POST OFFICE - THE PEOPLE'S POST OFFICE CAR INSURANCE
CREDITS:
Project: The people's Post Office car insurance
Client: Post Office
Brief: Promote Post Office car insurance
Creative agency: Mother
Writer: Mother
Art director: Mother
Planner: Mother
Media agency: OMD
Media planner: OMD
Production company: Moon
Director: Armando Iannucci
Post-production: The Mill
Audio Post-production: Factory
Exposure: National TV
THE LOWDOWN:
The next "celebrity" to saunter into the fictional Post Office branch is the former boxer Chris Eubank, who pays a visit to purchase car insurance in the latest TV work.
The ad, created by Mother, sees the Brighton resident and truck fanatic stroll into the shop in his dandified attire and ask for insurance for his second car.
However, Eubank asks for the car insurance in such a verbose manner that the counterperson doesn't understand his request. But after a colleague translates Eubank's question, she excitedly explains the benefits of the Post Office's car insurance.
She even goes as far as to offer him home insurance, but Eubank declines, explaining: "One is currently dossing in the juggernaut at this particular juncture, but thank you so much."
The commercial is the latest in the Post Office's series of celebrity-filled ads, with the Irish boyband Westlife, EastEnders' Wendy Richards, and the actress Joan Collins all already having paid a visit in previous spots.
MERCEDES-BENZ - MERCEDES-BENZ
CREDITS:
Project: Mercedes-Benz
Client: Richard Payne, marketing communications manager, Mercedes-Benz
Brief: Create a site to showcase the luxury Mercedes-Benz AMG
Creative agency: Agency Republic
Writer: Agency Republic
Art director: Agency Republic
Planner: Agency Republic
Production company: Agency Republic
Director: Agency Republic
Editor: Agency Republic
Post-production: Saddington & Baynes
Exposure: Online
THE LOWDOWN:
Agency Republic has launched its latest website for Mercedes, promoting the luxury AMG model.
The site centres on a three-dimensional image of a car that is caught in motion as it swerves around a bend in the road.Visitors can move around the car and view it from every angle by dragging their mouse across the page. As the viewpoint moves around the vehicle, the background of the Scottish highlands also revolves accordingly.
From each angle, features of the car, such as the suspension, engine and brakes, are clickable and offer users close-up views and a detailed description of the component. Users are also invited to view films of an engineer and a driver offering their points of view on the merits of the vehicle, and what it means to own an AMG.
PRIVILEGE - PRIVILEGE
CREDITS:
Project: Privilege
Client: Wendy Instrell, brand manager, Privilege
Brief: Refresh the campaign with a new scenario and a new spokesperson for Privilege
Creative agency: M&C Saatchi
Writer: Matt Beaumont
Art director: Alan Jarvie
Planner: Howard Miller
Media agency: MediaCom
Production company: Wanted Films
Director: Antony Easton
Editor: Andy McGraw, Cut & Run
Post-production: The Moving Picture Company
Audio Post-production: Jungle
Exposure: National TV
THE LOWDOWN:
Following Joanna Lumley's stint as Privilege's "posh" spokesperson, the insurance company has enlisted Nigel Havers as an upper-class frontman for its latest TV campaign.
The latest in a series of ads, created by M&C Saatchi, follows Havers as he indulges in a spot of shooting and dining at a country retreat. He explains that if you're really posh, you fly into a shoot by helicopter, but in order to fit in, you either need a posh accent or the ability to speak Latin.
The ad concludes with Havers adding "You don't have to be posh to be privileged" to highlight the fact that viewers don't need to do any of these things to enjoy Privilege's car insurance cover.
FLORA - NO BUTTER FOR ENGLAND
CREDITS:
Project: No butter for England
Client: Jane Boret, senior Flora pro.activ brand manager, Flora
Brief: Respond to the Fabio Capello quote in the Daily Mirror about his banning of butter in the English football team's diet
Creative agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty
Writer: Gary McNulty
Art director: Chris Felstead
Planner: Amanda Feve
Media agency: MindShare
Media planner: Mark Cakebread
Exposure: Daily Mirror
THE LOWDOWN:
In response to the recent news that Fabio Capello, the manager of the English football team, had banned the players from eating butter and junk food, Bartle Bogle Hegarty has produced a tactical press ad for Flora.
The ad carries bold text explaining that Capello has banned butter, but goes on to reassure consumers that Flora "still qualifies", because it contains 75 per cent less saturated fat than normal butter.
The execution also encourages the English football team to "get stuck in" to the margarine, and carries the strapline: "Flora. Love your heart."
