Combos Refuel Basketball Player Running On “Empty” For DMB&B, St. Louis
CLIENT
M&M/Mars/Combos.
PRODUCTION CO.
M-80, Santa Monica. Tenney Fairchild, director; Mark Dektor, DP; Gregg Stern, executive producer; Glenn Rudolph, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
DMB&B, St. Louis. Carole Christie, group creative director; Ron Crooks, creative director; Catherine Woods, art director; Andy Askren, copywriter; Gail Campbell, broadcast producer.
EDITORIAL
Two Headed Monster, Hollywood. Nika Hunter, editor; Jennifer Lucero, producer.
POST
525 Post Production, Hollywood. Stan Kellan, online editor/Henry artist. Post Logic Studios, Hollywood. Chris Devlin, colorist.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Two Headed Monster. David Sparrgrove, special effects designer; Jennifer Lucero, producer.
AUDIO POST
Margarita Mix, Hollywood. Jeff Levy, 1st engineer/audio mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
Machine Head, Venice. Stephen Dewey, sound designer; Shari Christensen, producer.
BY MILLIE TAKAKI
Director Tenney Fairchild of M-80 in Santa Monica teamed with agency DMB&B, St. Louis, on a live-action/effects spot for Combos, a high-energy pretzel-based snack food from M&M/Mars. The comedic premise springs out of what at first appears to be a potentially tragic scenario.
During a schoolyard basketball game, a player suddenly collapses. His girlfriend looks anxiously from the sidelines as other players rush to his aid. A diagnosis is quickly made once the stricken athlete’s eyelid is raised, revealing a gasoline-type gauge that reads “Empty”–which, appropriately enough, is the title of the spot. After he is fed a bag of Combos, the player rises up and grows to giant-like proportions.
This raises another on-the-court dilemma. Who’s going to guard him? As his startled opponents try to dodge that assignment by pawning it off on one another, the girlfriend–seeing her beau’s superhuman physique–gladly volunteers.
Fairchild–who prior to his years of directing was senior VP/group creative director at J. Walter Thompson, Chicago, on the 7-Eleven and Lowenbrau accounts–noted that DMB&B’s concept was “very solid and well defined from the beginning. … There wasn’t much left for us to do except to be true to that idea. The only thing you can do in that case is try to add elements to perhaps enhance the concept.”
One such element was the girlfriend. “We chose not to telegraph that this was a comedy spot,” related Fairchild. “The girl’s reaction adds a more dramatic element at the outset. She’s a character we brainstormed on and talked through with the agency. And as it turns out, she also adds to the humor at the end of the commercial.”
The agency contingent was headed by group creative director Carole Christie, creative director Ron Crooks, art director Catherine Woods, writer Andy Askren and producer Gail Campbell.
Fairchild also credited Two Headed Monster in Hollywood with visual effects and editing. The latter was done by Nika Hunter, while the under-the-eyelid effect of the “empty” gas tank was pulled off by special-effects designer David Sparrgrove, who employed Henry and Adobe AfterEffects. Sparrgrove also designed effects for a five-second tag.
Initially Fairchild toyed with the idea of making the “empty” fuel tank gag a physical effect. But after tinkering with different contact lenses to no avail, the team decided to go the post route.
Done in-camera, however, was the young man growing into a giant. “We put him on a lift and deliberately paced it to seem like he was becoming a mechanized, almost robotic-type super being,” said Fairchild.
Also instrumental in creating that feel and navigating the roller-coaster tenor of the spot from drama to humor was sound design from Stephen Dewey of Machine Head in Venice, Calif. “Dewey knocked it out of the park–at least half the commercial’s success is attributable to what he did,” said Fairchild.
At press time, the spot–filmed on location in downtown L.A.–was scheduled to debut this month.
***
Avenue Edit, A+R Snoop On Qualcomm
CLIENT
Qualcomm.
PRODUCTION CO.
The A+R Group, bicoastal. David Ramser, director; Toby Irwin, DP; Lori Lober, executive producer; Gower Frost, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
dGWB Advertising, Irvine, Calif. Mandi Dossin, partner; John Gothald, partner/creative director; Amy Krause, executive producer; Joe Cladis, associate creative director/art director; Ed Crayton, associate creative director/copywriter; Jeff Labbe, art director/design director.
EDITORIAL
Avenue Edit, Santa Monica, Calif. Andrew Borton, editor; Dean Gonzalez, assistant editor; Christie Cash, executive producer.
POST
Post Logic Studios, Hollywood. Mike Eves, colorist. The Finish Line, Santa Monica. James Bygrave, online editor/Henry artist.
AUDIO POST
AudioBanks, Santa Monica. Sonia Castro, mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
Machine Head, Venice, Calif. Stephen Dewey, sound designer.
