August 2, 2018

It Takes a Village to Raise a Trophy

It takes a village to raise a trophy – a village of dedicated, creative thinkers in every department – planning, media, account, creative and production – along with great clients.

Our Baker Street Advertising village scooped up 6 Communicator and 5 Telly Awards, as two of the nation’s prestigious advertising awards announced their winners.

Below is a breakdown of the awards and the celebrated work:

Communicator Awards:

SF Giants Interactive Campaign | Gold
— “We Are Sundays”
— “Two For Tuesdays”
— “Day Baseball”
— “Orange Fridays”

SF Giants :30 TV Spot | Gold
— “Meet the Closer”

NorCal Honda Online Campaign | Gold
— “Civic Reasons”
— “Speed vs. Space”
— “Iceberg”
— “Run The World”

NorCal Honda Craft in Copywriting | Gold
— “Civic Reasons”

NorCal Honda Online Animation | Gold
— “Iceberg”

NorCal Honda Online Promotional Video | Silver
— “Speed vs. Space”

Telly Awards:

SF Giants Interactive Campaign | Gold
— “We Are Sundays”
— “Two For Tuesdays”
— “Day Baseball”

SF Giants :30 TV Spot | Gold
— “Meet the Closer”

SF Giants Interactive Film | Silver
— “We Are Sundays”

SF Giants Interactive Film | Silver
— “Orange Fridays”

NorCal Honda Online Campaign | Bronze
— “Civic Reasons”
— “Speed vs. Space”
— “Iceberg”

NorCal Honda | Pre-Roll Video | “Civic Reasons”

NorCal Honda | Pre-Roll Video | “Speed vs Space”

NorCal Honda | Pre-Roll Video | “Iceberg”

NorCal Honda | Pre-Roll Video | “Run the World”

SF Giants | Interactive Film | “We Are Sundays”

SF Giants | Interactive Film | “Two For Tuesdays”

SF Giants | Interactive Film | “Day Baseball”

SF Giants | Interactive Film | “Orange Fridays”

SF Giants | :30 TV Spot | “Meet the Closer”

Baker Street Advertising Credits (NorCal Honda Work):
President: Jack Boland
Chief Creative Officer: Brian Bacino
Chief Strategy Officer: Don Donovan
Copywriters: Brian Bacino/Robert Leon/Sarah Inglis/Bob Dorfman/Lesly Pyle
Art Directors: Sarah Inglis/Ken Woodard
Producers: Julie Costanzo/Brody McHugh/Lauren Finerman
Senior Strategist: Howie Leibach
Group Account Director: Dan Nilsen
Account Supervisor: Christine Rodriguez
Senior Account Executive: Megan Boland
Media Director: Glenn Yajko
Media Broadcasting Supervisor: Sheila Taylor
Media Supervisor: Jena Benzel
Senior Broadcast Buyers: Shelly Kalianis/Cel Vital Bella

Production Credits (NorCal Honda Work):
Directors: Soloman Burbridge, Joshua Cox and Rob Shaw, Bent Image Lab
Partner/Executive Producer: Ray DiCarlo, Bent Image Lab
Executive Producer: Anthony Greene, Bent Image Lab
Producers: Brianna Vitale/Gabi Villasenor, Bent Image Lab
Sound Engineer: Lance Limbocker, Limbocker Studios

Baker Street Advertising Credits (SF Giants Work):
President: Jack Boland
Chief Creative Officer: Brian Bacino
Chief Strategy Officer: Don Donovan
Copywriters: Brian Bacino/Robert Leon/Bob Dorfman
Art Directors: Ken Woodard/Jason Wong
Interactive/Cinemagraph Art Director: Xavier Li
Producer: Brody McHugh
Creative Manager/Script Supervisor: Lesly Pyle
Senior Strategist: Howie Leibach
Account Supervisor: Nick Spillner
Senior Account Executive: Juliana King
Media Director: Glenn Yajko
Media Broadcasting Supervisor: Sheila Taylor
Media Supervisor: Jena Benzel
Senior Broadcast Buyers: Shelly Kalianis/Cel Vital Bella

