A man takes his dog for a walk. He is in a defensive, borderline hostile mood until he encounters another guy walking his dog. While they have racial and generational differences–and on the surface seemingly very little in common–the men bond thanks to their dogs.
Directed by Lance Acord of Park Pictures, “The Walk” is part of Pedigree dog food’s ongoing global marketing campaign called “Feed the Good. The campaign is based on the simple insight that dogs bring out the good in people and Pedigree brings out the good in dogs.
BBDO New York served as agency on “The Walk.”
This 45-second spot will run primarily on YouTube in addition to Pedigree’s social channels into June.
Credits
Client Mars/Pedigree Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Greg Ketchum, Tom Godici, executive creative directors; Greg Gerstner, Andy Blood, creative directors; Banks Noel, associate creative director; Scott Kelly, art director; Ben Polkinghorne, copywriter; David Rolfe, director of integrated production; Sofia Doktori, sr. content producer; Rani Vaz, head of music production; Crystal Rix, group planning director; Kirsten Flanik, managing director. Production Park Pictures Lance Acord, director; Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Dinah Rodriguez, exec producers; Anne Bobroff, head of production; Caroline Kousidonis, exec producer/producer. Editorial Whitehouse Post Russell Icke, editor; James Donahue, assistant editor; Lauren Hertzberg, exec producer; Alejandra Alarcon, producer. Postproduction CarbonVFX Ben Gibbs, colorist; Matt Reilly, lead Flame; Joe Scaglione, Flame assistant; Frank Devlin, exec producer; Bree Bracket, producer. Music Barking Owl. Audio Post Sound Lounge Tom Jucarone, mixer/sound designer.
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.
