This two-minute spot for the new Honda Accord automobile would make legendary contraption artist Rube Goldberg proud. Goldberg, known for his chain reaction creations that involve one object affecting another object—and so on and so on—until the desired end result is achieved, went through painstaking lengths to make his creations visually and cerebrally engaging, as well as amusing.
Now taking a page out of Goldberg’s whimsical book is director Antoine Bardou-Jacquet of Partizan Midi Minuit, Paris, who pays homage to the concurrent simplicity and complexity of the domino-like inventions.
The spot opens on a single transmission ball bearing that rolls into a metal synchro hub, which in turn brushes a gear wheel cog and drops off a table onto a camshaft and pulley wheel. The chain reaction continues, and involves some 85 auto parts during the choreographed progression, which plays out in a cause-and-effect fashion reminiscent of the board game Mousetrap.
Other stages in the progression include windshield wipers that are triggered to stalk across the floor, three tires that are pushed to roll uphill (they were weighted to defy gravity), and an oilcan, which is tipped just enough to lubricate some valve springs that plummet into a cylinder head assembly.
Each automobile component is a catalyst for the action of the next, creating a sort of offbeat ballet, which culminates in the finished product—the sum of all these parts—the new Honda Accord.
A parting voiceover observes, "Isn’t it nice when things just work." The car rolls slowly down an incline, triggering the unfurling of a small banner, which reads, "Accord." The spot ends with the tag, "Honda. The Power of Dreams."
This elaborately detailed chain reaction entailed more than 600 takes, took five months of preparation, and had crew members tiptoeing on the set so as not to disturb the ultra-sensitive structure of meticulously placed auto parts. The slightest tremor would have undone hours of setup work. Filming took place for a week in a Paris studio.
Amazingly, most of this spectacle was achieved in-camera. Entitled "Cog," the spot was so complex that it had to be filmed in two parts—CGI was deployed to seamlessly mesh the two halves. The spot required a pair of Accords, one of which was dismantled to yield the assorted parts. The other car was the subject of the crowning product shot.
Agency was Wieden+Kennedy (W+K), London, with a creative team that consisted of creative directors Tony Davidson and Kim Papworth, art director Matt Gooden, copywriter Ben Walker and producer Rob Steiner.
Bardou-Jacquet’s support team at Partizan Midi Minuit included executive producer James Tomkinson (from Partizan’s London office) and producer Franck Montillot (from Partizan, Paris). First assistant director was Olivier Colhoun. Cameraman was David Ungaro.
The mono-monikered Barnsley of The Mill, London, served as visual effects supervisor/Flame artist on the shoot. Barnsley advised the crew on how to achieve certain effects such as the fine spray of water that lands on a windshield, triggering the walking wipers, in camera. Fi Kilroe and Dave Birkill were producer and Flame assistant, respectively, for The Mill.
Audio mixers/sound designers were Warren Hamilton and Johnny Burn of Wave, London. Music at the end of the spot was "Rappers Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang.
"Cog" debuted in the United Kingdom last month.
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