Advertising: Lego's New Rapunzel Uses Her Imagination

It's short; it's smart; you'll wish you'd thought of it first...

LEGO says this princess story wouldn't be possible without the creative rebuilding of a child named Marie. (iSpot.tv)

Have a look at the new Lego commercial, released earlier in November, and be inspired.

The tagline?
"Rebuild the World"
We like it.

Advertising: Fantasy & Legend Help Sell Adventures in Mammoth Lakes

We just saw these commercials for the first time and felt we had to share. Although Mammoth Lakes should need no additional help in selling its beautiful locations to potential vacation-adventurers, it certainly amps the 'must go there' slot in one's mental notes!

Note: the commercials share a number of scenes, but each also has unique creature scenes too, so check them both out.

We shared this with the Carterhaugh Summer Legends course since this is pretty much exactly on topic. If you want to know more about people's connection with the land, famous spots, legendary creature sightings, specifically in the UK and in the US, folklorists Brittany Warman and Sara Cleto are the ones to track down and ask. The Summer Legends long course (happening right now) is highly recommended if you are interested in these sorts of topics (legends, location-based folklore, creature-specific lore - eg fairies, sea legends, etc - and cryptozoology), which, of course, have many ties to fairy tales.

And may we just say - the conversations held among participants are wonderful: intelligent, insightful, intriguing and FULL of stories!

Advertising: 2018 Toyota CH-R Respins Fairy Tales to Inspire Sales

Some of these are fresher than others, but what's most interesting is that Toyota are using fairy tales at all in this social climate. It's another example of the two extremes that people are being drawn toward right now: either cynicism and reframing everything through the eyes of a 'false fairy tale', or wishing for magic and dreaming for a 'real one'.

 Here's Cinderella: 

Rapunzel (in Spanish):

Red Riding Hood:

 The Gingerbread Man (our favorite): 

The Tortoise and the Hare:

And then there are all these 'bad lip reading of a commercial' spin-offs which take some of the same situations (particularly the gingerbread man ad) and insert largely nonsensical phrases just to keep you watching. Although they don't seem to have anything to do with the fairy tale re-spins, they're enough for any fairy tale writer to pause and wonder if they just might... (you can find all those at the official YouTube channel for Toyota HERE.)

Advertising: J.M. Weston's 'Le Beau Dormant' Flips the Script & Mashes Sleeping Beauty & Cinderella

Omar Sy & Alexia Giordano 'Le Beau Dormant' for J.M. Weston

We have to say, using the motif of fairy tale shoes linked to a Sleeping Beauty tale, isn't something we've seen used in commercials before, but this shoe brand has made it work for them. They've made an effort to play with fairy tale tropes, too, making for a different perspective to consider. Released this week, here's the new fairy tale based ad from J.M. Weston (French luxury shoes company for men).

Take a look:

The pink shoes were an unexpected twist and we like that the detail can be interpreted a number of different ways.

Nice to see a male in the role of the sleeper*, as well as the POC aspect, and it does add an interesting note to the ongoing conversation of agency, along with the use of magical items, or talismans. For some reason it feels very male-centric, despite all this though. We know it's a men's shoe company, so perhaps that's the intent, but...

What do you think?

*Sleepers... that brings a whole different situation to the table!

Advertising From the (Unpublished) Vault: Sky Broadband Fairy Tale Commercials & Fairy Tale Times

We don't think we ever posted these from 2010, a few (!) years ago, but they're worth a repeat viewing either way. We like that the theme of change (linked to transformation in fairy tales) is used so inventively. We do remember posting The Boy Who Cried Wolf ad from 2011 though. (You can find that HERE.)

The Princess and the Pea

The Frog Prince

 Little Red Riding Hood

Aladdin

Pretty fun take on fairy tales we think!

We also recently found these Fairy Tale Times pages for Sky Broadband, which we hadn't seen before. Looks like the advertising team had a lot of fun with these! We've included full sizes of each page where available, as the text really is an enjoyable read.

               

           

 We love the variety of tales included here! Kind of makes us wish we could subscribe to a fairy tale newspaper.

Gryla, Perchta, Befana, Forest Mother, Iron Tooth, Holle, Baba Yaga and... Mrs. Claus? Ho, ho - yes!

