We open on a train wreck, with news crews scrambling to get to the nighttime scene. The story turns out to be even more harrowing when word gets out that there’s been a major chemical spill.
A TV news anchor relates this breaking development to his viewers. Already a team of environmental experts has been dispatched to the area to clean up the situation. Dressed in chemical retardant suits, they begin their investigation, opening the train cars in search of the hazardous materials.
One toxic control worker is astounded to discover that the situation is even “worse than we thought.” At that point, we see that a train boxcar is filled with broken open cartons of cigarettes. In the background we hear a voice deliver a laundry list of the toxins that have been released, including DDT, cyanide, arsenic and formaldehyde.
“If this stuff catches fire, it’s over,” assesses an environmental expert.
An end tag slogan reads, “Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, many of which are deadly.” Accompanying this message is a logo identifying the spot’s sponsor, The Partnership For a Healthy Mississippi, and a Web site address, Generationfree.com.
“Chemical Spill,” which is airing throughout Mississippi, was conceived by a creative team at Jackson, Miss.-based agency Maris, West & Baker (MWB). Marc Leffler, writer/creative director at MWB, noted that the idea from the spot came from its parting statistic about 4,000 chemicals. “So many hazardous toxins released at once, in large enough quantity, would make for a massive chemical spill,” he said.
The core MWB creative team on “Chemical Spill” consisted of Leffler and art director Chris Nolen. Special effects DP Eric Swenson was selected to direct and shoot the spot, which was run through Jackson production house Krauscape Films. Monte Kraus and Philip Scarborough served as producers. The latter was also the spot’s editor, with Kraus additionally serving as production designer.
Colorist was Steve Franko of Video Post & Transfer, Dallas. Sam Watson of Sound By Sam, Jackson, was sound designer/audio post mixer.