Headquarters’ David Cornell Directed/DPed Visa’s “Elephant.”
CLIENT
Visa USA.
PRODUCTION CO.
Headquarters, bicoastal. David Cornell, director/DP; Alex Blum, partner/executive producer; Tom Mooney, partner/director of sales; Andrew Denyer, head of production; Tom Ruge, producer; Susan Gross, production manager; Joe Rey, production designer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
BBDO/New York. Ted Sann, chief creative officer; Charlie Miesmer, senior executive creative director; Jimmy Siegel, senior creative director/copywriter; Rick Hanson, creative director/art director; Missy White, art director; Jordan Allen, copywriter; David Frankel, producer; Lisa Channell, assistant producer.
EDITORIAL
Crew Cuts, New York. Gary Hernandez, editor. Karama Horne and Jonathon Flaum (freelance), assistant editors.
POST
Manhattan Transfer/Edit, New York. John Bonta, colorist; Rich Siciliano, online editor; Bridget Fullan and Jeremy Hollister, Editbox operators.
AUDIO POST
Buzz, New York. Michael Marinelli, mixer.
MUSIC
Big Foote Communications, New York. Kari Maria Steinert, composer; Ray Foote, producer.
BY CAROLYN GIARDINA
When you think of Super Bowl spots you typically think of humorous, in-your-face, often effects-laden work. This year’s Visa spot, a :60 entitled “Elephant” from BBDO/New York, was a real departure from that production style. But it was worth the risk; the day after the game it was one of the most talked-about and memorable in the field.
The beautiful, soft live-action spot–helmed by director/cameraman David Cornell of bicoastal Headquarters–brings to life a young girl’s dream of sharing special moments with a pet elephant.
“I wish I had an elephant,” the girl’s voiceover begins. She recites a poem about how the elephant would play with her and be her friend. Images show the two having a tea party, doing headstands side by side and just spending quiet time together. “But wishes are like elephants, they’re bigger than they seem,” the poem concludes.
An adult voiceover adds, “You may not be able to give her everything her heart desires … ” The voice concludes that with Visa, “maybe you can.” At this point the child hugs her new elephant–a stuffed animal. The VO then says, “And besides, you never know what she’ll want next,” and we see the girl walking a new pet … a live zebra.
“I wanted to be different this time, to stand out from what you get on the Super Bowl, although it was a risk,” said BBDO’s Jimmy Siegel, who was both senior creative director and a copywriter on the spot. “People are used to in-your-face humor [during the Super Bowl]. But the reaction we’ve been getting leads me to believe it worked; it had a lot of heart.”
The team cast an elephant named Thai, who Cornell said had “the most credits under her trunk.” She has appeared in numerous films, including George of the Jungle and Operation Dumbo Drop. Cornell recalled that he took his daughter to meet Thai and the two were the subjects for a video test. “The whole approach was to treat the elephant as if it were just a little pet,” Cornell noted.
The spot was filmed on location at Veterans Park in Southern Calif.’s San Fernando Valley. Sets were built around Thai for the interiors.
The location was selected because Cornell wanted to shoot using sunlight, but the weather didn’t cooperate. It rained during much of the shoot and tents were erected to protect the sets. Outdoor shots were achieved during breaks in the rain. “The weather was the only challenge on this job,” the director said. “The elephant was fantastic; the girl was fantastic.
“I was very happy with the results,” Cornell added. “We made it very soft, quite a contrast to most of the Super Bowl spots.”
Elephant Walk
“Thai could do just about anything we wanted her to do,” Cornell continued. “The only limitation was that Thai can sit down [on her hindquarters] with her legs in front only by lying down first and then swinging her legs around.” Quite a sight, but Thai’s talents enabled the team to produce the spot in its entirety without relying on any visual effects.
That certainly surprised the agency. BBDO senior executive creative director Charlie Miesmer said, “I don’t think anyone thought, until we talked it through, that we wouldn’t have to use a computer … I was amazed.”
“ `Elephant’ was an ambitious project; I knew [David Cornell] would go the extra mile,” noted Siegel. “David is a wonderful intuitive shooter who can really make you feel the emotions through the film.”
Cornell provided more than enough quality images for New York-based Crew Cuts editor Gary Hernandez. “There was so much great footage,” the editor commented. “The biggest challenge was finding the little moments that [best] conveyed that she would love to have an elephant.”
“I wanted to create an emotional piece of advertising that captured the notion of wishes,” Siegel explained. “The little girl and the elephant is not only an arresting visual, but it’s very naturally a bit symbolic of every wish that’s bigger than it can be. … I wanted to tap into the feeling that every parent has to try to make his or her kid’s wish come true even if it’s bigger than possible.”
