An unseen driver starts the ignition in his car and then turns on its Blaupunkt stereo, which delivers a pounding rock beat as the vehicle navigates its way along a roadway. But rather than seeing the person behind the wheel grooving to the music or even the scenery whizzing by, we see two stuffed animals–a teddy bear and a bunny rabbit–that had been resting in front of the rear window, perched between two speakers, now being driven to the pulsating sounds.
The stuffed critters assume a variety of audio-propelled positions reminiscent of a not-so-soft porn film. First the bear is atop the bunny missionary style, then behind the rabbit. We see the latter configuration, no pun intended, in the rearview mirror. Next the rabbit is on top. The hard driving music has them jumping up and down on one another–at one point with a nearby bobble head dog, its tongue hanging out, nodding repeatedly in apparent approval. Seems like Fido very much likes to watch.
As long as the Blaupunkt volume is thumping, the stuffed animals are humping–in perfectly synchronized movement to the music’s beat. Finally this X-rated demonstration of staying power ends as the Blaupunkt stereo is switched off, leaving the bear and bunny laid out motionless as if totally fatigued. The only surprise is that they’re not puffing cigarettes in a post-coital smoke.
A product shot of a Blaupunkt speaker is accompanied by a super which reads, “Blaupunkt. The advantage in your car.”
Currently airing on MTV Europe and generating considerable buzz, this risque comedy spot–titled “Pimp My Ride”–was directed by John Doe, a collective of four helmers who are well established internationally. The directors now have their sights set on the American ad market. John Doe just secured its first spot representation in the U.S. signing with Santa Monica-based TWC, the production house founded three years ago by executive producers Mark Thomas and Ralph Winter, and director Phil Cooke. (See separate story in this week’s News section.)
The John Doe collective is no stranger to the U.S. In fact, the four directors first met as students at New York’s Film Academy in 1997. Upon graduation, they all promised to someday collaborate full time. Three years ago they made good on that pledge when they teamed to formally launch John Doe and began taking on spot assignments internationally.
The John Doe ensemble consists of Tiago Guedes, Milovan Radovic, Masataka Namba and Stjepan Klein. This quartet directed “Pimp My Ride” via Sterntag Film, Hamburg, for ad agency Wensauer & Partner in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Roland Schwarz was creative director for Wensauer & Partner.
Gerhard Leis was executive producer for Sterntag Film. Line producer on the job was Birgit Damen. The spot was shot in Hamburg by DP Joao Lanca Morias.
Editor was Jamie Thompson of NHB Pictures, Hamburg. Colorist was Sven Karlsonn of NHB.
Supreme Court Seems Likely To Uphold A Law That Could Force TikTok To Shut Down On Jan. 19
The Supreme Court on Friday seemed likely to uphold a law that would ban TikTok in the United States beginning Jan. 19 unless the popular social media program is sold by its China-based parent company.
Hearing arguments in a momentous clash of free speech and national security concerns, the justices seemed persuaded by arguments that the national security threat posed by the company's connections to China override concerns about restricting the speech either of TikTok or its 170 million users in the United States.
Early in arguments that lasted more than two and a half hours, Chief Justice John Roberts identified his main concern: TikTok's ownership by China-based ByteDance and the parent company's requirement to cooperate with the Chinese government's intelligence operations.
If left in place, the law passed by bipartisan majorities in Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April will require TikTok to "go dark" on Jan. 19, lawyer Noel Francisco told the justices on behalf of TikTok.
At the very least, Francisco urged, the justices should enter a temporary pause that would allow TikTok to keep operating. "We might be in a different world again" after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Trump, who has 14.7 million followers on TikTok, also has called for the deadline to be pushed back to give him time to negotiate a "political resolution." Francisco served as Trump's solicitor general in his first presidential term.
But it was not clear whether any justices would choose such a course. And only Justice Neil Gorsuch sounded like he would side with TikTok to find that the ban violates the Constitution.
Gorsuch labeled arguments advanced by the Biden administration' in defense of the law a... Read More