84 Lumber Super Bowl Commercial - The Entire Journey

The most controversial spot from Super Bowl 51 comes from 84 Lumber. Fox didn't allow them to run the entire spot so they aired half and directed people to their website to see the rest.

It's about a Mexican mother, traveling with her daughter through the desert in order to make it to the US but eventually, they end us facing Trump's wall. Throughout the journey, the little girl collects pieces of fabric and stitches them together to make an American flag. The two immigrants don't lose hope, they don't turn back but instead, they find a big door and walk through it. The end line reads "The will to succeed is always welcome here".

Rob Schapiro, the chief client officer at Brunner, the agency behind the spot, told Washington Post "Ignoring the border wall and the conversation around immigration that’s taking place in the media and at every kitchen table in America just didn't seem right. If everyone else is trying to avoid controversy, isn't that the time when brands should take a stand for what they believe in?"



Credits:
Client: 84 Lumber Company
Agency: Brunner, Pittsburgh
Production Co.: Sanctuary, Los Angeles

A birthday party or paying the electricity bill? Croix-Rouge Belgium fights poverty

Croix Rouge is best known for blood donation. But in Belgium, their main activity is fighting poverty. Not just the poverty of those who sleep on the streets under cardboard, but the poverty of the families that have to make difficult decisions to avoid financial trouble at the end of the month. This year, Croix Rouge wants to mobilise people during the Christmas period. To take up arms and join the fight against poverty.

Using a simple example, Croix Rouge demonstrates what 1 in 10 families in Belgium face on a regular basis: having to choose between a birthday party or paying the electricity bill. By showing an ordinary family in an ordinary setting, the message hits in hard: this could be you. All it takes to help is a small donation to Croix Rouge that allows them to keep their social projects running.



The campaign was launched across the following supports: TVC, Cinema, Print, Bannering and a TV show called FACE A FACE debated about the topic.

Credits

Client : Croix-Rouge de Belgique
Contacts : Sandrine Devers, Marie Masset, Fabienne Damsin, Kathleen Hubert
Agency : Publicis Brussels
Account Team : Jessica Danese, Allen Marchant
Creative Directors: Naïm Baddich, Tom Berth, Geert De Rocker
Creative Team : Marc Richard Vander Heyden, Kermit Cota
Copywriters : Philippe Dorval, François Massinon
Graphic Designer: Aurélie Tournay
Print Producer: Marleen Hemeleers
Digital Content Producer: Adnan Chehima
Digital Producer: Tanguy De Kelver
Art Buyer/Radio Producer: Victoire Kaiser
Photographer : Jekyll n’ Hyde
Radio Production Company : Raygun
TV Producers: Marc Van Buggenhout, Tuyen Pham, Daan Feytongs
Film Production Company : Colonel
Director : David Greenwood
Producer :  Matthias Schellens
Sound & Music: Gregory Caron
Post-production Company: The Fridge

ALS League - The never-ending mannequin challenge

I know that we've all seen more than enough videos called “The Mannequin Challenge” but this one from ALS League (ALS=Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is different and for a good cause.

Watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/ALSLiga/videos/1277471028993091/

The first seconds you are watching a regular Mannequin Challenge: you see a medical lab with researchers and professors in white coats that – as they are supposed to - remain motionless while the camera winds its way through the area. But when the last mannequin appears, the challenge gets a whole other meaning. While the researchers continue their activities, the last mannequin remains motionless. The person carries a sign that says “For ALS-patients, every day is a Mannequin Challenge.” It’s clear that this person has ALS, a progressive neurological disease that causes dysfunction of the nerves that control muscle movement, leading to muscle weakness, gradually affecting nerves that control breathing and other vital bodily functions, resulting in death within 2 to 5 years’ time. A disease that cannot possibly leave people unmoved.

The Belgian ALS League and the researchers in the movie are in need of funds to continue their research on ALS. You can help by donating and sharing this video.

Contact information

Evy Reviers, CEO, M +32 495 44 67 82
ALS League Belgium
Campus St Rafaël, building H, 4th floor
Kapucijnenvoer 33 B/1
3000 Leuven

Credits:
Advertised brand: ALS League Belgium
Agency: Publicis Brussels
Published/released: 25 November 2016
Client + client contact: ALS League Belgium, Evy Reviers
Creative Director: Tom Berth, Geert De Rocker, Naïm Baddich
Creative team: Marc Richard Vander Heyden, Massimo De Pascale, François Massinon, Massimo Regaglia, Pierre Urbaniak
Account Manager: Fréderic Sodermans
Producer: Daan Feytongs, Marc Van Buggenhout
Camera: Muna Baradi
PR Director: Kathy Van Looy 

Deceased Poet becomes Signing Sensation at Belgian Book Fair

Is it possible for 8 authors to sign non-stop for 12 days? Yes if a robot does all the signing for them.

People usually goes to the Antwerp Book Fair (Belgium) every year to score signatures from their favotrite authors. This year online shop Bol.com raised the signing bar even higher, with a series of signings by top international authors such as Nicci French, David Baldacci and Paula Hawkins.

A stunt in which 8 authors sign non-stop for 12 days. Worthy of note: the late Flemish poet Paul van Ostaijen was also honoured in this way. Bol.com wants to draw attention to genuine literary talent again with this campaign.

In collaboration with the Antwerp Research & Design Lab Beyond, DDB Brussels created a technological signing robot which analysed, parsed and then reconstructed all the signatures and manuscripts of the famous authors.