Researching what Baba Yaga would offer for advice (or as warnings) during the holiday season, it quickly became apparent that our favorite, ferocious wise woman has many sisters, quite a few of which are very active during the Winter Solstice and while some of their names are familiar, some are far less so.

Here's some seasonal reading for you on Baba Yaga's Yuletide 'sisters': 

The Lost Female Figures of Christmas Part I 

Mōdraniht - Mother's Night
Santa Lucia - Saint Lucy
Christkind (always portrayed by a grown woman)
Snegurochka - Snow Child/Maiden
Frau Holle 

The Lost Female Figures of Christmas Part II 

Perchta
Witte Wieven - The White Women
Befana
Grýla - Icelandic giantess

In reading about the sisters above, if you pay attention, you begin to see aspects of a modern female figure (that appears during our holiday season), emerge as well. That figure is, surprisingly, Mrs. Claus.

Although considered an American construct, that was quickly adopted by the UK, it's especially in recent times in which she seems to have become "more active", which is interesting. Not only is she helping Santa get ready for his 24 hour Christmas Eve world run, but these days we see references to her attending to small but key details that change the course of lives and sometimes history. She was credited with "saving Christmas" in the 1960's by the tale of the same name, but her character has quietly developed in complexity since then too. It's gotten to the point where she now ventures out on her own Christmas missions, without the Big Guy knowing, to take care of something she's sees as important, in person.

2016 saw her biggest update yet, thanks to a marketing campaign by Marks & Spencer. Take a look at this commercial that's touching a lot of hearts this season:

The ad has caught a lot of positive attention, and one writer, HERE, points out lots of wonderful details which might slip your attention on first viewing, but are worth sharing as they are all symbols of something else: feminine confidence, power and capability. While we won't include the whole description, here's an excerpt:

The ad, which was created by King's Speech director Tom Hooper, sees a little boy called Jake write to Mrs Claus on Christmas Eve for help. ...She reads Jake's letter (while sporting some fabulous thick-rimmed black glasses) and resolves to help him.

...New Christmas ass-kicking outfit on, and her hair subtly transformed into a Hillary Clinton power bob, Mrs Claus gets on her snowmobile and rides over the frozen landscape to an ice cave, where a bright red chopper (called R-DOLF, obviously) awaits. ...in a scene which wouldn't look out of place in a Bond film, Mrs Claus flies her ruby red helicopter from the North Pole to ...deliver the gift. 

(At) a time of year when all around seem to be telling women how to drop a dress size before party season; which shop the best mums go to; or how to plan ahead to ensure everyone else's needs are satisfied on the big day, it's refreshing to see a middle-aged woman tearing through the skies in a helicopter as if it's the most natural thing in the world. After all, in 2016 every little girl should know that she's just as capable as any boy.

It almost seems as if things have come a full circle - or that they're certainly heading that way. This Mrs. Claus, or Mother Christmas, is quite the feminist bad ass. And somehow, they managed to change her from old and frumpy, to a mature contemporary woman who's also capable and stylish, without stooping to either slutty or sickly sweet. She's almost, but not quite, a superhero. She's a capable, feminine, high profile wife, who finds that tricky balance between acting selflessly and enjoying her perks, and doesn't need - or want - the spotlight. (We have a feeling the Winter Sisters - and Baba Yaga - approve.)

So perhaps it's not so far fetched for people to be sending Mrs. Claus requests for help during the Christmas season. After all, her ancestral cousins have been in the business of helping out during the darkest time of the year for a very long time.

Note: "Love Mrs. Claus" got a lot of best-of-the-biz to bring her to life - from award winning writers, to composers and the actress herself having quite a shiny resume. You can read all the behind-the-scenes HERE.

Advertising: 'The Shoemaker and the Stars' (Christian Louboutin)

'Tis the season where luxury brands try to woo shoppers with promises of embedded magic in their products... It also makes for some very pretty ad campaigns this time of year. Released Monday December 5th, this commercial for the current Louboutin campaign, is worth a look for fairy tale folk.

