Commercial of the Year Already

I hate when something has nearly 2 million views and I haven't seen it yet. Makes me feel like I'm not doing my job. This job that you don't pay me for, so shut up.

This is so good.

Git Off Mah Laaawn!

From Kansas City-based Austin Walsh Photography comes this twist on the company Holiday Greeting production. AWP's studio chief asks, "Heartfelt or Creepy? You decide." Well - after watching, it's very much both. Dolls with messed up eyes are the stuff of nightmares, but obsessed old men from the suburbs of KC who believe in Santa Claus are the stuff of Disney. And it's nice to see a studio/collective/agency just telling a story instead of putting antlers on the office dog and acting cute.

If The Griswolds Had Money

The fictitious, multicultural Hilfiger family gather in a field to feast. I've never owned a piece of Hilfiger clothing, the brand a bit too preppie for my tastes. But this spot, in the words of the creative director, takes the preppie image and "subverts" it, "twists" it. Add a little Vampire Weekend "Holiday" and you have, hopefully, people buying clothes this Friday. 



There is an alternate version where the dog drives the Jeep away. The ending feels wrong to me, with the actor/model's sarcastic delivery nearly taking away from the feel-good vibe of the piece. It seems tacked on to what was a nice finish. That's nitpicking though. The attention to detail and continuity with the ubiquitous print campaign are flawless.

If you watch it on the Hilfiger site, there's an opportunity to see a "behind the scenes" video at the conclusion off the :60.

And because I'm weird like this and HAVE to know why this was included in the print ad, I've contacted GS Tuning, BMW Specialists of Santa Rosa, CA to find out what their relationship is with the campaign, as they have a minor role in this two-page spread in yesterday's New York Times Style magazine on the back of a beautifully restored BMW 2002, the ultimate, I'm told, prepmobile.

"Encore Performance" is TV-Speak for "Filler"

The onset of Autumn used to mean the start of the new TV season. That slight shift in the wind and the temperature went hand in hand with back to school shopping, a new season of football, new shows on TV and the end of the reruns. But now, it's all up in the air and all over the map. Mad Men started airing its new season in late July. The new season of True Blood is almost over. Those of us eagerly waiting for a new season of Eastbound and Down have been waiting for more than a year. I think SNL and House might be on the old time schedule, but I don't know anymore. I guess that's why we have DVRs now.

That was all just an excuse to show you a rerun of a video I made a few months ago. Jason Fox, an excellent copywriter from Dallas, sent me a DM on Twitter yesterday. We had an exchange that went something like this: Actually, it went exactly like this:

So that made me think, "Damn, maybe that video and song only has 681 views because it just got lost in the shuffle - not because it sucks balls and people were afraid to tell me so. Maybe what it needs is an 'encore performance' here on the blog to kick-start it to life and get it out there a little better."

So without further delay, an encore performance of "Where's My Jetpack?" an original video of an original song by me.



First aired Sunday, April 11, 2010.

Ravioli on The Grill

Ronnie the landscaper reveals that's it not all party-time, firecrackers and chasing chicks in his latest video. The character is getting dark, but you'd be too if one of the exes you're in a custody battle with showed up at the last minute with two of your six kids so she could go out with her new man in his "gay-ass, punked-out Monte Carlo."

Ronnie doesn't care much about production values, making his videos pretty simple to produce, but I may have to break down and buy the poor bastard a wireless mic.



Ronnie would like you to be his friend on Facebook. You may also follow him on Twitter. He will only stalk you if you're hot. Ronnie's definition of "hot" is pretty much defined by what he would do to get to know you. For instance, if you heard him say, "I'd suck the dick of the dog that pissed on the tire of the car that took her dirty underwear to the laundromat," you probably qualify as Super-Hot. And of course Ronnie has a blog where he expounds on subjects such as polygamy, tattoos, church, and tries to get Will Ferrell to co-star in his movie.

Ronnie says he is available for brand/product endorsements or for speaking to groups of students about "the importance of education or some shit."

Ronnie owes his existence to Humongo.

Pros! Shoot Like an Amateur!

Clicking allows maximization. Print on shitty paper for authenticity, then hang it on the bulletin board of the coffee-break area in your dying production studio.

Damn

The line that gets me comes from the man who stares into the camera at the :20 mark and says, "I'm fine found." Makes donating your old clothing and dropping a couple bills into the pot around the Holidays seem very worthwhile. This is some powerful :30. Nothing like a testimonial, and I assume, perhaps naively, that these testimonials are real.

