Cinematic-style spots promoting the San Francisco Giants’ 2009 season humorously play homage to classic film genres, wittily incorporating elements of Major League Baseball, including Giants star players.
In “Interrogation” for example, we see mobster types in a meat locker/freezer seemingly about to lay into an unseen victim. One of the gangsters picks up a baseball bat, proclaiming, “Okay hotshot–let’s find out how tough you are.”
We see the bat being swung, hear grunts and multiple sounds of impact. The camera then reveals that the mob guy who we thought was doling out punishment is instead being punished–by Giants ace pitcher and last year’s Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who is throwing pitch after pitch right by the would be batter. The baseballs are hitting hanging sides of beef, leaving a bloody imprint on the balls and the surroundings. Lincecum then summons in Giants closer Brian Wilson to “finish off” the hitter.
All the spots in the campaign–out of S.F. agency Swirl–carry the tagline, “Let’s play. Your Giants are in town.”
Brian Bacino, exec creative director for Swirl, directed the commercials via Dwyer Productions, Sausalito, Calif. Mark Dwyer exec produced with Andy Lilien serving as DP. San Francisco’s Ntropic contributed VFX (i.e., the meat-and-blood splattering in “Interrogation”), editorial and sound design to the campaign.
Ntropic creative director Nathan Robinson and Jay Herda (brought in from David Editorial) collaborated on the edit.
Bacino headed a Swirl creative team that also included creative director/copywriter Steve Anacker and art directors James Phillips and Brandon de Jong.
AIRLINER, AAPD TAKE FLIGHT WITH SPOT AWARD
American Airlines is partnering with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) to create an award honoring the best U.S. TV commercials featuring positive portrayals of people with disabilities. Together, the two organizations will support and recognize the efforts put forth by companies that feature disabled people in their TV advertising in creative and compelling ways.
The contest, set to begin in July, is scheduled to run for several weeks. Companies and agencies will be able to submit their commercials, which will be judged by a panel of experts to determine the best of the group. The final winner will receive a month of free advertising airtime on the American Airlines in-flight entertainment system, making the winning commercial visible to the tens of thousands of travelers the airline serves each day.
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS….
Superfad (L.A., N.Y., Seattle, London)–home to a coterie of talent spanning designers, artists and directors who contribute to TV, web and print work–has brought exec producer Harshal Sisodia aboard to intensify its involvement in the interactive space. isodia was initially a producer for R/GA, then a sr. producer for Crispin Porter+Bogusky and most recently served in that same capacity at Team One. In his new role, he will work closely with agencies and clients to produce media agnostic strategic content…..Editor Jim Rubino has joined the editorial division of Fluid, N.Y. He has worked over the years at such N.Y. shops as Chemistry, Madhouse and Bender. His spot credits include Maybelline, Speed Stick, e*Trade, Olay and Fidelity. He has also cut two features: LBS, a Sundance Fest entry; and Slingshot, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival….
