Created by my partner (Mike Kirby) and I for a small but nimble Fresno agency (JanzenBrands), this campaign is a testament to what can happen when you have a very brave client (The Central California Blood Center) and a very talented director (Byron Watkins/Windsong Productions).
With a little imagination, it’s amazing how big a hero you can be when you donate blood.
It’s easy to get lost in a good book while donating blood.
Designed to mimic the type of promo a major studio would launch to promote their latest action/adventure title.
Is this a 14’ x 48’ billboard for the latest Hollywood blockbuster? No, it’s a cleverly-disguised promo for increased blood donation.
At first glance, this could be a promo for Lifetime Network’s latest sappy “Chick Flick.” (Until you notice the URL, that is!)
Somewhere in Central California, passers-by are wondering what the hell this Rom-Com has to do with blood donation.
Less than 10% of the U.S. population donates blood annually. This campaign pokes fun at some of the ways the other 90% might justify leaving it up to others to make these life-saving donations.
People have weird excuses for not giving blood. And the first TV spot in this campaign points out how small-minded that can be.
Once the structure of this campaign was established, the vignettes (and the silly excuses for not giving blood) seemed endless.
Silly excuse + motivating themeline = effective billboard.
Even busy executives can be a bigger person by donating blood.
Another reminder that our problems are sometimes trivial compared to those of a person in need of blood.
An assortment of display ads were created to spread the message throughout the digital universe.
One of the fastest growing segments of advertising is healthcare, and as long as people continue to get sick there will always be a need for strong, solid work that connects with people on a human level. Concept/Design/Art Direction.
This campaign asserted that a rich, full life was the product of many small wonderful moments. And good health was key to enjoying more of those little moments. Writer: Karen Tonnis
Another ad in the series focused on a different “little moment” with some bigger implications. Writer: Karen Tonnis
Everywhere we looked there were fun “little moments” to support our campaign's big idea. Don't you love it when that happens? Writer: Karen Tonnis
This insert was created to help people make important decisions about their approaching Medicare eligibility. Our goal was to strike a human chord while delivering helpful information. CD/Writer: Boni Peluso
Another insert focused on the benefit of living a healthy, active lifestyle at any age. CD/Writer: Boni Peluso
This piece informed couples that if they signed up together, they’d receive additional benefits. What’s not to love? CD/Writer: Boni Peluso
This campaign for Health Net took simple linear elements from real life and used them to illustrate an individual’s “health timeline.” Writer: Karen Tonnis.
Another execution showing how every Arizonan’s life is made up of a series of key health milestones. Writer: Karen Tonnis.
Some creatives don’t like working on mundane assignments, like direct mail. Not me. I believe you can always find a way to inject a little imagination and creativity into any project. Concept/Design/Art Direction.
DIRECTV was enjoying good open rates on some mailers that mimicked actual greeting cards. But people were a little put-off once they realized they’d been tricked into opening them. By taking the greeting card concept a little further, we were able to bump performance by 65%. Writer: Noah Michel.
Inside, there was one simple message: “We want you back.” To make things more fun, we filled the card with dozens of “real” signatures, just like you might get from a group of friends or co-workers.
DIRECTV had been using the same promo pricing for years, so there wasn’t much urgency when people saw our offers. So we found a fun way to let people know that after a certain date, this low pricing was really going away. Writer: Chihiro Kitagawa
Inside the piece, we spelled it out right away. (Just in case anyone wasn’t an accredited ornithologist.)
To promote ADT’s new video doorbell system, we came up with this mailer with a die-cut “peephole” to simulate the old-fashioned way of seeing who was at your front door. Writer: Charlie Noback
Upon opening, you’d see the person in the peephole was actually on your mobile phone thanks to the new home security technology.
I’ve always jumped at the chance to work on point-of-sale displays. Especially when the client really wants to stand out in a competitive environment. Here’s some work I’ve done to help my clients win the battle on the sales floor. Concept/Design/Art Direction/Creative Direction/Photo Supervision.
These posters were given to DIRECTV Dealers to announce the big HD Launch. Writer: Denise Cruz-Castino. Photographer: Thomas Broening.
A second poster showed all the new HD channels would also be arriving in more remote areas. Writer: Denise Cruz-Castino. Photographer: Thomas Broening.
The HD Launch was huge. And the client wanted to make an equally big deal of it at the retail level.
DIRECTV Dealers were given these posters a month prior to launch. How often do you get to say “Homo erectus” on a produced piece? Writer: Denise Cruz-Castino.
This standee had an animated sign and a sound chip that chanted “D-Fence, D-Fence!” whenever someone walked by. People noticed and signed up in record numbers, making our clients cheer too.
