Music/Sports

Beats by Dre Horses Around 

The quest to find the perfect racehorse powers a 7-minute film from Beats by Dre. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Formula One racer Daniel Ricciardo star. Agency Miramar developed the campaign.

Tech

Samsung Says: ‘Unfold Your Moment’

Samsung puts life’s brief but indispensible moments in the picture, hyping its latest Galaxy phones. “We found that, despite all of the catastrophizing narratives out there, young people actually want to feel more connected to the people around them,” says Francesco Grandi, CCO of Ogilvy Canada, which led creative development. “They want technology to work better, and almost get out of the way faster. That’s why our work shows how you can get a bit closer to those close to you—if only for a moment.”

Finance

Money Mart Checks In With Silly Scenarios

Hard Work Club packs silliness and sight gags into fresh spots for Money Mart, hyping the company’s installment loans, cash advance and other services. “Our aim is to drive effectiveness by being distinct, to look unlike anyone else in the financial services category,” says agency ECD Meghan Kraemer. “We wanted to craft a stylized and unique brand world, to really challenge how Canadians thought.”

Telecom

Hear Me Now: Verizon Refreshes Brand

There’s something old and something new at Verizon these days. The telecom giant is reviving its “Can You Hear Me Now?” line (for one ad, at least) while sprucing up its brand identity. Mike Morgan, a real Verizon engineer, plays the “Test Guy” in Ogilvy N.Y.’s commercial below. But a stylized letter “V” is the real star. 

Music 

Bud Light x Post Malone = ‘A Night in Nashville’

First, Beyoncé went country. Now, Post Malone’s got a C&W-flavored album in the works. And he’s teamed up with Bud Light for an intimate one-night-only Nashville event on July 16 to preview tunes from the release.

Grocery

Ben & Jerry’s Challenges Fans: ‘Make Some Motherchunkin’ Change!’

Can ice cream nudge folks toward social activism? Ben & Jerry’s, well known for its commitment to progressive causes, sure thinks so. “We want to inspire everyday people who want to drive meaningful progress in their communities to take action,” says Doug Cameron, creative and strategy chief at DCX, which developed the campaign. Video, billboards and social media are in the mix.

Lottery

Minnesota Lottery Floats Jaws-Themed Commercial

The client goes back in the water for a Jaws tribute from the Betty agency. Every year, as summer approaches, brands of all stripes pay homage to the 1975 blockbuster. Here, we get riffs on the shark flick’s iconic music and beach panic scenes. The work touts a new scratch game.

Grocery

‘Savor the Start,’ Says Purely Elizabeth

Small choices—like picking Purely Elizabeth cereals and granola for breakfast—can yield surprisingly big outcomes. Such is the stuff of fresh work from TDA Boulder. “While many brands focus on the end results, Purely Elizabeth’s new campaign shifts the focus to the power of beginnings in a fun and memorable way,” says agency creative director Maru Bernal.

Financial

PNC, Scott Dixon Put Boredom Before Brilliance

IndyCar racing’s so darn boring these days! Not really. But six-time champ Scott Dixon stars in the first installment of PNC Bank’s “Boring Before Brilliance” doc-style video series. “Society is all about celebrating brilliance: the wins, the success, the fame. But millions of boring moments are what make the brilliant ones possible,” says James Bray, ECD at Arnold Worldwide. “Working in collaboration with DLP Media, we were able to capture these fascinating nuances on film. And for Scott Dixon, speed is definitely in the details.”

Sports

Caitlin Clark Reflects for ESPN x State Farm

Everyone’s fave hoops star gazes into a mirror and receives encouragement from her much younger self in a campaign that also features Kamilla Cardoso and Kiki Rice. The work from Zambezi’s FIN Studios plugs Full Court Press, an ESPN+ series about the three athletes, which State Farm sponsors. Aimee Hoffman directed.

Apparel

SAXX Returns With a New Bag of Tricks

The Canadian underwear brand slings more ballsy humor via Quality Meats. The work seeks to generate bounce in the U.S. “The goal is to make more guys, and those who love them, question their underwear habits, and realize that both they, and their balls, deserve better,” says brand marketing VP Shawna Olsten.

