The "Play With Oreo" campaign, which launched in January, continues this month with a lovely new set of out-of-home ads featuring groovy illustrations from 10 artists.

The artists were given words to play off—functional ones like "dunk" and "twist," as well as more emotional ones like "dream" and "wonder"—and asked to come up with a scene that brings those words to life. The only requirement was that the scene include a character with the Oreo cookie wafer as the face/head.

The ads will run outdoors in New York, Los Angeles and Indianapolis and shared through Oreo social channels starting this week. The featured artists are Shotopop,Jeff Soto,Ryan Todd,McBess,Andrew Bannecker,Geoff McFetridge,Andy Rementer,Alex Trochut,Craig and Karl and Brosmind.

See all the ads below, along with credits.

CREDITS
Client: Oreo, Mondelez International
Agency: The Martin Agency
Public Relations: Weber Shandwick
Social: 360i
Media Buying: MediaVest

Client Credits:
Vice President, Global Biscuit Category: Jason Levine
Vice President, Brand Strategy and Communications: Jill Baskin
Senior Director, Oreo and Chips Ahoy!: Janda Lukin
Oreo Global Brand Manager: Flavio Ackel
Oreo Senior Associate Brand Manager: Kerri McCarthy

Agency Credits:
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director: Jorge Calleja
Vice Presidents, Creative Directors: Magnus Hierta, David Muhlenfeld
Vice President, Associate Creative Director, Design: Chris Peel
Associate Designer: William Godwin
Senior Studio Artist: Matt Wieringo
Vice President, Group Planning Director: John Gibson
Strategic Planner: Gigi Jordan
Executive Vice President, Worldwide Account Director: John Campbell
Senior Vice President, Group Account Director: Darren Foot
Vice Presidents, Account Directors: Leslie Hodgin, Britta Dougherty
Account Supervisor: Molly Holmes
Account Coordinator: James Salusky
Executive Vice President, Managing Director Production, Development: Steve Humble
Senior Art Producer: Anya Mills
Senior Print Producer: Paul Martin
Junior Print Producer: Jamie Parker
Group Project Management Supervisor: Giao Roever
Business Affairs Supervisor: Juanita McInteer

Illustrators:

—Bernstein Andruilli
Shotopop
Jeff Soto
Ryan Todd
McBess
Andrew Bannecker
Geoff McFetridge

—Big Active
Andy Rementer

—Levine Leavitt
Alex Trochut
Craig and Karl
Brosmind

Benjamin Moore is launching its most aggressive advertising campaign ever, spending $50 million to differentiate the brand in a commodity category where paint increasingly is just seen as color on the wall.

Ron Schuller, who joined Benjamin Moore as CMO last November, said the initiative emphasizes its two strongest attributes: Consumers' perception of Benjamin Moore as a premium brand; and its distribution through smaller merchants, rather than big-box stores.

"In the first phase [of the campaign], we'll talk about product quality where the product is the hero," said Schuller, "while in the second phase we'll focus on our independent, expert retailers who give you the right advice and help you through the process."

The 132-year-old company's pitch, from The Martin Agency, uses TV, radio, print and digital and introduces the brand's new tagline—"Paint like no other." Benjamin Moore previously leaned on a more locally-focused approach. Schuller said the company had to turn up the volume with a clear positioning in a category where there's been "a lot of noise" in recent years, especially as the economy has improved and consumers return to do-it-yourself household projects. 

The first phase of the campaign, "Feats of Can," which just broke, highlights paint coatings that correspond to different product offerings. Benjamin Moore lays claim to industry firsts like creating a product that combines paint and primer, and one with zero VOCs (symptom-producing solvents) and no emissions.

In the second run of spots, "Who Are You Talking To?," which goes live on May 4, Benjamin Moore pokes fun at the big-box stores that sell competing brands. The company is the only paint manufacturer to sell exclusively through locally-owned and operated merchants and the spots promote the product expertise of those retailers.

Watch four spots below from the campaign, which utilizes a tongue-in-cheek approach.

Another cruise line account is up for grabs: Norwegian Cruise Line is reviewing its creative and media business, which The Martin Agency has handled since 2011.

The assignment spans traditional and digital ads and represents about $5 million in revenue. The brand's media spending was $33 million last year, down from about $45 million in 2013, according to Kantar Media.

The review comes amid a search by competitor Royal Caribbean and as the cruise industry grapples with image problems resulting from high-profile accidents and nasty outbreaks of norovirus. Norwegian, like Royal Caribbean, also has made recent changes in its top management. Last month Andy Stuart became president and COO following the resignation of Drew Madsen. Stuart has been with the company since 1988, most recently as evp of sales.

Four years ago, Norwegian used a consultant for its search. This time, however, the Miami-based company is running the process itself, with a decision expected in late May.

Norwegian has circulated a request for proposals that's due back this week, according to a source. A NCL rep said in a statement: "While The Martin Agency has chosen not to participate in the review process, Norwegian thanks the company for their many contributions and looks ahead to beginning the search for a new agency partner."

In the 2011 search, the finalists were Martin, McCann-Erickson, Mullen, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and then incumbent GSD&M.

Norwegian continues to use the "Cruise Like a Norwegian" campaign that Martin unveiled four years ago.

As the world oohs and ahhs over Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, Oreo is here to remind you that all babies are special, whether or not they're born into royalty. A nice message from The Martin Agency to the one demographic that can't even chew solid food.

Penske Truck Leasing is looking to bring a little levity to the business-to-business world with a new, digitally focused ad campaign from The Martin Agency.

The spots feature various scenarios in which Penske can help consumers or business owners out of a jam—a coffee shop trying to keep angry customers at bay because its coffee delivery never showed up, for example. The goal is to catch the attention of B2B decision makers.

"The reason we went to humor here—and these kind of hyperbolic demonstrations of the essence of Penske—is because in the B2B world, people take themselves so seriously," said Cliff Sorah, senior vp and group creative director for The Martin Agency. "They tend to have no sense of humor; it's all business. The fact of the matter is that when people consume these ads they are consuming them as consumers, and we have to get their attention." 

It's Penske's first national ad campaign, and the brand is hoping to make an impression. The 30-second spots will debut next week on Bloomberg.com. 

"People tended to know us for just the consumer part of what we do," said Sherry Sanger, senior vp of marketing for Penske. "But the B2B part of our business is the larger part of the business, and we felt like there was this opportunity to tell a larger story." 

Penske's B2B business consists of supply-chain and logistics customers, generally senior executives from large manufacturers, distributors, retailers, grocers and chain stores that rely on Penske's trucking and warehousing services. (The business-to-consumer part of Penske's operations involves renting moving trucks.)

Sanger said B2B accounts for more than 90 percent of Penske's business. The company has roughly 24,000 employees worldwide and a truck fleet of about 216,000. 

Check out the new spots below: 

Norwegian Cruise Line has a new agency lineup, with BBDO, Atlanta, as the company's new creative lead, and OMD, Midwest, planning and buying media.

The creative assignment spans traditional and digital ads and represents about $5 million in revenue. NCL's media spending totaled $33 million last year, down from about $45 million in 2013, according to Kantar Media.

The Omnicom Group shops replace The Martin Agency, which has worked with NCL since 2011.

The selections came after a review, in which Martin did not participate. The process began with 14 agencies and came down to four finalists, including BBDO. The other three contenders were not disclosed.