“The Tale of the Shoemaker and the Stolen Stars” tells the story of a young cobbler, who is seduced by fame and fortune into breaking a promise. Told in the format of cartoon fairy tale films, this short video plays on consumers' nostalgia. (luxurydaily)

Shoes often get the holiday magic treatment and Louboutin seems to be forming a tradition of fantasy and fairy tale-esque storytelling with regard to their products. Shoes have a long history of fairy tale involvement and it's no surprise shoe companies use this to their advantage. We think it's pretty smart marketing.

From Louboutin's Facebook page:

The Queen of the land planned a magnificent ball to celebrate the birth of her twin daughters. She would invite the most distinguished and elegant people in the land. Beautiful, yet vain, she vowed, “I shall be the finest and the most radiant. I shall shine like the stars. I shall glisten and glitter. Everyone shall call me heaven, for I will be just as wondrous and celestial.” 

Our artisan went to work to make Her Majesty the most beautiful shoes in all the land. He implored the sky to lend him its stars for what would surely be a creative masterpiece. Feeling affection for its unlikely friend, the sky generously agreed, but as midnight struck, it gave the shoemaker a solemn warning to return the stars to the sky or the land would be plunged into darkness. He gave his word to the sky and the stars began to float and then soar towards him, one by one, and then in droves. 

From the precision with which he wielded his knife to carve the elegant wooden forms, to each single star he secured, the shoemaker did it all with consummate care. Turning a completed shoe in his hand, he was astonished by the light it radiated. He admired the graceful silhouette of each shoe. The night was dull without the stars, but as the shoes smoldered, the artisan felt certain they would enchant the Queen. Adding the finishing touches, he dipped his paintbrush in a glossy red lacquer and licked it across the soles. 

When his work was done, the artisan sped to the royal residence. On the steps of the palace, he laid a box bearing only his name, Christian Louboutin. The shoes, snug inside, emitted an incandescent glow. Needless to say, the hard-to-please Queen was delighted with the work of the young shoemaker! And surely enough, her celestial beauty mesmerized guests at the ball, all eyes drawn to her feet as they twinkled across the palace floor. 

The artisan’s reward for his work was a chest filled with exquisite materials and fine tools, the finest he had ever laid eyes on. He imagined instantly all he could create, and the riches these creations would bring him. But the offering from Her Majesty came with a catch. He could only have the chest in exchange for the shoes and the stars...forever. The artisan gazed into the night sky, musing wishfully. Surely the moon and sun would never truly deprive the land of their light? 

Years later, the land was still shadowed in darkness and the princesses had grown into bold, beautiful women. The artisan got word that the sisters were quarreling, so he created a lustrous clutch to captivate them. They thanked him for his wisdom and skill but before he let them keep his creation, they had to grant him just one wish… 

The full fairy tale is revealed below:

Pretty nice work! Props to the artists, writers and filmmakers who did a lovely job of continuing the tradition of the lure of magic shoes.

(Why does this remind us of Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge?)

NEW Advertising: Sleeping Beauty: "It's What You DO"

We admit it: we love this revisionist take on the fairy tale!

Fairy tales have been used in advertising for as long as... well, likely since there was advertising. GEICO has mined the richness of fairy tales for advertising before with Pinocchio and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Sleeping Beauty is a tale that hasn't been used quite as often by advertisers (unless sleeping can be directly related in the product, such as for mattresses), as the princess is considered passive, but it works perfectly here for this GEICO ad, in their "It's what you do" campaign.

Enjoy!

Description: What if Prince Charming's kiss never woke Sleeping Beauty? What if Sleeping Beauty was never actually "asleep" at all? This latest 'It's What You Do' campaign commercial turns a classic fairy tale on it's head with one of the oldest tricks in the book.

See why we like it?

We've seen a rise in different approaches to Sleeping Beauty's "sleep" recently. We look forward to seeing if this idea of using sleep as a personal asset, instead of being victim to it, spreads.

The Garden Ape

Welcome to the point of view of The Garden Ape.

Before I say anything else, take a look:

I was completely taken with this when I first saw this, and it's currently my son's favorite 'magical creature'. This ad, which is part of a promotional campaign for Wonderlijk Wild aka, Miraculously Wild, is an effort to encourage home gardening in Belgium. It was created by Emma & Marc to show the feeling of wonder a child can have exploring the outdoors, even in such an area as your own backyard.