Production Credits (SF Giants Work):
Director: Brian Bacino, Baker Street Advertising
Executive Producer: Mark Dwyer, Dwyer Productions
Director of Photography: Cliff Traiman, Little Giant Lighting & Grip
Director of Photography “Meet The Closer”: Keith Pikus
Line Producer: Jon Bowden
Editor: Alan Chimenti, Ntropic Editorial
ECD/Founder: Nate Robinson, Ntropic Editorial
Post Producer: Emily Avoujageli & Danielle Cheifetz, Ntropic Editorial
VFX Director: Aaron Vasquez, Ntropic Editorial
VFX Artists: Ethan Chang & Miguel Diaz-Rivera, Ntropic Editorial
Colorists: Chris Martin, Nick Sanders, & Kristy Navarro, Ntropic Editorial
Graphics Artist: Erica Poat, Ntropic Editorial
Flame Artist: Mark Everson & Todd Hemsley, Ntropic Editorial
Junior Flame Artist: Jerome Knight, Ntropic Editorial
Rotoscoping Producer: John Mendaros, Ntropic Editorial
Rotoscoping Artists: Roel Elaco, Jun dela Pena, Alfred Ilagen, Ntropic Editorial
Post Assistants: Gillen Burch & Yvonne Pon, Ntropic Editorial
Audio Mixer: Andy Greenberg, One Union Recording

Accolades, Awards, Baker Streeters, Brian Bacino, Creative Chief B2, Honda, SF Giants, Sports, Sports Marketing, Uncategorized

July 27, 2018

Finding New Success In Classic Media

By: Glenn Yajko

What do you do when you have a highly-successful Hispanic advertising campaign that has fueled a majority of incremental total sales growth but is beginning to flatten? You reshuffle the media budget and meddle with the media mix.

That’s exactly what Baker Street Advertising did when we decided to introduce Outdoor media to the Siempre Contigo campaign.

We looked to outdoor as a way to increase reach among Hispanic car buyers while avoiding wasteful over-saturation within existing media. In addition, we wanted to bring the inspirational “Siempre Contigo” (“Always with you”) message into the neighborhoods where our prospective buyers live and work. Using mobile data to map movements of the Hispanic audience segment, we identified Out of Home (OOH) locations that over-indexed for reaching the Hispanic community. Locations were not purchased in the traditional 4-week cycle, but rather synched up with TV/Radio/Online in shorter bursts to maximize effectiveness of the campaign message and incentives. In addition, each Northern California Honda Dealer outdoor location was geo-fenced to deliver re-targeted mobile ads to those exposed to the OOH message, thereby increasing frequency and engagement with Hispanic auto-intenders.

Needless to say, the Northern California Honda Dealer OOH campaign of leveraging mobile data to identify place-based locations and deliver “incentive” messaging has been a tremendous success as outlined in this article from Dealer Marketing Magazine.

OOH Media Credits, Baker Street Advertising:
Media Director: Glenn Yajko
Media Supervisor: Jena Benzel

The OOH is an extension of a multi-media campaign including the following heartwarming TV spots:

Antonio’s | :30 TV Spot

Missing Monkey | :30 TV Spot

Floaties | :30 TV Spot

Credits, Baker Street Advertising:
President: Jack Boland
Chief Creative Officer: Brian Bacino
Chief Strategy Officer: Don Donovan
Copywriter: Claudio Martinez-Valle
Art Director: Ken Woodard
Producer: Brody McHugh
Creative Manager: Lesly Pyle
Group Account Director: Dan Nilsen
Associate Account Director: Christine Rodriguez
Senior Account Executive: Megan Boland
Senior Strategist: Howie Leibach
Media Broadcasting Supervisor: Sheila Taylor
Senior Broadcast Buyers: Shelly Kalianis/Cel Vital Bella

Credits, Production:
Director, Brian Bacino, Baker Street Advertising
Executive Producer, Jed Mortenson, Waypoint Films
Director of Photography: Kevin Emmons
Editor: Alan Chimenti, Ntropic
Producer: Tamara Treu, Ntropic
Senior Flame Artist: Amanda Amalfi, Ntropic
Sound Engineer: Andy Greenberg, One Union Recording

Analytics, Honda, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Uncategorized

June 30, 2018

Our #AskAnyHondaDriver Campaign Performs Just Like a Honda

By: Lesly Pyle

NorCal Honda’s #AskAnyHondaDriver testimonial campaign is in its 4th year and is the most robust campaign we’ve created so far — with 19 long-format web films and 28 unique TV/web videos since 2015. Talk about legendary dependability.

