So, every house can be a playhouse sometimes, a space for fun and fulfillment, offering respite from the stressful world.

That approach feels basic yet timeless, to say the least. Such strategy probably makes sense for a  diverse, mainstream audience based on Ikea data that shows:

•  60 percent of people feel positive about their current life at home.
•  52 percent say home is their favorite place.
•  40 percent are worried about household finances and disposable income.

So, maybe hold off on buying another PAX Wardrobe, save a few bucks?

Joking, of course. Some wags might also suggest that trying to assemble Ikea furniture won’t bring you much joy. Everyone’s a comedian.

The campaign attempts to “elevate the role of the home from that of mere container of our lives to that of enabler of our dreams,” Emiliano González De Pietri, CCO at McCann Worldgroup Spain.

In coming weeks, the initiative will expand to the U.S., U.K., and markets across Europe and Asia.

“Move to a Better Christmas,” by McCann for Ikea Spain, depicts a family organizing a complex, multilingual holiday schedule that feels like a cross between the Met Gala’s seating chart and a royal wedding. It’s not fun to watch, and that’s the point. “What if less Christmas was more Christmas?” the work wonders. It stems from the insight that 50 percent of Spaniards feel stressed about yuletide planning.

To promote its Double and Triple Burgers, McDonald’s and DDB in Romania partnered with standup comedian Mihai Bobonete to make “Whispered Temptation.” A guy realizes more is, well, more thanks to McD’s Doubles and Triples, so he tries applying this knowledge to other parts of his life. Why not ask for double the salary? Things don’t go as well as hoped.

More McD’s here, this time from Nord DDB. The brand promoted its McDelivery service in Norway by creating outdoor ads featuring takeaway paper bags hand-cut into classic Norwegian apartment building styles.

Meanwhile, in Sweden, Nord DDB Stockholm has given McDonald’s Big Mac an autograph. The entire history of robotics and AI has led us here—to a hamburger that can sign things, and whose signature was informed by 256,000 fans. So glad we were alive for this.

In France, insurance brand Axa and Publicis Conseil depict police dogs and other emergency workers relaxing on the outskirts of a feasting world. In one instance, a firefighter hears an alarm and runs … for his baked goods. The ad closes with a man who unplugs his Christmas lights before watering his illuminated tree. All this is to say, staying safe is the best gift you can offer on-call workers. (This also means pointing the champagne away from you, and others, when opening it. Seriously. That’s how a lot of New Years emergency room visits start.)

More lotto love, this time from the Dutch State Lottery. Created by TBWANeboko, “Believe In Luck” follows a fellow who quantum-leaps through a future with a woman he hasn’t met. Things end with one of fortune’s fave tricks: He buys a lotto ticket, then is jostled by … well, you know. The ticket flies out of his hand and in the opposite direction, leaving him with a choice to make: Love or riches? Both are only potentials. What’ll you gamble for?

A googly-eyed Rembrandt portrait, measuring 286m2, has gone up in London to promote the London Mural Festival. The latter’s happening in August next year, and the mural—where modern insouciance meets the historical, much like the very art of paintng on old walls—was hand-crafted by Global Street Art, which reinvests profits into community initiatives. For the 2020 London Mural Festival, and in the midst of Covid, the ad firm produced murals by over 200 artists, across 75 different sites in 13 London boroughs.

This isn’t technically European. It’s by Wieden+Kennedy São Paulo for Sea Shepherd Brazil. The music video was produced by Fromm, a British studio, which … okay, is also not European. But wait! Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren is Belgian, and he’s involved, so we’re allowing it. Guess what this is? It’s a heavy metal band, created to raise awareness about heavy metal contamination in the sea.

You can’t work in advertising if you’re not a sucker for the occasional pun. Plus, this video is so distressingly, toxically, glamrockishly pretty, it’s irresistible. 

Happy holidays, all. See you on the other side. We wish you so much beauty.

“The inspiration came from the 1998 Brazilian film Central Station’ depicting the true story of a retired school teacher who wrote letters for illiterate individuals,” say Lucas Casão and Guilherme Rácz, SVPs at McCann. “The image of her in the streets, skillfully crafting people’s stories into letters, seemed truly honest and powerful. That kept us thinking about how nice it would be if we could use AI to turn different holiday stories into masterpieces.”

