Time can seem to stand still in action movies when the star gives a big speech during a disaster or while a countdown ticks towards calamity. French broadcaster Canal+ pokes fun at this trope with an ad where the classic inspirational monologue doesn’t go as planned.

The nearly four-minute film starts with a frantic call to air traffic control from a plane where the pilots have fallen unconscious. A man attempts to calm the flight attendant down with lots of preamble, commanding his team who stands by watching his process with admiration.

But all his questions, swagger and reassurance turn out to have just wasted critical time needed to actually keep the plane from crashing.

Canal+’s longtime ad agency BETC Paris created “Super” to promote the network’s sponsorship of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, where the writers and directors always have to get to the point quickly. The ad is airing online and on the Canal+ streaming platform.

“We noticed that many feature films were far too long and that this was often due to the heroes’ long lines, which added nothing to the plot,” BETC Paris creative director Chrystel Jung told ADWEEK. “We wrote down the script for ‘Super’ and Canal+ followed us in this crazy adventure.

“Indeed, this one was very ambitious in terms of production. Whether it was the set, the acting or the special effects, everything had to be perfect in a pretty short time.”

Last year, the agency and Canal+ plugged the festival by releasing a bizarre short of their own. The partners have also poked fun at the disappointing ending of Game of Thrones to show Canal+’s commitment to good television.

“BETC and Canal+ have always included stories and plots in their advertising, so that it never looked like advertising but more like entertainment,” Jung said. “I’m very pleased that clients like Canal+ are still taking the risk of broadcasting long-form advertising. It allowed us to instill tension [and] play with silence to create a climax and keep viewers entertained during the whole almost four minutes.”

CREDITS

Brand: Canal+
Brand managers: Emilie Pietrini, Celine Pontygayot, Valerie Lubert
Ad agency: BETC Paris
Agency managers: Bertille Toledano, Mathilde Lancon, Adrien Bletton, Kenza Daoudi
Chief creative officer: Stephane Xiberras
Executive creative director: Nicolas Lautier
Creative director: Chrystel Jung
Copywriters: Dario Fau, Chrystel Jung
Head of TV production: Karim Naceur
TV producer: Slim Trabelsi
Director: Dario Fau
Production company: Big Productions

As the world continues to feel the financial pressures of high interest rates, IAG Loyalty, which owns global loyalty currency Avios, highlighted its commitment to supporting customer savings with its first above-the-line campaign in 11 years.

“Everyday,” by Uncommon Creative Studio, features the unique sight of 35 e-foil surfers from around the world. But they are each dressed in normal clothing—one is even in a bathrobe—as they cruise the ocean toward the vacation of their dreams.

The imagery is meant to convey the message that Avios members may not only collect points through booking flights, but also through a wide range of everyday transactions. The brand is aiming to widen its customer base and make its loyalty program ubiquitous.

The 90-second film’s soundtrack is “Seasons” by indie band Future Islands. The production crew caught the action entirely in-camera, with choreography by e-foil expert Adrian Valios and stunt coordinator Boris Martinez, who worked on James Bond film No Time to Die. Uncommon’s executive creative director, Sam Walker, directed the spot through production company Pulse Films.

“The film embodies what feels like an entire nation gliding on e-foils towards their perfect holiday,” Walker said in a statement. “We wanted to create a powerful visual idea, the feeling of everybody going about their everyday lives, all shot completely in-camera.”

As IAGL’s largest media investment to date, the campaign will run across TV, video-on-demand, cinema, out-of-home, social media and digital channels in the U.K. throughout the year.

“Our new campaign marks a step change in our marketing approach. It’s the first time in over a decade that we’ve given Avios its own stage,” Elizabeth Cunningham, head of brand and marketing for IAGL, said in a statement.

