Duncan/Channon. Award-winning branding. Advertising. Design. Digital. Social media. Mobile. Broadcast. Print. Outdoor. Identity. Packaging. Media planning and buying. Account planning. Production. Not to mention the Tip. All in one action-packed agency in downtown San Francisco.
It was a full house for D/C digitalmeister Robbie Whiting’s solo panel at South-by-Southwest Interactive, “We made this, and it’s not an ad.” An actively engaged live audience was echoed in the blogosphere, where more than one attendee called it the “best panel” of “the year,” “the last four years,” “ever.” The premise of the Director of Creative Technology’s talk was that many of those organizations-formerly-known-as-ad-agencies are now venturing far afield from recognizable “advertising,” even crossing into product development. But it turns out that many of these non-ad projects not only serve quite effectively as marketing in a social media age, but also as a mighty spur to the agency’s creativity, cohesion and contemporary chops. Tip Records, D/C’s music label and home to the legendary Gary Wilson, was just one example. If you’re interested, slides are posted below, audience commentary here.
Great tickets don’t grow on trees. Or do they? Enter The Ticket Oak, the 30-foot centerpiece and star of the latest integrated campaign from StubHub. You want sweet seats to sold-out shows or a Price Alert deal for Saturday’s game? The gregarious Ticket Oak provides. And if you don’t happen to have a Ticket Oak? Then StubHub’s the next best thing (like you couldn’t see that coming).
Brought to life entirely practically — no CGI here — by the puppeteers at Anatomorphex and shot lovingly by acclaimed director, Mike Maguire, the Ticket Oak makes his television debut during this year’s March Madness. But expect to see him very soon in print, digital, mobile and social media everywhere. Watch this space for more details.
Finally, Communication Arts, the bible of the design, advertising and interactive design world, has ripped the veil from Duncan/Channon. In a 10-page investigation within CA’s Interactive Annual, reporter Sam McMillan reveals the shady background and shocking practices of the agency that was “born to rock” — from its “temple of guanxi” bar, wherein take place lurid lectures on “teledildonics” and concerts known as “Roofies,” to its music label Tip Records, home to the inexplicable Gary Wilson, to its “real account people, media people and planning infrastructure.” Shudder.
Everyone in the music biz knows that when you want the best in sound reinforcement, starting with the industry’s most innovative speaker systems, Meyer Sound is your move. For more than 30 years, Berkeley-based Meyer Sound has set the standard for sound in recording studios, big arenas, small halls, churches, theaters and cinema, around the world, creating breakthrough systems for Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead and Metallica, among many others. Everyone in the music biz also knows that there’s only one agency with its own record label (i.e., Tip Records) and a history in music going back to the dawn of time.
So when Meyer Sound went looking for help in reinforcing its own business and making further inroads into new markets, turns out there was a match made in heaven just across the bay. Now proud agency of record, D/C will be working on digital and print creative, collateral and media planning and buying for Meyer Sound. And that sounds perfect.
Is there any advertising more rote and shopworn than winter ski advertising? There’s the requisite photo of some dude who skies better than you ever will leaping from a cornice that’s probably not even in bounds to a slope with more fresh powder than you’ll ever see. Attach bad-ass headline. Ship.
In its new winter out-of-home campaign, Tahoe South says enough already and foregoes photography altogether in favor of a psychedelic illustration from Finland’s acclaimed Kustaa Saksi. Said illustration makes abundantly clear that when it comes to choosing sides at Lake Tahoe, the south side, with its 24-hour gambling and cocktail-fueled nightlife, is definitely the wild side.
There are actually two Lake Tahoes, north and south. With a half-dozen isolated resorts and few winter activities beyond skiing, it has been easy for consumers to grok an image of the north as the lake’s quiet side. On the other hand, with tons to do at every hour and for every budget, including great skiing at every skill level and conveniently located bars, restaurants, shopping and 24/7 gaming, it has been tough for consumers to envision a singular image of the south — or for marketers to project one cohesive brand.
No longer. The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, which is tasked with promoting the south side, hired D/C for a complete rebrand. Eight months later, client and agency unveiled the new brand and an entirely new name for the destination — Tahoe South. The strategy embraces the truth of the destination, that it’s the place for the up-all-day-and-night visitor, and the brand identity celebrates this spirit. The website is curated by local experts and serves as a digital concierge to the region, connecting visitors and would-be visitors to the best web content about Tahoe South, as well as relevant real-time feeds from YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter.
After selling a majestic 2.4 million copies (and counting) on the Wii, Sonic and Mario at the London 2012 Olympic Games is set to drop on the Nintendo 3DS. And D/C is dropping a new TV spot to commemorate the auspicious return of gaming royalty. Running throughout North America, Brazil and online in the EU, the spots, filled with inside jokes and sight gags, are sure to bring home more gold for two of the industry’s all-time winners.
Check out the alternate Mario ending as well as the original Wii spots after the jump.
The creative brief was to highlight the fresh, local, made-from-scratch food that has transformed the Hard Rock menu over the last few years — and to do so without surrendering any of the brand’s rock edge. The result: “Meet Our Other Rock Stars,” new 60 and 30-second spots, written and created by Duncan/Channon, directed by Henry Hobson and produced by Alive and Well. The media brief was to reach 33 million people in 53 countries — and to do so without surrendering much of the brand’s marketing budget. The result: Hard Rock crafted a partnership with Facebook to hit users while they’re trash-talking with friends before, during and after the first streaming Super Bowl. Betting line: Hard Rock overwhelmingly favored to win.
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