In this second installment of LB Sidenotes, Senior Strategist Eric Holubow expresses his passion for urban exploration photography. From Gary, IN to Greater Chicago, Eric covers everything from anthropology to design, exploring the history of places that once were. Eric’s work has been featured on CBS News and is currently running at the Chicago Cultural Center. Check out more of Eric’s work on his site, ebow.
May 1, 2012
LB Sidenotes: Eric Holubow, Urban Exploration Photographer
May 1, 2012
Trendy Tuesday: Storytelling
Any story can be told on a page, but as the value of the written word wanes, brands are creating physical spaces where consumers can actively engage with the product, and actually live the tale. STORY, a boutique in Manhattan, makes a compelling case for the increasing value of brand-curated experiences. Rachel Shechtman, founder of Cube Ventures, a marketing and retail consulting firm, opened STORY with the goal of engineering all of her shopper-related strategies in one place. STORY’s website describes the concept as “…a retail space that has the point of view of a magazine, changes like a gallery and sells things like a store.” The space gets a facelift approximately every 3 months, stirring up an element of surprise and anticipation amongst customers made possible only by its thematic and whimsy approach to retail. In February the shop launched ‘Love,’ with over 500 pieces of merchandise romancing the shelves; and the current theme is ‘Color,’ host to every shade of the rainbow.
Molecular gastronomy maven, Grant Achatz’s latest culinary endeavor, Next, puts the same spin on fine dining. Like STORY, the menu at Next is reinvented every 3 months with the intention of transporting diners to different places, and often different eras. The team at Next spends months preparing and perfecting what turns out to be a ‘Tour of Thailand,’ ‘Childhood in Michigan‘ or ‘Paris in 1906.’
Often referred to as the birthplace of molecular gastronomy, elBulli, was a 3-star Michelin restaurant in Spain. People traveled from across the globe to dine at the small restaurant that overlooked Cala Montjoi bay in the town of Roses that has since closed its doors. The team at Next not only brought the menu and the artistry of elBulli to Chicago, but more than a handful of chefs from the acclaimed restaurant to spend months assisting in curating and tailoring the dining experience. Next is a culinary masterpiece, but even more so, it’s an exquisitely crafted adventure that leaves any diner wondering, what is next?
The significance of brand storytelling in physical spaces cannot be overlooked. In a digital world, there is something crucial about these engineered experiences that allow consumers to share the brand experience, and identify with the true value they have to offer.
May 1, 2012
Clios 2012: Winners, Day 2
Day two of the Clios announcements brings three new awards to the global network in the Interactive and PR categories. Congrats to Detroit, Melbourne and Sydney!
Interactive
Gold- Troy Public Library “Book Burning Party” (Detroit)
Bronze- Census “Spotlight” (Sydney)
PR
Bronze- Giant “Everyday Riders Sponsorships” – Brand Development (Melbourne)
April 30, 2012
Clios 2012: Winners, Day 1
This week, the Clios will be announcing the 2012 winners daily by category. Today includes Film, Film Technique, Hall of Fame, Radio and Radio Technique.
Congrats to the Film Technique winners from the LB Global Network!
Film Technique
Bronze- Bundaburg Five “Ain’t No Nancy Drink“- Direction (Sydney)
Bronze- Hallmark “Mother Bird“- Animation (Chicago)
Bronze- Smirnoff “Pharrell“- Adapted (Sydney)
Below is the Clio winners release schedule by day:
Monday, April 30: Film & Film Technique, Hall Of Fame, Radio & Radio Technique
Tuesday, May 1: Interactive & Public Relations
Wednesday, May 2: OOH, Direct Mail, Print, Print Technique & Design
Thursday May 3: Content & Contact, Integrated Campaign, Innovative Media, Facebook Integrated Media & Student
Friday May 4: Grand CLIOs, Advertiser of the Year, Agency of the Year, Network of the Year & Production Company of the Year
April 30, 2012
Leo Sweeps 2012 Hugos
Last week, Leo Burnett swept the 48th Annual Hugo Awards for Television Excellence with a grand total of 23 awards: three Silver Hugos, five Gold Plaques, ten Silver Plaques and five Certificates of Merit.
Congratulations to the Chicago office for their stellar performance!
