The Tombras Group has once again tapped into Porchlight director Peter Zavadil’s talent for delivering simple, slice-of-life stories with strong emotional impact for ‘The Note.’ The 60-second spot for Food City pays homage to moms – reminding us all what makes them special – just in time for Mother’s Day.
Last year, Zavadil and the agency’s collaboration on Food City’s ‘Salute,’ a moving patriotic spot was awarded six top ADDYs, two NGA 2014 Creative Choice Awards and remains a YouTube favorite with over 1.5 million hits. The staying power of this spot attests to the value of the long-term relationship and strategic partnership the director, agency and production company have developed over the years.
“The Tombras Group is a multi-award winning, world-class agency that consistently turns out fresh, compelling concepts,” says Zavadil. “From the first spot we partnered on, working with a creative team of their caliber has been a great experience.”
“Porchlight and Peter’s creative partnership with The Tombras Group has eliminated the learning curve, because we already understand what they’re going for, how they like to work, and what they’re relying upon us to deliver,” says Kristen Forrest, the commercial production company’s executive producer. “As soon as Peter sees the boards, he’s on the same page with their team – and our proven history gives the agency confidence that the final product we deliver will meet their deadline, consistently exceed their expectations and get the most production value out of their budget.”
‘The Note’ tells the story of how a mother’s love reveals itself in everyday, small acts of thoughtfulness, and ultimately comes full circle with the emotional connection it evokes within her young son.
One of Zavadil’s strong suits is bringing to life seemingly simple, poignant narrative stories with authenticity that resonates emotionally with an audience, and spot-on casting is always a critical component of his process. For this spot, the director focused on casting an actress and child actor that could deliver a seamlessly natural performance.
The spot opens with a mom packing her son’s school lunch – and then writing something on a piece of paper that she puts into his lunchbox. While at school, the lunchbox pops open and everything falls out. As he gathers its contents, he sees the note and stuffs it into his pocket. Throughout the day he checks his pocket to make sure it’s there, showing that he is clearly thinking about and protecting it all day.
When the boy gets home from school, he hands his mom the crumpled note. Over her shoulder we see what she wrote that morning: “Do you love me? Yes or No.” As she sees the word ‘yes’ checked in red crayon, a tear comes to her eye. The camera then peaks over mom’s shoulder again, and pans down the note to a question the boy wrote for her: “Can we have spagety? Yes or No.’
The impact of the heart-felt message is not diluted with heavy-handed branding. Instead the spot’s only reference to Food City is the closing image of mother and son hugging and the supermarket chain’s logo with the words ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ superimposed over it – proving that less is sometimes more when it comes to impactful brand association.
The spot was shot in Nashville on location in a suburban-style house, as well as at The Overbrook School, during the course of two days. Slated to begin airing a week before Mother’s Day, the team had less than two weeks to deliver the spot.
“Another benefit of Porchlight’s ongoing creative partnership with The Tombras Group is that the sum total of our shared experience working together translates into warp speed efficiency,” says Forrest. “The Tombras Group knew they could rely upon us to find the right talent, shoot multiple scenes at two locations and turn the spot around in less than two weeks.”
Also a skilled editor who enjoys following through with his vision, Zavadil cut the spot on the Adobe Premiere – again maximizing efficiency while bringing a director’s eye to the editorial process. Forward’s Rodney Williams was the colorist for the project. Paul Jones of Auralation Music scored the commercial, creating an endearing tone that supported the spot’s message.
“Storytelling is my passion,” says Zavadil. “And The Tombras Group once again provided a great concept that draws viewers into pivotal moments and events in life, and evokes an emotional response. Our uniquely collaborative relationship and long associations continue to provide us with the ability to focus on making each project the best it can be – and ‘The Note’ is no exception.”
About Porchlight
Porchlight a multi-award winning, full-service commercial production company with a diverse roster of directors. For more information about its talent, work and the full scope of it services, contact Jack Reed or Porchlight executive producer, Kristen Forrest and visit www.Porchlight.tv.