Presenting: "Where's My Jetpack?" The Song and The Video

Or: Unemployment Will Make a Man do Weird Things, Part III.

I've put together a song - and a video to go along with it, and I really like how they both turned out. (You're free not to.) It's called, not surprisingly, "Where's My Jetpack?" I went ahead and created a jetpack of sorts for this video. Don't try this at home. Or do. It was a load of fun.

Much thanks go to the phenomenally talented Professor Fred Leo, musician extraordinaire, for his expert advice during the creation of the audio track.


Enjoy...or don't.

Where's My Jetpack? from Radio Free Babylon on Vimeo.

Using the Facebook Vimeo embed here since the sound quality of YouTube leaves much to be desired.

Also, any perceived homage to ancient rockers from Boston is entirely intentional. Best to turn it up loud.  

Hippies in the Suburbs Eating Lunch Meat

While I like the concept of the couple not happy with their neighbor's overgrown place and the comic tension of the scene, something misses with this Hormel ad. I like the pacing, the dialog, the acting, even the silly punchline of the natural and naked wife in her yard. The spot makes you smile slightly, keeping you interested, until they shift gears and hit you with the pitch voiced by perky girl reading odd copy.

The corporate tag at the end is trying too hard and failing, stuck on at the close in what feels like a template designed by a meddling CMO. "Life. Better Served." Seriously? LIFE? Better Served? Kind of a heavy-handed message to be coming from lunch meat.

Calle del Alfabeto

Bloggers, have you ever posted a video and then gone back to the post months later to find that the video has been removed by the original poster? Happens all the time here and this blog is littered with empty YouTube frames that make those posts pointless.

In some cases, it's a music publisher claiming copyright infringement, which in this day and age, is the dumbest move a music publisher/record label could make. When people are stealing your music from LimeWire and a host of other places, why not allow your music a little free play that doubles as promotion for your artist? Maybe someone sees this video of Prince (being painfully slow-hosted via two or three servers, with the original host being in Romania) and goes out and buys some Prince music on iTunes.

It could happen. Now please enjoy the funky fun of the Minnesota Vikings' most famous fan before it gets removed again.

Prince - Alphabet Street - Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

Quick Diversion for Short Attention Spans

I'm a big fan of stop motion animation, but it can get old after awhile. I clicked "play" on this video expecting to bail out (like I usually do) after a few seconds. But the simplicity of the concept combined with the infectious sound of Choo Choo La Rouge's "Here Come the Guns" (the guitar-work has a definite Boston sound) made me watch it all the way through. I know I'm not the only one who looks at the total time on a YouTube video and makes an instant judgment based on the length. Thirty seconds to a minute? Sure, I'll watch. Over two minutes? Better be good. Over five minutes? Not watching.



Which reminds me of the trend of late where agencies throw crap up on YouTube and label it an "ad" or a "commercial" when it is really a long, self-indulgent "film" that could only air on YouTube. That's not an ad. That's a naked attempt to be "viral", which, as we all know, works best when it happens by accident. But you go on and listen to your social media consultant/guru who claims he can create a viral video for you that will be seen by millions. When you ask him how he thinks this will affect sales, listen carefully as he explains that it's not about sales, it's about "brand awareness." Everyone's going to be talking about your fake surfing video in the city river, then when they need a wetsuit or a surf-board, your name will be "top of mind."

Seen at Sullivan's blog.

More of my ill-informed opinions on viral here.

Across From Super Wal-Mart

We're on a restaurant theme here today at Where's My Jetpack.

Having spent a couple years at a mid-sized market network affiliate making local commercials for clients with no money, I can sympathize with the creators of sushi restaurant spots.

This one for a sushi bar in D'Ibervile, Mississippi covers all the bases.

• Stereotypical "Japanese" music bed? Check.
• Too much copy? Check.
• Cliché-ridden copy? No problem.
  
• Slow pans of restaurant by a guy who is really a news photog? Yep.
• Unappetizing food shots? Got it.
• Rushed voiceover by unprofessional voiceover talent? Done.
• End with view of exterior in a strip mall + phone number? But of course!
• Bonus: Easy locator landmark.
  

