Creative directors Jan Jacobs and Leo Premutico joined Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, in May, from the London office of the agency. Since pairing up in 2003, Jacobs, an art director, and Premutico, a copywriter, have had much success. They are the creative minds behind “Ventriloquist,” a moving spot for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). The ad, which won a Gold Lion at this year’s Cannes International Advertising Festival–as well as a Gold Clio, and an ANDY Award–was directed by Daniel Kleinman, via now defunct Large. (Kleinman has since opened Kleinman Productions, London.) The haunting spot, which seeks to raise awareness of abused children, effectively shows the stranglehold abusers have over their victims by presenting Sally, the abused little girl, as a ventriloquist’s dummy. Throughout her day, when questioned, she either doesn’t speak, or speaks words from her puppet master, who in actuality is her abuser. The tagline: “Abused children can’t speak up.”
Other work from Premutico and Jacobs includes a two-spot package for erotic boutique Coco de Mer. The ads, “Soup Kitchen” and “Student,” were directed by Tom Vaughn of HLA, London, and feature earnest people talking about goals they hope to accomplish. For instance, in “Student,” a rather dowdy-looking young woman explains why she’s staying late at the library–she plans to get top grades on her exams, which will help her in getting her masters degree, at which point she’ll be ready to conquer the corporate world, rising to global group chairman–at which point, she notes “all the boys will want to have sex with me.” The premise being that the reason behind everything is good sex, a mission that can be aided by the products at Coco de Mer.
While the NSPCC work and the Coco de Mer spots take vastly different approaches, both have one aspect in common, notes Jacobs. “With all of our ideas, we try to put [forth] real human truths, and I think that’s what makes work good and interesting,” he explains. In the case of Coco de Mer, adds Premutico, the idea was that “there’s a dark side to motivation.”
In the case of “Ventriloquist” and the Coco de Mer fare, the choice of director was important to the success of each spot. Both Jacobs and Premutico praise Vaughn for his ability to elicit great performances from the actors, while Kleinman aided in getting the visuals for “Ventriloquist” across–it was Kleinman who recommended the modelmakers who created the dummy of the little girl. “When you talk about a standard of director like that,” explains Premutico of Kleinman, “part of the reason you end up with a great product is largely because of them, and their individual ability, but also because of the people they surround themselves with–which is so vital because in a TV spot, you’re relying on more than just the director’s interpretation of the script.”
Currently, the Saatchi pair is working on its first TV project for the U.S.: a trio of spots for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Verb” campaign aimed at getting young kids to be more active. Chris Palmer of Gorgeous Enterprises, London, is directing the package. (Palmer is repped stateside via bicoastal Anonymous Content.) Premutico relates that he and Jacobs look for “someone who can take our script to the next level” when seeking out directors. Both Jacobs and Premutico note that they are interested in working with directors who will participate in the edit and post process, much like directors in the U.K. and elsewhere work.
IDEA SHOP
Before joining Saatchi & Saatchi, London, Jacobs was a group creative director at Bozell, New York; he’s also done stints at TBWA Hunt Lascaris, Johannesburg, and Ogilvy & Mather RSTM, Johannesburg. Premutico worked at Cloenso BBDO Auckland, and agency BMF, Sydney, prior to joining Saatchi & Saatchi. While in London, the pair worked under Tony Granger, who was executive creative director at the shop. He left the London office in late 2004 to assume the role of chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, and later offered Jacobs and Premutico their current positions. “It’s a good fit,” explains Premutico. “We like new challenges and new objectives in terms of trying to change an agency. What we’re trying to achieve here is to help the agency become more of a creative hot shop.”
In addition to their creative duties, Jacobs serves as head of art for the New York office, while Premutico is spearheading Saatchi initiatives in cultivating young talent. For the latter, that means being involved in the hiring process. At the moment, Premutico reports that he has been concentrating on hiring from global advertising schools, although he does not rule out the possibility of one day seeking creatives from other places. “It’s worth exploring,” he relates, “especially because of how the ad game is changing at the moment. Clients are expecting a way more 360 [degree] offering from agencies.”
Jacobs notes that part of the appeal of Saatchi & Saatchi is its willingness to explore new opportunities. He also explains that in terms of thinking beyond the usual TV/print/radio/Web fare, “the underlying thinking of the work is what makes it good–not just blowing it across all mediums.” Jacobs believes directors and production companies will be assets in realizing new ideas, pointing to the fact that Palmer recently shot an ad with a cell phone camera.
“One of our discussions a couple of days ago with clients,” explains Premutico, “was in trying to get the idea to lead media rather than the media to lead and constrict our ideas. That’s one of the things we’re working on–to try to make the brand message the most important thing, and have no restrictions and to operate in fresh areas.”
