Bing Brings Back Rankin/ Bass Stop-Motion Rudolph For A Holiday Ad Campaign

above: Microsoft executives Aaron Lilly, left, and Sean Carver, pose with figures from the animated show 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.'

On November 23rd, Microsoft's Search Engine, Bing, kicked off the holidays with a new twist on some of the most beloved characters of all-time. Building on the iconic Rankin-Bass production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the stop-motion animated classic that first premiered in 1964, they are introducing a series of new stop-motion animation shorts (all shown in this post) featuring the original characters.


above: a still from one of the four stop-motion animated Bing commercials for Christmas 2011

Produced by Bent Image Labs, the new shorts will appear in select holiday TV programs including holiday specials like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, “Frosty the Snowman”, and “South Park Christmas”, and in movie trailers for hotly anticipated winter movies, “Arthur Christmas”, “The Muppets”, and “Happy Feet Two.”

Bing Bumble-Less:

“Bumble”, the more beloved name for the Abominable Snow Monster, features the lovable Bumble, who has lost his scary roar. He uses Bing to search for “scary monster” and once inspired by a few Bing Videos, perfects his roar to be appropriately scary again.


Bing Hot Yoga:

Yukon Cornelius becomes exhausted from pulling Hermey and Rudolph on his sled and collapses in the snow. Luckily, Bing helps him find the closest hot yoga studio using Bing Local.


Bing Social Search:

Hermey, Yukon and Bumble are tired of the winter weather and are in dire need of a vacation. Bing Travel saves the day via a “fabulous island resort” search, highlighting Hermey’s friends who have “liked” specific resorts, leading to Bing Travel and the perfect destination.


Bing You Won't Believe This:

Santa and Mrs. Claus get a little crazy in the workshop with bubble wrap, search on Bing Video for bubble wrap how-to’s, and hilarious antics ensue.


Microsoft Corp. licensed the rights to the characters from Rudolph's 47-year-old holiday special after convincing their owners that the Bing commercials would add an endearing chapter to the reindeer's story. The rights to Rudolph and the rest of the cast are owned by the children of Robert L. May, who wrote the story in 1939 while working as a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store (May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, later wrote the famous song).

Aaron Lilly, a Microsoft executive who helps conceive Bing's promotions, came up with the idea to build holiday ads around the Rudolph story two years ago. It didn't happen then because the Aflac insurance company had already bought licensing rights to the characters for that holiday season.

Microsoft declined to say how much it's spending on the Rudolph campaign.

Thanks to Sean Carver and Aaron Lilly of the Bing Team for information

Rihanna For Emporio Armani's New Fall Underwear and Lingerie Ad Campaign.

Each year fashion brand Emporio Armani chooses a new celeb to be scantily clad in their black and white ad campaign for underwear and lingerie. Shot by Steven Klein, this year's sexy siren is Rihanna, replacing last year's Megan Fox and David and Victoria Beckham.



Taken in a black Lincoln Continental in New York, Rihanna's photos by Steven Klein (shown below) were just unveiled to the public.






Steven Klein

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott shot Megan Fox and Victoria and David Beckham for the brand's 201o underwear campaign:


Emporio Armani

Kmart Hips Up Their Image and Asks You to Show Us What You Got In A New Campaign.

Seems that Kmart has finally killed off that terrible talking blue lightbulb- or at least I hope so. Their big new fashion marketing effort created in conjunction with Minnesota based Peterson Milla Hooks, "Money Can't Buy Style," is complete with new logo, a new attitude, new music and a new blog.





Debuting in the fall of 2011, the new campaign is aimed at empowering customers to embrace their individualism when approaching fashion. Rather than focusing on brand names or even trends, the ads will emphasize self-expression in fashion by featuring real people in Kmart looks they've created themselves.




The series of digital spots created for the web range from 6 seconds to a minute and invite people to "show us what you got" and will include 20 real people in a variety of pieces from the fall 2011 Kmart collections, selected and styled by each individual. The Kmart team spent three weeks hitting the streets across the country to find real people who reveled in their individual style and brought it to life in incredibly unique ways.



"Our goal is to get people to look at Kmart apparel differently," said Tara Poseley, president of Apparel at Kmart. "We took a fresh approach in our campaign with a message that truly embodies what Kmart does best -- making the aspirational attainable. We have great fashion that we're not getting credit for today. We hope the campaign will get people to consider us for what is a very compelling brand portfolio."

When it came time to shoot the campaign, the creative team wanted to ensure a casual, upbeat atmosphere where everyone could feel at ease and comfortable in letting their style shine through. Each look was shot privately with the talent and photographer only for enhanced intimacy. As is typical in fashion shoots, surround sound music was blasted throughout the sessions to create a high-energy environment that kept participants energized throughout the day. Authenticity was essential: to capture the true essence of each participant, and encourage him or her to be both spontaneous and natural in their self-expression, the photographer asked fun and unconventional questions. The end result was a series of genuine responses and expressions captured on film.



