Steven Anacker

SF Giants — Genre Film Series (B2C)

To break from sports advertising clichés, we cast Giants players in cinematic genre tributes—letting them act rather than simply play baseball. The series included a noir gangster interrogation, a Hitchcock-inspired bird attack, and a 1970s cop drama. The unexpected storytelling helped drive renewed excitement and contributed to sold-out stadiums leading into the team’s championship run.

For this one, we took some inspiration from Hitchcock, who shot “The Birds” just up the road.

As Giants announcer, Mike Krukow, likes to say, “Grab some pine, Meat.”

In this 70s cop film, a crook is running from a detective. Or is he just trying to score from first?

We created dynamic digital banners featuring pitcher Sergio Romo delivering weather updates and game schedules, turning routine promotional information into personality-driven fan engagement.

Creative Direction: Steven Anacker
Art Director: Nick Smith
Copywriter: Kristin Mahalek

Broadcast work from the campaign established the character-driven, playful portrayal of the team that later evolved into Let’s Play.

Outdoor executions extended the campaign across San Francisco, celebrating fans and reinforcing the team’s evolving identity.

Sometimes you have to be scrappy. During our commercial shoot for "Let's Play" (and the following year), I grabbed players between lighting setups and shot 34 impromptu promotional spots.

In these videos we had kids acting as adults as they give parents advice on media-related topics that effect their kids, such as sexting, cyber-bullying and celebrity role models. Winner of 2 Telly Awards.

We shot and directed these videos ourselves on the cheap (this one was shot in my apartment). "Intervention" focuses on the influence media has on kids.

"Get the Scoop" addresses the effect celebrity role models have on kids.

"Dark Thirst" :30

Common Sense Media provides parent-focused reviews of the movies, music, and video games kids interact with. In this spot, we remind parents that they can't expect the creators of the work to look out for their kids' best interests. NOTE: Although our intentions were noble, I now regret that the spot went a “woman as a sexualized victim” route.

A side-by-side comparison of light bulbs doesn’t sound like the most thrilling assignment. But by leaning into personality and everyday humor, we turned a simple product comparison into an engaging campaign that drove CFL adoption dramatically.

Based on a true story, the spot followed a homeowner struggling with an old refrigerator—unaware PG&E offered an easier recycling solution. The humor underscored the program’s practical benefit while encouraging participation.

Gave consumers Trumer-branded seed paper that they could plant as a reminder that Trumer Pils is working to support a greener future.

Utilizing the iconic Trumer glass we wild posted these wraps throughout San Francisco near locations that sold Trumer.

eBay Motors Local Classifieds Campaign – B2B
To compete head-to-head with beloved incumbent Craigslist, we positioned eBay Motors Local as more approachable and trustworthy for everyday buyers—not just car enthusiasts. The work highlighted practical advantages in ways casual sellers and shoppers could easily understand.

This dealer-focused campaign earned Auto Exec magazine’s Readership Response Award, recognizing it as the most effective campaign of the year among automotive trade advertising.

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To demonstrate the scale of eBay Motors to sellers at SEMA, we used hundreds of click-icons—visualizing the massive online demand behind every listing. We also had a digital sign counting in real time every part sold on eBay Motors during the event.

We created novelty “air fresheners” for automotive events featuring scents only enthusiasts would recognize—paint, gasoline, burnt rubber, upholstery—turning giveaway swag into an insider joke for car culture.

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To capture auto dealers’ attention in a noisy category, we mailed remote-control cars—an object perfectly tuned to the playful spirit of the audience. After all, these are the people who have giant inflatable gorillas outside their businesses.

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This promotion for their parts and accessories business let other passionate car guys and gals talk about their project cars that used parts found on eBay. The look was reminiscent of old model car parts to show that this is a lifetime obsession.

“Motors Master” Contest Landing Page
We broke from website “best practices” to create an experience much beloved by car people — the plastic car models kits.

Car guys love sharing car stories, so I suggested doing a series of emails that showcased some of Rare Parts’ most interesting custom jobs. These emails consistently got over 25% open rates and were universally praised by Rare Parts customers.

The classic car fans and off-roading maniacs don’t really have much in common. This brochure was our way of talking to both but giving each their due.

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To show off how ForceFlex bags stretch we put interesting items in them and had people guess the contents through Twitter.

