Underwater Cenotes, one of Creature’s 30 viral films for Pacifico Beer, takes viewers to one of the Yucatan’s mystic sinkholes, which the Mayans consider sacred and gifted by the gods.
“Pacifico is about being associated with Mexican experiences and memories,” said Creature’s creative director Jim Haven, who was director and DP of the film that was shot in the Yucatan last June. “It’s a beer that takes you off the beaten path, so we made sure to highlight that at no typical tourist site.”
The 55-second film, which began playing March 1 at www.mexicoviapacifico.com and in banners at sites including Backpacker.com, iexplore.com, Fandango and Yahoo! Travel, is part of a campaign being used to promote Pacifico’s national expansion. The Mexican beer, which has been sold in the Southwest to date, is about to be offered in 20 additional markets, from New York to Chicago, Boston and Atlanta, according to Paul Verdu, VP of marketing at Crown Imports, Pacifico’s importer. Verdu said print and outdoor advertising have been utilized in the past and will continue to be used. “But the new campaign is digital, for national coverage,” he said.
The film, which shows locals and expats from Argentina swimming in the cenote, reaches out to “adventure minded consumers,” Verdu said. “There’s a strong emotional connection with consumers who take trips to Mexico.”
“We were looking to create the idyllic Mexican experience,” Haven said. “We wanted to find one we thought represented a perfect Pacifico moment.”
The film features beautiful underwater swimming scenes with the camera capturing bubbling water and rock formations at the bottom of the cenote. At the end of the film an above ground scene provides the opportunity to show a bottle of Pacifico.
To make the film, Haven said he took scuba lessons. “We had scuba equipment and we dove down into the pools and filmed the guys swimming around.” A Eumig Nautica Super 8 camera from 1979 was used on the shoot. “It’s the only camera of its kind that was designed for underwater use,” Haven said. The camera produced footage that veered from crystal clear to a little rough. “We shot with various styles, some out of focus and blurry. These were intentional mistakes to make it feel like the camera is a character.”
“Butterfly Nets,” a soft dreamy song by Bishop Allen, an indie rock band from Brooklyn, provides the soundtrack for the film.
Haven said the film is also being played in bars. Among the 30 films made for the campaign are a few :30s that will play as pre-rolls and used on TV.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More