VOLKSWAGEN - VOLKSWAGEN.CO.UK SITE LAUNCH
CREDITS:
Project: Volkswagen.co.uk site launch
Clients: Rod McLeod, marketing director; Marianne Nicholas, customer relationship marketing manager; Sharon Heaton, customer relationship marketing manager Brief Create a new site for Volkswagen UK that feels like driving a Volkswagen
Creative agency: Tribal DDB London
Writer/art director: Andrew Ferguson
Planner: Chris Wood
Exposure: Online
THE LOWDOWN:
Tribal DDB has created the new homepage for Volkswagen UK, www.volkswagen.co.uk, which carries information on VW's marques.
The site allows users to get a life-like experience of each of the cars by enabling users to sit in and walk around each of the models.
The site also features a "car configurator", which helps prospective car purchasers to see how adding additional options to the marques enhances the car of their choice.
For example, users interested in the new Beetle can use the site's "Beetle Art" tool to change the colour and patterns on the car.
Visitors to the site are also able to book test-drives directly with VW dealerships online.
VISIT SCOTLAND - THE PERFECT DAY
CREDITS:
Project: Visit Scotland: The Perfect Day
Client: Alistair Gronbach, Visit Scotland
Brief: Bring to life the diversity and depth of Scotland as a short-break destination
Creative agency: Coast
Writer: Mick Brown
Art director: n/a
Planner: Matt Cory
Media agency: MediaCom Scotland
Media planner: Jane McTaggart
Production company: Coast
Director: Peter Weber
Editor: Quinn Williams
Post-production: Roland Woolner, Charlie Cassidy, James Willet, UNIT
Exposure: Cinemas across the south of the UK
THE LOWDOWN:
There isn't a kilt or sporran in sight in this campaign for Visit Scotland.
Instead of focusing on the usual tourist attractions, the cinema ad, created by Coast, aims to position Scotland's rural landscape as the ideal place to have the "perfect day".
The 90-second spot follows a couple embarking on a trip to the Outer Hebrides. The pair is seen fishing, taking strolls along the coast, watching the sunset, kayaking and generally enjoying the rugged Scottish landscape.
The ad ends with the strapline: "Live it. Visit Scotland."
KIA - DESIGNED TO CHANGE YOUR MIND
CREDITS:
Project: Designed to change your mind
Client: Simon Hetherington, marketing director, Kia Motors UK
Brief: Launch a new car in the Kia Cee'd range: the Cee'd 3-door around the brand design credentials
Creative agency: Mustoes
Writers/art directors: Ben Friend, Simon Brotherson
Planner: Andrew Levy
Media agency: M2M
Media planner: Alistair McCallum
Production company: Rattling Stick
Director: Steve Cope
Editor: Tim Hardy
Post-production: The Mill
Audio Post-production: Grand Central
Exposure: Terrestrial and cable TV
THE LOWDOWN:
Mustoes has created a TV campaign for the latest Kia Cee'd marque that focuses on the mental journey one goes through when encountering the car.
The 30-second spot opens on a man looking at the Cee'd in a car park. The camera zooms in towards his face to depict that the viewer is entering his mind.
To highlight the fact he is initially apathetic towards the car, the journey begins with the man driving through the word "indifference". However, by the end of his imaginary journey down a winding suspended road, the car smashes through the word "desire".
BOOKTRUST - BOOKSTART HARD TO REACH
CREDITS:
Project: Bookstart hard to reach
Client: Emily Butt, campaigns and communications manager, Booktrust
Brief: Make hard-to-reach or low-literacy audiences aware of Bookstart and the benefit of sharing books with their children
Creative agency: Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw
Writer: James Vigar
Art director: James Vigar
Planner: Caroline Gibbs
Media agencies: Trinity Communications, Manning Gottlieb OMD
Media planner: Simon Timlett, Trinity Communications
Production company: 12foot6
Director: 12foot6
Exposure: National TV
THE LOWDOWN:
Booktrust, the charity that encourages people of all ages to read more, has created a TV campaign aimed at encouraging low-literacy audiences to share books with their children.
The animated 30-second spot, created by Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, depicts a young child who is taken on a journey into his imagination while being read his bedtime story.
The child and his mother are sitting on the bed when suddenly they are carried out of the window, through a jungle, around a mountain, under the ocean and eventually back to his room.
At the end of the ad, viewers are invited to text a number to receive a free book.
NISSAN - SOAP CRAYONS
CREDITS:
Project: Soap crayons
Client: Nissan
Brief: Position Nissan as a brand that challenges convention
Creative agency: Tullo Marshall Warren
Writer: Phil Rhodes
Art director: Alastair Hutchison
Planner: Jane Pritchard
Designer/photographer: Alison Janes
Exposure: Direct mail
THE LOWDOWN:
In a bid to highlight that Nissan cars have unexpected characteristics, Tullo Marshall Warren has created a direct mailpack, containing an everyday item with a hidden use.
At first glance, the pack appears to be just a set of large crayons, but on closer inspection, the crayons turn out to be soap.
The crayons are accompanied by a brochure containing images of everyday objects, such as a skateboard accompanied by words describing an automotive feature, such as "hatchback".