STORY‘s Blair Hayes recently directed country music superstar Martina McBride in a “high spirited” spot for SunnyD and New York agency Carrafiello Diehl & Associates. The spot features McBride singing in a variety of environments and builds on a concept from previous SunnyD ads (also directed by Hayes) featuring the shadows of kids running, jumping and playing. The energetic shadow play is meant to show how SunnyD lets “kids’ spirits shine through.”
Hayes shot the spot in Nashville, where McBride lives. Although it was the first time he had worked with the singer, Hayes said it obvious why she was a four-time CMC vocalist of the year. “She was amazing—she lit up as soon as the camera rolled,” he recalls. “Few performers can turn it on like that and it is cool to see it happen.”
Hayes created the shadow effects by shooting kids against a green screen. “I have always been one for realism and authenticity,” he says. “So we cast kids who were athletic and could do the things we needed.
“Shooting them on green screen made it easy to generate shadows that could be stretched, manipulated and placed into the background environments.”
Using shadows in the place of live kids was a great idea, Hayes notes, as it makes the spot visually interesting and easy for people to relate to. “Shadows are literally iconic,” he notes. “Communicating an emotion in a second or two is very challenging, and shadows are a wonderful way to do it—you get it immediately.”
The spot can be seen here and is currently airing nationally on network TV and cable.
STORY is represented is represented on the East Coast by Laura Zinn (212) 741-0909; in the Midwest by Doug Stieber & Co. (312) 222-9595, in the Southeast by Miller Associates, (954) 563-6004; in the Southwest by Alyson Griffith, (214) 288-2813 and on the West Coast by Kelley Class, (310) 823-9808.
CREDITS
Client
SunnyD
Agency
Carrafiello, Diehl & Associates, Irvington, NY
Carol Flynn, creative director/art director; Andrea Thompson, creative director/copywriter; Jim Friedman, executive vice president/management supervisor; Courtney Trent, producer; Tracy Ullman, account supervisor.
Production
STORY, Chicago
Mark Androw, executive producer; Blair Hayes, director; Lexi Godfrey, producer.
