: Keith Hamm
Executive Producer: Marlo Baird
Producer: Lynne Mannino

Visual Effects: MPC
Creative Director: Paul O' Shea
Visual Effects Supervisor: Michael Gregory
Computer Graphics Supervisor: David White
Colorist: Ricky Gausis
Visual Effects Producer: Matt Olmon
Line Producer: Ekta Gupta
Visual Effects Coordinator: Sarah Laborde
2-D Lead: Nikkesh K
2-D Supervisor: David Rouxel
3-D Lead: Jacob Oommen

Visual Effects: Pixomondo
Visual Effects Supervisor: Timothy Hanson
Executive Producer: Mandie Briney
Visual Effects Producer: John Baer
Bidding Producer: Patrick Neighly
Digital Effects Supervisor: Patrick Schuler
Compositing Supervisor: Spencer Hecox
Previz Supervisor: Matt McClurg
Paint/Roto Supervisor: Lance Ranzer
Rigger/Maya Technical Director: York Schueller
Senior Production Coordinator: Enoch Davis
Production Coordinator: Antonia Oelmann

Costumes: Legacy Effects
Effects Supervisor: J. Alan Scott
Production Coordinator: Damon Weathers

Sound Design: Formosa Group
Supervising Sound Editors: Per Hallberg
Sound Designers: Ann Scibelli, Jon Title, D. Chris Smith
First Assistant Sound Editor: Philip D. Morrill

Recording Studio, Mix: Lime
Mixers: Rohan Young, Jeff Malen
Assistants: Ben Tomastik, Lisa Mermelstein
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

OMD Team
Group Account Director: Natalie Holbrook
Associate Media Director: Carly Haw
Media Supervisor: Amir Ghareaghadje
Senior Media Strategist: Justin Levenstein
Media Strategist: Natalie Garretson
Assistant Media Strategist: Deveny Rohrer

PMK•BNC
Senior Vice President, Brand Marketing and Communications: Michele Wyman
Senior Director, Brand Marketing and Communications: Mark Van Lommel
Senior Director, Talent Relations: Jonathan Kichaven
Senior Account Executive, Talent Relations: Ashley Studer
Program Manager: Chong Kim
Account Executive, Brand Marketing and Communications: Renee Felton

Edelman
Executive Creative Director: Jordan Atlas
Group Director, Activision: Zach Tindall
Vice President, Strategy, Activision: Sam Kennedy
Associate Creative Director: Chris Swanson
Senior Account Supervisor, Activision: Lauren Curtis
Senior Strategist, Call of Duty: Ben Lewis
Project Manager, Activision: Katie Stemler
Copywriters: Gabe Duran, Ronnie Lee, Matt Kugler
Art Director: Michele Pappas
Designers: Alex Sutton-Hough, Ji Choi
Senior Community Manager: Justin Fitzwater
Community Managers: Kurt Wendler, Jason Suh
Vice President, Insights and Analytics: Michael Fein
Manager, Insights and Analytics: Jocelyn Swift
Analysts: Tyler Phillippi, Carol Chu
Junior Analyst: Megan Cooper

AKQA
Creatives:
Group Creative Director: Nick Strada
Creative Director: E.B. Davis
Art Director: Nils Westgardh
Art Director, Photographer: Oscar Wickman
Associate Copywriter: Tandeka Lauriciano
Senior Designers: Cliff Li, Hovin Wang, Charles Calixto, Enoch Tengler, Randy Santos

Account:
Client Partner: Kristin Goto
Account Director: Erin Morgan

Production:
Program Manager, Executive Producer: Cody Lucas
Director, Film and Motion: David Shuff
Motion Designer: Ryan Jones
Senior Production Artist: Jim MacMurray

MediaMonks Films:
Director: Rogier Schalken
Assistant Director: Mel Anderson
Director of Photography: Dallas Sterling
Executive Producer: Lauren Becker
Line Production: Theresa Marth, Mark Aran
Post Supervisor: Wesley Kolsteeg
Post Producers: Marlose de Rijke, Gerben Molenaar

PullString:
Head Writer: Scott Ganz
Writers: Eva Steele-Saccio, Jessica Kitchens, Nicholas Pelczar
Operations Manager, Producer: Jennifer Dobbs
Head of Enterprise: Mike Houlahan

Infrastructure Engineering Lead: James Chalfant

General Mills has picked a unit comprised of both 72andSunny and innovation shop Redscout as its lead agency in the U.S. after an extended review. The second portion of the review, which will establish a separate roster of agencies handling project-based work for GM, has not yet concluded.

