Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Goes Too Far For Rodeo.
CLIENT
American Isuzu Motor Co./Isuzu Rodeo.
PRODUCTION CO.
Stiefel & Company, Hollywood. Craig Henderson, director/DP; Phyllis Koenig, producer/executive producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco. Rich Silverstein, creative director; Greg Ball, art director; Ron Saltmarsh, copywriter; Cindy Epps, producer.
EDITORIAL
Nomad Editing Company, Santa Monica, Calif. Jim Hutchins, editor.
POST
The Finish Line, Santa Monica. James Bygrave, Henry artist. Ring of Fire, Hollywood. Tim Bird, Flame artist. Company 3, Santa Monica. Stefan Sonnenfeld, colorist.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Loren Silber and Zack Fisher, audio mixers.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
Elias Associates, bicoastal. Danny Hulsizer, sound designer; Christopher Kemp, composer.
BY KATHY DeSALVO
A new spot for the Isuzu Rodeo sport utility vehicle, created by San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, makes a case for going far–but not too far–off the beaten path.
Directed by Craig Henderson of Hollywood-based Stiefel & Company, the :30 “Whisper” is a humorous take on the notion that the appeal of sport utility vehicles (SUV) is their ability to go anywhere. “Isuzu has decided to brand themselves with their strength: they are the SUV specialists,” explained agency creative director Rich Silverstein, who worked with art director Greg Bell and copywriter Ron Saltmarsh on the spot. From that concept, Silverstein said, they came up with the “Go Farther” themeline.
“In the spot,” Silverstein added, “it’s a voice from up above challenging a man to go farther. He keeps going and going, and ends up going a little too far.”
The spot features an average Joe-looking guy who starts out leaving a convenience-store parking lot in his Rodeo. As he munches chips, he hears a whispering voice telling him, “Go farther.” Strains of angelic music rise as the guy looks through his sunroof, searching for the higher power that has spoken to him.
Thus begins his cross-country odyssey. The Rodeo travels roads flanked by wheatfields, mountain ranges and rugged desert terrain; these scenes blur and dissolve into superimposed images of the guy’s trancelike facial expression and of the odometer showing the miles flying by. Throughout, the whispered voice urges him: “Farther.”
Eventually, the guy–by this point disheveled and unshaven–stops when he arrives at the edge of a large body of water, in what seems to be a tropical jungle region. “Farther,” the voice says, prompting the guy to quizzically look skyward once again. Tribal drums are heard as the next shot reveals the man and his Rodeo on a makeshift raft, sailing across the water. “Introducing the completely reinvented 205 horsepower Isuzu Rodeo,” relates the voiceover.
The guy steers the pontoon with a large branch until he hears the whispered voice again. “Too far,” it says, before cutting to a wide shot showing the raft heading straight for a steep waterfall.
Director/cameraman Henderson shot “Whisper” on location in Oregon and Washington over six days in late July. “We needed to make it look like the man made a journey across the country, and the Pacific Northwest is a really great place to try and simulate that, [especially] in the time frame and budget we had,” Goodby producer Cindy Epps explained. “Not only does Craig know that place like the back of his hand, but he’s doing more comedy/storytelling stuff, which made him a good choice.”
One challenge was building a primitive-looking raft that could support the weight of a Rodeo. Production art director Dan Morski found the solution by designing a hydraulic pontoon, which was engineered by a Portland, Ore.-based houseboat builder.
“We used pontoons under the raft that they use to float houses,” explained Henderson. “These pontoons have four big air bags and a ballast system, so you’re able to raise or lower the pontoon. We used the logs lashed together on top for decoration.”
The water scene was filmed on location at the Willamette River outside Portland. Henderson said that for their “Heart of Darkness” shot of the guy poling the raft downriver, the raft was pulled by a barge that was used as a shooting platform for close-ups; a helicopter was used to get the wide shot.
The only scene requiring technical trickery was the waterfall shot. The top part of the frame showing the river is live action, but the bottom portion of the waterfall is actually National Geographic stock footage. The scenes were assembled together in the Flame.
An extensive, several-month-long search was made for a waterfall with the right framing. Once it was found, Henderson said, it was a relatively easy task to shoot the scene from a perspective that matched the existing footage.
Epps and Henderson agreed that apart from technical obstacles, the project’s biggest challenge was conveying the magnitude of the journey in :30. “It was hard to figure out the shorthand to tell the story,” Henderson said. “We tried to cut it with a series of scenes, but it didn’t [work]. You just saw the drive, but didn’t get the sense of mileage and the tongue-in-cheek nature of the trip. The idea of superimposing the scenes of the odometer and his face was the agency’s solution, and it was a brilliant idea.”
