A rundown of SPW's top 35 videos of the year
By A SHOOT Staff Report
LOS ANGELES & WESTPORT, CT --The most viewed videos of 2017 posted to the SHOOT Publicity Wire (SPW) span comedy, vehicular performance, a behind-the-scenes breakdown of VFX creation for a major feature film, an inspired parody, a website for custom valentines, even a tribute to a school’s “whole-brain” approach to engineering, among other varied fare.
The most viewed SPW video of 2017 was “Mama’s Got Bump,” the #loveyourbodyday short from Moms You’d Like to Friend (MYLF). The video hit the ground running, amassing 3.9 million views on Facebook alone in its first week. Directed by Cat Deakins and Masha Sapron, written by Sapron, shot by Deakins and cut by Daniel Luna of Union Editorial, the video celebrates postpartum bodies as it parodies Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” (with vocal by Quin Walters).
Taking second place in the rundown was the show open for HLN’s Primetime Justice with Ashleigh Banfield, featuring a soundtrack from Stephen Arnold Music. Underscoring Banfield’s expertise, the strong musical theme is driven by distinctive strings, horns and assertive percussion that perfectly captured the spirit of Primetime Justice.
Third in the SPW video view derby was a comedy campaign for Georgia-based US Auto Sales, conceived by Atlanta creative boutique Nine Mile Circle. The spots feature wrestling legend Rick Flair as an over-the-top flimflamming used car salesman. Flair portrays the proprietor of Papa Flair’s Used Cars, deploying tactics such as body slamming his hapless customers. US Auto Sales is offered as an alternative for people who’d rather avoid the arm twisting and stereotypical badgering from a shady used car dealer.
Finishing fourth in video views was a Chevrolet Camaro short film in which the Camaro takes on an AI-powered car. The human driver behind the wheel of the Camaro finds a way to beat the odds and win against the futuristic vehicle. Chevrolet, The Mill and Epic Games teamed to present this short titled The Human Race.
Taking fifth place was a WWE 2K18 video game ad from ad agency barrettSF. The “Vandal” spot focuses on the future by disrespecting the past, carrying the tagline “Be Like No One.” The star on the videogame cover is Seth Rollins, a wrestler who couldn’t care less about the past; in fact, he’s burning it to the ground. Rollins is a dynamic in-ring architect, charismatic leader and fan-favorite WWE personality. Showcasing him created a unique opportunity to elevate the next generation of WWE Superstars by rebelling against rather than embracing the company’s storied history.
The sixth slot in our SPW tally went to promo fare for NerdWallet, a personal finance resource that helps consumers find the best credit card offfers, insurance, and other financial products. This is part of the first-ever national campaign showcasing NerdWallet’s intuitive, data-driven options. Created by Blackbelt and Anonymous Content director Casey Storm, the humor-driven digital and broadcast campaign is titled “Nothing Beats Knowing.”
Seventh place was taken by A Different Way of Thinking, a film produced by Mode Project. A Different Way of Thinking, produced for the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University, explores the school’s unique “whole-brain” approach to engineering, which was honored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) with a gold award from its Circle of Excellence competition.
Earning eighth place was Alfa Romeo’s “Dear Predictable” in which a driver says goodbye to “predictable,” meaning every other luxury sedan. In doing so, she says hello to the Alfa Romeo Giulia which she appreciates for more than just its beauty, falling in love with the car’s power and soul-stirring performance, delivering a permanent escape from monotony.
Finishing ninth was a video breaking down the visual effects created by Rising Sun Pictures for X-Men: Apocalypse. A prime focus is the electrifying scene where Quicksilver (Evan Peters) uses his hyper-speed ability to rescue students from an exploding mansion.
And rounding out the SPW video Top Ten was this piece introducing Snuggle Serenades whereby folks can create their own video valentines by visiting a special website. The custom valentines can be made for that special someone and feature unique performances from the brands iconic mascot, Snuggle Bear.
Here’s a rundown of the year’s 35 most viewed videos on the SHOOT Publicity Wire for 2017 (click title to view video):
- Mama’s Got Bump
- CNN HLN “Primetime Justice” with Ashleigh Banfield
- Papa Flair’s Used Cars
- The Human Race | Camaro | Chevrolet
- WWE 2K18’s ”Vandal”
- NerdWallet’s “Nothing Beats Knowing”
- A Different Way of Thinking
- Alfa Romeo’s “Dear Predictable”
- Rising Sun Pictures X-Men: Apocalypse VFX Breakdowns Quicksilver Extraction
- Snuggle Serenades
- Bebe Rexha – I Got You ft. Aqualillies | Dance Video
- ABC’s “Downward Dog” Official Trailer
- Illinois Office of Tourism’s “Are you up for amazing?”
- “Comic Strip” 010 Season 1
- 2017 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS Awards Show Package
- What’s new in Shōgun 1.1
- “2017 Detroit Lions Uniform Reveal”
- McDonald’s “My Place”
- “Spelling” – The Stanley Cup Final
- “The Myles Yachts Project”
- "Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television: Main Title
- Starkist's 'Action Candace" TV Commercial
- "Zero Weeks” Trailer
- EditShare’s Lightworks v14 – Quick Start Guide
- H&M Conscious Foundation Video
- ESPN’s Pop-Art Style Game Promos Featuring NBA Stars Stephen Curry and Lonzo Ball
- Visit Seattle | Sundance Project Five by Five | Jimi Could Have Fallen from the Sky (Terence Nance)
- HISTORY Image Spot out of 2C Creative
- Motion Graphics Packages: NHL Awards Show and NHL Expansion Draft Presented by T-Mobile
- HEWLOGRAM – sci-fi comedy short starring David Hewlett author: Zazil Media Group
- Down the Rabbit Hole
- WWE 2K18 “Be Like No One”
- Motion Poems
- Amway Atmosphere Sky
- Dairy Farmers of Canada “Mia and Morton”
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More