The two MDC Partners agencies won lead status on the food giant's account, which remains one of North America's largest, in a "unique partnership model" that combines 72andSunny's creative work with Redscout's brand strategy offering. They'll focus on precision targeting to more effectively engage key demographics with creative campaigns. 

"72andsunny with Redscout impressed us for so many reasons: a generous passion for our consumers; creative chops that have culture-shaping power; experience helping brands change their fortunes; and an inspiring commitment to diversity among their creative team," said Michael Fanuele, General Mills vp and chief creative officer, a veteran of Fallon. "But what swayed us most was a distinct ability to collaborate, with us and our other partners. This feels like a genuine, productive relationship, the kind in which we will make each other better."

According to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the MDC group—which included staffers from the Los Angeles and New York offices of 72andSunny—beat out Deutsch, McCann New York, Mother New York, and a Publicis unit led by Fallon to win the business. The agencies were required to present creative briefs for the client's Yoplait and Nature Valley brands, and Saatchi & Saatchi, which had worked on the GM business for more than 35 years, did not participate in the review. 72andSunny had been handling smaller portions of the client's portfolio prior to this decision.

"We have been blown away by the bravery, smarts and determination of every person we've met at General Mills," said 72andSunny founder and chief creative officer Glenn Cole in a statement. "We're humbled that they have asked 72andSunny and Redscout to be their partners and help write the next chapter of the story of some of the most iconic brands in the world."

Redscout CEO and founder Jonah Disend called the win "a dream opportunity," adding, "I have been so inspired by the General Mills team's clear commitment to serving people in such an honest way."

General Mills announced the review in July about one year after naming WPP's Mindshare as its U.S. media agency of record. Joanne Davis Consulting led the review.

According to the most recent numbers from Kantar Media, the company spent just under $700 million on measured media in 2015 and $186 million during the first quarter of 2016. That marked a drop from 2014, when total spend was greater than $850 million.

The client also recently made headlines for being one of several large advertisers to announce diversity goals or quotas for its ad agency partners: In a statement, it strongly suggested that the teams working on its business be comprised of 50 percent women and 20 percent people of color.

A 72andSunny spokesperson declined to comment for this story.

Starbucks wants consumers to know it's heard their deep concerns about its Christmas cups, and has worked hard to rectify the situation.

Last year, the coffee chain sparked the world's most absurd controversy by stripping holiday imagery like snowflakes and reindeer from its disposable red drinking vessels.

Some very adult Christian audiences took that move—meant to set an inclusive tone—as a personal affront, in the form of persecution against their religion, and a sign of the unbearable tyranny of political correctness.

Now, Starbucks and agency 72andSunny have returned to typical form by restoring the wintry spirit to the cup, using designs consumers drew onto the plainer 2015 versions.



This year's versions include the aforementioned snowflakes, and reindeer, as well as images like evergreen trees, Christmas lights and Christmas tree ornaments. Other cups feature more neutral patterns.

They are pretty, and like plain red cups, relatively harmless (though people seem to get riled up about pretty much any Starbucks cup these days). The fact is, though, it probably doesn't matter much, either way. Starbucks can count on sleepless Americans buying a lot more coffee this December, regardless. 

And by the way, if you think Starbucks didn't love last year's cup controversy, have a look at the teaser video below, released earlier last week for the new cups. The chain clearly knows the PR value of a good consumer freak-out. 

Entering the gates of hell, where there's no wifi and no shows—aka, Grandma's.

For Comcast's Xfinity brand, 72andSunny tore a page out of Jimmy Kimmel's mean tweets playbook. "Hooking Up Grandma's House," which launches today, kicks off with grandparents reading tweets by their own grandkids, who dread visiting because—oh, no!—there's no Wi-Fi and no On Demand television. 

"We discovered a bunch of tweets from grandkids lamenting the technological black hole that is Grandma's house during the holidays," Bryan Rowles, executive creative director at 72andSunny New York, tells Adweek. "We immediately related to that plight. It's such a universal experience. So we set out to prove that Xfinity could be a catalyst for bringing families together, and can make Grandma's house the most awesome place to be."