THE SPOT
“Tiny’s Cafe” continues the story of a man’s bizarre encounters while on the road with his Qualcomm cell phone. The man stops in at an empty diner to have a cup of coffee and make a phone call. He finds himself in another Twilight Zone-ish encounter as various odd characters attempt to eavesdrop on his phone conversation.
Spot broke Oct. 13.
***
Why Not Coco Drives A Ford For Zubi
CLIENT
Ford Motor Co./Ford Contour/Ford Ranger.
PRODUCTION CO.
Film U.S., Venice, Calif. Flavia Moraes, director; Lucio Kodato, DP; Robyn Bensinger, executive producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Zubi Advertising Services, Coral Gables, Fla. Joe Zubizarreta, creative director; Maria Elena de la Noval, producer; Nathalie Bruk-Blanco, copywriter; Rick Porven, art director; Tim Swies, account manager.
EDITORIAL
Why Not Coco, Los Angeles. Robert Levy, editor; Michael Galletta, assistant editor; Angela Galletta, post producer.
POST
The Engine Room, Coconut Grove, Fla. Scott Gardner, colorist; Bob Deitschle, online editor.
AUDIO POST
The Engine Room. Marcello Gandolo, mixer.
MUSIC
AZ Productions, Los Angeles. Alonso Zevallos, composer; Allen Perez, producer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Newscaster,” a female reporter on the scene of a news story realizes that her cameraman is unable to keep the camera off the new Ford Contour behind her. After several attempts at getting the cameraman to finish the story, she finally indulges him in a drive in her new Contour. In “Bragging Rights,” two guys in a diner sit around boasting (“I’ve got spikes that belonged to the best soccer player in Brazil,” “I’ve got one of the hats used by Mexico’s most famous singer”). They look around for someone else they can brag to, and ask a guy sitting at the counter, “What’s new?” He begins describing his new Ford Ranger, and the braggarts envision the truck winding and racing through rough terrain. Suddenly the two men bolt out the door, as the Ranger owner says to himself, “Works every time.”
Spots broke in October.
***
Stiefel & Co. Checks Sony PlayStation
CLIENT
Sony PlayStation.
PRODUCTION CO.
Stiefel & Company, Hollywood. Peter Darley Miller, director; Christophe Lanzenberg, DP; Frank Stiefel, president; Marie Perry, head of production; Drew Bracken, producer; Kathy Keith, production supervisor. Shot on location.
AGENCY
TBWA Chiat/Day, Venice, Calif. Jerry Gentile, creative director; Deb Hagen, art director; Mickey Taylor, copywriter; Kara O’Neil, producer.
EDITORIAL
FilmCore, Hollywood. Gordon Carey, editor; Therese Hunsberger, producer.
POST
Company 3, Santa Monica, Calif. Stefan Sonnenfeld, colorist; Noel Castley-Wright, online editor/Henry artist.
AUDIO POST
Margarita Mix, Hollywood. Jimmy Hite, mixer.
THE SPOT
The :30 “Sound Check” illustrates the lengths Sony PlayStation goes to to make its NHL Faceoff ’98 game as realistic as possible. John LeClaire of the Philadelphia Flyers crashes into the boards, while a camera crew records the resulting sound effects. Not content with LeClaire’s efforts, the sound man attempts to incite him with a barrage of insults. Inspired, LeClaire slams the sound man into the wall at spot’s end. “I think we got it,” says the sound man, picking himself up off the ice.
Spot broke in November.
***
Radium Explodes For Electronic Arts
CLIENT
Electronic Arts.
AGENCY
Odiorne Wilde Narroway & Partners, San Francisco. Michael Wilde and Jeff Odiorne, creative directors; Catie Williams and Annie Uzdavinis, producers; Mike Lewis, art director; Peter Crosby, copywriter.
STOCK FOOTAGE
Second Line Search, New York. Public Domain Images, Washington, D.C.
EDITORIAL
Radium, San Francisco. Alex Hauser, offline editor.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Radium. Avatar Kramer, executive producer; Kelly Gibbs, producer; Simon Mowbray, Flame artist/creative director; Joseph Brattesani and Alaina Goetz, Flame artists; Davi Stein, Flint artist.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Jeff Payne, mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
tomandandy, bicoastal. Tom Hajdu, Tim Boland and Matthew Schoenfeld, sound designers.
THE SPOT
“Do-It-Yourself” integrates stock footage, CGI, matte paintings and footage of explosions to highlight the action in Electronic Arts’ new Nuclear Strike video game. The :30 opens on a modern cityscape stretching to the horizon. Suddenly a huge mushroom cloud envelops the city, as an apocalyptic voiceover warns of how easy it is for terrorists to produce an atomic weapon. The mushroom cloud rises and spreads, as buildings blow apart and cars roll over. “The question is, can we stop them?” the voiceover asks as a real Apache helicopter emerges from the huge fireball, then segues into a montage of game footage.
