I am talking about the new ads for Quizno’s.  If you haven’t seen them, turn down your volume, cover your eyes, and press play below.

We spend a good deal of time and effort here coming up with campaigns that are (1) based in truth, (2) relevant to the audience, and (3) accomplish measurable goals.  Even with those logical rules, a majority of our ideas get shot down for one reason or another.  I would love to have been a fly on the wall when this was presented to hear the reaction from Mr. Quizno. I imagine it was something along the lines of  “I like the concept in which you include the most annoying audio track ever with visuals that look like a nightmare I had when I was 8. I think this will sell a ton of sandwiches.”

The only thing that would be more annoying about them is when they make it to the web. Where is that close button?

The Communication Arts Design Annual 51 (September/October issue) will feature two of our favorite Loyola University Maryland pieces, the Sophomore/Junior Search Piece, which is printed on newsprint and the School of Education Viewbook. There’s been a lot of interest in the newsprint piece so we’ve posted more images after the jump for your viewing pleasure…

Are you a creative, media savvy, advertising genius who loves competition? Do you enjoy high socks, shin guards, sweat and soccer balls?

If your answer is “yes”, then 160over90 wants your team to compete in the Agency World Cup!

Advertising, branding, design, media and interactive agencies in the Philadelphia area are invited for a soccer showdown on Thursday, August 5 from 3pm-5pm for the Agency World Cup.

The teams will be co-ed and consist of 5 v 5 plus goal keepers.  Each game will last 20 minutes. There will be a minimum of a three game qualification stage, followed by a knockout/bracket stage. Teams will be scored three points for a win, one point for a draw.

The Agency World Cup will take place in Philadelphia and the exact field location will be determined based on the number of participating teams.

This competition will separate the creatives from the athletes so leave your projects at the office and bring your A-games to the field!

Please RSVP by Thursday, July 22

Michelle Prescott

AgencyCup@160over90.com

UP THERE from Jon on Vimeo.

Just a beautiful documentary by the good folks at Mother NY, in partnership with their client Stella Artois. It’s so nice when something like this gets made just because it should, and the agency and client both get it. Doesn’t need to be anything more than that.

Newsprint is an immersive, temporary material. It is disposable. It crumples easily and yellows quickly.  It has a short lifetime. It is intentionally imperfect. This is what we love about it, and why, when we were asked to create a search piece for Loyola University Maryland back in January, we chose newsprint. We wanted to use a material that was as immediate, honest, and unvarnished as the messaging contained in its pages.

The task was to create a mailer for Loyola that was aimed at high school Sophomores and Juniors—a time when many prospective students are feeling overwhelming emotions (both good and bad) about college. So instead of going down a tried and trite path full of generic campus photography and preemptive university information, we decided to instead tackle the immediate emotions that students feel at that particular moment in their lives: excitement, uncertainty, nervousness, and above all, possibility. We wanted to create something that was welcoming, immersive, and relatable—a bit of relevant life advice, rather than marketing jargon.

We explained the idea to Loyola as a piece that’s about the now—one that doesn’t immediately refer to Loyola, but instead reflects the school’s ideals and the type of attention and life skills that students can garner from their time on the Evergreen campus. Loyola was so excited by the idea that they encouraged us to make a double-edition piece that would be mailed out in two waves over a month-long period.

Looking back, it was really exciting to have the opportunity to work on a piece that pushed the boundaries of what a piece of university branding can be—going so far as to have the first volume appear without any logo or mention of Loyola whatsoever, besides a discrete seal on the back cover. The first volume focuses on the types of questions and uncertainties that high school students might be dealing with, and encourages them to embrace their facets, take advantage of their ability to try many things, and to focus on what makes them happy.

The type- and photo-driven first volume was followed by a graphic-heavy second volume that goes into specific detail about the tenets of Loyola University Maryland, and the University’s devotion to care of the whole person. Volume 2 asks students to examine their own personalities and interests as a means of uncovering what university is best for them—whether or not that school ends up being Loyola.

In its playful nature, curiosity-inspiring approach, and intellectual roots, the piece reflects Loyola University Maryland on a fundamental level. And like Loyola’s tenets, it provides advice that remains relevant throughout different periods in your life.

Hooray! The weather has turned, spring sprung, etc… which means, once again, Weber’s is on the menu! Not just an orange Doo Wop-style car hop with a mechanized retro asterisk sign serving simple burgers and home made root beer, but a roadside oasis and an enduring monument to warm weather good times. Route 38 in Cherry Hill, in lovely southern New Jersey. (also @ shepelavy.com)

(These photos were shot a couple of years ago with the Savoy, below, a corker of a fixed focus medium format plastic toy camera.)

And believe me – that is a nice deep fryer.

Think of it this way…if Medalist was a band, I’d like to think they’d be Cheap Trick. Direct and intense with just enough humor and art to make you realize how well made and smart it really is….

Medalist is a small, smart outfit out in Reading, PA. They have a technology that does this thing, and does it really well…it’s a fabric, SilverMax, that eliminates/controls scent and body temperature. And weighs next to nothing. And is comfortable. The apparel is used by hunters, cops, firemen, and performance athletes. Oh, and astronauts! And anyone else who puts it on- regular folk, expecting moms, construction workers, etc…It works exactly as described, and it’s the best.  And they need a brand.

So the brand we built is as direct and unfussy as the product. What do hunters, cops, firemen, and performance athletes have in common?  They are demanding, passionate experts. And when they do what they do, they are defined by moments. The score, the count, the save, the rescue. Straight as pie. Just make it count. Same thing with the work. Great headlines, powerful type, epic photography, bold intense color palette – same thing.  Just simple, classic advertising done with passion and chops. Check out the work here.

Loyola University Maryland is quickly becoming my favorite client to work for. They are always open to trying something new and different. We recently completed a double-edition Sophomore/Junior Search Piece, and if all goes according to plan, it’s going to totally blow some high schoolers’ minds. Or at the very least, get them thinking about THE FUTURE. The pieces are finally printed, and within the next couple of weeks, high school students throughout the east coast will be receiving not one, but TWO oversize newsprint editions in their mailboxes. I know! Rad— right???

Mad props to Alcom and Evergreen for helping make our newsprint dreams come true. It was my first time on press for a web job, so I took a ton of photos. I’ve included some here to give you a sneak peek. Photos of the finished pieces will be up soon. Enjoy!

Watch ya self.

Our fearless print reps

Our man JT, Snappy Dresser and Production Manager Bad-Ass