Marvel heroes and villains do their thing in a campaign by Coca-Cola and Disney that launches today. 

The carbonated beverage behemoth and entertainment company have been collaborating for over 60 years. Their latest effort, “Coca-Cola x Marvel: The Heroes,” offers immersive storytelling and copious fan engagement. 

Kicking off with a TV spot, we see a woman in a comic book shop inadvertently throw an illustrated world into turmoil. From her shirt, Juggernaut springs to life, wielding destruction. Captain America, Daredevil and Black Widow show up to save the day.

GUT and WPP Open X lead the creative, which will live across TV, cinema and video sharing platforms, as well as digital and out-of-home.

What’s more, limited-edition Coca-Cola packs feature 38 character illustrations—with scannable cans generating collectible digital heroes. Reach for a Coke and meet Blade, Deadpool or Loki. Thirsty for Zero Sugar? You’ll find Ant-Man, She-Hulk and Shang-Chi, among others. 

The collab also provides an immersive AR experience on the Coca-Cola website, and a prize giveaway featuring a Disney cruise, Marvel movie screenings, autographed memorabilia and Disney+ subscriptions.

“We took the traditional marketing paradigm and redefined it in the best way possible,” says Mindy Hamilton, senior vice president of global marketing partnerships at Disney “The result is an unprecedented campaign that taps into the power of the Marvel Universe – which is heading into its 85th year of beloved characters—and tells stories in a way that can only be done when Coca-Cola and Disney come together.”

Gaming has always been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to advertising; and 3D anamorphic OOH campaigns have become big news of late, blurring the line between physical and digital and moving advertising into the realm of fan-forward immersive entertainment.

The 3D anamorphic space has provided a highly engaging way to tell experiential brand stories and turn local market activations and stunts into global conversations and cultural moments.

But sometimes the perfect combination of iconic characters, technology and passionate human beings obsessed with craft and storytelling allows you to move the needle and reach new heights. This is precisely what happened when 2K reached out to our team at BCN Visuals with a mission to not only push this growing medium even further, but to redefine it altogether and launch one of the most anticipated games of the year: “Marvel’s Midnight Suns.”

So how do you take something already grounded in innovation and technology to the next level? You turn to your dark inner fan!

Set in the darker, supernatural side of the Marvel Universe, this has been a work of love and passion, from true fans to true fans. To celebrate the much-anticipated launch, 2K wanted to create something that served as an extension of the game itself. So, we unleashed a three-story-high Hulk to smash his way through Times Square, summoned Blade to come to the rescue and finally letting the Ghost Rider loose to set the whole place on fire.

At over 17,000 square feet, 23 million pixels, and spanning the corner of an entire city block, it was the largest depiction of some of Marvel’s most iconic characters coming to life as you’ve never seen them before, bursting through the screen and into the real world.

Our team achieved this effect through a rigorous and meticulous process that involved a projected geometry screen study to determine the optimal vantage point, a solar pass study that identified potential glare issues, a team of 60+ best-in-class Hollywood animators and VFX artists, a proprietary in-situ previz tool, and a virtual reality replica of Times Square that allowed our team to check their work at every step. Ultimately, it all boiled down to telling a compelling story that could capture an audience’s attention in one of the busiest places on earth, and create an emotional connection.

“It is always an exciting challenge to break the mold and execute creative marketing campaigns that deliver tech innovation and impact for the gaming community,” says Deborah Beckman, 2K director of marketing, Americas. Clear Channel Outdoor SVP of creative Mike McGraw called it, “One of the very best uses of our digital billboard to date.”

Fans and critics loved it. Once live, word of the digital billboard spread fast online as fans flocked to Times Square to experience it live. Millions worldwide turned to social media to watch their favorite characters wreak havoc on the streets of New York City.

Darkness falls, RISE UP!

An Introduction Fit for a King

The year was 2017, and the seeds of social unrest over civil injustice were taking root and influencing the zeitgeist at the same time that Black Panther, the first MCU film to be led by a Black actor, was on its path to release.

Our team understood early on that this was not just a regular movie, but something special that reflected a cultural moment. Inspired by the gravity of the assignment, we put a massive collaborative effort into action with the goal of honoring the stunning source material.

Over 50 million YouTube views and a $1.3 billion box office haul later, and the rest is history….

