This tongue-in-cheek regional Blue Cross Blue Shield spot introduces us to a young man who aspires to ride West and become a Pony Express rider. He needs two things, though–one he gets from his mom, a Blue Cross Blue Shield healthcare card; the other he will have to develop–a better sense of direction.
Wally Pfister of RESET Content directed and shot “Express” for agency HY Connect. Grant Gustafson of Cutters edited the spot.
Client Blue Cross Blue Shield (regional covering 10 states) Agency HY Connect Kevin Houlihan, EVP, creative and production; Michael Matykiewicz, Colin Quinn, VPs/creative directors; Nathen Grigsby, producer. Production RESET Content Wally Pfister, director/DP; Jeff McDougall, exec producer. Telecine Company 3 Tyler Roth, colorist. Editorial Cutters Grant Gustafson, editor; Billy Montross, assistant editor; Craig Duncan, exec producer; Heather Richardson, producer. VFX/Finishing The Mill Jamie Beckwith, 2D lead artist; Theo Maniatis, Mike Sarabia, 2D artists; Jeff Boddy, Anzie Lee, Josh Van Praag, motion graphics; Andrew Sommerville, exec producer; Mike Pulian, producer. Music HUM Audio Post Chicago Recording Company Eric Cauwels, mixer.
Rappers Khuli Chana, Blxckie and 25K team up with Patriot Films director Sam Coleman, who is repped by Ridley Scott Associates (RSA) stateside, to celebrate the power of inspiration for KFC Streetwise and Ogilvy Johannesburg.
Every groundbreaking artist has a story, a moment of inspiration that drives their next wave of creativity. But this doesn’t happen in isolation--original needs to feed original. “There’s a wealth of creative energy bubbling up in the youth of South Africa,” said Coleman. “Everyone is out to try and make a dent in the creative landscape. Inspiration is everywhere you look and all a creative person needs is that spark to go to the next level.”
This 90-second spot features a stellar cast of South African artists riffing off each other, and while KFC Streetwise has long been a mainstay of the country’s youth culture, an authentic approach was critical. Ogilvy turned to Coleman whose experience includes fashion and street culture.
Notable South African creators who appear in the commercial film include Kind Kid toymaker Sanele Qwabe, “Nail Pimp” Nailed Ntswembu, the Island Gals skaters, fashion designer Ruberto Scholtz, visual director Rowan Sakarombe, custom car pimper Ofentse Mphatsoe and metal band Botswana Metalheads. The transitions from one innovator to another were important considerations for Coleman. He explained, “You’re really talking about a ripple effect and how one idea sparks another, so I wanted to create seamless uninterrupted progressions that would evoke that feeling of inspiration and flow.”
KFC’s chief marketing officer Grant Macpherson said, “From a brand perspective, I want to work with directors who have a strong, passionate point of view – someone who brings bold... Read More
