Thinking outside the box has led to connected wooden boxes in which action unfolds from one box to the next, relating a story that introduces or for some reinforces the value of comfort and home at Cracker Barrel diners/country stores.
This boxed set of chain reactions has an Americana reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting, deftly translating into a two-spot TV campaign under the banner “Handcrafted by Cracker Barrel,” which includes “By Hand,” a :30 with a simple, charming Rube Goldberg-like feel.
We open on a chicken in a nest laying an egg which goes down to a box below via a chute and then into another box in which a fiddle is being played. The egg rolls down the fiddle bow into a bowl in yet another handcrafted box. Next to the bowl are other eggs which are being whipped up into pancake batter.
The camera then moves to another box containing a checker board on which a game is being played. The next box on screen takes us to burners heating up a short order cook’s stove top upon which fluffy pancakes are being made.
The cook flips over a pancake into the next wooden box, onto a breakfast plate on a restaurant table. Indeed we have the makings of a hand-crafted breakfast.
This journey through the preparation of a meal at Cracker Barrel was directed by Nieto of production house Paranoid US for agency Euro RSCG Chicago.
Key components Two key factors contributed to the spot’s success: a detailed miniature set and well-crafted transitions from one connected box to the next.
The meticulously crafted set was created by production designer Damon Fortier who brought his extensive experience in model construction to bear. The set encompassed a combination of found objects, such as vintage suitcases, reclaimed wood and old doors, as well as actual Cracker Barrel paraphernalia used in their local shops–shipped out for the Los Angeles production.
Custom-made miniature furniture was also fashioned to produce exact dimensions to those of the furniture in the store. To retain authenticity Nieto and the agency team set out to craft as much of the subtle trickery as possible in camera. In pre-pro, the creative ensemble constructed a large-scale mockup of the planned set to assess proportions and sizes. Nieto then did a pre-visualization of the mock-up, which he later converted into a 3D scale. Since virtually every box was a different pass, it was important to be painstakingly accurate on set. The shots were ultimately composited in post, by tracking and combining takes, to create a thoroughly seamless storyline.
As both space and time were constrained, Nieto took special care to pace the action so that the concept unfolded properly and the elements came together.
The spots were color graded by Mark Gethin of MPC Los Angeles to enhance the warm tones of the wood and country life.
At home The other spot, “Home,” features the trappings of home in the connected wooden boxes, from a record player to toys, trinkets and various artifacts from yesteryear, including some of sentimental value. The spot offers a mix of nostalgia, comfort and comfort food.
Ironically the distinct sense of Americana in this campaign was captured and nurtured by Nieto, a director born in Colombia and living in France. The mono-monikered director studied visual communication in Colombia where he started working as an art director at different ad agencies. He moved to France where he decided to focus on film direction.
Nieto collaborated with a creative team at Euro RSCG Chicago which included chief creative officer Jason Peterson, executive creative director William Mericle, associate creative director Christian Jackson, sr. art director Scott Rench and sr. integrated producer Britt Drouet.
The DP on both spots was Tom Lazarevich. Editor was Joe Shakula of Paranoid Design Studio, which also served as the visual effects company.
Helping to connect the action unfolding in the connected boxes was a musical score and sound design from Duotone Audio Group, which also scored in this issue’s quarterly Top Ten Tracks Chart with a cinema spot/short for the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.
