TD Ameritrade looked to recreate the most iconic training montages from the Rocky movie franchise but with a new hero and coach. Jim and an aspiring investor, who is already confident but wants to get better. Deploying the iconic “Gonna Fly Now” Rocky soundtrack, we see the investor trainee get stronger and smarter before our eyes–dovetailing nicely with TD Ameritrade’s new “Where Smart Investors Get Smarter” campaign created in partnership with Havas New York.
Harry Bernstein, Havas NY chief creative officer, said, “It started with a simple insight: knowledgeable hungry investors can go to TDA (TD Ameritrade) to become smarter. So we brought this insight to life, in the literal sense, by tapping into nostalgia and the successful hungry trope of one of the most powerful and unforgettable training montages from the Rocky franchise. Fueled by iconic music and imagery, we showed what this smarter training looked like from the inside of a trader’s mind. We even had Rocky star Ivan Drago—Dolph Lundgren, who has a 160 IQ—make a guest appearance, further fueling and blurring the lines of reality and daydream.”
Titled “Training Montage,” the spot was directed by Brian Aldrich of production company Furlined.
CreditsClient TD Ameritrade Agency Havas New York Harry Bee, chief creative officer; Israel Garber, global executive creative director; Peter Gosselin, executive creative director; Jay Hunt, group creative director; Kevin Kearse, Akos Papp, creative directors; Chandler Bullock, copywriter; Allyn Scherr, art director; Tim Maleeny, president, chief strategy officer; Elaine Purcell, co-head of strategic planning; Jim Howell, strategy director; Cathy Pitegoff, head of production; Arlene Steinwald, executive broadcast producer; Victoria Lepham, jr. producer. Production Furlined Brian Aldrich, director; Jay Wakefield, exec producer; Jason Gilbert, line producer; Corey Walter, DP. Editorial Arcade Will Hasell, editor; Andrew Cravotta, post producer. Postproduction The Mill Mikey Rossiter, colorist; Luis Martin, sr. post producer; Kieran Hanrahan, lead Flame artist. Audio Post Sound Lounge Rob DiFondi, audio engineer; Lauren Mullen, producer. Music "Gonna Fly Now," from "Rocky" franchise
Filmmaker Natalie Johns Creates Spec Gun Violence Prevention PSA
Her social media feed is filled with frustration and “prayers” for families torn apart by yet another mass shooting as filmmaker Natalie Johns is engaged in the morning ritual of negotiating school attendance with her 4½-year-old. Between laughing and arguing with their daughter, the Johns think deeply about the prospect of waking up without her--deeply enough to feel an inch of what it might be like to lose her--a feeling profound enough inspire her most personal commitment to date as a filmmaker.
“Gun violence should not be a normalized part of life in America,” she noted. “I felt it was worth putting my whole heart on the line to deliver this message.”
The director invited her long-time collaborator and cinematographer, Bill Kirstein (Mean Girls, Happyend), to capture their family’s experience over several mornings in a spec PSA. She wanted to capture her own joy and truth as a parent with a view to inspiring action from the deepest love she has known.
On the third day of filming, Johns received an email from their daughter’s preschool notifying parents of a lockdown that had occurred due to a gunman outside the school. The children, aged 2-5, were gathered in a small bathroom for an hour, singing songs with their teachers while the man was apprehended by law enforcement. This was the family’s first narrow escape from tragedy.
“The coincidence of filming this PSA and experiencing my family’s first lockdown was both shocking and surreal. I simply could not wrap my head around it,” said director Johns.
Even more terrifying for Johns was discussing the incident with other parents who had already experienced several lockdowns with their older children. This reality is all too common and far too... Read More