UPS (United Parcel Service) this month launched a new advertising campaign with eleven television commercials using a whiteboard to illustrate the many surprising elements of the company. Building on the 2002 “What can Brown do for you?” campaign, the TV ads answer the question using complex situations and personal explanations. A man (Martin Agency creative director Andy Azula) opens each of the 30 second spots saying, “Alright!”. He draws on a whiteboard with a brown marker, talking through business scenarios and inviting viewers to go online to explore further at whiteboard.ups.com. Each spot finishes with a little artful touch added by Azula.
Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)
Accompanying each of the eleven ads is the Postal Service track, “Such Great Heights”, also used in advertising for the United States Postal Service and Apple.
UPS Whiteboard Ads
Nine of the 11 ads are online at ups.whiteboard.com
1. China to US – easy with UPS’s fleet of planes.
2. Customer Service – what if shipments could email your customers?
3. Distribution – what if your warehouse had wheels and had a UPS logo?
4. Early Morning Delivery – CampusShip.
5. International Shipping – three choices of delivery time.
6. One Driver – create all your shipping labels with WorldShip.
7. Reliability – create your smart label on UPS.com.
8. Visibility – see all your inbound and outbound shipments on your computer.
9. Small Business – UPS can do your shipping stuff, so you can do what you love.
The UPS Whiteboard television campaign is being supplemented by print, billboard, radio, direct mail and online material. The web site includes an interactive facility in which Azula writes the viewer’s typed message up on a whiteboard before it is sent to a friend by email.
Credits
The UPS Whiteboard campaign was developed at The Martin Agency, Richmond, by creative director Andy Azula, copywriter Joe Alexander, art director Kevin Thoem, and agency broadcast producer Molly Schaaf.
Filming was directed by Errol Morris via Moxie Pictures, with director of photography Bob Chappell, executive producer Robert Fernandez, and producer Julie Ahlberg.
The UPS Whiteboard advertisements were edited by Kim Bica at Lost Planet Editorial.
Colorist was Stefan Sonnenfeld at Company 3.
Visual Effects were developed at Riot, Santa Monica, by VFX Compositor Kiki Chansamone and End Treatment Senior Compositor Claus Hansen.
Sound was designed at Eleven Sound by audio engineer Jeff Fuller.
The interactive work is the responsibility of IQ Interactive, Atlanta.
Such Great Heights Music
Music, “Such Great Heights”, is performed by The Postal Service.
I can’t decide which campaign is more annoying… UPS whiteboard or that Office Depot hand garbage. I have consciously decided to use other carriers (besides UPS) based on their whiteboard campaign. Eleven ads in the series? Spare me.
I Think is fun to see a company shows all what they can do in a simple way NO fancy stuff is needed when you have a name to back you up as UPS.
As for Mr. Doug get a life and have some fun your work should be very frustrating
What’s the point? Any shipper already knows what is drawn on the whiteboard. At least FedEx ads are entertaining (and usually funny!).
I’m with Doug -- I’m actively boycotting UPS for putting me through the agony of watching these ads!
Maybe the simplicity of the whiteboard is to complex for Doug and Bob(who probably do not ship anything). You two apparently have no imagination. The whiteboard is fun, interesting and brilliant, or Doug and Bob wouldn’t be spending their time voicing their opinions on it. What Can Brown Do For Me? Anything and everything.
How would a person get into the advertising business who has neat penmanship?
I agree with Susan -- it’s a brilliantly simple way of giving the large impersonal entity of UPS a human touch, via squeaky brown marker. Kind of like your uncle drawing little funny pictures for you when you were a kid.
Now that all the clever Martin Agency employees have posted, I have to say that the hipster in the ads reminds me of a consultant.
They need to fill the ads with more buzzwords and end them with the guy telling us he’s got to catch a flight to Iowa to collect a check from a grain company whose supply chain problems were solved by using communication and teamwork.
Oh yes, what about that cute sweater? Do consultants only suit-up for the Finance sector these days? Shame.
More “buzzwords”, Jeff? Maybe he should drop the sweater and dress up in a bee suit! (I don’t work for the Martin Agency, by the way, but it’s nice you think I’m clever)
I really want to know if he really writes on the white board during the ads!
I think Cerebral Itch says it the best
is he really writing on the board???….he is talking, looking away and drawing perfect sketches… doesn’t make sense…maybe a savant
What’s up with the hair? If you showed up at an UPS job interview with a haircut like that, they probably would not hire you. They are really picky about male grooming.
Anthony John
Sad thing is, Doug and Bob, the companies you buy from probably really don’t care what you feel about shippers. They will ship with whoever they choose to use. (majority being UPS)
Your whiteboard ads are SO uncomplicated and effective -- until the end of the ad when the person at the whiteboard inevitably says something stupid, like: “…is anybody thirsty?”
I wish you had let well enough alone; the ad speaks for itself in an appealing and straightforward way -- there’s no need to have a “cute” ending to be effective.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment! Sue
Does Andy Azula get paid royalties for his part in the ad?? He developed the concept and is the actor? Company profit an personal profits?