Toyotathon is back for its 38th year with a 100-second holiday commercial, a first in the broadcast industry, that showcases a family’s multigenerational story. “R+S” premiered Tuesday night, November 28, on NBC during “The Voice” in an isolated pod, with no other advertising or promotional spots surrounding it. This 100-second spot comes at a time when most networks are reducing commercial time.
“R+S” unfolds like a film as it tells a family’s multigenerational story using a much loved family tree as the centerpiece. The narrative starts with the grandparents as a young couple and the tree bares their initials, “R+S.” The story continues decades later after the tree has fallen from natural causes. During the holiday season the grandparents visit their daughter’s home to find a framed picture of themselves as a young couple in front of their special tree. As the rest of the family hides in anticipation, they see the inscription of their initials “R+S” on the table and quickly realize its their beloved tree.
The spot features a real family of actors including grandparents, their daughter and her husband and children. Director/DP Lance Acord of Park Pictures filmed the ad in central California and cast a family from the same area. “The story comes to life because it represents real families. The central point of the narrative, the tree, is also a metaphor for life and the underlying theme of a matriarch passing on the torch from one generation to the next,” said Acord.
“R+S” premiered on NBC with the special 100-second airing before moving to theaters nationwide for in-cinema play in National CineMedia’s pre-show on over 20,600 movie screens from December 1-28. A mix of :30 and :60 versions of “R+S” will air on television December 10-24. The Toyotathon December Sales Event offers incentives through January 2.
CreditsClient Toyota Agency Saatchi & Saatchi LA Jason Schragger, chief creative officer; John Payne, executive creative director; Leo Circo, creative director; Chip McDonald, associate creative director/copywriter; Brian Morgan, associate creative director/art director; Craig Lederman, sr. copywriter; Richard Beahm, copywriter; Lalita Koehler, executive director of integrated production; Sara Seibert, director of content production; Pamela Parsons, executive producer; Antonietta Croft, content producer; Kristen Hosack, music supervisor; Mark Turner, chief strategy officer. Production Park Pictures Lance Acord, director/DP; Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Scott Howard, exec producers; Anne Bobroff, head of production; Caroline Kousidonis, line producer. Editorial Exile Editorial Shane Reid, editor; Cutler Gray, assistant editor; CL Weaver, exec producer; Remy Foxx, producer. Telecine MPC Ricky Gausis, colorist Finishing Arsenal Creative Matt Motal, finishing artist; Pravina Sippy, finishing producer. Music Novo Armor’s “Carry You” Sound Lime Studios Loren Silber, sound designer/mixer.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More