Chloé Zhao, who earlier this year won Best Picture and Director Oscars for Nomadland, directed this spot for Ford out of Wieden+Kennedy New York. Titled “Make It Revolutionary,” the commercial debuts during the opening ceremonies of the 2021 Olympic Games. For the film, Zhao brings the human side of the transition to electric vehicles to the fore, showing how this revolutionary technology can still feel incredibly familiar. Zhao’s human-centric approach to storytelling enabled her to draw out extraordinary performances from a cast of primarily non-actors.
Zhao–who directed the Ford project via production house Caviar–also has a personal connection with the Ford brand. She built a camper van out of a Ford Transit and often travels and works from it. The protagonists in her films are often seen driving a Ford vehicle.
“Make It Revolutionary” was a green production from end-to-end, indicative of the breadth of Ford’s larger sustainability goals as a company.
In 2021 alone, Ford has electrified three of its iconic nameplates, with the introduction of the F-150 Lightning, the Mustang Mach-E, and the E-Transit van, vehicles that are fun to drive and have unique performance and capabilities only possible because of electrification.
Credits
Client Ford Agency Wieden+Kennedy New York Karl Lieberman, executive creative director; Stuart Jennings, Eric Helin, creative directors; Jake Thompson, copywriter; Alex McClelland, art director; Nick Setounski, head of integrated production; Jess Griffeth, executive producer; Jordan Leinen, sr. producer; Rodrigo Nino, producer; Alix Toothman, strategy director. Production Caviar Chloé Zhao, director; Greig Fraser, DP; Rebecca Donaghe, line producer; Michael Sagol, managing partner. Editorial Joint Matt Burke, editor; Elaine Green, Matt Clark, editorial assistant; Kari Ickert, sr. post producer; Michelle Carman, exec producer. VFX Preymaker Adrian Hurley, VFX supervisor; Greg Cutler, Kevin Quinlan, VFX 2D lead; Kevin Quinlan , Simon Holden, Hieu Phan, Tim Bird, Raymond Volker, Matthew Tremaglio, Phil Massimino, Ben Weaver, VFX artists; Zach Fortin, Gwen Frey, Katherine Lannon, VFX producers; Melanie Wickham, Verity Kneale, exec producers. Color Company 3 Jill Bogdanowicz, colorist; Matt Moran, color producer. Music Emile Mosseri, composer. Music Premier Music Group Winslow Bright, music supervisor/exec producer. Audio Post Sonic Union Steve Rosen, sound designer/mix engineer; Joey Glick, assistant engineer; Justine Cortale, studio director.
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.
