As it turns out, a hallowed slice of Americana an inept boss supervising a far more capable employee isn’t exclusive to the U.S. workplace. In this Australian campaign for a job Web site (www.seek.com.au) directed by Tim Ward of Greatguns: USA, Venice, Calif., for Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney, we see that the Peter Principle clearly applies Down Under.
In “Surgeon,” we open on a hospital’s operating room with the head surgeon taking a pee in an adjoining bathroom. Failing to wash his already gloved hands, he then enters the operating room to perform surgery on a laid-out patient.
Complaining that the toilet doesn’t flush properly, he begins requesting surgical tools. First he calls for “a slicer.” His assistant properly refers to it as a scalpel. Next the head surgeon asks for “tongs.” The assistant says “forceps.” Finally the surgeon requests “bzzzzz.” The assistant translates that “technical” term into medical English: “burr-hole drill.”
The surgeon rests the drill on the patient. The drill then falls to the floor, causing the surgeon to go under the operating table to find it. “Be with you in a moment,” he tells the patient, who is sedated and can’t hear him anyway.
The assistant explains that to his boss, noting that the patient is “under a general.”
“Ah, a military man,” says the bent over, bumbling surgeon, who triumphantly notes that he found a dollar on the floor.
We then see a graphic rainbow extending from the assistant to where the surgeon should be at the head of the operating table. “Make luck happen” is the message carried by the rainbow.
An end tag contains the slogan, “Thousands of jobs, millions of opportunities,” accompanied by the Web site address, seek.com.au.
The other two spots in the campaign are cut from the same conceptual cloth. For instance, in “Dictation,” we see a corporate exec, who has no clue, giving dictation to his female secretary. As he stammers and yammers, unable to compose a single coherent sentence, the secretary composes a well-thought out piece of professional communication. Turns out the exec is the son of the company CEO. The secretary then reminds her boss, who’s chomping on a blueberry muffin, that he’s allergic to blueberries. The next shot shows red blotches appearing on his face. He asks if he’s broken out in an allergic reaction to which she says no. The rainbow leads from the secretary to the executive’s chair, underscoring that she is the one who deserves to be the boss. The seek.com address and slogan concludes the commercial.
The Saatchi creative team consisted of executive creative director David Nobay, copywriter Anthony Moss, art director Matt Gilmore, head of production Ali Grant and producer Julia Jackson.
Tom Korsan executive produced for Greatguns: USA. Head of production was Ellen Devine. Producer was Lizzy Nash of Sydney production services shop Walkabout Films. The DP was Anna Howard. Simon Dobbin was the production designer.
Editor was Stewart Reeves of Guillotine Editorial, Sydney.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More