Professional athletes switch teams and cities at a moment’s notice while fans, traditional media, and social media churn to keep track of every move. February 2023 may go down as one of the wildest trade seasons in the history of the NBA, with 28 teams trading 58 players.
This deftly humorous spot titled “Traded”–which was conceived by agency Venables Bell + Partners (VB+P) for client Opendoor, a digital real estate platform–taps into that pro sports dynamic through a player press conference, showing what happens when an athlete finally stops giving boilerplate answers and starts speaking their mind about the often sensationalized topic of trades. In doing so, Opendoor highlights the universal truth that whether you’re a superstar or a regular Joe or Jane, moving remains one of the most stressful experiences in life.
Clay Weiner of Biscuit Filmworks directed “Traded” for Opendoor, an official sponsor of the Phoenix Suns, an NBA team which recently traded for a superstar and as a result has become a leading contender for the league championship.
In “Traded,” an athlete gives an unbridled assessment of the difficulties of being traded and having to move himself and his family to a different city. His tone softens, though, when a reporter informs him of Opendoor and the ways it can make the process much easier.
Credits
Client Opendoor David Corns, VP of marketing; Lauren West, head of content, marketing; Tirza DiOro, marketing lead, brand content. Agency Venables Bell + Partners Paul Venables, founder, chairman; Will McGinness, chief creative officer; Matt Keats, Matt Miller, group creative directors; Byron del Rosario, art director; Ryan Hoercher, copywriter; Michael Ng, sr. copywriter; Diego Zelaya, sr. art director; Hilary Coate, head of integrated production; Lexi Alaga, producer; Jasmine Clark, group strategy director; Neil Slotterback. sr. strategist. Production Company Biscuit Filmworks Clay Weiner, director; Shawn Lacy, partner/managing director; Holly Vega, executive producer; Sean Moody, head of production; Trevor Allen, line producer; Tim Hudson, DP; Damon Fortier, production designer; Jenna Wright, wardrobe stylist; Kokeeta Douglas, makeup aratist. Editorial Cut+Run Pete Koob, editor; Stefan Manz, assistant editor; Brian Stanley, exec producer; Kristen Jenkins, head of production. VFX Jogger Andy Brown, exec producer; Brendan Crockett, lead Flame artist; Katrina Salicrup, Michael Vaglienty, Trent Shumway, Jorge Tanaka, Flame artists; Diana Cheng, head of production; Joel Paisner, producer. Color Blacksmith Mikey Pehanich, colorist; Sam Howells, color assisst; Adam Vevang, color producer. Audio One Union Joaby Deal, engineer/sound designer; Michael Swarce, exec producer.
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
