A security camera provides a perspective from the rear of a pharmacy department, looking towards the customer-service window. The pharmacist and his associate are going about their business when a woman hesitantly approaches the window and rings the bell.
"Can I help you?" responds the pharmacist, walking towards her.
Timid and unsure of herself, the customer mutters, "Hi. Do you have the AIDS pill?"
"I’m sorry, what?" replies the pharmacist.
"The AIDS cure pill," she says.
"AIDS cure pill," repeats the pharmacist politely. He looks towards his associate, who, equally incredulous, shakes her head "no."
The scene fades to black as a super appears and the dialogue continues.
"I know there’s one," the customer’s voice insists hopefully. "I heard about it—I know I heard about it on TV."
"Ma’am," responds the pharmacist, "I wish I could help you, but there is no such thing."
The initial supered message reads: "AIDS. There’s still no cure."
Another super replaces it, announcing, "AIDS Walk Austin 2000." Beneath that line of type appears the date of the event, Oct. 15. Then the date gives way to a phone number for further info (452-WALK).
Conceived by Austin, Tx.-based agency GSD&M, the :30 was shot in color on DV. Then in post, the color was taken out of the scenes and the crispness of DV imagery softened to capture the desired security camera look, which included a digital readout of the time in minutes, seconds and fractions of a second.
"Pharmacy" is part of a two-spot campaign to promote the AIDS Services of Austin’s annual AIDS Walk fund-raiser. To get the message across that raising money to fight AIDS is critical, the misconception that the disease has been cured needs to be dispelled. Due to the AIDS cocktail and other drug treatments available to patients, many people are under the false impression that the AIDS crisis is over.
The creative team at GSD&M consisted of group creative director/art director Brent Ladd, group creative director/writer Steve Miller and producer Jessica Coats. Ladd explained that the agency decided to attack the AIDS cure misnomer to underscore the importance of fund-raising for AIDS Services of Austin.
In a sense, "Pharmacy" reinforces the message of last year’s AIDS Walk PSA, which plays like the conclusion of a movie, replete with "The End" plastered across the screen. The feature, however, continues and the super changes to "Not The End" of AIDS, pointing out that the disease is still of epidemic proportion. This is followed by movie end credits that disclose details about the walk-a-thon fund-raiser.
But this year, with "Pharmacy," Ladd and Miller noted, a human face is put on the message—namely the woman who is seeking a magic pill when there is none. "That and the awkwardness of being in a pharmacy and asking for something adds another dimension," related Miller.
Ken Lewin directed the spot via Slick Pictures, Austin. Lewin’s producer was Michael Bayer. Rob McGrath was the DP.
"Pharmacy" was edited by Austin-based freelancer Dave Rosenblatt. Online editor/Edit Box operator was Jeff Franklin of Matchframe, Austin. Sound designer/ audio mixer was Jacob Perez from Digital Domain of Austin.
