Though he didn’t receive an Emmy Award–and for that matter didn’t attend last Saturday’s (9/10) Creative Arts Emmy ceremony at Nokia Live in Los Angeles–Samuel Bayer of Serial Pictures feels grateful and honored that the Super Bowl spot he directed and shot, Chrysler 200’s “Born Of Fire,” wound up winning the 2011 primetime commercial Emmy Award.
“It means that people paid attention to a different kind of advertising, that they thought it was exciting and engaging,” said Bayer. “Somehow the work accomplished that desired magic trick of being talked about after the Super Bowl, of being a water cooler spot. The web traffic, blogs and other earned media continued the commercial’s momentum well after the Super Bowl. And here we are some nine months later still talking about ‘Born of Fire.'”
As for what he attributes that staying power to, Bayer reflected, “The commercial was really a form of anti-car advertising. That’s why people appreciated it so much. We weren’t talking about the virtues of a Chrysler, how beautiful the car is. Instead the spot talked about something bigger, much greater in significance–the spirit of a city, Detroit, a sense of hope and economic recovery. People could relate to that. I feel lucky to have been involved. I’m just a guy who executed it. The big props go to Wieden+Kennedy for having a big idea and a big set of brass balls along with Chrysler to make it happen. The copy was amazing, really beautiful. The commercial didn’t have the comedy or special effects you expect to find in the Super Bowl. Instead it just had a lot of heart, which broke through the ad clutter and stood out, especially in a business as insincere as ours can be at times.”
That deeper meaning indeed struck a responsive chord with audiences, and with John Leverence, sr. VP, awards, of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. When asked by SHOOT to assess the field of 2011 Emmy nominees, Leverence said of the “Born of Fire” commercial, “I very much enjoyed the sequence of approaching Detroit and first seeing its outer industrial ring, the smokestacks, depictions of industry–and then moving into the heart of the city which is beautiful in terms of its architecture. The commercial zeroed in on the beauty of Detroit’s depression era architecture–the WPA mural of guys working in a factory, a depression era limestone building and so on. This commercial took us generations deep, providing a link between the first depression and the second one which we’re in now. We came out of the first stronger and we’ll do the same again.”
Lensing simplicity
Helping that message ring true was a simple filming approach. “I did the shoot with very minimal crew, no lights,” recalled director/DP Bayer. “Rather than shooting out of a camera car, we would drive down the streets of Detroit with a 35mm camera hanging out the side of a van. Something about that gave a look, feel and style of being organic and unrehearsed.”
“Born Of Fire” reaffirmed Bayer’s love for shooting what he directs. “I cannot imagine how most directors don’t get the joy of looking through the camera,” he said. “It’s half the fun of what we get to do. Shooting is a huge part of my DNA.”
This marks the third consecutive year that Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore., has won the primetime commercial Emmy Award (see separate story in this e.dition and/or on SHOOTonline). That bit of deja vu–also in relation to Wieden+Kennedy–has been experienced by Bayer but over a longer stretch of time.
“The last time I directed a spot that got as much attention as ‘Born Of Fire,’ said Bayer, “was fifteen or so years ago for Nike’s ‘If You Let Me Play’–that commercial too was conceived by Wieden+Kennedy, which is no coincidence. The spot featured girls talking about what the opportunity to play sports would mean to them.
“The two commercials, fifteen years apart, share a common bond,” continued Bayer. “Each is kind of revolutionary in its deconstruction, of being different from the norm. And both spots had a great deal of heart.”