"Our new campaign is a disruptive break from fashion advertising clutter," said Robin Creen, chief marketing officer of Apparel at Kmart. "It truly hits the mark in conveying how fun and accessible fashion can be, by capturing the essence of real people who know how to put it all together."

In addition to highlighting the true style of everyday people and the attainability of great fashion, the campaign is designed to convey the insignificance of money in making a statement. With new brands and a new approach to style, Kmart hopes its accessible fashion environment will also excite the senses and inspire unique, personal style through mixing and matching.

The new campaign will launch in September with an assortment of print, digital and outdoor advertising.

You can see all of the "Money Can't Buy Style" Kmart spots here

Brilliant Ad for Nighttime Bus Service Shows The Ugly Side of Partying.

Ever wonder how you appear to other people when you're drunk? It's not pretty as this inventive and interactive spot for Movia, a Danish nighttime bus service shows you.

A girl sipping a cocktail is feeling pretty fierce:

Mouseover her and she's not quite as glamorous:


The Byturen spot from the Copenhagen ad agency Bocca is a compelling interactive video which uses a special effect to emphasize how different one appears and behaves when they are drinking and suggests taking the bus home at night rather than driving.

The video is double layered and interactive. It shows a typical youthful night out, drinking and dancing, flirting and frolicking. But move your mouse over the video and the ugly truth is revealed.

Primping in the ladies room:

Mouseover it and you'll see she's having a fashion faux pas:


Sloppy drunk young men and women look skanky, urinate on the floor and behave very unattractively when you pass your mouse over the movie.

Taking a leak:

Mouseover him and you'll see he's missed his target by a longshot:


The copy at the end of the spot asks: “Is it time to get home?” at which point we see our main characters riding the bus home - undoubtedly much to the relief of sober drivers on the road.




SORRY, LINK IS NOW CORRECT!
Go ahead, try it yourself here.

Advertising Agency: Bocca, Coppenhagen, Denmark
Art Director: Lisbet Krøll
Copywriter: Ulrik Søby
Director: Adam Bonke
Photographer: Adam Wallensten
Production Design: Emil Walter
Sound design: David Stubbe Teglbjærg
Music: Upright Music
Stylist: Lea Sonne
Production Company: NobodyCph
Client: Movia
Campaign: “Is it time to get home?”
Date: 2011

New Ad Campaign For Sharpie Markers Features Talented Fans.

Four new print ads featuring some talented people who can wield a Sharpie marker like nobody's business is part of a new Back-To-School marketing campaign from the famous permanent marker brand. Sharpie® has announced a makeover to its website, new product packaging, a new back-to-school product line-up, and launches its “Start with Sharpie” campaign – a multi-channel effort, the centerpiece of which is a series of national print and digital ads featuring some of Sharpie’s most passionate fans and their Sharpie® creations.



clockwise from top left: Cheeming Booey, Mark Rivard, Marirose Weldon and Erica Domesek

With nearly two-million fans on Facebook and an active roster of advocates known as the Sharpie Squad, Sharpie didn’t have to look far to find candidates to appear in the ads. Ultimately, the brand selected three Sharpie Squad members, along with a newcomer, teen singer and songwriter Marirose Weldon, who uses Sharpie Liquid Pencils to write her lyrics.

Each Sharpie fan appears in one of four unique print ads, along with the project they started with Sharpie:

• Cheeming Boey



Known as the “coffee cup artist,” Cheeming’s work has been displayed in galleries nationwide. In his ad, Cheeming demonstrates how a Sharpie Pen and a simple paper cup can be combined to create something truly inspiring.





• Mark Rivard



Using skateboards as his canvas, Mark’s designs have appeared in sports commercials and galleries worldwide. Mark demonstrates how he uses Sharpie Mini markers to create coveted custom boards.




• Marirose Weldon



At just 16-years-old, Marirose is already penning a name for herself in the music business with the recent release of her debut single, “I Want Love.” Marirose uses Sharpie Liquid Pencils to craft lyrics she hopes will propel her career to the next level.




• Erica Domesek



DIY expert, author and creator of P.S.- I Made This, Erica’s creations are inspired by some of the biggest names in fashion. She has been featured in top entertainment and fashion media, and both her website and her book feature several Sharpie DIY projects. In her Sharpie ad, Erica breathes new life into a standard-issue pencil case using new Stained by Sharpie™ fabric markers to create a chic purse.





The full-page ads also include an adjacent 1/3-page ad with a QR code where readers can click to view videos showcasing the inspiration behind each project. The ads will appear in Seventeen, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly and other magazines targeting teens.

“Sharpie has a long history with celebrities and autographs, but this year it’s all about the fans and the inspiring ways they are using our products,” said Sally Grimes, global vice president of marketing for Sharpie. “This is about real people with an authentic passion for our brand – people who started something with Sharpie and, as a result, are getting a jump-start on making their own dreams a reality.”

