On December 31, 2019, China reported a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown origin to the World Health Organization. A month later, WHO declared a global health emergency. By March 11, the world found itself in what is officially the COVID-19 pandemic.
Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com this month declared “pandemic” as its 2020 word of the year. And that word in part sparked what the ANA–via a survey of CMOs–recently identified as its Marketing Word of the Year: “pivot.” Also causing brands to pivot was a year marked by social and racial justice issues. Tumultuous times reaffirmed and escalated the need for brands to stand for something in order to meaningfully connect with consumers and society at large. Much of 2020’s leading creative work sprung from heartfelt responses to historic challenges ranging from the pandemic to economic turmoil, brutal racial injustice and political divisiveness. The need to come together and look out for each other were among the themes that resonated in brand-backed messages and agency creative.
In the entertainment industry, “pivot” translated into seismic change, perhaps most reflected in Warner Bros. decision to release all of its 2021 feature films simultaneously on HBO Max and in U.S. theaters. The one-year plan stems from the studio’s belief that it will be a protracted time before U.S. theaters get back to full capacity as the world looks to recover from the ravages of COVID-19. Warner Bros.’ 2021 slate of films includes Dune, The Suicide Squad, Tom & Jerry, King Richard, Judas and the Black Messiah, and the Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation In the Heights.
A number of major directors pushed back against the Warner Bros. plan for 2021, including one of the studio’s most important filmmakers, Christopher Nolan, who was quoted as saying, “It’s a unilateral decision that the studio took. They didn’t even tell the people involved. You have these great filmmakers who worked with passion and diligence for years on projects that are intended to be feature films with fantastic movie stars. And they’ve all now been told that they’re a loss-leader for a fledgling streaming service.”
However, some films originally intended for theatrical release made a major mark in 2020 via streaming platforms. For example, Hamilton–the filmed Broadway musical based on the life of U.S. Constitution framer Alexander Hamilton–premiered on Disney+ during the Fourth of July weekend, drawing a massive audience to the streaming service. RadicalMedia produced what’s been nicknamed “Hamifilm,” the live capture taken from two on-stage Broadway performances with most of the original cast in June 2016. The movie was originally scheduled to open in theaters in October 2021. But the pandemic moved up that timetable and shifted the venue from cinema to households and other streaming destinations.
The critically acclaimed Hamilton film delivered a special shared experience to audiences, bringing a much needed dose of virtual togetherness during isolating times.
RadicalMedia of course is active across all disciplines including features, TV, documentaries, commercials and branded content. They were among those in the production community who adapted to the new production landscape for short and long-form fare with COVID-19 safety protocols front and center. In the summer, for instance, writer/comedian Fred Armisen made his commercial directorial debut with a client-direct campaign produced by Radical for GoogleStore.com. Armisen did far more than just direct the campaign. He also portrayed assorted characters highlighting how Google products can serve its users on various fronts. A new film premiered for each of 30 consecutive days. Each film promoted a Daily Special for purchase of a Google device such as the Nest Hub, Pixel phone or Chromecast. And for customers wary of venturing out to brick-and-mortar shops, the campaign positions the online Google Store as a viable option. The 30 scenarios were shot over six straight days in Santa Ana, Calif. Armisen took on the personas of Kai, Bob, Derek, Vinny, Sven and Miles–each with his own distinctive quirks. He also portrayed supporting characters like a plumber and a pizza delivery guy. In one spot Armisen takes on the role of a man trying to keep in touch with his father–while also playing the father.
Scherma noted that other Radical commercialmaking endeavors during the pandemic have included celeb work with the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Bacon, as well as projects which entailed a director in L.A. dovetailing with a crew in Slovenia, a director from Sweden involved in a Mercedes-Benz shoot in China, and director Steve Miller working remotely from New York with a crew in Los Angeles.
The priority for all this work has been to stay safe, placing above all the health and well-being of cast, crew and agency colleagues, affirmed Scherma. Coronavirus protocols are being adhered to, with deployment of masks, COVID testing, temperature taking, remote communication and collaboration, and other safety-first measures such as crews/contributors looking to maintain social distancing.
Scherma observed that this work in commercials carries lessons that can translate into shoots for longer form projects. For example, habits we take for granted have to be reassessed, said Scherma who’s spent much of his life on sets, working with directors, creatives, networks and assorted artists. “When you get back on a set, people tend to fall into what they’ve always known,” he related. This could mean being immediately responsive to a director’s request without thinking of today’s pandemic context. In that vein, there’s now another authority on set–the COVID-19 monitor. Scherma emphasized that if a monitor says something on set, it’s like the president of the company saying something. You had better listen and act accordingly.
Scherma shared that he prefers his COVID-19 monitors to be trusted production professionals whom he has worked with before. He’s generally been using such pros, including a seasoned production manager, who have been trained in OSHA and COVID-19 classes. “You can put a COVID monitor on a set but if they haven’t been on set before and understand the dynamics, that won’t do you any good,” assessed Scherma.