Silver Hugo
Allstate “Blind Spot,” Commercial Spots C22: Insurance
Allstate “Mayhem” (Blind Spot, Raccoon, On Hold), Commercial Campaign C39: Commercial Campaign
Hallmark “Active Duty,” Commercial Spots C33: Retail
Gold Plaque
Allstate “Raccoon,” Commercial Spots C22: Insurance
Allstate “Toddler,” Special Achievement SA02: Performance/Dialogue
Hallmark “Mother Bird,” Commercial Spots C33: Retail
Kellogg’s Cheez-It “Real Cheese Matters” (Ventriloquist/Silent Treatment/Headphones), Commercial Campaign C38: Online Campaign
MOCNI “Fishing,” Commercial Spots C14: Fast Food
Silver Plaque
Allstate “On Hold,” Commercial Spots C22: Insurance
Allstate “On Hold,” Special Achievement SA09: Humor
Allstate “Raccoon,” Special Achievement SA02: Performance/Dialogue
Allstate “Raccoon,” Special Achievement SA09: Humor
Hallmark “Give and Get,” Special Achievement SA07: Editing
Hallmark “The Team,” Commercial Spots C33: Retail
McDonald’s “Apples,” Special Achievement SA01: Animation/Computer Graphics
McDonald’s “Suzi Van Zoom,” Special Achievement SA01: Animation/Computer Graphics
Samsung “Graduation,” Commercial Spots C08: Cellular Phone/Service
Samsung “The Way We’re Wired,” Commercial Spots C08: Cellular Phone/Service
Certificate of Merit
Allstate “Blind Spot,” Special Achievement SA02: Performance/Dialogue
Hallmark “Give and Get,” Commercial Spots C33: Retail
McDonald’s “Apples,” Special Achievement SA11: Music – Licensed/Adapted
Nestle Purina “Good to Great,” Special Achievement SA10: Music – Orginal
Samsung “Unlimited” (Little Girl/Graduation/Durant), Commercial Campaign C39: Commercial Campaign
April 30, 2012
Whimsical and Raw, Annie Leibovitz Captures Humanity the Way it Deserves to be Seen
Let me start by saying, if Annie Leibovitz announced an upcoming pictorial re-telling of “2 Girls 1 Cup,” I would literally be all over that s@#t.
Ok, maybe that’s a little weird/gross, but I would honestly be dying to see where her mind and camera lens would go. In my humble opinion, there is maybe no more gifted a visual storyteller working today than photographer Annie Leibovitz.
She has this innate ability to surface and capture an unknown sphere of depth. Like one of Hitchcock’s classic suspense films, everything is layered and complex, yet has a beautiful, simple honesty to it.
Annie Leibovitz has devoted most of her life to finding those unspoken stories through the lens of her camera. What started as a hobby in art school, photography turned into a career-making gig with the newly launched music magazine, Rolling Stone, back in the ’70′s.
In particular, one cover photo has gone on to become part of pop icon history. Of course I’m referring to her 1980 Rolling Stone cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, shot hours before he was murdered.
The tragic circumstance of Lennon’s death may have heightened the poignancy of this image, but it was Leibovitz who was able to capture the complete and complicated nature of their love story in a single frame.
Lennon’s naked, fetal body wrapped around Yoko is the most obvious and literal show of his dependence on her. However, in soon-to-be classic Leibovitz style, every element of this picture is playing an important part of the story, too.
The fact that they are laying on the floor next to their hotel bed, the fact that Yoko is clothed and has an almost distant, ethereal expression on her face, the juxtaposition of his soft left hand cradling her face, while his right hand aggressively clenches her hair. Her composed strength against his unabashed fragility was the very definition of the couple.
Interestingly, while at Rolling Stone she gained the notoriety of being a “celebrity” photographer, since it was her job to work with so many musicians and members of Hollywood. She would eventually move on and play her part with memorable ensemble spreads for Vanity Fair and Vogue.
In her own way, I think her work has helped elevate both publications beyond the perceived shallow reputation of the fashion industry. Her annual Hollywood covers for Vanity Fair have become collector’s items as well as a “who’s who” barometer for the movie industry.
In the past few years, Leibovitz has done more mainstream commercial work for conventional brands like Disney, yet has still managed to bring her unique thumbprint forward. Let’s just say she’s made me a sucker for a good fairy tale.
However, one of my personal favorite series of Leibovitz was the film noir themed photo story she did for Vanity Fair entitled, “Killers Kill. Dead Men Die.”
Now to be fair, I was predisposed to love this because the subject matter happens to be within my favorite movie genre, but at the same time, the stakes were even higher because of my expectations.
I was not disappointed.
In this story, she manages to visually carve out arresting images that pay homage to the history of film noir of the 30’s and 40’s. Again, using some of Hollywood’s biggest hitters, Leibovitz recreated all the archetypes associated with the moody, murderous, who-done-its of the past.
Each shot is constructed with so much subtext, I almost forgot these weren’t scenes from an actual movie.
