ANONYMOUS, BBE SHARE AWKWARD MOMENTS
Bicoastal Anonymous Content, in partnership with Broadband Enterprises (BBE), made another foray into original online content with the launch of the Anatomy of a Socially Awkward Situation (ASAS) website (www.awkwardsituation.com) for Toyota, which debuted with a series of entertaining episodes that provided tongue-in-cheek solutions to the most awkward of social situations.
“This project demonstrates how advertising is changing. Our intention wasn’t so much to create an ad as it was to create stand alone entertainment. Each episode is like a mini-TV show that happens to also have a relationship to an advertiser, in this case to support the Toyota Corolla launch, which uses comedy as a platform to connect with customers,” said Anonymous’ Sorrel Ahlfeld who directed all five episodes and teamed with screenwriter John Krokidas on the creation and penning of the series.
The fictitious Dr. Phillip P. Nolte, the series’ clinical and earnest host, presented us with five hilarious social faux pas. In The Name Game, Josh had to introduce his friends to an overly friendly co-worker whose name he can’t quite remember. Baby Busted found a bachelor congratulating a newly plump bikini clad neighbor on her pregnancy only to discover she’s not pregnant. Road Rage examined the awkward moment when you realize that the person you cut off in the parking lot is now conducting your job interview. I Love You Not illustrates the relationship perils of uttering a premature “I love you,” and Bro Shake instructs on how to recover from a bungled “bro” handshake.
Ahlfeld and Krokidas conceived of ASAS as an original production and, after partnering with Anonymous Content and BBE, the project evolved into a piece for Toyota via its ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi LA and integration agency Brand Arc with BBE onboard to distribute it across its network of 2000-plus sites.
AARDMAN CHANNELS ENERGY ON YOUTUBE
Bristol, U.K.-headquartered studio Aardman Animations has joined forces with YouTube to launch another Aardman branded channel, Aardman’s ‘Darkside’ www.youtube.com/aardmansdarkside. The online channel will offer a selection of some of the company’s more surreal comedies and shorts including Rex the Runt, The Adventures of Jeffrey, A Town Called Panic and Angry Kid.
This deal comes on the heels of Aardman’s first YouTube branded channel. The Aardman Channel www.youtube.com/aardman offers world-class animation from the Oscar-winning studio, including Wallace and Gromit: Cracking Contraptions, Creature Comforts and Morph.
These two new channels expand the reach of Aardman’s roster of animated properties on new digital media platforms, with programming already available on iTunes, Hulu, Joost, Atom Films and a number of online and mobile platforms in the UK and internationally.
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS…. Anna Lowe has joined Durham, N.C.-based ad agency McKinney as interactive art director. Previously with Ultra Star (now Artist Nation) in New York, Lowe was lead art director for the Jonas Brothers’ interactive fan community. She was also part of a groundbreaking campaign to bring classic acts like AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Genesis, and The Who to a new generation of fans. Prior to working in the music industry, Lowe worked on assorted disciplines–from large-scale e-commerce sites to reality TV shows…..Smoke & Mirrors New York has hired CG supervisor Michael Donovan. He has lent his talent to such brands as LG, GE, Visine, Upper Deck, Verizon, Schick and Gillette. Donovan earlier worked as a CG supervisor at Spontaneous in New York. Before that, Donovan served as a TD at Quiet Man, New York….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More