Gaming

Toyota Dealers Hit the Road With 8-Bit Video Game

Seeking to up its game with nostalgia-obsessed twentysomething consumers, the Northern California Toyota Dealers and agency H/L have introduced a throwback 8-bit experience. “The game touches on GenZ and Millennials’ interests in nostalgia, traveling, and the stunning NorCal landscape, connecting with young buyers’ lifestyles,” the association says.

Finance

Blackstone’s All About ‘Making the Connection’

In stylish commercials that eschew data-center cliches, asset management firm Blackstone illustrates how spotting broader trends helps it identify connections that bolster the enterprise. Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Man vs Machine, FundamentalCo and Bully Pulpit developed the campaign.

Music

Luke Grimes Stars for Carhartt

Apparel maker Carhartt explores the work ethic and global rise of actor/singer Luke Grimes in a 5-minute film called “Setting the Stage.” Anomaly and Stept Studios collaborated on the project. “When I thought about doing a collaboration with a brand, Carhartt was the first company that came to mind because of what they’re about and who it’s for,” Grimes says in press materials. “I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and one of the first jobs I ever had was working concrete. I still have this blue-collar way of approaching things—the get-it-done attitude and taking pride in what you do.”

Telecom

Hear Me Now: Verizon Refreshes Brand

There’s something old and something new at Verizon these days. The telecom giant is reviving its “Can You Hear Me Now?” line (for one ad, at least) while sprucing up its brand identity. Mike Morgan, a real Verizon engineer, plays the “Test Guy” in Ogilvy N.Y.’s commercial below. But a stylized letter “V” is the real star. 

Music 

Bud Light x Post Malone = ‘A Night in Nashville’

First, Beyoncé went country. Now, Post Malone’s got a C&W-flavored album in the works. And he’s teamed up with Bud Light for an intimate one-night-only Nashville event on July 16 to preview tunes from the release.

Grocery

Ben & Jerry’s Challenges Fans: ‘Make Some Motherchunkin’ Change!’

Can ice cream nudge folks toward social activism? Ben & Jerry’s, well known for its commitment to progressive causes, sure thinks so. “We want to inspire everyday people who want to drive meaningful progress in their communities to take action,” says Doug Cameron, creative and strategy chief at DCX, which developed the campaign. Video, billboards and social media are in the mix.

Lottery

Minnesota Lottery Floats Jaws-Themed Commercial

The client goes back in the water for a Jaws tribute from the Betty agency. Every year, as summer approaches, brands of all stripes pay homage to the 1975 blockbuster. Here, we get riffs on the shark flick’s iconic music and beach panic scenes. The work touts a new scratch game.

Grocery

‘Savor the Start,’ Says Purely Elizabeth

Small choices—like picking Purely Elizabeth cereals and granola for breakfast—can yield surprisingly big outcomes. Such is the stuff of fresh work from TDA Boulder. “While many brands focus on the end results, Purely Elizabeth’s new campaign shifts the focus to the power of beginnings in a fun and memorable way,” says agency creative director Maru Bernal.

Financial

PNC, Scott Dixon Put Boredom Before Brilliance

IndyCar racing’s so darn boring these days! Not really. But six-time champ Scott Dixon stars in the first installment of PNC Bank’s “Boring Before Brilliance” doc-style video series. “Society is all about celebrating brilliance: the wins, the success, the fame. But millions of boring moments are what make the brilliant ones possible,” says James Bray, ECD at Arnold Worldwide. “Working in collaboration with DLP Media, we were able to capture these fascinating nuances on film. And for Scott Dixon, speed is definitely in the details.”

Sports

Caitlin Clark Reflects for ESPN x State Farm

Everyone’s fave hoops star gazes into a mirror and receives encouragement from her much younger self in a campaign that also features Kamilla Cardoso and Kiki Rice. The work from Zambezi’s FIN Studios plugs Full Court Press, an ESPN+ series about the three athletes, which State Farm sponsors. Aimee Hoffman directed.

Apparel

SAXX Returns With a New Bag of Tricks

The Canadian underwear brand slings more ballsy humor via Quality Meats. The work seeks to generate bounce in the U.S. “The goal is to make more guys, and those who love them, question their underwear habits, and realize that both they, and their balls, deserve better,” says brand marketing VP Shawna Olsten.