In this particular image, entitled “Lobby of the Damned, ” a story of intrigue, jealousy, regret and wanting all seem to be at play. The tension boiling just under the cool surface is masterfully highlighted by the use of shadow and light; which I feel like is the seventh character in the scene.
I’ve always been fascinated with all that simmers just below the tranquil surface of reality. There’s nothing more fascinating to me than the things that aren’t being said between people. And even though these images are highly produced and staged, there is still that hint of honesty that makes me want to fill in the blanks. These are moments Leibovitz managed to bring to the entire series. You don’t have to be a “Noir nerd” like me to enjoy. Check them out.
Beyond her trademark surreal portraits and colorful storytelling, Annie Leibovitz’s real gift may be her mastery of juxtaposition. Her images are often hard yet dreamy, complex and simple. Whimsical and raw. She captures humanity the way it deserves to be seen. Or at least the way I would like to see it.
April 24, 2012
Trendy Tuesday: Holograms
It’s no surprise that Tupac Shakur’s hologram (a.k.a. ‘Holo-Pac’) stirred up a raft of controversy at this year’s Coachella Music Festival. Tupac’s ghostly hologram, costing somewhere between $100,000 and $400,000 reports MTV News, performed his hit single, “Hail Mary,” and “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. It took nearly four months to resurrect the rap superstar, and partnerships with two highly regarded production companies–AV Concepts and Digital Domain. Digital Domain is a Hollywood effects house known for its success in creating a decrepit, 85 year-old Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. With mixed reviews as a result of the haunting stunt, it’s a wonder where ‘Holo-Pac’ will go from here, although in a video announcement Dr. Dre leaves a lot to speculation saying, “This was not done for a tour. If a tour happens, we’ll see.”
Tupac’s appearance at Coachella triggered obvious questions of more deceased celebrity resurrections, and even inspired a Coachella “Exclusively Hologram Lineup” spoof, featuring Mozart, Johnny Cash and Elliot Smith just to name a few. And not surprisingly, it also sparked creation of a colorful array of ‘Holo-Pac’ memes.
April 20, 2012
The Book of Doing
Last week, Allison Arden, publisher of AdAge and Creativity and author of the new book, “The Book of Doing,” visited Burnett to share the book’s message on the power of creativity. A collection of activities crafted to unleash creativity in even the sternest of souls, “The Book of Doing” brings to light Burnett’s HumanKind philosophy: “Creativity has the power to transform human behavior.” Enjoy this LB Guests interview with Allison Arden and get out and do something!
April 20, 2012
D&AD Awards 11 Burnett Offices
D&AD, one of the most competitive shows in the industry, has awarded 11 offices in the Leo Burnett global network: Bangkok, Beirut, Chicago, Detroit, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto and Zurich. Congratulations to those offices bringing home the network total of one Yellow Pencil, seven Pencil Nominations and 14 In-book honors.
Yellow Pencil
Shanghai Qing cong Quan Training Center “The Distance Between Mother and Child”
Spatial Design – Installations
LB Shanghai
Pencil Nomination
Leo Burnett “Where the Wind Blows”
Book Design – Entire Books
Chicago
A.O. Smith (China) Water Heater Co., Ltd. “Sun Bathing”
Branding – Brand Experience & Environments
Shanghai
Troy Public Library “Book Burning Party”
Digital Advertising – Integrated Digital Campaigns
Detroit
P&G Bounty “Bounty Picks It Up” Campaign
Outdoor Advertising – Poster Advertising Campaign
Toronto
Casablanca “Deep Sleep” Campaign
Outdoor Advertising – Poster Advertising Campaign
Hong Kong
TMB Corporate Branding “Panyee FC”
TV/Cinema Advertising – Long Form Branded Content
Bangkok
TMB Corporate Branding “Panyee FC”
Film Advertising Crafts – Direction for Film
Bangkok
In-Book
Allstate “Mayhem Wine Bottle”
Packaging Design
Chicago
Swiss Life “Life’s Turn in a Sentence”
Press Advertising – Campaigns
Zurich
Kellogg’s “72,000 Flavors”
Art Direction – Art Direction for Poster Advertising
London
Kellogg’s “Actual Size”
Art Direction – Art Direction for Poster Advertising
London
Kellogg’s “Buy Two, Get a Free Boat”
Art Direction – Art Direction for Poster Advertising
London
Elections Ontario “We Make Voting Easy”
Branding – Branding Schemes/Large Business
Toronto
Diageo Australia “Watermark”
Direct – Direct Integrated Campaigns
Sydney
Dignity For Children’s Foundation “Punita”
Illustration – Illustration for Design
Kuala Lumpur
No Rights No Women “No Rights No Women”
Integrated Earned Media – Earned Media Campaign
Beirut
Swiss Life “Life’s Turn in a Sentence”
Outdoor Advertising – Poster Advertising Campaign
Zurich
Raising the Roof “Look Down”
Outdoor Advertising – Poster Advertising/Enhanced Posters
Toronto
Casablanca “Dominos”
Outdoor Advertising – Poster Advertising/Free Format
Hong Kong
Switzerland Tourism “Ant Hill”
TV/Cinema Advertising – TV Commercials 61-120 Seconds
Zurich
Swiss Life “Life’s Turn in a Sentence”
Writing for Advertising – Writing for Press & Poster Advertising
Zurich
April 19, 2012
How Refreshing! Leo Burnett Grabs Sprite
Leo Burnett Chicago has been awarded lead creative duties for popular Coca-Cola brand, Sprite. Tasked with a major campaign re-design in North America in 2013, Burnett is ready to take on one of the few soft drinks reporting recent growth in sales in the past year. Grab a Sprite! We did.
