Rivalry with Taste (of Pepsi)

There’s nothing I love more than a SMART advertising campaign, and Pepsi has done it. I am LOVING the smart use of a rivals campaign to enhance the brand. Pepsi has taken Coke’s campaign and turned it on its head…hehe. Love it.

For anyone living in this country more than a minute, you know that the United States Christmas season is sponsored by Coca-Cola. Santa is the official spokesman and whether you drink the drink or not, you’re going to be exposed to his winter-kissed cheek, smile and wave everywhere you turn. He IS Christmas…and in turn, so is Coke.

Pepsi has cleverly taken the Christmas spokesman and revealed his “personal” preference. See, Santa is paid to drink Coke, it’s his job around the holidays. On his off season, he prefers Pepsi…didn’t you know?

(I only found the TV spot, but the radio one is even better. Could there be a print version coming?)

To give credit where its due:

Agency:
 TBWA/Chiat/Day
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Schwartz
Group Creative Director: Brett Craig
Creative Director: Xanthe Hohalek
Art Director: Chris MacNeil
Copywriter: Michelle Lewis
Executive Producer: Anh-Thu Le
Senior Producer: Mila Davis
Agency Producer: Lacy Plunk
Managing Director: Bill Brooks
Group Account Director: Mike Litwin
Account Director: Tara Mellett
Management Supervisor: Ellie Brigden
Account Executive: Kendra Schaaf
Assistant Account Executive: April Shapiro
Director of Business Affairs: Linda Daubson
Business Affairs Manager: Laura Drabkin
Talent Payment Coordinator: Nora Said
Director of Broadcast Traffic and Clearance: Saeyoung Kim
Broadcast Traffic Coordinator:Eugene Gandia


OUTSIDE VENDORS:
Production Company: Pytka
Director: Joe Pytka
Executive Producer: Tara Fitzpatrick
Producer: Michele Atkins
DP:Joe Pytka
Editorial Company: Union Editorial
Executive Producer: Michael Raimondi
Producer: Joe Ross
Editor:Einar Thorsteinsson
Visual FX: Quiet Man
Executive Producer: Carey Gattyan
Sound Mix: Union Editorial
Executive Producer: Michael Raimondi
Mixer: Milos Zivkovic

MUSIC:

Licensed Track: Montell Jordan “This Is How We Do It”

Great job by the entire creative team. Awesome strategy!

Delsum—”Turn Down the Cough” ’cause I’m not getting my ass off this couch tonight!

Notice something slightly surreal about the new Delsum commercial?

Let’s recap. A couple is sitting watching TV on the couch and the man begins coughing. The woman, disgusted by this disturbance, takes the Delsum box (mimicking a remote control) and TURNS HIS VOLUME DOWN!

What happens next? Well, her son comes downstairs, also coughing, and she TURNS HIM DOWN as well.

Here’s my immediately associated inner monologue for the woman.

“Ahh, what a nice night. Kids are asleep and I can have a moment of peace. [cough cough] WTF?!? Argh, not now. Seriously?! But I just sat down! I know he’s not going to keep this u throughout the entire movie! Shut up! I can’t hear anything. If there was just some way to shut him up….Wait…Delsum! Of course! If I can turn his annoying cough down, I don’t have to listen to this and can watch the movie in peace [turns mans voice down. Child comes downstairs coughing] Oh man! Him too?!? I’M NOT GETTING OFF THIS COUCH DAMMIT!!! Oh that’s right, there’s a childrens version of Delsum as well [click, click, click] Ahh..Mute the world, forget the problem.”

Maybe it’s just me, but something a little morbid about the execution of the woman figure “turning down” the suffering of what seem to be her loved one’s with the medication box, while sitting one the couch. The concept makes sense. For sure, but visually, I;m not sure it was entirely though through. All I see is this lazt ass woman who, rather than tending to her coughing significant other with any sort of care, tunes him out. Which may be the case, but then her child comes downstairs. That’s what sets it over the top for me. Get your sorry ass off the couch and see whats up with your damn child, girl!

Someone (at some agency) didn’t think this one through. There’s a fine line between humor and medicating neglect. Judge for yourself…If anyone can find the link to this commercial, I’d greatly appreciate it!

Chef Boyardee Promotes Theft

The latest television commercial for Chef Boyaree’s Overstuffed Ravioli made my brows wrinkle this morning. WHat are they thinking…the creatives I mean. Here’s the synopsis. Mom and daughter in grocery store. Daughter wants a Chef Boyardee Overstuffed Ravioli. Mom says no and the two walk down the aisle. At this point the ravioli can, on its own, falls of the shelf and proceeds to roll toward the girl all the way home. It rolls in front of her just as her mother shouts from another room about what the girl wants for dinner. The girl looks at the can and smiles. End.

What do you think the next scene would have been were the commercial not to end? The girl would bring the can to her mom, at which point her mom would accuse her of stealing the can from the store. The age of the girl in the commercial is the prime age for when you teach a child that they cannot have/take things they want without paying for them. The commercial seems to be targeting parents, showing them how happy it makes kids, so what is the message here? That the kids would take the can anyway? That the ravioli is worth stealing?

Thoughts?