Andrya Blanco, one EKR's designers, joins Camden to discuss their thoughts about the Hidden Sailors campaign and how multi-agency partnerships can be beneficial for brands. They also dive into their thoughts in Jaguar's new brand and what they think the company's next move might be. Listen to our last episode with Garth Knutson and Ryan Blum! 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

This week on Brands and Campaigns, Camden sat down with CMO Garth Knutson of Aflac and Ryan Blum, Chief Creative Officer at VML to discuss their partnership on a campaign to recruit US Navy Special Forces with Water Polo. The group discusses the background of the campaign as well as the other participating brands. They also dive in to how team dynamics play into fast paced timelines and the importance of picking the right team. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

This week, Camden sits down with Art Director Madeline Trenkle to discuss San Juan County's clever use—or lack of use—of AI in a recent campaign. Madeline also shares insights into her creative process and sources of inspiration and give sound advice on how to work with creative teams. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

Jared Price, EKR's Team Director and Director of Business Development, joins Camden on today’s episode to reflect on our conversation with Maggie Winters and Zach Goodwin about Agencyland. They touch on how Maggie and Zach’s passion for this project and dedication to seeing it through led to Agencyland’s success and the attention it garnered This January. Camden and Jared also give their thoughts on the creative process of Agencyland and how those lessons can apply to other agencies looking to create their own internal content. Listen to our episode with Maggie Winters and Zach Goodwin! 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

“Agencyland” is a board game based on running an advertising agency, full of industry in-jokes, creative copy and fun gameplay. Two of the main people behind this game, Maggie Winters and Zach Goodwin from This January, join Camden to break down “Agencyland”. Zach and Maggie describe how The Farming Game inspired them to create Agencyland to unravel the complexities of the advertising industry while also including in-jokes that are relatable to advertising industry veterans. Later in the episode, they dive deep into the creative process of “Agencyland”, from creating and refining the gameplay to writing the copy for the cards. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

Adam Castar, the producer of Brands & Campaigns and our agency’s resident fantasy football enthusiast, joins Camden to talk about ESPN’s “Only in Fantasy” campaign. Adam talks about his love of fantasy football, how this campaign resonates with him, and the unique “guillotine” league that he participates in. Later on in the episode, Adam and Camden discuss some overarching themes for the podcast as a whole, such as strong agency-client partnerships and how simple insights can lead to impactful campaigns. Listen to our episode with Sinan Dagli and Jake Bayham! 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

The NFL season is right around the corner, which also means that fantasy football leagues are starting up again too. Since 2019, Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners (BSSP) has created different iterations of its “Only in Fantasy” campaign for ESPN’s Fantasy Football platform. Jake Bayham and Sinan Dagli, the Head of Strategy and Executive Creative Director at BSSP, respectively, join Camden on today’s episode to talk about the campaign’s origins in 2019 and the creative process for this year’s iteration. Listen in to learn why they decided to focus on the social aspect of fantasy football for this campaign and the story of the 49-year-old fantasy league they spoke to that inspired some of this year’s spots. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

Corey Ostler, EKR’s Art Director, joins Camden on today’s episode of Brands & Campaigns to discuss A&W’s campaign that offered free root beer to centenarians for life and reflect on the insights Jonathon Spalding from Cornett shared in the previous episode. They touch on all aspects of this campaign’s creative process, such as the role of creative briefs, how A&W was able to use centenarians to appeal to the younger generation and the campaign’s comedic elements. Listen to our episode with Jonathon Spalding! 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

Known for its root beer, A&W Restaurants is one of the oldest fast-food franchises in the United States and celebrated its 105th anniversary this year. To go along with this milestone, they’re offering free root beer floats for life for people at least 100 years old. Jonathon Spalding, a Creative Director at Cornett, and his team created hilarious and creative social videos and static ads featuring centenarians enjoying root beer floats and not acting their age. Jonathon joins Camden on today’s episode of Brands & Campaigns to talk about the genesis of this idea, the pitch process with A&W, and the production aspect of the campaign. The conversation then shifts to a conversation about the benefits of running earned media campaigns like this one and how this campaign in particular was successful. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

Adam Castar, a Podcast Producer for EKR and one of the producers of Brands and Campaigns, joins Camden on today’s episode to discuss KFC Canada’s campaign for the Edmonton Oilers. Adam and Camden talk about the campaign as a whole and speculate on what the finale of this campaign could have been if the Oilers had won The Stanley Cup. Adam and Camden also discuss agency-client partnerships and how a strong relationship can lead to successful marketing campaigns like this one. Listen to our previous episode with Jesse Wilks and Gerardo Agbuya! 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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! 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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! 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.

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. 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 brandspodcast@ekragency.com.