The ad was inspired by genuine accounts, with one set of grandparents getting the full Xfinity holiday hookup. A van rolls up and gives the "gates of hell" a tech upgrade—including Wi-Fi, voice remote control, shows, movies and music on demand, and Xfinity X1, a TV platform that includes Netflix.

The reactions that round out the end of the ad are real, albeit mindfully edited and given a boost from "Home," the feel-good advertising darling soundtrack by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

"Our inspiration came from real consumer insights that showed there's a misconception that seniors aren't up on the latest technology, so we wanted to create a fun spot that made grandma and grandpa the hero for the holidays," explains brand marketing vp Todd Arata of Comcast.

Meanwhile, Rowles sheds light on how the grandparents felt when they read the tweets. "Most, including those we met who did not make the final film, shared a feeling of shock," he says. "Some laughed it off, but others were kinda pissed. Which was also funny."

One thing that sticks out about the film is how unifying digital appears to be. Anybody who's attended a holiday party at a digital-friendly house knows that, once everybody settles in, we all kind of disappear—down the rabbit hole of our phones, or plunged into whatever somebody put on TV.

But in Xfinity's take on a connected holiday, the din at Grandma's seems to get louder. The granddaughter, Paige, faceswaps with her grandma on Snapchat. There's dancing in the kitchen, and it all ends with an intimate movie night on the couch, at which time Paige reveals she's posted a photo of Grandma on Instagram. 

How realistic was this depiction? 

"There was no script per se, more of an 'evening during the holidays' we wanted to capture with a real family," Rowles explains. "So yes, the interactions were real. We gave them Xfinity and let them play with it. We also put an emphasis on Paige and her grandma, and looked for opportunities where Xfinity could help bring them closer." 

And the good cheer seemed to last after the upgrade, too. "Grandpa is a bigtime Nascar fan, so he's pretty stoked," Rowles adds. 

By and large, the agency wanted to convey a sense of unity and reconnection with family members. "We set out to see if Xfinity could be a genuine catalyst for both," says Rowles, while addressing "families who want a more awesome, more modern entertainment experience." 

Lastly, he divulges one of the best moments on the set. "We really enjoyed the wide range of shocked reactions by different grandparents reading tweets written by their traitorous grandkids," he laughs. "Oh, and only a few of the grandparents understood hashtags. 'Pound sign,' LOL!"

CREDITS

Client: Xfinity
Senior Vice President, Marketing Communications: Peter Intermaggio
Vice President, Brand Marketing: Todd Arata
Executive Director, Marketing Communications: Dustin Hayes
Director,Marketing Communications: Katie Senderowitz
Senior Manager, Brand Marketing: Diana Hicks

Agency: 72andSunny
Chief Creative Officer: Glenn Cole
Executive Creative Director: Bryan Rowles
Executive Creative Director: Guillermo Vega
Group Creative Director: Eric Steele
Creative Director, Designer: Erik Norin
Senior Designer: David Goss
Senior Writer: Mikio Bradley
Junior Designers: Serena Smith, Anne Marie Wonder
Junior Writer: Oliver Gormsen
Group Strategy Director: Marshall Ball
Strategy Director: Jennifer Lewis
Strategist: Lauren Wong
Managing Director: James Townsend
Brand Director: Mallory Solomon
Brand Coordinator: Dylan Levy
Head of Production: Lora Schulson
Senior Film Producer: Julia Lafferty
Film Production Coordinator: Samira Mostofi
Partnerships, Legal Managers: Marissa Burnett, Laura Fraser
Partnerships, Legal Coordinator: Pamala Billman

Production Company: Iconoclast
Director: Matthew Frost
Executive Producer: Charles-Marie Anthonioz
Line Producer: Caroline Pham
Director of Photography: Matyas Erdely

Editorial Company: Exile Editorial
Editor: Matt Murphy
Post Producer: Evyn Bruce
Executive Producer: Sasha Hirschfeld

Visual Effects Company: Method Studios
Creative Director: Randy Swanberg
Visual Effects Producer: Stephanie Katritos
Executive Producer: Angela Lupo
Head of Production: Jeff Wolfe

Mix, Sound Design:
Audio Company: Heard City
Mixer: Keith Reynaud
Producer: Sasha Awn

Music:
Executive Producer: Sara Matarazzo
Senior Music Producer: Abbey Hickman
Assistant Producer: Marissa Hernandez
Composer: Eugene Cho

Can BFFs Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the terrific twosome of the Los Angeles Clippers, stay angry at each for long? 

