Jerry Seinfeld, Ringan Ledwidge and Tide: The Work That Made Blake Morris
Blake Morris is a New York based creative who’s spent the past decade making big brands feel human, funny and impossible to ignore. He’s led integrated campaigns for household names like Molson Coors, Tide, Las Vegas, IHOP, Allstate and Walmart, blending storytelling with spectacle in all the right ways.
He loves sports, but has a horrible 40-yard dash, so Blake looks to bring that passion to his creative work. He has helped develop four Super Bowl campaigns – including 2018’s Emmy-nominated ‘It’s a Tide Ad’. His work has picked up some trophies too, including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix, a Titanium Lion, a D&AD Black Pencil, and The One Show’s Penta Pencil.
These days, Blake serves as group creative director at R&R Partners, where he leads the creative charge for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Blake> I pinch? Maybe, little pinch? I remember endlessly quoting this Honda spot when I was a kid. It’s the best kind of dumb humour. It’s interesting now to realise what seemed like a silly spot with a silly silly voice, was influenced by some clear strategic and creative decisions.
LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Blake> There was this big push around 2008 when sports teams were breaking away from traditional uniforms and getting really creative. Some were great, some were misses, but for the first time I felt like I had an opinion on why a creative idea worked or didn’t. That opened things up for me.
LBB> The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Blake> I’ve always liked Jerry Seinfeld. ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’ gets into a lot of the “math” as to why things are funny or why bits work. It’s entertaining but also pretty educational.
It’s also a great reminder that even the most successful comedians in the world don't just pick up a microphone and be funny. There is truth and writing and editing. All things we deal with.
LBB> My first professional project…
Blake> The first thing I sold was a 15 second spot for a tire promotion at Walmart. I got a great handshake from my boss afterward.
LBB> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Blake> Look, making ANYTHING is hard. There are so many obstacles to navigate and hoops to jump through. I will say, I don’t think the world needs any more Sadvertising.
LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Blake> Oh this is a long list. I think envy is a huge motivator for me. Nearly everything that Ringan Ledwidge directed makes me envious. I use Audi ‘Clowns’ as a reference frequently.
‘Stevenage Challenge’ from DAVID Madrid is still one of the smartest modern ideas in my opinion. I love the chain reaction they set up to have the world’s biggest stars wearing the Burger King logo.
More recently, it feels like every piece of film work that comes out of Mother London is the type of work we all dream about making. The Javier Bardem Uber Eats spot is incredible.
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
Blake> ‘It’s A Tide Ad’ was a rocketship, and it was a blast to have a seat on it. Hell of a crew, too.
LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…
Blake> Tide’s ‘Laundry Night’ campaign is one that I’ll always love. We had strung together a few wins for the brand, and with that came a lot of pressure. We had a couple not-so-great reviews with the client, so we were all pushing pretty hard to land something that we’d love.
We landed on a battle between the NFL and NBC on which was the right night to do your laundry. The scale was pretty huge, in the number of spots, celebrities, and red eye flights across the country. SNL’s Lorne Michaels even had approval over one of the spots. During post-production I got glasses for the first time. Turns out, my vision was fine, I was just really tired.
LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Blake> We tried to parody the Sara Mclaughlin ASPCA ad. It was a bad idea. It will never see the light of day.
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Blake> We had a campaign to promote the Super Bowl in Las Vegas – ‘Excessive Celebration Encouraged’. It quite perfectly hit the intersection of what the brand has to offer and what NFL fans and players already want. It was my first work for Vegas, and I think it helped set a new bar for the brand and agency. We have a lot of stuff coming out this Fall that I am excited about.
