Movie net bows theatrical spot spoofs
Unlike the rest of us, the folks at Taxi needn’t keep the volume of mindless TV they’ve consumed a guilty secret. They could claim it was homework.
The clone-crazed and formulaic nature of the gazillion-channel universe provided a trigger for the new Movie Network campaign ‘Not Regular Television.’ The result? Two commercials that stress the desirability of the uncut and commercial-free nature of The Movie Network by satirizing the detritus of commercial television – one is a crime scene investigation spoof and the other is a mock spot starring a dipsomaniacal spokes-icon.
The forensic entry starts off realistically enough, with trench-coat-clad detectives studying a corpse in the regulation desolate urban locale. ‘Murph, bag some samples for toxicology.’ But when Murph tosses the remains of his snack onto the crime scene, and wipes his hands on the corpse, the illusion crumbles. ‘Who cares Bill, nobody’s watching this, everybody’s watching the Movie Network.’ Despite the line: ‘Who can blame them, you’re not a real cop, you’re not even a good actor,’ the performance and direction on this spot really carries it. Nicely done.
The other spot is a take-off of a cleaning solution ad, in which a drunken Captain Spectacular character heckles a germ-obsessed housewife. It likely seemed funny on paper, but doesn’t deliver the entertainment value of its mate. The campaign has a six-week flight beginning Jan. 17, and the buy includes the Super Bowl, The Academy Awards and the Grammies, as well as time on CSI, American Idol and The Amazing Race. It’s also on the big screen at GTA Famous Players, as well as onscreen at Ontario Future Shop locations as part of the programming wheel feeding the 200-odd in-store sets. Media Experts, Montreal, helmed the media plan and buy, and the Future Shop deal is actually a repeat performance for the Movie Network, which previously aired season three of The Sopranos in-store. The thinking? Lots of people go to the Future Shop to pick up set top boxes, so are an ideal audience for the service. MM
clients: Astral Television Network’s SVP marketing & sales: Domenic Vivolo;
The Movie Network marketing director: Richard Bartrem and marketing manager, Alisson Larrea
CD: Zak Mroueh
AD: Dave Douglass
copy: Pete Breton
AP: Sarah Michener
account director: Barry Teplicky
account manager: Daryn Sutherland
prodco: untitled
director: Tim Godsall
DOP: Andre Pienaar
producer: Tom Evelyn
editor: Brian Wells, Third Floor Editing
transfer/colour: Gary Chuntz, Notch
music: Rocko Gagliese, The Eggplant
Much more than just a breakdancing penis
Groovy New Feelings is Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada’s new PSA that attempts to connect in an unforgettable way with young adults on the sensitive topic of sex education. The 40-second spot, created and produced by MuchMusic, is a hysterical spoof that promotes the availability of Planned Parenthood’s information resources and dialogue options for young adults without the banal invasion most kids identify with formal sex ed. The break-dancing penis and cheesy spandex-clad singers were just an added bonus.
The creative process began with Planned Parenthood giving MuchMusic the task of producing a spot around the message of its new campaign, ‘Talking about sex isn’t always easy.’ Andy King, writer/producer for MuchMusic Creative Services who wrote and directed the PSA, pitched the idea of a satirical high school assembly featuring a singing dance troupe that oozes unintentional comedy.
The commercial opens with a health teacher introducing the assembly’s special guests to an auditorium full of disinterested kids. The band takes the stage wearing costumes inspired by a 1986 Menudo video and begins belting out the uninspiring lyrics to their song, ‘Body Urges’. The accompanying dance number, complete with painfully awkward pelvic gyrations, obviously does not connect with the school kids as the shot pans to an audience as engaged and interested as if they were watching The Lawrence Welk Show.
For the grand finale, the viewers are introduced to Penis, the band’s breakdancer who busts a move while dressed in a genitally inspired costume (King said an elaborately designed ‘Uterus’ suit was ditched at the last minute). The spot fades out with the rest of the troupe chanting ‘Go Penis! Go Penis’ while Penis does ‘the windmill’ next to a woman in a vagina costume.
One need only ask a regular MuchMusic viewer to appreciate how effective the ad is, making Planned Parenthood very proud parents. DS
client: Planned Parenthood Federation Of Canada
agency: MuchMusic
choreographer: Jenny Cobb
CD: Scott Greig
costumes: Emily Powell
senior CD: Dave Johnson
CW/producer/director/editor: Andy King
DOP: Lainie Knox
audio: Elizabeth Martin
music: Snake Eyes
You are cordially invited to submit your new, dead clever and
previously unrevealed campaigns to: editorial director Mary Maddever at mmaddever@brunico.com and creative director Stephen Stanley at sstanley@brunico.com, co-curators of strategy’s Creative space.