Collaboration

The chance to work on this trailer was given to us by our amazing clients at Disney: John “Ibby” Ibsen, SVP of creative advertising, and Lauren Wright, VP of creative advertising. Having teamed up with Ibby in the past, we knew we had the benefit of an ideal collaborator who could provide singular creative guidance and support, so we were excited to dive in. They immediately launched us into action with their creative direction—Black Panther was all about the old meeting the new. An ancient civilization with hi-tech prowess. This was our starting point. It was clear that Ibby and Lauren wanted to raise the bar with this trailer by challenging us to make a real statement. And we delivered.

In preparation, we brought together a team of visionaries to take on the task, with Create’s EVP Michael Trice (now VP of creative advertising at Disney) and VP Zoe Chau steering the process, and industry veteran Brendan Lambe doing the editorial crafting. This core team was supported by multiple divisions at Create, most notably the writing team led by our head writer, Dee Dee Cecil, and Esther Aronson during the concept phase, as well as our music team, led by head of music Heather Kreamer and music supervisor Craig Thompson.

With the help of our partners at Disney, our collaboration even extended to director Ryan Coogler himself, who supported the process and helped bring in Vince Staples to lend his lyrical talents to make this a truly unique trailer experience.

Structure

In a crowded cinematic universe, where every existing Marvel superhero already commands the viewer’s attention, an impactful introduction is paramount. We were not only introducing a new superhero, we were also giving audiences their first glimpse of his distinctive setting: Wakanda.

Critical to both the plot and Black Panther’s identity, we knew the big reveal of Wakanda to audiences had to create a sense of awe. The speech by Agent Ross, a CIA veteran who has “seen it all,” provided a clear and digestible way in—serving as the audience’s POV. The line, “Where have you been hiding this?” sets the stage for the film, and T’Challa’s cool confidence in his response sets the tone for his character.

Following that, the goal was to bring audiences further into the details of a hyper-advanced nation that is just as much defined by its traditional culture as by its technology, integrating our core strategy of juxtaposing the old with the new through contrasting visuals like ancient ritual combat followed by a look at Black Panther’s brand new hi-tech suit.

Once the hero and his kingdom are established, and with the backend hitting like a bomb with Vince Staples’ “BagBak,” we introduced our villain Erik Killmonger to ratchet up the stakes. Then it was time for a hyped-up montage to take us out, with our goal being to establish the action-packed moments and introduce the grand scope of the film.

This structure allowed us to effectively integrate minimal yet impactful dialogue and create a clear visualization of the battle lines throughout, highlighting the differences in how T’Challa and Killmonger saw both the world and the conflict within the film itself… all without giving away too much.

It was a balanced approach that demonstrates how a little goes a long way, allowing us to tell a clear story while keeping it simple and engaging enough to drive audiences to theaters to discover more.

The Look and Sound

While the structure clearly conveyed the dynamics of the film, it was the look and sound that made this trailer a truly differentiated experience.

Early in the process, our team believed that Gil Scott-Heron’s spoken word protest song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” could play an essential role for a film that was revolutionary in its own right.

We combined this incisive and influential song with the high-energy, searing “BagBak.” The confidently defiant energy of the song resonated deeply with the film, and we wanted to draw those lyrics in the same way we drew in Gil Scott-Heron’s.

It was blending these two together where the real work began.

Hitting All the Right Beats

In the preliminary stages, we had several composers tell us it was a near-impossible task, but the final result was executed with the combined efforts of our editor Brendan Lambe and the creative guidance and expertise of our music team. Along the way, we leaned on the support of our label and composer partners, and it was the collaboration of an entire village that was critical to enabling the mashup of three different cues all on top of each other.

But we didn’t stop there. Vince Staples gave us more than just one incredible song. After director Ryan Coogler reached out to the artist, Vince Staples generously went into the studio to ad-lib additional vocals that took the trailer to another level.

Harnessing the Beauty of Afro-Futurism

This singular sound clearly needed visuals to match. We wanted it to feel like an authentic extension of the themes that define Black Panther and Wakanda, while also paying homage to what makes the film stand out as a creative and cultural force.

This led us to focus on the beautifully rich themes of afrofuturism, an aesthetic and philosophical exploration that played a key role in Ryan Coogler’s vision. Just like the movement itself, we blended and juxtaposed the contemporary futuristic with the traditional, and in so doing, avoided making the trailer feel too modern, or too old, but a mix of the two to create something fresh.