Gaming

Toyota Dealers Hit the Road With 8-Bit Video Game

Seeking to up its game with nostalgia-obsessed twentysomething consumers, the Northern California Toyota Dealers and agency H/L have introduced a throwback 8-bit experience. “The game touches on GenZ and Millennials’ interests in nostalgia, traveling, and the stunning NorCal landscape, connecting with young buyers’ lifestyles,” the association says.

Finance

Blackstone’s All About ‘Making the Connection’

In stylish commercials that eschew data-center cliches, asset management firm Blackstone illustrates how spotting broader trends helps it identify connections that bolster the enterprise. Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Man vs Machine, FundamentalCo and Bully Pulpit developed the campaign.

Music

Luke Grimes Stars for Carhartt

Apparel maker Carhartt explores the work ethic and global rise of actor/singer Luke Grimes in a 5-minute film called “Setting the Stage.” Anomaly and Stept Studios collaborated on the project. “When I thought about doing a collaboration with a brand, Carhartt was the first company that came to mind because of what they’re about and who it’s for,” Grimes says in press materials. “I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and one of the first jobs I ever had was working concrete. I still have this blue-collar way of approaching things—the get-it-done attitude and taking pride in what you do.”

Telecom

Swedish Phone Company Vimla and BBDO Bring the ‘Good Vibrations’

Sweden’s Vimla tries to shake up the phone category in ’90s-style ads from BBDO Nordics. “Vimla wanted to create a visual world that incorporate the brand’s good vibrations and relaxed approach,” says agency art director Isaac Bonnier. “We opted for a concept that could stand on its own without a lot of text or voiceovers. The films speak for themselves. It felt important for us to create something that really stands out.”

Health

Everything Causes Hair Loss. Everything!

Do babies, sushi, deodorants and binge-watching accelerate hair loss? We learn the truth in Mischief’s cute campaign for Nutrafol, a hair-growth supplement. “Creatively, we wanted to tap into that eyebrow-raising moment,” says agency ACD Tanner Thompson. “The goal was creating something that really draws you in, sparks your curiosity, and leaves you asking the question: ‘Hold on, what does this have to do with my hair?'”

Grocery

Want Some Coffee Mate, Mate?

G’day! Coffee Mate enjoys some Aussie-accented fun in fast-talkin’ commercials directed by Terri Timely through Soft Citizen. “We wanted to play with how Coffee Mate communicates both its creamy, indulgent quality and that sweet brand recognition they’ve worked so hard to achieve,” says Joel Holtby, co-CCO at Courage, which helped develop the campaign.

Health

Ritual Vitamins Goes Beyond Transparency

Ritual Vitamins tapped Giant Spoon to create “Trace Like a Motherf*cker,” directed by Kate Jean Hollowell. It goes beyond transparency, revealing that the brand’s ingredients can be tracked and explaining why they’re present. In the spot below, a potty-mouth mom won’t put anything in her body unless she knows where’s it’s from and why she needs it.

Financial

PNC Gets ‘Brilliantly Boring’ These Days

Arnold Worldwide launched a fresh campaign for PNC Bank with “Brilliantly Boring” as the theme. Ads stress stability, pragmatism, consistency and trustworthiness. They’re not boring. But the bank is. In a good way. Silicon Valley actor Chris Diamantopoulos stars.

Apparel

Does Comedy Suit Men’s Wearhouse?

Party Land dresses Men’s Wearhouse in goofy comic stylings through a frenetic campaign. Clothes make the bro, whose apparel changes and adventures become intertwined. It’s pretty silly. Hannah Levy directed.

It’s an affecting tale of a family’s love for their work and neighbors. Of long hours and tireless struggle for success. Of the bonds that owners form with customers and the varied flavors, literal and figurative, their efforts add to everyday life.

“I hope people watch this film and get a look at a world they may not have seen—escape to a small place that would go unnoticed otherwise, and celebrate small businesses that have such a stake in their local communities,” Browne says.

The videos launched under Vimeo’s “Stories in Place” banner, launched a year ago in an effort to “give creators grants to tell stories about the world in this very unique moment” of pandemic anxiety and social unrest, Vimeo chief marketer Harris Beber tells Muse.