In addition to the long-form ad, seven individual stories were packaged as 30-second spots. Andree Ljutica directed. Consumers can learn how the memories were brought to life and visit Bing to create their own stories.

“This campaign is centered on rekindling connections with people, memories, and the things we cherish most about the holiday season,” says McCann EVP, executive global CD Cristina Reina. “We chose AI to amplify those feelings and evoke a sense of wonder. To show how incredible a modern tool like AI could make those past memories and connections feel new.”

CREDITS

Microsoft
Kathleen Hall | Corporate VP of Brand  
Sven Seger | General  Manager, Global Creative  
Carol Phillips | General Manager, Global Advertising  
Sunita Richardson | Senior Director, Brand Strategy + Ops, Chief of Staff  
Aleksey Fedorov | Director, Global Brand Marketing  
Kaity Butcher | Brand Manager, Microsoft Brand Studio  
Pia Rodriguez | Global Brand Strategist  
Stephanie Quartararo | Managing Advisor, Content Creation  

McCann 
Creative
Sean Bryan | CCO & ECD Global Brands, North America 
Shayne Millington | CCO & ECD Global Brands, NY 
Cristina Reina | EVP, Executive Global Creative Director  
Pete Johnson | EVP, Executive Global Creative Director  
Lucas Casão | SVP, Group Creative Director  
Guilherme Rácz | SVP, Group Creative Director  
Camilla Ciappina | Associate Creative Director  
Daniel Trimarchi | Associate Creative Director  
Matthew van Leeuwen | EVP, Head of Design 
Mook Phoungbut | Design Director 

Business Leadership
John Dunleavy | President, McCann Worldgroup
Socrates Papazoglou | SVP, Executive Account Director  
Hugh Simpson | VP, Account Director  
Marguerite Daly | Account Director  
Courtney Marin | Account Director  

Project Management
Anne Denny | VP, Project Management Director 

Strategy
Emily Portnoy | Chief Strategy Officer
Sam Chotiner | EVP, Executive Strategy Director
Danielle Noto | SVP, Group Strategy Director
Kyla Jackson | Strategist

Production
Aaron Kovan | Chief Production Officer  
Stacy Flaum | SVP, Executive Producer 
Debbie Myllek | Talent Payment Manager  
David Halberstadt | Integrated Production Business Manager 
Jamie Jou | Director of Music Licensing

APR  
Stephanie Quartararo | Managing Advisor, Content Creation 
Tommy Murov | Post/VFX Advisor 

Craft Worldwide 
Andree Ljutica | Director  
Adam Hirsch | SVP, Head of Content, North America  
Zoe Greene | Executive Producer  
Kim Anderson | Line Producer  
Malik Dupree | Photographer 
Marta Gromysz | Business Director
Lisa Kawamoto | Client Partner Americas Language Services
Ajit Jha | Project Director, Translation

No6 
Corina Dennison | Executive Producer  
Laura Molinaro | Head of Production  
James Duffy | Editor  
Nick Schneider | Editor 

Revolve Audio 
Paul Weiss | Mix Engineer  
Gilda McCrann | Studio Director 

Music:
JSM

Willy Wonka-esque weirdness and wordplay work overtime in Aldi’s splashy Christmas :90 that drops today.

The brand’s iconic Kevin the Carrot returns in a holiday-themed send-up of Roald Dahl’s children’s classic about a fanciful chocolate factory. Here, however, the vibe is all about Christmas, presided over by William Conker.

There’s no sign of Oompa-Loompas, Augustus Gloop or Veruca Salt. (The latter would’ve fit into the foodie context, actually.) But a Spoilt Little Sprout and Plumpty-Dumptys are on hand.

True to the source material, the cast of animated fruits and veggies act selfishly. Except for one noble orange guy who steps into the Charlie Bucket role.

“Only Kevin the Carrot clearly understood the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of being good,” the ad explains.

In the end Kev receives … the cheese to the factory. And he vows to share his good fortune with everyone. (After all, who’d want a rotten carrot?)

“It wouldn’t be the festive season without Kevin the Carrot on our TV screens,” says brand marketing director Jemma Townsend. “We know our shoppers will love seeing him getting into the Christmas spirit as we welcome him back for his eighth year with us.”

