Metal Potential

Advertising awards aren't life and death. They're much more important than that.

Wimpys: "Braille Burger"

Fast Food restaurants have done their fair share of award-winning creative - McDonald's, Burger King and West Coast creative darling Jack-in-the-Box. One brand you don't hear much about is Wimpy. Well, that's about to change. The UK-based burger chain, whose name is inspired by J.Wellington Wimpy from Popeye cartoons, has just concocted a rather interesting experiment. Namely, what if you let blind people experience Wimpy burgers with more than their taste buds? From "what if" to the "Braille Burger." Dig in.

Metal Potential? Silver.

 

Levi's "Instagram Models"

As I recently predicted on the very pixels of Forbes.com (read it here - http://www.forbes.com/sites/robschwartz/2012/01/01/5-places-to-strike-gold-in..., a big brand is using a photographic-sharing platform to tell their story. Levi's, the iconic maker of jeans is using Instagram to cast for new models. Users snap a foto of themselves, upload it onto the platform and tag it with #iamlevis. It's an interesting use of crowd-sourcing, current technology and good old-fashion brand passion.

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Metal Potential? Silver-Gold. 

DirectTV: "Ditch"

It's not easy to stand out amid the annual New Year's Day footballaoalooza. But one spot caught my eye, er, make that my ear, actually. It's this little ditty for Direct TV. It's a rather hilarious journey of the consequences of owning cable TV. It features tough guys, eye patches and unsavory bad-side-of-town locations. No, it's not a movie on cable, it's simply what happens when you don't go satellite. Watch. And listen.

Metal Potential? Bronze.

NBA: "Forever"

The NBA is back. Yeah, of course, the 2011 NBA Lockout has been unlocked. No, what I'm talking about is the marketing of the league - and more specifically the gem of a spot on Christmas Day featuring a lyrical collage of NBA legends and soon-to-be-legends cut to the gorgeous song "Live Forever" by Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors. Now, if only the season proves to be as good as this film.

Metal Potential? Gold.

John Lewis: "For Gifts You Can't Wait To Give"

So here we are in mid-November, around 40 shopping days away from Christmas Day, and the first holiday classic has arrived. And not just arrived, set the bar, really. This beautiful spot from UK retailer John Lewis demonstrates real insight, wit and craft. Great story, great casting, great acting and a beautiful cover of The Smith's "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want."

Metal Potential? Gold.

 

Sour Patch: "World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)"

I don't know how many creative reviews I've sat in where a team comes in and says, "...and then we'll launch the whole thing with a music video." Well, the Sour Patch team made this dream real with a savvy video featuring hip-hop artist Method Man. The video, titled "World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)," is fun to watch as Sour Patch candies come to life and expose their mischievous side. The video is part of an integrated campaign that will feature a console video game as well. Enjoy.

Metal Potential? Bronze-Silver.

Thanks @NickMartucci