'The Serenade’ is part of the brand’s ‘Open Your World’ global campaign which celebrates and encourages aspirational behaviours among adult consumers. It follows the recent launch of ‘The Date’, which celebrated a man taking a woman on a legendary date, set to the catchy 1960’s Bollywood track, Jaan Pehechaan Ho by Mohammed Rafi. Through the app the same band that appeared in the ad will create songs for Heineken® fans.

On Thursday 9 February, Heineken will host 'Serenade Live', an 8-hour YouTube event, during which Heineken fans around the world will get the chance to ask someone out on a date in a legendary way with a serenade. This unique serenade will be written and performed live to their loved one by the Serenade Band. Event viewers will be able to watch their reaction live, and interact with the Serenade team - the presenter, the Band, and some rogue sound engineers – via Heineken Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. 

Created for designers and developers, FERRY comes in two parts – the FERRYScript (the exporter), and FERRYDocker (the interpreter). FERRYScript converts the layers of your PSD file into a production-ready set of png and XML files, which FERRYDocker then interprets into iOS UIButtons, UIViews and UITableViews, nesting them as they were in the original design.

This tool drastically reduces the hours spent exporting, flattening and resizing layers, positioning elements with Interface Builder or writing infinite lines of code. All you need to do is focus on the logic.

“We’ve been using FERRY for a while now. It’s become part of our day-to-day workflow. It started as a need to save time and accuracy when translating PSD designs into functional elements for our apps and prototypes,” comments Jordi Martinez, Head of The Dam Armada. “We realized that if it was so useful for us it could also help other designers and developers. So we created a more generic version of the Photoshop script (FERRYScript) that works across all types of digital production, and an open source version of the interpreter (FERRYDocker) for iOS that could easily be exported to other platforms.”

The tool is on sale now at http://ferry.thedamarmada.com for 14.99 euros. For full information on FERRY and to view how it works please go to http://ferry.thedamarmada.com/

-ENDS-

 Amsterdam, 8 November 2011 – Created and produced by The Dam Armada, FERRY is the first paid-for digital Tool to be released from the Amsterdam-based business unit, which itself only launched last month.

Created for designers and developers, FERRY comes in two parts – the FERRYScript (the exporter), and FERRYDocker (the interpreter). FERRYScript converts the layers of your PSD file into a production-ready set of png and XML files, which FERRYDocker then interprets into iOS UIButtons, UIViews and UITableViews, nesting them as they were in the original design.

This tool drastically reduces the hours spent exporting, flattening and resizing layers, positioning elements with Interface Builder or writing infinite lines of code. All you need to do is focus on the logic.

“We’ve been using FERRY for a while now. It’s become part of our day-to-day workflow. It started as a need to save time and accuracy when translating PSD designs into functional elements for our apps and prototypes,” comments Jordi Martinez, Head of The Dam Armada. “We realized that if it was so useful for us it could also help other designers and developers. So we created a more generic version of the Photoshop script (FERRYScript) that works across all types of digital production, and an open source version of the interpreter (FERRYDocker) for iOS that could easily be exported to other platforms.”

The tool is on sale now at http://ferry.thedamarmada.com for 14.99 euros. For full information on FERRY and to view how it works please go to http://ferry.thedamarmada.com/

-ENDS-

PSD = Photoshop Design file

iOS = functional operating system for iPhone and iPad

UIButtons, UITableViews, UIViews = iOS coding objects

PSD = Photoshop Design file

iOS = functional operating system for iPhone and iPad

UIButtons, UITableViews, UIViews = iOS coding objects

Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam is proud to announce that they will be working with Beeline, a leading telecommunications provider in Russia that operates within the holding company VimpelCom.

Chief Marketing Officer of Beeline Olga Turishcheva said, “Beeline is a company which has proven that powerful communication can change the fortunes of the brand. We've seen the difference it can make. We welcome Wieden+Kennedy to join us in growing the Beeline brand and further strengthening our bond with Russian consumers.”

Managing Director of Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Lee Newman said, “Like the rest of the world we are intrigued by the growth and dynamism of Russia. So much will happen in this country in the coming years and we're thrilled to be working with Beeline and be part of the action. We couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to enter the Russian market.” 

How can we get more of this :-) rather than this :-(

A longtime champion of happiness, Coca-Cola has always tried to express a refreshingly positive view of the world, bringing us, among others, “Enjoy Life” (1924), the creation of the Coca-Cola Santa Claus (1931),and more recently “Open Happiness” (2009).

