Creative: Best Spots Of July

Best Spots are selected by Adweek editors from commercials breaking on broadcast and cable television. Call Nancy Sobel at (212) 536-6453 to submit reels or to order this month's collection. The Best Spots section is compiled by Mark Lang. Best Buy From the Best Buy Idea Box: "Whirlpool appliances and Best Buy should get together," says Barbara from Brooklyn Park, Minn. And they do, in the form of giant mascots that court each other. Strange--but, in a twisted way, cute. Title Mascot Love Agency In-house Creative director Bill Nordin Copywriter Joe Michaelson Executive producer Mollie Weston Agency producer Mark Riddle Postproduction Tele Edit Director Tom Betting Director of photography Mike Welckle Editor Pat Eastman, Edit WG Composer Eric Pilhoffer California Dept. Of Health Services/Tobacco Control Division At a funeral, a man talks to his cigarettes: "At 26, you gave me the guts to call [my wife]. At 32, you helped me through the death of my mother and the birth of my son. And, today, either I bury you or you bury me." Praising cigarettes to destroy them? Smart idea. Title Funeral Agency Asher & Partners, Los Angeles CD/art director Bruce Dundore Art director Lisa Gargano Copywriter Kenny Lee Agency producer Michele Essayan Production co./edit Palomar Pictures Director Breck Eisner Music Richie Druz Music Coca-Cola En route to a thirsty town, a Coke truck breaks down because the engine--a mouse on a treadmill--is exhausted. But the rodent drinks a Coke and the truck is back on its happy way. The classical animation mixes color and black and white; great music, too. Title Delivery Truck Agency Edge Creative, Santa Monica, Calif. Creative team Len Fink, Jack Harrower, Shelly Hochron Producer Robyn Boardman Production co. Colossal Pictures Director George Evelyn Editor Bob Roessler Music Michael Boyd Music Coca-Cola On the side of a building, a Coke billboard comes to life: A jazz band jams, and dancers jitterbug. Fun to watch, this ad is a foot tapper. Title Jitterbug Agency Edge Creative, Santa Monica, Calif. Creative team Shelly Hochron, Len Fink, Jack Harrower Agency producer Fiona Forsyth Production co. Bruce Dowad & Assoc. Director Bruce Dowad Animation Digital Domain Editor Enrique Aguirre, King Cut Music/sound design Elias Music Dunkin' Donuts On a sizzling day, hot babes saunter past construction guys. The boys don't blink--until the Coffee Coolattas arrive. "Check it out," they hoot. "Give me some of that," they holler. Not like this could happen in real life, but it's funny. Title Construction Agency Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Boston Chief creative officer Fred Bertino CDs Mike Sheehan, David Gardiner Art director Tim Foley Copywriter Marty Donohue Executive producer Deb Martin Agency producer Scott Hainline Production co. Shelter Films Director Jonathan Dowd Editorial Bug Editorial Sound design East Side Fox Sports A baseball is thrown from the back of a speeding pickup truck, the pitch bowling over a guy dressed in catcher's gear. "Yes, that looked like a [Randy] Johnson fastball," says the VO. Another great, don't-try-it-at-home ad for Fox Sports. Title Pickup Agency Cliff Freeman and Partners, N.Y. Creative director Cliff Freeman Art directors Taras Wayner, Roger Camp Copywriter Kevin Roddy Agency producer Liz Graves Production co. HKM Director Noam Murro Editor Ian MacKenzie, MacKenzie Cutler The Gap At last, a Gap ad starring someone good--Herb Alpert! A huge fan of the Tijuana Brass, Best Spots (owner of four TB albums, including Whipped Cream & Other Delights) could listen to Herb all day. Title Original Herb Alpert Agency In-house Creative director Lisa Prisco Art director Carl Byrd Prods. Susannah Nukes, Leigh Donaldson Production co. Palomar Pictures Directors Mark Seliger, Fred Woodward Editor Pat Sheffield, 525 Post/Palomar Direct Geico A guy looks at his watch--and pours coffee onto his lap. A dude squirts gallons of lighter fluid on