Yelp isn't just for restaurant recommendations. It can help you find reviews on everything from auto shops to hair salons to "extreme golf" driving ranges, the app and website says in this amusing commercial—its first to air on TV nationally.
San Francisco agency Reid Sheehan Latimer+Crew created the campaign for the crosstown client. It stars Ben Sinclair, who plays a Brooklyn pot dealer on the HBO comedy series High Maintenance. The tone of the spot—which has been cut into 30- and 15-second executions—is comically absurd, as Sinclair helps (Yelps?) characters stuck in oddball situations with quick, reliable escape routes via app recommendations.
The spots have been on YouTube for a while but just broke on TV last week. The tagline is, "We know just the place."
The RSL+Crew work comes as Yelp is expanding into new markets and increasing its mobile focus. "RSL effectively encapsulated Yelp's unique brand qualities for our first national TV campaign. We're excited to see the impact it has on our business," says Brian Osborn, vp of consumer marketing at Yelp.
Below, check out an extended "NSFW" version (it's actually SFW) of the deer-in-headlights gag, as well as the :30s and :15s.
CREDITS
Client: Yelp, Inc.
Campaign: "We Know Just the Place"
Execution: The Long Version
Agency: Reid Sheehan Latimer+Crew
Chief Creative Officer: John Reid
Creative Director: Scott Drey
Art Director: Scott Drey
Executive Producer: Ben Latimer
Production Company: Hungry Man, LA
Director: Dave Laden
Line Producer: Caleb Dewart
Director Of Photography:Stoeps Langensteiner:
Editorial Company: Beast SF
Editor: Connor McDonald
Editorial EP: Jon Ettinger
Assistant Editor: Brandy Troxler
Music Company & City: Beacon Street
Additional Credits:
Color: Company 3
Colorist: Tyler Roth
VFX/Finishing/Motion Graphics: Beast & Allied Motion Packing
VFX/Finishing Artist: Greg Gilmore, Eric Pascua, Dave Burghardt
Motion Graphics: Joe Macken, Spencer Seibert & Ben Kopman
Mix: One Union, Joaby Deal
Sound Design: Henry Boy