A flawlessly attired businessman confronts an “international snack committee” over the contents of a snack food in a new spot for international food brand Chipita directed by Peter Dietrich. The smiling don confidently assures the committee chairman that his self-named product, Pizzeti, does indeed include real tomatoes and cheese, and ominously adds that the last man who questioned his integrity is “now learning to hit a hammer with his other hand.”
Dietrich, who directs U.S. projects for A Common Thread, brings a sly sense of humor and sparkling production value to the piece. In fact, the spot has the look of a studio crime drama from the 1940s. It opens with shots of newspapers emblazoned with sensational headlines about the “Pizzeti Case,” then cuts to the committee hall, overflowing with reporters, cameramen, grim faced lawyers and nervous committee members. The period costuming, props and make-up are all perfectly executed.
The acting is also first rate, particularly that of the spot’s adversaries played by British actor Tom Knight (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and Greek actor Letferis Eleftheriou (I Genia Ton 592 Euro). Dietrich says he aimed for deadpan performances. “We played the hearing as a serious matter between real men about real cheese,” he notes. “Everyone is telling the truth, at all times, about an ‘honest’ snack.”
Dietrich shot the spot in a single shoot day in Belgrade, Serbia with the support of the historic Museum of the local Film Archive.
A Common Thread is located at 4081 Redwood Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90066. For more information, call 310.823.7300 or visit www.acommonthread.tv
