This comedy commercial for cable provider Spectrum features four evil pals–Death, a Werewolf, a Mummy and a Mad Scientist–enjoying poker night over a baseball game at Demon’s house. We observe the monsters’ easy camaraderie until Werewolf asks Demon to pause the game so he can go outside. Unfortunately something unthinkably evil ensues—Demon’s DirecTV NOW can’t pause TV, like Spectrum can—and someone will have to pay.
Directed by O Positive’s David Shane for agency Something Different, “Poker” is of the four spots to launch in the agency’s new campaign for Charter Communications’ Spectrum brand. The campaign centers on gripes that provoke customer loathing like deceptive pricing, service interruptions and a lack of channels and features.
Credits
Client Charter Communications/Spectrum Agency Something Different Tommy Henvey, chief creative; Patti McConnell, managing partner/executive producer; Richard Ryan, group creative director; Garrett Crabb, sr. producer; Christine Dodd, marketing director; Jamie Eisman, production coordinator. Production O Positive David Shane, director; Ralph Laucella, Marc Grill, exec producers; Ken Licata, producer; Marc Laliberte-Else, DP; Dan Ouellete, production designer. Editorial Crew Cuts Jake Jacobsen, partner/editor; Jake Trill, assistant editor; Sara Arnold, producer; Stephanie Norris, post EFX producer. Music JSM Music Joel Simon, chief creative officer; Jeff Fiorello, exec producer; Joel Simon, Seamus Kilmartin, composers.
Continuing their partnership to combat the mental health crisis among America’s youth, the Ad Council and McCann New York have released the latest installment of the “Sound It Out” campaign which focuses on helping parents and caregivers have meaningful conversations with their kids about emotional wellbeing.
The new work, “Listening is a Form of Love,” focuses on the important role parents and caregivers play in supporting young people’s emotional wellbeing and is supported by new data from Surgo Health’s Youth Mental Health Tracker. The survey highlights that: 55% of youth (ages 10-24) report mental health struggles; and one in five youth report symptoms of depression, and one in four report symptoms of anxiety.
The film includes an interactive digital experience that invites parents to practice “holding space” by pressing the space bar to listen to kids sharing what they wish their parents could hear, in their own words. Along with this literal interpretation of the active listening the campaign encourages, the website also gives valuable tools to help parents and caregivers be better listeners, and in turn, better support their kids.
There is also this 60-second PSA--directed by Alex Fischman Cardenas via Greenpoint Pictures--which underscores the power and importance of listening to your loved ones.
