The winter top 10 music and sound design chart yielded a trio of tracks that effortlessly drives the picture. In ESPN’s “Believe,” part of the long-running “Without Sports” campaign, a simple score perfectly illustrates the hope people harbor for their favorite sports team to win–and the agony fans suffer when experiencing defeat. “What’s Inside,” for adidas, uses a sparse piano track to show the many facets of Minnesota Timberwolves’ forward Kevin Garnett. And Longhorn Steakhouse’s “Girlfriend” uses a catchy tune and humorous lyrics to show what can happen when you indulge your desire for great steak.
NUMBER ONE Like Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox fans of yesteryear, those who root for the Buffalo Bills football team know all too well the heartbreak of defeat, as well as the lure of believing that just once, things will go their way. In the animated ESPN spot “Believe,” out of Wieden + Kennedy (W+K), New York, and directed by Mark Gustafson, of LAIKA/house, Portland, Ore., the Mitchell family watches the Bills play on a rainy day. The family’s drab living room matches the mood–it seems that, as usual, the Bills are about to lose. Suddenly, there is hope–the team makes a fumble recovery that leads to a touchdown. The sun begins to shine, and the family’s home is flooded with color while the Mitchells joyously celebrate. A little boy, who was curled in a ball and watching in a desultory fashion, begins spinning around with delight. Even Grandma Mitchell gets into the act, dancing a jig of joy. Alas, the elation is short-lived–the touchdown is disallowed, and the color and joy is leached from the Mitchells’ home. “Believe” is accompanied by a strong voiceover, which narrates the highs and lows of the game, as well as a spare, simple score that moves with the story arc–resignation, joy, and back to resignation. Jeff Elmassian creative director/composer and composer Andy Rehfeldt, both of Endless Noise, Los Angeles, composed the track. Lance Limbocker of Downstream, Portland, created sound design and did the audio mix.
Elmassian notes that the track for the spot needed to provide “a very subtle sort of build, and not [overwhelm] the announcer’s voice–the voice was integral.” Work on the spot’s track began when the agency received the pencil sketch from the animation house. “The advantage of animation is more time,” relates Elmassian. He also praised the agency for having a clear vision of the music from the beginning.
Elmassian had previously worked with W+K on some Sharp Aquos spots, which led to his involvement in the ESPN work, reports Jesse Wann, the agency producer on “Believe.” “I felt like there was a certain sensibility that was present in some of the tracks we didn’t use [on Aquos] that would work well with the spot,” he relates, “and other folks seemed to agree.”
The agency wanted a track that would enhance, not overwhelm the action in the ad. “We were actually looking for something very simple,” Wann relates. “There is an awful lot going on in the spot, both visually and in the audio realm–voiceover, sound effects–so we wanted to be very careful to find the right balance and get the most out of each element, but ultimately keep focused on telling the story in the best way possible.”
Both Elamssian and Wann note that the process was a smooth one, without a ton of revisions. “There are two major emotional shifts in the spot,” explains Wann, “and we wanted the music to both support and enhance those shifts, in addition to setting the right tone for our little puppet world.”
NUMBER TWO “What’s Inside,” the latest tour de force for adidas out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco, and 180, Amsterdam, features Kevin Garnett wearing many hats. The spot, which was directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, opens on the NBA superstar dressed in combat gear, leading a battalion into battle. That scene segues into a shot of Garnett in super hero-style gear rescuing a woman from a burning building. The next image is of a young boy, perhaps Garnett, imaging what he might be when he grows up. That scene shifts to the basketball great in a gladiator’s outfit, in victorious pose after defeating his opponents. He is next seen as a stand up comic. The final image is of Garnett as the world knows him: stepping onto the hardwood in his signature adidas sneakers. The action is scored by a dreamy, elegant piano track composed by Jonathan Elias of bicoastal Elias Arts.
Jennifer Golub, the agency executive producer on the spot, relates that the music in “What’s Inside” helps to enhance the creative. “Kevin Garnett is a really soulful player and individual,” she states. “This score was written for him.”
The creative team on the project wanted a score that worked in tandem with the spot’s many layers. “We sought something simple and internal to juxtapose against the grandeur of the visuals,” explains Golub, who adds that Elias was called on because of his prowess with “emotional, spare scores.”
The direction for the track, notes Golub, came in “the process of the edit. Avi [Oron of Bikini Edit] was an integral part of this process.”
For his part, Elias has high praise for the agency: “They are really very generous to work with, and it was a nice experience.” Elias began working on the track after a very rough cut had been assembled, and says he quickly wrote the tune. “There were very free flowing ideas,” on the project, he notes, “and they were very good to work with.”
NUMBER THREE Longhorn Steakhouse’s “Girlfriend,” out of McKinny, Durham, N.C., and directed by Mike Bigelow of Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, uses a catchy, toe-tapping country-style tune to extol the virtues of the chain restaurant.
The story is told from the POV of the singer, as he walks into the restaurant and is led to his table; along the way, he observes juicy-looking steaks being placed in front of appreciative diners. He sings about how he “expected a tasty steak,” but didn’t expect the meat to be so well prepared. He also sings, “and I didn’t expect my ex-girlfriend to be there, and I didn’t expect her to be dating Lou Ferrigno.” Cut to a shot of the original Incredible Hulk, who adds a line to the tune: “And he didn’t expect me to join him in this song.” The spot’s tagline: “Longhorn Steakhouse. Expect More From Your Steak.”
