Actress/comedian Melissa McCarthy settled into the director’s chair for this Walmart “Magic Box” spot which debuted during the Oscars telecast (3/4).
The commercial shows the negative effects of childhood bullying on one’s potential with “The Box” providing the opportunity to break away from past hurdles and reach for the stars in pursuit of our dreams.
Pony Show Entertainment produced the spot for Saatchi & Saatchi NY, with Heidi Black of Whitehouse Post editing, and Ben Freer of Eleven handling the audio post mix.
Credits
Client Walmart Agency Saatchi & Saatchi NY Dean Shoukas, executive producer; Jenny Read, director of integrated production; Wayne Best, Michele Kunken, executive creative directors. Production Pony Show Entertainment Melissa McCarthy, director; Susan Kirson, Jeffrey Frankel, partners; Helga Gruber, exec producer; Gareth Wood, head of production; Kelli Abraham, producer; Mandy Walker, DP; Ruth De Jong, production designer. Editorial Whitehouse Post Heidi Black, editor; Joni (Wright) Williamson, exec producer; Annie Maldonado, post producer. VFX/Finishing Carbon John Price, creative director; Matthew McManus, exec producer; Rob Churchill, VFX supervisor. Music/Sound Design SOUTH Music & Sound Design Ailbhe Fitzpatrick, music producer. Track: “Bird Set Free”; Sia, writer; Theodore Shapiro, arranger; Greg Wells, music mix. Audio Post Eleven Ben Freer, mixer; Andrew Smith, assistant mixer; Melissa Elston, exec producer; Maddee Bonniot, producer.
When dozens of Klick Health team members said they wouldn’t be able to hug loved ones over the festive season, the agency turned to AI and other magic to orchestrate a series of sentimental, surprise reunions captured in its “Holiday Hugs” video. The heartwarming four-minute video, benefitting the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), parallels recent findings from a Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick.
The poll found 74 percent of Americans and Canadians won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. And like those in the video, survey participants cited geographical distance and loved ones having passed away as the leading factors preventing their hugs.
“I just wish I could really squeeze her right now,” says teary-eyed New York Klickster Kari Bocassi watching her AI-generated hug with her sister Marlene, moments before she bursts onto the set for a long in-person embrace. The siblings have spent the past 14 years caring for their mother since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but haven’t been together for the holidays since Marlene moved to Virginia. Similarly, Toronto’s Fred Duarte gets the bear hug of his life when his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil, walks into Klick’s production studio for their first holiday reunion in seven years.
Directed by James Cooper via Cooper Films, “Holiday Hugs” also taps into the fact that hugs don’t just make people feel better emotionally, they also have numerous health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, hugs can lower blood pressure and boost the immune system.
“There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” said Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday... Read More
