W+K Amsterdam was asked by Nike to create an integrated campaign to celebrate the South American Copa America, which is being held throughout July in Argentina. The result: ‘Copa Barrio’. There are two films, one for Brazil, featuring Neymar with funky hairdo, and one for Argentina, featuring Pastore, Higuain, and Tevez – we’re showing the latter in this post, because Argentina is hosting the event. To give the campaign a grassroots feel the films, directed by Paulo Gandra (Hungry Man Brazil), were more or less created on the go, with no real scripts to adhere to – though they look quite slick anyway. AKQA London was responsible for the online component, a Facebook fan page. Note: if you live in the Netherlands you have to choose English as your preferred language at the very bottom of the fan page – AKQA is working on this glitch. Anyway, on this page fans can create and share their own rallying posters with the same ‘barrio’ feel that is established in the commercials. We’re sure things will go ‘loco’ in South America.

Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam created this sympathetic 2,5 minute mini documentary centered around a talent scout, Alexander Shpakov – of whom the name strangely enough remains unknown – and talent Andriy Shevchenko, who was discovered 17 years ago in Kiev. Together the two look back at the moment when Shevchenko – who still plays in Kiev for Dynamo – was discovered and discuss what it takes to stand out on the pitch. The film is part of ‘The Chance,’ which is a global football talent search for youg amateur footballers that want to take their game to a professional level – which sounds like an earlier Nike theme; ‘Take it to the next level’. Against the backdrop of the brand new follow up of Nike ‘Write the future’, ‘My time is now’ (created by W+K London) the film is very subtle, even sober. Through a Facebook app, you can sign up to join a team that will go on a global tour to train and play with some of the world’s best teams. 16 talents from 50 countries will eventually get selected. Nike as a talent scout; sounds like a good plan.

Photo: Maurice Mikkers
The biggest winner last night at the ADCN (Dutch Art Director’s Club) awards was Lemz. All the ‘bulbs’ – of which one was a Grand Prix (the very best integrated work) – went to their Fireworks campaign. Our very favourite campaign of the year Domino’s Pizza Pepperoni by Indie won one Golden and two Silver bulbs (TV, internet and activation) – in our opinion it was at least as good as Lemz’ work. Wieden also won one Gold and two Silver for Heineken’s ‘The making of The Date’ (internet, TV, and activation). Selmore won Gold for Bavaria and Hugh Heffner – so we can be sure that Charlie Sheen will also win Gold next year. We were a bit surprised that N=5 won Gold for Telfort – not really our taste. Y&R won one Gold and two Silver for LG’s ‘smart thief‘ (internet, TV, and viral). A bit strange that alle these films are winning different prizes for the different channels through which they are broadcasted – does the channel matter? Another one of our favourites was Hema’s with a push-up bra in print, promoted by a male model, going viral big time – by Doom & Dickson. It won Gold and Silver. Note: Hema is one of the most down to earth department stores in the Netherlands. TBWA won Gold with its print campaign for DIY chain Gamma; free Lego – “Just like dad.” In Interactive Tribal DDB won Gold and Silver for ‘Obsessed with Sound’ for Philips. One of the most impactful commercials of the year by Publicis for ALS won Silver – “I have died by now.” Special bulbs went to Mischa Rozema (for directing OFFF), Christian Borstlap (art direction and illustration, for LV and Mr Porter), and Simon Warner (photgraphy, for Octopus).

Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam has promoted Clay Mills to Managing Director. He follows up Lee Newman, who was appointed as MD in 2008. Newman will become president at O&M Chicago. Mills was hired by Wieden in 2010 as Group AD on Heineken. Since his hiring Heineken became one of Wieden’s more profitable and successful accounts, making the agency even lead this year’s Gunn report. Prior to W+K Amsterdam, Mills worked at JWT New York, and BBH in New York and London. ECD’s Mark Bernath and Eric Quennoy about Mills’ appointment: “Spending the last two years making the Heineken work with Clay has been one of the more enjoyable experiences of our careers. You have to work with people who make work feel more like having fun. That’s when the best stuff happens. Of course, you can’t have fun without being dead serious and smart about what you’re doing. A balance that Clay gets as good as anyone.”

Earlier this week we wrote about EA’s Grand Slam Tennis 2, today we’re writing about yet another EA game, called FIFA Street. Just like GST2 this one also shows some in-game footage – probably a client mandatory – but what is different about it, is that it’s all about real life swagger. A dude with a bowler hat, a DJ, a monkey, a girl with white sneakers and golden legging, and some old school TV’s being smashed by the ball. And some dinstinguished copy: “Welcome to the home of hustle…to the school of swagger. Abracadabra. This is the birthplace of every move you’ve ever seen.” It feels a bit wannabe cool, though we instantly admit that we might just be getting a little too old for this stuff – we’re more the FIFA ‘normal’ generation. In any case, if you want to ‘Free Your Game’ FIFA Street is clearly the way forward. Created by Wieden+Kennedy, directed by Paulo Gandra and Steve Hudson (Hungry Man).