When Stern Advertising wanted to create a memorable Mother’s Day spot for Kay Jewelers®, the number one jewelry store in America – they once again partnered up with The Colonie editor, Bob Ackerman. Director, Harry Patramanis, captured the playfulness and tone of the spot. Ackerman then weaved the footage into an endearing storyline that conveys the emotional connections and family moments that make Mother’s Day special.
The :30 commercial, entitled ‘Chase,’ opens with a 7-year old boy playfully running through a house with his mom in hot pursuit. He races down hallways, hops over a toy and evades her in a hiding spot. The child sees that the coast is clear and takes off again. He evades his mother as he makes his way to the kitchen, where he runs straight into his dad, who scoops him up in his arms.
Mom catches up, smiling at her husband and son as she opens a Kay gift box, revealing the Diamonds in Rhythm® necklace. Thrilled with the present, she shows her gratitude, smothering her son with kisses. The spot cuts to a beauty shot of the Diamonds in Rhythm® Selection and a Kay Jewelers® storefront. Back in the kitchen we see the mom, who is now wearing the necklace, turn to her husband and thank him with a kiss. The spot ends on a musical note, with retailer’s signature tag line, Every kiss begins with Kay®.
"In the Kay campaign, when you give a gift, you're going to get kissed. And little boys go through a stage where they think kissing is icky. We thought it'd be fun to play there," says Bob Merlotti, creative director at Stern.
“We wanted the opening chase scenes to just be about the boy having fun running through the house as his mother playfully chases him – leaving viewers to wonder why she was wanting to catch him. The ‘chase’ builds anticipation and draws the audience into the storyline as it unfolds,” says Ackerman, who significantly crafted the story in the edit. "Keeping all the moments as real as possible helped make the spot fun and avoid clichés."
“All three actors had a very spontaneous, ‘real’ quality and delivered natural performances.’ says Ackerman “I’ve done a fair amount of acting myself. Bringing that unique perspective to the editorial process helps me find those special moments in a performance."
The agency also took advantage of the full range of The Colonie’s one-stop approach to postproduction and executive producer Mary Caddy’s skill at guiding projects from editorial through delivery.
“Complimenting our in-house services and amenities, we maintain strategic partnerships with top-caliber color grading, audio and music companies that enable us to take the reins of every phase postproduction," says Caddy. “That seamless pipeline made working on the Kay Jewelers’® spot an efficient and stress free experience.”
Caddy and her team provided fluid remote workflow with the Cleveland-based agency. They were also able to keep the director in the loop- while he in Iceland and Greece shooting another project.
"Coordinating international projects while maintaining seamless workflow is nothing new for us," continues Caddy. "Our editors have cut spots throughout the US, as well as all over the world – from Europe and South America to the Czech Republic.
“Working with Stern Advertising’s Steve Romanenghi, the agency’s EVP/ECD, is always a great experience,” adds Ackerman. “He’s a highly skilled industry veteran who appreciates storytelling and is always able to elevate an idea and an edit to its greatest potential.”
About The Colonie:
The Colonie is an award-winning Chicago-based creative editorial, motion design, visual FX and finishing boutique with a seamless, full-service approach to creating spots and cross-platform content that engage, entertain, inform and move audiences.
Our multi-disciplined collective of creative, technically skilled editors and designers work as creative partners with clients, following a shared vision – from rough-cut through completion. We’ve built a reputation for consistently delivering a final product that exceeds their expectations while elevating the viewer’s experience and their connection to brands. Some of our national and global clients include Nintendo, McDonald’s, Pepisco, Bayer, and Google, to name a few.
For more information about The Colonie and its services, visit www.TheColonie.com, or contact executive producer Mary Caddy at 312-225-1234, or Sonia Blum or Hillary Herbst at Hilly Reps, 312.944.1100.
