Director Suthon Petchsuwan of TWC Films, Los Angeles, teamed with London agency 18 Feet & Rising on an inventive spot launching wood care brand Cuprinol’s new integrated advertising campaign “Cheer It Up!” “Whimpering Garden” is about an unhappy garden shed that gets cheered up with a can of Cuprinol Garden Shades.
In the :30, a couple is woken up in the wee hours of the morning by a crying baby. The husband drags himself out of bed, as his wife turns over and goes back to sleep, As he heads down the stairs the cries and whimpers continue. When the husband walks into the backyard holding a giant baby bottle, we find that the sobbing isn’t coming from a baby but a weathered baby shed in need of some love.
Lying down on the ground in full fit is the couple’s shed, shaking and crying, fountains of tears spilling from the windows. The door “pacifier” handle comes out and the bottle goes in. It seems like all might be well until the shed spits out the bottle spewing milk all over the husband.
Finally, the exhausted wife appears holding up a can of Cuprinol, which works like a charm. A few coats of Cuprinol paint later and the couple are smiling happily next to their bright and cheerful shed. It finishes with the tag line, “For protecting and brightening your garden. Cuprinol. Cheer it up.”
“When the board first came in for Suthon, immediately I knew this was a creative idea that he could bring a great deal to, in terms of how the comedy should be interpreted. The agency creative team and client were so receptive to his ideas, and we had a fantastic creative development process from inception to final picture.” remarked Hugh Bacher, executive producer for TWC. “Suthon’s approach to the live action gag elements, his casting and how he gets the most from the performance of the talent, and the exacting level of detail and quality he delivers in post all played a part in realizing this creative idea’s full potential.”
DGA Feature Nominees: Audiard, Baker, Berger, Corbet and Mangold
The field of feature nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards spanning two categories is set. Nominated for the DGA honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 are: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.
The DGA also revealed the nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The first-time narrative feature directors are: Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light, Megan Park for My Old Ass, RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfdan Ullman Tondel for Armand, and Sean Wang for Diddy.
“2024 has been a truly extraordinary year for storytelling--and today’s nominees have created audacious and unique films that expand the possibilities of cinematic excellence,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement and what makes these nominations so very special.”
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 8.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees in both DGA Award categories:
THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 (in alphabetical order):
JACQUES AUDIARD
Emilia Pérez
(Netflix)
SEAN... Read More