The app is currently in beta and open to input from the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind and the Perkins School—both Honda partners.

“Our technical challenge was to figure out a way to scale visual descriptions to the more than four million miles of roads in the U.S. at any given time,” Hruska tells Muse.” We use computer vision, generative text, and text-to-speech AIs, in combination with eight discrete data sets pulled in real time to affect each description.”

Once revisions and updates made, Honda will decide how to release the app to a wider audience.

VML office in Sydney spearheaded the effort.

“The team here is passionate about street art, it was also summer, and we noticed even the art was being affected by the Australian sun,” CD João Braga tells Muse. “That’s when we landed on the insight around murals, and how some of these iconic portraits exposed to the weather also get damaged over time.”

“They peel and flake just like the skin of the people living around those murals, who are represented by them. When we got to that, we knew we had something powerful.”

So far, Vaseline has tapped artists in NYC, Baltimore and Hartford, Conn., for restorations. Next up: Austin, Texas.

“I’ve always wanted to create art where people of color can find their humanity in the imagery,” says Baltimore muralist Ernest Shaw Jr. “The impact of these murals goes far beyond just their aesthetic value.”

Indeed, his artwork and others in the program sport QR codes leading to skin-care resources, and the client is donating $250,000 to local charitable clinics.

If you like your mayonnaise commercials slathered in silly surrealism, open wide.

A fanatical, flavor-starved tongue voiced by actor Darin De Paul narrates VML’s scenarios for Unilever brand Sir Kensington’s. 

And that slimy thing really says a mouthful in deep, bass tones, demanding obedience and tastier meals RIGHT NOW, DAMMIT!

“Many Tuesdays pass.
The tacos remain unchanged.
Tongue grows restless.
…Tongue demands flavor anew.
A chili lime twist.
Open your mind to new.
Or Tongue will find new mouth.
Obey Tongue!”

Oh, cut it out already!

“In terms of the voice and tone, there really wasn’t any initial reference driving its creation,” VML creative director Dana Stalker tells Muse. “It came out of my head as this authoritative, monotone voice—an id-like character—delivering absurdity in a serious way.”

It’s like a galactic entity from Star Trek TOS, a ravenous Gorn living inside your mouth. The visuals play like a food-centric riff on Terry Gilliam’s dystopian classic Brazil.

Oh, go lick a postage stamp! (Do they even make that kind anymore?)

Director Jesse James McElroy shot the tongue POV bits using a hand-operated rig with a puppet-mouth attached to his camera.

“The puppet for the floating, disassembled sandwich was made of monofilament fishing line and plexiglass plates for each ingredient to sit on,” Stalker says.

Fishing line controlled the folding taco, and a real conveyor belt came into play during the endless-snacks scene.

“Our actors ate A LOT of dry tacos!” she recalls.

The work breaks today across Meta, TikTok, YouTube and other platforms, with OOH set for the summer:

Which brand will take home the 2024 Super Clio for the best Super Bowl commercial? We’ll find out on Feb. 12.

A cat gets all the best lines in Hellmann’s Super Bowl commercial, even though its dialogue consists of a single “word.”

That would be “meow”—which sounds like “may-ow!”—and makes kitty a media darling with help from co-stars Kate McKinnon (as tabby’s owner) and Pete Davidson (who cameos).

Here’s a :60 version of the second-quarter spot:

As with the brand’s past SB spots—the previous two also featuring Davidson—”Mayo Cat” backs its “Make Taste, Not Waste” platform.

“Although our whirlwind romance has come to an end, Mayo Cat and I remain good friends, united by our common goal to end food waste,” says Davidson in press materials. “I’m a big leftovers guy, so it’s been cool to be a part of Hellmann’s ads for the Big Game and their mission to reduce food waste.”

“Hellmann’s continues to challenge itself to find relatable, authentic and even humorous ways for people to think about their leftovers,” says Chris Symmes, senior marketing director N.A. at brand parent Unilever. “Showing people that with a little ‘may-ow,’ we all can play a big role in doing something meaningful, and delicious, with our leftovers that will help reduce our food waste impact.”

VML developed the campaign; Will Speck and Josh Gordon of Speck Gordon directed.

In the run-up to the Big Game, Mayo Cat will appear in an interactive 3-D Las Vegas Sphere activation from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4.

CLICK HERE to watch all of this year’s Super Bowl commercials as they’re released. 

Jon has served for 27 years as chief executive of the company now known as VML. In Oct. 2023, the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson was announced. The resulting agency—dubbed VML—combines creativity with expertise in data, marketing technology and platforms. VML operates as a global network of 30,000 individuals across more than 65 markets, with Jon as worldwide CEO. Clients include AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Intel, Microsoft, Mondelez, SC Johnson, Sherwin-Williams, Coca-Cola and Wendy’s.

We spent two minutes with Jon to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.

Jon, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now. 

Kansas City is the answer to both questions. I’m grateful to have a global advertising job and remain in the city where I grew up. I suppose that’s unique if you weren’t born in New York, London or somewhere glamorous like that.

How you first realized you were creative. 

