In a classic episode of The Honeymooners, Ralph Cramden and Ed Norton are getting tipsy over what they think is some high-proof wine. The twosome gets sillier and sillier with each passing minute. The comedy isn’t just in their behavior but in the fact—known to the audience—that they are really drinking grape juice. Ralph’s wife, Alice, walks into the room that serves as the Cramdens’ living room/dining room/kitchen, and finds the two guys well on their way to a drunken stupor. She informs them that they are getting high on grape juice.
On one hand, The Honeymooners scenario shows how loveably lame-brained Ralph and Ed are; on the other hand, it also demonstrates the power of the mind to affect the body. The same dynamic comically comes into play in "Pulled Over," a :60 spec spot directed by Rent Sidon of Public Domain, the New York-headquartered production house headed by executive producer Steve Shore.
The commercial opens on a car being erratically driven down a street at night. Thankfully, the police have this vehicle in their sights and are in hot pursuit. The driver, a teenaged youth who is presumably driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, realizes that he’s about to be apprehended. He grabs a handful of something and stuffs it into his mouth, chewing feverishly and swallowing. Educated conjecture is that perhaps he had some illegal drugs in the car and figured that he’d ditch the evidence by digesting it. He then pulls the auto over the side of the road.
A cop gives the young man a sobriety test, which he is clearly failing. He’s unable to walk a straight line, cannot put his finger on his nose to save his life, and is acting generally goofy. Next destination: jail. But wait! A breathalyzer test yields a reading of zero, leading the law enforcement officer to investigate further. He shines a flashlight into the young man’s car and sees empty packages of Beer Nuts scattered all about—not opened beer cans or alcohol bottles, as you might suspect. The cop then informs the supposed delinquent that there’s no beer in Beer Nuts—at which point the young adult sobers up immediately. Clearly, the substance he swallowed before being pulled over was a handful of Beer Nuts. There’s no arrest to be made—instead of Driving Under the Influence, DUI in this case stand for Driving Under the Imagination.
The spot ends with a Beer Nuts logo, accompanied by the slogan, "Snack responsibly."
"Pulled Over" was conceived by a pair of freelance agency creatives—Gerald Mortensen and Vince Cook—who operate under the Flapjack banner in Chicago.
Director Sidon’s support team included executive producer Shore and line producer Russell Curtis. The DP was Sal Totino. Ken Averill was the production designer.
Nicholas Erasmus of Superior Assembly Editing Company, Santa Monica, cut the spot. Henry artist/online editor was James Bygrave of The Finish Line, Santa Monica. Colorist was Paul Bronkar of Company 3, Santa Monica. Sound designers/audio mixers were Erasmus and his Superior Assembly colleague Justin Amore.
