After thumbing its nose at the in-game advertisers on last year's Super Bowl, Esurance is set to become one of them.

The online insurance company confirmed Monday that it is suiting up and ready to air an in-game spot on Sunday's telecast. No details about the length of the ad or the creative approach were available. But a rep for Leo Burnett in Chicago, which is creating the spot, said it will "demonstrate how Esurance is the faster, smarter and more modern direct insurance provider."

Esurance orchestrated a remarkable stunt around last year's Super Bowl, using the first commercial slot after the final whistle—which cost $1.5 million less than an in-game spot—to announce the #esurancesave30 sweepstakes, which gave away that $1.5 million in savings to a consumer. That effort garnered more than 3 million entries (including 200,000 in the first minute) and 5 billion social media impressions.

The company will not give away $1.5 million this year. Instead, Esurance chief marketing officer Alan Gellman said the time was right to spend the money in the game itself.

"Esurance is a major brand in the insurance category, but we're not as well known as our major competitors who spend far more than we do," he said in a statement. "So, maximizing awareness of our innovative offering for customers is important. The Super Bowl is the biggest media event of the year and it offers us the opportunity to efficiently reach a very large audience while making them aware that, because of our innovative options, Esurance is the smarter choice for insurance in today's modern world."

First, she rocked a controversial cover of Vogue with hubby Kanye West. Then she teamed up with Paper Magazine to break the Internet. Now, Kim Kardashian can add an amusing Super Bowl ad for T-Mobile to her list of conquests.

The 30-second spot, by Publicis Seattle, premiered Monday night on Conan O'Brien's TBS show Conan and will air during the Super Bowl as well. Kardashian tweeted about the spot Monday afternoon, and included a photo of her on set.

So excited! Going to be in a @TMobile ad! Only sad part was no @JohnLegere sighting. See it on @ConanOBrien tonight! pic.twitter.com/W3tATov24C

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 26, 2015

I'll be in a Super Bowl commercial for T-Mobile!!!! Check out Conan tonight! I'm going to share a sneak peek!!! #TMobile

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 26, 2015

In the hilariously on-point spot, "Kim Kardashian West, Famous Person" pleads with viewers to pretty please, save your unused data—in pitching T-Mobile's Data Stash offer.

T-Mobile ran three Super Bowl spots last year, including one starring Tim Tebow. This year, in Kardashian's faux PSA, she explains the tragedy that occurs when wireless companies take back unused data from customers, as a depressing piano melody plays.



Kim—who also starred in an underwhelming Skechers Super Bowl ad in 2011—points out here, in mock seriousness, that if you lose all that precious data, you might also miss out on the chance to waste hours looking at snapshots of her trendy outfits and luxurious vacations. Because honestly, who doesn't love checking up on Kimye on Instagram every once in a while?

Don't lie, you totally do.

CREDITS
Client: T-Mobile
Agency: Publicis, Seattle
Production Company: Pretty Bird
Director: Paul Hunter
Head of Production: Tracy Hauser
Production Designer: Michael Gaw
Co-Founder, Executive Producer: Kerstin Emhoff
Line Producer: Julia Roberson
Director of Photography: Jeff Cronenweth

Newcastle just released its "Band of Brands" regional Super Bowl commercial, and it turns out Jockey, Boost Mobile, Lee Jeans, Brawny and Match.com are among the recognizable brands—along with some lesser-known ones—who are sharing the cost of the ad in exchange for a mention in it.

Jockey is particularly notable cameo, since, like Newcastle, it's a Droga5 client. If Jockey signing up was a favor to its agency, it was a worthwhile one—the briefs get a less-brief appearance (close-up product shot!) than many of the brands here.

The creative approach is amusing, too, with a couple racing around their house, trying to make every brand's pitch in time—sometimes cutting each other off in mid-sentence, as the house gets cluttered and things get desperate.



Unlike last year, when Newcastle punked the Super Bowl with the brilliant "If We Made It" campaign, the brewer is actually buying time in regional markets to air a version of this spot.

"It's the most exciting, most jam-packed, most fiscally responsible big game ad ever," Newcastle says. "It's Newcastle's Band of Brands big game ad, featuring 37 of the universe's best brands … and a dental office in Pittsburgh."