McCann U.K. crafted the campaign, which feels a tad busy but works anyway. It closely follows the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ethos—a wise move—and Kev always rocks the holiday table in Aldi’s much-loved yuletide parodies.

A talking plush Series S gaming console in an Xbox commercial? It better be sassy!

Of course it is, as comedian Jimmy O. Yang discovers in a two-minute film from 215 McCann that’s all about “Nowstalgia.” Directed in surreal sitcom style by Ryan Staake, the spot seeks to evoke fun memories for Gen Z and lure new gamers to Xbox for Fall Guys, Rocket League, Fortnite and so forth.

Yang’s superlative sissy-scream around the :10 mark is worth the price of admission. And his “stunt double,” who skulks around aimlessly, nearly steals the show.

They work the ad-within-an-ad format for all its worth, with ample jokes and clever touches to please loyal fans and the uninitiated alike. (Those gilded grapes are pure gold!)

This kind of self-aware stuff could’ve easily gone off the rails—or straight-up sucked from the jump. But it doesn’t. In fact, it’s pretty great! Yang, of Silicon Valley and Space Force fame, nails the bemused everydude role, generating sublime, silly chemistry with his chatty pliable pal. 

Xbox created limited-edition versions of the cushiony console, complete with Series S audio hype messages. They’re earmarked for influencers, because celebrity has its privileges.

Elsewhere, the brand doubles down on “Nowstalgia,” sans Jimmy or Plushie, in social videos designed to emulate old-school toy commercials:

And photographer Jax Navarro, aka @PlaticAction, crafted content with toys and tiny props that capture the essence of classic games:

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jax Navarro (@plasticaction)

@plasticaction ? BTS from my latest Rocket League piece for @xbox! #XboxSeriesS #SimplyNextGen #RocketLeague Huge thanks to @urthlings ♬ original sound – Jax Navarro

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jax Navarro (@plasticaction)

@plasticaction ? BTS from my Fall Guys piece in collaboration with @Xbox ! My living room was in chaos for a few weeks but it was well worth it! ? #XboxSeriesS #SimplyNextGen #FallGuys ♬ original sound – Jax Navarro

CREDITS

Title: Xbox Series S Nowstalgia Campaign (Game With Me Series S, Fall Guys, Overwatch)
Product: Platform
Brand: Microsoft Xbox

Client: Microsoft
Director, Xbox Integrated Marketing: Josh Munsee
Integrated Marketing Manager, Xbox: Courtney Luk
Senior Global Product Marketing Manager, Xbox Platform Marketing: Bree Adams
Director, Xbox Brand and Marketing: Craig McNary
Senior Director Product Marketing, Xbox: Cindy Walker

Agency: 215 McCann
Chief Creative Officer: Scott Duchon
Creative Director: Brad Meyers
ACD/Art Director: Kyle Johnson
ACD/Copywriter: Zack Johnson
BTS Social Creative Director (Super Digital): Spencer Kupish
Copywriter: Ian Forsyth
Copywriter: Amy Char
Art Director: Maddy Thompson
Director of Integrated Production: Whitney Ferris
Senior Producer: Nina Ulbrich
Director of Business Affairs: Mary Beth Barney
Business Director: Peter Goldstein
Account Director: Sunni York
Assistant Account Executive: Akshaya Sridharan
Executive Strategy Director: Sam Chotiner
Strategy Director: Ryan Riley
Senior Strategist: Caitlin O’Malley