Sharpie Cinema
In a brand first, Sharpie will also employ cinema advertising. The ads, scheduled to appear in July and August in major movie theaters nationwide, will echo Sharpie’s TV spots airing simultaneously on national network and cable TV stations, including the CW, MTV, FUSE and Nickelodeon. Sharpie TV spots include “Will You Marry Me?”, a proposal scenario featuring the Sharpie Pen, and “What Would The World Look Like Without Self-Expression?”, which leaves viewers to ponder a world without creativity. In addition, Sharpie will run interactive digital display and video ads on sites including Alloy, AOL, MTV and HULU.

The ads, developed by Draftfcb Chicago, will harness the power of advocacy to show the world what can begin with Sharpie and a little imagination.

Another part of Sharpie’s back-to-school effort is a re-designed, socially optimized website – still found at www.sharpie.com. The site features a new, more user-friendly community experience where fans can create their own unique profile, upload and share their Sharpie projects, easily navigate the full product portfolio via an interactive color wheel, view how-to videos and Sharpie fan galleries, as well as engage with Sharpie on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Sharpie Blog.



Start Something on YouTube™
Never one to shy away from bold statements, Sharpie will provide its fans with a one-of-a-kind platform to showcase their work when Sharpie stages a one-day takeover of YouTube’s home page on Saturday, August 27. The takeover will feature an interactive mosaic of consumer-submitted artwork -- all the unique items that fans have started with Sharpie. Thousands of Sharpie images will combine in pixilated imagery to create a statement where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. To be part of the takeover, visit www.sharpie.com.



“The YouTube takeover will give consumers and the rest of the world an opportunity to see what fans have started with Sharpie,” Grimes said. “From the YouTube takeover to the new website, packaging, product line up and more – we’re aiming to drive a deeper overall consumer connection, one that only Sharpie can provide to our loyal fans.”

For more information on Sharpie products and the new campaign, please visit www.sharpie.com.

Angelina Jolie Print Ad and Video Teaser for Louis Vuitton's Core Values Campaign.

above photo (detail) by Annie Leibovitz


Angelina Jolie is the latest celebrity photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Louis Vuitton's ongoing "Core Values" ad campaign. Posing in a wooden boat in Cambodia, and wearing her own clothes, the print ad broke yesterday and will soon be accompanied by an interview with the actress, filmed on location, to be featured on Louis Vuitton's Journeys microsite.


Angelina Jolie print ad for Louis Vuitton, shot by Annie Leibovitz

The previous ads, photographed by Annie Leibovitz for the Louis Vuitton Core values campaign, are shown below and feature Bono, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Buzz Aldrin, Sally Ride and Jim Lovell and Sean Connery:






What makes Angelina's ad even more beautiful is that Ms. Jolie has donated a large slice of the $10m (£6m) she is said to have been paid from a Louis Vuitton photo shoot to charity, according to Sky News.

The following teaser launched yesterday on Louis Vuitton's Journey microsite:


From WWD:
She’s barefoot, wearing her own clothes, no makeup and toting her own elegantly weathered monogrammed Alto bag. Yet Angelina Jolie looks radiant and completely in her element, reclining on a wooden boat in a verdant, lakeside landscape in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province. Jolie discovered the country in 2000 when she filmed “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” and it sparked her humanitarian activism.

She’s the latest celebrity to pose for Louis Vuitton’s popular “Core Values” campaign — and surely the only one who brought four children to the photo shoot, some of whom had to be shooed out of Annie Leibovitz’s frame.

“People are not used to seeing Angelina in this situation,” said Pietro Beccari, Vuitton’s executive vice president, unveiling the image exclusively to WWD. “I like the fact that it’s a real moment. This travel message we give through personal journeys is a fundamental one for the brand.”

The ad is slated to break in the International Herald Tribune on Wednesday, followed by a range of news, general interest and lifestyle publications, including Vanity Fair.

Beccari declined to disclose budgets for the media buy, or comment on reports Vuitton paid the American actress millions for the shoot. He would only say Jolie donated an undisclosed portion of her fees to a charity.

The campaign is expected to run for at least 18 months alongside a few other recent “core values” personalities, including Bono and Sean Connery. Vuitton introduced the advertising concept in 2007 as a way to trumpet its travel roots and showcase its perennial monogrammed leather goods as a balance to its fashion-driven marketing — and to reach a broader audience. Other personalities who have posed for Vuitton include Mikhail Gorbachev, Keith Richards and Catherine Deneuve.

Today, Louis Vuitton posted the teaser on its Web site, louisvuittonjourneys.com/cambodia, foreshadowing an interview with Jolie that will be posted later in the month. In it, she is expected to discuss how her visit to Cambodia was a life-changing experience, awakening her to the plight of Third World countries. She adopted her eldest son, Maddox, from Cambodia and she and Brad Pitt established the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which is active in community development and conservation in the country.

“This campaign is about a very special person and a very special journey,” Beccari said.

And a storied handbag. Beccari showed off several paparazzi shots of Jolie toting the Alto carryall, which is believed to be at least six years old. The style is no longer in production, but “we are considering to re-edit it,” Beccari noted.

Louis Vuitton Journeys/Cambodia