Ad of the Day: Capital One Makes 150 Ads for Small Businesses Starring Their Biggest Fans

Capital One delivers a big campaign for small business with its "Spark Plug" initiative, shining a spotlight on 125 entrepreneurial companies in a whopping 150 advertisements created by Mullen Lowe. The work, which launches today, includes print, out-of-home, digital and video ads. In a novel twist, the campaign's 11 commercials employ fans of 11 small businesses—nominated by the companies themselves—as spokespeople. "We simply wanted to capture the excitement and passion that comes from a fan's voice, as opposed to the often calculated, more logical message that might come from an owner," Sue DeSilva, creative director at Mullen Lowe, tells Adweek. Director Alex Fendrich employs a bright, breezy style that makes the 30-second testimonials instantly accessible. His sparse, assured visual approach—a few well-placed props against white or gray backdrops, establishing a mood or theme for each spot—stems from his improv background. That style really lets the stories shine. In the ad for Capitol Tap, the youth dance ensemble's biggest booster, Yvonne, 81, demonstrates fancy footwork atop a platform emblazoned with the company logo. "It's just a wonderful organization," she says. "You walk in, and you tap out." [jwplayer NSQyO9r7-1kT9Z8rj] Twentysomething Morgan praises her sister's Dolci Gelati Truck. "It's a cool truck, and it's a cute truck, and I love showing it to people," she says. Morgan delivers her pitch in an airy studio, with the vehicle in question—along with an ice-cream vendor's cart and chalkboard menu—positioned nearby. [jwplayer SPHyZNS6-1kT9Z8rj] David Miller, an exuberant middle-aged dude with an impressive waxed mustache, really brings it for Wonder Lee 123, exploring racks of the store's extremely funky bow-ties (created from discarded objects). "The ties are art," he says. "It makes me smile. It makes everybody else smile." [jwplayer qYpNj4Wf-1kT9Z8rj] "It was amazing to watch business owners listen to their customers sing their praises," says Keri Gohman, head of the Small Business Bank at Capital One. "It was heartwarming and 100 percent authentic." Indeed, with this sort of campaign, authenticity is key, and the ads pass with flying colors. These folks really do seem like the biggest fans of the companies they're representing. Were there concerns that featuring fans, and not owners, might be confusing? "We were committed to keeping this campaign 'from the voice of the fans,' so to prevent it from being confusing, we spent a lot of time working on the construct of the ads," says DeSilva. "We put in a lot of time to ensure we kept the message as clear as possible." Capital One branding is reserved for the closing seconds of each spot. Agency and client strove to celebrate the vibrancy and success of small businesses, while subtly informing entrepreneurs that Spark is available to provide financial solutions, mentorship opportunities and marketing dollars. Plus, the ads serve as real-world examples of marketing programs prospective clients might undertake with Spark's assistance. "From our research we know most small-business owners wish they could spend more on marketing, or wish they knew more about marketing, so we really felt like we were responding to a need," DeSilva says. Capital One received 400 submissions from businesses in four markets—Washington D.C., New York, New Orleans and Houston—for the chance to receive custom ads with their biggest fans. Along with the videos, Mullen Lowe made custom print, out-of-home and digital ads for many of the 125 companies that were chosen—some 150 ads in all. "We started with a simple question: What could we do to support as many customers as possible, show our thanks, and amplify their stories?" Gohman says. "We kept the complexity on our side, supporting many businesses versus narrowing to a single winner." She adds, "Each business and fan had a powerful story and experience. The owner of Wonder Lee summed up the goal of our campaign. When she heard her biggest fan talk about her business, she looked up with tears in her eyes and said, 'He really gets it.' " Here are the eight other videos from the campaign: [jwplayer z1cun1il-1kT9Z8rj] [jwplayer H8xAR0EH-1kT9Z8rj] [jwplayer IgWwKRfi-1kT9Z8rj] [jwplayer O3ncSKyX-1kT9Z8rj] [jwplayer j9uIDikS-1kT9Z8rj] [jwplayer 5tc4HLRc-1kT9Z8rj] [jwplayer oqmrOz4L-1kT9Z8rj] [jwplayer GqCZr2U6-1kT9Z8rj] CREDITS Client: Capital One Senior Director, Small Business Brand Strategy: Kristi Hebner Business Director, Small Business Bank Marketing: Rohit Saroop Senior Business Director, Small Business Bank Marketing: Matt Lattman Brand Strategy Consultant, Small Business Brand Strategy : Heather Leonard Marketing Project Management, Small Business Banking: Megan Givens Agency: Mullen Lowe, Boston Executive Creative Director: Dave Weist Executive Creative Director: Tim Vaccarino VP Creative Director: Sue DeSilva VP Associate Creative Director: Andy Schneider Associate Creative Director: Tony Frusciante Senior Broadcast Producer: Ken Kingdon SVP, Group Account Director: Rebekah Pagis VP, Account Director: Jesse Brandt Account Supervisor: Corie McNeil Assistant Account Executive: Kate Chartier Production Company: Fatking Films Director: Alex Fendrich Line Producer: Brooke Gaston Herstein Editorial: Edit Bar Editor: Michael Reuter Assistant Editor: Jack LeMay Colorist/On-Line Editor: Charlie Coffou Executive Producer: Vanessa Macedo Audio Post-Production: Soundtrack Boston Engineer: Brian Mc Keever

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Ad of the Day: Capital One Makes 150 Ads for Small Businesses Starring Their Biggest Fans

Mullen Lowe tries a fresh approach to testimonials

David Gianatasio

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David Gianatasio