The mainstay kids’ game of tag—as depicted in ad fare—has proven to strike a responsive cord among adults. The prime example is Nike’s "Tag," directed by Frank Budgen of Gorgeous Enterprises, London, and bicoastal Anonymous Content for Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore. In that lauded spot (winner of numerous honors, including the Cannes International Advertising Festival’s Grand Prix in 2002), an entire city is engaged in the game. The commercial was the centerpiece of Nike’s successful "Play" campaign.
While that "Tag" has quickly become a classic example of ad humor at its best, the latest rendition of the children’s game through the eyes of a commercialmaker takes on far more serious overtones. Director Stewart Hendler of Santa Monica-based Omaha Pictures—one of the up-and-coming talents in SHOOT’s recent Directors Showcase (5/16, p. 23)—presents a tag pursuit in which, sadly, "It" is not confined to a single person at a time.
Titled "You’re It," this public service spot conceived by a creative team at Publicis, New York, opens with the sun beating down on a small town. We spy a man dressed in black, his face covered by a black mask, who seemingly moves about unnoticed by others. He walks into a restaurant and puts a small round "You’re It" sticker on the back of a man seated at the counter. The man, who’s chomping away at a sandwich, doesn’t realize that he’s been tagged.
Next, the masked predator puts a "You’re It" sticker on a woman watching some girls play soccer at a public park. The tag has been placed on her right shin. A man sitting down in the bleachers is also tagged on the back of his T-shirt.
The commercial then takes us to a rack of clothes in front of a store. A young woman takes a jacket from the sales rack and puts it on—at which point we see the "You’re It" sticker on the back of the garment.
The next unknowing victim to be tagged is a young boy who walks out of a supermarket. The masked mystery man is ubiquitous—after making his rounds at the supermarket, he sees a group of joggers running down the street. He pursues them and targets a shirtless jogger. Just as the masked man is about to put the tag on the runner, he stops in his tracks—the runner has just put on a shirt for protection from the sun’s rays.
The spot cuts to a supered message against a black background, which simply reads: "One in five Americans will get skin cancer in their lifetime."
We then return to the man who we now know as the embodiment of skin cancer. He lowers his hand—which holds a "You’re It" sticker—to his side.
The commercial then segues to another supered advisory, "Don’t be the one."
The American Academy of Dermatology logo and some tips to heed appear on the bottom right corner of the screen: "Wear sunscreen. Cover up. And see a dermatologist." Accompanying this advice is the American Academy of Dermatology’s Web site address (www.aad.org).
Hendler’s support team at Omaha included exec producer Eric Stern and producer Nancy Cetner. The DP was John Ealer, with Ricardo Jattan serving as production designer.
The creative ensemble at Publicis consisted of chief creative officer Peter Nicholson, associate creative director/art director Matthew Leopizzi, copywriter Josh Greenspan and producer Dan Blaney.
The spot was edited by Adam Pertofsky and JD Smyth at Rock Paper Scissors, Los Angeles. Online editor was Greg Kiernan of Cutting Vision, New York. Colorist was Lez Rudge of Nice Shoes, New York. Audio mixer was Scott Persson of Headroom Digital, New York.
Sound designer was Bill Chesley of Amber Music, New York. Music composer was Amber’s Will Richter.
