Directed by Ted Melfi of production company brother for Saatchi & Saatchi, this Toyota :60 shares the heartwarming story of a young girl crafting homemade Christmas ornaments, and making multiple trips to a mailbox to send them off to a yet-to-be known recipient. In the last scene, the girl steps out of her mother’s Toyota Highlander and is shocked to see the ornaments displayed on a giant-sized Christmas tree close to the mailbox. Seconds later, her father, a military service member, steps out from behind the tree, and surprises her with his return home, just in time for the holidays.
Rodrigo Prieto lensed the spot, which was edited by Kirk Baxter of Exile. Music/sound house was SOUTH Music and Sound.
Credits
Client Toyota Motor North America, U.S.A., Inc. Agency Saatchi & Saatchi Jason Schragger, chief creative officer; Leo Circo, group creative director; Sandra Luciano, creative director; Randy Quan, Jerry Underwood, Dan Sorgen, Andrew Reizuch, associate creative directors; Henry Kook, jr. copywriter; Sara Seibert, group director of content production; Jennifer Vogtmann, Marina Korzon, sr. broadcast producers; Kristen Hosack, sr. music supervisor; Mark Turner, chief strategy officer; Don Longfellow, managing director, connection & insight strategy; Tyler Beck, sr. director, strategy; Shareen Hill, sr. strategic planner. Production Company brother Ted Melfi, director; Rodrigo Prieto, DP; Rich Carter, exec producer; Tracy Mochizuki, head of production; Angela Jones, producer. Editorial Exile Kirk Baxter, editor; CL Kumpata, exec producer; Daniel Won, producer; Mitch Goldberg, assistant editor; Jennifer Locke, head of production. Telecine Company 3 Jill Bogdanowicz, sr. color artist; Matt Moran, sr. color producer; Ashley McKim, exec producer. Finish/VFX Framestore Pete King, exec producer; Georgina Poushkine, sr. VFX producer; Elad Offer, VFX supervisor & lead. Music SOUTH Music and Sound, Santa Monica, Calif. Original Cover of “Come Home” by Amatroski; Eric Plust, Matt Drenik, composers/arrangers; Jon Darling, Dan Pritikin, creative directors; Ann Haugen, executive producer; Ignacio Zas, producer. Music Supervision Little Ears, co-music supervision. Sound Design/Audio Post Lime Studios, Joel Waters, sound designer/mixer.
The Ad Council, partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and AdoptUSKids, launched a public service campaign, created pro bono by Edelman, which aims to inspire prospective parents to consider adopting a teen from foster care.
This centerpiece PSA titled “The Rewards”--directed by The Hudson Dusters (Michael Kuhn and Niles Roth) via Greenpoint Pictures--spotlights real adoptive families who have personally experienced the mutual benefits of adoption. This longer form PSA (and cutdown versions) begins with a touching display of openness and vulnerability as adoptive parents reflect on their adoption journeys and their initial questions and hesitations about adopting a teen. Then, in a deeply emotional turn, the adoptive parents witness their children recounting the profound rewards of adoption in their lives. The teens speak of the love they share with their parents and how the decision to become a family is reciprocal. The campaign directs viewers to the AdoptUSKids website to learn more about adopting a teen from foster care.