Ibby, in addition to providing key guidance throughout the process, also offered us the ability to create an even more distinct identity through custom VFX shots that really elevated our narrative. A great example of this was the feature at the very end with T’Challa opening his claws, an interesting verité shot that looked cool and created a very compelling final moment to leave audiences with.

Making a Mark

Black Panther wasn’t just a great film; it was a necessary one. We were honored to make our contribution to such a historic and groundbreaking film, and work so closely with a character that Chadwick Boseman put his heart, soul and brilliance into. We will forever be humbled and eternally grateful for this opportunity given to us by our friend and creative superhero Ibby, and the incredible Disney marketing team.

Following in the footsteps of Hyundai, Lexus and Xbox, Tide has joined the Marvel Cinematic Ad Univers with an appearance leading up to the May 6 premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

It began with teaser ads on the Instagram pages of Benedict Wong and David Harbour—the latter already a member of both universes as a spokesman for Tide and Red Guardian in Black Widow. Standing in his laundry room, Harbour laments a jelly stain on his shirt. Behind him, a portal opens and his Tide Pods are stolen. “Strange,” he says.

We hear Sorcerer Supreme Wong recite a spell in another ad, where a portal opens to a basement with a washer, dryer and Tide Pods.

Both led to a 60-second spot that Marvel fans will undoubtedly watch multiple times to find every hidden gem.

The spot below begins with Sorcerer Supreme Wong eating a tuna sandwich and staining the Cloak of Levitation. This harkens back to a scene in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War where Wong craved a tuna melt. Four years later, he finally got it.

Wong opens a portal to the washer/dryer but the cloak takes off to the NYC streets. Avoiding each portal Wong opens causes the cloak to get more dirty. Hot coffee and every ingredient inside a pizza truck covers the cloak. Joe’s Pizza Parlor is a nod to Joe’s Pizza from Spider-Man 2. The phone number inside the truck works—(332) 248-1244—and features an amusing message from Wong.

The cloak finally concedes to being washed, but not with liquid Tide. This leads to Wong opening that portal to swipe Harbour’s Tide Pods. “If you’re got to be sure, switch to Tide Pods.”

Muse spoke with Saatchi’s Jennifer Brotman and Daniel Lobatón about how the partnership came about, finding Easter eggs throughout the spot (like Doctor Strange’s gloves in the laundry room), and building an ad around a reference from a 4-year-old movie.

(Still unknown: Since Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man 2 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, does the Joe’s Pizza reference mean Tobey Maguire will make an appearance in the upcoming film?)

Muse: How did the Tide and MCU partnership come about? 

Jennifer Brotman, SVP and group account director: We are always looking for the next way to intercept culture, and what better way than partnering with the biggest movie franchise? A few years ago, we had a conversation with Marvel and identified the Cloak of Levitation—we knew there was something there. But like any good Marvel or Tide story, we needed a great human insight. It wasn’t until we were working on the Tide Pods brief that we came across the insight that “When a garment is borrowed, the stakes are higher.” It all came together pretty quickly from there: If Wong stains Doctor Strange’s cape, then he is going to need Tide Pods.

How did you come up with the idea to build upon Wong and the tuna sandwich? 

Daniel Lobatón, co-president and chief creative officer: As Marvel fans, we wanted to bring in Marvel Easter eggs that would excite fans who know the in-depth storylines. As soon as we sat down to write the script, the first sentence that came to us was, “Open on Wong eating the tuna melt sandwich from Infinity War.” It gave us a huge grin, so we knew it was right. The Marvel team was equally as excited and it started the whole conversation about how many Easter eggs we could add to the film.

Can you reveal some Easter Eggs?

Lobatón: You’ll just have to watch and find them yourself, but let’s just say the pizza truck and the laundry room are great places to start. And of course, the David Harbour post is the ultimate Marvel tease: Is he in the movie, or is this just another Tide ad?

Do you expect most viewers to understand the references, or is this truly a love letter to the MCU? 

Lobatón: We think it works even if you don’t know the reference, and if you do, it makes it that much better. It will get avid fans looking more closely to say what other Easter eggs are in here. But ultimately, this film is a huge love letter to fans.