There's Nothing Like a Surly Scottish Clog

I saw this local spot not long ago and was humored by the concept. How do you decide to give a clogged drain a Scottish accent a la Mike Myers? How do you decide to have the drain insulting the homeowner as a "freakin' hippie"? How do you decide to have the Scottish clog encouraging the homeowner to continue scratching his itch, calling her "sweetheart"? He's a stubborn, randy drain with an attitude. When you're selling local drain clearing, you have to think creatively. These people did. There are no happy men in trucks pulling up to the curb with a plumber's toolbox, smiling under sunny skies. All clichés avoided and a bathroom as the shoot location.



I emailed the owner of Farmers Drains a couple weeks ago asking if I could post his commercial. I inadvertently insulted him by calling the commercial "low budget," at which point he told me not to post anything about his business. He misunderstood my appreciation for his promotion and I forgot that any amount spent on production and air time for a small business is money that is hard to part with, especially in this climate. Since he now has an account on YouTube, I think I'm safe to share his work. I think it's also a safe bet that people in need of a rooter service are going to remember the name "Farmers" and the figure of $99, thanks to this spot.

Sexual Harrassment: It Works Both Ways

In your dreams, dudes.

The lawyer suggests that you tell "the temptress" to stop calling you "strong" and to stop seeking you out on the warehouse floor in her tight leather skirt. It's really bothersome. Classic early 90s production and slinky music in this CYA film apparently written as comedy.

Wow. Some Kind of Award for This Thing Right Now

(Or as mtlb astutely notes on Twitter: Watch it before it becomes ruined for a JC Penney ad.)

It's the simple things.



Via Captain Andrew "Sully" Sullivan.

You'd Make More at McDonald's

The value of the art of video production has seriously declined in recent years. Case in point: someone posting on Craigslist, Orlando has their head wedged way up their ass. They want a videographer/editor to shoot up to 10 hours of footage over four days, provide the camera and talent, and then deliver them a finished product in two days. And they'll pay you $350.

Looking for a videographer to shoot between 4-10 hours of footage to be edited down to a 3-5 minute highlight DVD. Shooting must take place this Thursday, Friday and the following Monday and Tuesday. Product must be finished by Saturday February 7 - hard deadline.

Provide own camera and editing capabilities and talent. Must have a portfolio or sample videos. Call 407-xxx-xxxx

Location: Orlando
Compensation: $350 negotiable for entire project

When Life Gives You Community College...

College commercials are usually done on a standard template: multiracial students in lab coats looking in microscopes, sitting on lawns in pairs, laughing under a sunny sky, walking past a friendly professor, playing some intramural sport, reading in a library, engaged in a lively debate in a common room. They end with a generic message straight from the school's mission statement; something like "Challenging minds. Changing the world." (If you watched any bowl games over the holidays, they always show one per team, and they almost always suck.)

Here's a twisted college commercial. Granted, it's for a community college offering two-year degrees, but I have to give this local institution some credit (zing!) for breaking the mold. It's Bruno meets Dieter in a trying-real-hard-to-be-funny campaign that's been running for about a year. Orlando is full of aspiring (and disappointed actors), many of whom find employment at Disney, or they end up dressed as knights, serving patrons at some sad horse-themed dinner show. While I can't believe this guy got paid very much for his efforts, I'm sure it was more fun than saying, "Wouldst thou like more sweet tea, mi lady?"



After some quick research, the actor playing the fashion dude can be found here. I wonder if Germans and Austrians take offense at this common, comic depiction.

And they did a nice job of tying the website to the commercials. If this was all done in-house, all the better.

I Take it Back - Music Video Isn't Dead Yet

This one, from Keb Mo, took some prizes recently at a film festival.



Thanks to Every Sandwich for tweeting about Keb Mo and prompting me to look this up.

Somebody Found Some Lame 3D Animation Software

And is using it all over these ads for The Mattress Barn, a Florida chain of barns...of mattresses. Local advertising at its most heinous, making viewers wonder if they make their commercials this poorly on purpose.

I smell an egomaniacal, control-freak owner (notice his giant picture on the delivery truck) who insists on being in his own ads, concepting, writing, directing and producing, making sure to find the cheapest production house in town. "And I want a miniature, animated Me in all my spots. Make his voice high and annoying like mine, only speed it up a little bit."

"His Confident Smile and Kind Eyes"

It's not quite a painting of Elvis on black velvet, but I suspect that's coming soon. We're striving for new lows in American kitsch with this gem - and this gem of a production from The American Historic Society. To have been assigned this abomination of a script to read would be pure torture. Behold, "The Victory Plate."