Zimmerman Advertising and client Party City debuted the first creative work from the agency to coincide with the chain’s biggest season: Halloween. And what’s bigger during the spookiest time of the year than the iconic pop sensation, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller?” Boasting the tagline “Nobody has More Halloween for Less,” the :15 teaser spots and :30 commercial were choreographed by Cris Judd (of Jennifer Lopez fame) and directed by Tony Molina of Mt. Vernon Entertainment. The shoot, with a 43-member cast, took place at Universal Orlando Studios set to a re-recorded version of the song, “Thriller.”
Zimmerman went all out for the shoot, which meant bringing in top-notch talent like Judd, who was a backup dancer on two world tours with Jackson, and Molina. The production company, Mt. Vernon Entertainment, was also specially selected for its extensive experience in shooting music videos. The 43 dancers, of all ages, were shot at Universal on a custom-built haunted forest set with original choreography by Judd.
The TV spots showcase Halloween costumes for everyone, positioning Party City as a category killer in the party and costume sector, providing the best combination of cost savings and costume selection for every demographic. Everything from ghoulish witches to pirates to toddler and baby costumes is on display in the high-energy dance spot. Judd worked with a cast of all ages, running them through their moves during rehearsals as the sets were constructed and lighted.
View behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot by visiting Zimmerman’s YouTube channel at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FURxq8nZsuU.
“Party City has everything you could possibly need, want or desire for your Halloween celebration,” says Zev Auerbach, Creative Partner at Zimmerman. “We wanted to make sure that our initial work for this unique client captured that same sense of fantasy and imagination, which we were successfully able to do by using the inspiration behind Thriller – an iconic embodiment of the Halloween season.”
The six-week campaign, which launched with :15 teaser ads on September 27, with the main campaign, including :30 TV, print , out-of-home, online and radio debuting October 24, is the first creative for Party City since Zimmerman won the full service AOR account in June.
“Party City is an exceptional store, especially during this time of year,” notes Lisa Laube, the company’s President. “This campaign captures that level of excitement and encourages people to do what we all dream about doing on Halloween – dressing to thrill. You can’t see this campaign and not get excited about Halloween!”
Creative Credits for the “Dressed to Thrill” Campaign:
• Zev Auerbach – Creative Director
• David Nathanson, Frank Trani and Steve Park – Additional Creative Direction
• Mike Kowal – produced and recorded “Thriller” for the spot
• Chad Garcia – Editor
• Richard Nez – Producer
About Party City
Party City Corporation is America’s largest discount party goods chain. Party City currently has more than 600 company-owned and franchise stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. Party City is a division of Amscan Holdings, Inc., which owns, operates or franchises over 900 specialty party retail stores and also operates a wholesale and manufacturing division. To learn more about Party City, call 1-800-477-4841 or visit the company’s website at www.partycity.com. To learn more about Amscan Holdings, Inc., visit www.amscan.com.
About Zimmerman Advertising
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Zimmerman Advertising, an Omnicom Group™ company, is the country’s leading national retail brand builder, and the 14th largest advertising agency in the United States according to Adweek, with more than 1,100 full-time associates and offices throughout the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. For information on the agency, visit http://www.zadv.com. To learn more about Jordan Zimmerman, his business philosophies and opinions, visit his blogspot: www.yousleepwhenyoudie.com.
Omnicom Group
Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.