Any challenges in creating the campaign?

Lobatón: There were a lot of nuances in getting the character of the Cloak right, and hard for the team to picture how the story would go until all the CGI was in there.

CREDITS

Saatchi & Saatchi NY
Daniel Lobaton – Chief Creative Officer
Lauren Varvara -VP, Creative Director
Adrian Chan – VP, Creative Director
Lucas Panizza – Creative Director
Erin Evon – Associate Creative Director
Jason Burke – Associate Creative Director 
Dani Stoller – VP, Executive Producer
Sarah Beaumont – Chief Executive Officer Woven 
Jennifer Brotman – SVP, Group Account Director
Anna James – Account Supervisor
Alex La-Rotta – Digital Account Supervisor
Claire Lancaster – Assistant Account Executive
Chris Gilbert – VP, Experience Strategy Director
Lee Boshes – Strategy Director
Shayla Nguyen – Junior Strategist
Lisa Rimmer – Senior Business Manager

P&G – Tide
Alex Perez – Senior Brand Director
James Sawyer – Brand Director
Bethany Kasper – Brand Director 
Mathew Thomas – Senior Brand Manager
Kimberly Doebereiner – Group VP Future of Advertising, Head of P&G Studios
Rotha Brauntz – Director of Sustainability & Brand Communications 
Henry Molski – Communications Manager
Paul Chick – Director, Advertising Production 
Stephanie Wong – Head of New Ad Models & Entertainment
Justin Bracco – Sr. Media Manager
Matt O’Shea – Dir. Brand Media
Kenia Intriago – Sr. Purchasing Manager
Dave Spanogians – Sr. Purchasing Manager
Lauren Lasson – Media Manager
Judy Zheng – Asst. Media Specialist

Marvel Studios Partnerships
Mindy Hamilton – SVP, Global Partnership Marketing
Holly Frank – VP, Global Partnership Management & Operations
Chris Lisciandro – VP, Marketing Partnerships & Promotions
Andrew Staub – Director, Creative Marketing Partnerships
Evan Aronson – Writer/Producer, Creative Marketing Partnerships
Victor Farfan – Senior Manager, Marketing Partnerships & Promotions
A.J. Fierro – Director, Creative Marketing Partnerships & Promotions

Carat
Lucia Morris – Director, Content
Alysha Yuille – VP, Content

Platinum Rye Entertainment
Lori Golden – SVP, Celebrity & Influencer, Acquisition & Operations 
Billy Blundell – Director, Celebrity & Influencer

Bullitt
Anthony Leonardi – Director
Benjamin Kitchens – DP
Hillary Rogers – Managing Director
Jennifer Sprunger – Executive Producer
Nathaniel Greene – Producer
Matthew Haggerty – 1st Assistant Director
Julian Laverdiere – Production Designer

Framestore
Alex Thomas – Creative Director/VFX Supervisor 
Pete King – Executive Producer
Scott Tinter – Senior Producer 
Brian Creasey – 3D Supervisor 
Carlos Adarraga Gomez – 2D Supervisor/Flame Artist
Marco Marenghi – Animation Supervisor
Jon Burke – Animation Supervisor
Katie Goggin – Production Coordinator 

Whitehouse Post
Josh Bodnar – Editor
Tiffany Taveras – Assistant Editor
Caitlin Grady – Executive Producer
Melanie Klein – Head of Production 

Co 3 New York
Tom Poole – Colorist 

Wave Canon
Nicholas O’Toole – Composer

IMN
Mark Binder – Sound Supervisor / Sound Designer
Buck Mason – Sound Executive Producer
Daniil Kiselev – Sound Post Producer
Chris Goodes – Re-Recording Mixer
Elliot Hartley – Sound Supervisor / ADR Mixer
Vu Le – Foley Artist

Fans seeking the scoop on Spider-Man: No Way Home, set for release in theaters next week, can read all about it in … the Daily Bugle, where else?

Liberty Mutual and Goodby Silverstein & Partners teamed up with Sony Pictures to print 3,000 free copies of the Marvel comics (and now film) franchise’s iconic fictional newspaper for distribution from a pop-up newsstand at an undisclosed location on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Bugle headlines describe the mayhem NYC endures in the movie, positioning Liberty Mutual as “the insurance company that can protect what’s yours, even if villains from the multiverse strike,” per press materials.