For 2021, the team decided to back a second series of films, partnering with Mailchimp Presents, the email marketing company’s content arm, because “both platforms enable small businesses and value beautiful storytelling,” Beber says. The pair have worked together before, mainly on product integrations, “so this was an exciting way to expand our relationship,” he adds.

Black filmmakers from the Vimeo and Mailchimp communities pitched profiles of their favorite small businesses. Each director received $10,000 for production, with another $10,000 awarded to the documentary subjects through a mix of cash and promotional assistance.

“We focused on Black filmmakers and Black small businesses because we knew there were important, interesting, wonderful, heartbreaking stories—people adapting and innovating in the wake of the pandemic—that were likely undertold,” Beber says. “We didn’t want to make any broad statements about the Black experience with this project, but we wanted authentic, loving glimpses into the inner workings of special people and places.”

The work achieves that end, displaying an impressive range of locales, voices and creative techniques.

In “Rebyrth Wellness,” we travel to Atlanta and meet Imani Byers, who serves as a doula, providing pregnant Black women with compassionate care:

“I wanted to tailor my approach to this film in a way that matched Imani’s persona and the feeling her clients get when they’re working with her,” says director Cydney Tucker. “It’s organic, it’s grounding, it’s spiritual.”

Indeed, the narrative achieves a meditative, almost hypnotic vibe on the subject of empowering Black women and saving Black lives. “I hope this film will raise awareness of Black maternal morbidity rates in this country and the power of Black birth-care workers,” Tucker says.

Next, we turn to “Harriett’s Bookshop,” the series’ longest installment, clocking in at 16 minutes. It focuses on Jeannine Cook, who opened the store in Philadelphia just before the pandemic hit to celebrate women authors, activists and artists:

This resonant tale—punctuated by mellow music, moody urban imagery and disturbing outbursts of intolerance—takes a deep dive into Cook’s battle for space and sovereignty. It’s a fight she shares to varying degrees with Black people the world over.

“We knew there was a story to be told not only about Harriett’s positioning in the racial justice movement, but also about what it means to be a visible Black person dealing with this country’s racism publicly and privately,” say filmmakers Raishad Hardnett and Aidan M. Un.

Collectively, the films use their small-business lens to great effect. They probe intricate cycles of hope, dejection and triumph, sharing important stories that inform and inspire.

“This wasn’t designed to be a specific Black History Month project, the timing is just serendipitous,” Beber says. “By the time things came together, after giving the filmmakers two months to complete their projects, we were looking at a February release date.”

Independent enterprises of all sorts have battled for survival since Covid took hold, and several recent initiatives, some tied to BHM, reflect that reality.

Notable examples include Square’s intense look at Black-owned establishments in three U.S. cities (similar in approach to the Vimeo/Mailchimp project, though artist grants weren’t involved) and a challenge among five leading creative agencies to buy from minority-run businesses all month long. While Facebook’s pitch for its targeted advertising programs lacks an overt social-justice focus, it does showcase SMB diversity.

You can check out more “Stories in Place” below.

Curtis Essel serves up archival footage and chats with Jahson Peat, owner of a South London vegan restaurant:

Mosaic-tile artwork informs Travis Wood’s mixed-media profile of Lori Greene, the multiracial proprietor of an art studio in in St. Paul, Minnesota:

Next, the hardscrabble journey of Newark, New Jersey, sneaker consignment shop Studio Sole, as told by Amandla Baraka:

Finally, filmmaker Ng’endo Mukii presents Njeri Mereka, an indomitable, hymn-singing grandma who runs Kanyoko Boutique in Nairobi, Kenya:

Chances are you’ve been consuming more video during Covid than you did before the pandemic—whether that’s video chatting for work or getting your news and entertainment in a quarantine world. At Vimeo, these dynamics simply prove what the company has long believed—that video is the future. In this week’s episode of On Brand, Clio president Nicole Purcell is joined as co-host by Cristina Jones, from our partners at Salesforce, to chat with Vimeo CMO Harris Beber. Harris tell us how the company has been approaching the even more rapid adoption of video by brands and consumers, what content Vimeo has produced itself during Covid, and how its tools help creatives and businesses express themselves and move product in a pandemic world and beyond.