Initially, the spot was intended to show the friendship between the girl and the elephant only with music. Siegel said he wrote the girl’s poem because “it needed something … to capture the essence of what [the spot] is about.”
Hernandez saw the difference. “The voiceover brought the spot up a notch; it evoked more emotion,” he commented.
Hernandez was cutting a 30-second version at press time; it is intended to air during the Nagano Olympics.
***
Harvest Films Explores Cost Plus
CLIENT
Cost Plus World Market.
PRODUCTION CO.
Harvest Films, San Francisco. Rob Lazarus, director; Norman Bonney, DP; Brian Bender, producer; Greg Sumner, production manager. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Cost Plus, Oakland, Calif. Peter Paredes, creative director; K.S. Haddock, co-creative director/ copywriter; Rene Saint-Armour, producer.
EDITORIAL
FilmCore, San Francisco. Mauro Camoroda, editor; Jon Ettinger, executive producer.
POST
Western Images, San Francisco. David Brandt, colorist; Denis Marriott, online editor; Todd Lindo, producer.
AUDIO POST
One Union Recording Studios, San Francisco. Eric Eckstein, engineer/mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
One Union Recording Studios. Eric Eckstein, sound designer.
THE SPOT
The :30 “Discovery” opens on a shadowy figure in a pith helmet and khaki shorts prying the top off a heavy crate. Inside is a hand-carved African mask. Is this perhaps a world-famous archeologist unearthing a great discovery? The answer comes as the lights are switched on and the man is revealed to be an employee in a Cost Plus showroom, as a co-worker calls to him, “Hey Joe, let’s get ready for the grand opening!” The voiceover then announces the opening of a Cost Plus World Market.
Spot broke in December.
***
Seventh Art Unlocks Poultry For Wampler
CLIENT
Wampler Foods.
PRODUCTION CO.
Red Dog Films, Los Angeles. Marc Chiat, director; David Stockton, DP; Sue Crain, executive producer; Scott Howard, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
The Weightman Group, Philadelphia. Bill Lunsford, creative director; JoAnne Guardiani, producer; Andrew Geroski, art director; Tom Jeffrey, writer.
EDITORIAL
Seventh Art Incorporated, Philadelphia. Burke Moody and Annie Taylor, editors; Ted Bourne, assistant editor.
POST
Manhattan Transfer/Edit, New York. Dino Regas, colorist; Chris Laite, online editor.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Manhattan Transfer/Edit. Fred Wilson, Flame artist.
AUDIO POST
East Side Audio, New York. Tom Goldblatt, mixer/engineer.
MUSIC
JSM Music, New York. Andy Bloch, composer, “TLC-Chicken.”
SOUND DESIGN
Seventh Art Incorporated. Burke Moody, sound designer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “TLC-Chicken,” a bored shopper listlessly sweeps a cascade of groceries into her cart by the armful until she veers toward the store’s poultry aisle. She perks up as she approaches her destination–Wampler poultry products. She takes great care to don gloves, arrange a purple velvet pillow and sprinkle rose petals upon which she rests her Wampler poultry. In “Lunchbox,” an elementary schoolboy manuevers through a series of security systems in his high-tech lunchbox. To the amazement of his friends, the lid eventually opens to reveal a Wampler chicken leg. Both commercials end with the tagline, “Wampler, it’s really that good.”
Spots broke in January.
***
Sedelmaier Beats Flu With Sudafed
CLIENT
Sudafed.
PRODUCTION CO.
J.J. Sedelmaier Productions, White Plains, N.Y. J.J. Sedelmaier, president/director/executive producer; Tony Eastman, animator; Rob Marianetti, production coordinator/assistant animator; Dave Lovelace and Don McGrath, assistant animators; Jason Edward, production manager.
AGENCY
Bates USA, New York. Bob Froelich, creative director; Elise Baruch, producer; David Greenberg, copywriter; Gary Boyd, art director/designer.
EDITORIAL
The Tape House Editorial Company, New York. Peter Heady and David Donavan, editors; Mark Polyocan, executive producer.
POST
Tape House Ink & Paint, New York. Rob Issen, director of visual effects; Michele Dunn, producer; Matt DiStefano, compositor; Charlene Zeng, colorist.
AUDIO POST
East Side Audio, New York. Steve Weisbrot, engineer.
MUSIC
Pomposello Productions, New York. Tom Pomposello, composer.
THE SPOT
Two animated spots, “Clothespin” and “Boss/Vise,” focus on the dizzying, “medicine head” feeling that many cold remedies cause, and how Sudafed alleviates the problem. Both spots show a cold-and-flu sufferer’s head leaving his or her body, and floating upward like a balloon on a string.