I developed an awareness of brands when I was in junior high school. I appreciated that certain products conveyed a special essence. But unlike most of my friends, I came to realize there were people in the world whose job was to help create those experiences. I knew I had to be part of it.

A person you idolized creatively early on. 

Steve Jobs. I loved everything about Apple, especially its commitment to a higher purpose. Eventually, I also learned about Jony Ive, and the notion that design could be so much broader than a physical consideration.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life. 

I had a great internship at Disney World during college. I learned the ins and outs of customer and user experience, long before they were industry table stakes. Above all, I learned about the power of exceeding expectations. Those who know me well, know about my obsession with bringing “pixie dust” to every opportunity and connection. 

A visual artist or band/musician you admire. 

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit. He’s an incredible songwriter, humbly observing the world and challenging cultural norms. I respect his courage to share opinions that challenge the genre.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring. 

A recent favorite TV show is The Bear. I enjoy the confluence of business, family, psychographics and socioeconomic factors—set against the backdrop of one of my favorite cities: Chicago.

Your favorite fictional character. 

Breaking Bad’s Walter White

Someone or something worth following in social media. 

Kara Swisher. She’s had her finger on the pulse of contemporary comms forever, yet she remains as relevant today as she was decades ago. We had the pleasure of working with Kara on a VMLY&R-produced program “Re/Imagine Innovation,” and she was as challenging, probing and insightful as I hoped she’d be.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.  

The complete brand transformation of Wendy’s is a highlight of my career and one of the most important and successful relationships in our agency’s history. In celebration of our 2023 One Show Penta Pencil recognition, we put together a fun highlight reel of VMLY&R and Wendy’s greatest hits over the years. We’ve come a long way from “Where’s the Beef?”

A recent project you’re proud of. 

A newer client partner—Virgin Voyages—works with Jennifer Lopez. We leveraged the latest technologies and created Jen AI, J.Lo’s “digital twin.” We used generative AI to mimic J.Lo’s voice and image, providing potential voyagers with a custom tool to invite family and friends to celebrate special occasions. The satirical campaign pokes fun at AI while engaging audiences and driving bookings.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

I’ve admired the “Keep Walking” campaign for Johnny Walker for a long time, especially the “Dear Brother” spot that launched in 2015. As someone who’s very close to two brothers, I appreciate the unexpected emotion in the film. It’s masterful storytelling that positions the product in meaningful context. Luckily both of my brothers are alive and well, and whenever I see this work I usually give each of them a call to just say hi.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

The University of Colorado football program’s “Prime Time” branding, driven by the force of nature that is head coach Deion Sanders. Our youngest daughter is a student at CU, so we’ve witnessed the “prime” mantra spread across the entire university. 

Your main strength as a creative person. 

Envisioning a project, then pouring everything I have into making it come to life. The trick is to realize that the movie comes together in separate yet massively connected stages. Metaphorically—things like initial concept, screenplay, funding, pre-production, production, distribution, promotion and so on. While I’m certainly not an expert about any particular aspect, I’m keenly aware of the various stages and how they relate to one another. You have to have the commitment and drive to advance it forward, and an ability to motivate others to help bring it to life. 

Your biggest weakness. 

Immersing myself too deeply in individual projects or new-business opportunities. We have amazingly talented account leaders and discipline experts who probably cringe when I drop a not-so-subtle hint that I look forward to receiving an invitation to participate in a working session. When you care so much about the work, there’s a risk of micro-managing, which can crimp people’s style.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

I’d proudly accept the role of commissioner of the NFL. Kidding, not kidding.

For a mesmerizing minute, LADAPT’s “A World Without Limits” by BETC Paris renews our sense of wonder about where technology could take us. (Maybe someday we will chomp a mammoth meatball.) But it grinds down with a question that borders on the (rightfully) ridiculous: With all this pie-in-the-sky rhetoric, why’s it still “complicated” to hire disabled people? One in three companies still haven’t. This precedes European Disability Employment Week, which runs from Nov. 20-26.

In Belgium, Hungry Minds made a deceptively simple ad about cybercrime that also manages to be pretty scary. In “A Simple Click, a Major Clack,” a dopey-looking chap taps his phone. Suddenly everything in his house starts disappearing in a telltale shimmer of digital static. It’s as if cybercriminals were poltergeists, or he was living in The Matrix. This is for Digital Wallonia, which educates people about online hygiene.

Of all the cancers, we most often forget about blood cancer, which scares us most. DKMS and Serviceplan Cologne give us #TakeTwo, a campaign about second chances. The first season introduces us to Daniel, who got leukemia at 19. Following a stem cell donation, he can now fulfill his dream of becoming a tattoo artist. Four episodes follow his journey. Ep 1’s below, but also watch 2, 3 and 4.

It’s rare we see Italian work around here, and we’re thirsty for more, but Lamborghini could do a little better than “Thunder Meets Lightning.” Made by BMF to promote the Revuelto, it features three pro driver buds in a Lambo race challenge that goes from Bologna to the Piero Taruffi Vallelunga Circuit near Rome. Mini Cooper did this better in The Italian Job.