The latest installment of the Emmy- & TIME-nominated Happiness Factory series, The Great Happyfication is an all-singing, all-dancing six-minute animation that distills the secrets of happiness.

“The brief was huge. We wanted to make the happiest 6 and a half minutes in film. No half measures.  We also wanted to get the world singing the Coca-Cola 5 notes”, says Jonathan Mildenhall, VP Global Advertising Strategy & Content Excellence of Coca-Cola.

“I am absolutely delighted with the work from W&K, Psyop and Human.  This is a partnership that has steered the direction of Happiness Factory for the last 6 years.  in truth the work just keeps on getting better and better.  Rather like drinking a bottle of ice cold Coke, you just never want it to end.”

Created by the people who brought you the Happiness Factory, advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, animation and design studio Psyop and music company Human, the Great Happyfication is set across the epic landscapes of said Factory. Viewers are guided through the film by narrator Pete, a wham-bam-magic-man, and Wendy, the most enthusiastic cheerleader you will ever meet, meeting a glamorous trio of penguins, kissy puppies and a mortar man along the way.

Mark Bernath, Executive Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam comments "Coke doesn't want to keep all of its formulas a secret. In fact, when it comes to how to be happy, the brand is more than ready to sing from the rooftops about it. We created The Great Happyfication as a musical celebration of the tenets of happiness, and we hope people feel good just from watching it."

 Launched at the World of Coca-Cola attraction in Atlanta in June, the Great Happyfication will premiere on the global stage on Facebook via YouTube today to over 34 million of Coca-Cola’s Facebook fans, and will be supported by seeding and social media.

You can discover the Great Happyfication and its secret formula for happiness here:

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=262932787061514

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEpFlymH6RQ

#thegreathappyfication

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This has never been truer than with FIFA 12. Innovations such as the new Player Impact Engine, Precision Dribbling, and Pro Player Intelligence make the game feel even more life-like, and the launch of EA’s online social experience, ‘EA SPORTS Football Club,’ mean the game and the real world bleed together in a whole new way.

 Playing FIFA 12 enables you to live and express your love of football, and it was this simple insight that led to the new 'Love football, Play football' campaign.

Wayne Rooney leads an all-star cast in the ‘Love Football, Play Football’ EA SPORTS FIFA 12 ad, which premiered at half-time of the Super Sunday clash between Manchester United and Arsenal on Sunday.

Dressed in his Manchester United kit, Rooney appears as a giant version of himself facing a frightened goalkeeper from the penalty spot. Not even a passing flock of birds can get in Rooney’s way as he calmly flicks them away with his fore-finger before returning his focus to slot home the spot kick.

Rooney takes centre stage in the advert after he was announced as one of the cover stars for EA SPORTS FIFA 12. This marks the seventh season in a row that Rooney has adorned the cover of the EA SPORTS FIFA franchise, which has sold over 100 million lifetime copies globally.

Created by advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, the 60 second advert features exclusive new FIFA 12 in-game footage and tells the story of the passion that flows through football fans across the globe. Whether they’re playing, watching, reading, arguing, worrying or dreaming about a match, football fans all want to ‘Love Football, Play Football’.

Football fans can also view FIFA 12 ‘Love Football. Play Football’ online at http://www.youtube.com/easportsfootball

For the latest news on FIFA 12 join more than six million fans in the EA SPORTS FIFA community at http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/easportsfifa.

FIFA 12 will be localized into 18 languages and available in 51 countries when it launches on September 27 in North America and September 30 worldwide. It will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PC, Wii™, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, iPhone®, iPad™, and iPod® touch. The game will also be available for digital download on PC at origin.com. The game is rated Pegi 3.

The Levi’s® Print Workshop:   Taking place from July 7 until August 18, the Levi's® Print Workshop will be a temporary venue in Berlin for collaboration and creative production that celebrates the craft of screen printing.  The workshop will serve as a community-based extension of ‘Go Forth,’ paying homage to the pioneering spirit of the Levi’s® campaign, the principle of civic engagement and the creative community of Berlin. 

The “Now is our Time” Newspaper:   A limited edition newspaper “Now is our Time” was distributed at Bread & Butter, featuring editorials about the Berliner Pioneers featured in the Berlin arm of the Go Forth campaign, with photography from Anthony Georgis.

‘The Date’ will officially premiere on the Heineken® YouTube channel and Facebook page today and follows the Clio award-winning film ‘The Entrance’, which launched globally in December 2010, receiving over 4 million hits on YouTube in the first three weeks of its release, and will be activated in 50 countries by the end of the year.

