This week’s entry in our “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery–Four Winds Casino’s “Breakfast” directed by Trevor Cornish of Santa Monica-based TWC–prompted us to take a closer look at Two By Four, the Chicago ad agency behind the spot and the overall campaign.
If it were in Las Vegas, Four Winds would be the second largest casino in that city. Based in New Buffalo, Mich., Four Winds Casino–due to its size and terra firma location–represents quite a departure from the Midwest norm of smaller gaming establishments, some of which are on barges.
With that in mind, recalled Two By Four creative director Dan Consiglio, “We told the client if anything you do feels like the other Midwest casinos, then it’s wrong…And that helped us get the client to take a creative leap with us on this campaign.”
Indeed it’s a creative leap towards the offbeat as “Breakfast” opens with three guys in cherry costumes spending a morning at home in the kitchen. One “cherry” is seated at a table eating cereal, another is right next to him reading a newspaper and doing its crossword puzzle and the third is at the refrigerator, putting some cream in his coffee. He carries his cup of java to the table and as soon as he sits down, putting the three cherry characters in a row, coins rain down on them.
When Cornish saw the storyboard for “Breakfast,” he instantly knew he wanted to direct the spot. “The concept was simple and smart–which is saying a lot for a storyline with a bunch of guys in fruit costumes,” he said.
While Two By Four has done some notable TV work this year for the Chicago White Sox–commercials done via Cutters, Chicago, and a four episode Wayne’s World-ish TV series, which was directed by Consiglio–the Four Winds campaign represents a television highlight for the agency. “We knew the concepts were good and wanted to go with a director and production company that could do them justice,” said Consiglio, who came over to Two By Four about a year ago after having served as a creative director at Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago, where he worked with TWC director Jeff France on a Popeyes Chicken project.
Based on his favorable experience on Popeyes with TWC, Consiglio again looked to that production house, with Cornish catching his eye this time around. “Trevor has a strong comedy reel and was so enthusiastic about the campaign. He just understood the characters,” affirmed Consiglio. “He saw past the costumes–which in and of themselves were funny–and realized that if the actors would play their roles right, that’s what would take the commercials to the next level.”
Four Winds also afforded Two By Four and Cornish great creative freedom. “The client didn’t even come on the shoot,” said Consiglio. “How’s that for trust?” Furthermore, what were originally planned as three :15s became three :30s once the client saw the finished work.
Now more television is on the horizon for Two By Four, which was launched 10 years ago by the creative/business cofounding tandem of David Stevenson and Steve Kanney. (Stevenson was the lead creative on the earlier alluded to White Sox ads.) Currently on tap is a campaign for German global positioning system maker Navigon, the client’s first foray into television.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More