Production Company: Pomp & Clout
Director: Ryan Staake
Director of Photography: Kristian Zuniga
Production Designer: Daria Savic
P&C Executive Producer: Ryen Bartlett
P&C EP & Head of Production: Kevin Staake
P&C Line Producer: Doug Smith
P&C Production Manager: Brian Sabowski
Common Good EP: Stefani Kouverianos, Dwight Phipps
Common Good Coordinator: Syd Beaumont
Producer: Jeff So
Production Manager: Meika Wagner
Production Coordinator: Mason George
Talent Coordinator: Wendy Vuu
1st Assistant Director: Billy Shand
2nd Assistant Director: Bree Ahmed
Aspiring Director: Tziara Reyes Herrera
Aspiring DP: Kimberley Brown
1st AC: Eric Scweiger
2nd AC: David Shin
3rd AC/Camera Trainee: Alex Acton Jones
VTR/DIT: Michael Flax
Photographer: Tyler Hayward
Gaffer: Ed Kopp
BBE: Tyson Erb
Electric: Andrea Hernandez, Andre Mike
Key Grip: Martin Kenji
BBG: Koadie Preston
Grip: Simon Stunt, Mike Dach
Wardrobe: Skye Kelton
Wardrobe: Assist Talia Godin
Manicurist: Natalia Dolzycki
Mua Tattoo: Viktor Peters
Animal Wrangler: Tamara Conway, Tracey Hill
Animal Handler: Suzana Vecchiarelli, Rob & Deb Mahon
Script Supervisor: Laura Herriott
Buyer: Nicole Zimmer
Assist Buyer: Hannah Hollatz
Art Coordinator: Ysabel Seclen
Props: Allen Pavela
Miniature Builders: Katie Redikopp, Vasylya Shudryk, Emily Dickinson
Set Dresser: Nathan Rideout
Carpenters: Max Castro, Andy Eliopoulos, Dave Sandink
Food Stylist: Kelly Jabbaz
Sustainability: Christopher Buckner
Medic: Isaac Soleiman
Covid Super: Sebastian Mellasastre
Covid Assist: Aquiles Serdan
Craft Front: Manuela Lima, Mo Kapasi
Craft Chef: Biju Kumar
Wardrobe Trailer Driver: Roy Vaughan
Key PA (Cube): Yianni Demiatriadis, Eric Tanguay
PA Driver (Runner): Emma Hesson
PA: Hannah Bergstein, Liam Parkins, Rynn Floors
Drivers: Marcel Syncs and Orland V

Post Production: Pomp & Clout
Editor (IP Films): Jay McConville
Editor (Game With Me): Zach Stone
Assistant Editor: Maddy Leshner
Producer: Misha Kozlov
Creative Director: Aaron Vinton
Cel Animation: Stephanie Simpson
Comp Lead: Jesse Newman
Compositor (GWM): Pete Puskas
Comp Production: Helen Newman
Color Producers: Heath Raymond, Evan Bauer @ Rare Medium
Colorists: Fergus Mccall and Ayumi Ashley

Plastic Action Stills
Photographer: Jax Navarro
Set Designer: Tracy Ealdama

Music:
Overwatch and Fall Guys: Squeak E Clean
Game With Me: Asche & Spencer, Artlist, Pond5, Premium Beat 

Sound Design and Mix: Barking Owl 
Sound Design and Mix: Elizabeth McClanahan
Audio Assistant: Mikayla Petersen
Executive Producer: Ashley Benton
Creative Director: Kelly Bayett

PlayStation ‘Play Has No Limits feat. Kenshi Yonezu’

The Sony PlayStation tagline “Play Has No Limits” was relatively unknown in Japan. To familiarize the market with it, the brand partnered with Kenshi Yonezu—with over 4 billion views and over 6 million subscribers on YouTube, more than any other Japanese musician—who shares an affinity with the PlayStation DNA.

PlayStation launched a branded film and Yonezu’s music video, featuring his song “Pop Song” written for PlayStation and an original character designed and portrayed by Kenshi Yonezu himself. The film follows the character who pushes the boundaries by wielding a playful mind rather than weapons, acting out the spirit of “Play Has No Limits.”

Free Fire ‘The Real Air Drop’

In the mobile game Free Fire, planes fly by and drop items. This campaign replicated that in real life, using real flight data as well as users’ geolocation in real-time. When a real plane flew by their house, a user could point their phone to the sky and collect an airdrop that would go straight to their in-game wallet.

Xbox ‘Therapeutic Play’

The charity Gamers Outreach partnered with Xbox to create “Therapeutic Play,” a reinvention of gaming as a tool to aid recovery for children in hospitals by helping to lower anxiety and stress levels. Xbox, working with McCann London, created The Kart—part console, part hospital equipment, with medical-grade materials for sanitation, ergonomic trays for hospital devices, lift/swivel screen mechanism to help those with impaired mobility and a shape that works with other hospital furniture.

