Created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners, this 60-second spot plays off Christopher Walken’s instantly recognizable voice and signature speech cadence, following the actor throughout a typical day as he encounters a never-ending stream of imitators–from his hotel valet to his tailor, makeup artist, and even his drive-through barista.
Promoting the all-new generation of the BMW 5 Series, highlighted by the first-ever, 100% electric BMWi5, the commercial–directed by Bryan Buckley of Hungry Man–also features actress Ashley Park (Emily in Paris, Beef, Joy Ride), and GRAMMY Award-winning global superstar and Super Bowl LVIII halftime performer, USHER.
The “Talkin’ Like Walken” spot was lensed by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (Oppenheimer, Interstellar).
Credits
Client BMW of North America Agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners Rich Silverstein, partner; Margaret Johnson, chief creative officer; Matt Edwards, Wes Phelan, executive creative directors; Zak DeLange, Colin Nissan, copywriters; Andrew Congleton, Sean Farrell, art directors; Jim Haight, head of production; Matt Flaker, executive broadcast producer; Daniel Chang, sr. broadcast producer; Jim King, director of graphic services; Hanna Hegnell, sr. interactive producer; Rachael Stamps, design studio manager; Joanna Pham, Maria Leung, production artists; Bonnie Wan, partner, head of brand strategy; Katie Coane, group brand strategy director; Nik Poon, brand strategy director; Christine Chen, partner, head of communication strategy; Dong Kim, group communication strategy director; Charlotte Cordova, sr. communication strategist; Jane Warren, deputy director of research strategy; Whitney Thomas, sr. research strategist; Meredith Vellines, head of communications. Production Company Hungry Man Bryan Buckley, director; Matt Lefebvre, producer; Caleb Dewart, Kim Dellara, exec producers; Hoyte van Hoytema, DP; David Skinner, production designer; Will Vudmaska, production manager; Craig Owens, 1st AD. Editorial Cabin Chan Hatcher, editor; Katy Lester Zamora, producer. Telecine Company 3 Tom Poole, colorist; Shannen Troup, color producer. VFX/Finishing The Mill John Leonti, creative director; Nhat Tran, VFX supervisor, shot supervisor, 2D lead artist; Hillary Thomas, exec producer; Sherilyn Martin, producer; Sandra Ross, 2D artist; Rachel Dorrothy, production coordinator. Sound Design Sonic Union Steve Rosen, sound designer. Audio Post Sonic Union Steve Rosen, Kelly Oostman, sound designers/mix engineers; Graham Carpenter, Alex Thiel, assistant mixers; Justine Cortale, studio director.
Apple’s holiday ad--“Heartstrings,” launched ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities--introduces us to a father with mild-moderate hearing loss. But thanks to the clinical grade Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2, he can now hear his daughter playing the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young classic “Our House” on her new guitar, just unwrapped on Christmas morning.
The breakthrough ability to hear clearly is all the more impactful in that it comes after we journey with the dad down memory lane as he recalls his daughter’s first guitar, her birthday, her first day of school--though the sound of his flashbacks is muffled. But once he activates the Hearing Aid feature, dad can properly hear his daughter in the present--and with that even the memories can be heard clearly.
“Heartstrings” was directed by Henry-Alex Rubin of production house SMUGGLER for TBWAMedia Arts Lab Los Angeles, with sound design by three-time Oscar winner Paul N.J. Ottoson who helps us experience the father’s hearing loss and then its restoration. (Ottoson won two Oscars for The Hurt Locker--for best sound mixing and best sound mixing--and another for best sound editing for Zero Dark Thirty.) Read More