Here's the full list of brands:

AmeriMerch.com, AprilUmbrellas.com, Armstrong Flooring and Ceilings, Beanitos Chips, Blettner Engineering, Boost Mobile, Brawny Paper Towels, Charisma, Detroit Beard Collective, District 78, Dixie, East End Leisure Co., Gladiator GarageWorks, Hello Products Oral Care, Hunt's Tomatoes, JackThreads, Jockey, Kern Group Security, Kibo Active + Leisure Wear, Krave Jerky, Las Vegas, Lee Jeans, Match.com, McClure's Pickles, Mr. Cheese O's, Newcastle Brown Ale, Polished Dental, Quilted Northern, Quinn Popcorn, Rosarita Beans, RO*TEL, Second Chance Custom, Sharper Image, Tessemae's All-Natural Dressings, The Ross Farm, Vanity Fair Napkins, YP.com and Zendure Batteries.

CREDITS
Client: Newcastle Brown Ale
Client: Heineken USA, Newcastle Brown Ale
Senior Director, Portfolio Brands: Charles Van Es
Brand Director: Priscilla Dohnert
Brand Manager: Brett Steen

Campaign: Band of Brands

Agency: Droga5 NY
Creative Chairman: David Droga
Chief Creative Officer: Ted Royer
Group Creative Director: Scott Bell
Senior Art Director: Dan Kenneally
Senior Copywriter: Ryan Raab:
Junior Art Director: Martins Zelcs
Junior Copywriter: Bryan Stokely
Head of Design: Rich Greco
Designer: Mark Yoon
Chief Creation Officer: Sally-Ann Dale
Head of Broadcast Production: Ben Davies
Senior Broadcast Producer: David Cardinali
Director of Integrated Production Business Affairs: Dianne Richter
Production Business Manager: Matt Friday
Head of Interactive Production: Niklas Lindstrom
Interactive Producer: Rainy Kumar
Associate Director of Technology: Keath Chan
Technical Lead: Joachim Do
Senior Interactive Developer: Jim Alexander
Design Technologist: Phillip Pastore
Quality Assurance Lead: Cory Savary
Quality Assurance Engineer: Yadira Isaac:
Junior Designer: Jeff Kardos
Global Chief Strategy Director: Jonny Bauer
Head of Strategy: Chet Gulland
Strategist: Nick Maschmeyer
Social Strategist: Rebecca Russell
Communications Strategist: Kevin Wang
Group Account Director: Dan Gonda
Account Director: Nadia Malik
Account Manager: Ashton Atlas
Project Manager: Bill Wilson

Production Company: Caviar Content
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Executive Producer: Jasper Thomlinson
Executive Producer: Luke Ricci
Line Producer: Geoff McLean
DP: Jonathan Sela
Production Designer: Craig Reynolds

Editorial: The Cutting Room
Editor: Chuck Willis
Assistant Editor: Greg Ryan
Managing Partner: Susan Willis
Executive Producer: Melissa Lubin
Sound Mixing: Walter Bianco

Finishing: Light of Day VFX

Budweiser melted hearts with its "Puppy Love" commercial on last year's Super Bowl, and is prepping a sequel, "Lost Dog," that's expected to break Wednesday online. But a day early, here is GoDaddy—amusingly deflating Bud's balls a little bit with a spoof that even somewhat matches the plot of the sequel.

Yes, GoDaddy has its own adorable yellow Labrador puppy. And like the one in this year's Bud spot, it's gotten lost—after falling out of a pickup truck when it went over a bump. The little guy runs home as fast as his little legs can carry him … but it's not exactly a sappy ending that awaits him there.

The spot was made by Barton F. Graf 9000.

Check out our Q&A with Gerry Graf here, where he talks about GoDaddy's approach this year, and the ups and downs of making Super Bowl spots.

UPDATE: After swift backlash from dog advocates, GoDaddy has said it won't run this ad on the Super Bowl after all.

We would still have unicorns around today, were it not for an epic screw-up by Noah's son during the loading of the Ark all those years ago.