“Football transcends boundaries and unites people around the world,” Figo says in press materials. “I have played in stadiums where the electric atmosphere sparks emotions that cut across cultures and nationalities. This was the exact same experience I had playing this beautiful game at 20,000 feet above ground with a group of fearless football fanatics.”

Muse chatted with FP7 creative chief Federico Fanti about the aerial escapade:

Muse: Did you study other zero-G films or campaigns for pointers?

Federico Fanti: We found inspiration in OK Go’s epic music video that was also shot in zero gravity. The only difference was that they had 20 or so flights to capture everything they wanted, which they did in bits and pieces, whereas we only had one flight, and had to play our match continuously to get the record.

Where did this idea come from? Someone looked overhead and said, “Let’s play soccer up there!”?

Mastercard wanted to expand its decades-long football legacy. But in a year with many prominent football campaigns, our challenge was to stand out with a one-of-a-kind event. We thought that since everyone is talking about football on the ground, why don’t we take it above the ground? How about all the way up to the stratosphere? That was the genesis of this idea.

How’d you select the players—and why cast Figo?

We wanted the process to be inclusive, so we picked football fans from all over the world, from different walks of life, by asking them to share their stories and explain why football is “Priceless” to them. As for Figo, he has been a stellar ambassador for Mastercard, and has been part of several “Priceless” surprises around the world.

What sort of challenges did the film crew face?

This campaign tested the entire team’s mettle—the sheer resilience of the agency, production staff and our brave clients. We were told “It’s not possible” at almost every stage of the process. We were told it was impossible to build a football pitch on the plane because of the flammable materials, so we had to research and source unique materials. Also, it was deemed impossible to have the game continue throughout the flight with hyper gravity, zero gravity and double gravity. So, we had to plan the gameplay in a way that we could play the match continuously.

Filming the action must have been exceedingly difficult.

We had to record the stunt without having cameras flying everywhere or interrupting the game. We consulted with experts to position the cameras at the right spots and had multiple cameramen on the sidelines. There was also concern about whether we would make the minimum amount of playtime required to make the world record. We had to map the game so that the timekeepers and Guinness official would qualify it as such. In such a foreign environment, where none of us had ever been before, there were a lot of variables that we could not control. All we could do was plan as intricately as possible and then hope for the best!

There must be all kind of anecdotes from such an unusual shoot.

I guess the funniest part was at the beginning, as the players had never been in zero gravity before, and for the first 22 seconds no one was even able to get to the ball or hit it. But after the first few parabolas they got the hang of it rather quickly, with some of them literally flying from one side to the other, doing bicycle kicks, flips and headers. Sometimes it felt like we were watching a superhero movie.

There was barfing, right?

We had a couple of motion sickness “adventures,” but again hats off to the troops for pulling through no matter what!

CREDITS

Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai
Federico Fanti, Chief Creative Officer
Tarek Ali Ahmad, Head of Business Leadership
Mario Morby, Head of Strategic Planning
Ranin Zbib, Senior Account Director
Maryam Habib, Account Manager
Josephine Younes, Senior Creative Director
Nayaab Rais, Senior Creative Director
Francesco Negri, Art Director
Giovanni Scopece, Art Director
Aliza Siddiqi, Senior English Copywriter
Manar M Abdulla, Senior Arabic Copywriter
Abdul Wahid, Senior Graphic Designer
Amin Soltani, Executive Producer

Yosra AlHarouni, Agency Producer
Ann Vaas, Social Producer
Deydson Rocha, Senior Editor
Mark Cruzem, Senior Motion Graphic Designer
Talal Tariq, Content Designer
Jane Tapang, Content Designer
Khaled Hamza, Creative Services Director
Anis Zantout, Regional Digital Director
Asitha HB, Senior Illustrator

Imogen Tazzyman began her career at McCann Manchester, working across clients including Aldi, Scholl and Durex, before heading down to McCann London. There, Imogen worked with brands such as Subway, Bisto and Mastercard before moving over to Karmarama to create some of the most awarded, talked about and effective work in the U.K. for the British Army and Confused.com.

Imogen came full circle a couple of years ago, returning to McCann Manchester as executive creative director, where she is responsible for clients including Matalan, Magnet, Smyths and Royal London.