***
Robbie Kondor Shops Smart For Pathmark
CLIENT
Pathmark Stores.
PRODUCTION CO.
Lovinger/Cohn & Associates, New York. Paul Goldman, director; Sean O’Dea, DP; Andrew F. Adelson, executive producer; Gina Contaldi, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
DDB Needham New York. Mark Shatner, art director; Martin Dix, copywriter; Steve Amato, producer; Rose Allocca, assistant producer.
EDITORIAL
89 Greene Editorial, New York. Bruce Ashley, editor.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York. Scott Burch, colorist; Rich Schreck, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Robbie Kondor Music, New York. Robbie Kondor, mixer.
MUSIC
Robbie Kondor Music. Robbie Kondor, composer.
THE SPOT
“Classroom” features a group of children counting Pathmark “smart” coupons in aisles of the supermarket, as instructed by the Pathmark Lady.
Spot broke July 1.
***
Scene Three Rests On Southerland
CLIENT
Southerland Mattress Company.
PRODUCTION CO.
Scene Three, Nashville. Danny Ross, director/DP; Scene Three, executive producer; James Bolosh, producer/art director. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Bill Hudson & Associates, Nashville. Jeff Bradford, creative director; Coco Vallis, copywriter; Tom Mays, producer/account executive.
EDITORIAL
Scene Three. Brian Puckett, editor.
POST
Scene Three. Brian Puckett, online editor; Scott Neumann, graphics.
AUDIO POST
Scene Three Audio, Nashville. Phil Gazell, engineer/mixer/effects; Steve Grider, engineer.
SOUND DESIGN
Scene Three Audio. Phil Gazell, sound designer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Road Trip,” Louise Mandrell discusses the joys of getting a good night’s sleep on her Country Dawn mattress.
Spot broke in August.
***
Przyborski Lights Up Hunter Douglas
CLIENT
Hunter Douglas Corp.
PRODUCTION CO.
Przyborski Productions, Pittsburgh. Glenn Przyborski, director/DP; Jim DeVincentis, executive producer; Judy Elbel, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
FerrellCalvillo, New York. John Ferrell, president/chief creative officer; Frank DiSalvo, executive producer; Peri Calvillo, assistant producer.
EDITORIAL
Przyborski Productions. Glenn Przyborski, editor.
POST
Henninger Elite Post of Nashville. Brent Clenney, colorist. Przyborski Productions. Glenn Przyborski, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Przyborski Productions. Glenn Przyborski, mixer.
MUSIC
Jon Gorr Custom Music, Pittsburgh. Jon Gorr, composer.
THE SPOT
“Silhouette Offer” spotlights Silhouette window shadings from Hunter Douglas.
Spot broke in September.
***
George Kline Co. Drives An Oldsmobile
CLIENT
General Motors/Oldsmobile.
PRODUCTION CO.
George Kline Company, Dallas. John Katz, director; Steve George, DP; George Kline, executive producer; Betsy Lindskog-Katz, producer. Shot at the Stages at MPS, Dallas.
AGENCY
Moroch & Associates, Dallas. Dave Longfield, executive creative director; Allison Abbott, broadcast supervisor; Gannon Kennedy, broadcast coordinator; Pat Kempf and Kerrie Nelson, account services.
EDITORIAL/POST
Video Post & Transfer, Dallas. Todd Brasher, editor; Steve Franco, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Video Post & Transfer. Joe Macre, mixer.
THE SPOT
In “Cliches,” Ben Stein uses well-known adages to highlight Oldsmobile’s year-end closeout.
Spot broke in August.
***
Us 2 Drives To Outback Steakhouse
CLIENT
Outback Steakhouse.
PRODUCTION CO.
Will Vinton Studios, Portland, Ore. Will Vinton, director; Bob Odessa, DP; David Altschul, executive producer; Olivia Sitea, producer. Food Chain Films, Portland. Dennis Minor, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
McCann-Erickson, New York. David Hale, copywriter; John Rea, art director/creative director; Peter Ellers, producer.
EDITORIAL
Us 2 Editorial, Venice, Calif. Elisa Bonora, editor; Danillo Fornaciari, assistant editor.
POST
Encore Santa Monica, Santa Monica, Calif. Bob Festa, colorist. The Finish Line, Santa Monica. Jim Furlong, online editor; Nancy Hyland, Flame artist; Pete Mayor, assistant Flame artist.
AUDIO POST
“Intro” mixed by Robert Feist at RavensWork, Venice. “Airplane,” “Madden” and “Phone Booth” mixed by Jeff Payne at POP Sound, Santa Monica.
MUSIC
Michael Carey, composer, Los Angeles.
