Fewer than two years after getting a toe in Coca-Cola’s door by winning the Lift Plus and Mother accounts, DDB has now lost both energy drinks to Ogilvy. Updated with comments from Ogilvy executive director Paul Manning.
Energy drinks—and other terrible sugary, sciencey concoctions hoping to attract young customers—have long focused on extreme sports and mad stunts. Red Bull kicked it all off and has gradually morphed into a media company; V has created a few new crazy pastimes; and Monster has a penchant for boganic pursuits like drifting. But the Coca-Cola-owned energy brand Nos has decided that’s all a bit hackneyed, so it’s mocked its competition in the form of four fake interviews with a hyped-up ‘marketing expert’ who recommends ‘blasting the logo all over everyone’s faces’.
What would happen if energy drink companies were in charge of the rule books for golf? The sport would probably look a lot like V’s latest campaign, which sees people hunting down a robotic golf hole while battling each other from inside of “virtually indestructible” golf carts.