Brands & Campaigns

During this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Edmonton Oilers captain and superstar Connor McDavid superstitiously wore the same pregame suit for multiple games in a row. Jesse Wilks and Gerardo Agbuya, creative directors at Courage Inc., saw an opportunity and pitched an idea for one of their clients, KFC Canada, to become superstitious too by running old ads from 1990, the last year the Oilers hoisted the Cup, to try and bring good vibes to the team.

Jesse and Gerardo join Camden on today’s episode to take you behind the scenes and tell the story behind this campaign. Listen in to learn about how the idea to be, how they were able to find the old footage to use during this campaign and the extensive production process.

If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

On today’s episode, Shelby Traveller, an intern on EKR’s creative team, joins Camden to discuss Tinder’s “It Starts With a Swipe” campaign in depth. They talk about where the campaign succeeded in leaning into Tinder’s existing perception while also appealing to a more diverse audience with their copywriting and art direction. Later in the podcast, Camden and Shelby also point out the importance of branding and strategy in planning effective marketing campaigns.

Listen to our episode with Kevin Mulroy!

To learn more about EKR, please visit https://ekragency.com/. If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

To many people, Tinder has gained a reputation as the app for hookups and shallow connections. In their recent campaign, they aimed to embrace ALL of the potential connections that “Start With a Swipe”.

Kevin Mulroy, partner and executive creative director at Mischief USA, joins Camden to share how they used that perception to steer the conversation in a fresh direction. Kevin also talks about what went into the production of this vibrant campaign. Later in the episode, Kevin and Camden compare this campaign to recent work from Tinder competitors.

If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

Tony Bowe, a creative intern at EKR, joins Camden on today’s episode of Brands and Campaigns to talk about KitKat’s “Have AI Break” advertisement. Tony talks about what he enjoyed about the ad and the importance of not trying to force creative ideas for campaigns. Camden also uses Courage’s relationship with KitKat to illustrate how strong agency-brand relationships can lead to outside-the-box ideas like this one.

Listen to our episode with Matt Miller and Tommy Yong!

To learn more about EKR, please visit https://ekragency.com/. If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

Inspired by a Google Deepmind study claiming AI performs better when you ask it to take a breather, Matt Miller and Tommy Yong of Courage Advertising pitched a campaign to KitKat combining this fact and their famous “have a break/gimme a break” slogan. Matt and Tommy join Camden on today’s episode to discuss how they discovered this AI insight and the creative process behind this campaign, including getting vetted by legal.

If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

Camden Bernatz and Madeline Trenkle (Art Director) reflect on the story behind Starburst's "Berries and Cream" commercial, the importance of genuine humor in ads, and how shock value can sometimes be enough, depending on what you are advertising.

Listen to our episode with Winslow Dennis!

If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

Starburst’s Berries and Cream commercial, also known as “Bus Station”, featuring a catchy song and dance, went viral and is memorable to this day. Winslow Dennis, a senior producer involved in the creation of this spot, joins Camden on today’s episode of Brands and Campaigns to give a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the ad. Winslow gives some insight on the casting process for the Little Lad, the client not being on set for the shoot and the story behind the kick at the end of one version of the spot.

If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

Adam Stoker, the CEO of EKR, returns to the show to discuss what can be learned about AI and risk-taking in destination marketing from Visit Myrtle Beach's "Mitarry Best". Adam comments on how the relationship between agency and brand determines the level of success something creative like this can achieve.

Listen to our episode with Stuart Butler!

If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

In this special bonus episode of Brands & Campaigns, Camden dives into some of the ads featured in the 2024 Super Bowl. Listen to hear why the Doordash ad could have been better and how Kia captured the hearts of viewers with its simple yet effective family-focused ad.

If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].

Today’s episode of Brands and Campaigns is all about an AI-inspired, outside-the-box Reddit push from “Mitarry Best," better known as Visit Myrtle Beach. Stuart Butler, the CMO of Visit Myrtle Beach, sits down with Camden to share his thought process behind this campaign and how this different type of advertising was able to succeed on a social media platform like Reddit.

If you have an idea for a creative campaign that we should cover or would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email [email protected].