If you’re in New York or Los Angeles, coming to a theatre near you next week (3/23) is a :90 introducing Lucky magazine. The cinema ad adheres to the pre-requisite that moviegoers suspend their disbelief in order to be entertained. Except in this case, the suspension has tongue very firmly implanted in cheek.
The spot opens on a woman making her way along a crowded sidewalk. She waves upon recognizing a certain special someone. Turns out it’s her friend "Cheryl," whose arm is extended above her head as if she, too, is waving. The only catch is that Cheryl is a mannequin—a fact that seems immaterial to the woman as she hugs her expressionless friend.
Their day of shopping begins as Cheryl is seen stuck in a department store’s revolving door. The woman laughs as if Cheryl is a jokester who cannot help but call attention to herself. After an escalator ride together, the two are next seen looking into a mirror, forming opinions on how a piece of clothing looks.
Then it’s time to find the right fragrance. A store clerk sprays perfume on Cheryl’s wrist, watching in disbelief as the woman and Cheryl assess the scent.
With full shopping bags in hand, Cheryl and her companion are back on the streets when fate seemingly intervenes. A taxi strikes Cheryl, sending her flying and detaching one of her arms.
But not to worry. With help from the cabdriver, Cheryl apparently gets all patched up, because we next see the woman at home, cheerfully telling her hubby about the great time she had shopping with Cheryl. Dismayed, he finally summons up the courage to inform her that "Cheryl’s not real … She’s a mannequin."
Aghast, the wife stares at her husband in complete denial, then covers her ears and runs screaming from the apartment. We see her walking the nighttime streets, reflecting on all the good times she’s had with her best friend, Cheryl: shopping, surprising her with a birthday cake, sharing a joyful carousel ride, singing songs together at a beach campfire. These scenes unfold before us, with the beach scenario taking a bizarre turn as Cheryl’s foot catches on fire. Her human friend is quick to the rescue, extinguishing the flames with handfuls of sand.
Back to "reality" in the present tense, as the woman’s aimless wanderings find her at Cheryl’s apartment. She knocks on the door. The mannequin answers but she’s not alone. A half-naked man towels his hair dry behind her. As he raises his head to speak to Cheryl, the horrified woman recognizes her husband. She runs back out into the night, wiping off bitter tears. Blocks away, she just happens to walk past a newsstand, its display rack full of Lucky magazines. She picks up a copy, clasps it to her chest, and walks on, smiling and comforted.
A supered tagline explains her newfound salvation: "Lucky magazine. Your new shopping friend. On sale now."
Simply titled "Cheryl ‘n Me," the cinema spot was directed by Baker Smith via Santa Monica-based Tate & Partners for San Francisco ad agency Black Rocket. Shortly after this job was wrapped, Smith and Black Rocket embarked on new chapters in their professional lives. Smith exited Tate & Partners to partner with executive producer Bonnie Goldfarb in the launch of their own production company, Harvest (SHOOT, 3/2, p. 1); and Black Rocket was acquired by Euro RSCG.
The Black Rocket creative team on "Cheryl ‘n Me" consisted of creative directors Bob Kerstetter and Steve Stone, art director Phil Covitz, copywriters Warren Cockrel and Dave Loew, and producer Stacey Higgins.
Goldfarb served as line producer on the job, which was shot by DP Pierre Rouget.
The :90 was edited by Bob Frisk of Phoenix Editorial, San Francisco. Phoenix’s senior producer was Jonathan Hinman. Stefan Sonnenfeld of Company 3, Santa Monica, was the colorist. Finishing was done at Santa Monica-based Asylum Visual Effects. Audio mixing was done by Dave Baker at Crescendo! Studios, San Francisco.
Music was composed and lyrics written by Black Rocket’s Kerstetter, Cockrel and Loew. The folk song rendition heard softly in the background—with guitar and vocals by Laura Chandler—includes lyrics like, "My best friend was a mannequin," after the woman discovers Lucky magazine. The music was produced by Andy Newell at San Rafael, Calif.-headquartered Ripe Sound.
