In this politically correct era–or error, which might be a more apt description–some Super Bowl work didn’t make the cut. Snickers’ “Mechanics,” in which two men meet in the middle of a Snickers bar and end up kissing, got pulled after objections from GLADD and others who felt that the ad was homophobic.
Meanwhile the GM commercial in which a robot becomes despondent after being fired from a factory assembly line will be revised. In the original spot, the robot commits suicide by jumping off a bridge–only for viewers to find out that it was all a bad dream. But a suicide prevention organization criticized the ad, prompting GM to announce it would make changes to the commercial before it airs again.
Personally I didn’t take offense to either commercial–at least not in the same way that those reacting in protest did. I thought “Mechanics” was in the upper echelon of what was by most accounts a rather lackluster crop of Super Bowl ads this year.
But I was stunned to see the GM spot. Given the massive layoffs at the company and its well chronicled financial problems, the notion of showing a worker–albeit a robot–getting pink-slipped would seem among the last storylines that GM should embrace.
Mike Wolfsohn, one of several creative directors SHOOT canvassed for feedback on the Super Bowl commercials, concurred.
Wolfsohn, who is VP/creative director at Ignited Minds, Marina del Rey, Calif., observed, “It just blew my mind that anything having to do with employment at GM, particularly in a negative connotation, could get through so many approval processes and make it on air….That was the biggest debacle I saw through the whole game.”
So from a marketing perspective, that spot was off base. And so to an extent was the consumer-generated content experiment.
Wolfsohn related, “It’s kind of like one of my philosophies in running a creative department–in a lot of different shops, they put three, four or five teams on an assignment. That guarantees that one team will be happy and the others will be disappointed at the outcome.
“Similarly while the intention of consumer-generated content was to get tens of thousands of consumers interacting with the brand leading up to the Super Bowl, all those people who contributed to ideas for Doritos or Chevrolet or the NFL were probably disappointed with what was ultimately chosen. And now those people are probably less likely to be consumers of the brand than if they never participated in a commercial contest.”
Still there was inspiration to be found on Super Sunday.
“What’s funny,” observed Wolfsohn, “is some of the best ‘Super Bowl’ advertising I saw was actually on another channel, Animal Planet, which does The Puppy Bowl, three hours of puppies playing on a small football field, with a kitty halftime show. Between quarters, a Bissell vacuum comes in and cleans up, taking care of the furry mess. It integrates the vacuum product category beautifully with the game. It’s a really smart, solid marketing idea.”
Where The Buffalo Roam Signs Director Geordie Stephens For Spots and Branded Content
Production company Where The Buffalo Roam (WTBR) has signed director Geordie Stephens for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Stephens is known for his subtle performance-driven comedic style, emphasizing art direction, production design, and cinematography. Previously represented by Tool of North America, Bullitt and FANCY, Stephens has a commercial portfolio which includes such global brands as Mini Cooper, HP, Toyota, Bud Light, and Burger King. A former agency creative, Stephens transitioned to the director’s chair following a lengthy career on the agency side as a creative at Butler, Shine & Stern and CP+B Miami, among other shops.
PJ Koll, WTBR co-founder and executive producer, said of Stephens, “His expertise and talent perfectly complement our creative strengths, enhancing our ability to deliver at the highest level. We feel incredibly fortunate to have him join the herd.”
“When I met Tim [WTBR exec producer Pries] and PJ, we immediately hit it off,” added Stephens. “They’re super sharp, funny, and good people who have assembled a very interesting mix of talent with different skills. As a director, I’m always looking for simple human truths that everyone can relate to in a humorous and smart way. The Buffalo team specializes in the small wink, so they get my sense of humor and will give me the platform to keep pushing great work forward.”
During his advertising career, Stephens spearheaded campaigns for IKEA, Truth, Virgin Atlantic, Burger King, Sprite, and Volkswagen. His work also won top prizes at the Cannes Lions and Clios and has been honored by numerous One Show and AICP awards.
Raised in an artistic community in California’s Marin County by his writer-mother and... Read More