If the New York Mets had the take-the-bull-by-the-horns initiative of director Stephen Kessler, they might be having a better season. Well, at least the defending National League champs have some good commercials.
An established spotmaker who maintains bicoastal production house Promiseland, Kessler saw his beloved Mets reach their promised land—the World Series—last year. To show his appreciation—and to find a sports-related showcase for his directorial and creative prowess—he pitched a TV campaign to Mets officials during spring training this March, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Much to his surprise, the Mets didn’t have an ad agency. So Kessler followed up by meeting team marketing executives in New York, and got the go-ahead to shoot three commercials that he wrote with creative director David Angelo of Los Angeles agency David & Goliath. Among these was "Friendly Advice."
Kessler brought Angelo into the process because the two have successfully collaborated on assorted projects. Kessler has helmed ads regularly for the agency, including "Oxygen," "Drive In" and "Cruising" for the Kia Motors America account.
"Friendly Advice," a :30, takes us on a walk through New York City with Mets superstar catcher Mike Piazza. Wherever he goes, Piazza encounters a fan offering advice on how to perform better on the diamond. A doorman encourages Piazza to "hit a home run tonight." Then the spot cuts to a newspaper vendor who tells the Met to "block the plate with your whole body." Next up, a fruit stand merchant implores Piazza to "Set up early, papa. The runners are killing you."
An enthusiastic convenience store clerk blurts out, "If I may say … you’re chokin’ up a little too much. Here, let me show you." From under the cash register counter he pulls out a bat—required in the arsenal of a Big Apple retailer. The clerk goes into a batter’s stance, and we cut abruptly to another outdoor scene, of a Pepsi truck driver in a catcher’s squat. "If I may," he ventures, "you need to be balanced."
The following vignette finds an old lady bending Piazza’s ear as she walks alongside him. "You just gotta win because it’s killing my husband," she urges.
A traffic cop also needs to be heard: "You listenin’ to me, Mike?"
A young woman is then seen walking with Piazza. "You ever thought, maybe if you got a lighter bat, you could get it around faster?"
Finally, a truck driver—seated in his parked vehicle—gives Piazza a lesson in logic and mathematics. "How far is it to right field?" he asks the Mets backstop. Piazza utters his first words in the spot: "About 330."
"How far is it to centerfield?" the trucker queries.
"About 410," responds Piazza.
"Well, then hit it to right field," directs the fan.
In the midst of the conversation between Piazza and the trucker, the supered Mets logo appears, accompanied by the slogan, "With your help, they could be champions."
Promiseland executive producer Lesa Lakin produced the campaign, which was shot by DP Andrzej Bartkowiak. The other commercials are "Sushi Bar" and "Prayers." In the latter, a preacher inspires his congregation to collectively pray for good things to happen to the Mets. And in "Sushi Bar" Mets outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo gives teammate Benny Agbayani a condensed interpretation of what an excited, Japanese-speaking sushi chef/Mets’ fan is saying.
Rich Jack of Big Sky Editorial, New York, served as offline and online editor. Colorist was Chris Ryan of Nice Shoes, New York. Audio mixing was done by New York-based Ron Yoshida on a freelance basis.
