By Robert Goldrich

Burger King’s “Stuff of Legends” is a standout comedy spot on a couple of levels. For one, the tongue-in-cheek premise from Crispin Porter +Bogusky, Miami, is deftly realized, showing us the evolution of NASCAR driver pit-stop snacks leading to today’s perfect racing solution, BK’s chicken fries. No longer do precision crews have to rely on a rotisserie chicken on a 10-foot pole to satiate the hunger of drivers during a race. There’s no more having to deal with chickens falling off the pole, or sandwiches having to be forced through the wire mesh of the driver’s compartment. Easy to handle chicken fries have become NASCAR’s high performance food of choice.
    But beyond the offbeat concept, the spot is an industry standout because of who directed it: Paul Hunter of bicoastal/international HSI Productions who’s best known over the years for his music video work and then his successful transition into commercialmaking with hip, stylish fare, the major initial ad splash coming in 2001 for Nike’s lauded “Freestyle” from Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
    Indeed “Stuff of Legends” is a what the director himself describes as being “a breakout spot for me” in that it showcases his prowess in actor/real people and performance-driven comedy, meshing original and documentary footage while conveying a true sense of NASCAR characters.
    “It’s something I’ve been building towards over the years,” relates Hunter. “With all my work–even the music-driven projects people associate me with–I’ve tried to get to the core of the human element, what rings true. To bring humanity and truth to any work is important to me and gradually that’s being recognized, opening up new storytelling opportunities beyond just stylized projects.”
    Hunter said he’s grateful to Crispin for taking the leap of faith, observing that building trust with an agency is essential. “I worked with them earlier on Burger King’s ‘Coq Roq’ and they came back to me with ‘Legends.'”
    Cut from mockumentary cloth, “Coq Roq” introduced viewers to a rock band that sings about BK’s Chicken Fries. Hunter directed the spot and companion music video that were part of a multimedia effort, which also consisted of original songs, merchandise and Web components. Based on that experience, Crispin creative director Rob Reilly came back to Hunter, giving the director the opportunity to stretch his wings further with spots like BK’s “Cross The Road” (a quirky send-up of the chicken-crossing-the-road joke) and “Legends.”
    “What’s great about working with agencies like Crispin is they continue to push the idea throughout the process,” says Hunter. “And even when we feel we’re there in terms of the concept, they allow room for spontaneity. This wasn’t an easy shoot; it involved a lot of match cutting with stock footage from different eras. Yet still within that technical framework, there was space provided so that actors could improvise.”
    Hunter’s storytelling acumen and penchant for humor were also exhibited during the MTV Video Music Awards telecast with the J.C. Penney :90 spot  “Crazy Beautiful” for DDB Chicago. The :90 shows a developing chain reaction of males pursuing an attractive female. At the outset, a guy’s jaw drops as he sees the lass for the first time. He grabs a rose and chases after her in the shopping mall. He is then tackled by another enamored male who takes the rose and heads for the lady. This process repeats itself yet again as other men then join the fray. One breaks a mall jewelry case, throws a few bucks into it and grabs the baubles to court the gal who continues walking, seemingly oblivious to the chaos behind her. Another grabs a doggie from a mall display, figuring that an adorable pooch is the way to a beautiful girl’s heart. The craziness continues outside as the girl exits the mall. Car crashes, fist fights, window washers descending from high-rise buildings–in effect, an all-out riot breaks out as the girl continues to go about her business. An end tag for J.C. Penney underscores that a girl can get everything she needs–fashion, cosmetics and other products– to look beautiful.
    Again, agency trust got Hunter a gig outside his perceived realm. David Rolfe, director of branded production at DDB Chicago, was at Crispin (as its co-director of integrated production) for “Cog Roq.” Based on that experience, Rolfe knew that Hunter was up for the storytelling, comedy, casting and logistics that “Crazy Beautiful” would entail.
    “With ‘Crazy Beautiful’ and ‘Legends,’ I tried not to be too heavy handed,” relates Hunter. “I tried to communicate the idea and tell the story without pushing it too hard in the audience’s face. I wanted the spots to have the feel of watching from the edge or the sidelines, sharing the perspective of the viewer by looking at what’s happening through an observational lens.”
    Looking back, Hunter says that all through his career, “I’ve been concerned about being pigeonholed. It took awhile coming from the music video scene and hip hop to get a break with my first legit commercial, which led to me staying in the sports/urban world for awhile. But gradually and eventually I’ve been able to diversify, now into story and comedy. I’m excited about what’s ahead, hoping that people will trust me to go into other areas of high-concept work.”
    Not that Hunter has broken away from his roots; he remains active in stylish fare, continuing to score in the music video discipline with his latest effort, “Idlewild Blues,” for OutKast. And the Hunter-helmed Stevie Wonder clip “What The Fuss” earned R&B video of the year honors at the Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Awards in May.
    Yet Hunter continues to extend his reach into new territory. He’s close to finishing the writing of a feature, a small family comedy titled Government Cheese, which he plans to direct independently. And Hunter has started work on a viral campaign in the U.K. for Bailey’s and BBH, London, building on characters introduced in spots he had directed for the client. The viral fare, which has a bit of the vibe of the series The Office, is slated to debut in Europe around Christmas time.
    “Some nice creative work comes out of the U.K. and you can develop relationships there that help to further diversify your work, and then bring those projects back to showcase to the U.S. market,” says Hunter. “My goal is to combine all the worlds I’ve been involved in–style, story, comedy, music, developing characters and observing human behavior–into my work in advertising.”

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