This die-cut dangler was strategically placed above people’s heads to simulate a common football victory ritual. Illustrator: Caspar Nonner.
This oversized foam finger was placed near the cash register as a final reminder that DIRECTV is #1 in football. Writer: Denise Cruz-Castino.
It’s always nice to use your creative talents to help a good cause. And it’s even nicer when the client picks the best work. Here’s a fun campaign we did for the Central California Blood Center (CCBC) to help them pump up donations. Concept/Design/Art Direction/Photo Supervision. Writer: Mike Kirby.
Humor was used to show why people should be as picky about their blood as they are with the produce they put in their bodies. Director: Byron Watkins.
A second spot played off the popular “farm-to-fork” movement to show the importance of fresh, locally-sourced blood. Director: Byron Watkins.
A series of outdoor posters were used to build awareness in the campaign.
Large freeway bulletins tied in to the agricultural heritage of the Central Valley.
Campaign included prominent signage at local donation centers.
Stress balls shaped like fresh produce (used to pump up veins during blood collection) were given out to corporate sponsors.
A series of life-sized banners put a human face on the campaign by pairing real blood donors with an actual person whose life had been saved.
Digital display ads reinforced the campaign while driving additional traffic to a dedicated microsite.
This microsite further explained the need for fresh, locally-sourced blood and allowed donors to schedule an appointment.
Campaign included a massive building wrap for the client’s Bloodmobile Barn.
The Bloodmobiles themselves were utilized as rolling billboards.
I went to freelance at Chiat/Day for a day and wound up staying a year. (To avoid detection, I had to occasionally disguise myself as a cleaning person.) But while there, I had the good fortune of actually getting a few of my crazy ideas produced! Here’s a fun little campaign that we created for Sony Playstation that I’m especially proud of. Concept/Design/Art Direction/Photo Supervision. Writer: Jason Rappaport
Campaign was designed to have a retro look and featured three fictional NBA rookies who each failed their first year. In this spot, Billy Joe Cuthbert teaches us what it means to give 111%.
The second spot showed where another promising player wound up once people figured out he couldn’t shoot the rock.
What our third failed NBA rookie lacked in athletic ability and coordination, he made up for in size.
Print ads featured our failed NBA rookies in their post-NBA lives. Photographer: Sean Murphy
Another print ad demonstrating that life after the NBA might not always be what you thought. Photographer: Sean Murphy
Fun microsite where people could learn more about their favorite failed NBA rookies. And how to avoid ending up like them.
Each character had a bio/stat page with links to fun interactive content.
We also created some fun schwag for each player, like this instructional DVD featuring Billy Joe Cuthbert.
There was even an online store, where unique items like Billy Joe's nasty sneakers or Sweet Money’s fragrance (Eau de Money) could be purchased. Unfortunately, due to limited availability, the store sold out very quickly!
As a creative, you want EVERY piece to be somewhat entertaining, but it’s so much easier when you have amazing entertainment properties to work with, like these.
There's more than one way to prepare for a major television event. Writer: Chihiro Kitagawa.
Inside, people were reminded how much bloody good entertainment there is on HBO.
Address panel featured a key quote from the series.
David Lynch fans had waited 25 years for the conclusion of his Laura Palmer saga. So we rewarded them for their patience with this collectible self-mailer. Writer: Chihiro Kitagawa.
The mailing panel featured a quote from Agent Dale Cooper’s 1992 Realistic Micro-27 voice-recorder.
When opened, a collectible mini-poster featuring one of two haunting images from the show appeared. Pictured: Laura Palmer.
There is no more exhalted category of advertising than automotive. Over the years I’ve had the good fortune to have worked on GM, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda and even a British brand named after a jungle cat. Here’s some work to prove it.
Sitting atop the automotive heap roars the Jaguar. In this ad we see there's nothing middle-of-the-road about the XKR-S. Writer: Ryan Moore.
Everyone wants a Jaguar. But when that Jaguar is a 470 HP XFR, the desire can be so strong it might hurt a little. Writer: Ryan Moore.
When a vehicle has the performance stats of a Jaguar, the ads pretty much write themselves.
The great irony of the Jaguar, summed up in one pithy statement.
Why just keep up with the Joneses when you can blow their doors off?
The model in a “fake” fashion ad notices the stylish Jaguar XF in the ad below and climbs down to get a better look.
Created to introduce Jaguar's new "Porsche Killer" to a well-connected and mobile world.
For about a year, I was the one-man off-site creative team for the Ford Dealer Group’s national social efforts. During that time, I got really familiar with the “20% Rule.”