Indeed, Liberty’s front-page Doug-and-LiMu ad proclaims: “Villains destroy. We protect.” Alas, Doug fares poorly in spider-bite commercial tie-ins:

The back page boasts a tip line for Spidey sightings. As part of the promotion, today’s edition of the New York Post will also carry word of the web-slinger on its cover. (Insert your own joke about fake news here.)

“Evolving our advertising for the future requires exploring new ways to engage with consumers,” says Liberty Mutual CMO for U.S. retail markets Jenna Lebel. “Spider-Man is a globally recognizable character with a passionate following, and we’re excited to see the engagement and results this partnership will drive for our brand.”

“Spider-Man: No Way Home has been surrounded by secrets, rumors and tremendous buzz since production began, so it’s quite fitting that a real and limited edition of the Daily Bugle will be distributed from one secret newsstand in New York City,” adds Jeffrey Godsick, EVP of global partnerships and brand management at Sony.

In an amusing collab between Lexus and Marvel Studios’ Eternals, Kumail Nanjiani helms a Lexus IS 500 S Sport Performance (you will never remember that, we know) as the city collapses around him.

We give you “Parking Spot.”
 
Directed by the Russo brothers, who previously worked on Avengers: Endgame, Nanjiani appears as his Eternals character Kingo, a cosmically powered swordsman and Bollywood film star. 

Some dangerous supervillain nonsense is going down. But Kingo can’t help out until he finds a safe parking spot.

While navigating this universally frustrating task, he fields impatient phone calls, falling concrete, aggressive “no parking” signs, pigeons, double-parkers, and one of those real slow old ladies who just got a call from her grandson, right in front of his car.

It sounds like a video game. But parking is a weird and treacherous game. It engages you without your consent, and merit doesn’t matter; a car that just showed up could still grab that fresh-freed primo spot before you do, regardless of how many times you’ve circled the block. 

Parking mocks everything you hold dear, and doesn’t care if you need to pick your kids up from your ex’s house or get to the job interview on time. Successful parking in high-traffic zones is mostly luck. Thus, you are reminded that Fortuna is fickle, you control nothing, and your priorities are functionally meaningless. 

Even if you’re Kingo, trying to save humanity.

Kingo’s struggle feels a lot like life, blown up and made bombastic. “Oh, is there a big battle going on? I couldn’t tell. Stop calling me!” he shouts, finally frustrated over the tipping point with the urgent calls that plague his already-divided attention.

In today’s Marvel universe, this kind of comedy is pretty standard fare—an amusing balance between relatable, deprecating humor and superhuman high stakes. But it also weirdly serves to elevate Lexus.

A Lexus is a pricey car, but not always an exciting one. It’s not a Tesla or a top-down Audi roadster. It’s a payscale or two up from a Nissan, with a pearly finish. 

That’s also how we market modern superheroes: They’re like me and you, quirky and occasionally annoying or selfish, but leveled-up, usually by some accident of chance that they had little to do with themselves. The fictional magic that makes Kingo who he is really only means his responsibilities and problems exist on a different scale, but ultimately the stresses are the same.

The city is collapsing. But he still doesn’t want to park under a row of pigeons, or risk a parking ticket.

Kingo’s just a guy with cosmic powers and the inability to die. The Lexus is also just a car, upscale but innocuous … but this one’s a V8, capable of navigating sudden last-minute twists and turns through hellfire while equally also capable of ensuring that each and every call you get still pops up on your dashboard at the least convenient moment.

Still, this is an ad. Kingo’s stakes are higher than your job interview; his job is protecting humanity. And the Lexus IS 500, with its super-nifty eight-cylinder engine, is the car he chose to get there. Look at that! A shopping cart slammed into its bumper and popped off like a paperclip.

“There’s a natural synergy between Marvel Studios and Lexus,” says Vinay Shahani, Lexus VP of marketing. “We both go all-in to deliver amazing experiences. We’re incredibly excited to team up with Marvel Studios’ Eternals to showcase our very own superhero, the first-ever V8 IS 500, which ushers in a new Lexus F SPORT Performance Line.”

Anyway, Kingo finds parking. His phone rings. “Yeah, yeah, I’m a seven-minute walk away!” he snaps, running for the carnage as the shot fades out. The Lexus, of course, takes center stage.