The agency switch follows NCL's acquisition in November of Prestige Cruises International, the parent of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, which combines one of the industry's largest mass-market lines with two upscale cruise brands. As a result, the fast-growing company brought in a new CEO, Frank Del Rio, the co-founder of Oceania and CEO of Prestige. Two months later, Andy Stuart, evp, sales at NCL, was named president and COO.

"The change in leadership has really crystalized a more aggressive growth strategy," said Meg Lee, chief marketing officer at NCL. "We want to grow our business internationally as we almost double our capacity in the next few years. Norwegian Cruise Line and the cruise industry are on an uptick and we are looking to capitalize on this business momentum."

Lee, who spent eight years at NCL in various marketing and advertising roles, is also part of that shift and was named to her current role in March. Rounding out the new executive team behind the review is Harry Sommer, who was promoted to evp, international business in May.

Lee cited BBDO and OMD's track record with high-involvement brands as a deciding factor in the search process.The agencies are being asked to drive NCL's global expansion and sell consumers on the cruise line's "Freestyle Cruising" concept, which offers guests more leisure options and freedom in their schedules by forgoing set meal times and seating requirements and eliminating a requirement for formal mealtime attire. The first work from BBDO is expected to debut in January.

CANNES, France—A gorgeously cinematic film for Leica by F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi and a hilarious and innovative preroll ad for Geico by The Martin Agency each won a Grand Prix in Film at the Cannes Lions festival here tonight, an odd couple of brilliant executions indeed.

The Film Lions jury, led by Grey's global creative chief Tor Myhren, was allowed to award one Grand Prix for TV work and one for non-TV work—and they did just that.

At a press conference Saturday morning, Myhren was effusive about both campaigns. "We were looking from the outset for something new. Really new," he said. "And new can be super scary. New can be a little bit uncomfortable. And I think we actually found that."

The jury awarded one specific spot, "Family," in Geico's celebrated "Unskippable" preroll campaign from Martin in Richmond, Va., which presented the brand pitch in the first five seconds (i.e., before the "Skip ad" button appears) and then humorously showed characters pretending to be frozen as the action continued around them. "You can't skip this Geico ad because it's already over," the voiceover says.



The campaign "breaks every single rule of filmmaking," Myhren said. "Instead of begging you to watch this ad, they challenge you not to watch it. And you can't take your eyes off it. Instead of a long story with a tenuous link to the brand at the end, there's a gigantic logo of the brand in the middle of the screen the entire time. This deceptively simple piece of communication really showed us that film can reinvent the way you look at media—the least sexy medium in the world, which is preroll."

Meanwhile, the two-minute Leica ad from Brazil, marking the 100th anniversary of the brand's first camera, delightfully and beautifully re-created 35 famous photos of spontaneous moments—celebrating the ability of portable cameras to capture real, unscripted, unposed life.

Myhren said 19 of the 22 jurors selected Leica for the Grand Prix on the very first vote.

"This is a nearly perfect piece of filmmaking," he said. "The visual storytelling is unique and stunning. The writing is absolutely amazing. And importantly, it's a category that is challenged right now with cell phones and with photography becoming a little bit less sexy."



While there was little debate about the TV Grand Prix, there was plenty of discussion regarding the non-TV Grand Prix. Along with Geico, the jurors also strongly considered two other campaigns for the top prize.

The first was Wieden + Kennedy London's "The Other Side" YouTube film for Honda, in which users can press the R key to switch between two parallel stories about the same man that match up shot for shot—one bright and happy, one dark and dangerous. The other was Leo Burnett's "Like a Girl" campaign for P&G's Always, which aims to turn that phrase from a traditional insult to a message of empowerment.

But in the end, the Geico work was more formally innovative.

"Brands have lived in preroll, but they've lived there so boringly," Myhren said. "We've accepted that space as just sucking for so long. We must have watched ['Family'] 20 times, and we laughed every single time. And the brand comes through so strongly."

In addition to the two Grand Prix, there were 10 gold Lions given out, with five of them going to U.S. agencies. The U.S. also won 13 silver Lions and 18 bronze Lions.

Check out two lists below: First, all the Grand Prix and gold Lion winners from all over the world, and then all the U.S. Grand Prix, gold, silver and bronze winners.

—All Grand Prix and Gold Lion Winners in Film

Leica Gallery São Paulo, "100"
Entrant: F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi São Paulo
Production Company: Stink Sao Paulo
(Grand Prix)

Geico, "Unskippable: Family Long Form 01"
Entrant: The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Production Company: Park Pictures New York
(Grand Prix)

Unilever, "Proudly Seeking Pleasure"
Entrant: Lola Lowe & Partners Madrid
Production Company: Propaganda Producciones Madrid
(Gold)

Diageo, "Made Of Black"
Entrant: AMV BBDO London / BBDO South Africa Johannesburg
Production Company: Rogue London
(Gold)

Gatorade, "Made In NY"
Entrant: TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles
Production Company: Smuggler Los Angeles, Ca
(Gold)

Old Spice, "Dadsong"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Los Angeles
(Gold)

Nike Golf, "Ripple"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Los Angeles / Joint Editorial Portland / The Mill Los Angeles
(Gold)

Ikea, "Beds"
Entrant: Mother London
Production Company: MJZ London
(Gold)

Procter & Gamble, "#LikeAGirl"
Entrant: Leo Burnett Toronto / Leo Burnett Chicago / Leo Burnett London / Holler London
Production Company: Chelsea Pictures Los Angeles
(Gold)

White House, "Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama"
Entrant: Funny Or Die Los Angeles
(Gold)

Beats by Dr. Dre, "The Game Before The Game"
Entrant: R/GA London
Production Company: The Sword Fight Los Angeles / Rock Paper Scissors Santa Monica / Brewster Parsons Los Angeles
(Gold)

Honda Motor Europe, "The Other Side"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy London
Production Company: Somesuch London / StinkDigital London
(Gold)

—All U.S. Winners in Film:
    
Geico, "Unskippable: Family Long Form 01"
Entrant: The Martin Agency Richmond
Production Company: Park Pictures New York
(Grand Prix)

Gatorade, "Made In NY"
Entrant: TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles
Production Company: Smuggler Los Angeles, Ca
(Gold)

Old Spice, "Dadsong"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Los Angeles
(Gold)

Nike Golf, "Ripple"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Los Angeles / Joint Editorial Portland / The Mill Los Angeles
(Gold)

White House, "Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama"
Entrant: Funny or Die Los Angeles
(Gold)

Procter & Gamble, "#LikeAGirl"
Entrant: Leo Burnett Toronto / Leo Burnett Chicago / Leo Burnett London / Holler London
Production Company: Chelsea Pictures Los Angeles
(Gold)

Mars, "Settle It 30'"
Entrant: DDB Chicago
Production Company: MJZ Los Angeles / Cut + Run Santa Monica
(Silver)

Mars Chocolate North America/Snickers, "Brady Bunch"
Entrant: BBDO New York
Production Company: O Positive New York
(Silver)

Heinken USA/Newcastle Brown Ale, "Band of Brands Mega Ad"
Entrant: Droga5 New York
Production Company: Caviar Los Angeles
(Silver)

Value City Furniture, "Old Table"
Entrant: Dummy Los Angeles / Translation New York
Production Company: Dummy Los Angeles
(Silver)

Weight Watchers, "If You're Happy"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: Epoch Films Los Angeles
(Silver)

