In what has become an annual SHOOT tradition, John Leverence, senior VP, awards, for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, offers an entertainment industry perspective on the year’s crop of primetime Emmy-nominated commercials: American Express’ “Animals” from Ogilvy & Mather, New York; Pepsi’s “Pinball” and GE’s “Jar” out of BBDO New York; Cingular Wireless’ “Battle” via BBDO New York and Atlanta; Coca-Cola’s “Happiness Factory” from Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam; Travelers’ “Snowball” for Fallon Minneapolis; and “Singing Cowboy” from Arnold Boston and Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami.
“It’s a wide ranging lineup from the very serious ‘Singing Cowboy’ to the whimsical ‘Happiness Factory,’ which conjures up memories of Rube Goldberg,” related Leverence. “The two soft drink ads, ‘Pinball’ and ‘Happiness Factory,’ offer a highly vitalized kind of experience. You’re going to feel the sugar in this drink, reflected in the sheer religious joy displayed by the animated workers in ‘Happiness Factory’ and a guy’s wild ride on a pinball through the streets of San Francisco.”
San Francisco streets were also the setting for “Snowball.” “You had this spot and ‘Pinball’ depicting some kind of sphere moving rapidly and surreally through the city. The frenetic nature of both was very engaging,” said Leverence, noting that these pieces were more visceral and energizing than narrative, setting them apart from the rest of the storytelling-driven field.
Leverence cited the twist in “Battle,” which thrusts us right into the middle of an argument between a mother and daughter. While the tone is contentious, the words aren’t. “Our expectations get turned on their head,” observed Lawrence. “You at first feel like you know what everybody is going to say but then it gets flipped over to something quite different as the mom and daughter are actually being quite trusting and appreciative of one another. It’s more of an intellectual approach, telling us a story through dialogue that’s contrary to the argumentative manner in which the words are being spoken.”
As for GE’s “Jar,” Leverence observed, “I don’t remember ever seeing a commercial with more effective use of a musical track [Donovan’s “Catch The Wind”]. The track supports the narrative of a boy catching the wind in a jar and traveling by train, motorcycle and other means to give it to his grandfather. It’s sensitive, sweet and green, helping GE to rebrand itself from an industrial giant to a greener, ecologically friendly company.”
Meanwhile “Animals” takes us to a day in the life on the job for Ellen DeGeneres on her TV show–except all her co-workers are animals. Leverence noted, “It’s filled with childlike wonder and clever gags such as the turtle being the employee chosen to make a fast run for coffee.”
By contrast, “Singing Cowboy” is “in a serious place all its own among the nominees,” said Leverence. “It starts with a misleading first act, with cowboys on horses in a busy city–but then we see a cowboy remove his scarf, revealing a hole in his throat. He sings with the aid of a device he places against his throat as we see the crowd’s reactions.”
While “Cowboy” carries a serious health message, Leverence concluded that this year’s Emmy field “speaks well to the creative health of advertising.”
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More