We open with a shot of hotdogs and hamburgers sizzling on a backyard barbecue. A spatula enters the picture and flips over one of the burgers. This typical suburban scene abruptly takes a curious twist when the camera reveals that the spatula is at the end of a five-foot-long piece of wood. It keeps the guy who’s holding it at an inordinately safe distance from the hot grill.
The man’s wife then appears, looking out on the backyard from the second-story window of their house. Her megaphone-boosted voice booms out with concern, "Robby, are you swinging?"
"Robby, tell me you weren’t swinging," chimes in the barbecue dad, pointing the extended spatula at his young son. The child is seated in a swing, quiet but incredulous.
"Honey, was he swinging?" asks the mom of her hubby.
"Were you? You weren’t … Were you swinging?" the dad anxiously queries. "You know the rule about swinging."
Robby looks back at his dad somewhat sheepishly. "He’s not supposed to be swinging," declares the megaphone-wielding mom. Off to her side appears a super, which simply asks, "Terrified of being injured?"
"Robby, tell me it was the wind," implores the dad. A shot of the youngster in the swing set is accompanied by another supered message. This one asks the more relevant question: "Or just terrified of your HMO?"
Robby shakes his head in disbelief. A voiceover interjects: "The Oath is simplifying managed care by fighting escalating costs …" Now a logo for The Oath appears against a solid background. "… So there’s nothing to be afraid of."
We quickly return to the backyard, where Robby’s two siblings are no better off. They are seen wearing protective headgear and holding plastic shields as they toss a Frisbee to one another.
"Kids, be careful with that," warns the dad. "It’s a flying disc."
Titled "Family Issues," this :30 for managed healthcare firm The Oath Louisiana was part of a campaign directed by Jim Jenkins of bicoastal/international hungry man for Trumpet Advertising, New Orleans. Hungry man co-produced the package with its Toronto-based sister shop, frozen man. Executive producers for hungry man were Dan Duffy, Caroline Gibney and Steve Orent. Producer was Michi Lepik-Stahl. "Family Issues" was shot on location in Toronto by DP Karl Hahn.
The Trumpet team on the campaign consisted of creative director/writer Robbie Vitrano, creative director/art director Pat Mcguinness and producer Debbie Koppman.
"Family Issues" was off- and online edited by Rich Jack of Big Sky Editorial, New York. Jack also served as sound designer. Colorist was Victor Mulholland of R!OT Manhattan. Audio mixer was Bob Giammarco, who at the time was with Lower East Side, New York. Giammarco recently joined New York-based audio shop Photomag (SHOOT, 12/7, p. 7).
