The Affari Blog

With the ADDY season just wrapping up last week, I’ve had more of an eye for great creative as of late. I caught this spot several times during last night’s NBA All-Star Game on TNT. Sprite is a regular in the NBA advertising scene. This spot featuring Drake, a popular rap figure, combined a brilliant insight with some amazing artwork. The final product is a truly unique spot that inspires viewers to ignite their inner-creative sparks….via Sprite.

A cool Behind the Scenes video (below) shows just how much went into creating that 30-second spot. Honestly, I don’t think the Behind the Scenes clip really gives justice to the amount of hours and detail the went into the commercial. I’m very impressed by the final product - not only because it is visually striking - but, because the message is so well illustrated and directed. Great work.

So, yesterday America watched the AFC and NFC Championships as the Colts and Saints punched tickets to the Super Bowl. The games were great, but so were some of the ads. At one point, the top google search in the nation was “Walmart Clown Commercial”. If you watched any football, odds are you saw this spot:

Anther campaign that caught my eye (actually my ear) was the new Dodge run featuring Michael C. Hall of Showtime’s ‘Dexter’. His low, almost eerie voice jumped out immediately and I actually like it. Here are a few of the spots + a cool version I found on YouTube for you die-hard Dexter fans.

Method: Shiny Suds from Kreatif360 on Vimeo.

So, I know this campaign has been around for a while, but I really like it. Just caught a spot randomly and thought I’d throw it up here. Love the music and those fun icons.

So I’ve been meaning to write this post for several weeks now, but only recently have the videos been placed online. Football season is responsible for some of the best ads of the year. Even if you remove the Super Bowl, football season brings out the best in great advertisers such as Anheuser-Busch, Miller-Coors, Fantasy Football Outlets, Nike and others. So far this year, one campaign has stuck out in my mind. One that got instant laughs and has coined several catch phrases in my day-to-day interactions.

Introducing: DIRECTV’s “Displaced Fans” starring Tom Arnold.

This spot is my personal favorite. Tom Arnold’s giddy laugh and “genius” talk just cracks me up. I personally wasn’t a huge Tom Arnold fan before, but these spots are clever.

Am I going to buy Sunday Ticket? Probably not. But I am going to blog about the great creative and reference it in my everyday conversations when applicable. So far, I have this campaign edging out Bud Light’s Jimmy Football ads. They’re also comical - and actually selling the Grooler/Foozie online is fantastic. I wonder if Jimmy Football has Sunday Ticket…

Click to view more of the DIRECTV spots.

So I did it. I bought a pair of TOMS shoes. After hearing about them on an AT&T commercial, and through several other charity groups, I decided to further their cause by buying a pair of my own. For those of you who don’t know, TOMS Shoes has made its name with its ‘One for One’ campaign. What sets them apart from other shoe companies is that for every pair of shoes they sell, they give a pair away to a child in need. They’ve been following this strategy for about 3 years now, receiving acclaim and press from dozens of outlets in the media world. It’s interesting how TOMS has incorporated charity into their business strategy. It allows the consumer to purchase and actually feel good about spending money. Genius!

www.TOMSShoes.com

I came across a low budget commercial for a fireworks warehouse in Alabama and I was immediately reminded of the WAY popular Montgomery Flea Market ad that blew up a year or two ago. If you don’t recall the ad, here’s a little refresher:

It became highly popular around the office and has several version on youtube (this version alone has over 4 million views). I’m not going to lie, the song is pretty catchy and I find myself randomly singing it every once in a while. I can only image how popular it is in Montgomery….

Well, as I was watching the firework outlet commercial, I was reminded of this spot. It’s very entertaining, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Oh yeah, and the fireworks outlet is called the “Band Bang Lady”. Check it out.

WARNING: Your head may explode while watching this, literally.

As tacky and terrible as the ad is, it may actually work. It almost feels like an SNL skit it’s so over the top. At the same time, we’re talking about a local fireworks outlet in Alabama. They don’t need to come across as highly professional and polished. It’s a highly flammable warehouse Seale, Alabama. If anything, this commercial will help to actually put this unknown city on the map by making the Bang Band Woman’s warehouse a staple - a tourist attraction. My question is whether this approach was actually intentional (doubtful) or if they really think the ad is as HHAAAWT as they say it is.

More Bang Bang Lady Spots:

I’ve seen this spot several times over the past week and decided to note it in the blog. It’s a very fun spot with a lot of color and great artwork all-around. It’s one of those rare spots that comes around every once in a while that makes you say “wow, that was a cool spot” once it’s over. I really enjoy it, but will it sell cars?

Here’s a cool “The Making Of…” video I found for more details into how much it took to make these :30 spots.

I was out to lunch with Dave and Wendy last week and pointed out a SportsCenter commercial that was playing on one of the TVs in the restaurant. It sparked a pretty entertaining conversation about how consistent the ESPN commercials have been over the past decade or so. It got me thinking that I should post a blog about the spots and highlight a few here. So here ya go, my Top 10 ‘This Is SportsCenter’ Commercials (as usual, in no particular order).

1. Y2K Test

This is one of the most memorial spots in my mind. I love Steiner at the end…”Follow me to Freedom”. Mark McGwirer smashing computers is a pretty nice touch as well. (Guess it’s not too soon to say it, but, Roid Rage?)

2. D. Patrick

Dave’s personal favorite.

3. The Complete Show

4. Betrayal

Great spot that highlights the Yankees/Sox rivalry.

5. Good Luck. Finding. Your Chair. Lebron

Good ole King James and Van Pelt.

6. The Perfect Show

Love the old Dan Patrick/Kenny Mayne spots!

7. Yahtzee!!

8. The Conditioning Coach

How can you not laugh at Richard Simmons?

9. Slumps

10. Three of a Kind

I’m sure I’m leaving some great spots out, but all of these really crack me up. They never seem to run out of ideas up there in that ESPN creative department. Post any other funny spots here in the comment section!