That's the premise of this amusingly overblown Canal+ ad from BETC Paris and director Matthijs Van Heijningen, who so memorably directed "The Bear" for the same agency and client back in 2011.

It's hard to describe the ad without spoiling it, so just watch it first.



As you can see, the film celebrates—in a roundabout way—the broadcaster's screenwriters and its showcase of original programming. And yes, it certainly shows a different side of unicorns than we're used to seeing.

"We had some rather surreal discussions on what unicorns' balls actually look like," Stéphane Xiberras, agency president and chief creative officer, tells AdFreak. "We thought about doing something a bit … unexpected. There was talk of little furry balls with twinkling stars. But in the end we opted for a pair of 'classic' horse balls. I know, it's a bit bizarre."

And the balls were the easy part of this production. "Imagine a gigantic studio reproducing the inside of the Ark, filled with hundreds of animals," Xiberras says. "Now imagine the smell. Now imagine that the animals couldn't stand being under the same roof together."

Asked about the actor who plays Noah's son, Xiberras replied: "We fell for him straight away. We were looking for a guy capable of incarnating Noah's son as well as a modern-day ladies' man and screenwriter. He managed to show loads of emotions without any dialogue, expect the phrase at the end. He goes from embarrassment to anxiety to victory and then shock in seconds. It's a great performance."

CREDITS
Client: Canal+
Brand Management: Alice Holzman, Aurélie Stock-Poeuf, Coline André
Agency: BETC
Agency Management: Bertille Toledano, Guillaume Espinet, Elsa Magadoux
Executive Creative Director: Stéphane Xiberras
Creative Director: Olivier Apers
Art Director: Aurélie Scalabre
Copywriter: Patrice Dumas
Traffic: Coralie Chasset
Tv Producer: Isabelle Ménard
Production House: Soixante Quinze
Sound Production: Kouz
Director: Matthijs Van Heijningen
Media Plan: Cinema, TV, Web
Available Formats: :40 :45 :50 :70

Kia has released an extended version of its 60-second Super Bowl ad, and it's a really fun spot with Pierce Brosnan that manages to have its cake and eat it, too—by both celebrating and poking fun at over-the-top Super Bowl spots.

In the spot, the former James Bond is getting briefed by his agent on his role for the ad, which he assumes will be standard action-movie fare. Instead, the agent keeps comically lowering his expectations. It's not a Bond-esque escapade, he explains—just a normal car-driving-through-the-mountain ad.

Along the way, we see each scene play out the way Pierce thinks it should, and then how it actually does. This, of course, makes it a Bond-esque escapade after all—as well as a sly critique of such spectacles (at which Kia, of course, has excelled in the past on game day).

The on-screen text at the end really caps it off. Nice work by David & Goliath.

New York was supposed to be the city dealing with a scary winter visitor on Tuesday, but instead it was London that was thrown off-kilter—by a giant polar bear wandering around.

The eight-foot male bear was first spotted in the Underground before walking across Hampstead Heath and along the South Bank. The beast drew quite the shocked reaction, with people posting all sorts of frightened and bemused notes to social media. They were happy to learn, in the end, that it was simply a very advanced fake bear—promoting Sky Atlantic's new TV crime drama Fortitude, which is set in a small Arctic town.



The bear was created by special effects company Millennium FX and operated by puppeteers Tom Wilton and Derek Arnold, who worked on the theater production War Horse. The stunt was orchestrated by Taylor Herring, which has a history of doing fun outdoor stuff like this—including the brilliant beached dragon head skull for Game of Thrones in 2013.

"It is made of a semi-rigid foam, as it had to be light," Millennium FX principal Rob Mayor said of the bear. "The head was difficult, too, as we wanted the hair to look right. So each hair was put into place individually. Then we used an electrostatic current to make the hairs stand up on end. … We are actually going to miss the bear when it's gone. It sounds silly, but we have got quite attached to it."

Here in the U.S., Fortitude will premiere this Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Pivot.



This isn't the first polar bear spotted in London, though the last one was homeless because of climate change in an ad from Greenpeace. Check out another photo of today's bear below.

Speedo delivers a bit of a surprise package in its latest advertising.