Timestamps

• 1:39 – How WFH is going for Harris and his team.
• 2:57 – The rise of video during Covid, and the role Vimeo tools play in content creation.
• 4:19 – A look at Vimeo’s “Stories in Place” Covid series.
• 10:13 – How Salesforce and Vimeo have both been supporting small businesses.
• 14:09 – The value of Staff Picks to the Vimeo brand.
• 15:53 – How Vimeo thinks of data and creativity.
• 18:13 – Vimeo’s stand against hate speech and its other social initiatives.
• 21:23 – One brand Harris admires in particular for its storytelling.
• 21:12 – What the next six months look like for Vimeo.

Every Thursday at 4 p.m., we chat with top brand marketers—most of whom are still working from home—about the value of creativity, what they want from their agency and solution partners, how they’re shepherding their brands through Covid and beyond, and more. See all the On Brand episodes here.

If you’re a brand marketer who’d like to take part in the series, please get in touch.

Prager joined Arts & Sciences about a year ago. She was perfect for this campaign, Vimeo said, because her often-surreal work tends to blur the line between reality and fiction—as seen in “Touch of Evil,” her Emmy-winning video series for The New York Times from 2011, in which famous actors portrayed caricatures of cinematic villains. 

“What she delivered was nothing short of art: it was visually stimulating, playful, a little strange and—most importantly—it perfectly captured the spirit and humor of Vimeo,” the company said of Prager’s new videos. 

“What drew me to this project was the opportunity to tell stories of unique individuals that make up a world in rich detail,” Prager said. “Vimeo was open to the characters being strange and having weird little moments in their lives that make them more endearing. I was able to create these tiny stories that highlight the awkward moments in life we can all relate to.” 

She added: “I hope Vimeo continues this series of videos because this is what I personally want to watch when I’m exposed to advertisements for something. I also like that this isn’t an overt and obvious advertisement—they are short films. It’s very clever of Vimeo because their focus was to create high-quality slices of life to connect with people rather than to sell a product.” 

Prager said she shot everything practical, in camera, and that her favorites are the spots above: “Speech,” “Laser Pointer,” “Tea Time” and “Whale.” 

There is also an out-of-home element to the campaign. Check out some of those executions below. 

Vimeo will spend $10-$15 million to run the new campaign, according to the Wall Street Journal. The target audience includes companies that believe they should create more video, often without the help of ad agencies. 

Instead of relying on ad revenue, Vimeo subsists on a subscription model, charging for things like analytics, collaboration tools and live streaming—as well as hosting commercial content. 

Vimeo’s revenue grew 28 percent in the fourth quarter to $44.2 million, and subscribers rose 9 percent to 952,000, per WSJ. 

See the rest of the videos and OOH ads below. 

CREDITS

Agency Credits
Creative Agency: FIG
Founder/Partner: Mark Figliulo
CEO/Partner: Judith Carr-Rodriguez
CCO/Partner: Scott Vitrone
Chief Content Officer/Partner: Robert Valdes
Chief Strategy Officer/Partner: Caroline Krediet
Creative Director: Spencer LaVallee
Design Director: Max Friedman
Copywriters: Spencer LaVallee, Max Friedman, Kelsey Heard, Reilly Schlitt, Ian Reichenthal
Art Directors: Max Friedman, Kelsey Heard
Executive Producer: Jill Landaker Grunes
Associate Producer: Jennifer Hart
Director of Integrated Business Affairs: Sara Jagielski
Executive Director, Client Services: Finnian O’Neill
Account Supervisor: Maxie Etess
Project Manager: Amna Siddiqui

Production Credits
Production: Arts & Sciences
Director: Alex Prager
EP: Mal Ward
Head of Production: Christa Skotland
Producer: Scott Kaplan
Director of Photography: Ross Richardson
Production Designer: Roberto Bonelli
Editorial and Finishing: Mack Cut
Executive Producer: Gina Pagano
Editors: Gavin Cutler /Pamela Petruski
Sound Designer & Mixer: Sam Shaffer
Conform/FX: Schmigital (Mack Cut)
Colorist: Jason Wallis at Electric Theatre

Vimeo Credits
CEO: Anjali Sud
CMO: Harris Beber
Head of Creative: Graham Douglas
Director of Brand Marketing: Courtney Horwitz