Spot broke in October.
***
Palestrini Explains AT&T’s One Rate
CLIENT
AT&T One Rate.
PRODUCTION CO.
Green Dot Films, Santa Monica, Calif. Brent Thomas, director; Paul Cameron, DP; Mike King, executive producer; Ursola Gabel, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Foote, Cone & Belding, New York. Phyllis Landi, producer; Matt Fischer, creative director/art director; Rob Austin, copywriter.
EDITORIAL
Palestrini Post Production, New York. Steve Bodner, editor; Dave Straussman, assistant editor; Ethel Rubinstein, executive producer.
POST
The Tape House Editorial Company, New York. Milan Boncich, colorist. Palestrini Post Production. Louis Yandoli, online editor; Pete Farrell, playback.
AUDIO POST
Blast Digital Audio, New York. Joe O’Connell, mixer; Marc Ennett, assistant.
MUSIC
John Hill Music, New York. John Hill, composer.
THE SPOT
Two :30s in AT&T’s ongoing campaign featuring Paul Reiser–“Book Store” and “Sidewalk”–feature the actor in a bookstore and on a New York street, respectively, explaining AT&T’s One Rate plan.
Spots broke Oct. 17.
***
SBK Pictures Loves PP&L Energy Plus
CLIENT
PP&L Energy Plus.
PRODUCTION CO.
SBK Pictures, Ardmore, Pa. Christopher Yurkow, director; David Norton, DP; Barbara J. Hennessy, executive producer; Amy Friedman, producer. Shot at Hill Theater Studio, Paulsboro, N.J.
AGENCY
Avrett, Free & Ginsberg, New York. Betsy Rosenblum, producer; Rohan Caeser, art director; Philip Davidson, copywriter.
EDITORIAL
Progressive Image Group, New York. Elaine Volpe, editor; Namakula Musoki, assistant editor.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York. Chris Ryan, colorist. Soho Films, New York. Pat Portella, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Soho Sound, New York. Chuck LoPresti, mixer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
David Horowitz Music Associates, New York. Ed Walsh, composer/arranger/sound designer.
THE SPOT
Three :30s–“Juicer,” “Blanky” and “Mainframe”–address the issue of energy deregulation. Each spot uses quick-cuts of consumers with a fondness for a particular electric appliance, as a PP&L spokesman makes the point, “If you like your appliances, you’ll love PP&L.”
Spots broke Oct. 10.
***
Red Car Plays All Day With Expert
CLIENT
Expert Software.
PRODUCTION CO.
Coppos Films, Los Angeles. Dick Buckley, director/DP; Bill Bratkowski, executive producer; Carr Donald, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
DDB Needham Chicago. Nancy Jordan, creative director; Celia Williams, producer; Geoff Edwards, art director; Colin Costello, copywriter.
EDITORIAL
Red Car, Chicago. Amy Horan, editor; Vivian Craig, executive producer; Lisa Long, post coordinator; Jeff Landsman, assistant.
POST
The Filmworkers Club, Chicago. Michael Mazur, colorist. Superior Street, Chicago. Joe Langenfeld, online editor.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Superior Street. Ken Kornacki, Flame artist.
AUDIO POST
Cutters Inc., Chicago. John Binder, mixer/engineer.
MUSIC
Wojahn Brothers, Santa Monica, Calif. Scott, Greg and Roger Wojahn, composers.
THE SPOT
“Play Day” features a little boy excitedly describing what he did on the computer with his McDonaldland software.
Spot broke Oct. 20.
***
Scream Rings For Powertel Wireless
CLIENT
Powertel Wireless Services.
PRODUCTION CO.
Scream, Los Angeles. Tracy Helms, director; Barry Peterson, DP; Charles Salice, executive producer; Toni-Ann Parker, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Pollak Levitt Chaiet Advertising, Atlanta. Andre Nel, creative director/art director; Harry Hays, creative director/copywriter.
EDITORIAL
MWP Editorial, Hollywood. David Frame, editor.
POST
Encore Santa Monica, Santa Monica, Calif. Mark Wilkins, colorist. Hollywood Digital, Hollywood. Craig Price, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Margarita Mix, Hollywood. Tim Rock, mixer.
MUSIC
Walter Werzowa Music, Los Angeles. Walter Werzowa, composer.
THE SPOT
The :30 “Vow of Silence” features a group of Tibetan monks who are unable to obey their oath of silence because of their Powertel phones.
Spot broke Nov. 10.
***
DV8 Banks With Marine Midland
CLIENT
Marine Midland.
PRODUCTION CO.