“Exhilaration is eternal in the first-ever V8 Lexus IS 500,” intones the new voice of Lexus branding, Gaius Charles, just prior to this little easter egg moment. “See Marvel Studios’ Eternals, only in theaters. Experience amazing at your Lexus dealer.”

“Parking Spot” features visual effects by Framestore. The movie Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao, hits U.S. theaters on Nov. 5. In addition to a whole passel of celebs, including Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie, it features cameos from the Lexus LS 500 flagship sedan and NX luxury crossover.

You can read the 16-page comic book created by FCB New York and Marvel here, and check out an animated version below.

Smoky tendrils snake through suburbia. High schoolers shamble around like the undead, and, oddly, their eyeballs vanish. (These pupils have no pupils!) Our heroes ultimately prevail by using a time-helmet to show their vaping pals that a grim future lies ahead. (Whoa, that school has some STEM curriculum!)

“The End … or is it?” reads an ominous concluding panel, followed by a reminder for readers to stay vigilant and visit TheRealCost.gov. It’s pretty over the top, and that’s fine, given the self-aware, Marvel-ous context of the campaign. The kids use science to save the day, a touch that should appeal to kids who code. Sure, their invention’s pure fantasy, but it feels more appropriate to the storyline than hokey superpowers.

“The target audience is anyone between 12 and 21 whose thumb would stop scrolling at the first sight of a Marvel-style illustration,” FCB executive creative director Gary Resch tells Muse. “Teens have a diner-sized menu of diversion, so you really have to entertain them on their terms. Marvel has earned their confidence that a good story is about to be told.”

Last year, the media giant helped Allegheny Health Network produce a comic-book tribute to its nurses. Here, the awesome artwork and wild plotline seem suitably compelling to draw in young fans.

“We spent a lot of time debating the most provocative way to illustrate the villainous addiction,” Resch says. “Is it in human form? Is it a beast? We wanted something very alien, an entity we can’t relate to—no eyes, no mouth. We felt a mist or a fog would capture that eerie, sentient, possessing force best.”

Produced under the FDA’s “Real Cost” banner, “The Mind Control Menace” marks another notable teen-targeted campaign, which have proliferated in recent years with vaping’s popularity on the rise. It’s way less jokey than the Evelyn Lilly Lutz Foundation’s slang-saturated messages from grannies to Gen-Z (“Vaping during Covid is just plain headass!), more akin in its creepiness to the non-profit’s earlier PSAs with demonic, flame-eyed folks riding young people’s backs.

“The thing about superhero stories is that beneath the fantasy lies real life issues we can all relate to,” says Resch. “Ask anyone who’s ever been addicted to nicotine and they will tell you the battle is real.”

CREDITS

FDA
Kathy Crosby – Director, Office of Health Communication and Education
April Brubach – Deputy Director, Office of Health Communication and Education
Gem Benoza – Director, Division of Public Health & Education
Shaola Abagat – Health Communication Specialist
Alison Kulas – Health Communication Specialist
Nasi Dineva – Health Communication Specialist
Kaelyn Dickinson – Health Communication Specialist

FCB New York
Emma Armstrong – President
Gabriel Schmitt – EVP, Co-Chief Creative Officer
Michael Aimette – EVP, Co-Chief Creative Officer
Gary Resch – EVP, Executive Creative Director
Seth Kelly – SVP, Content Creative Director
Justin Batten – Senior Art Director
Waner Almeida – Senior Art Director
Chandani Karnik – Senior Copywriter
Kristen Cleghorn – Senior Art Director
Jen Vu – Senior Content Creator
Margot Meyerhoff – Senior Digital Producer
Jeremy Lerner – Producer
Janice Katz – Business Manager
Suzanne Santiago – EVP, Group Management Director
Dimas Adiwiyoto – SVP, Account Director
Pamela Natale – Account Director
Mallika Rao – Account Director
Natalie Costa – Account Executive
Scott Karambis – SVP, Group Strategy Director
Greg Hines – Senior Social Strategist
Nicole Lopez – Project Manager