THE SPOT
Four :30s–“Intro,” “Airplane,” “Madden” and “Phone Booth”–follow a female and her companion, Gordon the kangaroo, as they search for an Outback Steakhouse after their arrival from Down Under.
Spots broke in August.
***
Orbit Productions Tests S.O.S. Pads
CLIENT
Clorox Co./S.O.S. Soap Pads.
PRODUCTION CO.
Orbit Productions, Hollywood. Rod Davis, director; Anghel Decca, DP; Lee Nelson, executive producer; Amy Peck, producer. Shot at Hollywood Center Studios, Hollywood.
AGENCY
DDB Needham San Francisco. Hilary Bradley, producer; Larry Gilmour, art director; Dave Wolf, copywriter; Lisa Summers, management supervisor; Katherine Fox, account executive.
EDITORIAL
The Spot Shop, Santa Monica, Calif. Barnett Kiel, editor; Glenn Martin, executive producer.
POST
Voodoo, Hollywood. Chris Kern, Flame operator; Steve Weber, executive producer. Pacific Ocean Post, Santa Monica. Stefan Sonnenfeld, colorist.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Dave Barnard, mixer.
MUSIC
Piece of Cake, North Hollywood. Don Piestrup, composer.
THE SPOT
In “Fallout,” New York is invaded by a Godzilla-like monster who demonstrates the superiority of S.O.S. soap pads. A “Mummy” on the loose in a darkened museum discovers there’s no match for the strength of an S.O.S. pad.
Spots broke Aug. 6.
***
Abbott And Editorial Cut Blue Bunny
CLIENT
Blue Bunny Ice Cream.
PRODUCTION CO.
Moxie Pictures, Hollywood. Bob Purman, director/cameraman; Gary Rose, executive producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Barkley & Evergreen, Kansas City, Mo. John Briley, producer; John January, copywriter; Barbara Gerber, art director.
EDITORIAL
Abbott And Editorial, Santa Monica, Calif. Bill Abbott, editor.
POST
Encore Santa Monica. Brian Reed, online editor; Bob Festa, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Margarita Mix, Hollywood. Jimmy Hite, mixer.
MUSIC
Admusic, Burbank, Calif. John Adair, composer.
THE SPOT
Three :30s humorously illustrate what makes Blue Bunny ice cream, as well as the company, special. “Machete,” “More Flavors” and “Mr. Freeze” feature a machete-wielding quality control technician, a happy ice cream inventor and an ice cream maker in a freezer, respectively, each discussing the products, flavors and the company.
Spots broke in August.
***
Moxie Is Rewarded With McDonald’s
CLIENT
McDonald’s/Hong Kong.
PRODUCTION CO.
Moxie Pictures, Hollywood. Yariv Gaber, director; Avi Karpick, DP; Gary Rose and Janet Gilson, executive producers; Micky Rabinovitz, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Leo Burnett Co., Chicago. Angie Lau, broadcast producer; Allen Klein, executive VP/creative director; Bill Stone and Dominick Maiolo, VPs/creative directors.
EDITORIAL
Edit Sweet, Chicago. Jan Maitland and Steven Mick, editors.
POST
Optimus, Chicago. Scott Yurks, online editor; Craig Leffel, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Cutters, Chicago. John Binder, engineer.
MUSIC
Admusic, Burbank, Calif. Martin Lund and Steve Hampton, composers; Korbin Kraus, producer.
THE SPOT
“Scuba” and “Map” feature people going to extreme measures (i.e., swimming through shark-infested waters and standing on the edge of a dangerous cliff), while searching for treasure, only to discover that the reward is $17.30. They are disappointed, but then realize they can go to McDonald’s for a meal.
Spots broke in July.
***
MJZ Is Active For Lady Foot Locker/Fila
CLIENT
Lady Foot Locker/Fila.
PRODUCTION CO.
Morton Jankel Zander, Hollywood. Kieran Walsh, director; Bob Gantz, DP; David Zander, executive producer; Heather Jansson, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Bates USA, New York. Victor Mazzeo, creative director/art director; Howard Roughan, creative director/copywriter; Debbie Johnson, producer; Mike Boris, music producer.
EDITORIAL
Ohio Edit, New York. Frank Snider, editor; Marybeth Medernach, executive producer.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York. Ed Patrowicz, online editor. The Tape House Editorial Company, New York, Milan Boncich, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Photomag, New York. Peter Holcomb, mixer.
MUSIC
tomandandy, New York. Drazen Bosnjak, composer; Elissa Muddell, executive producer; Josh Rabinowitz, producer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “You Are,” women clad in Fila clothing and shoes jog, walk their dogs and jump rope in an urban environment.
Spot broke Aug. 18.
***
Coppos, Haven Light Up Union Electric
CLIENT
Union Electric.
