Actor, producer and director (Pitch Perfect 2) Elizabeth Banks of harvest films helmed this spot for Tommy John to promote its new women’s underwear collection. Part of the “Little Adjustments” campaign from agency Preacher, the :60 through a series of humorous vignettes presents women struggling with the uncomfortable effects of their inferior underwear. In the end, the message is clear–women can “Overcome the Uncomfortable” with Tommy John.
“I loved this campaign from the beginning,” said Banks. “The underwear issues showcased in each scene is something we, as women, have all had to deal with in some shape or form. I wanted to capture that collective sense of empathy throughout the film while still making each scenario as funny and compelling as possible.”
Credits
Client Tommy John Agency Preacher Rob Baird, chief creative officer; Seth Gaffney, chief strategy officer; Jimmie Blount, art director; Joe Hartley, copywriter; Anna McCaleb, Nate James, designers; Marika Wiggan, strategy director; Stacey Higgins, executive producer; Rachel Kichler, producer. Production harvest films Elizabeth Banks, director; Bonnie Goldfarb, exec producer; Niko Whelan, head of production; Tim Suhrstedt; Leslie Owen, line producer. Casting asg casting Arlene Schuster-Goss. Editorial Cut+Run Joel Miller, editor; Nick Kondylas, assistant editor; Bebe Baldwin, exec producer; Cecilia Melton, producer. Music Marmoset Music Mix TBD Post Dusty Albertz, mixer. Finish Finland Finish Blaire Woodall, online producer; Nick Smith, online artist. Color Ntropic Marshall Plante, colorist.
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