CREDITS:

Client: IAG Loyalty
Creative studio: Uncommon Creative Studio
Project name: Everyday
Production company: Pulse Films
Director: Sam Walker
Executive producer: Chris Harrison
Producer: John Bannister
Director of production: Daniel Voldheim
Service company: Palma Pictures
Service company producer: Cat Isakson
Edit: Final Cut
Editor: Joe Guest
Edit assist: Matt Gabzdyl
Sound: King Lear
Sound designer: Jack Sedgwick
Music supervision: Native
Music supervisor: Dan Neale
Postproduction: Rascal
VFX supervisors: Gareth Brannan, Andrew “Barnsley” Wood
Creative director: Gareth Brannan
Executive creative director/2D lead: Andrew “Barnsley” Wood
2D lead: John Thornton
2D: Holly McLean, Ben Stonehouse, Andy Brown
3D pre-vis: StereoColor
3D: Adam Ahlgren
Executive producer: Colin Oaten
Head of production: James Beck
Colorist: James Bamford
Color producer: Jai Durban

Stella Artois enlisted soccer legend David Beckham as its brand ambassador as it seeks growth around the world with a new platform. 

Beckham stars in a commercial that will be part of a yearlong campaign for the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand and introduces the slogan, “Worth More.” 

The new tagline builds on the well-known and long-running Stella Artois campaign, “Reassuringly Expensive,” which boasted of the lager’s higher price to demonstrate its distinctive quality and taste compared to other beers.  

With “Reassuringly Expensive,” Stella Artois helped define marketing for the international premium beer segment. But premium brands must now communicate in a slightly different way that emphasizes qualities such as experience and taste over price, said Tim Ovadia, global vice president of marketing for Stella Artois, AB InBev. 

“Being ‘premium’ is no longer just about the price tag. Brands now have to prove their worth to consumers at both an emotional and functional level,” Ovadia said in a statement. 

The commercial with Beckham has a playful tone that pokes fun at the megastar’s status. It begins with him sitting at a bar and noticing a group of friends looking in his direction. 

When one of the women approaches the bar and touches his arm, Beckham assumes she’s a fan about to praise him or ask for a photo. Instead, he’s just in her way as she reaches for two pints of Stella Artois to bring back to her group. 

“Emotionally, the brand point of view in the world is that there’s nothing more valuable, nothing worth more than the moments when we connect in a genuine way with our friends,” Ovadia continued. 

Betting on premium

“Worth More” will help drive Stella Artois’ “ambitious growth target” this year, Ovadia told ADWEEK. Stella aims to build on its 18.8% growth outside its home market of Belgium for the 2023 financial year, according to the brand.

Globally, premium products (lagers with 4.5% alcohol by volume or above) are fueling growth in the beer sector. Last year, AB InBev’s Budweiser forecast that 70% of total beer consumption would be in the premium or super-premium category by 2025, per Mark Wingfield Digby, off-trade sales director at the brand. 

With the appointment of Beckham as ambassador, “This is a big moment for the Stella Artois brand that we believe can kick off a powerful wave of growth around the world,” Richard Oppy, vp of global brands at AB InBev, said in a statement. 

Beckham was a fitting choice for the brand because he embodies “modern premium values,” while also being a beer drinker who likes Stella Artois, according to Oppy. 

The soccer legend has been back in the spotlight lately since Netflix released its Beckham documentary last year, and he has also resurfaced in brand partnerships such as Uber Eats’ Super Bowl ad.

Besides the commercial, Stella Artois will extend its campaign through digital and out-of-home ads from agency Jones Knowles Ritchie London. It will also continue experiential programs “Let’s Do Dinner,” which hosts dinner events, and “Perfect Serve,” in which Stella Artois hosts beer experiences for tennis fans at tournaments including Wimbledon. 

For those in any doubt, women’s soccer can be a brutal sport, as ecommerce giant Amazon’s European campaign portrays through bumps, scrapes and post-match recovery.

In creative agency adam&eveDDB‘s first work for Amazon, “The Grit” celebrates the spirit of the women’s game with 30- and 60-second edits.

Directed by BAFTA-nominated director Molly Manning Walker, the ad is a montage of various methods players use to heal and protect their bodies, such as ice baths, finger tape and gum shields, while also showcasing all of the products they can order from Amazon in the process.

The campaign coincides with the launch of Amazon’s new store dedicated to women’s soccer, open in Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the U.K.

A surge in support

The ad also supports Amazon’s first major pan-European sports sponsorship of UEFA women’s soccer. The brand partnered with Manning Walker, who is also co-founder of soccer team Babe City FC; Andy Ansah, a former professional player and sports-on-screen consultant; and This Fan Girl, a football creative consultancy agency.

