Getting short of breath on a first date might be a priority for a young, healthy male with raging hormones. But in this case, it kills romance before it even has a chance to begin.
In "Pete Nisserman,"—a client-direct :30 for the New York Sports Clubs (which has franchised into other East Coast markets, i.e. Philadelphia Sports Clubs)—a young man is about to embark on that great social adventure known as the blind date. He presses an intercom button on the front door of an apartment building. A woman answers, and he announces himself. "Hello, it’s Pete. Pete Nisserman." She responds, "4B."
With a bouquet of flowers in hand, Pete makes his way up four flights of stairs. By the time he reaches 4B, the ascent has taken its toll as he’s bent over at the waist and out of breath. He rings the doorbell. The door opens, revealing an attractive woman who introduces herself as Rachel.
Pete attempts to reciprocate, but though his mouth forms the words "Pete Nisserman," his gasping for air makes him sound more like an obscene phone caller. His out-of-breath utterance comically cuts off some key syllables from the Pete Nisserman moniker, resulting in what sounds like "P-nis, P-nis."
"What?" says an astounded Rachel, suspecting she’s drawn yet another nutso pervert from the blind date pool.
"P-nis," he replies.
"Get out, you freak!," she exclaims, slamming the door on Pete’s face.
Coughing and wretching, he finally is able to clearly blurt out his full name, Pete Nisserman, but it’s too late. Love has been lost.
The spot then cuts to the supered campaign slogan, "there’s a million reasons to join," followed by the New York Sports Club logo.
"Pete Nisserman" was creative directed, art directed, written and directed by C.J. Waldman, independently of his full-time role as a creative director at Lowe Lintas & Partners, New York. He helmed the spot—one of three in a new campaign—via bicoastal RSA USA. Producing for RSA was its New York-based executive producer Jim Czarnecki. John Perez was the DP.
"Pete Nisserman" was edited by Lucas Spaulding at MacKenzie Cutler, New York. Tim Masick of Moving Images, New York, was the colorist. The sound designer/ audio mixer was Marc Healy, also of MacKenzie Cutler.
Currently, "Pete Nisserman" is running regionally to promote the Sports Clubs in the New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia markets.
