Ah, the joys of summer, which in Australia are already being experienced by the sun-worshipping populace. Fittingly, this Aussie spot titled “Rituals” takes us through the poolside behavior and antics that are an indelible part of the season–so much so that seemingly everyone is performing them in synchronized fashion.
We start with many people descending upon a public pool. In unison they snap open their towels and set them down to sit upon. Folks apply sunscreen to the back of the swimsuit-clad guy or gal sitting in front of them.
A line of people stand at the edge of the pool and at the same time dip a toe into the water. Then we’re in store for some synchronized cannonball dives into the drink.
After the big splashes, more rituals unfold before our eyes including gals simultaneously adjusting the backs of their swimsuit bottoms to remedy any wedgies in the making. Next people hit and cup their ears as if to jostle out the other side the water nestled in their ear canals. We then see several people seemingly in unison shooing away errant bugs from their faces.
Finally, we get a glimpse of someone–an attractive shapely blond lass walking by in a two-piece bikini–doing her own individual thing. But even that serves merely as a catalyst for more group action en masse. Guys predictably sit up at attention upon seeing the lovely woman–at which point their wives slap their spouses on side their heads, providing a rude awakening to reality, knocking those fleeting sensual fantasies out of their minds.
We then witness everyone picking up a Drumstick ice cream treat and eating it from the top–all except for one guy who’s starting at the bottom of the cone. Peer pressure takes hold as all eyes are upon this nonconformist who sheepishly backs off. A supered message on screen reads, “A summer classic since ’63,” referring to the unbeatable taste of Nestle’s Drumsticks.
Titled “Rituals,” this :60 was directed by Hamish Rothwell via Goodoil Films, Sydney, for Publicis Mojo, Sydney and Melbourne. (Rothwell is represented stateside by TWC, Santa Monica.)
“What I loved about the idea,” said Rothwell, “was the opportunity to capture the funny things that happen over summer at the pools here in Australia–and to be able to tie that into the product at the end. Ice cream is indeed part of the summer ritual here.”
Helpful in doing justice to the concept was Rothwell’s experience working with several of the Publicis Mojo creatives on a humorous World Cup campaign last year for Nike. The director noted that he and the agency team struck up an initial rapport and trust which served them in good stead on their return engagement for Drumsticks.
Busby Berkeley Rothwell found inspiration from several sources, including the Mass Games in North Korea and the Busby Berkeley-directed and choreographed musicals of the 1930s, ’40s and early ’50s. Those Berkeley extravaganzas feature what’s widely regarded as examples of classic cinema choreography with hundreds of performers hoofing in unison, at times forming larger than life design patterns.
The alluded to Mass Games feature thousands of people performing tasks in sync. “There’s a great English documentary about girls rehearsing for these games and that had an influence on us,” said Rothwell. “But the Mass Games with so many people can play out as robotic and a bit alienating.
“Balancing that for me,” continued Rothwell, “is the feel of the Berkeley films with people of different body shapes, with a human element of each movement not being so precise, certainly not robotic. We needed that humanity so that people could relate to and enjoy the humor. The visuals and the comedy cannot be at odds with one another–that’s why the humanity is so important.”
And like the Berkeley films, the music element is key in “Rituals,” with the synchronized behavior unfolding to the playful summer tune “Love You” by the 1960s’ group Free Design.
American ad aspirations Rothwell recently came aboard the TWC roster. An accomplished spot director Down Under, he waited until he felt his reel was developed enough to translate well in the American ad arena and to draw the attention of U.S. agency creatives. His body of work encompasses a wide range of comedy, broadened even further by “Rituals.”