Initiative Media
Dan Tighe – Managing Director, Client Advice & Management
Katie Sullivan – Director, Digital Partnerships
Nicole Rosen – Associate Director, Video Partnerships
Tyler Jaramillo – Senior Negotiator, Video Partnerships
Sloane Spier – Associate, Video Partnerships
Lindsay Gilfeather – Associate Director, Digital Partnerships
Ashley Garbaccio – Manager, Digital Partnerships
Michael Fuchs – Negotiator, Digital Partnerships

Marvel Creative Team
Paul Allor – Writer
J.L. Giles – Artist
Lee Duhig Guru E-FX – Interior Colors
Wil Quintana – Cover Colors
Joe Sabino – Letterer

Marvel Team
Mara Pantano – Associate Manager Print Production
Devin Dever – Partnerships Coordinator
Katherine Brown – Project Manager
Darren Sanchez – Creative Lead/Editor
C.B. Cebulksi – Editor in Chief 

The first story, “Cut Through the Noise,” shows how nurses tune out nonstop media coverage of the coronavirus and other negative inputs to focus on the task at hand. In the harrowing “Can’t Stop,” they bring a man back from the dead, though there’s no time to process the experience or regain their equilibrium, given the endless flow of patients.

Most moving, though, is “Smiling Eyes.” It’s told from the perspective of a thirty-something veteran battling the virus. Though he struggles physically and misses his wife and kids, the care and attention he receives never fails to lift his spirits.

“I’ve fought in wars, but she’s a hero, too,” he says, to which his nurse replies: “Just doing my job.”

We’ve seen frontline workers salutes as superheroes during the pandemic before, notably in this stirring campaign from McCann Belgrade. “The Vitals” packs similar emotional power, using the classic comic-book form to great advantage as it puts readers inside the lives of brave human beings willing to “just do their jobs” no matter how rough it gets.

Doner based the stories on real-life experiences of nurses staffing AHN’s 13 medical centers in Western Pennsylvania. In the affecting film below, some of them share the comic with their families:

“The World Health Organization designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse. It was always supposed to be a year to celebrate nurses. But then, the pandemic hit, and more was being asked of nurses than ever before. So, we developed a creative brief and invited the whole agency to participate,” Doner svp and brand leader Jamie Heberling tells Muse.

“The assignment was to develop a disruptive and powerful way to show gratitude for differences nurses have made during the pandemic. While people were already busy with their day-to-day responsibilities, more than 100 people showed up over Zoom to pitch their ideas for this brief.”

Ultimately, the team decided that only a full-blown Marvel comic book would serve to celebrate the selflessness of AHS nurses.
 
“Our most important target are nurses—specifically, the nurses at AHN,” Heberling says. “We want to thank, recognize and show nurses how we value their role and contributions. They are true heroes. The secondary target includes their families, the AHN system, the people of Pittsburgh, and the U.S. This idea applies to all nurses everywhere, and they should be celebrated.”

“The Vitals” is available for free via e-reader on Marvel.com, with a print version distributed at AHN hospitals and recruiting events.

“We hope that in seeing themselves as real Marvel Comics superheroes, they can take a moment to look back in pride on their exceptional work and compassion during an exceptionally difficult time for our communities,” says the system’s chief nurse executive Claire Zangerle.

In October, we saw another notable comic-book PSA campaign from Travelers Insurance and TBWAChiatDay New York. That effort honored a child killed by a distracted driver, casting him in an adventure called “Zaadii The Legend of Z-Hawk.”

CREDITS

Agency: Doner
Strategy
Shelby Rauen, SVP Brand Strategist
Katie Pavlak, Senior Social Strategist

Account
Pete Spender, EVP Brand Leader
Jamie Heberling, SVP Brand Leader
Skyler Mills, Assistant Account Executive

Creative
Eric Weisberg, Global Chief Creative Officer
Jon Krevolin, EVP Executive Creative Director
Stephen Osterman, SVP Group Creative Director
Burke DiPiazza, Copywriter
Rob Reid, Art Director
Sara Showers, Art Director
Jay Brockmeier, Copywriter

Project Management
Eric Kanerva, Project Manager
Stacie Burgess, Project Manager

Production
Mike Stark, VP Executive Producer
Brian Warneck, Social Producer
James LaMoreaux, Art Producer
Skylar Healy, Producer

Business Affairs
Sheryll Kollin, SVP Director of Business Affairs

THE VITALS: TRUE NURSE STORIES 
Writer: Sean Ryan
Penciler: Mirko Colak
Inker: Marcio Fiorito, Ze Carlos
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Editor: Darren Sanchez

Onto the good stuff: “Superior Seminars” features short trailers inspired by the MasterClass advertising format, complete with inspiring music and a “celebrity” teacher explaining what they plan to teach—a sly way to convey the third-person aspect of the video game. Filmmaker Jordan Vogt-Roberts of RSA Films directed the work.

