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.
Bensimon Byrne’s “Short Life Stories” For White Ribbon Wins ONE Screen Best of Show
“Short Life Stories,” created by Bensimon Byrne Toronto on behalf of White Ribbon, is the top winner in the global 2024 ONE Screen Short Film Festival, the premiere short film festival produced by The One Club for Creativity celebrating global filmmakers from both commercial advertising and film industries.
“Short Life Stories” tells a fictional story of a young trans woman as she celebrates the beginning of her new life and navigates the obstacles that ensue.
The work was selected by a global jury as 2024 ONE Screen Best of Show and Best of Region: North America, as well as winner in the Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Fiction, and Best Music Composition disciplines.
Klick Health Toronto also had a strong year with five ONE Screen wins. They include three for “47” on behalf of Café Joyeux (in Best Animation, Best Branded Entertainment Film, and Best Production Design), and two for “American Cancer Story” on behalf of Change the Ref (in Best Directing and Best Drama).
Other 2024 ONE Screen winners are as follows.
Craft winners
Best Emerging Filmmaker: Parker Schmidt Santa Monica “Bowl of Life”
Best Screenplay: Zulu Alpha Kilo Toronto “Living From Work” for Zulubot
Best Type on Poster: Lucky Together New York “Don’t F*ck With Ba”
Best Visual Effects: Candice Wu Los Angeles “Erasure”
Genre winners
Best Branded Content Film: Stink Films Berlin “The First Speech” for Reporters Without Borders
Best Comedy: FCB Chicago “The Last Barf Bag” for Dramamine
Best Experimental Film: Parker Schmidt Santa Monica “Bowl of Life”
Best Independent Film: Violeta Films Mexico City “The Mark... Read More