1. AdWeek Advertising and branding
  2. View items

Articles from AdWeek Advertising and branding

Primary tabs

Ad of the Day: Don't Watch This North Face Video If You're Even Mildly Afraid of Heights

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/14/2014 - 12:06

It's just kind of weird helping your friend do something that you know could potentially lead to his death." So says videographer and climber Cedar Wright, as the camera pans over a graveyard in the Mexican town of El Portrero Chico. It's January 2014, and Wright is in Mexico to watch his friend, the famous climber Alex Honnold, attempt a free-solo ascent—i.e., climbing without a rope—of a terrifying 2,500-foot limestone wall known as El Sendero Luminoso. If all goes well, Honnold will have started the year by completing one of his most ambitious free-solo climbs to date.

Adweek's Top 5 Commercials of the Week: Feb. 7-14

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 02/14/2014 - 11:22

It's Valentine's Day, and marketers have been tugging at your heartstrings all week with candy-coated, cute appeals. Also, the Winter Olympics continue to prove excellent fodder for major brands. All of this week's top ads focus on those two events, with the exception of one spot in which moms get jiggy over Hostess discounts. Watch our picks for the week's five best commercials below, and vote for your favorite. If your favorite from the week isn't shown here, tell us in the comments.

P&G Ads Are Taking Olympic Gold and Facebook Users Love Skiing

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 23:10

Here comes the Olympics data. AceMetrix today unveiled numbers that bode extremely well for Procter & Gamble, which takes the top three spots in its Top 10 rankings for Winter Games TV spots. The ratings (see below) are dominated by packaged-goods, though United Airlines makes an appearance with its "Hopes of a Nation" commercial. The results are based on a sample of 500 consumers, while weighing attributes such as persuasion, likeability, relevance, desire, etc.

Angry Birds Maker Hatches In-Game Video Ad Plan

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 21:09

Angry Birds is getting ready to introduce in-game digital video ads in an expansion of its advertising products that the company will unveil soon, according to Michele Tobin, Rovio’s head of advertising. Tobin told Adweek today that the company’s games provide premium inventory for video advertising from brands. “We’re rolling out new video products in Q2 that will be built into the gameplay of a number of games,” Tobin said.

Ad of the Day: Coca-Cola Brings U.S.-Russia Olympic Rivalry to Space

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 18:44

Have you heard the one about the astronaut and the cosmonaut watching hockey together in the International Space Station during the Olympics? The American team scores against the Russian team, and the cosmonaut spills his Coca-Cola in zero gravity. But then he and the astronaut work together to slurp up all the free-floating droplets before they can reach havoc on the vessel's electronics—because, cue fantasy, Coke brings everyone together.

Cadbury Can (and Will) Boogie in This Charming Ad

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 17:35

Cadbury and Fallon London, the pair that brought us the Internet's legendary drumming gorilla, are back with a charming spot called "Yes Sir, I WILL Boogie in the Office." As many of us have likely done while stuck on a call, logistics manager Keith decides to just roll with it and jam out to the hold music, "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" by '70s disco duo Baccara.  That's pretty much the whole thing, at least in the :60 cut for TV.

Ikea Lights Up a Forest in Gorgeous Ad Celebrating Move to Energy-Efficient Bulbs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 16:58

Ikea planted lots of LED lamps in the woods for this 60-second commercial for the U.K. and Ireland touting the home-furnishing company's commitment to sustainability. Created by Mother London and director Martin Krejci, the ad's surreal aura is enhanced by Menomena's pop-etheral "Wet and Rusting" on the soundtrack. Check out Mr. Squirrel's reaction as the lights blaze. Yeah, he's screwed—every predator can spot him now. "Forest" is part of Ikea's "Wonderful Everyday" campaign, which focuses on how small things can make a big difference.

NBC Could Hit a Billion in Olympic Ad Revenue [Video]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 16:37

NBC could strike gold in ad revenue in Sochi, we find out how the agency Royale got where it is today, and Robert Klara tells us what Amway is really promoting.  Winter Olympics Update: NBC Is in the Pink This Production Firm Stays True to Its Storytelling Roots What Are Amway's Ads Really Promoting?

Pork Board Hires a Multicultural Shop

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 16:21

The National Pork Board is expanding its multicultural marketing efforts and has turned to República to lead the charge. The Miami-based shop will create ads designed to reach Hispanics, African-Americans and Asians. Previously, the Pork Board used Bromley in San Antonio to create Hispanic market ads. So, the new agency faces a broader challenge. The independent agency landed the business after a review in which there were a handful of finalists, according to José de Jesús, the board's director of multicultural marketing. The organization is based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Pancreatic Cancer Ads Blasted for Saying Disease Is Worse Than Other Cancers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 15:48

Pancreatic Cancer Action has issued a thoughtful, heartfelt defense of its controversial U.K. awareness campaign that shows sufferers saying they wish they had other types of cancer with higher survival rates. One print ad in the series uses a quote from 24-year-old pancreatic cancer patient Kerry Harvey—"I wish I had breast cancer"—as its headline and notes that the survival rate is only 3 percent, the lowest among all 22 common cancers.