“What does Mother Nature’s garden look like? This isn’t a question you get to answer every day,” said Thinking Machine’s Matthew Docter when describing the process of creating this two-spot campaign for agency Brunner and client Vespyr Brands (Cold-EEZE and Defend-EEZE).
“Words like natural, fantastical, and other-worldly were used more than once!” added Jason Docter. “We knew we had the chance to create something unique, and both the agency and client agreed. They were super supportive and excited about pushing the idea from start to finish.”
Inspired by the surreal structures of Las Pozas, Matthew and Jason Docter, aka the directorial team the Docter Twins, worked closely with production designers Jorge Vujosevich (Mexico City) and Justin Trask (Los Angeles), as well as post house PS260, to create a mystical, enchanting world that playfully balances reality and imagination.
Shooting on a stage in Mexico City, the set build required massive amounts of practical plants and flowers watered daily, while the art and production teams finalized details. “It feels like anything is possible in Mexico City. It’s an inspiring place. Creativity is everywhere. We’ve all seen plenty of commercials for cold remedies before. This couldn’t just be one more that nobody remembered. We had to do something that was going to stand out in a big way,” said Brunner’s creative director Kevin Corfield.
The lush setting is completely unexpected for a pharma ad, which was precisely the agency’s plan. “Our client was on the same page from the outset. Do something that stands out for the category,” added Brunner’s CCO Rob Schapiro, which was music to the Docter Twins’ ears.
Brunner’s sr. producer Emily DeShantz said, “Witnessing the evolution of comedy in the scripts was especially enjoyable. Between the bits our team wrote and the improv from the talent (who may never eat ginger root again), we ended up with a laundry list of edit options. It all came together with an extremely talented editor, JJ Lask of PS260, who managed to fit the bonus laughs into only 15 seconds.”
The Docter Twins also worked on original music for the campaign with their composing partner, Christian Moder. “Being able to creatively influence a job from start to finish is rare,” adds Jason. “We’re very grateful to the Brunner team for the opportunity.”
This is the “Two Mothers” spot for Defend-EEZE. The Docter Twins are alums of SHOOT’s 2008 6th Annual New Directors Showcase.
CreditsClient Vespyr Brands (Cold-EEZE and Defend-EEZE) Agency Brunner Rob Schapiro, chief creative officer; Kevin Corfield, creative director; Derek Julin, art director; Emily DeShantz, sr. producer; Patrick Culhane, director, business development & strategy. Production Thinking Machine Docter Twins; Alon Simcha, exec producer; Matt Ackerman, producer; Mateo Londono, DP; Jorge Vujosevich, Justin Trask, production designers. Production Services Company The Lift Editorial PS260 JJ Lask, editor; Christian Frahme, Kevin Huang, assistant editors; Rana Martin, exec producer; Dylan Scott, assistant producer; Zarina Mak, managing partner. Finishing PS260 Natalie Raffaele, finishing producer; Christopher Memoli, lead Flame operator. CG Animation Ideas & Stuff Color Company 3 Kath Raisch, colorist. Audio PS260 Nicole Pettigrew, mixer. Music Thinking Machine Christian Moder, Docter Twins, composers.
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