Lozenge brand Fisherman’s Friend rolled out its “Reel It In” campaign, including this centerpiece spot featuring a colorful cast of hotel characters such as a bellhop, a singer and a set of twins. We see how Fisherman’s Friend–in the form of an ubiquitous fisherman character–can soothe a variety of throat ailments, from sore throats and raspy voices to persistent coughs.
The lighthearted package of spots for the Canadian market was directed by the Perlorian Brothers via Toronto production house Merchant for agency Arrivals + Departures.
Credits
Client Fisherman’s Friend Agency Arrivals + Departures Jeff MacEachern, chief creative officer; Jordan Escobar, sr. art director; Oliver Chiang, sr. copywriter; Stephanie Walker-Wells, VP production/producer; Denika Angelone, Nathan Mohan, strategy team. Production Company Merchant The Perlorian Brothers, directors; Farrah Khaled, exec producer; Andrew Sulliman, producer; Daniel Grant, DP. Casting Powerhouse Casting Tristan Abraham, casting director. Offline Editorial Skinner Edits Paul Skinner, editor. Transfer/Online Alter Ego Eric Whipp, sr. colorist; Ben Otten, Corey Martinez, color assistants; Sam Omand, producer; Jane Garrah, exec producer. VFX Wendt 2 Spaceland AB Jonathan Wendt, VFX artist. Audio Pirate Sound Kyle Anderson, sound director, sound designer/engineer. Integrated Media Strategy EssenceMediacom
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
