Headquarters’ Philip Kates Directs.
CLIENT
Visa.
PRODUCTION CO.
Headquarters, bicoastal. Philip Kates, director; Christopher Soos, DP; Alex Blum, partner/executive producer; Tom Mooney, partner/director of sales; Andrew Denyer, head of production; Sydney Artman, line producer; Rob Perkins, production supervisor. Shot on location.
AGENCY
BBDO New York. Charlie Miesmer, vice chairman/senior executive creative director; Jimmy Siegel, senior VP/creative director; Kathleen Vanhoff, copywriter; Vann Graves, art director; Steve Torrisi, producer.
EDITORIAL
Crew Cuts, bicoastal. Chuck Willis, editor; Colin Wolf and Chris Keenan, assistant editors.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Nice Shoes, New York. Scott Burch, colorist; Eric Gelgand and Ed Skupeen, online editors. Quiet Man, New York. Francois Berlowitch, designer.
AUDIO POST
East Side Audio, New York. Tom Jucarone, mixer.
MUSIC
Rocket Music, New York. Philip Ashley, composer/arranger.
BY CAROLYN GIARDINA
The latest Visa spot features The Attic, a vintage-clothing store in Las Vegas where “the only thing that’s out of style is using American Express.” It’s a fun, young, fast-paced spot with a hip song that lists items in the store–“Leisure suits, go-go-boots, feathered hats … ”–mixed with rapid cuts of customers trying on the apparel and accessories.
What was not known during the shoot was that “The Attic” would break during the final episode of Seinfeld, hyped as the TV event of the year.
Jimmy Siegel, senior VP/creative director at BBDO New York said the agency selected this spot for the Seinfeld time-slot because it was fun and a lot of people in their 20s watch the show. “We thought it would do well,” he said.
“The Attic” was directed by bicoastal Headquarters’ Philip Kates; this was his first directing assignment for BBDO. It begins with a retro pink convertible screeching to a stop in front of the funky thrift shop, and then moves into the store–the spot was shot on location–where the fast-moving collage begins. Hipsters try on decades’ worth of clothes, from flapper dresses to saddle shoes, to hip-huggers, leisure suits and disco duds. Music by Philip Ashley of New York-based Rocket Music, which matches the rapid-fire cuts, complements the spot’s offbeat humor.
Kates explained that he went for a “fun, quirky, hip kind of look, obviously very colorful. … It was important to keep changing to have lots of little surprises for the viewer.”
As for Ashley, he said that since the store was vintage, he wanted to walk the line with “that influence of music from the ’60s with a modern tilt.”
The spot was shot in three days on location at The Attic at a speed as breakneck as its editing. Kates explained that there were over 50 setups, and that while one shot was being lensed, the next was being readied. But it went, he said, “really smoothly.”
One reason for the multiple setups was the lengthy list of items in the song’s lyrics. “We didn’t know which lyrics the agency was going to go with [when we shot the spot],” Kates explained. “To play it safe, I decided to shoot all the clothing in the lyrics [and then some]. For each lyric I felt it was important to have a shot. You wanted this sense of overload.”
The spot was cut by partner/editor Chuck Willis of bicoastal Crew Cuts. “They shot a lot of footage and I had a lot of choices,” he explained. “It was really well laid out … [I followed] the lyric structure. The brunt of his job, he added, was centered on developing a flow.
Headquarters’ partner/director of sales Tom Mooney said that, overall, there was excellent collaboration among the players on the spot. “There was a lot of energy on the set, and it shows in the film,” Mooney noted.
***
Milk & Honey Backs Nature Made
CLIENT
Nature Made.
PRODUCTION CO.
Headquarters, Santa Monica. David Cornell, director/DP; Alex Blum, executive producer; Pat McGoldrick, producer; Andrew Denyer, head of production; Susan Gross, production manager. Milk & Honey Films, Los Angeles and Prague. Howard Woffinden and Tomas Krejci, executive producers. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Leo Burnett Co., Chicago. Gerry Miller, creative director; Ted Naron, copywriter; Tom Walker, art director; Ron Nelken, producer.
EDITORIAL
Exit, Santa Monica. Roger Harrison, editor.
POST
i^3, Chicago. Alex Scudiero, colorist; Arturo Cubacub, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Chicago Recording Company, Chicago. Michael Mason, mixer.
MUSIC
Com/track, Chicago. Manny Mendelson, composer.
SOUND DESIGN
Chicago Recording Company. Michael Mason, sound designer.