You're probably wondering what on earth (heh) it has to do with fairy tales. Before you accuse me of seeing and relating everything, everywhere to fairy tales (which, I do - and I don't see that to be a problem), when I saw the little boy staring out the window at the ape, I immediately thought of Iron Hans, and of the importance of getting in touch with your 'wild' side. (It also sort of reminds me of a domovoi , if it ever found it's way outside...)

Once I made the connection the ape really looked more like a Wild Man than an ape to me and I have seen it that way ever since.

Now Jack (my son) imagines he sees the ape everywhere in our garden (you'd think only very little kids would respond this way but seven and eight year olds adore this too - which is the perfect age to encourage a little more of the wild-side of exploring) and is even more keen to spend time among the green outside. I only wish we lived in a more lush place (we're currently in the middle of a drought here on the edge of a desert) so he could have more of a 'wild adventure' but we're working on making that happen this summer for him.

The ape is made of felted wool and is completely shot with live-action puppeteering (no CG).

Here's the booklet with tips from The Garden Ape on getting your wild side going. You can download a PDF version HERE (do 'save link as' on the link.) It's in Dutch but it's very visual so if you have kids, this will be great for your family if you'd like to encourage some gardening:

Advertising: A Very Different Take On "The Tortoise and the Hare" for Transport for London Ad

This is a completely different take on Aesop's fable. Usually you see it with portrayed with (essentially) a laugh track - this... notsomuch. 

This is a sobering modern retelling, released in March this year (2015).

And it's very effective.

Here's the double-up poster - hare one way with a warning and a tortoise the other with an affirmation

                                   

                                               A not very healthy-looking hare

A happy looking tortoise

                  

In case you hadn't guessed, the campaign is, indeed, marketed at teens, with the idea of #ThinkSlow. 

I hate that we seem to need these sorts of PSAs at all, but I'd rather put up with PSAs, knowing they might even save one life, than have the alternative.

Pippa MacSherry, head of marketing operational at TfL, said the work is a natural extension of the long-running ‘Don’t let your friendship die on the road’ campaign. 

“By encouraging a more considered approach to crossing the road, we hope to reduce the number of pedestrian road related collisions. The campaign updates and re-imagines the classic tale of the hare and the tortoise – to show how ‘slow’ wins out,” she said.

Ed Palmer, managing partner at M&C Saatchi, commented: “It’s perilously easy to patronise and finger wag with this audience. Putting a modern twist on a well-known fable allows us to land our message without resorting to the more well-trodden type of cautionary tale to which this audience has become inured. The creative approach was to make safe roadside behaviour more appealing and aspirational for this audience.” 

The campaign will run across video-on-demand, cinema and social from early March and builds on neuro-scientific research which suggests the target age range is less likely to exercise restraint.

Advertising: Mercedes Benz's "Fable"

Stories about speed: what comes to mind? Pretty much just one, in my experience: The Tortoise and the Hare.

Although it's been out for a good couple of months now I only caught it on TV about a week ago and thought I should investigate further for you. This is the Mercedes Benz take on Aesop's well known fable, and they do a stellar job, I have to say.

Here's the ad (see if you can see the cameos by other common Aesop animals throughout):

Poor raven! (Nice story touch, though, I have to say.)

This was an ad that premiered at the Super Bowl in February this year (2015) and the company loved their characters so much they set up Twitter accounts to show the rivalry  - and character differences, and jokes and 'specialized products' - between the contestants.

Here are a few of their photos and you can find the witty repartee HERE for the Tortoise's half, and HERE for the Hare's.

I'm going to include the making-of video as well because, for those filmmakers and storytellers out there, I want you to see what a difference the on-location of an actual forest, with weather, makes, as well as this beautiful scene-building sequence made of a bunch of different elements, broken down so you can see them all added in a little magical sequence of it's own. (Animation buffs, you'll like this whole video too.)

The storybook scene building sequence begins around the 40 second mark and they show you the on-location forest and weather stuff a bit later.

Enjoy!

(You can read and see a whole lot more from the behind-the-scenes process HERE.)
And as a bonus, here are some fun screen shots: