What do you give a man who has everything? A Gibson guitar–at least according to “Empress.” Set in a palace in India where a celebration for the emperor is in full swing, the :30 finds the emperor’s wife lavishing him with all sorts of amazing gifts, including a portrait of himself, a treasure chest full of gold jewelry and a vintage car. But her efforts are not appreciated–the emperor isn’t impressed with any of these presents.
The spoiled man does perk up when he spies the gorgeous Gibson being played by one of the musicians hired to entertain during the festivities. Seeing that her husband covets the instrument, the empress strides over to the band member, strips him of his guitar (a Gibson Les Paul Standard in heritage cherry sunburst), then presents it to the emperor, who is clearly pleased with this gift.
This isn’t the first time that Minneapolis-based Carmichael Lynch has posited the idea that a Gibson guitar makes a great gift for the man in your life. Last year, the agency created a commercial in which a dad quizzes his daughter to ensure that she will be able to point out to her mother the exact Gibson guitar he is dying to receive as a present.
While memorable, that spot was low-key in tone and execution. “This year, we wanted to do something that was less reality-based and more rock ‘n roll and over the top,” Carmichael Lynch chief creative officer Peter McHugh shared, noting that the agency didn’t want the spot to get lost in the shuffle of other ads in the high-end gift-giving category–think jewelry and cars. (FYI: A Gibson guitar can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to up to $15,000 or more depending on which model you buy.)
Certainly, “Empress” won’t get lost in the shuffle–the colorful, vibrant spot, which ran for a few weeks prior to Valentine’s Day and will air again just before Father’s Day, features an elephant, fire-eaters and dancing girls, after all.
From the outset of the project, it was known that the commercial had to be shot in India to attain the most authentic look and feel, so the agency sought a director who knew the culture and the country. McHugh said he immediately thought of director/writer Gurinder Chadha. In addition to Bend It Like Beckham, Chadha’s credits include the Bollywood meets Hollywood extravaganza Bride and Prejudice.
But would they be able to get her? McHugh didn’t even know if the filmmaker was interested in directing commercials.
As it turns out, she was. The agency discovered that Great Guns USA in Venice, Calif., reps Chadha for spot work in the U.S. Chadha liked the “Empress” brief, and the timing was right as she was in between film projects and able to take on the assignment, which marked her first foray into advertising.
Given her contacts in India, Chadha was up-and-running before even setting foot in the country. “There were people there that she knew, so she had a head start on casting and set design and set building and all that,” McHugh enthused.
Once in India, Chadha and DP Sanjay Gupta shot “Empress” in two days on a soundstage in Karjat, which is about an hour outside of Mumbai. The soundstage was transformed into an opulent, palatial space by production designer Nitan Daisi, who is at the top of his field in India. “He builds palaces all the time for Bollywood movies,” Chadha remarked.
Carmichael Lynch executive creative director Andy Clarke was on hand for the shoot and marveled at Chadha’s abilities to manage what was a circus of sorts. In addition to a crew and an elephant, Chadha oversaw not only the main cast but also 90 extras, including 18 dancers, two fire breathers and 10 band members.
Thankfully, she speaks Hindi.
Incidentally, fans of Bollywood films will recognize Raj Zutshi, one of the main characters in “Empress.” Cast as a court official in the commercial, Zutshi is a popular Bollywood star with more than 30 films to his credit.
Another of Chadha’s great finds was Mithun Pujari, who plays the guitarist in the spot. He is indeed a musician, playing with a band called Pin Drop Violence that has quite a following in Mumbai, according to Chadha. Pujari was a crucial figure in the spot. “We needed someone who would make the guitar look good,” Chadha said.
Pujari came up with the blistering guitar riff he plays in “Empress.” His impressive work was later incorporated into a track for the spot composed by Oliver Davis of Aardvark Sound in London. Davis was asked to create a rock ‘n roll track with tinges of Indian influences, McHugh recalled, noting it was a challenging task. “He had to find the right musical vibe that reflected where [the spot was set] but wasn’t all sitars. It had to feature a guitar, and it had to have some edge to it.”
Andy Spivey of Speade Ltd., London, cut “Empress.” Clarke said that the spot came together fairly easily in the editing room because “the story was there.”
While many of the talents involved in the creation and making of “Empress” are spot veterans, it was a new kind of gig for Chadha. Asked how the making of her first commercial compares with moviemaking, Chadha said it was refreshing. “I could relax and just concentrate on one set and one scene and not have to worry about another fifteen sets or a hundred other scenes, or months of shooting ahead,” she mused.
DGA Feature Nominees: Audiard, Baker, Berger, Corbet and Mangold
The field of feature nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards spanning two categories is set. Nominated for the DGA honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 are: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.
The DGA also revealed the nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The first-time narrative feature directors are: Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light, Megan Park for My Old Ass, RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfdan Ullman Tondel for Armand, and Sean Wang for Diddy.
“2024 has been a truly extraordinary year for storytelling--and today’s nominees have created audacious and unique films that expand the possibilities of cinematic excellence,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement and what makes these nominations so very special.”
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 8.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees in both DGA Award categories:
THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 (in alphabetical order):
JACQUES AUDIARD
Emilia Pérez
(Netflix)
SEAN... Read More