Meet 91-year-old Masters swimmer Jurgen Schmidt, one star of the brand's "Fueled by Water" campaign, which focuses on the joy and freedom people experience by participating in aquatic activities. Schmidt hits the pool at 5 a.m. most days, has competed for 40 years, and is a bit reminisenct of Walt Stack, the 80-year-old jogger who starred in Nike's very first "Just do it" ad.

A whole bunch of web videos in the two- to three-minute range present personal stories. In addition to Schmidt, the Speedo campaign introduces more than a dozen other swimmers, surfers and divers, as well as a paddleboarder and a lifeguard.

The brand is often associated with elite competitors like Olympians Ryan Lochte and Natalie Coughlin, and they're in the campaign, too. (It's also frequently mocked for its snug-fitting men's swimsuits. Note my predictable quip above.) But this push aims to broaden Speedo's appeal and "start a new conversation about why people love the water and celebrate their passions," says David Lai, CEO and creative director at Hello Design, which created the campaign. "Our strategy is to resonate with a wider audience and have people think about Speedo a little differently."



Schmidt symbolizes swimming as a lifelong sport. "Many fitness swimmers tell us they're inspired to see octo- and even nanogenarians at the pool and at meets," says Lai, "so we set out to find a story of a senior swimmer. Poring over articles in magazines and online that featured Masters swimmers, we [selected] Jurgen because he just exuded the love of swimming and loved to talk about all aspects of it."

Speedo is smart to present everyday athletes and folks just having fun. We know we'll never win gold in the 50-meter freestyle, but everyone can relate to Schmidt's enthusiasm and heartfelt vow to "compete until the end." What's more, brands like Speedo and Beagle Street deserve praise for using seniors as more than props or the butt of jokes.

"As we were setting up one of our shots, Jurgen asked if it was OK if he kept swimming his workout even though we weren't shooting," recalls Lai. "We were worried he would get tired, but he just kept going and going. It was truly impressive, and I think the entire crew was inspired by his positive energy."

Check out the anthem spot below.

You got a taste the other day. But now it's time for the whole damn gluten-stuffed main course, as NBC Sports has rolled out its complete two-minute video with Nick Offerman singing gloriously about Nascar.

It's a match made in heaven, really, as Offerman brings his world-weary, manly-man persona to the topic of America having gone soft, and needing the adrenaline shot of auto racing—along with all the accoutrements that culture brings, like grilled meats and American flag thongs—to set things right.

The video was made in-house, with Hungry Man's Dave Laden directing. A 60-second version will air right after the final whistle of NBC's Super Bowl telecast this Sunday, starting the network's engines nicely as it returns to broadcasting Nascar this summer.

Below, check out the script and credits.



SCRIPT
America, it's time for a gut check.
If the founding fathers saw us huddled in our little cocoons, texting each other smiley faces, they'd hang their powdered wigs in shame.
When our idea of danger is eating gluten, there's trouble afoot.
Yes, we the people have gotten soft, and all the likes in the world aren't gonna save us now.
But one thing will.
Welcome to the place where we speed all day
Where we bump and grind in a non-sexual way
Where scores are settled, and we break the rules
And everybody's got a set of badass tools
Get some Nascar in your life
Hello glory, goodbye strife
Welcome to the place that we call home
Where meats are grilled and you can bring your own
Where everyone's welcome and we all belong
Even my friend in his American flag thong
Get some Nascar in your life
Hug your kids and kiss your wife
You want Billy and Sally to learn about math and science?
Send them to the school of Nascar, they'll thank you for it.
Sure everybody at Nascar gets a trophy
As long as they win the f**king race
Watch your mouth
Did you know that less than 10 miles from Sonoma Raceway you can go wine tasting?
True story.
Get some Nascar in your life
Slap some butter on your knife
Welcome to the place where your beast is freed
Like the rubber hooves of a tire stampede
Where men and women compete together
Just like they did back in the 18-nevers
200 miles per freaking hour
700 freaking horse freaking power
VO: Neck and neck, the battle is down this last stretch/
And Offerman takes Harvick to the checkered flag
There's Harvick, Logano and Hamlin and Newman
Keselowski, Dale Jr, they're all super human
Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, the Busches
And maybe Jimmie Johnson will come back and kick some tuchus
Hello glory, goodbye strife
You've got Nascar
In. Your. Life.

