This :30 opens on a medium shot of a typical teenager sitting on the couch in his home. He looks a little put out-and we can see why when we hear his dad’s voice. "Tim, it’s time you followed in your father’s trail of smoke."
The father is then seen pacing behind the couch. He is clad in red, white and blue tights, a sweeping cape and a bullet-shaped helmet. Behind him are photos and framed news clippings that span generations and depict the family’s time-honored profession. The father explains: "I’m a human cannonball. My father was a human cannonball. You’re great grandpa Gonzo was a human cannonball."
An announcer then interjects with some much needed intelligence: "Have higher career aspirations? … That means college. And if you need a loan, the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation can help. We’ve got 25 years of know-how. Sure, you’ll have to pay it back but not ’til you leave college. … South Carolina Student Loan Corporation. Making higher education affordable."
From the loan company’s supered logo and phone number, the spot cuts back to the kid on the couch, except he’s now decked out in the same ridiculous circus outfit that dear old dad is wearing. The youngster is simply shaking his head "no" in disbelief over his predicament.
The public service spot for the not-for-profit South Carolina Student Loan Corporation was conceived by Columbia, S.C.-headquartered agency Chernoff/ Silver. While the client is a 25-year-old company that has established relationships with financial aid officers at the state’s colleges and universities, it needed to connect better with parents, students and junior-high and high-school guidance counselors. Thus the need for an ad campaign, including this TV spot.
"The creative team took a dry topic and make it entertaining in a relevant way," said Chernoff/ Silver creative director Jeff Tobin. "We wanted to talk in a language that our audience could relate to. Using humor to communicate with high school and college students gets their attention while making them aware of our message that affordable loans are available."
Chernoff/Silver’s ensemble included Tobin, copywriter Trevor Baker, art directors Mike Bayly and Van Martin and producer Amy Gray.
The director/cameraman was Jeff Smith of Oasis Films in Pineville, N.C. He shot the spot in 16mm on location in Charlotte, N.C., and teamed with agency producer Gray to edit "Human Cannonball." Online editor was Bill Sibert of Take Ten Productions, Columbia. Colorist was Richard Parker of Crawford Communications, Atlanta.
-Millie Takaki
Oscar-Nominated Director Sean Wang Joins Park Pictures For Spots, Branded Content
Park Pictures has added director Sean Wang to its roster of talent for representation spanning commercials and branded content. His feature-length debut, Dรฌdi, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it was acquired by Focus Features and released later that summer to critical acclaim.
Wang is a Taiwanese-American filmmaker hailing from Fremont, Calif., and currently based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Park Pictures, he was repped by Even/Odd Studios. Often pulling from his lived experiences, Wang can turn hyper-specific story points into universally relatable, memorable moments.
Dรฌdi won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Cast at the Sundance Film Festival. His documentary short Nai Nai & Wร i Pรณ premiered at SXSW 2023, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, later earning an Oscar nomination. The film following Wangโs two grandmothers is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Other films from Wang include the lauded documentary shorts 3,000 Miles, H.A.G.S., and Still Here. As a Google Creative Lab 5 Alumnus, Wang has directed several commercial campaigns for Google that highlighted live captions and teased large news from the tech conglomerate, including an ad that aired during the 2017 Emmy Awards.
Wang said of Park Pictures, โI canโt think of a better artistic home for me as a director. The work that comes out of Park Pictures is incredible, and I admire the work they do in advertising and the documentary and narrative space. Everyone Iโve met there is just as obsessed with making great films as I am, and I look forward to growing my career with them as I move into the commercial space.โ
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