Volkswagen of America is debuting “Rain,” a spot promoting its new bumper-to-bumper vehicle warranty.
Directed by Lance Acord of Park Pictures, the :60 from Deutsch recaptures the spirit of music festivals of the 1960s and celebrates the heritage of the brand. Highlighting the microbus, since it has been a cultural icon, VW is bringing us back to a time of love and harmony and putting its drivers first–hence the rollout of the automaker’s People First Warranty.
Client Volkswagen of America Agency Deutsch Pete Favat, chief creative officer, North America; Todd Riddle, executive creative director; Heath Pochucha, group creative director; Paul Oberlin, creative director/art director; Matt Sherman, creative director/copywriter; Doug Pedersen, art director; Tim Gillingham, copywriter; Vic Palumbo, director of integrated production; Margaret Nickerson, executive integrated producer; Samantha Bonom, sr. integrated producer; Eryk Rich, music supervisor; Chase Butters, music producer Production Park Pictures Lance Acord, director; Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Scott Howard, exec producers; Anne Bobroff, head of production; Caroline Kousidonis, line producer. Editorial Rock Paper Scissors Adam Pertofsky, editor; Marjorie Sacks, Martin Hsieh, assistant editors; Dre Krichevsky, producer; Rana Martin, exec producer; Shada Shariatzadeh, head of production; Linda Carlson, Jennifer Sofio Hall, managing directors. Postproduction/VFX a52 Patrick Murphy, VFX supervisor/2D VFX artist; Andy Wilkoff, CG lead, 3D artist; Manuel Guizar, CG lead, 3D artist; Stefan Gaillot, Kevin Stokes, Michael Plescia, Michael Vaglienty, 2D VFX artists; Dustin Mellum, Tom Briggs, Mike Bettinardi, Michael Cardenas, Joseph Chiechi, 3D artists; Michael Steinmann, producer; Andrew Rosenberger, production coordinator; Patrick Nugent, Kim Christensen, exec producers; Linda Carlson, Jennifer Sofio Hall, managing directors. Color Company 3 Tim Masick, colorist; Ashley McKim, global EP, commercials; Alexandra Lubrano, producer. Audio/Sound Design Barking Owl Morgan Johnson, sound designer; Patrick Navarre, mixer; Kelly Bayett, creative director/EP; Ashley Benton, producer. Music (Licensed) “With a Little Help From My Friends” Joe Cocker, artist; John Lennon, Paul McCartney, composers. Sony ATV, publisher; UMG, label.
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
