Archive of the Hot Spots Category

Superfad’s “New + Now� project for Nickelodeon is a design-driven promotional package for commercial advertisers looking to reach prime audiences in a crowded cable TV landscape.
Nickelodeon approached Superfad with the creative challenge of designing a flexible, creative interface within which an advertiser’s product can be presented. Part futuristic, part organic, the final framework was to be an organism that was constantly in flux. The Superfad team took this direction and crafted a “living sculpture� logo that is both functional and fantastic, with elements of wood, glass, grass and stylized type that is ever evolving and provides adaptable platforms for product integration. more

Hollywood-based prodco Smuggler recently turned to SWAY Studio to complete two VFX-driven spots unveiling the brand-new 2011 MINI Countryman. The spots entitled “Flow� and “The Last Spot� capture the versatile spirit of the newest family member, MINI’s first ever 4-door and optional 4-wheel drive vehicle, designed for urban cruisers with an appetite for style and spontaneous adventure. With the first Countryman fleet already available in Europe, the spots began airing in that market starting September 6, 2010; The MINI Countryman does not launch in the U.S. until January 2011 so media plans are not yet confirmed. more

LOS ANGELES— Bully Pictures has expanded its directorial roster, signing Michael Shapiro for exclusive, US representation. Shapiro brings more than ten years of experience in directing spots, including work for Nike, Energizer, Bank of America and AT&T to name a bunch. more

A still from the Cash Cab open for special episodes set in Las Vegas

New York, NY – One of America’s favorite game shows, Cash Cab, has expanded its reign beyond the city streets of New York and added a cab route to the famed flashing strip of Las Vegas. For a number of special episodes of the show’s sixth season, Mechanism Digital shot new footage in Vegas and redesigned the show’s opening title sequence and graphics package for Lion Television, the production company behind Discovery’s hit show. more

Additional colour grading system fuels advertising work and expansion into feature film DI.
LONDON—Mexico City-based Oxido, one of the largest providers of post production services for commercials in Latin America, has purchased a Baselight HD colour grading system from FilmLight. The new Baselight HD complements a Baselight One system that the company acquired last year, while providing faster processing speed and no resolution restrictions. Oxido has also acquired a FilmLight Northlight scanner, the industry standard for quality in film mastering, and plans to use it to scan film elements for commercial and feature film projects . more

For the past three years, Twist Director/DP Rich Michell has enjoyed an ongoing collaboration with 3M, which is currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of its popular “Post-It� brand. Twist’s Michell has directed a series of commercials for 3M and ad agency Grey Advertising. A unique partnership, the Twist-3M collaboration has resulted in the production of 15 spots featuring many of the hugely popular 3M home and office products. more

Bully Pictures‘ director Fredrik Callinggard captured dramatic images of foundry workers pouring hot, molten metal into giant castings for a spot promoting Smirnoff and its People’s Choice event occurring this month in Las Vegas. Conceived by JWT, New York, the spot shows workers melting trophies awarded to Smirnoff by vodka “experts,â€? and recasting them into the words for “The People’s Challenge.â€? The Las Vegas event will pit Smirnoff in a taste test against the world’s most expensive vodkas. more

Sporting apparel innovator Russell Athletic® is debuting a new creative campaign by agency The Richards Group that kicks off with a TV commercial directed by Jeff Bednarz. The spot, “Style Points,� features real athletes and supports the launch of Russell Athletic’s moisture-wicking Dri-Power® line. The spot broke last night during the Little League World Series on ESPN and will air nationally throughout 2011. more

Nothing says ‘guy-fun’ like rocket science and the possibility of things blowing up. Those two elements are conveniently combined in Science Channel’s new show ‘Large, Dangerous Rocket Ships.’ Ahead of its July premiere, BIGSMACK, the live action/design studio led by Creative Director Andy Hann, created promo spots (:30 and :60), and a comprehensive toolkit for Science Channel producers for use in future teasers, bumpers, promos and more. more

Veteran producer Jack Bradley to head East Coast operations.
SANTA MONICA, CA—HiFi Project, the Santa Monica music production company headed by composer/creative director Paul Robb and executive producer Birgit Roberts, has teamed with music producer Jack Bradley to open an office in New York. Bradley, who assumes the role of partner and executive producer will add his broad-ranging musical resources to HiFi and will now head East Coast operations.
The launch of HiFi, New York, follows the company’s recent expansion of its Santa Monica headquarters, which doubled the size of its production facility and includes a new, purpose-built live room. HiFi now plans to leverage Bradley’s lengthy experience in music and deep relationships in the advertising industry to continue extending its reach and building its creative portfolio. more