Adobe, "Dream On"
Entrant: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners San Francisco
Production Company: Elevel Films San Francisco / Rock Paper Scissors Santa Monica
(Silver)

HelloFlo, "First Moon Party"
Entrant: Hayden 5 Media New York
Production Company: Hayden 5 Media New York
(Silver)

Nike, "The Last Game"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: Passion Pictures London
(Silver)

Geico, "Unskippable: Family, Elevator, High Five, Cleaning Crew"
Entrant: The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Production Company: Park Pictures New York
(Silver campaign)

American Greetings, "The World's Toughest Job"
Entrant: Mullen Lowe, Boston
Production Company: Caviar Los Angeles
(Silver)

Gatorade, "Win From Within: Ben Jackson"
Entrant: VML Kansas City
(Silver)

States United to Prevent Gun Violence, "The Gun Shop "
Entrant: Grey New York
Production Company: Rival School Pictures New York / The Mill New York
(Silver)

Johnnie Walker, "The Gentleman's Wager"
Entrant: RSA Films Los Angeles / Anomaly New York
Production Company: RSA Films Los Angeles
(Silver)

Mars Chocolate North America/Twix Bites, "Dial-Up, Flat Top, Y2K"
Entrant: BBDO New York
Production Company: Smuggler New York
(Bronze campaign)

Old Spice, "Hot Tub, Soccer, Night Club"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: MJZ Los Angeles
(Bronze campaign)

Under Armour, "Misty Copeland - I Will What I Want"
Entrant: Droga5 New York
Production Company: Reset Santa Monica
(Bronze)

Under Armour, "Gisele Bündchen - I Will What I Want"
Entrant: Droga5 New York
Production Company: Smuggler New York
(Bronze)

Audi Of America, "The Scripted Life"
Entrant: Venables Bell & Partners San Francisco
Production Company: MJZ Los Angeles
(Bronze)

Taco Bell, "Routine Republic"
Entrant: Deutsch LA
Production Company: Arts & Sciences Los Angeles
(Bronze)

Weight Watchers, "My Butt"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: Skunk Los Angeles
(Bronze)

Nike, "Lebron James Together"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: HSI Productions Los Angeles
(Bronze)

GE, "The Boy Who Beeps"
Entrant: BBDO New York
Production Company: Park Pictures New York
(Bronze)

NFL, "Listen"
Entrant: Chelsea Pictures New York / Grey New York
Production Company: Chelsea Pictures New York
(Bronze)

Heinken USA/Newcastle Brown Ale, "Call For Brands"
Entrant: Droga5 New York
Production Company: Caviar Los Angeles
(Bronze)

Heinken USA/Newcastle Brown Ale, "Stephen Merchant Presents 'If We Won' With Newcastle Brown Ale"
Entrant: Droga5 New York
Production Company: Smuggler Los Angeles
(Bronze)

Nike, "Winner Stays"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: Rattling Stick London / The Mission Venice / Luma Pictures Santa Monica
(Bronze)

Microsoft, "The Collective Project"
Entrant: Possible Seattle
(Bronze)

Jordan Brand, "Re2Pect"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy New York
Production Company: Arts & Sciences Los Angeles
(Bronze)

Old Spice, "Drew Brees, Earl Thomas, Jamaal Charles"
Entrant: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Production Company: World War Seven Los Angeles
(Bronze campaign)

Land Rover USA, "The Wave"
Entrant: Y&R New York
Production Company: Helo Los Angeles / Go Big Productions Los Angeles
(Bronze)

Banplus, "Unforgettable Account"
Entrant: FCB RG2 Caracas
Production Company: Whiskey Films Caracas
(Bronze)

Three years in, fantasy sports website DraftKings.com is getting serious about its advertising.

Out is the frat-boy wordplay of its current ads (as seen below) and in is a search for an agency that can raise the tone and stature of its advertising. Also, fresh from a category exclusive advertising deal with Disney's ESPN, DraftKings has told shops participating in the search that the brand will be supported by $200 million in media.

To paraphrase DraftKing's current ads, that's a "shipload of money." Ah, but that's just the kind of phrase you probably won't hear in DraftKings ads going forward. Why? Because that approach is "a little bit sophomoric, a little bit frat boyish," explained a source.

DraftKings competes head-to-head with FanDuel in the daily fantasy sports segment of the larger fantasy sports world, which has some 56.8 million active players in North America, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. About 20 percent of those players participate exclusively in daily fantasy sports, according to an Adweek feature story on the category.

DraftKings' search is in its final stages, with a handful of agencies scheduled to make presentations later this week at the company's headquarters in Boston. Sources identified the finalists as BBDO in New York, The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., Arnold in Boston, Wieden + Kennedy in New York and Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners in Sausalito, Calif. (The agencies had no comment.) A selection is expected by the end of the month.

The winner will succeed Havas Edge, a direct-response shop.

The $200 million media figure represents a nearly six-fold increase from last year, when DraftKings spent more than $35 million in media, according to Kantar Media. And the 2014 figure itself was more than triple what DraftKings spent in 2013, which was around $10 million, Kantar estimated. Despite the rising media dollars, though, revenue on the account is estimated at just $3 million.

Here's a look at some recent DraftKings ads:

Is Geico's "It's What You Do" campaign on life support? Not yet, but it's been hospitalized with a severe case of the non sequiturs.

I'm not a huge fan of the insurance company's "It's What You Do" ads from The Martin Agency—there's just not that much tension in the idea that getting Geico insurance is a given, and the other givens in the spots often feel too random.

This one, at least, provokes a chuckle with the appearance by a certain Hasbro game. Great pacing and direction, and the mini punch line is funny enough. The ad has almost 2.5 million YouTube views, though the vast majority of those came from its prime placement in the YouTube masthead last Saturday.

As for the campaign as whole, well, the patient is certainly on the table …



CREDITS
Client: Geico
Vice President, Marketing: Ted Ward
Director, Marketing: Bill Brower
Senior Manager, Marketing: Melissa Halicy
Marketing Supervisor: Mike Grant
Marketing Buyers: Tom Perlozzo, Brighid Griffin, Katherine Kalec
Marketing Specialist: Julia Nass

Agency: The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
Group Creative Directors: Wade Alger, Steve Bassett
Creative Director: Sean Riley
Senior Copywriter: Ken Marcus
Executive Producer: Brett Alexander
Senior Broadcast Producer: Heather Tanton
Junior Broadcast Producer: Coleman Sweeney
Group Account Director: Brad Higdon
Account Executive: Allison Hensley
Account Supervisor: Josh Lybarger
Business Affairs Supervisor: Suzanne Wieringo
Financial Account Supervisor: Monica Cox
Senior Production Business Manager: Amy Trenz
Senior Project Manager: Jason Ray

Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Wayne McClammy
Managing Partner, Executive Producer: Kevin Byrne
Executive Producer, Head of Sales: Dan Duffy
Executive Producers: Mino Jarjoura, Nancy Hacohen
Producer: Dave Bernstein
Production Supervisor: Shelly Silverman

Editing Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Christjan Jordan
Assistant Editor: Pieter Viljoen
Executive Producer: Angela Dorian
Producer: Jared Thomas

Telecine: MPC
Colorist: Ricky Gausis

Animation, Visual Effects: MPC
Executive Producer: Elexis Stearn
Senior Producer: Juliet Tierney
Junior Producer: Nicole Saccardi
Creative Director: Paul O'Shea
Computer Graphics Supervisor: Zach Tucker
Flame Lead: Blake Huber
Nuke Artist: James Steller
Flame Artist: Ben Persons

Music Company: HUM
Executive Creative Director: Jeff Koz
Sound Designer: Dan Hart
Music Composer: Haim Mazar
Creative Director: Scott Glenn
Executive Producer: Debbi Landon
Producer: Caroline O'Sullivan

Audio Post Company: Rainmaker Studios
Engineer, Mixer: Jeff McManus

The new Oreo Thins get a formal introduction today with a "Wonderfilled" spot from The Martin Agency that suggests the thinner cookies are a thing of wonder even if they're not quite as filled as their forebears.