Judson Crane, of Fluid, New York, composed the track, with lyrics created by McKinney copywriter Mitch Bennett and art director Wes Whitener. (Both are members of Pants, the agency’s band, which last year won first place at Fluid’s Battle of the Ad Bands.) Bennett notes that he and the creative team were looking for a track that would stand out for viewers. “When you look at restaurant advertising, music is such a big part of it,” he relates. “Instead of fighting that convention, we wanted to let the music be part of what makes the spot surprising and funny and memorable–and it never hurts to have Lou Ferrigno dating your ex-girlfriend.”
Bennett and Whitener wrote the lyrics and the basic song. “We had a specific progression and a melody we liked a lot,” explains Bennett, who sang the song for the spot. “So rather than coming up with something from scratch, we needed someone who could take our incredibly rough sketch and make it come to life as a believable, fully orchestrated modern-country track. We were amazed at what an awesome job Jud and the gang did with it.”
Crane reports that Bennett and his team gave him the demo to begin working with prior to the shoot. “The agency wanted a flavor of country music that wasn’t overly spiced with ‘country music’ elements or feel,” relates Crane. “My goal was to create a vibe you might hear on top-forty country radio. … It was important that the track could be tailored for multiple spots and lyrics, as well as be flexible for some rocking-good radio scripts. Being great musicians in their own right, the creative team was extremely helpful throughout the music creation process.”
Bennett and Whitener worked closely with Crane during the process; that collaboration was made easier because Fluid editor Scott Philbrook cut the spot. “We basically moved into their office for two weeks and made ourselves at home,” says Bennett. “Since I ended up being the singer, it wasn’t like a normal recording session where you record an hour session and that’s it. We’d be editing in one room, get an idea of something to try, run into Jud’s studio, record it, then run back and throw it into the edit. They were extremely flexible like that–it’s s amazing they’re still speaking to us, come to think of it.”
As for how the spot turned out, Crane and the Fluid team are pleased with the final result. “I think the new Longhorn ad campaign is funny and memorable,” enthuses Crane. “I can’t get the tune out of my head!”
| Number | Title | Music / Sound | Audio Post | Agency | Production |
| 1 | ESPN “Believe” | Endless Noise, Santa Monica Jeff Elmassian, creative director/composer; Andy Rehfeldt, composer; Shari Christensen, executive producer | Downstream, Portland, Ore. Lance Limbocker, mixer | Wieden + Kennedy, New York | LAIKA/house, Portland, Ore.; Mark Gustafson, director |
| 2 | Adidas,
“What’s Inside” | Elias Art, bicoastal Jonathan Elias, composer | Crescendo! Studios, San Francisco; Craig Helmholz , mixer | 180/TBWA & TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco | Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles; Noam Murro, director |
| 3 | Longhorn Steakhouse, “Girlfriend” | Fluid, New York Judson Crane, composer/sound designer; David Shapiro, executive producer; Brad Stratton producer | Sound Lounge, New York; Tom Jucarone, mixer | McKinney, Durham, N.C. | Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles; Mike Bigelow, director |
| 4 | Expedia.com, “Anthem” | Asche & Spencer Music, Minneapolis Thad Spencer and Richard Werbowenko, composers; Janell Schmitt, producer | Lime Studios, Santa Monica; Loren Silber, mixer | Deutsch, Los Angeles | Moxie Pictures, bicoastal/international Errol Morris, director |
| 5 | Siemens,
“Building Blocks” | Siblings Music, New York Mario Grigorov, composer; Michelle Barbieri, producer | Bionic Media, New York; Jody Nazzarro, mixer | Publicis, New York | Mass Market TV, New York; Chris Staves and Marco Spier, directors |
| 6 | Toyota RAV4, “Boxes” | Mutato Muzika, Los Angeles; Mark Mothersbaugh, composer; Robert Miltenberg, producer; John Enroth, engineer Machine Head, Venice, Calif. Stephen Dewey, sound designer; Vicki Ordeshook, head of production/producer | Ravenswork, Venice, Calif.; Eric Ryan and Robert Feist, mixers; Katherine Morgan, managing director | Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Torrance, Calif. | Villains, bicoastal; Phillipe Andre, director |
| 7 | Nike,
“Awake” | Lost Planet, bicoastal; Hank Corwin, editor/sound designer; AC/DC’s “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” | Eleven, Santa Monica; Jeff Payne. Mixer; DJ Fox-Engstrom, executive producer | Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore. | RSA USA, bicoastal; Jake Scott, director |
| 8 | America Express, “Open Minded” | Big Foote Music, New York Darren Solomon, composer; Ray Foote, executive producer | audioEngine, New York; Tom Goldblatt, mixer | Ogilvy & Mather, New York; Sara Matarazzo, music producer | Form, Los Angeles; Jesse Dylan, director |
| 9 | Reebok,
“Hockey Centric” | Tonefarmer, New York; Jimmy Harned and Raymond Loewy, composers; Tiffany Senft, executive producer | Final Cut, New York; Roland Alley, mixer/sound designer | mcgarrybowen, New York | Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles; Steve Rogers, director |
| 10 | Sony PlayStation Portable, “Pass” | Elias Arts, bioastal; Ben Kahle, composer | Ravenswork, Venice, Calif.; Eric Ryan, mixer | TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles | Believe Media, bicoastal Vogel.Villar-Rios, directors |
