DLMDD's Ad Round Up – April 2022
The BEST music and sound to come out of adland in April. It's a good one.
1. Malibu - Welcome to Malibu
Creative Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Production Company: Radical Media
Director: Dave Meyers
SO obviously I’m devastated to not have been involved with the music supervision on this one… The fact that an agency decided to sync, sample, re-imagine, re-record Carly Rae Jepsen’s iconic 'Call Me Maybe' a song which easily breaches my top five favourite songs of all time, by an artist who I routinely, obsessively, almost DAILY refer to as the greatest pop songwriter of our generation (ok tied with Taylor Swift) and yet… this agency didn’t think to call me for my input… like ok… having an existential crisis!! What is my purpose as a music supervisor?? WHY is my expertise in this area NOT recognised and respected?? Shocked, horrified, humiliated and yet.. I am happy for my queen CRJ to be getting her coin and once again permeating the culture, our ears, and (as always in my case), our hearts (stream new single ‘Western Wind’!) with this fantastic spot for Malibu.
The film is equal parts vibrant, colourful, magical and ridiculous (but in a fun way!). The brightly coloured, sun-soaked setting provides the perfect backdrop for a Call Me Maybe remix, with newcomer Aiza delivering a fresh topline to help offer context (whilst also helping promote the sale of Malibu, ofc) with lyrics like “Keep the party going if you want to, we’ve got ice cold drinks on the menu”.
I love seeing brands utilise pop bangers-past to evoke recognisability and a hint of nostalgia, though it’s not always easy to identify when it’s appropriate to re-introduce a track like CMM back to the culture, a track that was, at the height of its popularity, completely inescapable and probably, widely-hated towards the final stages of its pop tenure (not by me of course!). Bring it back too soon, before the last vestiges of hatred have worn off, and it’s groan-inducing. A track like this needs to have been removed from public consciousness just long enough that a single whisper of the string filled chorus has the ability to evoke cries of “omg! Haven’t heard this in ages. I love this song!” followed by a genuine glee at being able to recite the whole thing word for word. That being said, I think Malibu have nailed it, timing-wise, with this one. Side note – omg just googled, it’s been 10 years since Call Me Maybe came out!!! what the HELL!! I am approaching old age at far too rapid a pace.
As the creative team noted “Like a perfect pop track or your cushiest velour sweatpants, Malibu is unashamedly mainstream and deliciously uncomplicated.” Perfect.
Although… final note - I HAVE to say… this is a huge missed opportunity to not have synched Kim Petras’ ’Malibu’! Could have done a Call Me Maybe x Malibu re-record!??
See, these kinds of incredible ideas are why you should have gotten me involved! Your loss, W+K.
2. Heycar - Feel Good Your Way
Creative Agency: Atomic London
Production Company: Outsider
Director: J Marlow
As inferred above, I love it when brands re-contextualise a recognisable song in a campaign-setting to promote the sale of goods and/or services. This time it’s Naughty by Nature’s ‘Hip Hop Hooray’ - and what a magnificent job they’ve done of re-imagining this '90s classic. Changing the iconic motif from ‘hooray ho’ to ‘hey car’, simple, but genius. Kudos to the team!
I don’t really know what Heycar does – car hire? No, never mind I’ve just googled – it’s an online used car dealer. So, even though that wasn’t a hugely clear takeaway from the ad, who cares! It’s fun, distinct, and utilises a great tune with an undeniable fame-factor. A track that’s timeless, upbeat, feel-good, confident - surely guaranteed to make audiences look up from their phones for at least 0.1 seconds!? Plus, the upbeat… beat serves as a great underpinning for an equally upbeat ad. Great brand positioning from a brand I’d never heard of. If I cared about looking into the branding and marketing strategies of competitors in the used car services sector, I’m sure I’d denote that ‘Hey car’s’ B&M is a cut above the rest. So, I guess - job done!
I also like the hero characters cool cardigan. Send me the Asos link pls babe.
3. Deliveroo – How Do You Deliveroo
Creative Agency: Pablo
Production Company: Academy
Director: US
If you compose a song which is essentially the word ‘pizza’ repeated, you have my attention.
