The Assignment: MasterCard and agency McCann Erickson are connecting fans to the origins of rock and roll’s greatest with their new “Roots of Rock” Sweepstakes. The national TV campaign featuring the music of Jon Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, and Eric Clapton was mixed in High Definition 5.1 Surround at Nutmeg Audio Post (www.nutmegaudiopost.com).
Creative Juices:
The famed “Priceless” VO artist Billy Crudup introduces viewers to MasterCard’s “Roots of Rock” sweepstakes with one :30 and three :15 spots. Nutmeg Senior Audio Engineer Frank Verderosa oversaw a crisp 5.1 Surround mix for each spot, which show how a lucky sweepstakes winner will get the chance to have lunch where Eric Clapton became “Slowhand”, see where Jon Bon Jovi played his first show, or spend time on Kenny Chesney’s original tour bus, all for $0. A spin on the trademark tag follows, “Getting back to where it all began: Priceless.”
It’s In the Mix:
Verderosa and the McCann Erickson team got to work with timeless material that includes Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally”, Bon Jovi’s “Runaway”, and Chesney’s “I Go Back”, complementing them with sonic atmospheres that brought realism to the pub, club and outdoor scenes the music was matched with.
“It was great to be a part of McCann Erickson’s ‘Priceless’ campaign, which has become such a staple of American culture,” Verderosa says. “The music pops really well – I’d love to take all the credit, but these are classic songs. It was fun to lay subtle ambiences into each of the spaces that you see in the commercial, so that you feel as if there are people in the back of the club having a good time.
“Rather than simply keeping the music left and right, I kept it just beyond the speakers – just enough so that it will fill the room. That allows the voice over to breathe a little more, and that’s one of the joys of 5.1.”
The McCann Erickson team was able to experience a more efficient mix process via Nutmeg Audio Post‘s HDPostSync, an advanced solution that eliminates one of the most pervasive complications in HDTV post. While timing problems between audio and
Plasma or LCD monitors are a common experience in most audio post facilities, with Nutmeg’s proprietary HDPostSync system sound and picture are experienced in precise synchronization throughout every mix and sound design session.
“Clients are pleasantly surprised when they come to Nutmeg, look at the HD plasma screen, and can experience the HD video and audio in perfect sync,” Verderosa comments. “That’s something a lot of audio post facilities haven’t worked out yet – we’re proud of the fact that our HD clients can see and hear everything with total confidence rather than having to check a smaller screen for sync”.
About Nutmeg Audio Post:
Nutmeg Audio Post is New York City’s comprehensive audio post facility that puts creativity first. Founded in 1979, it is home to an elite staff of mixers and support staff committed to providing world-class audio post production and sound design for HDTV and SDTV, film, radio, online and interactive media. For more information, please visit www.nutmegaudiopost.com, or call 212-921-8005.
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