Besides its food, Chick-fil-A has been a place for folks to gather and spend some time with one another. But lately, the brand noticed people aren’t spending as much quality time in its 2,500 restaurants as they had in the past. They’re eating alone or glued to their phones, always on the go.
So in the spirit of the season, Chick-fil-A teamed with McCann NY and animation/FX studio Psyop on the brand’s first-ever holiday film to tell the story of a little girl named Sam who visits a whimsical Time Shop and helps her family rediscover the importance of quality time together. Marie Hyon of Psyop directed this film which is part of a campaign from McCann and its sister McCann Worldgroup brand experience agency Momentum that includes guests soon being able to visit the real-life Time Shop in NYC–an interactive, non-retail experience where guests can discover the power of Together Time, just like Sam. The pop-up encourages guests to explore custom rooms inspired by different ways of sharing quality time: Story Time, Play Time, and of course, Snack Time. Before leaving, guests enter Giving Time, where they can create a free Time Card to give to someone special. The Time Shop is free to visit with online reservations, and open to the public at 105 Wooster Street from 12/3-16, 11am-8pm but closed on Sundays, of course, like Chick-fil-A.
At the center of the Chick-fil-A holiday campaign are Time Cards: printed cards in beautifully foiled envelopes that guests can personalize with a duration of time and an activity they want to share with a loved one in the upcoming year. From “1 hour to make a snow man” to, “5 hours of perfecting Dad’s cinnamon rolls,” it’s the time together that counts. Cards became available beginning on Thanksgiving Day in restaurants and at timeshop.com, and in December, at The Time Shop experience in downtown New York.
Credits
Client Chick-fil-A Joe Bridges, chief marketing officer; Joe Saracino, SVP, brand strategy, advertising & media. Agency McCann New York Eric Silver, chief creative officer, McCann North America; Devika Bulchandani, president, McCann NY; Sean Bryan, Tom Murphy, co-chief creative officers, NY; Veronica Bertran, managing director, NY; Larry Platt, EVP, executive creative director, NY; Danny Rodriguez, EVP executive creative director, NY; Geoff Bentz, Nic Howell, creative directors, NY; Kathy Love, SVP, executive integrated producer, NY; David Mashburn, executive design director, NY; Scott Kaplan, copywriter; Chuck Tso, art director; Julia Yu, jr. designer; Josh Race, jr. copywriter; Luzdivina Ruiz, jr. art director; Eric Johnson, SVP executive music producer, integrated production, NY; Dan Gross, integrated music producer; Julianna Katrancha, SVP group strategy director; Justin Luk, strategy director; Rachel Aronson, social strategist. Agency Momentum Donnalyn Smith, president, North America; David Chamberlin, SVP, executive experience director, North America; James Gavigan, VP, director of production; Cameron Templeton, creative director; Madison Schumacher, sr. 3D design experience designer; Muoi Le, associate 3D design director; Marina Negrao, sr. producer; Miranda Saucedko, Charles Hunter, producers; Donna Meredith, sr. integrated producer; Maddie Demas, associate integrated producer. Production/VFX/Animation Marie Hyon, director, designer, matte painter; Justin Booth-Clibborn, executive producer; Suzie Cimato, sr. producer; Simone Miller, associate producer. Victorior Wanchana Intrasombat, Pedro Lavin, designer, matte painter; Samantha Ballardini, Felipe Hansen, Robin Joseph, Andrew Serkin, Dionisius Bangun, designers; Ben Chan, storyboard artist; Briana Francheschini, lead TD, modeler, look dev/lighter and groom FX; Pat Porter, Nick Dubois, Doug Litos, previz artists and 3D animators; Eric Cunha, Ieva Callender, modelers and groom FX, look dev/lighters; David Soto, Anne Yang, Chris Santoianni, Pedro Conti, Kevin Ferrara, Ryan Kirkwood, Casey Reuter, Krista Albert, modelers; Brian Kim, modeler and look dev/lighter; Aldrich Torres, additional modeling; Nitesh Nagda, additional modeling (Leonstudio, Basilic Fly); Thao Dan Nguyen Phan, Anne Yang, Kwan Au, Susie Hong, look dev/lighters; Zed Bennett, lead rigger; Ohad Bracha, rigger; Daishi Takishima, rigger and cloth/hair sim.; Chris Santoianni, groom FX; Eban Byrne, VFX; Jordan Harvey, Scott Hubbard, cloth/hair sim.; Matthias Bauerle, 2D lead, compositor and look dev/lighter; Aaron Baker, Herculano Fernandes, Manu Gaulot, Lane Jolly, Tingting Li, Carl Mok, compositors; Felipe Hansen, matte painter; Loren Christiansen, editor. (Toolbox: Maya, Houdini, Nuke, After Effects, Photoshop, Substance Painter, Yeti)
Dancer turned director Ezra Hurwitz collaborates with Ailey II artistic director Francesca Harper, featuring movement as museum pieces against the Whitney Museum of American Art’s striking architecture for this short film titled Echoes of Ailey. Commissioned to celebrate “Edges of Ailey” at the Whitney Museum, the film accompanies the first large-scale exhibition on the life and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. “Edges of Ailey” is currently on view at the Whitney until February 9.
Animating iconic images from Alvin Ailey’s 20th-century repertory, the film expands on the exhibition by constructing a visual narrative around his storytelling and influences. Set to Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place,” dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School capture the emotional core of the company’s history--physically situating Ailey’s masterworks amongst the Whitney’s collection.
“As a child, my grandmother took me to Ailey’s Revelations once a year,” said Hurwitz. “No matter how often I saw it, the work captivated me. There isn’t one specific thing I hope viewers take away from the film--or one way to interpret its images. It’s meant to be an abstract work, like Ailey’s creations.”
Turning to his archive, Hurwitz and Harper illuminate key sequences symbolic of Ailey’s profound legacy, closing on an uninterrupted sequence from "I’ve Been Buked," the opening movement of Ailey’s legendary "Revelations." Carrying a watershed moment back to its own medium, Echoes of Ailey captures the multigenerational impact of Ailey’s work, continued by his organization. The short film first premiered on Nowness.