CREDITS
Client: NBC Sports
Agency: In-house
Chief Marketing Officer: John Miller
Senior Vice President, Marketing, Executive Creative Director: Bill Bergofin
Vice President, Brand, Co-Executive Creative Director: Lorin Finkelstein
Producer: Lindsay Davenport

Production Company: Hungry Man
Executive Producer, Creative Director: Allan Broce
Director: Dave Laden
Director of Photography: Eric Schmidt
Producer: Erin Sullivan
Line Producer: Craig Repass
Associate Creative Director: Craig Evans
Copywriters: Colin Nissan, Sean Farrell

Editing: Rock Paper Scissors
Visual Effects: The Mill
Music: Beacon Street

Sequels are tough. For every Godfather Part II, there's a Godfather Part III. But Budweiser and Anomaly had such a big hit with "Puppy Love" on last year's Super Bowl, they couldn't resist going back to the well for another look at the "Best Buds"—the Clydesdales and their favorite golden Lab. (Bud's actually calling it the third installment in a trilogy, counting 2013's "Brotherhood.")

And so here it is: "Lost Dog." Like last year's ad, it was directed by RSA's Jake Scott. We won't spoil the plot, such as it is—the title tells you most of what you need to know. The Clydesdales, of course, come to the rescue of the wayward puppy, whom you'll remember from the first ad has a tendency to roam and isn't too concerned for his own safety.



Once again, music plays a key role here. This time we get a reworked version of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers, performed by Sleeping at Last. It's a slow, acoustic version—more downbeat and poignant-sounding than last year's choice, which was "Let Her Go" by Passenger. ("Brotherhood" was set to Fleetwood Mac's classic hit "Landslide.")

"Lost Dog" is nicely produced, and will be well liked. But "Puppy Love" was a richer, more engaging story—that spot's subtle parallels between the puppy/Clydesdale and the horse trainer/puppy adoption owner built a real connection over 60 seconds. This spot leans more on simple cuteness. It's a decent sequel—but perhaps not a world-beating one.

Anheuser-Busch sent over these facts about "Lost Dog":
• Eight puppies—seven females and one male—are featured in the spot, all of which were just 11-12½ weeks old at the time of filming.
• Seven Budweiser Clydesdales underwent training for three months to fine-tune their skills for the ad.
• It was shot at a ranch outside Santa Barbara, Calif., in early December.
• Actor Don Jeanes reprises his role as Budweiser Clydesdale trainer for a third time. Don is originally from Houston and now lives in Los Angeles.

The ad premiered on NBC's Today show Wednesday, which aired some behind-the-scenes footage as well:

Kia may have James Bond in its Super Bowl ad, but Squarespace has the Dude.

Yes, Jeff Bridges, the Oscar winner and star of cult classic The Big Lebowski, is featured in Squarespace's 30-second ad, from Wieden + Kennedy in New York. But rather than flash his acting chops, Bridges is making music—specfically, an album of 15 sounds, meditations and stories that will help you fall asleep. The ad, which will air in the first half, also benefits a cause close to Bridges' heart: childhood hunger.

"We wanted to create a campaign to illustrate that any idea, no matter how wild or weird, can be presented beautifully and meaningfully through Squarespace," said Anthony Casalena, the company's founder and CEO.

Sales of the album, titled Jeff Bridges Sleeping Tapes, will fund the childhood hunger campaign known as "No Kid Hungry" from Share Our Strength, a nonprofit for which Bridges is the national spokesman. The record will be available digitally and on limited-edition vinyl and cassettes. And to promote the project, Bridges has created his own Squarespace page.

Squarespace, which is returning after its Super Bowl debut last year, is not releasing the ad (which was directed by Tim Godsall) before the game. Instead, the company is rolling out some teasers, including a 30-second ad and a 90-second tutorial on how to create a Squarespace page. Both went online today.

Below is a look at the teaser ad. Learn more at DreamingWithJeff.com.

Getting a commercial on the Super Bowl is a career milestone for any advertising creative. And so, after their spot airs, the feeling of joy and fulfillment must be pretty intense—buoyed surely by the endless calls of congratulations from friends and family. Right?