THE SPOT
“Armistice” focuses on the American Medical Women’s Association’s (AMWA) first-ever endorsement of supplements. The :30 takes place in a train station teeming with injured servicemen in the final days of World War I. As a female doctor tends to wounded soldiers, a voiceover recounts the eight decades of service that physicians from the AMWA have given.
Spot broke Feb. 2.
***
Shelter Empties A Box Of Air Crisps
CLIENT
Nabisco Foods/Potato Air Crisps.
PRODUCTION CO.
Shelter Films, New York. Jonathan David, director; Jack Donnelly, DP; Steven Shore, executive producer; Maribeth Phillips, producer; Liz Lazo, production manager; Genevra DiLorenzo, staff production manager. Shot at Silvercup Studios, Long Island City, N.Y.
AGENCY
McCann-Erickson, New York. Jonathan Cranin, executive VP/ deputy creative director; Stuart Pittman, VP/associate creative director/art director; Bill Grogan, senior VP/group director; Patti McGuire, VP/executive producer.
EDITORIAL
MacKenzie Cutler, New York. Erik Johnson, editor.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York. Rich Schreck, online editor; Chris Ryan, colorist.
AUDIO POST
East Side Audio, New York. Tom Goldblatt, mixer.
MUSIC
Steve Love, composer, New York.
THE SPOT
The :30 “Empty Box” takes place at a party where a woman sits down on the sofa with a box of Potato Air Crisps. Intending to have just one, she is unable to put the box down. “One of these and then I’ll mingle,’ she says to herself, as she begins to enjoy the Crisps. “I don’t need to circulate. If anybody wants to talk to me, they’ll find me,” she continues, only to discover that she’s finished the entire box of Air Crisps. Chagrined, the woman puts the empty box behind a pillow and moves away from the sofa.
Spot broke in late January.
***
Superior Assembly Cheers For Starburst
CLIENT
M&M/Mars/Starburst Fruit Chews.
PRODUCTION CO.
Morton Jankel Zander, Los Angeles. Rocky Morton, director; Tami Reiker, DP; David Zander, executive producer; Kathy Wheelock, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Grey Advertising, New York. Rob Baiocco and Eric Finklestein, creative directors; Aaron Royer, producer; Joe Volpicelli, art director; Bryan Flynn, copywriter.
EDITORIAL
Superior Assembly Editing Co., Santa Monica, Calif. Scott Philbrook, editor; Sean Ormond, assistant editor; Kris Matheney, producer.
POST
The Finish Line, Santa Monica. Jon Merrifield, Henry artist/online editor. Company 3, Santa Monica. Dave Hussey, colorist.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Two Headed Monster, Hollywood. Chris Willoughby, effects supervisor; Elias Chalub, assistant effects; Ruth Schiller, producer. Helium Productions, Los Angeles. John Scheater, art director/producer; Miles Vignol, technical director; Chance Roth and Scott Signor, animators.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Peter Rincon and Loren Silber, mixers; Noah Lifshey and Tara Zike, assistants.
MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN
Primal Scream, Santa Monica. Jason Johnson, composer; Reinhard Denke, sound designer.
THE SPOT
In “Slackers,” three kids who were cramming for an exam are saved from delirium by a mini-mart clerk who offers them Starburst Fruit Chews. In “Cheerleaders,” the clerk comes to the aid of a group of depressed cheerleaders who then begin a rousing “Go Starburst Go!” cheer.
Spots broke Feb. 25.
***
Two Headed Monster Hums For McDonald’s
CLIENT
McDonald’s Corp.
PRODUCTION CO.
Fahrenheit Films LA, Santa Monica. Justin Klarenbeck, director; Phil Meheux, DP; Greg Pappas, executive producer; Lee Trask, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
DDB Needham Chicago. Jim Ferguson, vice chairman/chief creative officer; Nancy Jordan, creative director; Joel Goldsmith, executive producer; Vanessa MacAdam, producer; Colin Costello, associate creative director/copywriter; Geoff Edwards, associate creative director/art director.
EDITORIAL
Two Headed Monster, Hollywood. Kevin Locarro, editor; Alex Recsan, assistant editor; Ruth Schiller, executive producer.
POST
Skyview Film & Video, Chicago. Pete Jannotta, colorist; Jim Nelson, online editor; Janice Harryman, Mac/Flame artist; Tony Karam, executive producer.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Two Headed Monster. Bill Dawson, effects editor; Ruth Schiller, executive producer.
AUDIO POST
Chicago Recording Company. Jeff Fanstein, mixer.