Even with the high volume of Ford’s efforts in social, I stubbornly insisted on making every single ad as cool as it could be.
It was great working with the client on the social ads because they understood the importance of clean design and short, memorable copy. Here are just a few more samples.
The Financial Segment can be very conservative. So when the client allows you push things a little further, the work can really stand out. Here are a few examples of what happens when all the planets align.
A leading lender in Central California wanted to refresh their brand so we came up with this fun and memorable campaign. Writer: Mike Kirby
Targeted emails were also deployed, and the response was swift and positive with new leads generated and increased business from established ones.
We designed the client’s new website to showcase their 25+ year reputation of “finding the money” in a fun and engaging way.
Why settle for a White Christmas when you can have a green one?
Client offered risk management tools previously unavailable to the SMB market so we used fear to powerfully illustrate why small businesses needed these powerful tools.
A series of postcards were mailed out to remind target of the dangers of not having solid risk-management tools.
Final postcard in series dramatically (and humorously) showed the pitfalls of overexposure in the market.
The difference between a successful campaign and a failure often comes down to how much engagement can be generated through targeted emails. As an art director, I enjoy getting great results for my clients almost as much as I enjoy creating the work itself.
A start-up in the Online Real Estate License Renewal market wanted stand out from the boring institutional work in the field. So we came up with this fun, upbeat email campaign. Art Direction/Design. Writer: Gary Janzen.
First email simply introduced the new online CE program developed by agents, for agents.
Second ad in series visually demonstrated the difference between online CE programs.
In the final touch, we wanted to keep things light and upbeat out of consideration for the marketing-wary audience.
GoT broke almost every viewership record. To promote the eighth and final season, we knew we had to come up with something that would do justice to the iconic series. This animated email featured a clock counting down to the season premiere. Writer: Karen Tonnis.
Four key House Stark characters rotated through the hero module, with a descriptive one-word plaque below each photo.
Viewers could scroll to other modules, featuring cool wireless offers, official accessories and bonus content for die-hard fans.
For several years, I enjoyed a great ride as the senior art director on the Honda Motorcycle account at Dailey & Associates. A few years later, I had another opportunity to work directly with the client on their Accessories, Protection Plan and Rider's Club Programs.
Research revealed that motorcycle enthusiasts were as passionate about their cigars as they were about their bikes. This postcard was sent out to both audiences, inviting them to the highly anticipated launch of Honda's latest street cruiser.
Designed for a younger and more rebellious audience, the cover of this brochure was a die-cut stencil that could be used to tag tool boxes, garages, etc.
Edgy black & white photographs were used to reflect the raw, visceral personality of product.
On the final panel, an aggressive photo of bike was accompanied by equally gritty body copy.
One side was a full line catalog. The other this collectible poster.
People enjoy their perfect ride even more with a Honda Protection Plan. (“Do Not Disturb” hangtags were also placed on display bikes in the showroom.)
Retro poster promoted retro air show for Honda Dealer Convention in Chicago.
No animals were harmed in the making of this fun spot from the Honda archives.
A small, online education start-up had a unique business model: offer a free platform for anyone who wanted to host online classes for any topic under the sun. To promote the site, we picked certain public figures from the news headlines and had fun postulating what subjects each one would be qualified to teach.
Banners created to promote the client’s online “university” where anyone could teach a class in anything they felt qualified at. Only problem: the ads just ran on the client’s site. Still, we enjoy making them and we’re glad the client still enjoys seeing them!
This campaign has been running for a while, but we never seem to run out of fresh subject matter. Here’s a random sampling of some of our favorite executions.
After you've been in the business for a while, you accumulate a lot of work that still has a really cool concept, but maybe isn't as contemporary as you'd like. Here are a few things that I'm still proud of. Even after a couple trips around the sun.
Created to connect the design and performance of a Kenwood product with that of other iconic brands. Writer: Mike Kirby. Photographer: Tony Garcia.
A fun way to promote the eardrum-shattering power of the latest Alpine Car Audio receiver.
These jeans are designed for women with normal proportions and campaign celebrated this proudly. Writer: James Welborn. Photographer: Moshe Brakha.
Another execution featuring photos shot and styled to evoke different eras of American culture. Writer: James Welborn. Photographer: Moshe Brakha.
The agency didn't win any awards the year this ad ran. But we won several the following year, including a few for this ad. Writer: James Welborn.
This parody of then-current alcohol and drug treatment spots won a Gold Clio and several other international ad awards. Writer: Wendy Knox. Director: Bob Giraldi.
This spot features a young Elijah Wood and an innovative ADR technique to dramatize the mature thinking behind a product designed for kids. Writer: Steve Kaplan, Director: Michael Apted.