We spent two minutes with Imogen to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations, and recent work she’s admired.

Imogen, tell us…

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in Shaw, a very small town just outside Oldham. After 10 years in London, I now live in Bollington, a very small town just outside Macclesfield.

How you first realized you were creative.

My mum will tell you it was from a very early age. She often reminds me she couldn’t replace the dining table until I left home because not a day went by that I wouldn’t cover it in glitter glue and felt tip. (I graduated to scalpel marks and glue gun burns by college.)

A person you idolized creatively early on.

I grew up watching Tony Hart on TV. He made art-making feel so easy and accessible. He definitely inspired me to stay creative, and I now encourage my 3-year-old in the same way.

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

I used to be really quite shy, until someone told me the phrase “Fake it til you make it.” I realized I could quite easily fake not being shy, until I wasn’t shy—and by then, what’s the difference? It changed who I am and to be honest gave me the confidence to get to where I am today.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

I am a die-hard Spice Girls fan.

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

I think the writing on Succession is some of the best on TV. Dialogue is so hard to write, and the way they bring the characters to life in that show is incredible.

Your favorite fictional character.

I’m now finding it impossible not to think about Succession, although all the characters are so wonderfully hateable. Craig is generally in my top three.

Someone or something worth following in social media.

Robert Mayhew, a comedian, makes daily sketches on TikTok about agency life. Brilliantly, depressingly spot on!

How Covid-19 changed your life, personally or professionally.

Remote working has been a game changer for our family. We see so much more of each other (and it allowed us to get a dog, though there have been times when I wouldn’t say that’s a bonus…!). Professionally, it’s allowed me to recruit from across the country, which has had a huge effect on the makeup of our department.

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

Working on the recruitment campaign for the British Army will always bring back fond memories. It’s just one of those accounts where the effect your work has is genuinely important. The results are everything. And the Army were an incredible client in terms of trusting us to get to those results in whichever way we saw fit.

A recent project you’re proud of.

We created Oscar, our spokesperson for Smyths Toys Superstores, a while ago—but until recently he’d only appeared in their advertising. Last year, he was signed by Sony Music and embarked upon his very own journey to stardom, along with some very popular music videos created by us. That was cool.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

I remember seeing Sony Balls when I was at uni, and that was the ad that made me find out an advertising career existed.

Someone else’s work you admired lately.

I love what Ali Hanan is doing for the industry with Creative Equals. I had a place on their first Women in Leadership course, and I haven’t looked back.

Your main strength as a creative person.

I’m never truly happy with anything, and I can’t let anything go.

Your biggest weakness.

I’m never truly happy with anything, and I can’t let anything go!

One thing that always makes you happy.

My son, Stanley. He’s 3 and very funny.

One thing that always makes you sad.

Many, many tear-jerking videos on social media. Since becoming a parent, there is a whole side of TikTok I cannot watch.

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

I’d quite like to be a lottery winner.

Keep that front leg straight! Finish your swing! Follow the ball with your arms and straighten them out! One day, you’ll work in Silicon Valley!

Leveraging kids’ love for baseball, software brand SAS built an A.I.-powered batting cage designed to improve youngsters’ hitting technique—and teach them about the real-world applications of data science.

Via cameras and sensors, the “Batting Lab” analyzed the stances and follow-throughs of 11 kids, ages 9-13, over several weeks. The swings of players from North Carolina State University’s baseball and softball squads served as “optimal examples,” providing comparison points.

As they honed their skills in the batter’s box, fine-tuning launch angles, bat speed and such, the kids got an up-close view of statistics solving highly relatable problems. Presumably, this gave them a taste for the tech jobs they might hold down in the future. (Sure, they’d rather play in the big leagues. But statistically speaking, that’s pretty unlikely.)

You can check out the program below. (Dig those SASsy logo-caps and uniforms!)

“Over half of American kids play baseball and softball, but less than half understand data,” says Kassandra Pollard, associate creative director at McCann New York, which developed the initiative. “So, when we uncovered the fact that the ability to read, work with, and communicate using data will be the most in-demand job skill by 2030, we knew we had to do something to help.”

In a broader sense, the push, timed to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game festivities next week, probes the data literacy gap among today’s youth, and seeks to spark conversations addressing such issues. There’s even a “Data Playbook” with guidance and worksheets for kids and parents designed to boost their confidence in using analytics.