April 19, 2012
Ink as Ad Space
Federico Bosch, a creative at Leo Burnett Madrid has stirred up a bidding war for the space on his arm. His reusable QR code tattoo has unlocked a entirely new world of unchartered territory, allowing marketers to bid for an opportunity to take part in something so novel, it’s guaranteed to change the industry’s outlook on advertising space. As an interactive tattoo, Federico can alter the content as he likes, displaying videos, photos and text. Federico opened an auction for his ink on eBay, with a bid starting at just €1, and it has already reached a hefty 310,000 euros.
The auction closes on April 26, at which point the highest bidder will be awarded the space to advertise for one month.
April 18, 2012
Lapiz Makes a Splash at the 28th Chicago Latino Film Festival
Lapiz created a trailer in support of this year’s Chicago Latino Film Festival entitled “Paternity.” The spot captures a father telling his son, after many years of withholding the truth, that he is not his biological father. The same story is retold three times, in three different countries, affecting how the news is relayed and interpreted. The spot successfully communicates and alludes to the often overlooked diversity of the Latino population. The trailer runs before every film during the festival, so you’re guaranteed not to miss it.
If the cultural significance of the “Paternity” spot weren’t enough to boast about, Lapiz also took home first, second and third place in the poster/print advertising contest at this year’s Chicago Latino Film Festival.
1st Place–”LifeDeath”
Jorge Pomareda
2nd Place–”Corazon”
Jorge Pomareda
3rd Place–”Torito”
Ricardo Vallejo
April 18, 2012
The Webby People’s Voice Awards
Leo Burnett Brussels and Leo Burnett Detroit have been nominated for this year’s Webby People’s Voice Awards. The Brussels office is nominated in the E-mail Marketing category for its wildly witty “Out Of Office Poetry” campaign, and the folks in Detroit have been selected in both the Activism and Corporate Social Responsibility categories for their “Book Burning Party” campaign for Troy Library. Winners are selected based on the number of votes their work receives before April 26, so help our friends out and cast your votes here:
Leo Burnett Brussels
“Out of Office Poetry”
Interactive Advertising, E-mail Marketing
Leo Burnett Detroit
“Book Burning Party”
Websites, Activism
Interactive Advertising, Corporate Social Responsibility Campaigns
April 17, 2012
The Night of the Hunter: Hell Never Looked So Heavenly
For the last 11 years, my wife and I have tried to give our daughter Ava an education in film she just can’t get from most media geared toward her, which tends to underestimate both her intelligence and attention span. From a selfish point of view, many movies for kids are simply unwatchable. (I defy anyone to sit through all 85 excruciating minutes of Thomas and The Magic Railroad – it’s the absolute nadir of Alec Baldwin’s career, and yes, I’m including Heaven’s Prisoners.) Don’t get me wrong – like most 5th graders, Ava still enjoys broad slapstick, talking animals and fart jokes; in other words, anything starring Kevin James.
So we’ve tried to counter that by exposing her to movies of real substance: Like North by Northwest, Once Upon a Time in the West, West Side Story—and even some films that don’t have the word “west” in them.
Like The Night of the Hunter, which we watched recently.
Part fable, part fairy tale, part social commentary, this noir thriller was so ahead of its time that it was a critical and box office bust upon its release in 1955, but is now considered one of the best American films of the 20th century. Its expressionistic style is said to have influenced David Lynch, Martin Scorcese and the Coen Brothers, among others. Keeping that in mind, there’s a lot to point out to a kid who has yet to grasp the concept of algebra, let alone religious symbolism. But watching this film through the lens of my daughter made my re-viewing all the more powerful.