Dutch production house MediaMonks Films (and directors Rogier Schalken and Magnus Hierta) did the animation for the :30, which has a pleasantly faux-epic vibe thanks to its soundtrack's mashup of Strauss' 119-year-old "Thus Spake Zarathustra" with the 2-year-old Martin-written "Wonderfilled" song.



The spot certainly leans into the product's thinness, portraying it as almost paperlike in a cute, short series of animations. In announcing the product two weeks ago, Oreo said it was "following 'thin' cues in technology" and putting "a sleek and modern spin on a classic."

The ad shows off this inspiration, too. When the cookie turns sideways to form the "i" in the word THINS, it's like any number of tech ads where the gadget spins sideways to show off a slender frame.

The cookies hit store shelves last week in Original, Golden and Mint flavors—a permanent addition to the Oreo line. In addition to the TV spot, the marketing campaign will also include lots of social activity, including an upcoming video that shows how the more sophisticated Oreo Thins gives the "forgotten" pinky finger a new reason to be, and a series of new etiquette rules around how to "properly" enjoy the Oreo Thins.

And if you're not into being this sophisticated, or you're flat-out angry about the creme reduction, you always have Double Stuf to fall back on.

CREDITS
Client: Oreo / Mondelēz International Inc.
Topic: Oreo Thins
First Run Date: July 20, 2015
Mediums: TV and internet
Ad Name: "Thinner"
VP/Brand Equity & Communications, Center of Excellence, Global Marketing: Jill Baskin
Senior Director, US OREO and Chips Ahoy!: Janda Lukin
Senior Brand Manager: Patricia González
Senior Associate Branch Manager: Elise Burditt

Agency: The Martin Agency
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
SVP/Executive Creative Director: Jorge Calleja
VP/Creative Director: Magnus Hierta
VP/Creative Director: David Muhlenfeld
EVP/ Managing Director Production and Development: Steve Humble
Senior Producer: Adrienne Daniel
Junior Producer: Rachel Acors
VP/Group Account Director: Britta Dougherty
Account Supervisor: Molly Holmes
Account Coordinator: James Saulsky
VP/Planning Director: John Gibson
Strategic Planner: Gigi Jordan
Group Project Management Supervisor: Giao Roever
Senior Business Manager: Amy Trenz
Group Talent & Music Director: Juanita Mcinteer

Editorial
MediaMonks Films (Animation, Shoot & Post)
Director: Rogier Schalken and Magnus Hierta
Founder & COO, Executive Producer: Wesley Ter Haar
Partner & Project Director: Quinten Beek
Executive Producer: Nell Jordan
Film Producer: Robert Bray
Head of Post Production: Okke Voerman
Post Producer: Gerben Molenaar
Production Manager: Lennart Deen
Previs Editor: Juan Berens

MPC
Colorist: Adrian Seery
Assistant Technical Director: Daniel Silverman
Executive Producer AMS: Edwin Elkington
Executive Producer NY: Adina Birnbaum
Producer NY: Adrienne McNeary

Running With Scissors (Finishing)
Executive Producer: Brett Alexander
Head of Production: Brian Creech
Flame Artist: Chris Hagen
Assistant Editor: Paul Weiderholt

Music and Mix Credits:
Music House: Duotone
Engineer: Andrew Green
Composer: Richard Strauss remixed by Jordan Lieb for Duotone Audio Group
Producer: Greg Tiefenbrun and Giovanni Lobato
Executive Producer: David Leinheardt

If you're Geico, you whip up another comically goofy commercial and make sure everyone sees it by taking over the YouTube masthead before rolling it out to TV. It's what you do.

Geico and The Martin Agency unveiled their latest "It's what you do" spot on YouTube over the weekend before launching it Monday in broadcast.

The action this time takes place on a golf course, where a giant sea monster emerges from a water hazard to wreak some havoc, which a 9 iron just can't handle. But it's not the sea monster's behavior but that of the announcers that serves as the punch line here.



CREDITS
Client: Geico
Vice President, Marketing: Ted Ward
Director, Marketing: Bill Brower
Senior Manager, Marketing: Melissa Halicy
Marketing Supervisor: Mike Grant
Marketing Buyer: Tom Perlozzo
Marketing Buyer: Brighid Griffin
Marketing Buyer: Katherine Kalec
Marketing Coordinator: Julia Nass

Agency: The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
Group Creative Director: Wade Alger
Group Creative Director: Steve Bassett
Creative Director: Sean Riley
Senior Copywriter: Ken Marcus
Executive Producer: Brett Alexander
Senior Broadcast Producer: Heather Tanton
Junior Broadcast Producer: Coleman Sweeney
Group Account Director: Brad Higdon
Account Executive: Allison Hensley
Account Supervisor: Josh Lybarger
Business Affairs Supervisor: Suzanne Wieringo
Financial Account Supervisor: Monica Cox
Senior Production Business Manager: Amy Trenz
Senior Project Manager: Jason Ray

Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Wayne McClammy
Managing Partner/Executive Producer: Kevin Byrne
Executive Producer/Head of Sales: Dan Duffy
Executive Producer: Mino Jarjoura
Executive Producer: Nancy Hacohen
Producer: Dave Bernstein
Production Supervisor: Shelly Silverman

Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Christjan Jordan
Assistant Editor: Pieter Viljoen
Executive Producer: Angela Dorian
Producer: Jared Thomas

Telecine: MPC
Colorist: Ricky Gausis
Color Producer: Summer McCloskey

Animation/VFX: MPC
Executive Producer: Elexis Stearn
Senior Producer: Juliet Tierney
Junior Producer: Nicole Saccardi
Creative Director: Paul O'Shea
CG Supervisor: Zach Tucker
Flame Lead: Benoit Mannequin
Flame: Blake Huber
Flame: Ben Persons
Nuke: Toma Bowen
FX Lead: Charles Trippe
FX: Patrick Manning Nha Ca Chau
Nate Lapinski
Light Lead: Tim Kafka
Light: Brendon Echsner
Texture Lead: Brian Broussard
Animation Lead: Stew Burris
Animation: Ian Wilson
Rigging Lead: George Saavedra
Asset Supervisor: Aaron Hamman
Tracking Supervisor: Michael Lori

Audio Post Company: Rainmaker Studios
Engineer/Mixer: Jeff McManus

Does your baby need a stroller that comes with 4-by-4 suspension, a sandbox, a holographic projector and a bubble machine?

In our tech-crazed society, where everyone grows up to be an astronaut or coder, such a contraption—dubbed the "Latot" in ads from The Martin Agency—seems like a quasi-reasonable proposition. (WeeBabe would sell out of them in 15 minutes.) Alas, it isn't real. It's the central gimmick in an amusing parody campaign for an entirely different type of consumer service, one that has nothing to do with babies.



