For eight years, NYC-based former “The Colbert Report” writer Peter Grosz (driver’s seat) and Chicago-based improv comedian T.J. Jagodowski (passenger’s seat), were best know as “those two guys” from the Sonic Drive-In spots. While noshing on fast food from the front seat of their car, the duo’s silly inane (and mostly improvised) slice-o-life conversation made unlikely stars of the pair. That is, until the two were “phased out” two years ago.
Since then, Sonic left indie Kansas-City, MO-based Barkley after a 17-year run to name GSP+P as the chain’s new AOR. Perhaps inspired by a drive-in serenade video that caught fire on YouTube last month with over 1.2 million views, Goodby decided to slowly re-introduce the brand’s longtime spokesdudes via social media. As Jeff Goodby told The New York Times in this gargantuan feature that ran this morning, the two guys “were put away a little too early because if they stayed around they really would have come into their own in the social media context.”
Over the last few weeks, Grosz and Jagodowski seemed to plead for their old jobs back via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and a few “self-produced” videos posted to YouTube. Now, before we start declaring this a shoo-in for every social media award in adland, let’s look at the numbers: 158 followers on Twitter, 10,701 “Likes” on Facebook, nine connections on LinkedIn, and 3,100 views on their most popular YouTube video (excluding the video which is a direct response to the aforementioned drive-in “serenade” video).
Even if it’s not quite the social media sensation that some are making it out to be, at least it’s nice to see “those two guys” back in the saddle. Now, what happened to all of those other Sonic spokespeople? Credits and another video follow after the jump.
Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Agency Location: San Francisco, CA
Executive Producer: Eizabeth O’Toole
Producer: Matthew Winks
Executive Creative Director: Margaret Johnson
Copywriter: Mitchell Gage
Art Director: Kristin Graham
Group Account Director: Leslie Barrett
Account Director: Hermon Ghermay
Business Affairs: Bess Cocke, Jennifer Jahinian, Kacey Kelley
Director: Clay Weiner
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Executive Producer: Holly Vega
Line Producer: Alexander Sivers
DP: Marten Tedin
Tabletop Director: Trevor Shephard
Production Company: Woodshop
Executive Producer: Sam Swisher
Line Producer: Christy Lindgren
DP: Pierre Rouger