Today, Limbo Films, a Portland, Ore.-based film production company, announced news about a campaign filmed for Tobacco Free Florida (TFF) (www.tobaccofreeflorida.com). The first TV advertisement, titled “Catch,” and directed by Limbo’s Gary Nolton, made its debut during the 2008 Super Bowl and became the first regional spot included for voting in YouTube’s Super Bowl Ad Blitz competition, where it garnered more than 280,000 views (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-D9gCp-UA).
The 30-second spot begins with an all-American feel and a young boy tossing a baseball in a serene suburban backyard. The story quickly takes a dark turn when it becomes apparent the boy is alone. His father has succumbed to the dangers of smoking – a reality that leaves 31,000 U.S. children fatherless each year, according to statistics cited by the ad.
The success of the first spot urged TFF to develop two follow-up advertisments. “Buckle Up” combines live action directed by Limbo Films‘ Ray Giarrantana with CGI imagery produced by Los Angeles-based The Syndicate. The imagery conjures an evocative puff of second-hand smoke rising from a mother’s cigarette and into the nose of her young daughter, ultimately blackening her capilaries and illiciting a cough. The advertisment first resembles a saftey belt awareness piece, citing that “37 thousand people a year in the United States die in car accidents”; after the mother lights up comes the follow-up stat: “38 thousand per year die from second-hand smoke.”
The next piece in the series, “Video Game,” also features the expertise of director Giarratnana, a specialist in incorporating special effects elements into live-action scenes, as well as the direction of CGI effects. The advertisment resembles a Halo-style video game that ends with a surprising “Game Over” result for smokers.
Limbo Films was chosen to produce the commercials by Tallahassee, Fl.-based The Zimmerman Agency (www.zimmerman.com). Limbo Films has previously collaborated with the firm on efforts for clients such as AFLAC and Columbus Bank and Trust. The TFF ads complement an innovaitve overall campaign by The Zimmerman Agency that incorporates elements as diverse as comic books, song downloads, online testimonials and a dedicated “Quitline”.
“The message is quit now, while you can,” said Rob Kerr, associate creative director and vice president of The Zimmerman Agency. “Judging from public response, these spots have truly hit a nerve. Limbo did a superb job of creating emotional resonance about the impact smoking can have not just on one’s self, but on the most important people in your life.”
About Limbo Films
Limbo Films is a production company based in Portland, Oregon that produces high-end television commercials for top advertising agencies and their clients across the United States. Limbo has produced spots for agencies such as: Borders, Perrin, & Norrander, Cole & Weber, Dentsu/Tokyo, DDB, Fahlgren & Associates, Element79/Chicago, EURO-RSCG/NY, GSD&M/Austin, Rodgers-Townsend/St.Louis, Rubin Postaer, and Wieden & Kennedy. Their award-winning production expertise is evident in projects for Adidas, Bravo Channel, CamelBak, Coca-Cola, Dunlop Golf, Honda, Leatherman Tools, McDonald’s, Nike, Nokia, Outdoor Life Network, Precept Golf, Purina, SBC, Time Warner, and others. More information and directors’ reels are available online at www.limbofilms.com.