Last month’s Zoom-centric Future of Television Conference organized by Digital Media Wire was kicked off by a session titled “The Future of the Post-Pandemic Television Business.” Bill Bost, president of Skydance Television, spoke at that session, sharing that production plans had to be significantly revised for the sci-fi series Foundation, based on the book series of the same name by Isaac Asimov. Skydance is producing Foundation for Apple TV+. The TV series was in pre-pro in March but production had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, Production had resumed after the summer with Bost noting that the breadth of countries originally slated for shooting had to be pared down and that the path of production had to be adjusted. Rather than bouncing about from one country to the next, production has been initially confined to Ireland and will methodically move on elsewhere. Even before the pandemic, the prospects of realizing such an ambitious tentpole series, said Bost, were challenging. Those challenges have multiplied with COVID-19 considerations now in the mix.
Panelist Janet Carol Norton, partner, board member and co-head of the television production department at ICM Partners. She said that the pandemic has spawned safety guidelines and health protocols which could have a long-lasting positive impact on production. Even with the advent of a viable vaccine, she conjectured that many of the precautions that have evolved will remain with us in the years to come. She contended that with protocols being implemented and adhered to, even in today’s challenging times, “Production is one of the safest jobs you can have.”
Zoom of course not only facilitated that confab but also creative, production and post meetings during the ongoing pandemic. Furthermore on the postproduction front, final edits, color, mixing and other post work are being done remotely to accommodate finishing and delivery during this global health crisis.
Ad-vocacy
Agencies and brands navigated not only the pandemic but the epidemic of racism in 2020. Those shops getting themselves and brands most involved made the biggest positive creative and messaging impact in 2020–a prime example being Wieden+Kennedy’s Portland and New York offices which earned distinction as SHOOT’s Agency of the Year in large part for their work in response to the pandemic and social injustice.
Karl Lieberman, executive creative director, W+K NY, observed that when the pandemic-caused shutdown first hit and put into question how new content would be produced, the initial orientation was being “reactive to logistics.” But as production plans and approaches developed, a shift took place. Instead, he continued, “over the course of the summer we were reacting to what was happening in culture as we were freed from the logistical issues.”
From this came positive reinforcement of an agency stance which brands embraced–take action first, ads second.
Among the work cited by Lieberman in that vein was an initiative from Coca-Cola brand Sprite which made a $500,000 donation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network and pledged to work with that group to help create a better future for the Black community at large. And via W+K NY Sprite then debuted its “Dreams Realized” commercial during the 2020 BET Awards telecast. Mixing images from Black Lives Matter protests, historical footage and scenes captured in Atlanta, the spot shows the resiliency of Black America which has often had to forge out on its own to pursue the American Dream.
Lieberman also pointed with pride to McDonald’s “One of Us” which, he said, “came at a very raw emotional time for everyone.” Like Nike’s “For Once, Don’t Do It,” this McDonald’s spot deployed text to promote racial justice, sharing the names of seven African Americans who died in police custody or due to race. The seven are: Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd.
The McDonald’s message read in part, “He was one of us. She was one of us. They were all one of us. We see them in our customers. In our crew members. We see them in our franchisees. And this is why the entire McDonald’s family grieves. It’s why we stand for them and any other victims of systematic oppression and violence.” The last two lines affirmed, “We do not tolerate inequality injustice or racism. Black lives matter.”
On the pandemic front, McDonald’s participated in the practice of saluting healthcare workers’ shift change at 7pm ET everyday via its Twitter “McClap.” And the brand initiated a “Thank You Meals” program through which more than 10 million meals were given to healthcare professionals.
W+K NY also helped roll out Ford’s pandemic payment relief program for customers, making it the first automaker to initiate such action. W+K quickly turned around six TV spots and social videos to show that Ford was up to the COVID-19 challenge. Some 350,000-plus customers signed up for deferred vehicle payments of up to 90 days. And 98 percent of them were back on payment schedules as of September.
Separately, Ford committed to manufacturing desperately needed ventilators and PPE. Meanwhile the pandemic undermined any traditional kind of launch for the much anticipated return of the Ford Bronco, a brand which W+K had been building for two years. W+K pivoted form a major auto show debut to a social-media-based organic strategy. A dedicated Instagram page fueled excitement for the long-awaited reveal, for which the agency fashioned a partnership with Disney and Best Feature Documentary Oscar-winning (Free Solo) director, mountaineer/adventurer Jimmy Chin. Three original films reinforced the Bronco “Built Wild” campaign mantra through the stories of outdoor influencers. That was followed by a product manifesto that scored online, holding the top slot on YouTube and Twitter sans any paid social media support. The launch proved successful by helping to generate Bronco reservations in excess of 230,000–a total representing 18 months worth of vehicle production.
W+K’s Portland and New York offices–as well as its operations such as JOINT, Wieden’s fully owned yet independently operated postproduction company, and W+K Studios, the agency’s development and production arm consisting of a collective of makers and creators across production, post, VFX and audio–encouraged different voices to be heard in its ad messaging. At the same time, the agency took a stand for shared core values when it came to its own talent as well as collaborators. This is reflected in the W+K Production Contract of Values statement.
Matt Hunnicutt, director of integrated production at W+K Portland, noted, “This statement is just one very, very small part of our new Green Initiative and comprehensive DE&I Initiatives that are focused on accountability and actions, but it does a really great of encapsulating our belief system into a few sentences. For perspective, we share this with all potential partners in order to set clear expectations and to help all parties provide follow-through opportunities based on a number of details shared in our bidding specs. This includes all initial legal contracts with every vendor, all bidding specs, RFPs, service agreements, and all other official documents through to the delivery of every job W+K produces.”
