| Reel Chicago – At the intersection of Chicago Advertising, Entertainment, Media and Production
Reel Chicago is a daily digital magazine that covers the news in Chicago on all aspects of advertising, film, TV, media and production. The content is original, written by industry experts and contributing Op Eds
0 Like most things in 2020, Halloween will look different this year and State Farm is approaching its advertising in a unique way to meet consumers where they are at. Taking an all-digital approach to align with the virtual nature of the holiday this year, State Farm is debuting a series of Halloween online video … Continue reading “State Farm launches wickedly hilarious Halloween spots”
2+ The Marketing Arm called on The Colonie’s remote-savvy team to provide editing, color grading, and creative services for a recent State Farm spot with a message of encouragement and support for those financially impacted by COVID-19. The two Chicago-based companies collaborated remotely on the :30 spot. Titled New Norm, the broadcast commercial features live-action … Continue reading “Colonie’s remote capabilities tapped for State Farm”
2+ Screenvision Media, a national leader in cinema and premium video advertising, announced State Farm and Kraft Heinz as the sole sponsors of its summer drive-in movie series. Screenvision’s drive-in advertising network spans 200 theaters, the largest in the country. “Drive-in theaters are experiencing a revival, providing movie lovers with both a sense of … Continue reading “State Farm & Kraft Heinz sponsor Drive-in movies”
7+ After meeting Jake, a new face of State Farm who appeared during the company’s Super Bowl pregame spot, consumers might be wondering where the brand is headed next. Now, the wondering is over, and it was hilariously worth the wait. Launching tomorrow, State Farm’s new multi-year campaign, Like a Good Neighbor, re-envisions how the … Continue reading “Sneak peek at State Farm’s new ‘Not the One’ spot”
1+ Football is back, thank god. As a Bears’ fan, I’m not thrilled that the Cheeseheads beat the them 10 – 3 last night during the NFL opener. But at least one Chicago team won last night and that would be DDB Chicago with their goofy new State Farm work that features rival QB’s Aaron … Continue reading “Rodgers, Mahomes talk agents in new State Farm work”
7+ Chicago agency helps insurance company get laughs with Heimlich maneuvering, crosswalk assisting, and whale saving in ‘On The Board’ DDB created a flurry of humorous scenes to help State Farm generate laughs and spread kindness through On The Board, a new commercial highlighting the power of collective good. Tracking a pair of zealous co-workers … Continue reading “DDB celebrates State Farm commitment to doing good”
2+ Ken Jeong and Terry Crews share their ‘Hidden Talents’ in a new campaign about life insurance State Farm’s Hidden Talents campaign — created by DDB and featuring actors Ken Jeong and Terry Crews — launched yesterday. The campaign is inspired by the fact that that State Farm is just as much an expert on … Continue reading “DDB helps State Farm get funny with celebs”
9+ What happens when your she shed goes to smithereens when it’s sauteed by fire … after a lightning strike? That’s the idea behind DDB Chicago’s engaging and humorous new national campaign for State Farm which broke during the season finale of NBC’s This is Us. Titled, “Here to Help _____ Go Right,” the initiative … Continue reading “DDB and “I, Tonya” director help State Farm fill in blanks”
10+ State Farm will have the McDonald’s agency business model with possibly a couple of co-op vendors on the side to go, according to a report in Adweek. Taking a page from the fast food giant’s playbook, the St. Louis-based the country’s largest insurance provider is reportedly in the process of consolidating a majority of … Continue reading “State Farm to consolidate business with Omnicom”
10+ What happens to the concept of giving back when the decorations come down and the red Starbucks cups disappear? DDB Chicago continues their strong “Neighborhood of Good” State Farm campaign with a touching reminder that the season of giving back never really ends. Directed by Anonymous Content’s Aoife McArdle, the dynamic :60-second film highlights … Continue reading “DDB & State Farm continue ‘Neighborhood of Good’”
6+ Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not fall. Yet. But when football kicks off how can you not start thinking about either heading out to your favorite bar or sitting on your couch, cracking open a cold one and watching The Bears? Then again, if the Bears play like last season you might want to … Continue reading “DDB, State Farm kick off spot with Aaron Rodgers”
Yesterday, an African American art director friend and I were looking at a spot for a brand, which will go unnamed, and we both blurted out the same reaction at the same time.
“I’m so tired of Midwest White Boy Humor!” We laughed. Laughed some more. And then talked seriously about what our reaction really meant.
I mean, I am half white, after all.
Both DDB Chicago and their long-time client, State Farm, believe that at the heart of any strong community are neighbors who care. Moved by this belief, the two have partnered to launch the Neighborhood of Good initiative online and on broadcast TV.
Beginning with a moving 2-minute short film called, “The Following,” the two hope to encourage viewers to take action on important causes they care about.
2+ Mailchimp, VICE, and Arts & Sciences, launches the self-shot docuseries Essentials that follows nine essential workers navigating their lives during Covid-19 in various cities around the United States. The show focuses on often less-heard-about employees and small business owners who are exploring ways to modify their capabilities to provide needed services to their communities. The … Continue reading “Chicago urban farmer in Mailchimp docuseries Essentials”
3+ Following a review, Northbrook-based Allstate has tapped New York agency Droga5 to lead its creative account. Allstate had been a client of Leo Burnett’s for 60 years, calling the agency its AOR as late as 2018. However, the insurance giant cut ties with the Publicis Groupe shop several months ago after moving much of … Continue reading “Allstate leaves Leo Burnett after 60 years for Droga5”
3+ Chicago agency launches new “Act Tiny, Be Mighty” campaign that provides fresh POV on farming Ocean Spray has launched a new advertising campaign, via new AOR Energy BBDO, dubbed, “Ocean Spray. Act Tiny. Be Mighty.” To tap into its roots as a farmer-owned cooperative, the Middleborough, Massachusetts-based company has built a strong brand focused … Continue reading “Energy BBDO helps Ocean Spray celebrate farmers”
Beginning last September, award-winning documentarian Ines Sommer of Sommer Filmworks, kept farmers’ grueling dawn-to-dusk hours filming a farming family on their 12-acre organic in Central Illinois.
THE ILLINOIS LOTTERY’S HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN was filmed in four locations throughout the state, including two days in Red Bud (pop. 3,700) way down south near the Mississippi River and St. Louis. If Red Bud sounds familiar, it’s because the incredibly lucky winner of the Illinois Mega Millions jackpot last March lives there.
Among the Illinois facts that surprised guests at the IFO Producers Breakfast in L.A. last week was the availability of a four-lane, 2.9 mile, virtually unused strip of highway in Waukegan.
The Amstutz Highway was one of 60 unique Illinois locations displayed to some 100 high-level production and studio executives at the Beverly Wilshire hotel meeting.
While the Chicago Party Alliance held a day earlier was characterized as “disappointing” by some of the Chicago party-goers, the Production Breakfast scored big.
The Mill Chicago continues to expand its local staff with the addition of a creative director originally from the Mill London and a senior producer and bolster it with three promotions.
The new creative director is Jay Bandlish, originally from the Mill London and Cameron Spencer, who’s enjoyed a 15-year career as a visual effects supervisor. Since arriving in Chicago he’s worked on Energy BBDO’s first spot for LG, “World of Play,” with action movie star Jason Statham, directed by Fredrik Bond, and a State Farm/DDB “Mustangs” spot directed by Jim Jenkins.