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We partnered with famed photojournalist, Peter Menzel, to show how real Americans manage their waste. He shot portraits of eight American families with a week's worth of their waste. Then through an infographic and a customized quiz, we provided real solutions on how site visitors could reduce, reuse and compost more effectively.

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By wrapping and protecting fresh food correctly, families waste less food, save money and have more healthy options throughout the week. The SaveItSunday program asked moms to pledge to prep their food before they put their Sunday groceries in the fridge. The program includes monthly challenges and protection pointers. Supported by a robust social effort and earned media, SaveItSunday has far exceeded expectations.

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Lennar offers "Everything Included" homes, where all the standard luxury features are included in the base price. However, they weren't getting that message out effectively. This campaign helped increase home sales 24%. We went on to win the account for the entire western region.

Copy:
Everything's Included, except one of these:
*The asterisk. The official killjoy of buying a new home. It lives near all those luxury items you see when touring a model home, and it exists to let you know those items aren't included – at least not at the price you want.

You won't see any asterisks inside a Lennar home. We buy all those luxury items in mass, so you don't pay luxury prices for them. It's called Everything's Included, and it simply means what you see is what you get. It makes the luxurious affordable and home buying, surprise, enjoyable. NoSurprisesHomes.com

Winner - Gold Addy

copy:
Everything's Included, except for one of these:
? The question mark. The further into the new home buying process you get, the more they'll pop up. Do we upgrade the fridge or keep the standard one? What if I want granite in the bathrooms? And how much are all these upgrades going to cost?!?

At Lennar, we prefer the simple period. As in Everything's Included. Period. As in what you see is what you get. Period. As in home buying doesn't have to be such a difficult process. Exclamation point. NoSurprisesHomes.com

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I wrote a series of Panda Express radio spots that featured a fictional Chef Eddie, who was always tinkering with new recipes. I included this one because I really enjoy the characters, the dialogue, and the timing. It also happened to be their most successful new product launch.

SportsNet covered all the local Bay Area teams, from pro baseball and football teams to college teams (which are represented with the different colored stripes at the bottom). For this campaign, I decided to stop denying the obvious: local sports fans are biased and secretly want their announcers to be, as well. Instead of denying homerism, I fully embraced it in a tongue-in-cheek way.

Don’t deny homerism. Own it. Comcast covered all the local Bay Area teams (which are represented with the different colored stripes on the bottom). So we decided to stop denying the obvious in a tongue in cheek way: Local sports fans are biased and want some bias in therir

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Selling a $35,000 door during an economic downturn seemed rather daunting. Fortunately, we had a brave client. Huge increases in sales and multiple awards followed.

Headline:
The right door can make any place more inviting.

SF Show - Gold

Our goal was to make Raider football accessible to everyone and not just the football rowdies. So we let everyone Raiderize themselves by turning them into the logo. Fans could then print out the results on t-shirts, mugs and a few made it on a high traffic digital billboard. With almost no paid media to support it, this little promotional site became a huge viral success.

The present wasn’t looking so good for the Raiders, but their fans still had a strong connection to their storied past. This campaign allowed fans to hear famous calls of memorable plays by legendary announcer Bill King.

1) Common Sense Media "Dark Thirst"
2) PG&E "Breeding"
3) eBay Motors "First Date"
4) MTC "Easy Commute"
5) San Francisco Giants "Interrogation"
6) KC Masterpiece "James"
7) Delta Dental "Prom King"
8) FedEx " Larry"

Sungevity “Greg”
Panda Express “Welcome to my Yurt”
Sungevity “Prisoner”
Oakland Raiders “History”
Symantec “Tax Attempts”

1) Visa "Driving School"
2) Visa "Virgin Land"
3) Lay's "Scout Leader"
4) Lay's "Cooking w/Terry & Howie"
5) Boggle "Intro"
6) Pizza Hut "Slo-Mo"
7) Fruit of the Loom "The One"

With all the new, kid-friendly museums popping up in San Francisco, this Oakland institution was struggling. I wrote the new tagline, Expand Your Universe, and then led the revitalization of the brand. Attendance figures rose 400% after this campaign hit.

Copy:
JUST YOUR AVERAGE FAMILY OUTING.
The beach? Twice a month when the weather permits. The playground? Too many times to recall. The park? Just yesterday. Take your kids on an outing they’ll remember beyond the weekend and relive every time they look at the sky. Come to Chabot and expand someone’s universe.

