DDB Chicago and director Jesse Dylan of Wondros tap persuasive celebrities to motivate prospective GED recipients in the comical new :60 PSA “GED Pep Talk Center” for Ad Council, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and YourGED.org. The PSA, for broadcast and in-cinema release, features celebs working at a fictitious GED Pep Talk Call Center, where they each give test takers their own brand of pep talk.
The pep talkers are Jerry Stiller, Danny Trejo, Ron Perlman, DMC and Chris Lloyd to name a few–all of whom were chosen for their unique communication styles to provide varying levels of encouragement, from subtle to fierce, to those in need of a little motivation. The website allows visitors to adjust a slider to control the strength of their pep talk, varying from “Gentle” to “Extreme.” The range goes from sweet TV mom Debra Jo Rupp (That 70s Show) to tough guy Trejo.
While comedy is the means chosen for this PSA, the subject matter is serious. Some 89 percent of American businesses require applicants to have at least a high school level of education; yet more than 35 million adults do not have their high school diploma. This campaign looks to provide the “push” needed for these people to get their GEDs.
The multi-media campaign provides resources for people find and sign up for free GED classes. In addition to the :60 spot and 13 online pep talks, there is also a hot-line with the option to choose the appropriate level; a special text service to get a celebrity call back and even an option for well-meaning family and friends to send a pep talk via Facebook to their loved ones.
Director Cassandra Brooksbank Joins Monument Content For Spots and Branded Content
Monument Content has signed director Cassandra “Cassie” Brooksbank for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She brings to her directing and storytelling the experience and skills of a writer, conceptual artist, editor and visual effects artist.
Her body of work as a director includes Pepsi’s “Selfie” featuring Lionel Messi amid a flurry of fans, Barclays madcap women’s Soccer League spot where she collaborated closely with the agency to develop the creative, ultimately winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sports Industry Awards, and a grass-roots campaign for Fellow Coffee. The latter just didn’t brew buzz; it helped raise $1.2 million on Kickstarter.
Prior to joining Monument Content, Brooksbank had been repped in the U.S. for commercials by production house Hey Wonderful.
On the long-form front, she is repped by CAA for film and television. And on the horizon is her debut feature, My Masterpiece, produced by Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions and backed by Amazon.
Read More