Best TV Spots

Sure, the future is here and it’s all about integration and digital and social media and yadda yadda yadda. But we still have a soft spot for the traditional spot. Here is Creativity’s best of the decade.

Cadbury “Gorilla”
Agency: Fallon, London
Director: Juan Cabral

No swirling fabrics, no dreamy ladies, no satisfied young snackers, no … chocolate. “Gorilla” didn’t contain the same ingredients as many chocolate ads before it. Instead, it contained a grape purple backdrop, a gorilla, a set of drums and a few key moments from a monster ’80s track. When it debuted in 2007, “Gorilla” engendered a fierce debate amongst industry types about what exactly has become of advertising. To fans — and fans were many: The ad has been viewed more than 4 million times on YouTube, inspired a host of tributes and captured the Film Grand Prix at Cannes — it was an exemplar of the new branded storytelling. Detractors, of course, asked what any of it had to do with chocolate. Fallon’s Juan Cabral (author of Sony “Balls”), who wrote and directed the spot, answers the question “Why?” simply: “It kind of makes sense to be honest. It’s a very powerful drum solo. So a gorilla has to play it.”

Creativity Weekly Top 5: Nov. 3

The Latest Spots for ‘Resistance 2′ and ‘Gears of War 2,’ the Wassup Gang 8 Years Later and Other Work

In this week’s episode of Creativity’s Top 5, wild rantings come true for “Resistance 2″ and Sony PlayStation 3; the “Wassup” crew returns; Samsung puts photographer Nick Turpin at the mercy of web users; Marcus Fenix once again gets in touch with his emotional side for “Gears of War 2″; and The Economist and BBDO make pizza time educational.

Sony PS3: “Resistance 2″

Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles
Chief Creative Officer/President: Eric Hirshberg
Group Creative Director: Mike Bryce, Jason Elm, Josh Rose

Wassup ’08: “Wassup”

Production Company: chopshop@Believe Media
Director: Charles Stone
Director of Photography: Shane Hurlbut

Samsung: “The Photographic Adventures of Nick Turpin”

Agency: Lean Mean Fighting Machine

Gears of War 2: “Last Day”

Client: Xbox 360
Agency: TAG
Creative Director: Scott Duchon, Geoff Edwards, John Patroulis
Art Director: Ben Wolan

The Economist: “Pizza Boxes”

Client: The Economist Agency: BBDO, New York Chief Creative Officer: David Lubars, Bill Bruce

Month’s Top 10 Most-Liked, Most-Recalled New TV Spots

Nielsen IAG Research Ad Ratings: Consumers Like Disney Parks’ ‘Birthday’ Ad

Watch the Top Spot

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Disney Parks “Birthday” spot was the commercial most liked by viewers during the last month. See the full Nielsen IAG lists of top-liked and top-recalled spots.

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A Strange Noise Creativity Can Be Shaped by Surprising Sources

Small Agency Diary

The nostalgic mechanical noise of an old typewriter made me think about how the tools we choose define the creative process and how creative work morphs and evolves with new technologies. Sometimes, when the new tools emerge, the people who know how to use them don’t always create the best work. Sometimes, great creative minds just can’t master the new tools.

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Creativity’s Pick of the Week’s Best New Ads

American Airlines on the Plight of a Hapless Hoopster, PC Explains His Ad Strategy to Mac, Conservatives Discuss Change and Other Work

Watch the Spots

In this week’s episode of Creativity’s Top 5, courtesy Creativity-Online.com, we see Sarah Palin as president, meet some Conservatives for Change, ride a bus with godless humanists from Britain, follow a hapless hoopster around the world with American Airlines and giggle at Apple’s latest swipe in its computer catfight with Microsoft.

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In Artsy Amsterdam, Time to Think About the Bottom Line Thinker Ewald Engelen Is Showing Creative Types That Economic Health Isn’t All About Creativity

Global Idea Network

Writing from one of Europe’s capitals of creativity, blogger Chidi Onwuka pauses to consider the pro-business philosophy in a city not often known for thinking that way.

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WPP, TNS Deal Could Close by Week’s End

Holding Company Likely to Alter Terms of Offer Agreement Needed to Approve Takeover

LONDON (AdAge.com) — WPP Group looks like it is closing in on a deal with U.K.-based research group Taylor Nelson Sofres and is hoping that its $2 billion hostile takeover bid can be sealed by the end of this week. The conditional-offer document stipulates that 90% of shareholders must accept WPP’s offer, but WPP reserves the right to lower that number, and in theory a deal could go through at 50%.

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Month’s Top 10 Most-Liked, Most-Recalled New TV Spots Nielsen IAG Research Ad Ratings: Consumers Like Wrigley’s 5 Gum Ad

Watch the Top Spot

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Wrigley’s 5 Gum spot was the commercial most liked by viewers during the last month. See the full Nielsen IAG lists of top-liked and top-recalled spots.

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NBC Sells About a Dozen Super Bowl Spots at $3 Million

80% of Inventory Already Sold for the Big Game

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Ad time in the Super Bowl seems to be disappearing faster than a plate of buffalo wings. NBC, which will broadcast Super Bowl XLIII from Tampa, Fla., next year, has sold more than 80% of its available ad inventory for the game, said Seth Winter, senior VP-NBC Sports and Olympics sales and marketing.

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Month’s Top 10 Most-Liked, Most-Recalled New TV Spots

Nielsen IAG Research Ad Ratings: Consumers Like Coca-Cola’s ‘Ceremony’ Ad

Watch the Spot

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Coca-Cola’s “Ceremony” spot was the commercial most liked by viewers during the last month. See the full Nielsen IAG lists of top-liked and top-recalled spots.

FULL ARTICLE

Hillsman Gives Mixed Review to Republican Efforts But Adman Says Obama Won’t Convince Independents That McCain Is Just Like Bush

Campaign Trail

MINNEAPOLIS (AdAge.com) — As Republicans offer their message in the Twin Cities during the Republican National Convention, a local ad executive most experienced in crafting political messages is giving them mixed marks.

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