Remember those predictions about a paperless society. Well, we’re not there yet. If anything, computer and Internet-content printouts, faxes and the like have covered us all with more paper than a tickertape parade. And according to this four-spot campaign for the Star-Telegram in Ft. Worth, Texas, the so-called death of the newspaper is proving to be a bit premature, as well.
Indeed, a newspaper-less society in Texas would be difficult to endure, as evidenced in the :30 entitled "Game." The spot opens with the front door of a house opening, revealing a bathrobe-clad man. Sprinklers spray water all about the front lawn. The scene screams for what’s missing as the man is clearly looking for something-the morning newspaper.
Sans delivery of the paper, the man is reduced to screaming questions in a futile attempt to get the information he wants. "Hey, who won the game last night?" he yells.
The only response is the incessant sound of those lawn sprinklers. Undaunted, he continues to spray about queries:
"What time’s the movie?"
"Is it going to rain? Today?"
A voiceover intervenes, "You can’t replace the paper."
The spot cuts to a shot of a rolled-up copy of the Star-Telegram. The voiceover continues, "Last night’s news first thing in the morning. Nothing delivers like the Star-Telegram.
Beneath the copy of the paper appear a series of graphics in rapid-fire succession, including: "Local news … sports … business … weather … comics … world news … food." A phone number then is shown for home delivery.
We then return to our paperless protagonist-still in his robe, still at his front door, yelping out to anyone who’ll listen, but seemingly no one is. "Who died?" he screams, as the spot concludes.
The other commercials in the campaign similarly show how indispensable the newspaper can be-but for more mundane reasons. For example, a fly buzzes about a kitchen. The insect has no newspaper to fear. Instead a large TV set flies into view, thrown in a feeble attempt to kill the fly, which easily escapes the clumsy, oversized projectile. Indeed, "you can’t replace the paper."
The package of four Star Telegram spots was directed by John Adams of Area 51 Films, Santa Monica, for Launch Partnership, an ad agency in Irving, Texas. The Launch creative ensemble consisted of creative directors David Wilgus and Diane Seimetz, copywriter Matt Soldan, art director Dean Oram and producer Stephanie Murdoch.
Adams’ support team at Area 51 included managing director Mark Thomas, executive producer Preston Lee and producer Adam Cramer. The DP was Kris Kachikas.
A contingent from charlieuniformtango, Dallas, contributed to the campaign, including "Game": offline editor Scott Hanson, online editor Jim Eberle, executive producers Lola Lott and Kathy Fawcett-Martin, producer Mary Alice Butler and audio mixer/sound designer Russell Smith.
The colorist was Rick Stephenson of The Filmworkers Club, Dallas.
Dave Ruby was the principal actor in this spot.
The SAG/AFTRA Commercials Contract Standing Committee has granted a waiver to
allow commercials to be available for viewing on SHOOTonline.com. The spots cannot be copied, downloaded or emailed.
