Putting a face to high blood pressure numbers is this PSA from the Ad Council in association with the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association and American Medial Association. Titled “HBP Numbers,” this :60 brings us real people who testify to their HBP experience in emotional detail, linking blood pressure numbers to the impact on their lives. Marco Grob of Great Bowery Film directed and shot the overall campaign consisting of multiple PSAs conceived by agency Havas Adrenaline.
“For me, this was a greatly important project to work on. The collaboration with those people in front of the camera moved me profoundly. Their commitment to making a case that will help to prevent others from having a stroke or heart attack due to high blood pressure in this intimate way left me speechless and inspired. If our work could prevent only one person from having a similar experience, that would make me very happy,” said Grob.
Client Ad Council in association with the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, and American Medical Association Agency Havas Adrenaline Rich Russo, chief creative officer/managing director; Liz Donnelly, Francois Crabalona, creative directors; Peter Feldman, broadcast producer; Theodore McFail, digital producer; Jennifer Simoni, digital content strategist; Jennifer Maisey, sr. strategist. Production Great Bowery Film Marco Grob, director; Tina Nakane, producer; Shannon Lords, exec producer. Editorial Studio 6 Lasse Jarvi, editor.
The Best Work You May Never See: Diamond, Director Mark Zibert “Finish It” For Terry Fox Foundation
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More