In what’s become an annual tradition, SHOOT checks in with John Leverence, VP, awards, for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), to get his TV entertainment perspective on the commercials nominated for the primetime spot Emmy.
As earlier reported (SHOOT, 8/6-19, p. 1), there were six nominated spots: United Airlines’ "Interview," directed by Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis of Acme Filmworks, Hollywood, for Fallon, Minneapolis; Citibank’s "Outfit," helmed by Kevin Thomas of Thomas Thomas Films, London, also via Fallon; Budweiser’s "Born A Donkey" from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), San Francisco, and directed by GS&P’s Jeff Goodby; Saturn’s "Door Music," helmed by Mark Romanek of bicoastal Anonymous Content for GS&P; OfficeMax’s "Rubberband Man," directed by Anonymous Content’s David Kellogg for DDB Chicago; and Miller Lite’s "Dominoes," helmed by Fredrik Bond of bicoastal/ international Morton Jankel Zander for Young & Rubicam, Chicago.
Leverence observed that the entertainment quotient is high in this year’s field, citing as examples the shared dynamics in "Interview" and "Born A Donkey." At first look, these two spots would seem to be quite the opposite with "Interview" being a tour de force animation piece set to the tune of George Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue," and "Born A Donkey" being an animal-driven comedic ad.
But for Leverence, both are "quest commercials." He described "Born A Donkey" as reminiscent of the end of Flashdance in which Jennifer Beals’ character auditions before judges at an arts academy. Similarly, the donkey auditions before the Budweiser Clydesdales. The audition performers don’t do what they’re supposed to, instead opting to cut loose—Beals in a sensually charged bit of choreography, and the donkey by braying.
Meanwhile, the drama plays out in "Interview" as our male protagonist goes through the ups and downs of trying to land a coveted job. "Instead of creating music to fit the commercial, the commercial seemed crafted to fit the Gershwin music—complementing the feeling of depression when the man [notices] his [mismatched] shoes, and when he later thinks the interview didn’t go well," said Leverence. "And then the music dovetails perfectly with that moment of exultation when he learns from a phone call that he got the job."
Also on an aural note, Saturn’s "Door Music" offered an added level of relevance with the "music" consisting of and underscoring "the world of possibilities out there whereby your car doors can get banged," said Leverence. "It made an amusing yet real case for getting a dent-resistant Saturn."
Citibank also successfully deployed clever humor, said Leverence, but for a serious subject: identity theft. As for the "Dominoes" effect on Leverence, he noted that the spot’s appeal was its big production value, with people falling like dominoes throughout a city.
And finally, "Rubberband Man" passed the entertainment litmus test. "I could enjoy looking at it over and over again," related Leverence. "There was so much going on in that commercial. It wasn’t just this guy going around and distributing office supplies. He hands off what looks like a secret package to one person, while stocking a medicine cabinet as another person haphazardly uses a paper cutter. Every time there was an opportunity to tell you a story, it was told."
