Unhappy With the World Today? This Ad Has a Silver Lining: Bad Times Make Great Art

Do you live in an old pickle barrel? Maybe you share a single suit of clothes with your five siblings. Or perhaps your home consists of a hole on the side of the road? If so, you’re clearly living through some bad times, just like the down-at-heel Depression Era swing dancin’ couple in this 100-second commercial for the Brooklyn Film Festival. But never fear. According to the spot, created by TBWA/Chiat/Day New York, “Bad times make great art.” Luckily, the ad’s more amusing than depressing. Take a look: [kickout id="1"] Did you see who makes a cameo appearance at the end? Yep, that's Potus 45, thankfully not attempting the Lindy Hop with Melania. He also figures briefly in this next ad, which insists that really bad stuff—including the Black Plague, Mississippi floods and urban decay—lead (indirectly or otherwise) to artistic triumphs such as the Renaissance, Delta Blues music and mind-blowing contemporary graffiti. [kickout id="2"] “There is a bigger idea behind the execution, a real truth that new and powerful art is conceived when times and culture are bad,” says agency creative chief Chris Beresford-Hill. “That’s when artists create new realities, to push through the bad times and paint a new picture.” “It’s rough out there; just put on cable news,” he says. “We’re making that case that all that bad and negativity is being spun into gold by filmmakers—and it’s a strong case.” That’s a valid point. Still, the campaign seems kind of spare on cause and effect, and, some might suggest, a tad insensitive. (All those folks starved during the Depression and all we got was this lousy dance craze?) Even so, the initiative effective delivers a simple message without big bucks or lots of high-tech bells and whistles. For that sort of thing, you can watch this recent future-shock extravaganza from the Newport Beach Film Festival. The 21st annual Brooklyn Film Festival, celebrating independent cinema and auteurs, takes place June 1 to 10 at the Wythe Hotel and Windmill Studios in—where else?—Brooklyn. Maybe you should climb out of your pickle barrel, or that dank hole in the ground, and take in the show. CREDITS: Client: Brooklyn Film Festival Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day New York Chief Creative Officer: Chris Beresford-Hill Executive Creative Directors: Ian Reichenthal, Guillermo Vega Copywriter: K.S. Shanti (Anthem) Head of Production: John Doris Executive Producer: Chris Klein Associate Producer: Sarah Haroldson Dir Business Affairs: Theresa Maranzano Senior Talent Manager: Eileen Sostre Account Manager: Rebecca Press Production Company: Biscuit Director: Aaron Stoller Managing Director: Shawn Lacy EP: Holly Vega Producer: Kim Bradshaw Director of Photography: Sebastian Pfaffenbichler Editorial Company: MacKenzie Cutler Editor: Ian MacKenzie (TGNOOTL) Editor: Nick Divers (Anthem) EP: Gina Pagano Assistant Editor: Brandon Isralasky, Mike Leuis Audio & Music: Human EP: James Wells Senior Producer: Craig Caniglia Color: Co3 Colorist: Tim Masik Senior Producer: Kevin Breheny

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Unhappy With the World Today? This Ad Has a Silver Lining: Bad Times Make Great Art

Brooklyn Film Fest and TBWA/Chiat/Day revisit the Depression

David Gianatasio

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David Gianatasio