“Across Europe, we have seen a huge surge in support for the women’s game, from record crowds to an upsurge in grassroots sign-ups. The excitement around the game is palpable, and we recognize the halo effect that this has on women and girls, helping unleash their confidence, on and off the pitch,” Jo Shoesmith, vice president and global chief creative officer of Amazon, said in a statement.

“Our campaign aims to elevate the players and emphasizes talent over adversity, highlighting that while the items they pick are essential for powering the gameplay, it’s the players’ dedication and passion that make the game what it is,” Shoesmith added.

The ad began running March 11 in the U.K. and will run from March 16 until the end of May in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, across TV, video-on-demand, cinema, social channels and digital out of home.

The 60-second edit will also air during the FA Cup Quarter Final on British broadcaster ITV March 16.

After rapid growth, Kim Kardashian’s apparel brand, Skims, made its TV ad debut, with a futuristic film in which the famous co-founder plays every role. 

The company’s first national TV commercial had a big media presence ahead of the 96th Academy Awards Sunday, running twice on ABC Countdown and six times during E!’s Oscars Red Carpet. Agency Wieden+Kennedy Portland created the ad after winning the brand’s pitch last year. 

The spot tells the brand’s story in an exaggerated way, through the lens of a secret lab in outer space. Kardashian herself appears in many different guises—a tongue-in-cheek nod to speculation that the mogul can’t possibly do it all. Her “Klones” play Skims’ chief engineer, scientist, test subjects and many other roles, each working tirelessly to test every shapewear product and ensure that they are engineered to perfection. 

Gary Wright’s 1975 song, “Dream Weaver,” is the soundtrack, adding a fantastical element to the narrative and a reference to how Kardashian has made her dreams a reality. 

Along with the film, which will run on broadcast channels and online through the end of April, the campaign will extend through social content and prominent out-of-home placements in Los Angeles and New York. 

An emphasis on craft

Director Frank LeBon approached the Skims ad more like a feature, with elaborate set design, practical effects and shooting on film, while Kardashian spent three days on set, acting out every scene. 

Heidi Bivens, known for her work on HBO series Euphoria, was the costume designer. 

Founded in 2018, Skims was recently valued at $4 billion. Kardashian co-founded the company with Jens Grede, starting with shapewear and expanding into loungewear, swimwear and, most recently, men’s clothing. 

Later this year, Skims plans to expand into physical retail with its first flagship stores in Los Angeles and New York. 

It’s a lovely day for Aquaman star Jason Momoa, as he receives some good news that needs to be celebrated, in Guinness’ latest campaign and the actor’s directorial debut.

The director’s cut of the two-minute-and 34-second spot, named “A Lovely Day,” sees longtime Guinness drinker Momoa sitting at a bar waiting pensively for a pint. He opens an envelope next to him and screams with excitement.

He then runs out of the bar and across town, jumping over car bonnets and sliding down escalators as he heads to his destination, which turns out to be an Irish pub, as the New Zealander declares himself to be Irish. There he meets up with close friends and even his mother to celebrate the news.

The spot was co-directed by Momoa and creative partner Brian Mendoza through their production company, On the Roam.

“I’ve wanted to direct for Guinness for 12 years now,” Momoa said in a statement. “They have, in my opinion, the best commercials in the world. It was fun pitching this idea to them. They loved it, and now, it’s turned into a dream job.”

The spot will appear across digital and social media channels before reaching TV screens March 11, ahead of St Patrick’s Day. It will run throughout the year with new footage and variations released. More content will also run across @GuinnessUS social handles and Momoa’s own channels.

“Finally working with Jason has been so special,” said Joyce He, U.S. brand director for Guinness. “For years, he’s been a huge fan of ours and, of course, we’re huge fans of his. But this is more than just another partnership: Together with Jason, we are starting a new chapter in our iconic story that will bring Guinness to more people, places and celebrations.”

The first day in a new job can be daunting, and that is no less true for the new urban and regional electric trucks being introduced by commercial vehicle company Scania, according to its new ad.

With a series of films that follow one of the trucks through its induction into the company, from its guide around the office to the first team meeting, the ads are the first produced by agency Åkestam Holst NoA for the brand.

Eight spots have been produced, each replicating the awkward introductions to a new job, while featuring the odd image of a truck as it enters the workplace and meets new colleagues.

The agency was tasked with developing a campaign that would get truck buyers and fleet managers to discover the brand’s new electric truck fleet and see them as an alternative to fossil fuel trucks.