Spots broke in December.
***
DV8 Tries Hormel And Spam Turkey
CLIENT
Hormel Chili.
PRODUCTION CO.
Fahrenheit Films LA, Santa Monica, Calif. Justin Klarenbeck, director; Peter MacKay, DP; Kelly Van Patter, designer; Greg Pappas, executive producer; Daniel Stewart, producer; Tracy Perusse, coordinator. Shot on location.
AGENCY
BBDO/Minneapolis. Denny Haley, creative director; Anne Swarts, producer; Dave Alm, copywriter; Karn Knutson, art director.
EDITORIAL
Fahrenheit Films LA. Charley Schwartz, editor.
POST
Crash & Sue’s Film & Video, Minneapolis. Sue Lasko, colorist; Michael Porterfield, Paintbox artist; Crash Medin, online editor; Tom Jacobson, Flame artist.
AUDIO POST
Echo Boys, Minneapolis. Carl White, engineer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
DV8, Los Angeles. David Livingston and Bill Purse, composers/arrangers/sound designers.
THE SPOT
“All-New” introduces “leaner, spicier, better tasting” Hormel Chili. The :30 opens in a desert, showing what appears to be a car covered by a sheet. The camera gets closer with a dramatic long shot as a voiceover states, “It’s about bold innovation … changing everything inside and out … totally redefined for ’98.” The wind blows the sheet away to reveal a woman sitting in the driver’s seat enjoying a bowl of Hormel Chili. The :30, for Spam Oven Roasted Turkey, “The Turkey Says … ” features a girl sitting in a room filled with toys. Playing with a popular children’s game, she pulls the string and the arrow spins and points to an animal. The cow says “Moo,” and the child repeats, “Moo.” “Quack, quack, quack,” she says when the arrow lands on a duck. “Turkey, turkey, turkey … gobble, gobble, gobble,” she anticipates, but gasps as the toy states, “Spam, Spam, Spam.”
“The Turkey Says … ” broke in February. “All-New” aired in November.
***
Avion Goes Deep Sea Diving For Visa
CLIENT
Visa.
PRODUCTION CO.
Avion Films, Toronto. Ray Dillman, director; Pete Zuccarini, DP; Michael Schwartz, executive producer; Jennifer Base, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Leo Burnett Co., Toronto. Jeff Finkler, creative director; Aggie Brook, producer; Frank Lepre, art director; Patrick Doyle, writer.
EDITORIAL
Panic & Bob, Toronto. Andy Ames, editor.
POST
Eye Post Group, Toronto. Judy Paul, colorist. Axyz, Toronto. Dave Giles, online editor.
AUDIO POST
DAVE, Toronto. Kevin Doyle, engineer/mixer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
Rosnick MacKinnon, Toronto. Ted Rosnick, composer/sound designer/arranger.
THE SPOT
In “Divers,” two men explore a shipwreck at the bottom of an ocean. They spot a Visa card on the ocean floor and, as one of the men reaches for it, they look up to see a man dressed in tourist clothing. The vacationer picks up the card, shrugs his shoulders and swims away.
Spot broke Jan. 1.
***
Chi. Story Stretches For Polly-O Cheese
CLIENT
Kraft Foods/Polly-O String Cheese.
PRODUCTION CO.
Chicago Story, Chicago. Dan Hackett, director; Jim Gardner, DP; Mark Androw and Dan Bryant, executive producers; Ed Jelinek, line producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
J. Walter Thompson, Chicago. Mark Silveira, group creative director; Dennis Ryan, executive creative director; Robin Arm, creative director/copywriter; Russell Hueback, art director; Celeste Sciortino, producer.
EDITORIAL
Swell Pictures, Chicago. Bill Sheehan, editor.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Swell Pictures. Bill Sheehan, online editor; Christen Altendorf, colorist; Robert Bial, animation director; Tom Mackey and Rick Thompson, designers/ animators; Ron Polito, executive producer of visual effects.
AUDIO POST
Swell Pictures. Jim Hoffman, engineer/mixer.
MUSIC
Intuition/JSM, Chicago. Jon Silbermann, composer/arranger; Bobby Francavillo, producer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Incredible Shrinking Boy,” a lad is marveling over the length of the Polly-O String Cheese he finds in his lunch, when the thought occurs to him that maybe the cheese isn’t bigger after all–perhaps he’s grown smaller. His mind quickly expands this thought to nightmarish proportion, and he imagines himself struggling to be seen above his school desk, reaching for items in his locker. Just when the boy regains his grip on reality, a classmate steps up from behind appearing to be 10 feet tall.
Spot broke in Novembe
