For the first time, Advance Auto Parts brought together DieHard the automotive battery and Die Hard the motion picture in a two-minute film in which Bruce Willis reprises his role of Detective John McClane. The film marks the recent landing of DieHard batteries on the shelves of retailer Advance Auto Parts.

Making its debut during the “America’s Game of the Week” FOX telecast of Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay on Sunday (10/19), the spot continues the storylines of McClane and two other characters from the original 1988 Die Hard film: villain Theo, reprised by Clarence Gilyard Jr., and limo driver Argyle, played by De’voreaux White.

“I’ve never done any sort of commercial with the John McClane character, but Advance Auto Parts brought an idea to integrate DieHard the battery into the Die Hard story through a short film that’s authentic to McClane and both brands,” said Willis. “Advance approached this like a motion picture–the script is clever, the production intense and the spot is entertaining. This is what Die Hard fans expect. I think they will dig the DieHard –‘Die Hard’ mashup.”

The new film begins with McClane and a dead car battery. Before he can make it to Advance Auto Parts, McClane crosses paths with old foe Theo and his crew. After a narrow escape and a chance meeting with limo driver Argyle, the action accelerates. From bad guy takedowns to a giant earth mover chase and, of course, a massive explosion, the film merges the worlds of the action classic Die Hard and the battery, showing viewers that McClane and DieHard are equally reliable, durable and powerful.

The film is part of Advance’s integrated #DieHardIsBack marketing campaign that kicks off during October’s National Car Care Month. Following the film’s national debut, Advance will air 30- and 15-second versions of the spot–in both English and Spanish–nationally and in key local markets. The spot will be incorporated into the company’s social media on Facebook and Instagram in the U.S. and Canada, as well as digitally on YouTube in the U.S. to drive views of the full-length version on Advance’s YouTube page. There also is a significant in-store element to the campaign. The film and campaign were created by The Marketing Arm, a Dallas-based creative agency partner for Advance Auto Parts. John Suits directed the two-minute film via production company Natural Selection.

Credits

Client Advance Auto Parts--DieHard Batteries Agency The Marketing Arm, Dallas Andrew Robinson, CEO; Trina Roffino, president; Will Clarke, EVP, creative; Leo Santos, Harris Wilkinson, SVPs/creative. Rob Neatherlin, sr. creative director/art director; Stu Hill, sr. director, concepting. Nick Cernoch, associate director, concepting/copywriter; Steve Hinckle, creative director; Shelly Williams, associate creative director; Ida Brown, sr. art director; David Fox, sr. copywriter; Zach Phillips, art director; Kathleen Colditz, EVP, strategy; Chris Lee, VP, strategy; Stephen Bellinger, strategist; Diana Schroeder, VP, production; Matt Williams, sr. producer. Production Natural Selection John Suits, director; Amanda Mortimer, Nicole Flores, exec producers; Will Stone, DP; David Dean Ebert, production designer; Anthony Tran, costume designer; Hugo Villasenor, makeup; D’nelle Almanza, hair. Casting 5th Street Studios Bobby Stephenson, casting. Editorial John Suits, Adam Grabarnick, editors. VFX Ghost VFX, Burbank, Calif. Matt Von Brock, VFX supervisor; David Brown, VFX producer; John Nelson, CG supervisor; Tom Connors, VFX supervisor; Ryan Smolarek, compositing supervisor; Sean Cox, compositing lead; Matt Lefferts, CG lead. (Toolbox: Nuke, 3ds Max, Vray, Phoenix, Tyflow) Graphics Flawless Post Howard Shur, Rik Michul, Adap Petke. Voiceover Ashton Smith.

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