Miami-based advertising agency Markham Yard has launched “Good Karma by the Pint,” an unorthodox campaign to inspire people to donate blood on behalf of New York Blood Center Enterprises, a community nonprofit blood bank based in New York with donor centers in eight states. The largely digital campaign (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, programmatic CTV, programmatic audio) rolled out on Thursday (6/13) in those markets and will be evergreen.
This category of advertising presents some unique challenges: Blood donor campaigns typically speak to the societal benefits of donation or incentivize donation through perks. However, Markham Yard’s research revealed an insight: The social currency of being seen as someone who participates in a good cause is a powerful motivator. That became the inspiration for this two-minute Good Karma mini film, and derivative :30s, and :15s from Roof Studio, directed by Kawe de Sá. Additionally, the shop created two 30-second radio spots based on the catchy custom song written to tell the story.
This whimsical song tells the story of how one can get a spoonful of good karma through small everyday acts or give blood and get “Good Karma by the Pint.” The action takes place in a playful, artfully crafted world rendered in a digital approximation of clay animation by Roof Studio, which built this world inhabited by a diverse cross-section of everyday characters to show what life could look like if we all did what we could to keep the good karma flowing.
“Blood donation is such a fundamentally important thing for people to understand and participate in,” said Markham Cronin, founder, Markham Yard. “Our goal was to amplify the reasons why they should donate in a way that is not preachy but engaging and fun.”
Credits
Client New York Blood Center Enterprises Agency Markham Yard Markham Cronin, chief creative officer; Jack Bagdadi, creative director; Laura Suescun, art director; Alex Lozana, Karina Bagdadi, copywriters; Alec Lopez, head of production; Carl Izzi, Raquel Baez, Chantal Alvarez, Jean Cardenas, digital media team; Michael Perez, Ashley Humm, traditional media team. Production Company Roof Studio, Brooklyn, NY Guto Terni, Vinicius Costa, Lucas Camargo, creative direction; Kawe de Sá, direction and layout supervisor; Lucas Camargo, art direction; Fernanda Curi, exec producer; Gus Rodrigues, 3D supervisor; Jhonatan Luiz, production manager; Fernanda Fraiz, line producer; Carlos Hallan, pipeline CGI; Diego Barcelos, João Lavieri, Patrícia Sonoda, concept artists; Adam Pierre, David Carvalho, Danilo Silva, Doug Silva, Ismael Marquez, Pedro Brigagão, Marcus Sidonio, Natan Ernani, environment modeling; Alexandre Corbini, André Hamada Kikumoto, Brendon Souza, David Carvalho, Edu Souza, Gabriel Acácio, Gabriel Oliveira, Guilherme Luis Coban, João Bueno, Karina Bastos, Matheus Lima, Maycon Lopes, Natan Ernani, Rhenan Fidelis, Ricardo Viana, Tamires Raymundo, characters modeling; Marinho Silva, Tiago Mesquita, leads lookdev; Bruno Henrique Peres, Bruno Macedo, Jiovana Santos, Julio Bonfante, Marcos Moraes, Morgana Galvan, Pietro Bernardi, Victor Trovato, William Silva, character lookdev artists; Bruno Henrique Peres, Bruno Macedo, Julio Bonfante, Pedro Henrique Placido, Pietro Bernardi, Marcos Moraes, environment lookdev artists; Marinho Silva, lead lighting; Guilherme Cazarine, Lauréline Grandin, Letícia Pires, William Silva, lighting artists; Thiago Valentim, character rigging lead; Douglas Fusinato, Gabriel Nakata, Guga Pixel, Marcos Leite, Tamires Garcia, character rigging; Diego Milanski, layout artist; Christian Weckl, lead animation; Caio Nunes, Guilherme Gazzoni, Hannry Pschera, Igor Copelli, Jonas Silva, Jonathan Souza, Jorge Zagatto, Leo Targino, Marcos Elias, Marcus Carvalho, Michael Carlos, Ronaldo Brito, Vini Ribeiro, animators; Everton Rios, 3D motion graphics; Doug Silva, lead assembly; Danilo Silva, Diego Milanski, assembly & render; Lobão, VFX assembly; Rafael Chiavegatti, composition lead; Alê Camargo, Gustavo Pinheiro, Marco Silva, Ralph Reinle, compositors; Aline Freitas, Lucas Farizatto, still compositors. Music Company Tonal Chaos Marc Aaron Jacobs, founder/exec producer; Jason Miller, music; Devyn Rush, vocals; Eric Berdon, SDX & mix.
How do you top one of the most viral brand videos ever made? Spoiler alert: you can’t. But when Dollar Shave Club tapped Zack Seckler to direct a new campaign to revive the absurdist humor of its iconic launch video, he knew he had a rare opportunity to create something special.
The brief was simple: introduce the concept of a physical “Club” that people would love to join while showcasing Dollar Shave Club’s products and embracing the weird. From script to direction and post, Seckler--an alum of SHOOT’s 2021 New Directors Showcase--was invited to help sculpt that vision.
The result is this “Welcome to the Club” spot which invites us to join a unique, seemingly exclusive but in reality an accessible and affordable fraternity of Dollar Shave Club members. But you need to know the password or more accurately, the two-word phrase--"shave money."
“The Club” campaign brings the brand back to its humorous roots, reflecting a new chapter after being acquired by Nexus Capital Management from Unilever in late 2023. The work takes Dollar Shave Club back to its disruptive beginnings and what made the brand a viral sensation from its inception in 2011.
