This two-minute film for State Farm from DDB Chicago sheds a somber, poignant, motivating light on the need for volunteers, underscoring the need to translate caring into doing. The short rolled out online on neighborhoodofgood.com, a site that matches volunteers to causes in the community.
Dante Ariola of MJZ directed the piece, titled The Following, from which :60 and :30 versions were cut that are running on TV during the college basketball tournament and other high-profile programming.
The soundtrack to “The Following” is “Don’t Let Me Down,” a Grammy-winning song made popular by the Chainsmokers. It’s been re-recorded by four time Grammy winner Joy Williams, formerly of the Civil Wars. Williams’ version of “Don’t Let Me Down is available on streaming music channels and she is donating her proceeds from the single to the American Red Cross. Comma Music served as the music shop for supervision and licensing.
Credits
Client State Farm Agency DDB Chicago John Maxham, chief creative officer; Mel Routhier, group creative director; Adam Cook, creative director, copywriter; Chris Bruney, creative director, art director; Katie Bero, Brian Culp, associate creative directors; Diane Jackson, chief production officer; Scott Kemper, executive producer; Linda Bres, music production manager; Jack Perone, chief strategy officer; Lauren Maddox, strategist. Production MJZ Dante Ariola, director; Eriks Krumins, exec producer; Natalie Hill, producer; Laurie Crawley, DP; Quito Cooksey, production manager. Editorial Final Cut Joe Guest, editor; Eric McCasline, Suzy Ramirez, exec producers; Barbara Healy, Frankie Elster (London), producers; Dillon Stoneburner (L.A.), Kit Wells (London), assistant editors. Post MPC Camila De Biaggi, exec producer; Jesse Kurnit, head of production; Barry Gilbert, Sandra Eklund, producers; Jean-Clement Soret, colorist; Matt Tremaglio, lead compositor; Maxyar Sharifian, compositor; Fabian Frank, CG lead artist; Chloe Dawe, CGI modeling/groom; Maximilian Mallmann, CGI, rigging; William Laban, CGI groom/lighting; Matteo La Motta, CGI lighting; Tim Van Hussen, Boris Cailly, CGI animation. Music Agency for Supervision and Licensing Comma Music Bonny Dolan, EP/managing director; Michael Paoletta, EP, A&R + supervision/licensing; Bryan Rheude, creative director; Leigh Salzman, producer. Chainsmokers: “Don’t Let Me Down” as performed by Joy Williams. Audio Post Chicago Recording Company Mark Ruff, mixer; Jason Hoban, assistant
At the heart of this campaign for Pay.UK Current Account Switch Service (CASS) is a playful yet relatable narrative, brought to life in the hero TV commercial, “Blind Date.” Directed by Rosie May Bird Smith of Biscuit Filmworks for agency House 337, the spot follows a woman nervously meeting her blind date, only to discover the person waiting for her is someone you definitely wouldn’t want to meet on a blind date. The voiceover reassures: ”Blind dates. They’re a bit like switching bank accounts. You don’t want any surprises. That’s why we guarantee there won’t be any when you switch with the Current Account Switch Service.”
“Everyone knows the pain of a bad date, the gut-churning realization you’ve texted your boss instead of your mate, and being stuck next to someone eating the world’s stinkiest lunch,” said Ross Newton, creative director, House 337, who added, “Life is a minefield of unwanted surprises, so coming up with the campaign idea was the easy part. The real challenge was deciding which situations to include and which to ditch. Sadly, these scenarios are all too relatable for us all, myself included.”
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