A rogue Molson Canadian ad aired over the weekend in Toronto and Montreal, Canada.
Apparently it was a part of a pitch by Toronto agency Vaughn Whelan & Partners. The ad was just one part of the pitch campaign, which also included emails and directing people key to the Molson pitch to Project Hijack.
On the web site you'll find the ad, along with a letter stating the idea behind the premise - "The goal is to literally hijack the pitch process so that our little agency can get our big idea on the table."
Talk about a different approach to pitching to a client.
Shame that the ad isn't all that fantastic. It doesn't seem like there was a very big budgt to shoot the spot- my guess is that they reserved some of their funds to be able to buy air time. Which doesn't make much sense- since they sent out targeted emails to people involved in the pitch.
So far there's no news about how Molson feels regarding ads they have not approved, which use their logo/trademarks, on the air.
UPDATE- 10/14: Molson Inc. has responded to the unauthorized ad.
Molson's chief marketing officer and their lawyers have asked that the agency stop their broadcasting of unauthorized spots on TV and over the internet.
"It's concerning to us on a number of levels," Molson spokesman David Jones said yesterday. "I don't think anybody wants anybody representing your product or brand to a potential audience that you have no say over. It's not something we would encourage anybody to do."
"The whole project had one function. To get me an hour in their boardroom -- which is not going to happen, I think," Mr. Whelan said yesterday.
"All I've done is what every other agency does. I've made a speculative piece of work and instead of showing it in a boardroom or in the confines of a focus group, I've put it out for public opinion," said Whelan.
Mr. Jones said Molson is concerned about more than just an abuse of trademarks. The other issue is that breweries routinely submit their ads to Advertising Standards Canada to make sure that they abide by the federal Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act and by rules of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
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I'll give 'em ten points for gung-ho "lets do it" 'tude, but jebus what a terrible ad. The ham fisted writing, the cheap execution, the horrible music, the stiff acting, and let the mandatory boob shot rest will yas? Sheesh.
A stunt like that (I love the stunt don't get me wrong) can still only be 'won' with one ace idea, and I'm afraid this isn't it.
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PermalinkClearly the entire budget went to the model's breast augmentation.
Matt
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PermalinkI breasts agree that breasts as a stunt breasts to raise breasts awareness, it's breasts brilliant - but as a breasts commercials, it's sadly breasts lacking.
Um, what breasts product were they breasts selling again?
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PermalinkI think it's great VWPA had the guts to pitch the account when they weren't invited, but to air their cheesy spec spot on Canadian TV is not a good thing. They could've just created a great viral spot and had everyone talk about it....
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PermalinkThat's their problem right there - they think that this spot is brilliant. Had it actually been brilliant it would have gone viral already.
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Permalink"Please respect the confidentiality of these pages" - What!?
Did their .htpasswd file get deleted or something? "Confidential" and "worldwideweb" does NOT mix people!
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PermalinkThis is an okay ad.... If this was 1983. Luckily this ad is so bad that Molson probably won't sue his a$$. He's lucky to have a job much less his own company....
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PermalinkI have no idea what that was about. The web site was linked in the article I found originally...so I'm not sure what that means. *shrug*
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PermalinkThere was no obviously no shooting budget. Couple of hours in the streets of unpermitted shooting DV out the back of Vaughan's Drakar-reeking Explorer, and all the other set-ups were definitely shot in the agency's offices. Which means the "actors" are probably all staffers. Except for the stunt breasts, of course, which are exactly what you'd expect to see after the big idea gets sold: RESPECT.
Ballsy pitch. Decent idea butchered by a ghastly execution.
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PermalinkI don't know if it was the Miami Vice inspired Saved By the Bell guitar stylings, or the sultryness of the Joe Piscopo-esque VO, but that ad makes me want to invest all my money in some savings and loans, then go polish my DeLorean.
Bravo VW&P. Once you guys land this account, people will be so into reliving the 80's, they might skip Molson altogether and go back to blow.
Interesting, you had "RESPECT" supered in your spot, when obviously you have none.
I'll be shocked if you don't get sued for the amount of Molson people won't buy as a backlash from this spot.
You guys should stop recruiting the 40 year olds who got laid off at Grey, and try and get in some young talent. They have these things called minibooks, try looking at some.
All in all, I don't want to buy you a beer.
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PermalinkSeeing how Vaughan works....I'd say he bullied his staff into being in the spec ad and didn't tell them he would air it.....he seems the type. How does he have his own agency anyways (what possible clients could he have anymore??).
Maybe he is un-employable.
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PermalinkWhat an incredibly stupid move. Forget for a moment that the idea wasn't that good - they aired trademarks in a beer ad without Molson Brewieries consent . Can you spell cease and desist? Shouldn't an ad agency KNOW BETTER?
Baffling really.
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