MUSIC
Wojahn Brothers, Santa Monica. Scott Wojahn, Greg Wojahn and Roger Wojahn, composers; Gabrielle Dotson, executive producer.
THE SPOT
Two :30s feature a new take on the classic McDonald’s jingle, “Two all beef patties … ” “A Whole New Tune” opens with a yellow super on black that reads, “It’s not the same old tune at McDonald’s.” The spot then cuts to McDonald’s customers who sing the ingredients of their McDonald’s hamburgers. In “Humming,’ people on a lunch break bite into McDonald’s hamburgers, inspiring a contagious hum of the Gary Glitter tune “Rock And Roll–Part One.”
Spots broke Feb. 26.
***
KOR For West Paces Medical Center
CLIENT
West Paces Medical Center.
PRODUCTION CO.
KOR, Atlanta. Sam Crawford, director/DP; Galen Chandler, executive producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
T.G. Madison, Atlanta. Arnie Blum, creative director; Carol Fredericks, associate creative director/art director; Clint Carruth, writer.
EDITORIAL
KOR. Sam Crawford, editor.
POST
Cinepost, Atlanta. John Kuhn, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Oasis Recording, Atlanta. Chris Stafford, mixer.
THE SPOT
“Wounds” and “Diabetes” feature testimonials from diabetic patients relating the importance of the early treatment of diabetes and other related maladies. The :30s, shot on Super 8, show the patients in their post-treatment home environments.
Spots broke in April.
***
Ebel Prodns. Takes Kids To Bob Evans
CLIENT
Bob Evans Farms.
PRODUCTION CO.
Ebel Productions, Chicago. Bob Ebel, director; Charlie Peich, DP; Larry Byrne, executive producer; Kipp Christiansen, production manager. Shot at Bass Studios, Chicago.
AGENCY
Chicago Creative Partnership. Kevin Houlihan, executive VP/executive creative director; Steve Ross, VP/senior broadcast producer; Jeff Sherman, creative director/copywriter; Yvonne Nillissen, art director.
EDITORIAL
Amazon, Chicago. Janice Rosenthal, editor.
POST
The Filmworkers Club, Chicago. Michael Mazur, colorist; Bill Ebel, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Chicago Recording Company. Stan Oda, engineer/mixer.
MUSIC
Com/track, Chicago. Manny Mendelson, composer.
THE SPOT
A 13-spot package features youngsters talking about the food, their experiences and what they like about Bob Evans. The campaign includes “Imaginary Friend,” “Chelsea Nodding,” “I’m the Fatter,” “Crying Like at Weddings,” “David on the Moon,” “Hey Stomach, You’re Full,” “Famous Spaghetti,” “Robert Plant,” “Building,” “Menu Variety,” “Breakfast Chelsea,” “Breakfast Deitrich” and “Breakfast Liam & David.”
Spots broke March 30.
***
Spank! Music Gets Rewarded With Bud
CLIENT
Anheuser-Busch/Budweiser.
PRODUCTION CO.
40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Brooklyn, N.Y. Spike Lee, director; Peter Fernberger, DP; Daphne McWilliams, line producer. Shot at Broadway Studios, Astoria, N.Y.
AGENCY
DDB Needham Chicago. Don Pogany, creative director; Tim Cole, art director; Wade Sturdivant, copywriter; Peter Stern, freelance producer.
EDITORIAL
Mad River Post, New York. Wendy Rosen, editor; John Anklow, assistant editor; Laura Relovsky, producer.
POST
Nice Shoes, New York. Ed Skupeen, online editor; Chris Ryan, colorist; Rich Schreck, Henry artist.
AUDIO POST
Swell Pictures, Chicago. Jim Hoffman, mixer.
MUSIC
Spank! Music and Sound Design, Chicago. Mat Morse, composer/arranger/producer.
THE SPOT
In the :30 “Explanation,” Carmen Electra of Baywatch and formerly co-host of MTV’s Singled Out attempts to explain Bud Rewards to a group of drooling guys. Bud Rewards is an incentive program promoted by Budweiser in the Southeast that offers gifts for redemption of Bud Points, which are earned by purchasing the beer.
Spot broke March 8.
***
THD Plays Numbers Game For Sprint
CLIENT
Sprint Communications.
PRODUCTION CO.
Zooma Zooma, New York. Todd Bellanca, director; Ed Stephenson, DP; Joe Mantegna, executive producer; Rick Days, producer; Robert Drake, production supervisor. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Grey Advertising, New York. Doug Bartow, VP/creative director; Sylvia Brooks, producer; Ed Taussig, copywriter; Fred Leidtke, art director.
