A killer combo calls for the perfect score. Leading original music house Pull provided just that for agency McCann’s new campaign that pairs Verizon with the new iPhone6s. The :30 spot “Emoji” details a national promotion offering cellular customers the chance to trade up to the iPhone6s when they switch to a Verizon plan.
An iPhone6s is the star of the ad, hovering front and center as playfully simple images, emoticons and animations work with the VO to tell th story. “If you’re going to get the best iPhone, wouldn’t you want the best network?”
Pull composer Mitch Davis paces everything with an upbeat Americana-tinged original composition. Working in collaboration with Eric Johnson, SVP & Executive Music Producer for McCann, Davis devised a score where guitar, mandolin and tambourine provide a natural-sounding counterpoint to the high-tech offering.
“’Emoji’ called for instrumentation that had to strike a number of balances for Verizon,” Davis says. “Eric and I agreed that it should sound light but not childlike, fun without being silly, important without being overly serious.”
Striking A Musical Balance
For Johnson, getting the music exactly right for this was a challenge.
“We had to strike a balance, making it celebratory but not too saccharine,” Johnson says. "That’s what led us to Pull. They have a great instinct for making something beautiful, but with just a tinge of melancholy that makes the track feel genuine. Mitch historically plays unique instruments that puts his compositions into their own musical territory. As a result, I can get sounds from Pull that I won’t easily find anywhere else. Mitch is a great engineer, instrumentalist, and songwriter – you put all of that together, and you’ve got a special musical resource.”
No Stranger To iPhone Ads
Davis is no stranger to the iPhone: his music was used by Apple in 2007 for the first-ever iPhone commercial. The gentle acoustical accompaniment that he supplied is an important reason that the spot for that landmark launch stands as a classic ad today.
“It’s a pairing that still makes sense,” says Davis. “It’s good to know that some of my favorite sounds remain right for the iPhone.
Click here to watch Verizon’s iPhone6s “Emoji” spot
Creative Credits Project: “Emoji” (:30)
CLIENT: Verizon, New York
Vice President Geoff Walls
Executive Director David Bowen
Associate Director Michael Somers
Associate Director Kristie Joosten
AGENCY: McCann, New York
SVP, Group Account Director: Olivia Heeren
Account Director: Dave Ashley
Account Supervisor: Abby Brewer
Executive Creative Director: Chris Mitton
Executive Creative Director: Caprice Yu
Senior Art Director: Rick Cohen
Senior Copywriter: Dan Berenson
Junior Copywriter: Peter Sherer
Business Manager: Debbie Gleason
Producer: Lauren Bauder
SVP, Director of Verizon Production: Michele Ferone
Music Producer: Mike Ladman
SVP, Executive Music Producer: Eric Johnson
Head of Production: Nathy Aviram
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 1st Ave Machine, Brooklyn, NY
Director: Tim Brown
Partner/Executive Producer: Sam Penfield
Executive Producer: Garrett Braren
Head of Production: Lisanne McDonald
Producer: Barry Gilbert
Line Producer: Peter Repplier
Director of Photography: Igor Martinovic
Production Designer: Lester Cohen
Set Decorator: Joe Petruccio Propmaster: Holbrook Hays
Visual Effects Supervisor: John Loughlin
Editor: John McSwain
Compositors: Inti Martinez, Matt Monson, Alan Neidorf
Color Grading: Sofie Borup @ Company3
MUSIC: Pull (a music company) Inc., New York
Composer: Mitch Davis
Executive Producer: Scott Brittingham
MIX STUDIO: Sonic Union, New York
Engineer: Paul Weiss
About Pull
Founded by Mitch Davis and Scott Brittingham, Pull is a full service music company for all media, working from their New York City studios. For more information, visit www.pullpullpull.com