Why settle for first class when you can upgrade to French class? Marcel literally just made that up for DS Automobiles, and if it catches on, we might die of pretentiousness. The ad features a car cruising upside-down over clouds, very Inception meets Vanilla Sky (before both movies get chaotic and scary). It’s set to a cover of “Cheek to Cheek.” This is a promo for the DS 4’s comfort options, which include great acoustics and suspension, night vision, and … wait for it … ChatGPT. (Do we even want to know why?)

In Portugal, Betclic and Shutterstock made a documentary called “Surfing Through the Odds.” It’s an effective 20-minute portrait of African girls fighting for empowerment while surfing with SOMA Surf, an NGO based in São Tomé and Príncipe. Photos of them doing their thing live in the Shutterstock image bank, making them the first Black female surfers to appear in a for-use collection of images and videos … which is nuts. (We’re not totally clear what Betclic gets out of it, besides points with Santa.)

With Innocean, Hyundai Motor U.K. made a series of Channel 4 idents that promote how the car can charge and power appliances. In this case, it chose to focus on a film projector. The ads feature the IONIQ 5 and 6 and the Kona Electric, projecting stuff from different film genres on East London streets. See “Cyber,” “Unicorn” and “Dolphin.” We hope they do another appliance, and that it’s a high-power blender. (We just miss this guy.)

Goings-on: The Polish Association of the Deaf and Group One launched UNMUTE Agency, a first-of-its-kind communications endeavor that’s dedicated to connecting brands and disabled communities. The agency’s first client is BLIK. Notably, from June 2025 onward, private European companies must comply with the EU’s European Accessibility Act, dedicated to … well, making products and services more accessible.

Ogilvy Paris is launching its third edition of Hors-Circuit, a contest in support of more DEI in the creative field. This year, it’s doing it in partnership with Instagram and nonprofit Les Déterminés. Emerging artists have until Nov. 30 to share an Instagram reel of potential projects; the winner gets full creative support. Last year, dancer, screenwriter and director Eugène Bolengu won. He’s currently producing a short film with H&O, Ogilvy Paris’ production arm.

Serviceplan Group absorbed Equmedia in Spain. It will be integrated with Mediaplus, and renamed Mediaplus Equmedia. Guess this means we have to mention that other merger: WPP is mashing up Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R. The resulting entity, VML, goes operational from Jan. 1. Jon Cook will serve as global CEO; Debbi Vandeven will be global chief creative officer.

2. Music as the medium to blur lines between content and entertainment

Wendy’s dropped a mixtape earlier this year, dissing a well-known fast-food chain with two golden arches by leaning into hip-hop beef culture (as evidenced by the recent Pusha T and Drake feud). The result was some of hip-hop’s most acclaimed publications celebrating the witty, clever and bold nature of the songs, garnering millions of streams and countless positive impressions; the beats are fire, check it out.

Another unique example of this approach was VML’s work for the city of Nashville, where together we crafted a full-length feature documentary telling the story of one of the most important forces in music—the Nashville songwriter. 

“It All Begins With a Song: The Story of the Nashville Songwriter” features songwriters and artists Jessi Alexander, Garth Brooks, Mac Davis, Mikky Ekko, Brett James, Claude Kelly, Shane McAnally, Brad Paisley, Ray Stevens and dozens more. 

As Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, said, “This kind of film is a complete departure for a destination marketing organization. … At the heart of Nashville’s success as a destination is our music and creative community, represented best by our songwriters. Through them, we present Nashville as a unique, authentic and creative destination unmatched anywhere in the world.” 

3. Music as brand DNA

Marketers like Apple, Samsung and Adidas heavily invest in music culture and music-centered executions, given the return on their brand recognition, recall, familiarity and affinity. 

With this approach, it seems there is a consistent rule of thumb: If the content piece feels like a music video for the song itself and equally maintains the brand mission, it’s going to be a win-win for the brand and artist. 

4. Music unveils the story

Music has the plasticity to become the story itself and set the stage in the right context of a creative concept. Take Elton John’s “Rocket Man” teeing up Samsung’s inspiring story of a seemingly flightless, courageous ostrich, or the recently reimagined theme music of Narcos. 

Season 4 of Netflix’s acclaimed series moves locations from Colombia to Mexico and communicates this with the visual of a mariachi band covered with cocaine and a reimagined theme song. One note of the mariachi cover instantly takes the listener directly to Mexico and communicates the new locale more efficiently than any conventional storytelling could. 

While these are just a few approaches where music can be the effective medium of a campaign, what’s next? How do we execute with music as the medium? Connect the dots from your brand/client to emerging indie artists, and study how they operate and market their own brand or content. Bring your in-house music department or music director to the creative briefing from the get-go. Take notes on what’s working (and what’s not) through pop culture’s reaction to A-list artists’ music and album release campaigns.

The next innovative campaign could be waiting patiently within the dusty grooves of some wax in your crates. Next time you find yourself in a client briefing, don’t be afraid to put music first. After all, music is the basic building block of emotions, human communication and connection.