We learn the answer in 72andSunny's brief bro-mantic comedy below, the latest in a series of spots touting the Google Duo video-calling app.

Earlier ads, sans celebrities, focused on anthropomorphized pairings such as salt and pepper, cream and coffee and peanut butter and jelly. This ad is similar, with animated jars of restaurant ketchup and mustard—cheekily voiced by the basketball stars—chatting via Google Duo to resolve a misunderstanding:



More napkins, stat!

Well, Blake and DeAndre certainly seemed happy in the end. A little too happy, perhaps, with the condiments shooting off in all directions. Hope they tipped the waitstaff accordingly.

The ad amusingly makes its point without overstaying its welcome. Director Jake Szymanski is getting quite adept at duo dynamics, having previously helmed Chrysler's election-themed campaign pairing two popular presidential posers.

CREDITS
Brand: Google Duo
Chief Executive Officer: Sundar Pichai
Chief Marketing Officer: Lorraine Twohill
VP, Brand Marketing: Marvin Chow
Brand Marketing Lead: Tyler Bahl
Brand Marketing Manager: Anna Jansson
Director of Product Marketing: Jeremy Milo
Head of Communication Products Marketing: Rebecca Michael
Head of Entertainment Partnerships: Neil Parris

Agency: 72andSunny
CEO/Co-Founder: John Boiler
CCO/Co-Founder: Glenn Cole
CSO/Partner: Matt Jarvis
Executive Creative Director: Matt Murphy
Creative Directors: Chiyong Jones, Claire Morrisey
Senior Designer: Ami Lewis
Senior Writer: Iain Nevill
Chief Production Officer: Tom Dunlap
Group Production Director: Angelo Mazzamuto
Senior Film Producer: Elizabeth Corsini
Managing Director: Chris Kay
Group Brand Director: Rhea Curry
Brand Director: Emily Connelly
Senior Brand Manager: Kelly Yaussi
Brand Coordinator: Michelle Casale
Head of Strategy: Bryan Smith
Strategy Director: Michael Lewis
Senior Strategist: Saeid Vahidi
Director of Partnerships and Legal: Michelle McKinney
Partnerships and Legal Director: Kallie Haibach
Junior Partnerships and Legal Manager: Lashá Winn
Partnerships and Legal Coordinator: Kiana Garner

Production Company: Gifted Youth
Director: Jake Szymanski
Managing Director/Executive Producer: Dal Wolf
Executive Producer of Production: Anthony M. Ficalora
Line Producer: Stephan Mohammed

Editing: Cut+Run
Editor: Andy Green
Managing Director: Michelle Eskin
Executive Producer: Amburr Farls
Senior Producer: Jared Thomas

Sound Design: Barking Owl
Sound Designer: Morgan Johnson
Executive Producer/Partner: Kelly Bayett

Mix: Lime Studios
Audio Mixer: Zac Fisher
Audio Assist: Kevin McAlpine
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

Animation: Jogger
Executive Producer: Rich Rama
Producer: Ben Sposato
Creative Director: David Parker
Lead Flame Artist: Tim Bird
Animators: Yasmin Joyner and Jahmad Rollins
Flame Assist: Jorge Tanaka
Production Coordinator: Erica Cruz

Color: Apache Digital
Colorist: Shane Reed
Executive Producer: LaRue Anderson
Producer: Caitlin Forrest

Some in the Western world retain unfortunate stereotypes about China as a society that places little value on individuality, valuing loyalty to the state above all other things. 

Advertisers, in turn, have often approached the world's second largest economy with caution. For example, a 2008 Olympic-themed effort from Adidas illustrated Chinese consumers' sense of national pride in their team as the German sports apparel brand aimed to shore up a larger share of what remains a rapidly growing market. 

Yet young Chinese athletes are most definitely interested in expressing their own personalities, and Adidas' latest attempt to reach them appeals directly to that desire. It also pushes back against the Cold War-era man-or-machine narrative while simultaneously mocking one of the brand's chief rivals in the region.

