Titled “The Truth Is Hard to Find–Mark Mazzetti,” this :30 from Droga5 NY tells the story of the dedication of the New York Times’ Washington, DC bureau in investigating stories and uncovering information.
As we hear an interview with Mark Mazzetti, the Washington Investigations editor for the New York Times, we see a series of real redacted government documents from a span of many years. It’s a stark representation of how hard it is to find the truth amid a growing culture of secrecy in government. And how that makes the job of investigative journalists to bring this information to light even more vital. The idea of the ad was to take authentic, redacted, declassified government documents — made available to the public through The Freedom of Information Act — and use them to demonstrate how hard it is to uncover information in the face of government secrecy.
CreditsClient The New York Times Agency Droga5 NY David Droga, creative chairman; Ted Royer, chief creative officer; Tim Gordon, executive creative director; Brian Eden, associate creative director/copywriter; Ben Grube, associate creative director/art director; Mitchell Quesada, jr. copywriter; Fatima Jafri, jr. art director; Sally Ann Dale, chief content creation officer; Jesse Brihn, Bryan Litman, co-directors of film production; Kylie Loeffler, associate producer, film; Jonny Bauer, global chief strategy officer; Harry Roman, co-head of strategy; Tom Gibby, strategy director. Editorial D5 Studios Matt Badger, sr. editor; CJ Trahan, post producer; Brielle Mordant, associate post producer. Postproduction The Mill Mel Wickham, exec producer; Colin Blaney, sr. producer; Luis Martin, producer; Michael Brown, production coordinator; Ilia Mokhtareizadeh, lead compositor; Brandon Danowski, compositor. Audio Post Sonic Union Michael Marinelli, Fernando Ascani, mixers; Pat Sullivan, audio post producer. Sound Design Barking Owl Morgan Johnson, sound designer; Kelly Bayett, creative director/exec producer; Ashley Benton, producer.
Top Spot of the Week: Director Jake Scott, Paramount Brand Studios “Make Your Gameday Epic” In “Gladiator II”-Inspired Pepsi Spot
Nearly 20 years after Pepsi’s “Roman Empire” made its mark on pop culture, the brand is returning to the arena with a colossal Gladiator-themed campaign titled, “Make Your Gameday Epic™.” Celebrating the start of the 2024 NFL season and the highly anticipated release of Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II in theaters on Nov. 22, this short film--directed by Jake Scott via RSA Films for Paramount Brand Studio features Megan Thee Stallion, as Empress Megan, leading a legion of NFL superstars turned Gridiron Gladiators, including Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelce, locked in an epic battle with ice-cold Pepsi at the heart of the action. A brand-new gameday anthem from three-time, Grammy award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion soundtracks the campaign. The unmistakable “boom, boom, clap” from Queen’s epic track “We Will Rock You” is featured on a fresh sample with cutting new lyrics from Megan. The new track became available on all major music streaming platforms, and ahead of Megan hosting the 2024 MTV VMAs last night (9.11), where the track and music-video inspired spot were heard and seen throughout the show. “I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of the legends who appeared in this Gladiator campaign 20 years ago and proud to have carved my own new legacy,” said Megan Thee Stallion. “Pepsi really brought the worlds of music, sports and entertainment together in a powerful way to set off the new NFL season.” The spot opens with Lamorne Morris and Jake Lacy peering into a can of Pepsi Zero Sugar as it transforms into a colosseum. Empress Megan calls the shots, and the royal roster of NFL players are at her command as they all vie for her favor and a sip of an ice-cold Pepsi... Read More