“In our search for a different way of approaching the often very generic world of electrification, we zoomed in on the term, ‘new energy vehicles.’ To talk about the trucks from a new energy perspective, instead of electrification, felt new and interesting,” Stina Hansson, strategist at Åkestam Holst NoA, told Adweek.

“We quickly realized that ‘new energy’ is an expression that is used for people who are new to a team or a company. Someone is brought on to ‘bring some new energy,’” added Johannes Ivarsson Brane, copywriter at Åkestam Holst. “This double use of ‘new energy’ gave us a unique and exciting route for Scania. The electric truck is treated as a new employee at an office, someone who brings new energy to the company. Which it does—literally.”

Directed by Stylewar, the campaign elements were shot at Scania’s custom-built offices in September on the outskirts of Stockholm.

The global campaign will run across digital platforms and social media with a focus on Western European markets during 2024.

CREDITS:

Client: Scania
Agency: Åkestam Holst NoA
Art director: Tiago Pinho
Copywriter: Johannes Ivarsson Brane
Creative director: Joakim Khoury
Account director: Jesper Ander
Account managers: Matilda Helsing and John Müllersdorf
Strategists: Stina Hansson and Sebastian Stüben
Agency producer: Petur Mogensen
Production company: Bleck
Directors: Stylewar
Producers: Jens Odelbring, Samuel Hahn and Agnes Ahlstedt
Director of photography: Adam Frisch

Through a new brand platform and identity, music platform Deezer wants to offer its users a richer music experience and introduce them to emerging talents via a new social music feature. The brand is promoting these updates through an accompanying campaign called “Live the Music.”

The social feature Shaker allows groups of friends to create playlists of up to 70 songs to match everyone’s tastes and is available through the brand’s app.

The “Live the Music” platform, designed by Koto, was deployed through a new in-app immersive experience that includes hi-fi audio, exclusive sessions with top artists, an AI-generated infinite mix, music quizzes, lyric translations and concert suggestions based on preferences and localization.

Maria Garrido, chief marketing officer of Deezer, said: “Music is a human experience that is meant to be felt, shared and lived. With this film, we want to launch the brand’s new global tagline and new visual identity. Deezer isn’t just a streaming platform.”

The latest ad is set within an amateur ballet class, with a stern teacher using Deezer to play the soft and gentle score for her pupils to practice and pirouette along to. However, something goes wrong and the music skips to a totally different vibe that changes the dancers’ moves.

Created by BETC Paris and produced by Iconoclast, the 64-second spot was directed by Brazilian director Nogari in collaboration with the British choreographer Sherrie Silver, who created the dances and worked with the cast to execute the dance moves.

“You know when a song that’s so infectious starts playing and you simply can’t avoid tapping your feet. That moment you finally let go and just go with it. We wanted to take that to another level of crazy in this ad,” added David Martin Angelus, creative director for BETC Paris.

The “Live The Music” campaign will be broadcast on television in France and Brazil, as well as online globally.

France-founded Deezer serves more than 180 countries, offering independent music experiences that aim to connect fans with music artists and podcasts. According to Similarweb data from 2022, the site receives 21.6 million visits per month.

When producing this year’s holiday campaign, Amazon wanted to be mindful of the limited spending power many customers are likely to have after a year of economic uncertainty. The creative idea would also need to work in as many countries as possible.

The retail giant’s in-house creative team would end up producing the “Joy Is Shared” campaign, with the main brand story told in the centerpiece ad “Joy Ride.” In conveying the message that Amazon’s mission is to make people’s lives a little easier, the ad has been hailed by advertising effectiveness companies as one of the best-performing spots produced by the ecommerce giant.

The story told in the 60-second hero film sees three older women who, as lifelong friends, revive the joy they felt as children at the top of a sledding hill, thanks to a moment of inspiration and Amazon’s website. Playing throughout is an instrumental cover of The Beatles classic “In My Life” to add even more pathos.

“Above all, we try to make an emotional connection through stories that only Amazon can tell,” Claudine Cheever, vp of global marketing at Amazon, told Adweek.

The ads aim to relay that the company can make the holidays more joyful while highlighting brand assets including its one-click user interface, fast shipping and the smiling box.

“It’s a rare gift to have a brand with so many distinctive and differentiated equity, and we’ve been perfecting how to deploy them for each event we have for our customers,” Cheever added. 

