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 all remember our awkward first kiss stories, full of nervousness and rapid heartbeats. Based on “First Kiss,” the new 30-second ad in the Taco Bell Live Mas campaign that came through the tips line, we can now add sticky fingers and spicy breath to the list of uncomfortable descriptors.

Mixing Doritos Locos Tacos and kisses may not seem like the best idea, but this spot might strike the right cord for those who value some teenage sentimentality and John Hughes movies. Associating Taco Bell with cuteness is a tough trick to pull off, you know, with the greasy smells and penchant for attracting drunk college guys as a significant customer base, but Deutsch LA and director Zach Math found a way to pull it off. Taco Bell seems to have tapped the right nerve with Doritos Locos Tacos: the product helped create 15,000 new jobs. Maybe the company can use the profits to provide complimentary mouthwash with any purchase, so young lovers who want to make out in Taco Bell parking lots can have pleasant memories.

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

Four months since the debut “How to Change Cars Forever,” WK’s Portland’s first spot for the Dodge Dart, it’s clear the campaign is now kicking it into high-gear with phase two.

When we first posted the debut spot back in July, there was quite a discussion going on in our comments section. It’s become par for the course here: We post new work from W+K, and the comments explode with people saying it’s not as good as Wieden’s past work or, if someone likes it, it’s because her or she must some sort of W+K fanboy. It’s a testament to W+K’s amazing portfolio they’ve built throughout the years. We expect this agency to blow our mind with every campaign, and we’re quick to complain when it doesn’t.

While this Dodge Dart maybe didn’t completely turn my world upside down with the first spot, it’s definitely grown on me. Despite the fact that it seems to run during every commercial break of an NFL telecast, when I hear the familiar bassline of Kanye West/Jay-Z‘s “No Church in the Wild,” I find myself always completely absorbed in the spot, guessing what aspect of the Dodge Dart will be presented next.

These two new spots, “Interior” and “Unsafe,” take the same formula and condense it into 30-second slices of sensory overload. Perhaps its reflective of the over-caffeniated environment of the W+K Portland office? In any case, the rapid-fire narrative of the Dart’s features really does make the car look like it is far more technologically advanced than any of its competitors. If you’re wondering how to make TV spots dazzle and sell simultaneously, well, it’s just this easy. 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

In October, CP+B Los Angeles and London took over AOR duties for UK-based betting/e-gaming service Paddy Power. Like our commentariat, we admittedly found this news a little dull. But, we did get to give mention to Paddy Power’s old agency, Big Al’s Creative Emporium, and all of the silly names for the different parties involved in the story were just a little too bizarre to ignore.

Well, as the above TV spot proves, the weirdness isn’t ceasing. As Paddy Power’s brand head Adam Perrin said when Crispin won the business, “We were blown away by the freshness of CP+B’s approach and their use of resource across the United States and Europe.” Was CP+B’s “fresh” idea marketing Paddy Power Bingo’s “Home Free Hotline,” as a way to make a quick escape from romantic encounters gone awry? It certainly seems that way.

So, gamblers, are you going to pick your online betting service based on its ability to blow up your mobile? Credits after the jump.

Read more

Is it just us or does the tagline for Wieden + Kennedy’s next phase of the “Go Forth” campaign for Levi’s remind you of Justin Timberlake‘s cringe-worthy line in The Social Network? Whatever the case, the parties involved are back with a new, anthemic (and very oddly timed) campaign about “building a new and better future” that of course also promotes the Levi’s fall collection.

This time, the words of Charles Bukowski replace Walt Whitman‘s as the poetic narrative and the scene shifts to Berlin in this 60-second short film directed by Ralf Schmerberg. It’s not just about American pride anymore, folks, though the idea and imagery basically appears the same. Below, you can check out the Berlin-based collaboration between W+K Amsterdam and artist Alexandre Farto that officially kicked off the campaign last month. Peep film credits after the jump and check out the Facebook component here.

Read more

We can’t help but be reminded of the cinematic masterpiece Kindergarten Cop when watching this new Domino’s ad from CP+B, which picks a different kind of focus group altogether for its new campaign.  The new spot promotes the pizza chain’s specialty deal and thankfully there are no dairy farm-related hijinks involved. However, um, cheesy you think the campaign is, it seems like Crispin’s efforts are paying off as Domino’s hit a new 52-week high on the stock market today. Hooray? Credits after the jump.

Read more