This year, we feature four new happy Honda stories from all over Northern California.

2014 | Accord | Chris and Kelsey | Monterey
Teeing it up are two golf pros who definitely drive for show.

2017 CR-V | Samanta | Richmond
Second, is super sweet Samanta Beltran, who’s a Contra Costa Country school counselor by day, a baker by night and a lifelong Honda driver by choice.

2010 & 2011 Fits | Peters Family | Santa Rosa
Third, we have 6 feet 6 Jacob, 5-foot Lauren and their 150-pound Great Dane Charles who believe their two Fits are the perfect fit for their modern family.

2016 Odyssey | The Crandalls | Tiburon
Lastly, The Crandall Family, who have three tiny tots and one of the tightest turns in Tiburon.

Not only does this campaign help drive Honda’s record sales, but it drives people into action. Or should we say, interaction? Before we launched the first five stories back in 2015, research from BSA’s trademark “Discovery” phase revealed that Honda drivers love their Hondas so much, they want to tell the world. So we gave them a stage. We created an interactive platform on NorCal Honda’s Facebook page called “Straight From The Street” where Honda drivers can share their own stories for a chance to have it professionally produced for television and digital media.

As you can see, it worked. And keeps working, becoming a self-fulfilling cycle of success. Every user-submitted story is a free ad for Honda. And the folks we’ve chosen to feature, above-the-fold so-to-speak, have become evangelists, sharing their souped-up stories with their own networks creating tons of efficiently-priced eyeballs. How’s that for performance?

To see the previous Honda stories we’ve created since 2015, click here: #AskAnyHondaDriver

Credits, Baker Street Advertising:
President: Jack Boland
Chief Creative Officer: Brian Bacino
Chief Strategy Officer: Don Donovan
Copywriters: Brian Bacino/Lesly Pyle
Art Director: Ken Woodard
Producer: Brody McHugh
Group Account Director: Dan Nilsen
Associate Account Director: Christine Rodriguez
Senior Account Executive: Lisa Coonts
Senior Strategist: Howie Leibach
Media Director: Glenn Yajko
Media Broadcasting Supervisor: Sheila Taylor
Media Supervisor: Jena Benzel
Senior Broadcast Buyers: Shelly Kalianis/Cel Vital Bella

Brian Bacino, Creative Chief B2, Digital Marketing, Honda, Uncategorized

April 23, 2018

Dream Commute

By: Harrison Chapman

Well, the parade of disasters continues in the news and it seems like now more than ever, people could use an escape. When concepting for Honda’s 2018 Dream Garage Sales Event campaign, we could think of no better opportunity to give people that escape than exploring the “Dream” part of “Dream Garage.” We wanted to show people a safe, kind world where literally every single thing dances and sings in Pee Wee Herman-esque harmony. Every plant, every house, every dog, and even every cloud in the sky smiles upon you. There aren’t even sharp corners in this world because everything is just that safe.

Dream Commute :30 TV Spot

Meanwhile, Honda has been rolling out their increasingly impressive safety suite, Honda Sensing, in most of their new car models. Honda Sensing has all these cool systems that warn you about nearly any danger you could possibly encounter while on the road, in addition to new driver-assistive technologies that help you stay in your lane or brake quickly to avoid collisions. So while our Dream Commute spot is pure fun, it’s pretty much a feature demonstration. Of course, it’s a feature demonstration with a singing dog atop a toilet and a bird that brings you coffee, but a feature demonstration, nonetheless, brought to glorious life by our talented animation partners, Bent Image Lab.

We also had some fun with characters of our Honda Dream World in our social campaign extolling the final days of the National Sales event.