Avion Films, Toronto. Ray Dillman, director; Barry Parell, DP; Michael Swartz, executive producer; Elaine Miike, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Eric Mower & Associates, Buffalo, N.Y. Michael Cunningham, creative director; Chris King, producer; Gregor Schuler, art director; Pete Vonderlinn, copywriter.
EDITORIAL
Third Floor Editing, Toronto. Richard Unruh, editor.
POST
Command Post/Toybox, Toronto. Elaine Ford, colorist. Spin Productions, Toronto. Steve Lewis, Inferno artist.
AUDIO POST
DAVE, Toronto. Keith Ohman, Rick Pacholko and Ian Rodness, engineers.
MUSIC
DV8, Los Angeles. David Livingston and Bill Purse, composers/arrangers.
THE SPOT
“Relationships,” “Retirement” and “Anthem” feature lifestyle vignettes and title cards to convey the advantages of banking with Marine Midland.
Spots broke Oct. 5.
***
Artists Co. Spins Dial For Orville
CLIENT
Hunt-Wesson/Orville Redenbacher Popcorn.
PRODUCTION CO.
The Artists Company, bicoastal. Bill Hudson, director; Sal Guida, DP; Roberto Cecchini, executive producer; John Malina, producer. Shot at SIR Film Studios, Los Angeles.
AGENCY
Ketchum Advertising, San Francisco. Michael Farnham, senior VP/creative director; Bruce Ritter, art director; James Horner and Caroline Kandell, producers; Louise Felton and Lex Matteini, management supervisors; Maura Collins, account executive.
EDITORIAL
Hanks Editorial, Santa Monica, Calif. Hank Polonsky, editor; Debbie Landon, producer.
POST
Encore Santa Monica. Bob Festa, colorist; Garth O’Donnell, Henry artist.
AUDIO POST
Margarita Mix, Hollywood. Jimmy Hite, mixer.
MUSIC
Jeco, New York. Leigh Roberts and Jon Ehrlich, composers.
SOUND DESIGN
Hanks Editorial. Hank Polonsky, sound designer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Day at the Beach,” a couple watches a romantic movie with a bag of Orville Redenbacher Popcorn between them. Bored with the flick, the man eats some popcorn and the channel changes to a war movie. The woman does the same and the romantic movie appears again. As they go back and forth, a kernel falls next to the dog lying on the floor. The dog eats the popcorn and perks up when the movie changes to a television show starring a canine.
Spot broke in late October.
***
Dean Kravitz Music Dunks For LFL/Reebok
CLIENT
Lady Foot Locker/Reebok.
PRODUCTION CO.
Pen & Ink, New York. David Wagreich, director/DP; Brian Williams, executive producer; Mike Robinson, executive creative director. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Bates USA, New York. Victor Mazzeo, VP/creative director/art director; Howard Roughan, VP/creative director/copywriter; Deborah Johnson, broadcast producer; Mike Boris, music producer.
EDITORIAL
Superior Assembly Editing Company, Santa Monica, Calif. Scott Philbrook, editor; Heather Levy, assistant editor; Steve Levy, producer.
POST
First Edition, New York. Roi Werner, online editor. The Tape House Editorial Company, New York. Milan Boncich, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Aural Fixation, New York. Rich Cutler, mixer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
Dean Kravitz Music, New York. Randee Lee and Mattias Raabe, composers/arrangers/sound designers; Dean Kravitz, producer.
THE SPOT
“City” features Rebecca Lobo of the WNBA’s New York Liberty in various New York settings–on top of a tour bus, maneuvering through a courtyard and inside a taxicab. At spot’s end she sinks a long three-pointer.
Spot broke Oct. 14.
***
Harmony Prank Calls For Mitsubishi
CLIENT
Mitsubishi Wireless G-100.
PRODUCTION CO.
Harmony Pictures, Hollywood. Bill Scarlet, director; Peter Brown, DP; Kay Millet, executive producer; Carr Donald, producer; Carl Swan, head of production. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Sawyer Riley Compton, Atlanta. Bob Warren, senior VP/creative director; Tammy Anderson, art director; Liz Smith, group creative head/copywriter; Greg Smith, producer.
EDITORIAL
Abbott And Editorial, Santa Monica, Calif. Bill Abbott, editor.
POST
Video Tape Associates, Atlanta. Joey Tucker, online editor; Marsha Skopinich, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Video Tape Associates. Leslie Shapiro, engineer/mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
Primal Scream, Santa Monica. Reinhard Denke, sound designer.
THE SPOT
A group of executives sits and listens to “The Boring Presentation,” while a female executive ogles a clock, slumps in her chair, marvels over a fly and finally drops off to sleep. She awakens with an ingenious plan: she uses her Mitsubishi phone to call the boring presenter’s pager, instructing him to return to his office.
Spot broke Nov. 4
