By MILLIE TAKAKI
Retail department store advertising has hardly been a bastion of high-grade conceptual, comedic fare. But there’s always room for an exception to the rule, and in this case that room is at an airport terminal as seen in "Carousel," a :30 for Mervyn’s department stores directed by David Shane of bicoastal Hungry Man for Martin/Williams Advertising, Minneapolis.
A man holding a paper bag anxiously awaits his baggage to slide down to a revolving conveyer belt. Behind some normal suitcases, we see a dress shirt make its descent down the plank, only to be swallowed by the moving gears of the carousel. Next to appear are some toiletry items that he scurries to retrieve, plopping them into his paper bag. A woman looks on in disbelief as this sad sack of a man gathers his belongings in a pathetic-looking sack. The man, nervous over the loss of his shirt, is seemingly taking inventory of the remainder of his belongings as they slide down one by one, making for an outlandish, slapstick scenario.
"Mervyn’s has luggage," says a voiceover as the spot segues to a graphics collage and shots of luggage from leading manufacturers. The spot then is tagged by Mervyn’s campaign slogan: "Big Brands. Small Prices."
"I was really lucky with this campaign in that the creative team from Martin/Williams shared my comic sensibilities on all of this," said Shane. "We tried to get a [Buster] Keaton-like sense of slow slapstick going, using a lot of pregnant pauses, awkward fits and starts, and other freakish rhythms. The whole idea was to work the humor with subtlety, to expand on the nice, simple ideas the agency came to me with. As Preston Sturges once said, we left a lot of room for those ‘happy accidents’ that make film comedy great."
One such accident was the shirt disappearing into automated luggage carousel hell. "I wish we could say we designed it but no, that just happened," related Shane.
"Carousel" is one of a dozen, Shane-directed :30s that comprise the Mervyn’s campaign. Each promotes a product that is glaringly absent from the slapstick situation being depicted. For example, the pitch for trousers is placed within the context of "Restaurant," a spot that opens with a shot of a charming French bistro. A sign in front of the restaurant reads: "No shirt. No shoes. No service." A guy exits wearing all of the above-except trousers. A waiter emerges with a quickly scrawled "No pants" addendum that he tapes to the "No service" sign.
Shane was backed by a Hungry Man contingent that included executive producer Dan Duffy and producer Francine Weiner. Eric Engler was the DP.
Martin/Williams’ ensemble consisted of creative director Lyle Wedemeyer, art director Bryan Michurski, writer Chris Preston and producer Arleen Kulis.
Scott Ferril of Martin/Williams’ in-house arm Chop Shop, Minneapolis, edited the campaign. Sue Lakso and Steve Medin of Crash & Sue’s, Minneapolis, were colorist and online editor, respectively. Audio engineer/sound designer was Carl White of Echo Boys, Minneapolis. Tom Lescher, also from Echo Boys, served as composer/ arranger/sound designer.
Graphics designer was Linzi Knight of Red Rover, Toronto. (Knight is repped for spot directing via Open Frame Productions, New York.)
Nine of the 12 spots began airing last month in California, Colorado, Wisconsin, Texas and the Southwest. "Carousel" broke in early May. "Restaurant" is slated to debut later this month.
Director Jack Begert Joins Biscuit For His First Commercial Representation In U.S. & U.K.
Biscuit Filmworks has added filmmaker Jack Begert to its roster in the U.S. and U.K. This marks Begert’s first representation in advertising, building upon his acclaimed work in music video and film. He is best known for his striking aesthetic and surreal use of visual effects, displayed in his feature film debut Little Death, which won the NEXT Innovator Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The film stars David Schwimmer, Gaby Hoffman, Dominic Fike, and Talia Ryder, and was produced by Darren Aronofsky.
Miami-born and L.A.-based, the USC Film School graduate began his career in VFX and as an editor. Begert has worked with iconic musical artists including Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Flying Lotus, Childish Gambino, and Olivia Rodrigo, and has independently directed international campaigns for brands such as Apple, Converse, New Era, and Reebok.
Shawn Lacy, founding partner of Biscuit Filmworks, said of Begert, “We are such fans of his work--and of him as a creator, thinker, collaborator, and great guy.”
“My creative approach is often about trying to discover something unexpected in the filmmaking process,” said Begert. “Biscuit is a place where I can bring my own perspective to the work and still feel supported. That philosophy is clear from the talent they represent, and I’m excited to join their roster.”
“Jack’s work blew me away the moment I first saw it,” said Rupert Reynolds-Maclean, managing director at Biscuit Filmworks UK. “He is a modern young director who clearly cares deeply about both craft and the necessity for it in his storytelling. Everything always pushes the narrative forward. We’re looking forward to making great work together.”
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