EDITORIAL
Boomtown, New York. Steve Kraftsow, editor; Kristi Kilkenny, assistant editor; Kate Minear, producer.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Tape House Digital, New York. Michel Suissa, director of visual effects; Karen Stewart, executive producer; Frank Devlin, senior producer; Andy Milkis, Alan Neidorf, Tim Crean and Brian Benson, Flame/effects artists; Alfie Schloss, director of digital services. The Tape House Editorial Company, New York. Bobbie Thomas, colorist.
AUDIO POST
East Side Audio, New York. Steve Weisbrot, engineer.
MUSIC
Crushing Underground, New York. Morgan Visconti, composer.
THE SPOT
The :30 “We See Data/Coffee” highlights Sprint’s digital network capabilities by using a cup of coffee as a metaphor for businesses’ need for fast, reliable data to stay ahead of their competition. The spot zooms into a cup of coffee to reveal a swirl of numbers, and later to a plantation and Wall Street.
Spot broke in March.
***
The Observatory Is Dry For Sure
CLIENT
Procter & Gamble/Sure Ultra Dry.
PRODUCTION CO.
The Observatory, New York. Jeremy Warshaw, director; John Chiappardi, DP; Jennifer Carter, executive producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Grey Advertising, New York. Mark Webb, creative director/art director; Dave Cohen, creative director/copywriter; Sylvia Brooks, producer.
EDITORIAL
Shoot First Editorial, New York. Steve Sylvia, editor.
POST
Cinetape, New York. Judd Parson, online editor.
AUDIO POST
Cinequip, New York. Stuart Small, mixer.
MUSIC
Snyder Music, New York. Craig Snyder, composer.
THE SPOT
The :45 “Variety” takes viewers to the streets of San Diego where real people are humorously challenged to “pit” their right armpit (using Sure) against their left (a competitor).
Spot broke April 1.
***
Mad River, DV8 Work Out At Bally’s
CLIENT
Bally Total Fitness.
PRODUCTION CO.
Zooma Zooma, New York. Todd Bellanca, director; Ed Stephenson, DP; Joe Mantegna, executive producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
McCann-Erickson, Los Angeles. Peter Serchuk, executive creative director; Kathy Kozai, associate creative director/art director; Ed Ball, associate creative director/copywriter; Linda Arett, producer.
EDITORIAL
Mad River Post, Santa Monica. Lucas Eskin, editor; Danika Sandoz, assistant editor; Renee Raab, producer.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Encore Santa Monica. Mark Wilkins, colorist. The Finish Line, Santa Monica. Paul Marangos, online editor/Henry artist. Mad River Post. Angelique Thermes, graphics/titles.
AUDIO POST
POP Sound, Santa Monica. Loren Silber, mixer.
MUSIC
DV8, Los Angeles. David Livingston and Greg Kuehn, composers.
THE SPOT
Actress Peta Wilson demonstrates her commitment to exercise in the :30 “Choose.” Wilson challenges viewers to “Choose to be strong. Choose to be sexy. Choose to get off your couch right now. Choose to be free.”
Spot broke March 2.
***
t minus 30 Changes History With SkyTel
CLIENT
SkyTel.
PRODUCTION CO.
t minus 30 Films, Venice, Calif. Jim Zoolalian, director; Kevin Ward, DP; John Clark, executive producer; Chris Matheson, producer; Garrick Rawlings, production manager. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Suissa Miller Advertising, Los Angeles. David Suissa, executive creative director; Joanna Perelman, copywriter; Mike Indgin, associate creative director; Ron Mondz, art director; Carol Lombard, producer.
EDITORIAL
t minus 30 Post, Santa Monica. Derek Seelig, editor, “Caesar” and “Count Dracula”; David Trachtenberg, editor, “Cinderella” and “Titanic”; Brett Nicoletti, assistant editor.
POST/VISUAL EFFECTS
Encore Santa Monica. Jais Lamaire, colorist. Hollywood Digital, Hollywood. Craig Price, Henry artist.
AUDIO POST
Margarita Mix, Hollywood. Rich Rauh, engineer/mixer.
SOUND DESIGN
t minus 30 Post. Derek Seelig, sound designer, “Caesar” and “Count Dracula”; David Trachtenberg, sound designer, “Cinderella” and “Titanic.”
