Animals are forced to do lots of humiliating things in the name of holiday cheer. In particular, advertisers like to make them sing "Jingle Bells." Earlier this week, we saw the Brooks Brothers lambs perform a charming little version. Now, Walmart delivers the opposite—a terrifying rendition by a freaky cat yodeling with a CGI mouth.
The video, from The Martin Agency—Walmart's lead shop, which was recently named its digital agency as well—is basically what you would get if you fed the Quiznos Spongmonkeys (also created by Martin, you'll remember) through the John St. catvertising grinder. Designed to appall, it does just that. It's nearing 100,000 views on YouTube in just a couple of days, and the comments are uniformly flabbergasted—for better or worse. (The top-rated comment is unprintable here, but it involves asking, in a colorful turn of phrase, what just happened.)
Walmart is going all off-kilter with its digital campaigns this season, having already introduced Frank the Talking Fruitcake in a series of videos. The yodeling cat might seem like a one-off, but in fact Martin is working on a whole new commercial based around the creature, due about a week from now. As you wait anxiously for that day to arrive, you can practice singing along with the cat. The yodel-ified lyrics are on the YouTube page.
CREDITS:
Client: Walmart
Agency: The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.
Chief Creative Officer: John Norman
Group Creative Director: Joe Alexander
Creative Director: Vanessa Fortier
Copywriter: Bob Meagher
Art Director: Pat Wittich
Strategic Planner: Jennifer Costello
Account Supervisor: Elizabeth Jones
Account Executive: Jacki Juenger
Account Coordinator: Molly Holmes
Agency Senior Broadcast Producer: Pamela Mahan
Agency Junior Producer: Ross Skinner
Digital Producer: Lalita Koehler
Creative Hybrid: Chaucer Barnes, Jeremy Lind
Animation Production Company: Red Car
Creative Director/Animation Director: Chris Bialkowski
Producer: Courtney Fransen
Animators: Eric Dalimarta, Garret Walter
Managing Director: Mary Knox
Music House: Comma Music (Chicago)
Arranger/Musician: Larry Pecorella
Executive Producer: Bonny Dolan
Talent/Yodeler: Bob Bowker
Audio/Post: Particle (Chicago)
Mixer: Dominic Morris