Justin Wilson of Liberal Media Films, Dallas, directed this Sharp’s non-alcoholic brew spec spot in which we see police have stopped a young woman they suspect of DUI and put her through a sobriety test. Shot in the guerilla style of a police/security surveillance camera, we see the woman pass every aspect of the test–adding the flourish of some impressive acrobatics as she does far more than just walk a straight line.
We then hear one of the police officers apologize to the woman for pulling her over and wasting her time–at which point the logo appears for Sharp’s non-alcoholic brew.
Director Wilson also edited the spot, which was based on creative from the team of Clint Carter and Janet Mistretta of agency Johnson & Sekin.
“Sobriety Test” is one of five spec spots that emerged from the “Flex Your Specs” competition sponsored by charlieuniformtango and sister shop Liberal Media Films. “We sent the word out nationally inviting advertising agency creatives to send in scripts for their dream spots–spots that might never make it to production in the real world,” said Lola Lott, charlieuniformtango principal/president.
“Over 280 scripts came in from creatives coast-to-coast. Then, we had the process of gathering a prestigious panel of judges to review all the scripts, and pick the winners that would be produced. That took a good six months. Among the five winners we had two scripts from the East Coast, one from San Francisco, and the other two from Texas.”
The Flex Your Specs script criteria were: Good, solid commercial length creative, must be budget-friendly, and for an actual product. Judges selected five winning scripts from hundreds of submissions. “The script selection process was another six months,” Lott said. “Then came the selection of locations and casting as our LMF directors collaborated with the creatives around the country; charlieuniformtango and Liberal Media Films produced and paid for all five winning scripts. It was a win-win for everyone. Everyone got an amazing spot for their reels, and Liberal Media Films’ breadth of work really increased.”
A screening of the winning spots was held Thursday, March 19, at The Sundown at The Granada in Dallas.
CreditsClient Sharp’s Beer Creative Clint Carter, Janet Mistretta (Johnson & Serkin). Production Liberal Media Films Justin Wilson, director/editor; Roger Peters, DP; Jeff Elmore, Jessica Cramer, producers. Post charlieuniformtango Artie Pena, online/color; Jake Kluge, mix.
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More