In a somewhat risky move, the identity of the actual client is kept hidden until viewers visit LatotStroller.com (the YouTube channel's name is a giveaway, though). Even on the landing page, it takes a few seconds before the "Stroll Into Greatness" line and tyke testimonial—"I'm no genius. I'm a baby. But this thing is genius"—make way for the reveal.

Ultimately, visitors are counseled not to be "oversold" but to focus on "everything you need and nothing you don't" as they make their buying decision—on wireless service, as it turns out. I credit Martin for sustaining the metaphor in fun fashion across diverse channels. It's certainly succeeded at creating desire, though not so much for the actual product (which, if I understand correctly, doesn't come with a sandbox or bubble machine).

The Latot, however, looks like a blast. I want one, and I don't even have kids. I'll squeeze into it somehow and tool around town. Maybe they'll even make one at some point. Hey, there is precedent for that.



CREDITS
Client: Total Wireless
Creative: The Martin Agency
Social: Weber Shandwick
Landing Page: PJA

Some say Geico is going through a golden age of creativity, from its super-viral "Hump Day" camel spot to its Cannes Grand Prix-winning "Unskippable" campaign. But Dominick Nero is not among the brand's most ardent advertising fans.

In fact, he's sick and tired of seeing a Geico ad online every three minutes.

But now, the video producer at Magnalux Pictures is fighting back. To protest what he calls Geico's "nightmarish over-saturation of the commercial market," Nero edited together the video below, titled "Every F*cking Geico Ad Played at Once." And a frighteningly Orwellian production it is.



Nero says there's almost 300 videos in it, and that's just a fraction of what Geico has made over the years. (Most of its spots from before 2010 are nowhere to be found online.)

Nero, who also made headlines recently with his supercut of Wes Anderson supercuts, has this to say about the Geico project:

The Cavemen. The Suit Guy. The Gecko. The Pig—rarely do we spend more than five minutes on the Internet without seeing one of these mascots.

As a web video editor and filmmaker, I'm very interested in what plays before, in between, and after our online videos. Since sites like YouTube and Hulu are our generation's cable TV, almost everything we watch is, in some way, disturbed by Geico's self-perpetuating reign of milquetoast chaos. But if you're anything like me, you don't want to keep hearing "Save 15 percent or more on your car insurance" in your dreams every night.

Shouldn't we have some say in what gets played in our digital adspace? We're the ones using these damn sites, after all!

Geico and its lead ad shop, The Martin Agency, both declined to comment.

The American Civil War and the UCI Road World Cycling Championship may have more in common than you think ... this year, at least.

A new passion project from The Martin Agency toys with the fact that the 2015 installment of the cycling competition is taking place in Richmond, Va., where the agency is based—and also where a number of historic battles took place some 150 years ago.

So the agency made a series of faux-vintage, Harper's-style etchings—evoking how the magazine once illustrated news of the Civil War—featuring cyclists in battle, thronging toward the finish line, cheering, crashing and wielding tattered flags against landmark backdrops like Malvern Hill and Hanover Courthouse, which aren't far from the championship's routes.

The prints, created by scratchboard artist Steven Nobel, will be posted around Richmond. The event begins this Saturday and runs until the following Sunday. (The event was not involved in the campaign, and these are not paid ads.)

Click the images to enlarge.

Accompanying local radio spots feature voice actors reading letters home, describing the race in a florid style more common to the mid-19th century than the present day—with a couple of modern twists thrown in, to good effect. (The juxtaposition of one reader calling a bicycle a "proud metal steed" and then shouting "You da man!" is especially rich.)

This year marks the second time the U.S. has hosted the annual sports event since its 1921 inception. Colorado hosted it in 1986. 

Two months after announcing its creative review, Land O' Lakes Inc. has picked The Martin Agency as the agency of record for its dairy brands including Land O' Lakes butter and Kozy Shack puddings. This move comes after the account spent an incredible 80 years with Minneapolis agency Mithun (which, along with Martin, is owned by IPG).

Mithun was one of six agencies participating in the review, and three candidates competed in the final round. Moving forward, the Richmond, Va.-based Martin will handle communications planning and creative development in addition to all media-planning and -buying duties for the business.

Like so many agency reviews, this one followed the client's appointment of a new CMO. Land O' Lakes marketing chief Tim Scott served as international CEO of mcgarrybowen and president of the Dentsu-owned shop's Chicago office before leaving the agency world to go client-side in April. He and his management team helped run the three-month review along with outside consultancy SelectResources International.

Regarding the decision, Scott said, "We're delighted to begin work with The Martin Agency. From their speed in learning our business to their translation of strategy into impressive initial creative thoughts to their chemistry with our team, it's already a strong partnership."

Land O' Lakes remains America's most popular butter brand, but its parent company is not a particularly big spender—Kantar Media reports that Land O' Lakes Inc. reduced its measured media outlay from $20 million in 2013 to $8.1 million in 2014. Still, Martin Agency CEO Matt Williams told Adweek that the new account will allow his agency to do what it does best: "To take brands that people know really well and inject them with a new sense of energy and momentum." He noted that "Land O'Lakes is a household name and a company with big ambitions," adding, "everyone has it in their fridge."

Does this mean a new TV-centric marketing push for the client? "It's a little early to know the specific media mix," Williams said, "but one of the things we are most excited about is the opportunity to capture the essence of the brand and bring it to life across lots of different media from digital and social to mass media and internal communications."

Land O' Lakes is also keen to raise its profile among Hispanic consumers. Martin worked with fellow IPG shop Casanova Pendrill on the review, and Williams said, "We partnered with Casanova from the beginning so that our ideas would do well in both the general and Hispanic markets. We're really excited about what's to come."

The first new work on this account will launch in 2016.

If you were the baby girl in the 1993 print ad below—by The Martin Agency for Healthtex baby clothes—you might have had reason to be a little miffed. You just got called bald and toothless in the headline, and the copy dwelled insistently—almost insultingly!—on whether you were, in fact, not a girl but a boy. An auspicious start to a modeling career, this wasn't.

Or was it?

Sage Coy rolled with it, in any case (whether or not she could actually roll over at such an age). And she and her family have nothing but fond memories of the experience—as evidenced by the fact that Sage's father, Bill Coy, recently contacted The Martin Agency, 22 years later, to reminisce about it.

Click the ad to enlarge:



"An advertising friend sent me the ad recently and said it had won some award years ago. So, I Googled the ad, and The Martin Agency came up," he tells AdFreak. "I saw that they had an office in New York City, and Sage was playing cello there, on tour with the Portland Cello Project. And I thought the man who did the ad might like to come and see her."

That man was none other than Joe Alexander. In 1993, he was a copywriter in just his third year at the Richmond, Va., shop. He has since risen, of course, to become the decorated agency's chief creative officer.

He remembers the campaign well.

"At the time, nobody was writing long copy about baby clothes," he says. "The category was all about showing cute kids with some fluffy headline. We knew that parents, and especially moms, love to read everything when they are pregnant. They can't get enough information. So my partner, Jelly Helm, and I just embraced it and tried to find truths every parent could relate to. I think we ended up writing 30 ads in this campaign over five years or so.

