A pair of deadheads in bed, sound asleep. We hear a persistent, aggravating squeak, which turns out to be a wakeful hamster, running on a treadmill that is in serious need of WD-40. The pet’s early morning sprint, however, isn’t loud enough to rouse the man and woman from deep slumber.
The alarm clock on a bedside table goes off. It’s 9:18 a.m., but the blaring alarm also fails to rouse the young couple. In a nice aside, a framed photo of the hamster stands next to the clock. Clearly, this is not your typical household.
The treadmill and the clock are just openers in a barrage of nearby noises guaranteed to wake the dead—but not the sleepyheads. A newspaper delivery boy inadvertently activates a car alarm. A sanitation engineer bangs metal trashcans against the bin of a huge garbage truck. A worker feeds tree branches into a noisy mechanical shredding machine, turning the bark into mulch.
Finally, though, the couple meets its unlikely match. With a delicate "ping," a snowflake gently falls on the sill outside the bedroom window. Simultaneously, two pairs of eyes blink wide open. Instantly alert, the guy and gal spring out of bed.
Cut to the powder-white outdoors, where the man and woman are zooming around on snowmobiles. Over the driving beat of background music, a male voice declares: "Polaris. It’s not just a sled. It’s a priority."
Supered against the snowy backdrop is the word "Polaris," accompanied by the company logo and slogan: "The Way Out."
Jeff Gordon of bicoastal X-Ray Productions directed the :30 for Martin/ Williams Advertising, Minneapolis. The core creative team for Martin/Williams consisted of copywriter Mike Duckworth, art director Jeff Jahn and producer Stan Prinsen.
Cami Taylor and Carole Hughes executive produced for X-Ray. Michele Tamme was the line producer. The spot was shot by DP Richard Schaefer.
Offline editor was Mike Weldon of Channel Z, Minneapolis. Steve Medin of Crash & Sue’s, Minneapolis, served as online editor. Oscar Oboza of Hi-Wire, Minneapolis, was the colorist. Effects artist was Kurt Angell of Pixel Farm, Minneapolis.
Sound designer/audio mixer was Dale Goulett of Wow & Flutter, Minneapolis. Music was composed by Tom Lecher of Echo Boys, also Minneapolis.
