In "Bar," a Spanish-language Smirnoff Ice spot, two young men are standing at a bar in a nightclub, watching the swirling, dancing masses. One of them, pointing out a beautiful young woman who is talking with another man, claims he will end up dancing with the woman. He approaches the couple and begins a conversation with the man. "We’ve met before," he lies. Looking around, he spies a fish tank and gets an idea. "Did you ever scuba-dive in Bora Bora?"
"No, I don’t scuba-dive," he replies.
He sees a bottle sliding across the bar. It gives him another idea. "Perhaps it was when we were surfing one-hundred twenty-foot-high waves in Hawaii?" "No, I don’t surf." The questioner spies the print shirt of the bartender. It features a design that looks like a parachute. "Perhaps we parachuted together once?" "No, I don’t parachute."
All the while, the woman is watching and weighing the virtues of the two men. After that exchange, she changes partners and is seen dancing with the more "adventurous" man. The announcer offers the tag: "Make your move."
"Bar," directed by Diego Kaplan of Wasabi Films, Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a colorful, fast-paced spot, which, even without English subtitles or a translation, has a clear message: Smirnoff Ice drinkers are clever and quick-thinking. The commercial was created via Mendoza Dillon, Aliso Viejo, Calif., with production handled by America Films and Riot, Los Angeles. Mendoza Dillon, which has been in business for 22 years, has handled the Spanish-language advertising for Smirnoff for two years. (J. Walter Thompson, New York, is the holder of the account for the U.S. and worldwide markets). Other Mendoza Dillon clients include First Bank USA, Mission Foods, and Kia Motors.
"The spot follows the international strategy," explains Carlos Méndez, executive VP/chief creative officer at Mendoza Dillon. "It’s about going out and using your sharpness and cleverness to change the course of the night. We followed the same brief [as the general market spots]. We developed the concept of ‘Bar,’ which is the first one for the Hispanic market. The approach of the mainstream campaign is the same strategy, but has a different execution."
Initially, seven creatives at the shop came up with six scripts that carried a similar theme to the general market ads for the client. Out of that came four finalists that were test-marketed in Miami and Los Angeles. "Bar" was chosen as the inaugural spot. "We got similar reactions everywhere," Mendez recalls, citing the different Hispanic markets to which the spot needed to appeal: Cuban-American, Mexican, and Puerto Rican. "We were looking for a certain homogeneity so we could use it nationwide. We were looking for a common thread."
The agency called on Kaplan to direct based largely on his reel. Méndez says that he was also impressed by the helmer’s track record: Kaplan was selected for this year’s Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase at the Cannes International Advertising Festival. Additionally two Kaplan-helmed spots earned Lions at Cannes this year. Telecom Argentina’s "Boy" via Agulla & Baccetti, Buenos Aires, garnered a Silver Lion, while Nutrasweet’s "Fake," out of Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Buenos Aires, won a Bronze Lion.
"We were very fortunate to be able to use someone like Diego for this fast-paced spot, which required shoot-from-the-hip dialogue and in-your-face acting," says Diego Espana, VP/executive producer at Mendoza Dillon.
According to Méndez, Kaplan brought a great deal to the project. "He is a great director of talent and action," he notes. "He’s got the ability to storyboard very strong visual elements that underline the drama of a good script. He’s a great storyteller and he can combine high realism with humor. … He is a keen observer of things that happen in life. That helped in this spot."
Casting was crucial, as were concerns about language. The agency cast talent out of Mexico City and Buenos Aires, with very clear-cut requirements. The lead had to be able to deliver a great deal of dialogue very quickly. Plus, he had to be able to convey the "improvisations" of the character through looks and gestures. "The acting was very critical," Méndez says. The actors also could not speak with their native Argentinean, Mexican, or (in the case of the girl) Peruvian accents. They were coached to "flatten out" or "neutralize" their Spanish. "We had to find an international-sounding Spanish," explains Méndez.
The two-day shoot went smoothly, with Kaplan adding visual flourishes based on the location, a nightclub in Buenos Aires. After photography was completed, preliminary editing was done in Argentina, with the final work being done at C.J. Productions, Los Angeles. The music played an important role in the spot’s success. The soundtrack for "Bar" is "More," performed by the band Kinky. Long before the shoot, Méndez had heard the popular dance band in London. "The band is pretty hot," he says, "a mixture of rock with Brazilian rhythms and Mexican and Cuban music. Very hybrid, very exciting. The music is very important because it creates a lot of tension in the commercial. When the conversation is taking place, you hear the lyrics in the song, ‘I just want more, more, more.’ The music helped create the right atmosphere."
There is talk about follow-up TV spots, and more work with Kaplan but nothing definite. The agency is currently prepping a major radio campaign for Smirnoff that employs the same strategy. The radio spots are being written to work for television, as well. "[The concepts for both] are pretty visual," explains Méndez, "with the protagonist describing things. There is plenty of atmosphere."
"Tackling this strategy has been a real challenge for us," says Ingrid Otero-Smart, president/COO of Mendoza Dillon. "It engages the right target with a very clever message."