PRODUCTION CO.
Coppos Films, Los Angeles. Craig Gillespie, director; Steven Ramsey, DP; Bill Bratkowski and Allison Nunn, executive producers; Sharon Lorick, producer; Esther Gonzalez, head of production; Jolie Smith, production manager. Shot on location.
AGENCY
TBWA Chiat/Day, St. Louis. Duncan Milner, executive creative director; Beth Dzengolewski, senior copywriter; Bob Weeks, senior art director; Linda Arett, producer.
EDITORIAL
Why Not Coco, Hollywood. Robert Levy, editor; Karen Weintraub, assistant editor; Angela Galletta, executive producer.
POST
Post Logic Studios, Hollywood. Thom Whitehead, online editor. Encore Santa Monica, Santa Monica, Calif. Bob Festa, telecine. WunderFilm Design, Hollywood. Jeff Wunderlich, Flame artist.
AUDIO POST
Margarita Mix, Hollywood. Jeff Levy, mixer.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
Haven, Santa Monica. Jeff Elmassian, creative director/composer; Chris Guardino, composer; Rich Pavone, sound designer.
THE SPOT
Two :30s–“Fat Dogs” and “Surprise Party”–highlight the altruistic activities and power system capabilities of Union Electric. In “Fat Dogs,” the camera pans around peacefully sleeping dogs, as a voiceover tells of Union Electric’s ongoing program of donating energy-efficient lighting to various communities. In “Surprise Party,” a celebration goes awry when the power fails. Thanks to Union Electric’s System 24, the residence can be given an estimate of when the power will return.
Spots broke in early July.
***
Shadowrock Gets A Countrywide Loan
CLIENT
Countrywide Home Loans.
PRODUCTION CO.
Shadowrock Productions, Beverly Hills, Calif. Joe Murray, director/cameraman; Wendy Littlefield, executive producer; Kathryn Bishop, head of production; Michael Tillman, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Dailey & Associates, Los Angeles. Cliff Einstein, chairman; Brian Morris, president; Steve Beaumont, senior VP/creative director; Peter Mooney, creative director; Bill Wadner and Mark Rouse, associate creative directors; Peggy Kono, senior VP/management supervisor; Joe Stanley, senior VP/director of broadcast production.
EDITORIAL
Jigsaw Editorial, Santa Monica, Calif. Steve Armstrong, editor; Dan Clougherty, assistant editor; Jeff Yuen, executive producer.
POST
The Finish Line, Santa Monica. Noel Castley-Wright, editor. Post Logic Studios, Hollywood. Chris Devlin, colorist.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Peter Rincon, mixer.
MUSIC
Les Hooper Music, Sherman Oaks, Calif. Les Hooper, composer/arranger.
THE SPOT
“Most Comfortable” makes the point that Countrywide is able to keep the cost of home-financing low by holding down its own costs. The spot shows a sprawling office containing scores of work cubicles, computer terminals and busy workers. The voiceover notes that Countrywide has “created the most comfortable place on earth for you to arrange for your next home loan”–cut to a surburban home, where a man speaks on the telephone with a Countrywide loan expert–“your own kitchen.” “Website” shows a man working at a home computer well after midnight, while simultaneously tending to an infant. The copy promotes Countrywide’s Web site, as the man applies for a home loan online. “No Committees” shows a young man talking on the phone to a Countrywide branch manager while his spouse searches for backup paperwork. The man, who expects it to take a few days, if not weeks, to get an approval from “the loan committee,” is surprised to learn that the woman he is talking to is the committee, and is ready to approve his loan now.
Spots broke in September.
***
X-Ray Goes Backstage For Old Navy Cargo
CLIENT
Old Navy.
PRODUCTION CO.
X-Ray Productions, New York. Jesse Peretz, director; Tom Richmond, DP; Nick Wollner, executive producer; Rachel Weissman, producer. Shot at Silvercup Studios, Long Island City, N.Y.
AGENCY
Deutsch Inc., New York. Donny Deutsch, CEO; Kathy Delaney, executive VP/creative director; Liz Cumbinner and Craig Marcus, associate creative directors; Sharon Harte, producer.
EDITORIAL
Mad River Post, New York. Dick Gordon, editor.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York. Rich Schreck, online editor. SMA Video, New York. Eli Friedman, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Howard Schwartz Recording, New York. Steve Rosen, engineer.
MUSIC
Amber Music, New York. Mike Pandolfo, composer; Robert Kaplan, producer.
THE SPOT
Backstage at a fashion show, mascot Magic the dog calls the shots for the introduction of Old Navy’s cargo pants. The campaign features models Marcus Schankenberg and Jerry Hall, as well as fashion editor Carrie Donovan.
Spots broke in August