4. V&A – Creativity. It’s What Makes Us Human
Creative Agency: adam&eveDDB
Production Company: Park Pictures
Director: Georgia Hudson
I’ve lived in London for 10 years and, much to my embarrassment, paid my first ever visit to the V&A only a mere few months ago. I admit, I’ve never been much of a museum-goer. Walking around for hours, pretending to be interested in 100s of pieces of religious art that are essentially carbon copies of one another is not really my bag. But, in one of my (many) attempts to stave off booze, devote a few weekends to rest and recuperation and indulge in some ‘me time’ I decided to haul ass to South Ken for the afternoon for a good ol’ slice of culture, and boy am I glad I did.
How wrong I was about museums! Who knew they could actually be cool and interesting!? I am a changed woman! There were (of course), to my disdain, a few rooms dedicated to gory depictions of battles and mass paintings of Jesus avec chums but beyond that were ancient ceramics from all over Asia, a Fabergé egg collection, a room of photos depicting the early stages of the industrial revolution, an assortment of fashion pieces chronicling historical trends, and that barely scratches the surface! Room after room stuffed full of beautiful artefacts from throughout history, from all over the Globe – there was truly something for everyone to enjoy.
I spent the best part of six hours that afternoon wandering around beautifully curated exhibitions, each one more engaging than the next. There was even a woman singing opera in the Café! Even your bowl of tomato soup and crusty roll couldn’t escape the cultural splendour that is the V&A. A wonderful place that I will be returning to asap… probs when I’m next doing my next stint in self-volunteered rehab.
All this preamble is to say that, when I caught this exquisite film that Adam&Eve have created to both promote and celebrate the many wonders of the V&A, I was instantly drawn in. The film serves as an exploration and championing of creativity - beautifully capturing the V&A’s essence. Encouraging audiences to experience the world through the V&A lens and feed our creative spirit by engaging in their various collections and programmes. Design, art and performance come to life in this 2 minute film which displays incredible pieces of fashion, jewellery, sculpture and more. The lead performer, BBC Young Dancer 2019 finalist, Max Cookward dances his way through the iconic museum, moving to the rhythms of an enigmatic composition by producer Fredwave. The track sonically weaves its way through the V&A, starting with notes of intrigue, gaining in momentum, propelling us forward in places and granting breathing room when needed, allowing audiences to take pause and fully engage with the images on screen. The production style feels both timeless and contemporary, much like the V&A, classical strings blend seamlessly with electronic beats. A perfect pairing. Superbly executed.
5. Tena – #LastLonelyMenopause
Creative Agency: AMV BBDO
Production Company: Lief
Director: Shannon Murphy
There’s no such thing as a non-perfect Tena ad at this point to be honest. Poignant without being overwrought and cheesy. Authentic, relatable, genuine. Real human stories told with love and care. And this latest is no different. Winner of the Channel 4 Diversity in Advertising Award, Tena’s new film #LastLonelyMenopause tackles the taboo stereotypes and stigmas surrounding menopause by showcasing the very real experiences of one woman currently navigating her way through its effects, closely followed by her young daughter as she concurrently goes through puberty.
The soft groove of Frazey Ford’s 2014, ‘September Fields’ helps keep the tone light and cheerful, which might have felt like a strange juxtaposition due to the subject matter but actually does a beautiful job of setting just right the tone, evoking a warmth and vulnerability that perfectly complements the images on screen, allowing audiences to feel comfortable and creating the sense that what we’re seeing (contrary to the opinions of SOME) isn’t sad or gross or embarrassing (well, maybe sometimes) but is actually, a completely normal part of a woman’s life and should be viewed as such.
Frazey’s soulful voice with its light, earthy tone gently eases us through the sometimes awkward images on screen, reflecting the films’ authentic nature and instilling a sense of comfort. The spot is altogether liberating, powerful and totally unapologetic in its mission to shine a light on the challenges women face during menopause and I love it. I am also now a Frazey Ford fan and will be listening to this album in its entirety asap.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Tesco Mobile - The Epic Mission
Froneri Extreme – An Extreme Night In
