Earlier this week, election day (6/8) in California yielded a woefully low turnout–a far cry from November 2008 when the presidential election and a controversial ballot initiative had voters flocking to their polling places in the Golden State. The ballot initiative was California’s Proposition 8, which defined marriage as solely being between opposite-sex couples. Proposition 8 narrowly won, overturning a California Supreme Court ruling that same sex couples had the constitutional right to marry. Appeals were filed in state and federal court–the state appeal, heard by the California Supreme Court, upheld Proposition 8 but allowed existing same-sex marriages to stand. The federal lawsuits are pending.
But rather than wait for the next judicial shoe to drop, creatives from Saatchi & Saatchi New York, and the directing duo Speck/Gordon (Will Speck and Josh Gordon) of production house Furlined have teamed on Devin & Glenn, a short film which argues tongue-in-cheek that the boredom, complacency, petty bickering, and falling out of romance that plagues marriage shouldn’t be confined to heterosexual couples.
The short introduces us to the title characters, two gay men who fall in love. We see their initial meeting and attraction which escalates into passionate romance and eventually marriage. However, keeping the flames of love hot is a daunting proposition as Devin and Glenn–portrayed by Justin Long and Mike White, respectively–get a bit bored with one another, exhibiting the classic symptoms of a couple that gets too comfortable and complacent. Add in some meddling in-laws and married life clearly isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Among the slices of life shown are Devin getting in the mood for romance only to find Glenn dead asleep in bed with the TV on. We see Glenn ask Devin out to the gym, an invite which is taken as an insult with Devin interpreting it as implying that he’s gained weight and thus needs to work out. We even get to the point where Devin is secretly looking at Internet porn to satisfy himself since his love life leaves much to be desired–only to have Devin discover him in the act.
Finally our “old married couple” is seen loading groceries into their car when a pickup truck drives by in which two guys are full mouth kissing, obviously hot and heavy for one another. They’re exactly where our married folks once were in their relationship.
A voiceover then hits us with the pitch: “If you disagree with the homosexual lifestyle, support overturning Prop. 8 and make them get married–like the rest of us.” A super guides us to MakeHomosexualsMarry.org.
The lead creatives on the job have since exited Saatchi–chief creative officer/copywriter Gerry Graf who is reportedly launching his own venture, and creative director/writer Chris Beresford-Hill who has moved onto BBDO. Speck/Gordon were directors and writers on the job, with Tami Reiker serving as the DP.
Editor was Haines Hall of Spot Welders.
Music composers were Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau of Beacon Street Studios.
Adam Gloo Joins Barbarian As Chief Creative Officer
Digital agency Barbarian has named Adam Gloo as its chief creative officer.
With over a decade of creative leadership experience, Gloo has shaped standout work at agencies including VML, 360i/Dentsu Creative, and most recently, SPCSHP (formerly Big Spaceship). During that time, he led teams that developed award-winning campaigns for brands such as Starbucks, Oreo, HBO, Absolut, Vanguard, and Google.
“Great creative work isn’t just about emotional connection--it must also provide real value to audiences. There’s too much noise in the market, and I’m not interested in adding to it,” said Gloo. “At Barbarian, my goal is to foster an environment where smart, unexpected ideas can thrive, and where technology and creativity combine to produce truly standout work. I’ve admired Barbarian since I started in this industry, and I am honored to now share the responsibility of leading it forward.”
Gloo brings a unique perspective to creative leadership, placing a high premium on both the power of curiosity, and the value of clear communication. He believes that curiosity is crucial to maintaining a technological and cultural edge, and that communication has the power to either drive a project forward, or grind it to a halt. Rather than implementing wholesale changes across the agency, he is focused on breaking down barriers to innovation and ensuring that technology serves as a catalyst for Barbarian’s creative work.
“Adam brings the kind of creative leadership that doesn’t just push out work--it pushes brands forward,” said Jeff Blackman, managing director at Barbarian. “He understands how to merge technology and creativity in a way that makes people care and inspires action. His vision will help us break through the... Read More