Premature celebration is the malady that afflicts a world-class Olympic runner in this :30 promoting Timex wristwatches with a full array of features. The spot opens on an Olympian athlete who’s sprinting well ahead of the pack.
All that’s seemingly left is the victory lap as he pulls up and raises his arms in celebration. He runs as if he’s broken through the finish line tape, the only problem being that there’s no finish line in sight. Meanwhile, his pursuers keep on running and pass him easily. By the time he realizes his error, his lead has been reduced to a futile game of catch up.
A supered message appears across a blank screen: "Measure Speed and Distance Accurately." Then a Timex watch fills the screen, followed by an end tag with the Timex logo and the slogan, "Life Is Ticking."
"Victoire" was one of three spots in a Timex campaign directed by The Perlorian Brothers via Toronto-based Radke Films for Ogilvy & Mather, Toronto. (The Perlorian Brothers have since moved to Reginald Pike, a new production house with bases of operation in Toronto and Vancouver, B.C.)
The campaign debuted nationally this month in Canada. Another spot shows a rocket ship blasting off in the distance as a car drives up in the foreground. From the automobile emerges a fully space-suited astronaut who is tardy for what would have been the ride of his life. Timex’s "Easy Set Alarm" is promoted in this context.
The remaining commercial, "Excitement," shows two attractive young women jumping—and jiggling—up and down in the front seat of an amusement park roller coaster that’s come to a stop. They finally sit down to reveal an elderly man seated—with a grin from ear to ear—in between them. This scenario extols the virtues of the Timex wristwatch’s "Continuous Heart Rate Monitor."
Radke Films’ support team on the campaign included executive producer Scott MacKenzie and line producer Heather Moshoian. The DP was Sean Valentini.
The creative ensemble at Ogilvy included creative directors Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk, group creative directors Michael Gelfand and Ian Letts, and producers Brenda Surminski, Shenny Jaffer and Judy Coleman.
Editor was David Hicks of School, Toronto. Colorist was Billy Ferwerda of Toronto-based Notch. Post effects artist was Andres Kirejew of Axyz FX, Toronto. Audio engineer was John Naslen of Toybox, Toronto.
Music composer was David Fleury of David Fleury Music, Toronto. Sound designer was Dan Kuntz of David Fleury Music.
