MTN Dew Rise Energy has rolled out the brand’s first-ever ad campaign, “The Morning Makes You,” featuring NBA superstar LeBron James.
The 60-second ad was directed by F. Gary Gray via RadicalMedia for TBWAChiatDay NY. Gray is known for films such as The Italian Job and Friday.
Rise Energy has 180 mg of caffeine, antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and fruit juice. With Citicoline and caffeine to boost mental clarity and Zinc for immune support, Rise Energy is designed to awaken ambition, seize the morning and the day.
The new "Morning Makes You" ad playfully imagines the life of LeBron James if he chose to snooze in the mornings, juxtaposing the alternate reality with the accomplished champion, father, businessman, and philanthropist James is today. The film incorporates footage from various aspects of his life, including The SpringHill Company’s groundbreaking HBO show “The Shop: Uninterrupted,” his mother Gloria helping students at the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I PROMISE School, the James family creating a new TikTok video, as well as NBA in-game footage. TBWAChiatDay NY also created a stylized CGI map of LeBron’s hometown of Akron, Ohio, with architectural depictions of local buildings in a scene to represent LeBron elevating his community and his students with a platform to achieve their dreams.
Credits
Client PepsiCo/MTN Dew Rise Energy Agency TBWAChiatDay New York, Chris Beresford-Hill, chief creative officer; Ricard Valero, executive creative director; Shannon Murphy, associate creative director, copy; David Stevanov, associate creative director, art; John Doris, director of production; Amanda Revere, executive producer; John Gibson, executive strategy director; James Sowden, chief strategy officer; Bodi Karsono, Elliot Carter, sr. strategists. Production Direct Focus Barry Rosen, CEO; Lauren Renz, producer. Production Company RadicalMedia F. Gary Gray, director; Jim Bouvet, exec producer; Jeremy Barrett, producer. Editorial Exile Edward Line, editor; Mike Horan, assistant editor; Elizabeth Gelhar, producer; Sasha Hirshfield, exec producer. VFX The Mill Nathan Kane, creative director; Patrick Heinen, VFX shoot supervisor; Mandy Harris, exec producer; Catherine M. Fischer, sr. producer; Kyle Cody, 2D lead artist; Seon Crawford, 3D lead artist; Taner Besen, Nasser Mandavi, James Cudahy, Adam Deutsch, Jade Kim, 2D artists; Jackie Liao, Casey Reuter, 3D artists; Kevan Lee, finish artist; Cedric Menard, matte painting; Mike Schaeffer, head of design; Andrew Lucas, designer. Color The Mill Michael Rossiter, colorist; Rochelle Brown, exec producer, color; Evan Bauer, color producer. Original Music Squeak E. Clean Studios Licensed Music “God”–Sinjin Hake, Zora James; “Ven Devorame Otra Vez,” Lalo Rodriguez. Audio Post Heard City Evan Mangiemelle, Mike Vitacco, engineers.
For the global EX30 Cross Country launch, Volvo and creative agency Forsman & Bodenfors wants to de-dramatize the outdoor experience--and remind people that small trips into nature can be grand experiences.
Cross Country is Volvo’s concept of turning their regular cars into more outdoor-capable versions, with higher ground clearance, all-wheel drive and other features making it more capable and off-road ready. And now, the compact, fully electric EX30 becomes available as a Cross Country version. It’s a small car designed for big experiences, made to elevate both urban living and outdoor adventure, and to bring people closer to nature.
“With Volvo being such a human-centric brand, it felt natural to focus on the human side of nature. The child’s perspective became the perfect metaphor for this, to spend time in nature on nature’s terms,” said Karl Risenfors, creative at Forsman & Bodenfors.
In a category that often portrays epic journeys deep into the wilderness, the campaign serves as a reminder that even everyday adventures can be memorable experiences. Thus this launch spot--directed by Marcus Ibanez via production company New-Land--shows nature through the point of view of a child. A child’s imagination and perspective generates a visual metaphor for the magic that nature can bring, no matter the scale of the adventure.
