This spot directed by Bryan Buckley of Hungry Man for McCann New York shows that there is only one carrier that can deliver cards and gifts as reliably and in time for the holidays as Santa Claus and his team of reindeer: the United States Postal Service.
Titled "Surprise Encounter," the holiday ad depicts what happens when a USPS carrier and Santa Claus meet at the front steps of the same address. The two are first surprised to see each other, but proceed to swap stories and tricks of the trade before moving on to the next house. It’s a meeting of equals who, despite having very different methods, take pride in their parallel journey to deliver packages to every home in time for the holidays.
Credits
Client U.S. Postal Service Agency McCann New York Thomas Murphy, Sean Bryan, co-chief creative officers; Chris Mitton, EVP, executive creative director; Nir Refuah, EVP, executive technology creative director; EJ Lee, Joey Monteverde, creative directors; Nathy Aviram, chief p[production officer; Donna McCracken, SVP, sr. integrated producer; Anna Andreis, VP, strategy director; Collin Peters, strategist. Production Hungry Man Bryan Buckley, director. Editorial Big Sky Chris Franklin, editor. VFX The Mill LA
Dancer turned director Ezra Hurwitz collaborates with Ailey II artistic director Francesca Harper, featuring movement as museum pieces against the Whitney Museum of American Art’s striking architecture for this short film titled Echoes of Ailey. Commissioned to celebrate “Edges of Ailey” at the Whitney Museum, the film accompanies the first large-scale exhibition on the life and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. “Edges of Ailey” is currently on view at the Whitney until February 9.
Animating iconic images from Alvin Ailey’s 20th-century repertory, the film expands on the exhibition by constructing a visual narrative around his storytelling and influences. Set to Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place,” dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School capture the emotional core of the company’s history--physically situating Ailey’s masterworks amongst the Whitney’s collection.
“As a child, my grandmother took me to Ailey’s Revelations once a year,” said Hurwitz. “No matter how often I saw it, the work captivated me. There isn’t one specific thing I hope viewers take away from the film--or one way to interpret its images. It’s meant to be an abstract work, like Ailey’s creations.”
Turning to his archive, Hurwitz and Harper illuminate key sequences symbolic of Ailey’s profound legacy, closing on an uninterrupted sequence from "I’ve Been Buked," the opening movement of Ailey’s legendary "Revelations." Carrying a watershed moment back to its own medium, Echoes of Ailey captures the multigenerational impact of Ailey’s work, continued by his organization. The short film first premiered on Nowness.