In total, an intensive test phase took four weeks. Kevin Verelst, co-founder and Art Director of Beyond explains, “The greatest challenge was above all to imitate the writing as faithfully as possible. In the process, it was essential to completely fine-tune four important elements. Namely, the choice of pen, the angle of the writing, the pressure of the pen on the paper and the writing speed.”


'The impossible signing sessions' by Bol.com at the Antwerp book fair from DDB Brussels on Vimeo.


Bol.com - The Impossible Signing sessions from DDB Brussels on Vimeo.




Credits :

Client : bol.com
Agency : DDB Brussels
CD : Peter Ampe & Odin Saillé
Creation : Danny Vissers
Ad & Copy: Tom Meijer & Silke Beurms
Accounts : Francis Lippens & Romy Vierhouten
Strategy: Dominique Poncin, Jorian Vanvossel
Digital Design: Wieste De Ridder
Motion Design: Sven Verfaille
Producer: Stefanie Warreyn
PR: Kenn Van Lijsebeth
TV producer: Brigitte Verduyckt
DOP: Adrien Moormann
Design lab: Beyond.io

Motorola - Skip the sevens

With a bold move Motorola goes against Apple and Samsung and urges people to skip the sevens and opt for a Moto Z with Moto Pods.

In a perfect timing, with Samsung's Note 7 blowing up -literally- and Apple's iPhone 7 disappointing release, Motorola claims true innovation. In the following video you'll see a focus group of Apple fans getting “tricked” into believing that the company’s Moto Z is a new iPhone prototype.

The copy:
When the first generation of the iPhone came out, it changed everything. It was the rebel, the challenger. And it knocked us off our perch. But that was nine years ago.

It seems like the smartphone category is focused on incremental improvements. Display sizes increase by fractions of an inch. Cameras change by a few megapixels. And you often have to wait years for the next big thing. 

We admit that we played that game too. Until now. So this year, skip the sevens. Go for something new, something different. Because, while everyone else is figuring out how to improve their smartphones, we reimagined what a smartphone can be.

The Moto Z with Moto Mods doesn't just give you a slightly better camera, you get a Hasselblad with 10x optical zoom. Instead of small speakers, you get rock JBL stereo sound. Instead of another year of 5" screens, you get a 70" projection.

Our industry was built on thinking differently. Some have forgotten. So for now, we'll carry the torch. Different is better.

Credits:
Agency: Ogilvy

JCDecaux sends out the worst mailing ever in the history of direct mail.

The problem: JCDecaux is well-known for their 2m2 billboards. But they wanted to show their clients that they offer other billboard sizes as well.

The solution: They send out the worst mailing ever in the history of direct mail. Every advertiser received a miniature 2m2 billboard featuring one of its own ads, but with a huge mistake. JCDecaux had confused their biggest clients’ products with those of their biggest competitor. Nike received a miniature 2m2 billboard for their Nike Stan Smith. Dior for their Dior No5, Apple for their Apple Xperia, etc.
JCDecaux apologised for their intentional error in an accompanying letter.
“We are sorry we have intentionally mistaken you for a competitor. We just wanted to let you know how we feel every day. But we assure you that if you choose our networks for your next campaign, it would not be a mistake.“

The results: The strong reaction and frustration that this move caused amongst the marketing directors led to a 15% increase on demand for bigger billboards.

Credits :
Creative Director: Arnaud Pitz & Sebastien De Valck
Associate Creative Director: Klaartje Galle
Creative Team: Toon Vanpoucke & Morgane Choppinet
Account Supervisor: Isabel Peeters
Account Manager: Marleen Depreter
Strategic Planner: Tom Vingerhoets, Jan Van Brakel
Advertiser Supervisor: Veerle Colin (JCDecaux) Els Desmedt (JCDecaux)

Droga5 for Y:Idle hands and Places

When communities are forgotten the Y remembers. The Y helps America's under-served neighbourhoods and the two 60-second spots from Droga5 delivers the message in a great way.

Droga5 used local residents instead of actors to give these neighbourhoods the authenticity they deserve. They went in Baltimore and talked to the people, got to know them, learned how they live and what they need and the solutions they propose. How people outside these communities see them and how they see themselves is very different and the spot "Places" makes it very clear.

The spot "Places" shows the work of the Y in everyday life and the spot "Idle Hands" tackle the issue of the importance of redirecting the energy of young people into something constructive.






CREDITS
Agency: Droga5
Creative Chairman: David Droga
Chief Creative Officer: Ted Royer
Executive Creative Director: Kevin Brady
Creative Directors: Casey Rand, Karen Land Short
Copywriter: Lincoln Boehm
Chief Creation Officer: Sally-Ann Dale
Head of Broadcast Production: Ben Davies
Senior Producer: Jennifer McKenzie
Global Chief Strategy Officer: Jonny Bauer
Head of Strategy: Chet Gulland
Strategy Director: Elaine Purcell
Group Communications Strategy Director: Duncan Owen
Senior Data Strategist: Eric Raicovich
Group Account Director: Matt Ahumada
Account Director: Amanda Chandler
Account Manager: Sara Fletcher
Project Manager: Rayna Lucier

Production Company: Park Pictures
Director: Seb Edwards
Executive Producers: Mary Ann Marino, Jackie Kelman Bisbee
Producer: Martha English

Editing: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Ted Guard:
Assistant Editor: JK Carrington
Executive Producer: Eve Kornblum
Producer: Lisa Barnable

Postproduction: The Mill
Producer: Mile Pullan
Colorist: Fergus McCall
Flame Artist: Kieran Hanrahan:

Music: Minibal
Benjamin Balcom

Sound: Hear City
Audio Engineer: Keith Reynaud