"We had this great insight overall for the campaign—the first baby clothes for parents. Meaning, Heathtex was the rare brand of baby clothes in 1993 that made it really easy to dress your baby: snaps, elastic waistbands, washable fabrics, big neck openings and really cute stuff. I was personally in the throes of having 6-, 3- and 1-year-old girls, so I was writing from a strong, truthful POV. The funny thing is: I always thought Sage was a boy."

She wasn't, but that was the point of the ad—to reassure parents that Healthtex would help their boys look like boys, and girls look like girls. (This was long before anyone looked down on gender labeling.) "That's why we always make it easy," Alexander's copy explained, "for your infant to look the only way he or she is supposed to look: cute."

Alexander says Sage was chosen as the model simply because "she was bald and she was amazingly photogenic." But Bill Coy admits that the modeling agency that the family had been working with did have specific orders—to find a girl who looked like a boy.

"The Wehmann Agency in Minneapolis called and asked if Sage was still bald. Yes, she was!" Bill recalls. "But as new parents of a little girl who had to tape a bow on her head because people loved our 'little boy,' we were a bit put off. Then they said it was just what they were looking for. So, game on!"

Sage's mom, Andrien Thomas—a former model herself—took Sage to the shoot and says everything went swimmingly. Funnily enough, Sage actually wasn't toothless at the time. She had a front tooth, which made for an adorable smirk—but that would have sunk the headline, so a different shot was used.

And what a memorable ad it became.

"Everybody thinks their children are cute, but when we saw her in print, she almost didn't look real," Bill says. "It was both pages inside the cover of Parents magazine and started what we think was a very successful little modeling career."

Indeed, Sage would go on to appear in a slew of ads and other projects. She did print work for brands like Target, Kohler and Kohl's. Her first commercial was for the "Virginia Is for Families" campaign. (Her big line was, "Are we there yet?") She also appeared in the 2005 film North Country, sharing scenes with Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson.

Her biggest advertising moment was a brief appearance on the grandest stage of all—the Super Bowl—in one of the most beloved ads ever to air on the game. She's the farm girl sitting on the pile of hay at the 0:17 mark of Mullen's 1999 Monster.com spot. Her speaking line doubles as the name of the ad: "When I grow up…"

Now in her 20s, Sage is a musician. She has been touring with the Portland Cello Project, a collective of cello players in Portland, Ore. But seeing her old Healthtex ad today brings her right back to that whole other life.

"I would have to say it's a cute ad. Look at those big baby cheeks!" she says. "I'm definitely hit by a wave of nostalgia when I see this now—it's been quite a while since I did any acting or commercial work. It reminds me of a really unique time in my life, as this ad opened the door for all of the print work and acting that I had the opportunity to do growing up.

"I'm also reminded of how lovely my parents are," she adds. "They have always been very supportive of my interests, challenged me, but never pushed me to be involved in projects that I didn't want to be a part of. That's incredibly important, especially since I crawled into the industry at such a young age."

The ad brings Joe Alexander back, too. In fact, he included it in The Martin Agency's just-released coffee-table book celebrating its 50th anniversary and all the great advertising it's done in that time.

"I've always felt this ad was one of the iconic ads in our history," he says. "The headline and Sage's look—I mean, you can never lose with a cute baby, right? It's amazing to see how Sage has grown into such a cool person. That just adds to the iconic status of the ad, for me."

He adds: "Thanks, Bill, for reaching out. And Sage, I'm sorry I called you bald and toothless and took advantage of you just to sell some onesies. I'm glad it didn't hold you back."

If you weren't aware, coloring books for adults are enjoying a bit of a renaissance—as they offer a playful framework for both creativity and anxiety/stress reduction. And brands, of course, are picking up on the trend.

Last week, we looked at Barnes & Noble's plan to have a giant coloring session in its stores this coming Saturday. And now, Oreo is getting into the action with colorable packaging for the holidays—its inaugural foray into the e-commerce direct-to-consumer space.

Starting in mid-November, the "Wonderfilled" Mondelez brand will be offering "Colorfilled" Oreo packs for sale at a new Oreo site, shop.oreo.com. The packs will feature exclusive illustrated designs from artists Jeremyville and Timothy Goodman. You just color them in digitally—using a palette of colors as well as some bits of "seasonal flair." When you're done, the packs will be shipped to you. (They will cost $15 each.)

If you're more of a traditional kind of colorer, you can also buy blank packs that come with markers so you can physically color them in at home. Other items for sale will include T-shirts featuring the artists' designs with fabric markers for coloring.

The "Colorfilled" campaign is for the holidays only. The Martin Agency and Maya Design were among the agencies that worked on the campaign. More images and full credits below.

Timothy Goodman designs:

Jeremyville designs:

CREDITS
Client: Oreo/Mondelez International
Chief Media and eCommerce: Bonin Bough
Global Head of eCommerce: Cindy Chen
Brand Manager, Global eCommerce: Lauren Fleischer
Licensing Manager: Kim Ritch

Agency: The Martin Agency
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
SVP/Executive Creative Director: Jorge Calleja
VP/Creative Director: Andrew Watson
Associate Creative Director: Marcelo Mariano
Senior Designer Thiago Balzano
Director of Design / Lead Animator Josh Corliss
Senior Copywriter Justin Bajan
Copywriter Miranda Morgan
Studio Specialist / 3D Modeler Greg Cassidy
Senior Print Producer Paul Martin
Senior Art Producer Sara Levi
Executive Producer Kim Zaninovich
Digital Producer Jesse Wright
VP/ Group Account Director: Britta Dougherty
Account Supervisor: Liz Eldred
Account Coordinator: James Saulsky
Group Project Management Supervisor: Giao Roever
Project Manager Mandy Fernald
Business Affairs Supervisor: Juanita McInteer
Quality Assurance Manager Andy Bupp
Quality Assurance Analyst Thomas Carroll

Illustrators:
Jeremyville
Timothy Goodman

Development Partner: Maya Design
Jon Larkin - Producer & Game Designer
Mike Boseloweitz - Tech Lead & Design Engineer
Stephen Spencer - Project Lead & Inventor
Stuart Roth - Senior Software Architect
Kent Vasko - Software Engineer
Joe Pleso - Software Engineer

SFX: Big Orange

Everything was in place to shoot something special.

Geico CMO Ted Ward liked the idea so much, he had approved it immediately. ("We didn't pass this one by anybody," he would later tell Adweek.) The directing duo Terri Timely had loved the scripts and signed on. And The Martin Agency creatives couldn't wait to get on set and film a campaign they'd dreamed up that would make fun, innovative use of that most moribund of marketing channels—YouTube preroll, where ads go to die.

There was just one small problem. The dog.

 

 "I expressed serious concerns about getting the idea filmed in one take with two adults, two kids, a dog and a setting out of a Norman Rockwell painting," Steve Bassett, group creative director at Martin, admits of the now-famous "Unskippable" ad with the dog loudly devouring his family's spaghetti as they sit, frozen, through an increasingly hilarious dinner-table disaster.

Ward, for the record, had been more optimistic. "We've had better luck with dogs than cats," he says of Geico's beast-friendly oeuvre. "Of course, we've decided to animate lizards and pigs."

In the end, the canine—a Saint Bernard mix named Bolt—was the perfect slapstick actor, knocking over a salad bowl and a glass of milk while slurp-slurp-slurping his way to Internet fame. (The spot has more than 8 million views, of which full plays were "way higher" than the norm, Ward says.)

