Men with comb overs look hapless. Little boys with comb overs look creepy. To see the difference, please watch the latest Jell-O television spot, appropriately titled “Comb Over.”

In the forty-five-second ad built by CP+B, a balding father whose depressing life resembles a deflated balloon schools his son on the importance of the little things, like a cup of Jell-O pudding. In turn, we see some surreal daydream where the son, still about six years old, goes through a day in the father’s life, only now he has a giant cone head and a comb over. If you ever wanted to know what the male offspring of Lord Voldemort and Francis Dolarhyde (Manhunter version, not Red Dragon) would look like, here you go. Is that not the definition of creepy, a little boy who somehow resembles two fictional psychopaths all because of a comb over? Still, the commercial’s surrealist twist manages to make it stand out in an otherwise standard concept. It’s almost sweet, if not for the whole hapless/depressing/pitying reaction that comes along with comb overs.

Credits after the jump.

Read more

We’re only four days away from the 12/21/12 Mayan apocalypse prediction, and as the our alleged time on Earth winds down, Jell-O wants us to have fun. Lots of fun. And when I picture the crazy stuff people will do days before turning into characters from a Cormac McCarthy novel, I think of eating Jell-O.

CP+B continues its work for the Kraft brand with the Funpocalypse campaign, which includes #funpocalypse, a TV spot (above), e-cards, a survey, and a small giveweay where winners get $100 apiece to accomplish bucket-list goals until our planet combusts.

The infographic (below) is strangely the most appealing part of the package. Jell-O and Wakefield Research conducted a national survey with 1,000 adults and asked questions about how people would spend their last days before an apocalypse. You can find out things like: 52% of Americans would be most excited about not having to pay taxes anymore and 4% of those surveyed actually believe the world is going to end.

Other brands have been trying to stop the apocalypse. Old Spice already took Dikembe Mutombo, so I guess Jell-O is banking on sacrificing sugary snacks to the gods to save humanity. If the gods have diabetes, then we’re all screwed. Are there sugar-free puddings available for the health-conscious deities?

And more importantly, what would Bill Cosby have to say about this? Graphic and credits after the jump.

Read more

We guess things have come full circle in a sense with CP+B’s “Slicing Up Freshness” campaign for Arby’s, which kicked off with two spots at the beginning of October and now closes out the month with a long-form version of the campaign. This time around, director Larry Charles, the agency and client take a closer into the world of “Slicing” star and former New York detective Bo Dietl, who’s hellbent on exposing that Subway’s meat is anything but freshly sliced–unlike, say, Arby’s.

The significant difference between this mini-doc and the original spot starring Dietl, though, is that there’s no real mention of the plant in Iowa where some of Subway’s meat is sliced. If you recall, just days after the original spot aired, Arby’s faced a backlash from the prideful folks of Mount Pleasant, IA  who felt their town and state were being disparaged–hence, the tweak. We can understand their feelings, but we think it was Subway that took the large portion of the beating here. Credits after the jump.

Read more

Though most of the actors of Saturday Night Live‘s classic “Superfans” sketch are either dead or probably have no interest in reviving their Bears-loving mustachioed characters, it doesn’t the mean decades old sketch has been forgotten by the general public. In fact, CP+B have brought Superfans lookalikes back for a new Old Navy spot, predictably titled, “Da Bears.”

In a land of football helmet tailgate parties that more than likely takes place in the same barren field that annually hosts Bonnaroo (maybe), the Pseu-perfans imbibe in usage of “da” instead of “the,” using their faux-South Side Chicago accents to make things sound silly. And yes, Bears fans, this is how the rest of the world identifies you. (Admittedly, I do wish their portrayal of the typical Packers fan as a young attractive female was an accurate reflection of a reality. It doesn’t take a native Wisconsite to tell you this couldn’t be a little far-fetched.)