Remember what it was like when you learned that the world was much bigger than what you see from down here? You discovered the moon isn’t really the size of a quarter and the sun is always shining somewhere. Pass that feeling on. Come to Chabot and expand someone’s universe.

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The Marine Mammal Center launched an art exhibit to draw higher attendance and bring attention to the problems of ocean trash. With no money, my team and I created an artistic microsite complete with interactive games, engaging facts, and a Garbage Gram, which lets users become ocean artists. The Garbage Gram created a lot of buzz and earned media. It was a labor of love that garnered excellent results.
Winner - Silver Addy

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Wrote the copy for this video extolling the virtues of Berkeley.

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Sales jumped 75% after our campaign launched.

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These two radio spots came from two different insights. The first was that, for most people, helping the environment was no longer a big motivator for going solar. The second was that people hated feeling that they were controlled by their power company. Their motivation was energy independence. 

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SunGreen isn’t just a business solar installer. They take a holistic approach to finding every way businesses can save on their energy—from battery backup to LED retro fits. We rebranded them and launched a new website, which helped establish them as a go-to option for businesses in Southern California.

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We introduced Chinese solar panel manufacturer, Boviet to the US with a new look, tagline, website, print, collateral, trade show, and other materials. One significant project was creating and launching a monthly online magazine, The Current, which quickly established Boviet as the thought leader in the solar innovation industry.

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Valley Solar was stuck. Their competition had poured a lot of dollars into branding and marketing, making Valley a bit invisible in comparison. By using “negative” words to describe Valley’s very positive benefits, we made people stop and pay attention.

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Campaign for what was the lightest laptop on the market.

Headline:
light.

Copy:
Yes, the VAIO® Z505 weighs only three and a half pounds. But don't be fooled. With built-in Ethernet and a 12.1" XGA screen, it's definitely not light on features. Z505 SuperSlim Pro

Winner - Silver Addy

Headline:
slinky.

Copy:
It has a magnesium-alloy case, a 12.1" XGA screen, and it's less than 1" thin. Add that with features like built-in Ethernet, and we think you'll find it's a lot of fun to play with too. Z505 SuperSlim Pro

Winner - Silver Addy
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RedLaser partnered with Lupe Fiasco to promote his highly anticipated album "Lasers." We wanted to create a buzzworthy event promoting pre-sale of the album. A guerilla laser light show was created and displayed at Union Square in NYC. Fans were prompted by Lupe Fiasco via Twitter to gather at the event to await their prize: an scannable QR code projected on the side of an NYC building, giving them first-access to "Lasers." It caught fire, shutting down busy NYC streets.

Floor stand & 2-sided print
Much like people were trying to protect the secrets of the Holy Grail in the movie, Symantec helps consumers protect their vital and secret information on their computers. This floorstand featured a mirrored header that reflected Da Vinci-style backwards copy. The print was readable by looking through the back page.
Winner - Yahoo! Big Idea Chair Award

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Although Skype had already blown up in Europe as the first free video call platform, it was barely known in the U.S. So we launched a video banner campaign that showed it in action with my tagline, “See What You’ve Been Missing.”
Winner of the Limelight Award

Part of a total rebrand. Visit site.

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Product launch of a revolutionary kitchen product. I branded it as a combination of Sous Vide and a Sous Chef.

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We created a wildly popular site where fans could turn themselves into the Oakland Raider mascot and then buy merch with that image. A luck few would be featured on digital billboards.

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Wrote all the copy for the launch of ifonly, a start-up that offered exclusive experiences with luminaries in the fields of sports, wine, food, and entertainment.

MOROCCAN HOME COOKING LESSON & DINNER FOR 8
Casablanca. Marrakesh. Sahara. The names alone evoke lush images of exotic beauty. With its rich culture, Morocco has one of the most diverse cuisines in the world. Chef Lahlou will share with you his contemporary take on traditional Moroccan home cooking during a hands-on lesson. Then you party will enjoy an unforgettable meal at his celebrated Aziza restaurant.

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Complete rebrand of the Port of Stockton included this website. Visit site.

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Website Environment Page

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Demo of the site we created for a non-profit promoting an art exhibit created entirely with found materials washed up on the shore.

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Demo of unique website that featured the video entries of passionate car guys and gals who made their vehicles amazing with help from parts purchased on eBay Motors.

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We launched Soltech (solar LED street lighting) to the US market, creating a new brand look in the process. I oversaw the design and wrote all the copy for their new site and other materials.
Visit site.