So you’re a middle-aged guy trying to slide across the hood of your car like Luke or Bo from The Dukes of Hazzard. To the objective observer of such behavior, you’re probably in the throes of a mid-life crisis. But don’t worry. There’s always a sympathetic soul somewhere who will understand. And finding that person is the tongue-in-cheek serendipity of this :30 for the women’s basketball program at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
We open on the guy who takes unsuccessful flying leap after flying leap onto the hood of the car, which is parked in his home’s driveway. Though the effort is there, he can’t quite slide all the way across, landing after the fifth try on his wallet in front of the automobile.
A female basketball player passes by along the sidewalk. She offers a quick analysis of what’s wrong.
“Not enough wax on the hood,” she smartly assesses. “It’s slowing you down.”
After the diagnosis comes the cure. “I’d use a polymer based wax,” she advises. “It gives you that extra glide. Ever thought about silk pants?”
The guy nods “no,” at which point the gal sheds her silk warm-up pants, under which is her Loyola Marymount uniform. She tosses the pants over to the puzzled guy and then walks off.
A super appears along the bottom of the screen, which reads, “Be there for them. And they’ll be there for you.”
We then cut from this quiet residential neighborhood to an end tag, which shows a picture of a Loyola female player in action on the basketball court, accompanied by a phone number for ticket info.
“Mid-life Crisis” is a continuation of the successful “We’ll be there for you” campaign which broke in 2004, the centerpiece ad being “Static Cling,” which went on to garner assorted awards, including an AICP Show honor. That spot was directed by Michael Downing of harvest films, Santa Monica.
This time around, “Mid-life Crisis” was helmed by feature filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon, High Art) via bicoastal/international Partizan for agency Ignited Minds, Marina del Rey, Calif.
The Ignited Minds creative team consisted of executive creative director Ron Gould, creative director Mike Wolfsohn, art director Reece Hoverkamp, copywriters Matt Garthoff and Prentice Howe, and producer Diego Espana.
Sheila Stepanek executive produced for Partizan, with David Wolfson serving as producer. The DP was Eric Treml.
Editor was Ben Darling of Spot Welders, Venice, Calif. Colorist was the mono-monikered Adolfo of R!OT, Santa Monica. Audio post mixer was Mitch Dorf of POP Sound, Santa Monica.
Principal actors were Jevay Grooms and Michael Brown.