On behalf of San Antonio-based H-E-B Grocery Co., executives from branding agency The Richards Group recently selected production company King and Country (K&C) to create six new spots featuring a fun mixture of kids, family pets, animated typography, and the red and white colors from H-E-B’s logo. The first of the charming :15 spots debuts today in targeted TV and cable outlets and on HEB’s social media channels, including www.YouTube.com/HEB.nnWith H-E-B’s red background as the canvas, each spot deftly conveys a word- and picture-driven story leveraging many areas of K&C’s expertise. Designed to engage parents and families – and communicating H-E-B’s emphasis on low prices – each spot warmly drives home the brand’s famous tagline: No Store Does More.(TM)nn"We wanted to find a way to bring a little more fun and humanity to what was essentially a price-driven message," said Chris Smith, The Richards Group’s brand creative group head. "Because it’s not about saving money; it’s about the people you’re saving money for."nnContinuing, Smith explained, "We chose King and Country for a couple reasons: Other creative teams in the agency had had great experiences working with them for other brands; they had a lot of experience combining dynamic typography with live-action imagery; and in our initial calls with them, they brought smart ideas and things we hadn’t thought of. Essentially, they made our job really, really easy."nn
nThe first of six :15 campaign spots.nnK&C director Efrain Montañez and his colleagues were especially enthused about this assignment from The Richards Group, as it represents their very first pairing with America’s largest independent branding agency. "For H-E-B, we were asked to create a clean graphic environment where animated type, playful CG animation and live-action footage of talent and products relate short, fun and engaging stories," Montañez said. "We came up with a graphic approach that gives the campaign a jovial tone, with dynamic transitions and playful animation. The response has been fantastic."nnUsing the RED EPIC camera system, K&C’s crew shot on stage for two days, using both green- and blue-screen techniques. Managing the full scope of needs for their clients, K&C also handled full editorial and HD finishing in-house. nn"We shot all of the products, as well as families, including pets and babies," Montañez continued. "It was challenging to capture the performances from dogs, cats and babies, because they don’t take direction, and you have to roll for extended periods of time in hopes of getting the shot you’re looking for. Because of this, we had a lot of data to store. The dogs and cats were a breeze on this one, while the babies lived up to their reputation. Our footage was edited in Final Cut Pro and then composited in After Effects with 3D elements created in both Maya and Cinema 4D." K&C worked with New Hat and Beau Leon for color correction on the spots, and finished them in-house using After Effects.nn"We’re very proud to have earned this first opportunity from The Richards Group," said K&C executive producer Jerry Torgerson. "We feel like the agency really trusted us, and it’s a great start to a new relationship. We are very proud to say that we’re already working on our next project together."nnCredits for The Richards Group include creative director Chris Smith, brand creative and art director Wendy Bouis, brand creative and writer Brittany Sarrett, and broadcast producer Kim Alexander. Complete project credits are available upon request. For more information, please visit www.kingandcountry.tv.nnAbout King and CountrynSince its launch in 2006, Santa Monica-based production company King and Country (K&C) has earned international recognition for breakthrough projects spanning commercials, original promos for major networks, and much more. The innovative production foundry established by directors Rick Gledhill and Efrain Montanez and executive producer Jerry Torgerson elegantly unites A-list talents representing every facet of production and post, delivering impactful films that blend original live-action content, 2D and 3D animation and seamless visual effects into new artforms. Drawing upon its principals’ extraordinary creative capabilities, K&C takes deep pride in directing and producing spectacular projects from concept through completion, collaborating with others to add brilliant end-tags, visual effects and flawless finishing for any and all media platforms, and everything in-between. K&C’s extensive portfolio of work is viewable online at www.kingandcountry.tv. For further information call Jerry Torgerson at 310.586.0100.nnAbout The Richards GroupnThe Richards Group, located in Dallas, Texas, is the largest independent branding agency in the nation. Agency clients include the standard-setting brands of Advance Auto Parts, Bridgestone, Chick-fil-A, Firestone, Fruit of the Loom, GameStop, The Home Depot, MetroPCS, Motel 6, Orkin and The Patrón Spirits Company. Total billings for the agency were $1.29 billion in 2011. The agency’s digital practice group, Click Here, was established in 1995 and builds brands online using an integrated mix of strategy, marketing and technology. The Richards Group can be found at www.richards.com.nnAbout H-E-BnH-E-B, with sales of more than $18 billion, operates more than 335 stores in Texas and Mexico. Known for its innovation and community service, H-E-B celebrated its 105 anniversary in 2010. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 76,000 Partners and serves millions of customers in more than 150 communities. For more information, visit www.heb.com.Roger Darnell DWA for King and Country Phone: 1.828.264.8898 Contact Roger via email
NYF Advertising Awards Open for Entries: Grey New York and New York Festivals Launch ‘No BS Allowed’ Campaign and Plant Seeds of Growth
The New York Festivals Advertising Awards is now officially open for entries for the 2025 competition. Grey New York has teamed up with New York Festivals Advertising Awards to unveil a bold new creative campaign, titled “No BS Allowed,” for the show’s 2025 awards season. The campaign serves as a call for entries, challenging the advertising industry to reject superficiality and focus on creating work that truly matters. The New York Festivals Advertising Awards, known for celebrating the world’s most innovative and impactful advertising, is taking a hard stance against the industry’s reliance on inflated metrics, fabricated buzz, and empty results. In this provocative campaign, these industry conventions are reimagined as something more tangible and valuable: fertilizer for growth. Thiago Cruz, Chief Creative Officer at Grey New York. “New York is famously known for not putting up with BS, so we’re ensuring our festival stands for that too. We’re looking for work that truly drives both cultural and business value for clients.” The campaign humorously relabels case studies' so-called "BS" with sharp accuracy, exposing the elements that undermine true creativity:
- Made-up tweets
- Inflated number of impressions
- Lots and lots of positive sentiment