Dirty dishes, neglected yard work, unpaid bills. A man and a woman sitting on the couch, mesmerized by whatever they’re watching on TV as an unseen baby cries in the background.
A voiceover explains, “Each year, millions of HBO subscribers allow their favorite shows to prevent them from leading responsible and healthy lives.”
The camera then takes us on a succession of case studies to prove that assertion. The first is Mr. and Mrs. Johnson who refuse to answer their phone while watching HBO. We hear the caller on the answering machine. “Mom, dad–come on pick up. I know you’re there. Pick up.”
We then see who the caller is–a teenager–and where he’s calling from, a police station/jailhouse pay phone. A voiceover says of the police, “I’m sure they’ll let Tommy make another phone call tomorrow.”
Next we’re taken to another HBO household, where Jennifer and her friends are watching TV. Jennifer likes it quiet while her favorite show is on. A male guest makes the mistake of coughing during the show, prompting Jennifer to explode. “Get the hell out of my house, Bill.” A voiceover notes, “These days most of her friends seem to prefer watching from home.”
Then there’s wheelchair-bound Mrs. Bernstein who’s caught in an escalator track trying to get to the upstairs of her house. She calls out for help. Unfortunately her son in the next room is oblivious, his eyes transfixed on an HBO show.
Next, we see Michael driving a car, with the passenger being his wife Alice. They’re returning home from a relaxing dinner. Maybe not so relaxing as Michael is driving recklessly through traffic, nearly causing an accident. Alice understandably appears nervous. Just when you think she’s going to admonish her husband, she instead blurts out, “Hurry up, we’re going to miss it.” Clearly the “it” is an HBO program.
And finally, we see a slice of Americana–a father pushing a bicycle on which his young daughter is seated. “Don’t let me go,” urges the helmet-wearing girl. However, they pass a house in which an HBO show is being watched. The dad stops in his tracks to peer through the window as his terrified daughter is left solo on the bike, pedaling down the sidewalk.
A concluding voiceover relates, “At the end of a long day, who doesn’t like to kick back with some HBO and take the edge off a little. It’s only when it begins to affect the rest of your life that it becomes a problem.”
A supered end tag reads, “HBO. Please watch responsibly.”
Michael Downing of harvest, Santa Monica, directed this one-minute-and-39-second promo for HBO’s in-house agency. The HBO creative ensemble consisted of creative director Karen Sands, VP of brand image Marc Rosenberg, senior line producer Louis Tancredi, and writer/producer Daniel Zibulsky.
Bonnie Goldfarb and Scott Howard executive produced for harvest, with Francie Moore serving as producer. The DP was John Schwartzman. Editor was Jim Hutchins of HutchCo, Los Angeles.
Beyoncรฉ’s Halftime Show Highlighted Netflix’s NFL Debut On Xmas Day
Beyoncรฉ provided more excitement than either game during Netflix's NFL debut on Christmas Day.
Riding into her halftime appearance on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy winner rocked her hometown Houston crowd with a nearly 13-minute performance on Wednesday.
She surprised fans by bringing along Shaboozey to perform "Sweet Honey Buckiin" and Post Malone joined her for "Levii's Jeans."
The action on the field didn't live up to expectations as the NFL showcased four of the AFC's top five teams.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce exposed a glitch in Pittsburgh's defense during Kansas City's 29-10 rout in the first game.
The broadcast itself went off just fine, quickly becoming the second-most popular live title on Netflix to date, according to NFL Media.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens led C.J. Stroud and the Texans to 17-2 at halftime before Beyoncรฉ stole the show.
Mariah Carey opened Wednesday's doubleheader with a taped performance of "All I Want for Christmas is You" and then the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs trounced the Steelers to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
There were no signs of any major streaming issues during the game after Netflix experienced minor blunders at the start of the pregame show. The broadcast opened with roughly 10 seconds of silence because it appeared studio host Kay Adams' microphone wasn't turned on.
Beyoncรฉ's live performance at NRG Stadium was supposed to be the biggest test for the streaming giant and it seemed to go off without a hitch.
Mahomes threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns and Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and one score as the Chiefs (15-1) earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The... Read More