Dream Commute Behind The Scenes Social Video

Dream Commute Dancing Cast Social GIF

Dream Commute Dancing Flowers Social GIF

Baker Street Advertising Credits:
President: Jack Boland
Chief Creative Officer: Brian Bacino
Chief Strategy Officer: Don Donovan
Copywriter: Harrison Chapman
Art Director: Sarah Inglis
Producer: Brody McHugh
Social Media Animator: Xavier Li
Creative Manager: Lesly Pyle
Senior Strategist: Howie Leibach
Group Account Director: Dan Nilsen
Account Supervisor: Christine Rodriguez
Senior Account Executive: Lisa Coonts
Media Director: Glenn Yajko
Media Broadcasting Supervisor: Sheila Taylor
Media Supervisor: Jena Benzel
Senior Broadcast Buyers: Shelly Kalianis/Cel Vital Bella

Production Credits:
Directors: Solomon Burbridge and Joshua Cox, Bent Image Lab
Executive Producer: Ray Di Carlo, Bent Image Lab
Director of Photography: Kevin Fletcher, Bent Image Lab
Editor: Brent Heise, Bent Image Lab
Colorist: Roger Krakow, Rough House Editorial
Motion Graphics: Eric Stafford, Rough House Editorial
Post Producer: Michael Pickman-Thoon, Rough House Editorial
Audio Mixer: Andy Greenberg, One Union Recording

Digital Marketing, Honda

January 29, 2018

The Valentines Sale

By: Brian Bacino

Did you know only 54% of Americans celebrated Valentine’s Day last year? That’s down 10% vs. 2007.

Did you know that 41% of people “dread Valentine’s Day”?

Our Behavioral Economist, Howie Leibach, did. And what he discovered drove the brief for this year’s Northern California Honda Dealer’s Valentine’s Day promotional event: There are a lot of things that women do not want for Valentine’s Day, and frankly, what they do want, they are happy to get for themselves.

“Lunch Date” :30

To bring this discovery to life, we brought in Best Selling author of “Otherwise Engaged” and Baker Street Irregular, Suzanne Finnamore, who teamed up with BSA Design Director, Ken Woodard, to craft the perfect voice. It’s authentic. It’s real. (Actually, the first draft was a little too real for Prime Time TV!) We also enlisted Director of Photography, Svetlana Cvetko, to create an elegant film look blending beauty and strength. Finally Umlaut Editor, Jessica Congdon, gave “Lunch Date” the perfect final touch.

The Valentines Monologues:

“Guess What I Want” :30

“Please and Thank You” :30

Using the Interrotron, a camera rig that helps the director make eye contact with the subject while looking directly into the camera lens, we were able to get beautiful authentic performances as Suzanne asked our women what they really wanted, and even more humorously, what they didn’t want for Valentine’s Day. And Rough House Editor, Penny Krueger, found just the right answers.

Baker Street Advertising Credits:
President: Jack Boland
Chief Creative Officer: Brian Bacino
Chief Strategy Officer: Don Donovan
Copywriter: Suzanne Finnamore
Design Director: Ken Woodard
Producer: Brody McHugh
Social Media Video Editor: Harrison Chapman
Creative Manager: Lesly Pyle
Senior Strategist: Howie Leibach
Group Account Director: Dan Nilsen
Account Supervisor: Christine Rodriguez
Senior Account Executive: Megan Boland
Senior Account Executive: Lisa Coonts
Media Director: Glenn Yajko
Media Broadcasting Supervisor: Sheila Taylor
Media Supervisor: Jena Benzel
Senior Broadcast Buyers: Shelly Kalianis/Cel Vital Bella

“Lunch Date” Production Credits:
Film Director: Brian Bacino, Baker Street Advertising
Executive Producer: Mark Dwyer, Dwyer Films
Director of Photography: Svetlana Cvetko
Production Manager: Jon Bowden
Production Coordinator: Mack Thomas
Editor: Jessica Congdon, Umlaut Post Production
Colorist/Graphics: Ivan Miller, Umlaut Post Production
Post & Graphics Producer: Nick Brown, Umlaut Post Production
Audio Mixer: Andy Greenberg, One Union Recording

