Dell Blue, the internal creative agency for Dell, recently created a thrilling :60 spot for Alienware, a provider of premium gaming laptops and desktops. Centered around the tagline “Everything Counts,” the spot features a cast of real-life gamers headlined by Yiliang “Peter” Peng a.k.a. Doublelift, a professional League of Legends player who currently plays for esports organization Team Liquid. In addition, it captures the most critical insights from a competitive PC gaming and esports perspective while beautifully communicating the entire Alienware setup (PC, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and headset). The spot is airing on broadcast, online, and social.
Helmed by acclaimed film and commercial director Tony Kaye, “Everything Counts” captures the high-octane experience of gaming through the perspective of pro gamers who rely on Alienware when every click and every second count toward victory. Combining 3D animation and a series of frenetically cut close-ups of each gamer in their element, the spot concludes, "When the difference between winning and losing is measured in milliseconds. Every click, every frame, every sound, every advantage… everything counts."
SPW Credits
Client: Alienware Project: “Everything Counts”
Ad Agency: Dell Blue/Austin, TX
Executive Creative Director: Seth Perisho, Associate Creative Directors: Casey Anderson & Emily Grube, Copywriter: Zach Stevens, Art Director: Lily Kowalski, Sr. Director Campaigns and Agency Operation: Heather Coleman, Head of Production: Brent Holt, Senior Producer: Megan Murray, Senior Project Manager/Account Lead: Shruti Desai, VP Global Marketing Consumer: Alejandro Madrid, Director of Global Creative: Kristi Armstrong, Creative Lead: Lisa Meyers
Production Company: Tony Kaye Pictures/Los Angeles, CA
Director/DP: Tony Kaye, Executive Producers: Matt Zion-Basile, Producer: Mark Conley
Where Shot: Culver City, CA
Editorial Company: Dell Blue Editorial/Austin, TX
Senior Editor: Jason Uson
VFX & Post Production Company: Office of Development & Design/New York, NY
Executive Creative Director: Gary Breslin, Executive Producers: Matthew Turke & Tim Case, Producers: Wendy Gardner & Stephanie Katritos-Sautai, Animators: Terry Lush, Fede Saenz & Brian Sensebe, VFX Lead: Joe Laffey
Color Correction: Nice Shoes/New York, NY
Colorist: Sal Malfitano, Flame Artists: Peter Charles & Jacob Robinson
Music Production Company: Shindig/Los Angeles, CA
Creative Director: Scott Glenn, Executive Producer: Debbi Landon, Composer: Austin Shupe, Sound Designer/Mixer: Dan Hart, Head of Production: Caroline O’Sullivan
Commercial production company Explore and director Jeremy Pinckert went to a familiar well to pull inspiration for their latest production for Go RVing. "Hotel Hassle" was initially conceived as an audio-only campaign, but Go RVing's SVP/CMO Karen Redfern asked Explore to adapt the script into a new, live-action commercial. The adaptation from audio ads to digital commercial spots involved adding re-written lines and a few iconic scenes from Pinckert’s ideas that provided anchor moments for the ads. In particular, 'Hotel Hassle' features a room key that just won’t open the door. The visual he added (a round sensor on the door where the key unlocks) not only modernized the ad into the age of tap, but also gave the spot a technology vs. human undertone, invoking the AI-character Hal from Stanley Kubrick’s '2001 A Space Odyssey.'
Explore and Pinckert also added a visual hook to the ending of the spot that leaned on his own experiences traveling with his family. He found his hands were always full, clutching a few bags, random loose objects, his phone, and of course, his coffee. In the commercial, there is a moment where all of the frustrations are just too much for the protagonist and he almost curses in front of the family. What if the director added an action where the protagonist accidentally spills their coffee and the camera freezes precisely at this moment?
"Hotel Hassle", part of Go RVing's larger Don't Go There! campaign, is currently being broadcast nationwide via strategic digital channels.