"The Entrance was a very exciting introduction to our new global campaign, in our quest to make young men love Heineken” says Cyril Charzat, Senior Director Global Heineken Brand. “After the most legendary party entrance, we were fired up to inspire men to step up their game in other situations."

Created with the same team as The Entrance - leading advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, and talented director Fredrik Bond - the film is a beautifully crafted, yet incredibly high-energy story following the Heineken® legend as he woos his stunning date on an epic journey, a glamorous tribute to all magical dates and legendary night-outs.

Eric Quennoy, Executive Creative Director at Wieden+Kennnedy Amsterdam adds, “It’s exciting to continue to find fresh ways to flatter the Heineken drinker, and with ‘The Date’ we have found another great way to showcase our man’s spectrum of skills. This is just the start of work we hope creates a genuine conversation between the brand and its drinkers.”

Shot on location in London, the hip atmosphere of ‘The Date’ is complemented by the musical score featuring the catchy 1960s Bollywood track “Jaan Pehechaan Ho”. The film also sees the introduction of a new Heineken Legend.

"With The Date, we are keen to show that we are not creating one hero but that in every Heineken drinker there is a legendary hero in the making" adds Sandrine Huijgen, Manager Global Heineken® Communication. She concludes, "We have started a great creative adventure as a brand, and as a team. We are just finding our voice and we have the firm motivation to continue on this path!"

In addition to the ‘The Date’ film, the new Heineken®global brand campaign will see the release of additional supporting material, including a unique tongue-in-cheek “Legendary Making of” and a music video for “Jaan Pehechaan Ho”, with more exciting consumer participation elements launching in the coming months. The films can be viewed on the Heineken® YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57zo8O5pDXc and on the Heineken® Facebook Fan Page, http://Facebook.com/Heineken

Premium international beer brand Heineken® today announced the launch of the eagerly-awaited second film from its global Open Your World campaign, called “The Date”.

‘The Date’ will officially premiere on the Heineken® YouTube channel and Facebook page today and follows the Clio award-winning film ‘The Entrance’, which launched globally in December 2010, receiving over 4 million hits on YouTube in the first three weeks of its release, and will be activated in 50 countries by the end of the year.

"The Entrance was a very exciting introduction to our new global campaign, in our quest to make young men love Heineken” says Cyril Charzat, Senior Director Global Heineken Brand. “After the most legendary party entrance, we were fired up to inspire men to step up their game in other situations."

Created with the same team as The Entrance - leading advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, and talented director Fredrik Bond - the film is a beautifully crafted, yet incredibly high-energy story following the Heineken® legend as he woos his stunning date on an epic journey, a glamorous tribute to all magical dates and legendary night-outs.

Eric Quennoy, Executive Creative Director at Wieden+Kennnedy Amsterdam adds, “It’s exciting to continue to find fresh ways to flatter the Heineken drinker, and with ‘The Date’ we have found another great way to showcase our man’s spectrum of skills. This is just the start of work we hope creates a genuine conversation between the brand and its drinkers.”

Shot on location in London, the hip atmosphere of ‘The Date’ is complemented by the musical score featuring the catchy 1960s Bollywood track “Jaan Pehechaan Ho”. The film also sees the introduction of a new Heineken Legend.

"With The Date, we are keen to show that we are not creating one hero but that in every Heineken drinker there is a legendary hero in the making" adds Sandrine Huijgen, Manager Global Heineken® Communication. She concludes, "We have started a great creative adventure as a brand, and as a team. We are just finding our voice and we have the firm motivation to continue on this path!"

On March 22 live from London, Coca-Cola and Maroon 5 are going to tear down the virtual walls of the recording studio and bring fans from around the world together for an unforgettable moment.
For one epic session, fans will be invited to inspire the band as they compose an original song in just 24 hours. Enabled by innovative interactive projection technology, fans will be given a virtual all-access pass to the studio by visiting www.coca-cola.com/music, where they will be able to interact with the band and lend their creative inspiration to lyrics, riffs and rhythms for the new single. They’ll get to weigh in throughout the process and, at the end of 24 hours, will have helped inspire a hot new Maroon 5 track to share with the world.
“Coca-Cola has a long history of using the power of music to bring people together from around the world in the most relevant and compelling ways." said Joe Belliotti, Director of Global Entertainment Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company. “We are excited to be working with Maroon 5. They have a huge global following and a strong track record of producing great music. They have worked closely with us to help shape the event and ensure the session will be a fun experience for fans no matter where in the world they are.”
The 24hr Session is part of “Coca-Cola Music”, an innovative new music program from Coca-Cola that will give teens the inside track on the creation of music and the opportunity to view the industry’s leading artists at work.