In any case, this spot features a slew of Chicago-area celebrities that Bears fans will find absolutely delightful, including George Wendt with play-by-play announcer, Jeff Joniak, former Bear and sports announcer and current radio personality, Tom Waddle, and The Windy City’s lord and savior, Mike Ditka. So, Bears fans, do you revel in this stereotype and the bit of fame it’s given you, or will you just continue to tolerate it so long as you get cameo appearances from local sports heroes? Let us know in the comments. Credits after the jump.

Read more

Well, we have to say once again that the cast from the original Beverly Hills 90210 has aged well as now it’s Luke Perry and Jennie Garth‘s turn to take center stage in CP+B’s “Funnovations” campaign for Old Navy continues. Jason Priestley makes an appearance once again in this spot, which perhaps carries more of a Grease vibe than its predecessor. It’s only inevitable, folks, that Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling and/or Ian Ziering complete the series. We’re not holding out hope for Shannen Doherty, though. Credits after the jump.

Read more

Applebee’s is separating themselves from the “good ole American” aesthetic. With their new “See You Tomorrow” campaign created by CP+B, they’re emphasizing fresh food, exciting ingredients, and unexpected taste combinations. That means 1,900 restaurants across America are about to become more interesting.

The first two TV spots directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) launch today and feature passionate chefs who fawn over ripe tomatoes and refreshingly acidic lemons. The ad narrator cuts them off before they take their speeches too far, switching to a typical fast food ad. It’s the restaurant equivalent of a high speed car chase—food falls onto pans in quick succession, sizzles on a grill, and then finally comes together on a steaming plate. The two halves of these spots come together to mark Applebee’s transition. They’re putting more consideration into quality ingredients, but they’re still serving affordable fast food.

This campaign also includes online, radio, outdoor ads and in-store elements, highlighting the “fresh flavors of summer.”

Credits and second spot after the jump.

Read more

My, how the mighty have fallen. Well, not really, considering New Kids on the Block (or NKOTB in their later, mature years) had their heyday over two decades ago. Anyhow, one of the group’s main former pop idols, Jordan Knight, has now taken his talents to the infomercial world, belting out hits for–wait, what?–Old Navy’s summer catalog. Yes, this somewhat amusing video comes to us from none other than Crispin Porter + Bogusky, which continues stoking our late 80s/early 90s nostalgia (Blossom spot, anyone?) by using the singer to promote its client’s flip-flops and summer tees among other things. Yeah, we’re not sure what to think either, but you can check out the Facebook component of the campaign here. Credits after the jump.

Read more

We’ve been told that VP, director of video production is a newly created position at Crispin Porter + Bogusky and the agency needed look no further than within to fill the role. The Boulder-based operation has appointed Chad Hopenwasser to assume the aforementioned title, and though the new veep is based in New York City, he will work across CP+B’s six global offices and oversee video production.

Hopenwasser, who joined Crispin in 2006 from Grey NY and last served as VP, executive integrated producer, has worked most recently on the Kraft Mac & Cheese “Diamond Jubilee” work (along with the tweet-to TV project from last year) as well as Under Armour b-ball and VitaminWater.  In addition, the director of video production has been involved with campaigns for Burger King (including the Tony Stewart efforts) and Hulu.

Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it as they say. Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s latest effort for Kraft Mac & Cheese, which debuted during last night’s Oscars telecast, continues the agency’s concept of parents who can’t help but bogart some of the gooey dish from their kids. This time, as part of Kraft Mac & Cheese’s diamond anniversary (75 years in case you didn’t know), CP+B and its client introduce us to three generations of Mac & Cheese enthusiasts including the elder statesman (who looks awfully familiar) and has been skimming from his offspring’s plates for, yes, 75 years. And of course, Ted “Golden Voice” Williams is still providing VO. Credits after the jump.

Read more

We don’t know how many of you are NBA fans out there, but we are unabashedly and this wait for a regular season to start has seemed interminable. Anyhow, CP+B picks up where its launch spot for Under Armour’s b-ball division left off, with the ninth pick in the 2011 NBA draft, Kemba Walker, going through some seriously rigorous training. Hopefully, all this training finally gives him something to play for soon enough. Credits after the jump.

Read more