the grill--and lights a match. "We all do dumb things," the VO says. "Fortunately, paying too much for car insurance doesn't have to be one of them." Title Dumb Things Agency The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va. ACD/copywriter Randy Belcher Art directors Ken Spera, Bob Meagher Agency producer Amy Daniels Production co. A Band Apart Director Charles Wittenmeier Hamburger Helper With a bullfighter, chattering teeth and a tractor, this over-the-top ad (for a new pasta line) is put over the top by "swimmers" who wear ravioli-shaped bathing caps and dive into bubbling tomato sauce. Somehow it all works, though Esther Williams must be spinning in her grave. Title Twist Your Noodle-Ravioli Agency DDB Needham, Chicago Chief creative officer Bob Scarpelli Group CD Judith Werme Creative director Carolyn Bergen Art director Sarah Feit Copywriter Merry Carole Powers Agency producer Kent Kwiatt Production co. Visitor Director James Wahlberg Digital Simon Monobray, Radium Effects Editor Brian Johnson, Avenue Edit Music Ken Hale, Eric Sproull, What the Hale Music hollywood video In the action-adventure section of the video store, a cowboy instructs two employees how to put on a fake fight. Kid No. 1 throws a punch. "That's a good start," says Tex, "but we don't actually want to hit the person." Two right jabs later, kid No. 2 is down for the count. Man, those punches look real. Title Action Agency Cliff Freeman and Partners, N.Y. CDs Cliff Freeman, Arthur Bijur Art director Matt Vescovo Copywriter Eric Silver Agency producer Nick Felder Production co. Tate & Partners Director Baker Smith Editor Gavin Cutler, MacKenzie Cutler Kmart A jealous guy who drives a cement truck discovers his wife with another man. Revenge is concrete: He pours the stuff into the adulterer's convertible, filling it to the door locks. Uh oh. His wife bought cement boy the car as a gift; the other man sold it to her. All for Kmart's Route 66 Gen-X clothing line. Title Concrete Car Agency Campbell Mithun Esty, Minneapolis Creative director Rick Gibson Art director Ann Brimacombe Copywriter Amie Valentine Agency producer Matt Brenner Production co. Venus/HSI Director Jim Sonzero Editor Gary Hernandez, Crew Cuts Music Big Foote Music Lee Dungarees "Somebody stop that car," a woman screams. "My baby's in that car!" It's Buddy Lee, man of action, to the rescue. "Hit the brakes," yells a bystander. One problem: Buddy's only got 3-inch legs! The car flies off a cliff, crashing in flames. Everyone survives in this hilarious ad, with great editing and special effects. Title Car Agency Fallon McElligott, Minneapolis CDs Harvey Marco, Peter McHugh Art director Andy Azula Copywriter Greg Hahn Agency producer Monika Prince Production co. Satellite Director Spike Jonze Editor Eric Zumbrunnen, Spot Welders Music Elias Music Mastercard Another well-done spot in this venerable campaign. Two golfers hack it around the course until one hits the shot of his life. "Priceless: hole in one and a witness." Title Hole in One Agency McCann-Erickson, New York DCDs Jonathan Cranin, Joyce King Tomas Sr. CD Jeroen Bours Art director Bobby Davies Copywriter Lisa Brandriff Agency producer Sally Hotchkiss Production co. Tony Kaye Films Director Tony Kaye Nike Helping out the paperboy, a jogging Kordell Stewart, a strong-armed NFL QB, tosses the newspapers like footballs. One sends a dog through the hedges; one rips off a neighbor's arm. What are you getting ready for? Title Kordell Agency Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore. CDs Hal Curtis, Chuck McBride Art director Tim Hanrahan Copywriter Canice Neary Agency producer Amy Davenport Production co. M-80 Director Tenney Fairchild Editor Peter Wiedensmith, Joint Music Elias Music Old Navy Showcasing the retro animation of John Kricfalusi, this ad puts a guitar in a girl's hands and flare jeans on her legs. She's sort of a prepubescent Josie (remember the Pussycats?). Hey, anything that puts the Old