From an animated mayonnaise wrestling match to Snoop Dogg serving as a smokeless “smokesman,” Richmond’s ad output in 2023 was full of surprises, including those Sarah McLachlan and Martha Stewart cameos.
A Netflix-themed party invitation took home top honors at this year’s Richmond Show awards, and a campaign for a food company’s tour sponsorship put a bacon bait lure in the hands of country singer Luke Bryan.
But it wasn’t just celebrities that made for memorable moments from Richmond’s creative scene over the past 12 months.
These are our picks for this year’s standout locally produced ads and campaigns, in no particular order, pulled from The Pitch and other BizSense coverage:
Familiar Creatures – Duke’s Mayo Mania
Duke’s “Mayo Mania”:60 from Proposal on Vimeo.
Familiar Creatures’ “Mayo Mania” campaign for Duke’s Mayonnaise made its debut during the 2022 Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30. The pro wrestling-themed campaign involved TV, online and social media ads and featured animation by HouseSpecial in Portland, Oregon. The 30-second spots also aired during the Gator Bowl the same day.
Arts & Letters – Tito’s DIY January
Arts & Letters Creative Co. enlisted DIY expert Martha Stewart for this play off Dry January for Tito’s Handmake Vodka. The 60-second “DIY January” spot featured music from Richmond sound studio Overcoast.
The Martin Agency – Busch Light spots
This campaign for Busch Light kicked off with a Super Bowl ad that turned heads with a surprise appearance by singer-songwriter and animal rights activist Sarah McLachlan. More ads followed, including the PSA-style “Save A Tree, Pee In A Busch” spot that won sound studio Overcoast a Webby award. Mondial and Tiny Lion also contributed to the campaign.
Mondial – Under Armour spots
UNDER ARMOUR – SWACKET from MONDIAL on Vimeo.
Film production studio Mondial completed several projects this year for national sportswear brand Under Armour, including this 30-second clip to promote the brand’s Swacket cold-weather jacket. Other work included five 15-second videos and two longer tech pieces promoting NBA player Steph Curry’s latest shoe launch, and a 30-second video and four 15-second clips were produced for the brand’s Flow Dynamic shoe launch.
Padilla – Richmond Region Tourism ‘Speaks for Itself’ campaign
Funded using American Rescue Plan Act dollars designated for tourism recovery efforts, Padilla’s $2 million campaign for the regional tourism office targeted potential travelers through a sound-focused video approach. Padilla beat out more than a dozen agencies through a competitive process to land the campaign, which will run through June 2024.
Two Tango Collaborative – DMV ‘You speed, you lose’ campaign
DMV Speed :30 (Hull St) from twotango collaborative on Vimeo.
This campaign for the Virginia DMV also introduced longtime agency NDP’s rebranding as Two Tango Collaborative. Called “You speed, you lose,” the video game-themed campaign included this 30-second spot with video production from Alice Blue Studio and sound by Overcoast.
The King Agency – Netflix party invitations
These Netflix-themed invitations for The King Agency’s 25th anniversary party took home best-in-shows in the advertising and design categories at this year’s Richmond Show awards. The invitations were disguised as the iconic red envelopes – complete with a (blank) DVD – that the then-movie rental company started mailing in 1997, the same year the agency was founded.
Tilt/Cade Martin – Wounded Warrior Project campaign
Tilt Creative + Production and photographer Cade Martin collaborated on this photo-and-video campaign for the Wounded Warrior Project. The lead generation/retargeting campaign aimed to reach veterans who could benefit from but hadn’t committed to the nonprofit’s services.
Elevation – Farmland Foods’ bacon bait lure
Elevation collaborated with River City Swimbaits to create a limited-edition bacon bait lure for Farmland Foods’ sponsorship of country singer Luke Bryan’s 2023 Farm Tour. The handcrafted lure was presented to Bryan at the end of the tour and offered to fans through an Instagram giveaway that garnered more than 45,000 engagements in a week.
Martin Agency – Snoop Goes Smokeless
This 30-second spot by The Martin Agency for smokeless fire pits maker Solo Stove, featuring Snoop Dogg as the brand’s “smokesman,” was teased with a social media post that went viral in which the rapper said he’d decided to “give up smoke.”
From an animated mayonnaise wrestling match to Snoop Dogg serving as a smokeless “smokesman,” Richmond’s ad output in 2023 was full of surprises, including those Sarah McLachlan and Martha Stewart cameos.