Ultimately, the Batting Lab targets SAS’s core audience: technologists, executives and decision makers with purchasing authority at companies large and small. It portrays the brand as forward-thinking team player helping the next generation step up to the plate.

Riding earned and owned media, campaign elements will run through the fall across Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and various OLV platforms, with amplification from ESPN and Sports Illustrated, plus an MLB sponsorship and coverage from Reuters during the World Series.

CREDITS

SAS Credits
Jenn Chase, Chief Marketing Officer
Susan Ellis, Brand Director
Natalie Osborn, Senior Director, Brand Marketing and Creative
Mirko Mueller-Goolsbey, Director, Brand Marketing
Cassie Lutterman, Brand Content & Experiences
Katherine Powers, Associate Marketing Specialist
Chris Patti, Creative Director
Shawn Gillen, Strategic Creative Leader
Nikki Gusse, Senior Producer
Jared Dean, Data Scientist
Lucy Kosturko, Education Initiatives Manager
Jennifer Sabourin, Research Scientist and Senior Software Developer
Mike Nemecek, Public Relations Lead
Suzanne Sprajcar Beldycki, Director Integrated Communications
Shannon Heath, Corporate & Executive Communications
Elizabeth Creech, Senior Marketing Manager
Mibbie Plouvier, Principal Digital Media Marketer
Melissa Hannah, Data-driven Social Media Specialist
Pamela Meek, Global Head of Communications
Mark Lawrence, Studio and Location Production Manager
Jesse Olley, Senior Multimedia Production Specialist
Brie Boothby, Senior Associate Social Media Specialist
Evan Markfield, Corporate Social Innovation and Brand Storyteller
Scott Calderwood, Director of Digital Marketing, Global Web Strategy and Digital Experience
Eric Morales, Sr Manager, Web User Experience Design
Jeff McFall, 3D and Motion Graphics Design Manager
Thomas Richardson, Sr Event Design Project Manager
Mike Weiss, Sr Artisan/Designer

Agency
Sean Bryan, Co-Chief Creative Officer North America
Pierre Lipton, Co-Chief Creative Officer NY
Shayne Millington, Co-Chief Creative Officer NY
Jason Ashlock, SVP Executive Creative Director
Dominick Baccollo, SVP Executive Creative Director
Daniel Kim, SVP Group Creative Director
Justin Chen, SVP Group Creative Director
Kassandra Pollard, Associate Creative Director
Gabby Gonzaga, Junior Art Director
Kayla Andersen, Junior Copywriter
Adam Koehler, VP Creative Director
Elana Sasson, Design Ops Director
Ethan Buller, Design Director
Herman Awuku, Senior Designer
Kevin Nelson, Managing Director McCann NY
Liz Der, SVP Executive Account Director
Pat Six, VP Account Director
Bill Powers, Account Director
Shenea Walker, Assistant Account Executive
Dominic Poynter, SVP Executive Comms Strategy Director
Will Zweigart, VP Comms Strategy Director
Sam Chotiner, SVP Global Strategy Director
Daniel Lammon, VP Strategy Director
Caitlin O’Malley, Senior Strategist
Camille Dagorn, VP Creator Partnerships
Christine Lane, Executive Director, Innovation & Production
Mihae Mukaida, SVP Executive Director of Innovation
Jeannette Subero, Senior Innovation Producer
Melanie Olar, Innovation Producer
Diane Knarr, Digital Producer
Nathy Aviram, Chief Production Officer, McCann and CRAFT North America
Aaron Kovan, Chief Production Officer
Chris Badano, Senior Producer
Kelly Krincek, Junior Producer
Annie Panousopoulos, UX Architect
Julia Brown, Associate Director of Project Management
Amanda Lang, Senior Project Manager
Jeremy Miller, Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Victoria Park, Director of Communications
Terry Marcello, VP Director Talent Payment
Eric Johnson, SVP Executive Integrated Music Producer
Colleen Dahlstrom, Music Producer
Jamie Jou, Music Business Manager
Madeline McCarty, Business Affairs Manager

