Something is falling—and it’s not the sky—in "Flying Fish," a :30 out of Vancouver, B.C., ad agency Rethink that promotes the A&P/Dominion grocery store chain. Directed by David Levin of bicoastal/international hungry man, the ad opens on a mailman walking away from the camera in a peaceful residential neighborhood. A splash of water hits the sidewalk behind him, followed by a big fresh fish—the kind you’d see proudly displayed as catch-of-the-day at a restaurant, or on ice in a supermarket.
Another man innocently mows his front lawn. A fish plummets unseen onto the grass ahead. When mower meets mackerel, the man stops short.
In a nearby backyard, a guy barbecues hamburgers on his deck while a couple of teenagers play volleyball. A fish falls heavily onto the grill; another plunges into the game. Although shocked, at least Dad can put his unexpected catch to good use; the kids seem unprepared for a match of volleyfish.
Seafood proves unappetizing to a couple seated at an outdoor café. A hard-landing fish disrupts their meal, spewing thick soup onto the woman’s suit.
In a local parking lot, it’s raining cat- and dogfish. One shocks a pedestrian. Another drops into an open trunk. A third crashes through a sunroof and onto the passenger’s seat, startling the driver; then a fourth cracks her windshield before bouncing to the hood. A fifth gives fins on a car a new meaning, hitting with a thud that activates a theft alarm.
At last, two white-shirted men at a heliport explain the mystery. "This is such a good idea," raves one to his aproned colleague, who’s guiding the helicopter to a safe landing.
"Good idea!" shouts the would-be air traffic controller.
Smack dab in the middle of the heliport landing pad is a Dominion logo. A shot of the helicopter above concludes this fishy story. The chopper is descending with a huge net full of fish, several of them falling to terra firma. Talk about being flown in fresh daily.
A voiceover reads the accompanying super: "Dominion. We’re Fresh Obsessed."
"Flying Fish" was co-produced by hungry man and the Vancouver, B.C., office of Circle Productions. Circle’s Chris Bowell executive-produced the job, with Louise Valgardson serving as producer. "Flying Fish" was shot on location in Vancouver, B.C., by DP Sean O’Dea.
The creative team at Rethink consisted of creative director Chris Staples, copywriter Rob Tarry, art director Mark Hesse and producer Terry Green.
The spot was edited by Leo Zaharatos of Blue Highway, Toronto. The ensemble from Command Post/Toybox West, Vancouver, B.C., consisted of Henry artist/online editor Dave Robinson, Inferno artist Randy Egan and colorist Kent McCormick.
Audio mixer was Craig Warrian of Wave Productions, Vancouver, B.C. Wave’s Colin Weinmaster served as sound designer.
"Flying Fish," part of a two-spot package helmed by Levin, debuted in Canada earlier this month.