"All I have to say is, it's a good thing creative teams don't listen to their creative directors," Bassett jokes now.



It's a good thing Martin's particular writer/art director team of Neel Williams and Mauricio Mazzariol didn't blindly accept preroll's limitations. YouTube viewers hate preroll, they knew, not just because it's an interruption but because it's a mindless one, with so many unaltered TV spots not even offering the courtesy of adapting to the space in a relevant, entertaining way.

With "Unskippable," Adweek's choice for the best ad campaign of 2015, Martin and Geico thus did viewers a favor by purposely hooking them with something fun before the skip button appeared. Inverting the typical ad, they ran the end at the beginning, finishing the pitch in a few seconds—"You can't skip this ad, because it's already over," says the voiceover—and then letting the cameras roll, capturing hilariously awkward bonus footage in which the actors pretend to be frozen as the world continues around them.

The resulting spots, which are still running, are simple, clever, funny and innovative. They're disarming at just the right moment, self-aware enough to be loved by ad people (for whom being skippable is the ultimate fear) and pure entertainment for everyone else—as viewers happily submit to the sales pitch (Geico's logo is front and center on screen the entire time) before watching their next cat video.

"We had the research. We knew the skip rate after five seconds was 96 percent, so we collectively challenged ourselves to find a workaround," says Martin group account director Brad Higdon. "If we're going to interrupt someone on their way to watch something they actually sought out, and want to watch, we better make it worth their while."

The "Unskippable" idea was simple—perhaps too simple, the agency thought at first.

"When we first reviewed the idea, naturally we all got a good laugh, but then we all kind of looked at each other and said, 'Has no one done this before?' " Higdon says. "That's really the beauty of the idea: its simplicity. The fact that preroll is universally loathed and yet no one ever did anything about it. So we cycled through several scripts, all with the same construct, and picked our favorites. We then did a little bit of fine tuning to make sure the scenarios and humor were all on brand for Geico—beyond the 'You can't skip this ad' joke alone." 

The idea was brilliant, but the execution is what really brought the ads home. Park Pictures directors Terri Timely—aka, Ian Kibbey and Corey Creasey—shot four ads over two days, changing only a few things in the scripts. They moved one spot from a living room to a poolside barbecue, and conjured up the crazy vacuum cleaner in the office spot.

 

 "Everything freezes a few seconds in, so they art directed each scene like a still life, from tiny little props to the symmetry to overall color tone," says Williams, Martin's creative director. "It would have been easy to just do the Wes Anderson thing here and go a little overboard on the crafty side. But they embraced the campiness of the scripts and went more 'stock photo chic,' which gave everything just the right personality."

"We just let the camera roll," says Bassett. "The actors were encouraged to stay frozen but use subtle eye movements and other cues to let the viewers know that the actors knew what was going on but they weren't allowed to break character."

Creasey and Kibbey say they contributed mostly to the art direction and casting. "We felt the spots were best told in one shot, so we really had to create scenes that read quickly but had enough depth and detail that could hold up to repeat viewings," Creasey says.

"That actually required a bit of restraint," Kibbey adds. "Whenever we had the impulse to push one element or another, we had to ask ourselves if it would enhance the bizarre suspended moment we are seeing unfold or detract from it."

The dog spot is the most famous, and no wonder. It's where everything came together—the great idea, the inspired direction and some wonderfully comic animal acting.

"We had an extensive conversation about what food was the funniest, from sausages and corn dogs to chicken casserole," says Mazzariol, Martin's associate creative director. "We finally decided the messy nature of the squiggly spaghetti would make it a great choice. And who would've thought—apparently dogs love spaghetti."

"We got a lot of good takes where Bolt just ate off the dad's plate," adds Creasey. "The trainer told us he thought Bolt was probably getting full and wouldn't do much more, so we probably only had one take left. We just told him to see if Bolt would jump on the table and see what happened. Apparently Bolt has two stomachs because he went to town. I think he would have kept eating if we let him."

"During that last take with Bolt, I couldn't believe that he was able to keep eating," says Kibbey. "I was so excited that I took out my phone and snapped a couple pictures off the monitor. I didn't realize that anyone witnessed my less than professional behavior until I saw this video that Mauricio posted online." 

Check out Mazzariol's video here:



Both agency and client are reluctant to call the work groundbreaking. (It wasn't like we came up with 'Unskippable' and were like, 'Pencils down, we just invented electricity!' " Williams jokes.) But it did use creativity and humor to sidestep a seemingly intractable problem in a heavily used medium—picking up lots of industry awards along the way, including a Film Grand Prix at Cannes and two gold Clio Awards in the Digital and Innovative categories.

"You always need to reinvent," says Martin group creative director Wade Alger. "That is how you stay current and top of mind. That is key. If you don't, you become irrelevant, simple as that." 

"We had a blast making these, and it's so wonderful that they were so well received," adds broadcast producer Liza Miller.

Not coincidentally, it also drove sales. Ward said Geico's digital business is booming, with mobile volumes running at record levels. "This was a big piece of that," he says, adding that Martin is now working on a follow-up "that's maybe almost as innovative."

"They've earned the right to throw some really crazy stuff at us," Ward says with a chuckle. "And we've earned the right to approve it, evidently." 

 
See the rest of Adweek's 2015 Ads of the Year package here:

• The 10 Best Ads of 2015

 
Top photo (l. to r.): The Martin Agency associate creative director Mauricio Mazzariol, creative director Neel Williams, Geico senior director of marketing Amy Furman, executive producer Brett Alexander, broadcast producer Liza Miller, account executive Allison Hensley, group creative director Steve Bassett and Bolt the dog.

Cover photo (clockwise from top): Williams, Mazzariol, Bassett and Miller (plus Bolt).

Elevator photo (l. to r.): The Martin Agency chief creative officer Joe Alexander, project manager Karen McEwen and group creative director Wade Alger.

This story first appeared in the Dec. 14 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

 
CREDITS
Client: Geico
Campaign: "Unskippable"
Vice President, Marketing: Ted Ward
Manager, Broadcast Production and Agency Relations: Amy Hooks
Marketing Buyers: Katherine Kalec, Brighid Griffin
Marketing Coordinator: Thomas Perlozzo
Agency: The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
Senior Vice Presidents, Group Creative Directors: Steve Bassett, Wade Alger
Vice President, Associate Creative Director: Neel Williams
Associate Creative Director: Mauricio Mazzariol
Vice President, Executive Producer: Brett Alexander
Broadcast Producer: Liza Miller
Junior Broadcast Producer: Coleman Sweeney
Business Affairs Supervisor: Suzanne Wieringo
Senior Integrated Production Business Manager: Amy Trenz
Financial Manager: Monica Cox
Senior Vice President, Group Account Director: Brad Higdon
Account Supervisor: Josh Lybarger
Account Executive: Allison Hensley
Senior Project Manager: Karen McEwan
Production Company: Park Pictures
Director: Terri Timely
Executive Producers: Justin Pollock, Jackie Kelman Bisbee
Line Producer: David Lambert
Editorial Company: Whitehouse Post
Editor: Caleb Hepler
Executive Producer: Kristin Branstetter
Producer: Jojo Scheerer
Telecine: Co3
Colorist: Tim Mascik
Post Facility: Running With Scissors
Flame Artist: Chris Hagen
Executive Producer: Scott Friske
Senior Producer: Cheryl Lage
Music: APM
Audio Post Company: Rainmaker Studios
Engineer, Mixer: Jeff McManus

In The Martin Agency's latest "It's What You Do" ad for Geico, a James Bond-style super-spy takes an unexpected phone call that severely cramps his style just as the bad guys and helicopters close in.