Maybe not, according to this amusing video from the Clio Awards, which caught up with a bunch of Super Bowl creatives to ask them how they feel on the Monday after the Super Bowl. See the video below.

For the first time this year, Clio has created the Clio Creative Bowl, and has invited industry experts to vote for their favorite Super Bowl spot—which will be awarded the new Super Clio. (Disclosure: Clio, like Adweek, is owned by MediaBistro Holdings. Also, I am a member of the Clio Creative Bowl jury.)

Ad agency Heaven and the directing duo Vallée Duhamel rolled out this quirky video set to electronic music for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 S-Pen. Titled "Creativity at Work," it makes a sort of kinetic collage out of all the arts and crafts materials the S-Pen can emulate.

The aesthetics on display here, especially the color palette, wouldn't have been out of place in an early MTV video, to the point where I might suggest muting the video and listening to Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" while you watch.

It's a joy to watch, if not exactly groundbreaking, and the reaching-into-the-desk part shows that they're willing to play with form a bit.

Check it out below, along with the making-of video.

CREDITS
Client: Samsung
Agency: Heaven
Directors & Visual Concept: Julien Vallée & Eve Duhamel (Vallée Duhamel)
Art Director: Carolyne De Bellefeuille
Graphic Manager: Olivier Charland (Vallée Duhamel)
Set Manager: Jean-Constant Guigue (Vallée Duhamel)
Art Department: Frédéric Bouin, Thomas Salaun, Faye Duhamel
DOP: Jean-Philippe Bernier
Production Manager: Inès Steinmetzer (Vallée Duhamel)
Director Assistant: Karine Lamontagne
Hair and Make-up Artist: Léonie Lévesque
Dresser: Valérie Brousseau
Casting Director: Roxanne Doucet
Location Researcher: Anouck Serra Godard
Chief Electrical Officer: Hugo Roy
Key Grip: Stéphane Klopp
Choreographer: Steve Bolton
Choreographer Assistant: Lorena Liebman
Assistant Cameraman: Mathieu Nadon
Sound man: Dominic Heizmann
Editor: Josh Sherett @ The Workshop
Color grading: Mathieu Marano
Music: XS Studio

The mainstreaming of ads with gay couples, which really accelerated in 2014 thanks to brands like Honey Maid, continues into 2015—and now it's Hallmark's turn to join in.

The greeting-card company is gay friendly—it's been making gay marriage cards since 2008. But it evoked some ire from the gay community in 2013 when it replaced the word "gay" with "fun" on a "Deck the Halls" Christmas ornament in 2013. Also, it's one thing to sell gay-friendly merchandise—it's another to feature a gay couple in a commercial, as Hallmark has now done in its new "Put Your Heart to Paper" campaign for Valentine's Day.



The campaign includes interviews with real couples, who talk about what they love about each other—and who are asked to describe their feelings for each other without using the word "love." Among those featured are the lesbian couple Eugenia and Corinna, who star in one of the campaign's cutest ads.

"This makes me so very happy and proud to be a Hallmark employee, who is also gay, and who has been pushing our idea of expanded love identities forward for a long time," writes one YouTube commenter. "My heart is bursting, my eyes are spilling. Thank you for sharing your story with us, and your love with each other."

See more ads from the campaign below.

Boxing gear company Everlast lands a blow against sexism in "I'm a Boxer," a minute-long spot directed by Claire Edmondson through Steam Films.

Scenes of a young girl shadow boxing and psyching herself up are intercut with footage of adult fighters in the ring. The girl imagines a world in which athletes' performance is more important than their gender. "Don't call me a female boxer," she says. "I'm a boxer."

Edmondson, a Toronto-based filmmaker, tells AdFreak she hopes "to inspire and empower young girls, encouraging them to claim their place in sports." Part of the inspiration for writing the script "came from always being called a 'female director,' " she says.



Her portfolio includes fashion videos and clips for indie bands Broken Social Scene and Austra. Some of her work was featured last year at the Tribeca Film Festival's inaugural showcase for up-and-coming directors. "I'm just breaking into commercials now," she says.