Experience Design
Design Studio: OBJ
Merica May, Partner

Consultant on Curriculum Development
Steve Malley, Coaching Sports Writer

Production Design and Development
Production Design Studio: Volvox Labs
Kamil Nawratil, Partner / Creative Director
Ben Forest, Technical Director
Zyia Zhang, Physical Experience Designer
Gilad Dor, Producer
Matthew Ross, Technologist
Pasakorn Nontananandh, Motion Designer
Preto HF, Motion Designer
Yalan Wen, Motion Designer
Maxwell Smith, Fabrication Project Manager
Benjamin Mosca, Fabricator
AJ Sapala, Fabricator
Ciara Smith, Fabricator / Seamstress

Production
Production Company: Craft
SVE Head of Content NA: Adam Hirsch
Director(s): Brett Berman & Sam Rimland
Senior Producer: Zoey Greene
DP: Brett Berman & Sam Rimland

Editorial
Editorial House: No6
Editor: Nicholas Schneider
Asst Editor: Julie Walsh
EP: Corina Dennison
Producer: Jen Milano
Finishing: Mark Reyes
Colorist: Matthew Rosenblum
Mix: Gerard McConville (Craft)

The tone of birth control ads has shifted. There’s more sarcasm, wit and a confident attitude juxtaposed with pertinent medical information. Remember Annie Murphy’s ad for Phexxi?

Annovera, an annual, procedure-free birth control, believes it’s time for women to stop apologizing for who they are and what they want.

A 2:15 video starring spokeswoman Whitney Cummings immediately sets the tone. “Since forever, us vagina owners have had to apologize for simply … having a vagina,” she says. Following a quick rundown on Annovera, Cummings and friends begin unapologizing for when they couldn’t be their best selves.

Like the woman who wants to wear high heels on a first date, or another woman whose parents are waiting for grandchildren. They unapologize and Cummings adds zingers to each one. “Get over it Mark and Tina. Start crafting,” she remarks to the parents wanting grandkids.

They also unapologize for not wanting to have a painful procedure so they won’t get pregnant and not wanting to take a birth control pill every day.

A 60-second version focuses more on the birth control while still keeping things sassy.

“Women don’t want to be told to do more. They do enough,” says Maru Kopelowicz, executive creative director of McCann NY, the agency behind the campaign. “Our tone came from our insight that women sacrifice so much emotional, physical and mental energy just to not get pregnant. It’s finally time to give them solutions that meet them where they are without demanding more from them.”

Ads are running on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Hulu. Later this month, additional short-form versions will be added to TikTok and Snapchat.

“The time for compromise around birth control has come and gone; women need solutions that work for them,” Kopelowicz tells Muse. “For that reason, we believe that birth control should meet women where they are, so they can focus on themselves.”

CREDITS

Client – Annovera, Therapuetics MD
Kristen Landon, Senior Vice President of Marketing
Tom Moody, Executive Director, Reproductive Health Marketing
Hope MacDonald, Associate Director, Consumer Marketing
Jennifer Salokar, Associate Product Manager, Reproductive Health

Creative Agency – McCann New York
Pierre Lipton, Co-Chief Creative Officer 
Shayne Millington, Co-Chief Creative Officer
Maru Kopelowicz, EVP Executive Creative Director
Craig Bishop, Creative Director
Peter Sherer, Creative Director
Cassie Powell, Junior Art Director
Sam Weiss, Junior Copywriter
Liz Der, SVP Executive Account Director
Dana Markiewicz, VP Account Director
Mercedes Ward, Account Director
Lydia Dembert, Account Executive
Erica Yahr, Chief Strategy Officer
Anna Andreis, SVP Group Strategy Director
Claire Stewart, Strategy Director
Debbie Dunlap, SVP Executive Integrated Producer
Alexandra Nish, Producer

Weber Shandwick
Leah Wiseman, EVP Client Experience
Asia Young, VP Client Experience

Production
Production Company: Gravy
Director: Laura Murphy
EP: Brent Stoller
Producer: Tanya Stephens
DP: Doug Chamberlain
Production Designer: Kate Bunch
Production Supervisor: Carolina Aquino
1st AD: Mark Robinson

Whitney’s Hair: Jess Switzer
Whitney’s Makeup: Nova Kaplan
Whitney’s Stylist: Tara Swennen