Check out the spot here to find out who's on the other end of the line:



Whoa, the squirrels are back in the attic, and Dad won't call an exterminator!? That's just one of the scintillating topics to savor when you hear from Mama, with love. She calls at the worst times. That's what she does.

"My mom is guilty of this," Martin senior copywriter Ken Marcus tells Adweek. "She's always calling at the worst time. I guess if you're a retiree, you forget things like work hours."

Note the squirrels racing through the yard behind Mom as she makes the call. Nice touch from Hungry Man director Wayne McClammy. But why focus on moms in the first place?

"Moms call a lot," says agency creative director Sean Riley. "I think most people would see some truth there. The hard part is finding the funny twist to the story. We just thought it was fun to contrast a mundane phone call with the seriousness of a spy scene."

It's a tried and true trope, essentially a cliché, but actress Cindy Drummond really shines. So much so, in fact, that Martin extended the bit beyond the 30-second "Spy" commercial with shorter "Momversations" showcasing her delightful deadpan delivery and penchant for amusing ad-libs on topics like tattoos, hashtags and beaver-like rodents called nutrias.



"She's a better writer than I am," says Marcus. "She kept giving us so much fun material. It would have been a shame to leave that all behind on a hard drive somewhere."

"We had to do a lot of extra takes on the line, 'Your father was attacked by a big angry beaver,' " says Riley. "Cindy cracked up every time."

CREDITS
Client: Geico
Vice President, Marketing: Ted Ward
Director, Marketing: Bill Brower
Senior Manager, Marketing: Melissa Halicy
Marketing Supervisor: Mike Grant
Marketing Buyer: Tom Perlozzo
Marketing Buyer: Brighid Griffin
Marketing Buyer: Katherine Kalec
Marketing Specialist: Julia Nass

Agency: The Martin Agency
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
Group Creative Director: Wade Alger
Group Creative Director: Steve Bassett
Creative Director: Sean Riley
Senior Copywriter: Ken Marcus
Executive Producer: Brett Alexander
Senior Broadcast Producer: Heather Tanton
Junior Broadcast Producer: Sara Montgomery
Group Account Director: Brad Higdon
Account Executive: Jon Glomb
Account Executive: Allison Hensley
Account Coordinator: Allie Waller
Business Affairs Supervisor: Suzanne Wieringo
Financial Account Supervisor: Monica Cox
Senior Production Business Manager: Amy Trenz
Project Manager: Karen McEwen

Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Wayne McClammy
Managing Partner/Executive Producer: Kevin Byrne
Executive Producer/Head of Sales: Dan Duffy
Executive Producer: Mino Jarjoura
Executive Producer: Nancy Hacohen
Producer: Dave Bernstein
Production Supervisor: Shelly Silverman

Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Christjan Jordan
Assistant Editor: Pieter Viljoen
Executive Producer: Angela Dorian
Producer: Helena Lee

Telecine: Moving Picture Company
Colorist: Ricky Gausis

Animation/VFX: Moving Picture Company
Executive Producer: Elexis Stearn
Senior Producer: Juliet Tierney
Production Coordinator: Valentina Cokonis
Line Producer: Goutham Hampankatta
Flame Lead: Mark Holden
Nuke Artist: Janice Tso
Nuke Artist: Jim Spratling
VFX Supervisor/Head of 3D: Jason Schugardt
Lead Lighter: Tim Kafka
Render/Look Dev: Jessica Groom
DMP: Partha Modal
3D Supervisor: Nishanth Shrinivasa

Original Music and Sound Design: Q Department

Audio Post Company: Rainmaker Studios
Engineer/Mixer: Jeff McManus

Bro bro bro bro BRO! That word will be lodged in your brain but good thanks to its unholy repetition in The Martin Agency's latest work for Geico.

A 30-second "Flextacular" spot presents two dead-eyed dudes who pump iron and discuss how switching to Geico can save you money on insurance. They pepper their patter with words and phrases like "brofessor," "brotein shake" and "Teddy Brosevelt." 

Political humor—cool! ("Teddy Brosevelt" was our 26th president, after all.) 



Folks who can't get enough might want to check out a companion series of short "Brocabulary" clips—with retro music and grainy VHS effects that are more distracting than endearing (check out the YouTube playlist below). Or you can order T-shirts that show "Brosevelt," "Edgar Allan Bro" and others lifting weights. 

The whole "bro" thing feels a bit played out—Organic Valley's great "Save the Bros" campaign was a year ago now—but the agency believes the approach is timeless enough to connect. If nothing else, the creative team deserves kudos for tossing out restraint and indulging in gratuitous goofiness. 

Martin has been expanding Geico's reach of late by adding online content to what would normally have been one-off commercials. For example, last month's "Spy" spot, part of the long-running "It's What You Do" campaign, launched with a series of "Momversation" clips that extended the scenario online. 

"We look for 'extra content' opportunities where they make sense," group creative director Steve Bassett tells Adweek. "If we feel a particular spot has a social hook just waiting to be unleashed, we jump on it. It's not a new strategy for Geico. From the Cavemen to the Ickey Shuffle to Caleb the Camel, when an idea has the potential to spark something special on social media, we stand by with very big blankets ready to fan the flames."

Talk about bromide for the masses! (Extra points for using a real word.)

CREDITS
Client: Geico

Agency: The Martin Agency
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Alexander
Group Creative Director: Steve Bassett
Group Creative Director: Wade Alger
Creative Director: Neel Williams
Associate Creative Director: Justin Harris
Executive Producer: Brett Alexander
Broadcast Producer: Brian Camp
Junior Broadcast Producer: Coleman Sweeney
Group Account Director: Brad Higdon
Account Supervisor: Josh Lybarger
Account Executive: Allison Hensley
Account Coordinator: Allie Waller
Business Affairs Supervisor: Suzanne Wieringo
Financial Account Supervisor: Monica Cox
Senior Production Business Manager: Amy Trenz
Vice President, Marketing: Ted Ward
Director, Marketing Media Advertising: Bill Brower
Sr. Mgr., Broadcast, Outdoor, Print & Sports Marketing: Melissa Halicy
Marketing Supervisor: Mike Grant
Marketing Buyer: Tom Perlozzo
Marketing Buyer: Brighid Griffin
Marketing Coordinator: Julia Nass
Senior Project Manager: Jason Ray
Project Manager: Stephanie Burdette

Production Company: Dummy
Director: Harold Einstein
Director of Photography: Ramsey Nickell
Executive Producer/Line Producer: Eric Liney
Production Designer: Patrick Lumb

Editorial Company: Arcade
Editor: Dave Anderson
Assistant Editor: Andrew Balasia
Managing Partner/EP: Sila Soyer
Producer: Gavin Carroll

Editorial Company: Running With Scissors
Assistant Editor: Drew Neuhart

Telecine: The Mill
Colorist: Greg Reese

Animation/VFX: The Mill
Producer: Colin Blaney
2D lead: Keith Sullivan, Jeff Butler

Audio Post Company: Rainmaker Studios
Engineer/Mixer: Jeff McManus