This :30, conceived by San Francisco agency Goldberg Moser O’Neill (GMO) for software/communications company Sybase, opens with a woman’s voice that asks: "Do your internal and external information systems talk to each other?"
A male voice responds: "I can without any problem whatsoever tell you there are systems that cannot talk with one another."
A supered caption tells us that the man speaking is from a Fortune 500 company. Accompanying the voices is a striking mix of graphics, animation and live action. The visuals, which include sound waves, match the vocal patterns.
Revealing how confused he and his company are about communications technology, the man’s voice continues: "Let me start answering this question all over again as I re-think my answer. Ask me the question again if you would."
This recorded response, completely off-the-cuff and unrehearsed, attests to the fact that this Fortune 500 firm’s computer/communications systems are woefully inadequate. The feedback from the executive represents what GMO describes as being an "anti-testimonial."
The remedy is offered by a closing voiceover which states: "Ask about Sybase enterprise portals. The information you need, when and where you need it. Sybase—because you should know better."
Bicoastal/international production and design house the Attik created the visuals. Under the aegis of president/executive producer William Travis, an Attik team matched the sound patterns to graphics and animation that synchronize precisely to the voice and stress tones. "As the interviewee becomes more agitated, the graphics become more intense," related Travis. "When he pauses, the sound waves collapse. Using the waves as a base element, we enhanced the visuals to create the singular and unusual graphic animations."
Attik creative director/director/designer Simon Dixon added that his shop "created a rather dark environment that introduces the possibility that these animations could also reflect the person’s thought patterns. We shot images of a man that we incorporated into the environment to further validate the reality and integrity of the questioning."
The Attik contingent included Travis, Dixon, designers Aporva Baxi, Stan Zienka, Monica Perez, Jon Thompson and Kent Oberhue, senior producer Scott Boyajan and associate producer Karim Jundi. DP was Michael Maley. The live action was lensed on the Custer Avenue Stages, San Francisco. The Attik deployed Adobe After Effects with ElectricImage for the graphics.
The creative ensemble at GMO consisted of creative director Brian O’Neill, group creative director/copywriter Jim Noble, associate creative director/copywriter Brian Quennell, art director Genji Handa and senior producer Kimberly Grear.
The spot was edited by Kerie Kimbrell at Pomegranit, San Francisco. Colorist was Billy Gabor of Company 3, Santa Monica. Simon Brewster of Area 52, Los Angeles, was the Inferno artist. Audio mixer was Robert Feist of RavensWork, Venice, Calif. Sound designer was Stephen Dewey of Machine Head, Venice.
"Talk" is airing in New York.
