Following The Overwhelming Success of ‘Salute’ (Which Swept The ADDYs and NGA Awards With Ten Top Wins), The Director & Agency’s Ongoing Relationship Continues To Cultivate Impressive Creativity With New Spot for Food City
The Tombras Group has once again tapped into Porchlight director Peter Zavadil’s talent for delivering simple, slice-of-life stories with strong emotional impact for ‘The Note.’ The 60-second spot for Food City pays homage to moms – reminding us all what makes them special – just in time for Mother’s Day.
Last year, Zavadil and the agency’s collaboration on Food City’s ‘Salute,’ a moving patriotic spot was awarded six top ADDYs, two NGA 2014 Creative Choice Awards and remains a YouTube favorite with over 1.5 million hits. The staying power of this spot attests to the value of the long-term relationship and strategic partnership the director, agency and production company have developed over the years.
“The Tombras Group is a multi-award winning, world-class agency that consistently turns out fresh, compelling concepts,” says Zavadil. “From the first spot we partnered on, working with a creative team of their caliber has been a great experience.”
“Porchlight and Peter’s creative partnership with The Tombras Group has eliminated the learning curve, because we already understand what they’re going for, how they like to work, and what they’re relying upon us to deliver,” says Kristen Forrest, the commercial production company’s executive producer. “As soon as Peter sees the boards, he’s on the same page with their team – and our proven history gives the agency confidence that the final product we deliver will meet their deadline, consistently exceed their expectations and get the most production value out of their budget.”
‘The Note’ tells the story of how a mother’s love reveals itself in everyday, small acts of thoughtfulness, and ultimately comes full circle with the emotional connection it evokes within her young son.
One of Zavadil’s strong suits is bringing to life seemingly simple, poignant narrative stories with authenticity that resonates emotionally with an audience, and spot-on casting is always a critical component of his process. For this spot, the director focused on casting an actress and child actor that could deliver a seamlessly natural performance.
The spot opens with a mom packing her son’s school lunch – and then writing something on a piece of paper that she puts into his lunchbox. While at school, the lunchbox pops open and everything falls out. As he gathers its contents, he sees the note and stuffs it into his pocket. Throughout the day he checks his pocket to make sure it’s there, showing that he is clearly thinking about and protecting it all day.
When the boy gets home from school, he hands his mom the crumpled note. Over her shoulder we see what she wrote that morning: “Do you love me? Yes or No.” As she sees the word ‘yes’ checked in red crayon, a tear comes to her eye. The camera then peaks over mom’s shoulder again, and pans down the note to a question the boy wrote for her: “Can we have spagety? Yes or No.’
The impact of the heart-felt message is not diluted with heavy-handed branding. Instead the spot’s only reference to Food City is the closing image of mother and son hugging and the supermarket chain’s logo with the words ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ superimposed over it – proving that less is sometimes more when it comes to impactful brand association.
The spot was shot in Nashville on location in a suburban-style house, as well as at The Overbrook School, during the course of two days. Slated to begin airing a week before Mother’s Day, the team had less than two weeks to deliver the spot.
“Another benefit of Porchlight’s ongoing creative partnership with The Tombras Group is that the sum total of our shared experience working together translates into warp speed efficiency,” says Forrest. “The Tombras Group knew they could rely upon us to find the right talent, shoot multiple scenes at two locations and turn the spot around in less than two weeks.”
Also a skilled editor who enjoys following through with his vision, Zavadil cut the spot on the Adobe Premiere – again maximizing efficiency while bringing a director’s eye to the editorial process. Forward’s Rodney Williams was the colorist for the project. Paul Jones of Auralation Music scored the commercial, creating an endearing tone that supported the spot’s message.
“Storytelling is my passion,” says Zavadil. “And The Tombras Group once again provided a great concept that draws viewers into pivotal moments and events in life, and evokes an emotional response. Our uniquely collaborative relationship and long associations continue to provide us with the ability to focus on making each project the best it can be – and ‘The Note’ is no exception.”
About Porchlight
Porchlight a multi-award winning, full-service commercial production company with a diverse roster of directors. For more information about its talent, work and the full scope of it services, contact Jack Reed or Porchlight executive producer, Kristen Forrest and visit www.Porchlight.tv.
Video Credits
Porchlight:
Jack Reed at 214.328.7832
ContactJack via email
Kristen Forrest, executive producer, 615.385.1024
Contact Kristen ia email
Media Contact:
Sherri Golden
SJ Golden Associates, Inc.
212.683.1777
Contact Sherri via mail
2024 AICP Awards Tour Concludes with Stops in Dallas and Chicago
The 2024 AICP Awards Tour concludes with stops in Dallas and Chicago this month as it wraps up its tour of cities across the U.S. The National Tour brought presentations, panels and screenings to marketers, advertising agencies, production and post production companies. The AICP Awards will be in Dallas on Thursday, November 14th, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by the Chicago event, set for Thursday, November 21st at The Old Post Office. Tickets are available now for both events at www.aicp.com. In Dallas, the program kicks off at 6:45 pm with a happy hour, followed by the screening and panel discussion at 7:30. The evening ends with a networking reception from 8:30 to 11:30. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas. Appearing in Dallas will be Abe Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste; Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content, Southwest Airlines; and Isaac Pagán Muñoz, VP, Executive Creative Director of PepsiCo Foods. The panel will review selected winners from the suite of the AICP Awards programs, offering insights into what made them rise to the top of their respective categories and share their viewpoints on key trends in the industry. The Chicago stop starts at 6:00pm with a happy hour, followed by the presentation and screening at 7:00pm. A reception caps the event, starting at 8:00pm and concluding at 11:30pm. The Old Post Office is located at 433 W Van Buren Street in Chicago. The panel there will feature 2024 AICP Awards Curators and Winners from the marketer, agency, production and post production sectors who’ll highlight this year’s winners. The conversation will include a discussion about the winning work, including insights... Read More