As part of its sponsorship of the U.S. Open, Chase has launched a powerful and inspiring commercial featuring Serena Williams, which champions her making the most of her next chapter as a mother and legendary athlete. While many have called this her comeback, Williams wants the world to know that motherhood is something that she and mothers all over draw strength and motivation from.
Directed by Martin De Thurah of Epoch for Droga5 NY, the film explores the duality of Williams–a woman who is simultaneously a nurturing mother and a ferocious athletic opponent. In the film, we see her going from nursery to practice court – reciting the lyrics of the LL Cool J classic “Mama Said Knock You Out.” It’s both motivation for herself and a message of empowerment for mothers of all backgrounds and stages.
Credits
Client Chase Bank Agency Droga5 NY David Droga, creative chairman; Neil Heymann, chief creative officer; Lauren Costa, group creative director; Jake Shaw, Ash Tavassoli, creative directors; Nedal Ahmed, sr. copywriter; Julia Melograna, sr. art director; Jason Severs, chief design officer; Anna Fine, design director; Andrew Diemer, Kelsey Lynch, designer; Sally-Ann Dale, chief creation officer. Production Epoch Martin de Thurah, director; Monika Lenczewska, DP; Melissa Culligan, exec producer; Leah Allina, line producer. Editorial Exile NY Shane Reid, editor; Sasha Hirschfeld, exec producer; Evyn Bruce, head of production; Cutler Gray, assistant editor; Lauren Pullano, Dale Nicholls, producers. Postproduction Method Randie Swanberg, Flame lead/CD; Sofie Borup, colorist; Angela Lupo, Adrienne Mitchell, exec producers; Tsiliana Jolson, sr. supervising producer; Camera Edwards, VFX coordinator; Suzanne Dyer, Chris Hunt, Ed Lopez, Glen Bennett, Flame artists; David Piombino, 2D comp supervisor; Scott Minter, 2D/Nuke compositor. Music LL Cool J, Song: “Mama Said Knock You Out” Sound Q Department, NY re-orchestration & remastering; sound design. Audio Post Digital Arts NY Josh Heilbronner, mixer. Graphics Production Second Child Lisa Bishai, quality control manager; Virginia Vargas, graphics studio manager; Nereida Valles, graphics studio coordinator; Joseph Barrile, production artist.
In this Super Bowl :30 for Reese’s Chocolate Lava Big Cup--directed by Matias & Mathias of Epoch Films for agency Erich & Kallman--a concerned park ranger reports live from the site of an active volcano where Reese’s fans are going to extreme lengths to get their hands and taste buds on the lava flow.
As passion builds, a team of park rangers rein in the mayhem--saving grandma from scootering into the hot flowing molten lava--and try to clear up the confusion: “Don‘t eat lava. Eat ooey-gooey Chocolate Lava.”
“There’s nothing better than seeing our fans go wild over new flavor additions to the classic Reese’s chocolate and peanut butter combo,” said Ryan Riess, VP of brand strategy and creative development, The Hershey Company. “The Big Game is the perfect stage to showcase our fan’s energy – whether that be from the top of a volcano or on the couch during football Sunday.”
In a joint statement, directors Matias & Mathias said of the “Don’t Eat Lava” spot, “Although the characters’ obsession with Reese’s Chocolate Lava Big Cups is completely realistic and very easy to identify with, our favorite part of this project was seeing all the talented people we got to work with become obsessed with making the lava flows of our dreams become a reality.”