In another nostalgic move, Amazon is also bringing back its award-winning social video series “Amasongs” that recreate some of the company’s original commercials with a choir dressed in holiday sweaters.

Behind the scenes

Shot in Lost Angeles and Mammoth Lakes, California, as well as Vancouver, the original story did not focus on a group of entirely female friends. But the three actresses—Maya Waterman, the lead character who purchases the seat cushions, Annie O’Donnell and Susan Grace—won the team over with their auditions.

“We spotted the three of them together chatting away in the waiting area and decided it was worth seeing how their dynamic played out in an audition. As soon as they walked into the room, they completely sparkled, and we knew we’d found our heroes,” Cheever said.

The production of the holiday campaign was a global team effort within Amazon, spanning European and North American brand and retail marketing, strategy, program management and media, as well as internal creative and production teams led by global chief creative officer Jo Shoesmith.

I hope this work continues to set us apart from other retailers in ways that only Amazon can deliver.

Claudine Cheever, vp of global marketing, Amazon

Returning as director was Wayne McClammy from Hungry Man, who previously helmed this year’s Super Bowl ad “Saving Sawyer,” with editing by Cabin Editorial, special effects from The Mill and post-production audio by Lime Studios.

London-based sonic branding team Dlmdd worked on the soundtrack, which was seen as a vitally important element of the storytelling.

According to Cheever, “In My Life” was chosen not only because it is one of The Beatles’ most well-loved songs, but also because “it’s an ode to enduring friendships and shared memories, which marries perfectly with the core theme.”

Hopes for success

“Joy Is Shared” will appear across various media including broadcast, digital/online video, social, cinema, audio and out of home.

Running from Nov. 6 in the U.K. and Europe, and from Nov. 13 in the U.S. and Canada as well as 12 additional countries, the ads will appear during key sales periods such as Black Friday Week, Cyber Monday and to promote various deals from mid-October to December.

Amazon will measure the campaign’s impact through retail sales, specifically the deals being offered in different parts of the world. Beyond the usual metrics, the campaign intends to create a lasting connection with Amazon customers.

“Connected to Amazon’s company mission to make our customers’ lives better and easier every day, and to invent relentlessly to do so, it’s my team’s mission to be the most measurably effective, creatively breakthrough marketing organization in the world,” said Cheever. “I hope this work continues to set us apart from other retailers in ways that only Amazon can deliver.”

She emphasized that Amazon’s value propositions, from selection to competitive pricing and convenience, are what “help people create meaningful moments for themselves and for others. This connection to our customers is always an important focus for us, and it’s especially poignant during the holiday season.”

A strong reaction to the campaign

The response to “Joy Ride” has been largely positive, with effectiveness measurement firms declaring it a creative success.

Kantar found it to be Amazon’s most effective Christmas ad since 2019’s “Everybody Needs Somebody,” with the potential to deliver a long-term return. “Joy Ride” featured in the top 2% of ads analyzed by Kantar for being “enjoyable” and the top 4% for “emotive story.” It also landed in the top 10% for “humor.”

“People respond in a very similar way to this ad regardless of their age or gender. I think that’s hugely powerful and shows that a genuine human insight – that we can all relate to – brought to life though emotive and effective story telling connects with us all,” said Lynn Deason, head of creative excellence for the U.K. at Kantar.

What differentiates this ad is how enjoyable it is, she added, with a clear connection to the brand. “We don’t have to see ourselves, the story just has to resonate and be meaningful to us,” she said. “This isn’t just attention-grabbing, highly emotive and memorable storytelling. The brand plays an important role in the story.”

Andrew Tindall, global partnerships director for marketing platform System1, said the campaign was the culmination of six years of hard work as Amazon has been “building their advertising muscles.”

“It’s not only the most effective ad they’ve ever made, but also one of the most effective Christmas ads we’ve ever tested,” he said. “Why is this? Consistent brand strategy and brilliant creative execution.”

He cited Amazon’s commitment to making its packaging a distinctive brand asset and the hero of the “Joy Is Shared” campaign. “That makes the brand the hero in an emotional-right brain way,” Tindall added, noting that the ad earned a score of 5.9 stars in System1’s ratings platform, “the highest an ad can get for long-term effectiveness.”