Two highly skilled boxers appear in the Everlast spot. One is Lisa "Bad News" Brown, who has held several world titles, and the other is Mandy Bujold, who will represent Canada in this summer's Pan Am games and hopes to compete in the Olympics.

Makayla Maxwell plays the young fighter with admirable intensity. "She could tell the story with her eyes," Edmondson says. Indeed, Maxwell's defiant stare and self-assured narration are a potent one-two punch.

CREDITS
Client: Everlast
Spot: "I'm a Boxer"

Director: Claire Edmondson
Production Company: Steam Films
Cinematographer: Catherine Lutes
Executive Producer: Carling Acthim
Producer: Jason Aita
Art Director: Erika Lobko
Wardrobe: Basia Wyszynski

Edit: Married To Giants
Editor: Michael Durst
Executive Producer: Denise Shearer
Online Artist: Trevor Corrigan
Online Assistant: Preeti Torul

Transfer: Alter Ego Post
Colourist: Tricia Hagoriles
Producer: Jane Garrah

Original music & sound by Apollo Studios

Young Boxer: Makayla Maxwell
Boxer 1: Lisa 'Bad News' Brown
Boxer 2: Mandy Bujold

The Subservient Chicken may be long gone, but its spirit of unquestioning obedience lives on at one of the agencies that spawned it.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky's staffers in Stockholm, Sweden, are subjecting themselves to the musical whims of Twitter users this week, in a self-promotional campaign titled Subservient Speaker. Tweet a song title to @cpbscandinavia, with the hashtag #subservientspeaker, and a speaker at the agency will play it.

It's a not-so-subtle nod to the classic Subservient Chicken campaign that CP+B created with The Barbarian Group for Burger King in 2004, featuring streaming video of a humanoid chicken that followed online orders. Last year, a sequel by WPP's David saw the Chicken return, in a commercial, as a defiant prima donna.

So far, the handful of requests under the #SubservientSpeaker hashtag include reasonable picks like the Beastie Boys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Holy Ghost (plus that X Ambassadors and Jamie N. Commons song, "Jungle," from all the Beats By Dre ads).

The only rule that CP+B posted: "No Coldplay please." That seems shortsighted, given the wealth of worse options, like Creed. And for an illustration of the potential danger in turning over the DJ keys to the masses, just look at the smartass who immediately demanded, in Swedish, a 200-minute mix of ambient techno from Matthew Hawtin.

Why is the agency bothering with thos in the first place? "We've run out of inspiration," reads the promo. CP+B certainly isn't alone in that regard, but it does get kudos for admitting it.

Plenty of agencies describe themselves as full service, but one really wants to take that commitment to the next level.

At least, that's the premise of a video Geometry Global Paris made as an uncomfortably literal love note to marketers, celebrating the new year. In the clip, staffers at the agency are informed that, in 2015, they'll be required to pucker up and French kiss their clients—because what better way to show the agency's French-ness and devotion to its work?



Naturally, the whole thing is all a joke, but the reactions are pretty excellent. Some employees register, as you might expect, bewilderment. Others blurt out the sort of desperation for intimacy that can only come from marathon late nights in the office working on mind-numbing campaigns. Others still get indignant, which might be most surprising, given agency staffers are basically paid to debase themselves for clients on a regular basis.

The smartest guy by far starts bargaining for a bonus. At least he understands the terms.

Via Design Taxi.

In the mini Super Bowl of regional ads, GrubHub is introducing a flying burrito that crashes into the heads of anyone foolish enough to order food by phone.

The message is anything but subtle: Order via GrubHub's mobile app or risk bodily harm. "Burrito," from lead agency Barton F. Graf 9000 in New York, will air in five markets during the third quarter of the game: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Baltimore, Md. and Washington, D.C.

The agency is also breaking a new ad during NBC's never-ending pre-game show. That spot, "Wrong Order," features an irate guy who chases after a delivery man on a moped after he gets bologna sandwich instead of cobb salad.

Here's a look at both ads, which were directed by Aaron Stoller of Biscuit Filmworks:

If you're a parent trying to make sense of this social-media-soaked world, you might feel a little bit lost and intimidated—not quite clear on how you can turn your child into an Internet phenom.

