You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. But you can make a Silk pitch from a cow’s mouth–that is if you’re Berlin Cameron United, New York, which has created a tongue-in-cheek package of TV spots to promote its client Silk Soymilk, working with interactive ad shop IMC2, Dallas, which developed the online program.
Silk’s first campaign since 2004 is looking to cultivate a new generation of soymilk drinkers. And to gain new customers and milk converts, Silk has enlisted the most unlikely of “spokes-animals”–an articulate herd of cows (people in cow suits)–to trumpet the health benefits and good taste of soy milk.
The “Cows for Silk” campaign debuted on national primetime TV with “Domestic Dispute,” the first in a series of TV commercials. The spot features a mother of two calves convincing her “bull-headed” husband to try soymilk. Also in the offing at press time were a series of :15s in which Frank Bull, Connie Cow and Amanda Cow each sing the praises of Silk soymilk.
All the commercials drive traffic to a Web site: www.CowsforSilk.com–a kind of super fan site that features the cows from the campaign. On the site, the starring cows pen their personal blogs, express why they love Silk, and share their favorite recipes.
Visitors to the site can also view longer versions of the :15 TV spots, as well as send out e-cards featuring their favorite cow. There are even bios of the cow available on the site.
Excerpted thoughts from Frank, Connie and Amanda are tinged with humor. Consider Connie’s observation, for example: “It sounds so much more pleasant when you get the call that your kid was sent to the principal’s office for squirting Silk out of his nose.”
Amanda observes, “Silk is high in ‘that girl is ripped’ protein and way low in ‘maybe someone should be wearing sweatpants’ fat. Silk makes it simple to look nothing short of irresistible.”
Meanwhile Frank extols Silk’s taste virtue: “I drink Silk because it tastes great. It just happens to be healthy. Don’t confuse me with one of those wacky health food fanatics.”
Errol Morris of bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures directed the spots. The DP was Bob Chappell.
The Berlin Cameron creative team consisted of executive creative director Ewen Cameron, creative director Izzy Debellis, associate creative director/copywriter Neil Riley, associate creative director/art director Taras Wayner, executive producer Dane Johnson and producer Leigh Fuchs. Editor was Adam Jenkins who at the time was with Bug Editorial, New York. (He has since joined Cut+Run, New York.)
Web site credits at IMC2 go to account manager Ryan Oleson, project manager Allison Butler, creative directors Mary Ridgway and Bart Hirneise, designer Charles Grant, copywriter Duane Jones, production staffers Robert Barfield and Bryan Parker, information architect Dina Ray, technical consultant Matt Samuels and Web engineer Elijah Hardin.
Directors Amy+Pilar and Jose Antonio Prat Join Reform School
Boutique content production company Reform has added comedy directing duo Amy+Pilar (Amy York Rubin and Pilar Boehm) and award-winning multicultural director Jose Antonio Prat to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded entertainment.
Partners in both life and art, Amy+Pilar are know for their sharp wit and comedic timing. Their synchronicity is evident in a body of work across TV, film and commercials. Prior to joining Reform School, Amy+Pilar had been repped in the ad market by production company Knucklehead.
Amy has directed high-profile comedy sketches featuring stars like Amy Schumer, Kate McKinnon, and Sarah Silverman. On the episodic front, Amy has helmed for series such as Fresh Off the Boat, Casual, Superstore and Angie Tribeca--as well as the pilot for the hit Netflix comedy Dead to Me.
Before joining forces with Amy behind the camera, Pilar was a psychotherapist, a background that informs her ability to create fascinating characters and stage irresistible, nuanced performances. Amy and Pilar’s shared passion for comedy brought them together. Their collaboration began with a Synchrony Bank campaign, starring cult-comedy favorite Maribeth Monroe (Workaholics), and they went on to direct the pilot of the Hulu series Love, Victor. Amy+Pilar’s ad fare also includes spots for Uber’s “Go-Get” campaign and “Shift,” starring Martin Starr.
“We have been fans of Amy and Pilar for a long time,” said Ryan Ennis, executive director at Reform School. “They excel at capturing comedic performances and dialogue. Coming from the TV and L.A. comedy scenes, they’ve built a strong following and collaborated with some of our favorite funny people.... Read More