Streamed live at www.coca-cola.com/music, and produced by Wieden + Kennedy, the “Coca-Cola Music” 24hr Session will harness the real-time speed,
global impact and social power of the web, to create a unique and truly groundbreaking experience for the band and their fans.
“Coke challenged us to come up with a way to enable people everywhere to take part in the 24hr Session. We were really excited about taking an opportunity to fuse together social media and the recording studio. Crashing together the everyday social world of teenagers, and the exclusive and inaccessible world of the recording studio,” said Iain Tait, Global Interactive
Creative Director at Wieden + Kennedy. “We’re hoping to create something that feels part video game, part pop video and part reality TV show.”
The studio will be fitted out with cutting edge technology to allow the band to communicate with fans from across the world. The interactions will be centered on a movement based projection system that will stream the thoughts, inspiration and comments of fans onto the studio walls and direct to the band.
Rather than gathering around a computer to access suggestions, and questions from fans, a specially-constructed surface in the studio will be the canvas that will enable the band to interact directly with fans.
This unique interactive and real time visual spectacle will be the work of the Nexus Interactive Arts directing duo, Hellicar&Lewis and a world-class team of interactive designers. The use of technology and innovative experiential design will blend the analogue and the digital to create a unrivalled and unforgettable experience,
“This is the most ambitious and experimental effort in music Coca-Cola has ever undertaken. For the 24hr Session, we are deploying and developing new and emerging technologies to allow as many people as possible to be part of the event and gain insight into the creative process that goes into making great music” commented Joe Belliotti.
Throughout the 24 hours fans will be asked to send in words, pictures and comments to inspire the creation of the song and will even have a chance to ask questions of the band and help with critical decisions by voting for different options put to them by the band.
Adam Levine of Maroon 5 comments "The band all remembers when we were younger and making music in our bedrooms, trying to imitate our heroes. To be part of something global like this that gives an insight into what happens behind closed doors is really exciting. We're looking forward to being part of the “Coca-Cola Music” 24hr session and welcoming the world into our creative process."
Activating the brand’s extensive global fan network, the 24hr session will be promoted to over 20million consumers via the Coca-Cola Facebook page. The @CocaCola Twitter account will be used to keep fans informed about what is happening in the studio, invite inspiration as well as post updates and questions from the band. Also helping to spread the word and encourage participation, bloggers from nearly 20 countries will be onsite to keep their followers informed and involved in the process.
The digital hub, www.coca-cola.com/music will go live on February 25.

After the success of Nike's "Write the Future" and recent global buzz around Heineken's "The
Entrance", Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam is enjoying a creative revival under the new leadership team of Mark Bernath, Eric Quennoy and Lee Newman, injecting new energy and momentum into the agency. Momentum that has directly led to  the recent hiring of  an exciting new crop of talent.

"We're putting the band together. And luckily we've already found some like-­‐minded souls who are going to help us shape the next evolution of this office. One that we hope will continue to live up to the great things happening throughout the network," said Executive Creative Director Mark Bernath

Lee Newman, Managing Director adds, "Creativity is the lifeblood of any Wieden + Kennedy office and we just received a transfusion. You can literally feel the energy level rising in this place right now."

Wieden + Kennedy has already received  agency of the year accolades from Adweek, AdAge and Creativity as well as Campaign Magazine.

Rosie Bardales has joined W+K Amsterdam from BBH London as Creative Director. An industry star, Rossana's resume includes a Grand Prix for Fox Sports (Cliff Freeman & Partners) and the resurrection of the infamous Al & Monkey for PG Tips to name but a few successes.

Also joining from London are creative team Selena McKenzie and Toby Moore. Formerly at Fallon, they produced work for Tate, BBC and French Connection, helping create the striking "The Man" and "The Woman" campaign last year. Before joining Fallon, the pair was at Publicis Mojo Melbourne where they worked on Nike.

Hailing from South Africa, Mike and Bern are a well-­‐travelled team, whose previous stops on their world tour include TBWA in Paris, Publicis and Mother in New York and AMV in London, where they created award winning work for Guinness and The Department of Transport. After their travels they plan to return to their old high school and become very mean teachers.

Last but not least, up and coming team Dan Maxwell and Ivan Cash join the agency from Venables Bell in San Francisco. Ivan, Dan and Goodby AD Andy Dao created the website Deprofiler.com which brought to light unjust legislation targeting immigrants. The project was featured on Huffingtonpost and Creativity
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http://deprofiler.com/