Navy-Carrie Donovan ads on the shelf, even for a little while, brings joy to Best Spots. Title Flare Jeans Agency In-house Creative director Dennis Leggett Art director Alan Disparte Copywriters Anne Buhl, Jeffrey Olsen Agency producer Connie Bang Production cos. Spumco, Colossal Pictures Director John Kricfalusi Animation Chuck Gammage Sound/music Henry Porch, Jim Smith Saturn Sam Foster is an avid runner (1,000 miles a year) and an avid driver (14,000 miles a year), so he decides to see which is more economical. Sam tallies his running expenses (shoes, socks, etc.) and Saturn expenses (gas, oil, etc.). Final score: Running costs 34 cents a mile; driving, 33 cents. Title Sam Foster Agency Publicis & Hal Riney, S.F. Exec. CDs John Doyle, Dave O'Hare CD/art director Dennis Lim CD/copywriter Greg Ketchum Agency producer Damian Stevens Production co. radical.media Director Frank Todaro Editor Adam Liebowitz, Crew Cuts Composer Brian Banks, Ear to Ear State Of Florida Anti-Tobacco Pilot Program Improvising lyrics to The Brady Bunch theme, this ad explores the perils of second-hand smoke (asthma and heart disease), especially when mom and dad blow smoke at their kids. Not sure any advertising can stop teenagers from lighting up, but this parody seems like a good try. Title Second Hand Smoke Agency Crispin Porter Bogusky, Miami Creative director Alex Bogusky Art director Paul Keister Copywriter Tim Roper Executive producer Terry Stavoe Production co. Voyeur Productions Directors Jim and Vezna Tozzi Editor Jeff Sternberger, Jefferson Edit Music Asche & Spencer Virgin Cola Wading through the PC-ness of this campaign, one timely ad sticks out. A shirtless defender of the Prez says: "Mr. President you probably work 16 hours a day. You go home and want to get laid. Sometimes it's not your wife." Too bad for Bill this guy isn't a member of Ken Starr's grand jury. Title Mr. President Agency Ground Zero, Santa Monica, Calif. CDs Kirk Souder, Court Crandall Art director Brian Tortora Copywriter Adam Solomon Prods. Patricia Phelan, Corey Bartha Production co. Moxie Director Todd Phillips Editor Jim Rhoads, Look Mom No Hands Visa Check Card Another nicely done Visa spot, this time with a crooning Tony Bennett. Even after singing his signature "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," he still needs to flash ID. Tony's still got it. Title Tony Bennett Agency BBDO, New York Chief creative officer Ted Sann Sr. CDs Charlie Miesmer, Jimmy Siegel Art director Russell Sinclair Copywriter Peter Smith Agency producer David Frankel Music producer Rani Vaz Production co. Gartner Director Jim Gartner Editor David Lee, US 2 Volkswagen Passat A car motors down a winding road, and sounds of Spanish fill the air--it's Andres Cantor, Univision's soccer announcer. As the car moves forward, the Spanish becomes more excited. "Ten mid-sized sedans took the field Car and Driver magazine picked a winner," read the supers. The Passat? "Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!" Title Goal Agency Arnold Comm., Boston Chief creative officer Ron Lawner CDs Lance Jensen, Alan Pafenbach Art director Tim Vacarino Copywriter David Weist Agency producer Phil Reilly Production co. Redtree Productions Director David Wadreich Editor Paul Caruso, Paul's Place Washington Mutual Savings Bathed in yellow light, two kids explore a baseball-card shop. "The Washington Mutuals are in," says the clerk. "Check out this '98 Scott Musmansky. He closed 16 home loans in one day!" The kids are pysched, but the Delores Hagans rookie teller card is even better. A cool way to pitch banking. Title Trading Cards Agency McCann-Erickson, Seattle Creative director Jim Walker ACD Kurt Reifschneider Copywriter John Schofield Agency producer Darryl Hagans Production co. Epoch Films Director Adam Bernstein Editor Lance Perrira

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Creative: Best Spots Of July

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