A Netflix-themed party invitation took home top honors at this year’s Richmond Show awards, and a campaign for a food company’s tour sponsorship put a bacon bait lure in the hands of country singer Luke Bryan.
But it wasn’t just celebrities that made for memorable moments from Richmond’s creative scene over the past 12 months.
These are our picks for this year’s standout locally produced ads and campaigns, in no particular order, pulled from The Pitch and other BizSense coverage:
Familiar Creatures – Duke’s Mayo Mania
Duke’s “Mayo Mania”:60 from Proposal on Vimeo.
Familiar Creatures’ “Mayo Mania” campaign for Duke’s Mayonnaise made its debut during the 2022 Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30. The pro wrestling-themed campaign involved TV, online and social media ads and featured animation by HouseSpecial in Portland, Oregon. The 30-second spots also aired during the Gator Bowl the same day.
Arts & Letters – Tito’s DIY January
Arts & Letters Creative Co. enlisted DIY expert Martha Stewart for this play off Dry January for Tito’s Handmake Vodka. The 60-second “DIY January” spot featured music from Richmond sound studio Overcoast.
The Martin Agency – Busch Light spots
This campaign for Busch Light kicked off with a Super Bowl ad that turned heads with a surprise appearance by singer-songwriter and animal rights activist Sarah McLachlan. More ads followed, including the PSA-style “Save A Tree, Pee In A Busch” spot that won sound studio Overcoast a Webby award. Mondial and Tiny Lion also contributed to the campaign.
Mondial – Under Armour spots
UNDER ARMOUR – SWACKET from MONDIAL on Vimeo.
Film production studio Mondial completed several projects this year for national sportswear brand Under Armour, including this 30-second clip to promote the brand’s Swacket cold-weather jacket. Other work included five 15-second videos and two longer tech pieces promoting NBA player Steph Curry’s latest shoe launch, and a 30-second video and four 15-second clips were produced for the brand’s Flow Dynamic shoe launch.
Padilla – Richmond Region Tourism ‘Speaks for Itself’ campaign
Funded using American Rescue Plan Act dollars designated for tourism recovery efforts, Padilla’s $2 million campaign for the regional tourism office targeted potential travelers through a sound-focused video approach. Padilla beat out more than a dozen agencies through a competitive process to land the campaign, which will run through June 2024.
Two Tango Collaborative – DMV ‘You speed, you lose’ campaign
DMV Speed :30 (Hull St) from twotango collaborative on Vimeo.
This campaign for the Virginia DMV also introduced longtime agency NDP’s rebranding as Two Tango Collaborative. Called “You speed, you lose,” the video game-themed campaign included this 30-second spot with video production from Alice Blue Studio and sound by Overcoast.
The King Agency – Netflix party invitations
These Netflix-themed invitations for The King Agency’s 25th anniversary party took home best-in-shows in the advertising and design categories at this year’s Richmond Show awards. The invitations were disguised as the iconic red envelopes – complete with a (blank) DVD – that the then-movie rental company started mailing in 1997, the same year the agency was founded.
Tilt/Cade Martin – Wounded Warrior Project campaign
Tilt Creative + Production and photographer Cade Martin collaborated on this photo-and-video campaign for the Wounded Warrior Project. The lead generation/retargeting campaign aimed to reach veterans who could benefit from but hadn’t committed to the nonprofit’s services.
Elevation – Farmland Foods’ bacon bait lure
Elevation collaborated with River City Swimbaits to create a limited-edition bacon bait lure for Farmland Foods’ sponsorship of country singer Luke Bryan’s 2023 Farm Tour. The handcrafted lure was presented to Bryan at the end of the tour and offered to fans through an Instagram giveaway that garnered more than 45,000 engagements in a week.
Martin Agency – Snoop Goes Smokeless
This 30-second spot by The Martin Agency for smokeless fire pits maker Solo Stove, featuring Snoop Dogg as the brand’s “smokesman,” was teased with a social media post that went viral in which the rapper said he’d decided to “give up smoke.”
Tito’s is a perfect example of something that is nothing but marketing, advertising copy, and phony product mythology. Definitely not handmade, but definitely the brainchild of a privileged frat boy who claims the family’s help called him “Tito” (there is probably some truth to that as Burt Butler Beveridge the Second doesn’t quite roll of the nativo speaker’s tongue). The thing is, Martha probably enjoyed more authentic handmade vodka during her time in the clink.
Duke’s rules!