Well, according to this video promoting a (fictional) service called The Social Influence, that won't be a problem. "With the help of trained professionals, parents can help their children build a social ecosystem that will effect millions and maybe billions of people—and hopefully make millions and maybe someday billions of dollars," it explains.



Ever wonder how Bradley Cooper was able to fit all those celebrities in the legendary Oscars selfie from last year? His parents saw a doctor to have his arm extended by 20 percent.

"This adds a cinematic advantage over their short-armed competition—more heads equals more shares," the video says.

Viacom's in-house in marketing and content agency made this snark-filled gem of an video that skewers the state of social media—and the parents of the device-obsessed generation. 

"Make a plan and stick to it," is the video's advice. "And for God's sake, keep posting or you'll be forgotten faster than a one-off viral."

Here are a couple of the best scenes edited into smaller clips:

Take a sip of a Mountain Dew Kickstart, and the world's greatest and strangest dance party will unfold.

At least, that's what goes down in this very entertaining 90-second spot from BBDO New York debuting two new flavors of Mtn Dew Kickstart: Mtn Dew Pineapple Orange Mango and Mtn Dew Strawberry Kiwi.

Although Mountain Dew is a sponsor of the Super Bowl through parent company PepsiCo, the brand won't run a spot on Sunday's game. Instead, Mountain Dew will debut this spot during the Super Bowl pregame show and follow up—during and post-game—on Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and Vine.

You'll witness some pretty weird stuff going on here, but we wouldn't want to spoil the experience for you. Take a look for yourself:

Now, no one is saying that when you crack open an ice-cold Mtn Dew Kickstart that the people in that yellow traffic sign won't do some pelvic thrusts, your dog won't turn around and wiggle his butt, and those video game characters won't start shimmying. However, it seems unlikely. The idea here is that after a few gulps of one of these bad boys, you will be ready to take on anything—even a deer dancing in your living room.

At the end of the spot, you can click around for a few extra, remixed clips featuring the talking deer and the twerking dog, in case you don't feel fully satisfied.

CREDITS
Agency: BBDO New York
Client: Mountain Dew
Title: Come Alive

Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars
Chief Creative Officer, New York: Greg Hahn
Executive Creative Director: Tim Bayne
Executive Creative Director: Lauren Connolly
ACD/Copywriter: Dan Kelly
ACD/Art Director: Todd Rone Parker
Group Executive Producer: Julian Katz
Producer: Sofia Doktori
Executive Music Producer: Melissa Chester
Sr. Account Director: Ladd Martin
Account Director: Patrice Reiley
Account Manager: Kylie Halperin
Account Executive: Jillian Netzel
Planning Director: Jessica Summerfield

Production Company: Caviar
Director: Keith Schofield
Executive Producer: Michael Sagol
Executive Producer: Jasper Thomlinson
Executive Producer: Cathleen Kisich
Head of Production: Kelly Bowen
DOP: Damian Acevedo
Producer: Adrianne McCurrach

Edit House: Rock Paper Scissors
Executive Producer: Eve Kornblum
Producer: Lisa Barnable
Editor: Carlos Arias
Assistant Editor: Alexandra Debricon

Mix House: Heard City
Mixer: Phil Loeb

Post EFX: eightvfx
EP/Owner: Baptiste Andrieux
CD/Owner: Jean Marc Demmer
Executive Producer: Shira Boardman,
Executive Producer: Alyssa St. Vincent
VFX Supervisor: Yannick Leblanc
CG Lead: Jean-Baptiste Cambier
Lead Designer: Jaguar Lee
VFX Artist: Yann Mallard
Animator: Sue Campbell
Rigging: Kevin Culhane
Modeler: Diego Melgar
Look Dev: Damien Bataille
Flame Lead NY: Fabien Coupez
Flame Lead LA: Philip Ineno
Flame Compositor: Steve Miller
Flame Compositor: Alex Kolasinksi
Roto/Paint: Marianne Magne
Producer: Chad Carbone
Producer: Michael Shores
Coordinator: Kyle Leonard

Music:
Licensed Master: "Out The Speakers feat. Rich Kidz" by A-Trak, Milo & Otis