McCain
It’s been a while since we collectively winced as Robbie Alomar proudly pitched the line, “Catch the taste!” for McCain. Congrats to the client and various agency teams since then for slowly raising the bar. Is this particular spot brilliant? Not really. But it does take us out of the traditional mom-and-kids-smiling-in-the-kitchen environment, and doesn’t resort to a bite-and-smile to communicate taste appeal. In a slightly humorous way, it manages to repeat “The crust and cheese are perfect and there’s lots of pepperoni…” a couple of times. Can you guess what the main message of the brief was? My guess is that it’ll cut through and actually sell some pizza for the fine folks in Florenceville. Isn’t that what we’re all here for?
Agency Taxi Creative director: Rose Sauquillo Associate creative director: Irfan Khan Copywriter: Craig Knowles Art directors: Troy McGuinness, Mark Bovey
Coors Light
The progressive male in me applauds this effort for not resorting to babes in bikinis on a golf course, but I’m still left feeling a little underwhelmed. But just a bit. Like the McCain spot, it’s pretty clear what the brief was, and the agency obviously delivered what was asked of it. The talent is great, the direction is bang on, and John O’Hurley’s voice reaffirms the fun Coors personality that we’ve all come to appreciate. Maybe I’m just cranky. Maybe I expect more from a beer brand. And maybe I just can’t explain why repeating the product benefit is acceptable in packaged goods but not in booze. Regardless, when the sun shows up and I get really thirsty, this effort probably won’t get me to look for a beer that is “certified cold.”
Agency DraftFCB Creative director: Robin Heisey Copywriter: Brad Monk Art director: Vince Tessone
Rona
Have you ever seen a long chunk of body copy disguised as a TV spot? Now you have. This could have been a really nice spot about a worthwhile program that actually supports Rona’s overall brand strategy. Instead, it features a wall-to-wall voiceover reading an uninspired script with random shots of people building stuff. The notion, “Not every Olympic dream is an athletic one,” is interesting, but unfortunately the spot isn’t.
Agency: Cundari Creative director: Fred Roberts Copywriter: Cory Eisentraut Art director: Solly Bulbulia
Nestea Vitao
First it was Gap. Then iTunes. It all seemed so honest, raw and dynamic. “It’s all you need,” confident creative directors would say. “A great track with people dancing around interacting with your product. People love that stuff.” They do when it’s fresh and genuine, but this seems a little forced. The way the dancers interact with the “goodness” to change the music is an interesting technique and there is energy in the spot. Still, neither the dance performance nor the music is different enough to make this spot stand out. I kind of like where they’re going with it but would have preferred to wait for the second execution.
Agency: Lowe Roche Creative director: Christina Yu Copywriter: Rob Sturch Art director: Ryan McNeil
Ron Tite is vice-president, creative director at Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG in Toronto.