Check out the new spot here: 



Under Armour fans will notice that the first scene in "One in a Billion" directly references UA's "Rule Yourself." In that Droga5 campaign from 2015, thousands of clones of Tom Brady, Misty Copeland, Steph Curry and others demonstrated the hard and often mindless work that goes into being a world-class athlete—doing the same thing over and over again in the endless pursuit of perfection. (This isn't the first time Adidas has taken a shot at UA's repetitive-training mind-set.) 

This first Chinese campaign from Adidas' new global lead creative agency, 72andSunny, goes a bit further in reminding viewers that every form of athleticism can double as an expression of one's individual style. These would-be stars aren't limited by sport, gender or even nationality. (Note the hard-to-miss cameo here by one David Beckham.) 

There's still plenty of homeland pride to be found in a spot that also features appearances by Olympic volleyball player Hui Ruo Qui and swimmer Ning Ze Tao. But the big message here is that Adidas can help young competitors be inviduals, too. 

So, why target Under Armour? That company's recently announced plans to capture a bigger portion of the Chinese market, currently dominated by Nike (and Adidas), might just have something to do with it.

CREDITS
Client: Adidas
VP, Global Brand Communications: Ryan Morlan
Senior Director, Global Brand Communications and Media: Lia Stierwalt ​
Director, Global Brand Communications: Jenny Chen
Senior Manager, Creative Production & Shoot: Eleanor Fitzgerald
VP, Brand Director Sports Performance - adidas China: Marc Leroux
VP, Brand Activation - adidas China: Philip Ho
Senior Director, Brand Communications - adidas China: Josephine Tsai
Director Brand Communications - adidas China: Lorna Luo
Manager Brand Communication Training - adidas China: Amy Fan

Featured in the Campaign
China National Volleyball Team Player: Hui Ruo Qui
China Olympic Swimmer: Ning Ze Tao
Former European Football Player: David Beckham

Agency: 72andSunny Los Angeles​ and 72andSunny New York
Chief Creative Officer, Co-Founder: Glenn Cole
Group Creative Director: Frank Hahn
Creative Director: Wei Wei Dong
Creative Director: Matthew Carey
Creative Technologist: Tim Grover
Writer: Ben Wiley
Designer: Brandon Mai
Chief Production Officer: Tom Dunlap
Executive Producer: Kerli Teo
Producer: Jenny Jones
Group Brand Director: James Stephens
Brand Director: Ryan Warner
Brand Manager: Brian Kim
Brand Coordinator: Brittany Allen
Group Strategy Director: Sudeep Gohil
Strategy Director: Ginger Xiang
Senior Strategist: Marc Pardy
Partnerships & Legal Director: Christina Rust
Partnerships & Legal Manager: Kelly Ventrelli
Junior Partnerships & Legal Manager: Noah Winter

Production:
Prettybird
Director: Max Malkin
Co-Founder / Executive Producer: Kerstin Emhoff
Vice President / Executive Producer: Ali Brown
Director of Production: Tracy Hauser
Producer: Matt Wersinger

Editorial:
Lost Planet NY
Editor: Bruce Herrman
Executive Producer: Krystn Wagenberg
Producer: Paolo Solarte

Sound Design:
Barking Owl
Sound Designer: Michael Anastasi
Executive Producer/ CD: Kelly Bayett
Producer: Ashley Benton

Finishing/VFX:
The Mill NY
Executive Producer: Melanie Wickham
Senior Producer: Eliana Carranza-Pitcher
Production Coordinator: Ashley Goodwin
Shoot Supervisor: Eliza Randall
2D Lead Artist: Ilia Mokhtareizadeh
2D Artists: Vi Nguyen, Andre Vidal, Mikey Smith, Kyle Zemborain
Motion Graphics: Laura Nash, Chris Mennuto

Color:
The Mill NY
Colorist: Mikey Rossiter
Color Assist: Nate Seymour and Elias Nousiopoulos
Executive Producer: Dee Allen
Color Producer: Natalie Westerfield
Color Coordinator: Evan Bauer

Mix
Heard City
Audio Mixer - Eric Warzecha
Audio Producer - Andi Lewis
Audio EP - Sasha Awn

Music
Apparat "Ash/Black Veil"
Music Supervision: Daniel Cross