“The Valentines Monologues” Production Credits:
Film Director: Suzanne Finnamore/Brian Bacino, Baker Street Advertising
Executive Producer: Mark Dwyer, Dwyer Films
Director of Photography: Svetlana Cvetko
Assistant Director: Harrison Chapman, Baker Street Advertising
Production Manager: Jon Bowden
Production Coordinator: Mack Thomas
Editors: Penny Krueger, Rough House Editorial
Graphics: Eric Stafford, Rough House Editorial
Post Producer: James Hagedorn, Rough House Editorial
Colorist: Roger Krakow, Rough House Editorial
Audio Mixer: Andy Greenberg, One Union Recording

Brian Bacino, Creative Chief B2, Data Analytics, Honda

December 27, 2017

Honda’s Delicious End to Happy Honda Days

By: Brian Bacino

Smell that? That’s not just the smell of Honda’s tasty new Gingerbread spokesman, it’s also the scent of an altering national mood.

“Gingerbread Man” :30 TV Commercial

Our Behavioral Economist, Howie Leibach, detected something in the air this holiday season. People are so exhausted by political issues and global concerns, they are in no mood for anyone trying to sell them something. You probably noticed how many advertisers responded with heart-warming holiday messages, whose connection to a brand promise was at times tenuous. We however had a job to do: We were tasked with creating urgency, in the face of an agitated National mood, for the final days of Honda’s biggest national sales event.

So our content creators dreamt up this holiday fantasy where a Gingerbread Man, trying to avoid being eaten, heads to the Honda dealer for an escape ride. And luckily there’s just a few days left!

Awesome! Urgent yet fun and fanciful. The only problem was it required a full-film shoot plus character development plus CG animation and we only had a month to make it.

That’s when our mighty producers and account peeps squeezed enough time out of our schedule to pull off the Holiday miracle. Then our other-worldly talented friends at Bent, especially animation director and karaoke killa, Josh Cox, helped us create the perfectly baked, high anxiety, Woody Allen inspired Gingerbread Man. Of course before we turned our delicious little friend into a TV star and internet sensation complete with life-size POP and digital assets, we had to find just the right guy. You can see how tough that was in the “lost casting sessions” videos created by our own Harry Houdini Chapman.

“Gingerbread Man Auditions” Social Media Video 1

“Gingerbread Man Auditions” Social Media Video 2

The Gingerbread Man also made an appearance at our annual Baker Street “Santa Stealing” Party.

This was Baker Street at its best: data, insight, creativity, execution, tremendous hustle, and I bet you’ve seen it out there in the market ’cause our media squad rules, for the win.

Baker Street Advertising Credits:
President: Jack Boland
Chief Creative Officer: Brian Bacino
Chief Strategy Officer: Don Donovan
Copywriter: Michael Williams
Art Director: Sarah Inglis
Producer: Brody McHugh
Social Media Video Editor/Copywriter: Harrison Chapman
Social Media Animator: Xavier Li
Creative Manager/Social Media Copywriter: Lesly Pyle
Senior Strategist: Howie Leibach
Group Account Director: Dan Nilsen
Account Supervisor: Christine Rodriguez
Senior Account Executive: Megan Boland
Senior Account Executive: Lisa Coonts
Media Director: Glenn Yajko
Media Broadcasting Supervisor: Sheila Taylor
Media Supervisor: Jena Benzel
Senior Broadcast Buyers: Shelly Kalianis/Cel Vital Bella

Production Credits:
Director: Brian Bacino, Baker Street Advertising
Executive Producer: Jed Mortenson, Waypoint Films
Director of Photography: Kevin Emmons
Line Producer: Kevin Hayes
Colorist: Roger Krakow, Rough House Editorial
Audio Mixer: Andy Greenberg, One Union Recording

Animation Production Credits:
Animation Director: Joshua Cox, Bent Image Lab Partner/Executive Producer: Ray DiCarlo, Bent Image Lab
Producers: Brianna Vitale, Bent Image Lab
Editor: Brent Heise, Bent Image Lab

Brian Bacino, Creative Chief B2, Holiday Advertising, Honda

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