THE SPOT
“Caesar” opens on the legendary emperor standing in front of the Roman Senate. He begins to address his countrymen as a bearded man picks his way through the crowd. “There are times when you can’t afford to miss a message,” notes the voiceover. The spot cuts to a close-up of a SkyTel pager that displays the message, “Caesar-keep your eye on Brutus. I’ll explain later.” Meanwhile back in Rome, Caesar moves to embrace the bearded man, who is holding a dagger behind his back. In “Dracula,” a vampire is about to bite into a young woman’s jugular when a curtain falls open and he’s caught in sunlight–he missed a message about daylight savings time. “Cinderella” features a young woman who doesn’t get the page about returning home by midnight. As a result, she is still on the dance floor with the prince when her gown turns to rags. In “Titanic,” a pair of deckhands on the ill-fated ship react in horror as the shadow of a massive iceberg covers their faces. The captain didn’t get the warning about “icy water.”
Spots broke in April.
***
Wash. Square Visits Brighton Gardens
CLIENT
Brighton Gardens by Marriott.
PRODUCTION CO.
Washington Square Films, New York. Peter Sillen, director; Trish Govoni, DP; Josh Blum, executive producer; Elizabeth Sanna, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Dugan, Valva, Contess, Morristown, N.J. Gene Fitzpatrick, producer; Jerry Simon, associate creative director/art director; Lourdes Crespo, creative supervisor/writer; D.C. Cymbalista, consultant.
EDITORIAL
Park Editorial, Morristown. Gene Fitzpatrick, editor; Andy Gold, assistant editor.
POST
Park Editorial. Gene Fitzpatrick, online editor. Image Group Post, New York. Bob Carrari, colorist.
AUDIO POST
SoundHound, New York. Keith Goldstein, engineer/mixer.
THE SPOT
The :30 “Anthems” features portraits of real people living at Brighton Gardens by Marriott, an assisted living community.
Spot broke in April.
***
Western Images Goes Cyber For EA
CLIENT
Electronic Arts/EA Sports.
PRODUCTION CO.
Complete Pandemonium, San Francisco. Steve “Spaz” Williams, director; Jonathan Taylor, DP; Stelio Kitrilakis, executive producer; Clint Goldman, producer. Shot at Custer Avenue Stages, San Francisco.
AGENCY
Odiorne Wilde Narraway & Partners, San Francisco. Jeff Odiorne, creative director/copywriter; Mike Lewis, creative director/art director; Tiffany Richter, producer.
STOCK FOOTAGE
Seattle Mariners.
EDITORIAL
Western Images, San Francisco. Alan Chimenti, creative editor.
POST
Western Images. Gary Coates, colorist.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Motion capture by Protozoa, San Francisco. Tom Laskawy, producer. Western Images. Zane Rutledge and Will Friedewald, CG animators; Jimi Simmons, VP/director of visual effects; Nicole McMath, texture map artist; Susanna Richards and Lisa McNamara, executive producers.
AUDIO POST
Crescendo! Studios, San Francisco. Jay Shilliday, engineer.
SOUND DESIGN
earwax productions, San Francisco. Andy Newell, sound designer.
THE SPOT
“Cyber-ARod” features a polygonal CG model of Seattle Mariners star Alex Rodriguez speaking at a live-action press conference about EA Sports’ Triple Play 99 video game, with a girlfriend at his side. The :30 also shows video game footage of Rodriguez on the baseball diamond.
Spot broke March 31.
***
Music Works Chi Rises For DiGiorno
CLIENT
Kraft Foods/DiGiorno Rising Crust Pizza.
PRODUCTION CO.
Tate & Partners, Santa Monica. Baker Smith, director; Mark Reshovsky, DP; David Tate, executive producer; Bonnie Goldfarb, producer. Shot on location.
AGENCY
Foote, Cone & Belding, Chicago. Steve Brodwolf, creative director/art director; Dave Moeller, group creative director; Steve Duesenberry, copywriter; Ron Rosenthal, producer.
EDITORIAL
Avenue Edit, Chicago. Tom Perschke, creative editor.
POST
Avenue Edit. Sue Herrmann, online editor; Kelly Armstrong, colorist.
AUDIO POST
Avenue Edit. Paul Rodgers, audio mixer; Jamie Venadia, audio assistant.
MUSIC
Music Works Chicago. John Ovnik, arranger.
THE SPOT
“Neighbors” features French Stewart (3rd Rock from the Sun) who is drawn out of his apartment and to his neighbor’s door by the irresistible aroma of a DiGiorno Rising Crust pizza.
Spot broke in Marc
