The Grim Reaper, a.k.a. Death, is being overworked, and his pleas for help are falling upon deaf ears. That’s the humorous yet serious premise behind "Grim Reaper," an anti-smoking :60 for The Florida Tobacco Pilot Program out of Miami agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
Directed by Tim Abshire of bicoastal Shelter Films, the spot opens on a tobacco company board meeting. "As you can see, our filtered cigarette sales have increased by fifteen percent," one executive proudly declares.
Suddenly the Grim Reaper himself enters the room and glides effortlessly to the head of the table. "You guys are killing me," the Grim Reaper rants to the execs. "A thousand people a day. There’s only one of me, you know. Slow down. Just do half. I can handle five hundred people a day. C’mon."
But the tobacco executives are oblivious as they resume their boardroom conversation, business as usual.
"Guess I’m talking to myself," shrugs the Grim Reaper, who bangs on his scythe as if it were a microphone. "Hello, is this thing on? … I don’t want to pull rank, but I know the devil."
The executives continue to pay no heed to the Reaper’s antics. A voiceover interjects: "Every day, over 1,000 people die from a tobacco-related illness. And every day, the tobacco industry just ignores them."
We then see the Grim Reaper being thrown out of the building by two security guards. Death’s only comeback: "That’s very impolite."
The Crispin Porter + Bogusky creative ensemble consisted of creative director Alex Bogusky, art director Dave Clemans, copywriter Tom Adams and producer Terry Stavoe.
Stavoe said he felt Abshire would be "perfect for the job," citing the helmer’s reel and the assignment prerequisite of "a great comedy director" to do justice to this "off-the-cuff" brand of humor.
Abshire was backed by a Shelter team that included executive producer Steven Shore, producer Amy Friedman and head of production Genevra DiLorenzo. The DP was Nixon Binney.
"Grim Reaper" was cut by Jeff Sternberger of Jefferson Edit, Miami. Online editor was Jerome Charles, the telecine artist was John Palmisano and the Inferno artist was Tammy Feldman, all of Manhattan Transfer/Miami. Sound designer/audio engineer was Steve Johnston of Outpost Audio, Miami. Stock music was obtained via bicoastal APM.
The spot, part of Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s ongoing "Truth" campaign, began running in late October throughout Florida.
