There’s something to be said for sophomoric humor that’s pulled off well, despite the questionable taste that’s involved.
Director Steve Burrows of Backyard Productions, Venice, Calif., and Chicago, clearly isn’t afraid to tread into this unsafe arena—and neither are client AccuServ Copier Repair, a business headquartered in Kansas City, Kan., and agency Eisner Underground, Baltimore.
"Paper Tray" opens on a heavyset woman in an office. It’s after hours. She says "good night" to a janitor as she walks down a corridor toward the copier room, papers in hand. Instead of making photocopies of her documents, however, the woman suddenly turns around, lifts up her dress, pulls down her underwear and climbs awkwardly onto the machine to make a copy of her backside.
She presses the "copy" button, which beeps twice, but nothing happens. She presses the button a second time, and gets the same malfunctioning beeps.
Frustrated, she pounds on the button with her fist—but again to no avail. The woman peers down at the display panel, and the message that the machine is giving her only intensifies her anger: "Select larger paper tray." Indeed, this heavy-duty copier has met its match as the weight of the woman is too much to bear—and the woman has way too much to bare, as well.
She vents her frustration by kicking the machine repeatedly while still perched on top. A super appears over the scene: "We don’t care how it gets broken…"
Now the woman is standing in front of the machine and beating it with one of her shoes. The supered message continues, "We’ll be there to fix it."
The spot concludes with a tag that reads, "AccuServ Copier Repair." A phone number accompanies the logo.
Burrows helmed the :30, backed by a Backyard team that included executive producers Blair Stribley, Kris Mathur and Eriks Krumins, head of production Peter Steinzeig and producer Sean Hobbs. The spot was shot at Sunset Stage, Hollywood, by DP Tom Marvel.
Eisner Underground’s team consisted of creative director/executive producer Eric Hartsock, art director Paul Safsel and copywriter David McMillan.
Jeff Hinman edited the spot via Blue Collar Productions, Hollywood, and online edited it at Post Logic, Hollywood. Artemus Mayor of Post Logic served as colorist. Visual effects artist was Aaron Baumle of Transistor Studios, Hollywood.
Audio mixer/engineer was Konrad Pinon of Margarita Mix, Hollywood. Music composer was Santa Monica-based freelancer Matt Cartsonis.
The spot has been airing regionally in Kansas City.