Visually, the most striking thing about this film is its use of light and shadow. Shot by legendary actor Charles Laughton (sadly, his one-and-only foray into directing) with cinematographer Stanley Cortez, the film is set in depression-era West Virginia, but is closer tonally to the Black Forest of the Brothers Grimm.
And oh, what a Big Bad Wolf they have to work with.
Robert Mitchum plays Reverend Harry Powell, a psalm-spoutin’, hymn-singin’, widow-murderin’ country preacher with iconic “LOVE” and “HATE” tattoos on either hand. The epitome of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he spends most of the film charming the adults while preying on two small children who know the whereabouts of a hidden fortune. Many shots of Mitchum are wrapped in darkness and foreboding, especially in an early scene where his ominous shadow appears on a boy’s bedroom wall.
Another amazing scene occurs in a different bedroom, after Willa Harper (Shelley Winters) discovers the reverend’s true nature. The sharply-peaked ceiling transforms the room into a church while Willa lies still, arms crossed—a body in an open casket.
Hell never looked so heavenly.
Imagery like this abounds throughout the film, juxtaposing horror with beauty, good with evil, light with dark. From a submerged corpse’s hair gently undulating like the billowy seaweed around it to the children’s fantastical night flight down the river, to grandmotherly Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish) cradling a shotgun while the devil’s at her doorstep, there are so many perfectly framed shots, it reads almost as a picture book. A lovely, terrifying picture book.
There’s some indelible music as well. As the children’s skiff meanders down the river past twitching hares, croaking frogs and a not-so-subtle spider web, little Pearl Harper (Sally Jane Bruce) channels the avant-garde of Bjork years before Bjork was even born.
After viewing this masterpiece once again, I was awestruck by its multilayers of meaning, by its masterly use of light and dark and how visuals, words and music can forge endless combinations of creativity. It’s no surprise French magazine Cahiers du Cinéma ranked The Night of the Hunter #2 in its list of the “100 Most Beautiful Films.”
As for Ava, she loved the movie, though she did get tense and scared at times (who wouldn’t?). The next day, I asked her how it inspired her and what meaning she derived from it. She said it made her feel “really lucky” there wasn’t a crazy man trying to chase her down and kill her.
Oh well. Maybe we’d better watch it again when she’s 12. I’d sure like to.
April 17, 2012
Changing the Game
Today, Susan Credle, Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett USA is being honored at the Advertising Women of New York (AWNY) “Changing the Game Awards” as a Quantam Leap Award winner. Susan joins a select group of women in the advertising, marketing, media and technology industries making bold moves and reinventing the rules of marketing to transform their brands, their organizations and those of their clients.
The Quantum Leap Award honors women who have changed the way an organization is aligned to proactively meet new challenges. Since becoming the CCO for Leo Burnett USA in 2009, Susan has attracted top creative talent to Leo Burnett and spearheaded a “creative renaissance” at the agency. Her leadership, inspiration and in-the-trenches contributions have led to forward-thinking and highly awarded campaigns for blue-chip Leo Burnett clients, such as McDonald’s, Allstate, P&G, Kellogg’s and Invesco, among others.
Congrats and thanks to Susan for challenging the status quo!
April 17, 2012
Trendy Tuesday: Brand Curation on Pinterest
We’re noticing quite a few notable brands making Pinterest work for them in very inventive ways. Pinterest allows for simple, accessible and creative sharing, and in turn provides brands with an invaluable platform for crowd sourced competitions, differentiating brand purpose and in some cases even a brand’s main digital presence.
Gilt’s getaway flash sale site, Jetsetter, harnessed the power of the online tool by creating a crowd sourced competition. The contest–‘Become a Jetsetter Curator’–asks subscribers to “create the ultimate destination pinboard” for a chance to win a variety of lavish prizes. The site has enlisted a panel of celebrity judges to rate the overall appearance of each board, but that isn’t all–winners will also be selected based upon their number of followers–giving consumers the opportunity to be brand delegates.
Our friends at Leo Burnett London are bringing life to the Leo Burnett brand by using pinboards to showcase the agency through the eyes of its talent. From planners to creatives, their pinboards successfully express the diverse and colorful nature of the agency.
Interestingly enough, some brands have even adopted Pinterest as their primary digital brand presence. Holler, a digital creative agency based in Sydney, Australia has assumed the platform as the main stage for its company website. The agency was eager to see if the site would work for their own purposes in order to help clients adopt a similar model in the future.
With such versatility and ingenuity sprouting from these brand pages, we’re left to wonder, is there any limit to what Pinterest can do?
Read our take on what Pinterest means for brands here.