Here, Ms. Marvel promises to teach you to “embiggen” your fist, feet … and heart. “Having a positive attitude is a great way to contribute—that, and having hammers for hands,” she deadpans.

Iron Man drops the insider knowledge you need to beam. “First rule of beaming: Always look good doing it,” he says. Fledgling super-influencers, we hope you’re paying attention!

Lastly, while Bruce Banner is far more eloquent, nobody is better equipped to teach you exactly how to “smash pretty much everything” than his alter ego, The Hulk, who cuts right to the chase:

“We selected BBH NY because of their deep knowledge and love of gaming,” says Square Enix’s chief marketing officer, John Heinecke. “They reminded us of how the Avengers are the perfect superheroes for this moment, bringing to life the value of teamwork and proving that no threat is too large when we fight as one.”

The production and creative team are still physically distanced because of Covid-19, so there’s something to be said about them “uniting” creatively to create work that reflects a “distanced” reality, one where a lot of us are mostly at home, doing higher learning and work stuff online, when we have time. 

And in its way, it alludes to how video games can offer relief from that—in this case, putting people right in the roles of the heroes, making all kinds of superhuman mischief and, in theory anyway, saving the world.

Each “Superior Seminars” video ends with “Embrace your powers,” followed by the wider campaign tagline: “It’s time to assemble.”

“This was a true team effort. In such a difficult time, the whole team had to rally together every day to give this game an Avengers-worthy launch,” says executive creative director Jonathan Mackler of BBH NY. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have partnered with ILM and Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who brought an unmatched level of love, energy and enthusiasm to this project. We are equally grateful to our clients at Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics for the opportunity.”

The game debuted on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. Next-generation versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are slated for later in the year.

CREDITS

Rafael Rizuto Chief Creative Officer BBH NY
Jonathan Mackler Executive Creative Director BBH NY
Lucas Bongioani Group Creative Director BBH NY
Diego Fonseca Creative Director BBH NY
Scott Cooney Creative Director BBH NY
Hora Somani Associate Creative Director BBH NY
Bruno Francino Associate Creative Director BBH NY
Ben Cascella Senior Copywriter BBH NY
Lukas Weber Designer BBH NY
Brooke Kaylor Head of Production BBH NY
L Parker Barnum Managing Partner BBH NY
Ali Cornford Group Account Director BBH NY
Dylan Roley Account Supervisor BBH NY
Becky Tanner Account Manager BBH NY
Tom Callard Head of Planning BBH NY
Dylan Fauss Strategist BBH NY
Jordan Vogt-Roberts Director RSA Films
Buddy Brakha Executive Producer RSA Films
Jordan Vogt-Roberts Executive Producer RSA Films
Julien Lemaitre Producer RSA Films
Bryan Chojnowski Associate Producer RSA Films
Katherine Farrar Bluff Senior Producer Industrial Light & Magic
Karen Kelly Associate Producer Industrial Light & Magic
Jeff White VFX Producer Industrial Light & Magic
Scott Benza Animation Supervisor Industrial Light & Magic
Bruno Baron CG Supervisor Industrial Light & Magic
Lauren Fong Production Manager Industrial Light & Magic
Nick Johnson Associate Production Manager Industrial Light & Magic
Ian Mackenzie Editor Mackenzie Cutler
Cooper McLane Assistant Editor Mackenzie Cutler
Gina Pagano Executive Producer Mackenzie Cutler
Al Nelson Sound Design Skywalker Sound
Gwendolyn Whittle ADR Supervisor Skywalker Sound
Pete Horner Audio Engineer/Mix Skywalker Sound
Rob Difondi Audio Engineer/Record Sound Lounge
William McGuigan Sound Design Gypsy Sound
Nolan North Iron Man / Voiceover
Jeff Schine Captain America / Voiceover
Sandra Saad Kamala Khan / Voiceover
Sizzer Music Original Composition