Director Matt Uhry of production house Rodeo Show teamed with agency Camp Jefferson for TELUS Health MyPet™, a new mobile app that lets you visit a veterinarian from your phone. The lively spot, “MyPet,” depicts a frustration that all pet owners share–coaxing your pet into a trip to the vet’s office.
Leaning into his deep experience as a director of animal and pet-related content, Uhry worked with lead set trainer Sheigh Crabtree in Los Angeles to cast 17 animals for the spot. In capturing the pet-corralling moments, the team brought forth the unique personality of each animal before resolving the action in a happy place–emphasizing the ease and convenience of visiting MyPet™ from home.
“We wanted to convey the hijinx of getting pets to the vet as something that’s both endearing and comical,” said Uhry. “By basing it on behaviors I knew we could capture from our animal performers–like escaping out of an open window or hiding under the bed – we were able to put together this very relatable commercial.”
Uhry said that the greatest challenge of the spot was humorously depicting cats and dogs resisting a visit to the vet. This meant that rather than working from a place of fear, animals performed trained behaviors with joy and precision. This required Uhry and his team to get creative in their storytelling, working with the various animals and their unique skill sets. For example, one cat was adept at shutting a door with its paw, while a 120-pound Great Pyrenees dog preferred to remain immovable.
“The Pyrenees is a guard dog by nature and can be quite stoic and strong-willed,” noted Uhry. “She just would not move, so for this spot we didn’t have to train her to stay still, it’s just her nature. She stole the show in a way, even without having to do any tricks. Her performance is rooted in authenticity and breed-specific characteristics.”
Credits
Client TELUS Health Agency Camp Jefferson Julia Morra, executive creative director; Lisa Lakreche, copywriter; Katlyn Kelava, art director; Michelle Tafler, SVP, general manager. Agency Production Makers Piper Ainsworth, producer; Roma Ahi, executive producer. Production Company Rodeo Show Matt Uhry, director/DP; Hani Selim, exec producer; Martell Rose, line producer; Paul Gubser, production designer.
The Best Work You May Never See: C3P, No Fixed Address Show Us There Are No “Safe Spaces” In Canada When Kids Are Online
Creative agency No Fixed Address has partnered with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) to raise awareness about the alarming increase in online child sexual exploitation in Canada. The “Safe Spaces” campaign alerts parents to the fact that nowhere is currently safe for a Canadian child--not their school, not their playground, not even their own bedroom--as soon as they’re online.
This “Safe Spaces” public service film--directed by Amélie Hardy via production company Carton Rouge--features the mothers of six victims of online sexual exploitation, telling their kid’s stories from the same places they assumed their child would be safe. These courageous moms have not only suffered the nightmare of what happened to their children, they’ve suffered under the assumption by many Canadians that it is somehow their fault for not keeping their children safe. This is the preconception the “Safe Spaces” campaign seeks to change. This can happen to anyone. Predators are everywhere online. And they’re targeting everyone. The campaign is urging Canadians to support the federal government’s Online Harms Bill, which would require social media companies to provide meaningful protection to children online.
“These courageous moms chose to share their heartbreaking stories to help Canadians understand why we desperately need legislation to protect our children from dangerous spaces online, just like we do offline,” said Lianna McDonald, executive director of C3P. “This is why we need safety regulations for the platforms kids use every day, as proposed in the Online Harms Bill.”
Alexis Bronstorph, chief creative officer at No Fixed Address, said, “We were blown away by the courage of these moms for sharing their stories.... Read More