This week: how to make a product's selling point sing, a "Stranger Things" leading man gets stranger, how to escape your overzealous recommendation engine—and more.
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Designer Thom Browne’s eponymous fashion brand was behind this curious, oddly watchable film that shows off its androgynous wares, with the help of “Stranger Things” leading man David Harbour and artist Anh Duong. The ad depicts the pair in quiet scenarios reminiscent of Grant Wood’s “American Gothic,” backed only by the haunting chirps of cicadas. In each, they wear identical ensembles of Browne’s finely tailored clothing, illustrating the inclusivity of both his mens’ and womens’ lines.
Danone’s Greek yogurt has caught our attention by celebrating NFL players’ powerful bubble butts and athletes’ “ugly faces.” Now the brand takes a new stage in its latest spot from Lightning Orchard about a karaoke singer crooning Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” Shy, at first, she gets more confident as hecklers throw out head-scratching suggestions to “sing about yogurt.” Her performance then takes a dramatic, weird turn that will help burn into your brain the product’s key attribute: that you can eat it with a fork.
Does your streaming service’s recommendation engine put you into a pigeonhole? Just because you watch one Nordic noir series doesn’t mean your feed should be dominated by the genre’s doom and gloom. That’s the point of this comedic series of ads from FCB Brasil for satellite provider Sky in the campaign promoting its range of offerings, from films to TV series to live sports. The ads depict a man stalked by familiar cinematic tropes including a chainsaw-wielding psychopath, a creepy killer doll and a ghoulish nosferatu. “Just because you watch one horror movie doesn’t mean you only like horror movies,” the V.O. reads in one ad.
To honor soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo’s record as all-time men’s international goal scorer and mark his return to Manchester United, Nike went back to his roots. The brand renovated a community soccer field in his birthplace of Madeira, Portugal, adorning it with painted goalposts that memorialize his career milestones across 15 different scenes. The campaign also includes a film featuring the voiceovers of other soccer pros discussing how Ronaldo’s singular drive to achieve greatness and reach his goals was key to his success.
Hyundai continues its push to connect with younger audiences by following them straight into the metaverse. The brand’s latest push from Innocean is a new Roblox game, “Hyundai Mobility Adventure,” in which players are able to take Hyundai models cars on test drives. The game features five theme parks, including the “Festival Square” base camp, a modern metropolis called “Future Mobility City,” an eco-forest, racing park and a “Smart Tech Campus.” So far, a beta version is open to select players with the official launch set for October.
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