Eric Heimbold, the director behind the Ford-sponsored music videos on American Idol, is looking himself to be discovered and a means to that end is his new spec spot, “Strip Poker.”
Heimbold was actively seeking out the proper spec concept. He was put in touch with freelance creative Rick Rosenberg by Chuck Sloan, president of Santa Monica-based Plum Productions. Heimbold signed with Plum last year.
Rosenberg had a spec concept, which he shared with Heimbold who was immediately drawn to the premise and asked his lean, nimble American Idol team–including DP Tony Molina (who’s become an established cinematographer, working regularly with director Bob Giraldi) and production designer Brandi Kalish–if they would help him get it made. Plum also brought its support to the party with Beth Pearson and Shelby Sexton serving as exec producers, and Heimbold calling in some favors to produce the job on a shoestring budget.
The spot opens on a hot game of strip poker with two guys and a pair of knockout girls at the playing table. Clearly the game has been going on awhile as the young men are pretty much down to their skivvies and the gals are only clad in bra and panties.
As the camera follows the players, we are beyond the bluffing stage as each man triumphantly announces his hand–one has three aces, the other a full house.
One of the buxom girls admits she has nothing, which prompts the two guys to congratulate each other for the eyeful they’re anticipating.
The bombshell lass starts to unclasp her bra when the proceedings are interrupted by a man who enters the room. He appears to be an attendant or custodian of some sort as the camera focuses on him standing at the door and asking in disbelief, “What’s going on?”
The camera returns to the card table where the players have instantly aged into senior citizens, with the woman, now a bit heavyset, still undoing her bra.
A super then appears which puts what we’ve just seen into context; it simply reads, “Feel young again,” accompanied by the logo for Centrum Silver vitamins, which are formulated to keep the elderly feeling healthy and vital.
Rosenberg wrote “Strip Poker,” teaming with his freelance art director colleague Jillian Stern.
Spec strategy
“Strip Poker” is the second spec spot recently directed by Heimbold, the first being an ambitious car job based on a concept from a creative team at TBWAChiatDay, Los Angeles.
“I’m looking for work that will showcase to the agency community what I can do,” related Heimbold, noting that while the American Idol clips are high profile on a hit primetime show, “they are not necessarily showcase pieces” when it comes to making major inroads into mainstream commercialmaking.
Still, the Idol fare has been invaluable as Heimbold has had the chance to work successfully under extremely tight turnaround times and limited budgets. He also values the chance it has given him to collaborate with what are two savvy, creative bosses–Ford agency JWT, Detroit, and Fremantle Media, the producers of American Idol.
Heimbold has directed the popular music videos for Idol in its second, fourth and now its current fifth season. Last year that endeavor translated into his directing via Plum a Ford spot featuring fourth season Idol winner Taylor Hicks for JWT, Detroit.
Beyond Idol
Heimbold’s filmography goes beyond his Idol-related projects. He has independently established himself as a music video director, turning out such clips as The Baja Men’s “Who Let The Dogs Out?” and the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s “Jump, Jive and Wail.” Heimbold’s music video chops also helped garner him the opportunity to direct spots promoting Broadway productions, including The Full Monty and The Radio City Music Hall Xmas Spectacular.
Additionally Heimbold has some atypical advertising to his credit. Via the Fremantle connection, he directed spots for its American Inventor show on ABC last year. The TV ads were actually part of the show’s competition finale, promoting two of the four finalist inventions. The contestants used the commercials as springboards to help them get TV audience votes–the winner of the competition received $1 million and mass production of the invention. As it turns out, Heimbold directed the Plum-produced spot for the eventual winner, Janusz Liberkowsky who created the Anecia survival capsule, a car seat designed to keep a baby safe.
