Shortly after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, Massimo Martinotti, Florida chapter president of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), recalls going to a mall in Miami and finding it nearly deserted. "I thought something should be done to bring people back to life and back to business," explains Martinotti, who is also president/executive producer of Mia Films, which has offices in Miami, Barcelona, Spain, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Milan, Costa Rica, and Mexico City. So, as a result, the AICP subsequently invited Florida advertising agencies to submit proposals for a PSA campaign that would help inspire people to get back on track and back to the business of everyday life. The AICP received responses from 13 shops.
"We explained our plan to make a commitment to bring people back to life, to do what people in Florida usually do—going out to dinner, buying things—and also not talking just about the attack but going back to business," Martinotti explains. "Agencies showed big enthusiasm. Some sent many campaigns because several creative teams at one agency wanted to participate."
After much deliberation, the panel of six judges, which consisted of members of tourism, film, and business organizations, chose the submission from ad agency Publicis/Sanchez & Levitan, Miami, and the AICP produced the :30 PSA, entitled "Get Back to Life." Egon Stephan, Jr., of Native Films, Miami, directed the spot. The color correction was done by Leonardo Stagano of Cineworks Digital Studios, Miami; the ad was edited by freelancer Augustine Rexach out of Cineworks. Audio and sound design were done by Jaime Cardona of Music a la Carte, Miami. Continental Film & Video Laboratory, Miami, processed the film.
The agency was very pleased to have its ideas selected for the project. "We were elated," says Fausto Sanchez, president/chief creative director at Publicis/ Sanchez & Levitan. "The announcement came at a time when most Americans were experiencing a sense of castration—not being able to do something about the [situation created by] Sept. 11. Then, when we learned that our work would be used for a public service campaign to, indirectly, combat terrorism, we felt proud, as Americans. It is important to point out that it was a team of Hispanic Americans that worked on this assignment, representing the new multicultural fabric of our country." The creative team that contributed to the ad comprises: Sanchez, associate creative director Ignacio Valle-Garcia, art director Marc Rosello, copywriter Mario Berguiristain and producer Caridad Ravelo.
According to Ravelo, who is also the broadcast manager at Publicis/Sanchez & Levitan, the goal of the spot is "reassuring our in-state consumers, business partners, and industry sectors that Florida is a flourishing, pro-growth, pro-technology, pro-business state."
The spot itself is a simple, no-frills representation of such an idea. It begins with shots of an empty beach, a vacant restaurant, a rider-less roller coaster. The sound of a ticking clock and a lonely wind plays over the images, and a voiceover says, "We can’t let them scare us into living empty lives."
Music then begins to play, and the emptiness gives way to a crowded amusement park, people eating al fresco, and the urban pulse of a busy street. Over this, viewers are told, "Get back to business. Get back to life."
There are two versions of the spot, one in English and one in Spanish. While produced by AICP/Florida, Ravelo says that Publicis/Sanchez & Levitan was involved in every step of the production process, from selecting the director, to supervising the shooting and the postproduction process at Cineworks Digital Studios. Of course, only Florida-based directors were considered, for as Ravelo points out, "This campaign is to promote business within our own state."
Selection Process
The entire process was remarkably fast—"quick but fascinating," according to Ravelo. Jeff Peel, the director of the Miami-Dade Mayor’s Office of Film & Entertainment, and a member of the state’s film and entertainment advisory council, served as a judge in the selection process, and recalls that "within three days after the 11th,the AICP was already in gear to deal with this in some sort of way. … Within two weeks after the 11th, advertising agencies were given seven days to respond [with submissions] and that turned around and within another ten days it was produced. It was really fast, and I guess it’s a testament to what people can do if they’re motivated."
The entries from agencies were judged by Peel, who was there as a representative of the Governor’s Office on Film and Entertainment, Bill Randall, owner/director at AFI/Filmworks, and a member of the AICP; Robert Taglaraino, president of the Greater Miami Advertising Federation; Ann Patrick, director of marketing for Enterprise Florida, the state’s public/private economic development agency, based in Jacksonville, Fla; George Neary, head of cultural tourism for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Gloria Calzada, a morning new anchor on the Telemundo Network.
It was no easy task to choose from all 13 submissions, most of which, according to Martinotti, were very good. Peel says that the judging panel did use some specific criteria to make their job a little easier. "We realized we were likely to get a limited amount of airtime, and therefore we wanted something pretty powerful, that wouldn’t take a lot of repetition with people. … We had a lot of really good entries, but some of them were more a feel-good piece, like ‘Hey, we’ll get through this, everything’s okay,’ and we thought that was a little bit soft."
Additionally, Peel says that the spot had to be able to work in both English and Spanish. "Beyond that, it was our own individual viewpoints," he says. "You know, what really caught us, what jumped out. … I think at the end of the whole process we were all very much in agreement that the one we chose was the right one."
Martinotti felt Publicis/Sanchez & Levitan’s submission was especially striking because its point is exactly right. "The main concept is that if people just don’t live, the terrorists will win," he explains. "Living normally is a way of demonstrating we are much stronger. That’s the key point: we can’t live in fear."
Air Time
The PSA previewed Nov. 1 at the Florida debut of AICP’s 10th annual Art & Technique of the American Television Commercial event, and was well received, according to Martinotti. The spot was set to break shortly before Thanksgiving. Peel says at a recent meeting of the State Film Advisory Council, a member of the Florida Association of Broadcasters volunteered to try to get as much airtime as possible. "I think the rest of the people around the table were thinking about ways to get it on the air as well," Peel relates.
Hopefully, the PSA will help encourage Floridians to get back to business—Peel says that film production is off approximately 50 percent from last year this time. Martinotti does feel that the state is starting to recover, and says that the "mood is much better. We have the climate to help us feel better, but it’s still a difficult moment for the country, and for the economy…"
While it doesn’t have any plans for another PSA in this vein, the AICP chapter intends to try to foster commercial production in the state through other means, such as a future Web site called Task Force Florida. "The idea is to be able to communicate to potential clients, in the United States, but also in Europe and Latin America, that Florida is more cost-friendly," Martinotti explains. "We are managing to reduce the rates in Florida, we are thinking between ten and thirty percent to encourage people to come and shoot in Florida."
Peel’s office is sending letters to its client list and "addressing in a factual way what we think the issues are, and trying to allay fears people might have."
Martinotti, a native of Italy, maintains a firm confidence in the wonders of his adopted state, and encourages people to "take advantage not only of the climate, which is great, but also of the [commercial] industry, which is quite spectacular. Florida has many excellent production companies, directors from everywhere and also post houses, music companies, special effects companies. And it’s not only Miami. It’s a big state, with a huge amount of different locations."
No matter how much or how little airtime "Get Back to Bus- iness" ends up getting, those involved in the production gained a valuable experience. "This project was a demonstration of professionalism and love," states Ravelo. "I am very proud."
