VML New York launched a spot for Motorola stoking mid-2000s nostalgia and reminding viewers of the popularity of the brand’s Moto Razr in those pre-iPhone days. (Yes, there was such a time. How quickly we forget!)
The 45-second teaser spot, which doesn’t reveal what product it is promoting, depicts a high school scene in which everyone is using the phone in one way or another.
Set to an emo (mid 2000s, Dashboard Confessional definition; not the original, post-hardcore offshoot, pioneered by Rites of Spring, or the 90s style of Jawbreaker/Sunny Day Real Estate definition) soundtrack, the spot follows a girl telling her friend “she’s totally just jealous” as she walks down the hall. In the process, she gets a dirty look from a teacher, and the focus shifts to a jock taking a selfie and then a disgruntled guy with that emo-style haircut that was everywhere at the time.
Having graduated from high school by then, we can’t say how accurate a portrait the spot paints of the time period. But it doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.
We’re not sure the world is ready for mid-2000s nostalgia already but the theme is presumably tied to the brand’s new release, hinted at with the spot’s concluding “TTYL 06.09.16” message. Adweek points out that the date refers to the Lenovo Tech World conference in Silicon Valley, where Motorolla will presumably have an announcement to make.
Some speculate that the brand will re-release the Moto Razr, while others question whether there’s a demand for the product these days, although flip phones have been making a slight comeback the past couple of years. Let’s just hope mid-2000s emo doesn’t follow suit.
Credits:
Client: Motorola Mobility
Brand name: Moto
Motorola Mobility Senior Director / Head of North America Marketing: Barbara Liss
Motorola Mobility North America Digital engagement: Jenna Rice
Motorola Mobility Digital Marketing Manager: Elizabeth Phillips
Agency: VML
Global Chief Creative Officer: Debbi Vandeven
Managing Director and Executive Creative Director: Mike Wente
Group Creative Director: Josh McGuire
Creative Director: Harsh Kapadia
Senior Copywriter: Eric Terchila
Senior Art Director: Todd Houlette
Art Director: Edi Loyola
Associate Copywriter: Mike Breighner
Executive Director: Chris Furse
Content Strategy Director: Madeline Nies
Senior Planner: Tarini Shrikhande
Group Account Director: Thayer Joyce
Account Director: Kelli Lane
Senior Account Manager: Kayla Cobourn
Associate Director, Social Media: God-is Rivera
Senior Content Strategist: Kate Wadkins
Group Account Director: Mark Nathanson
Senior Project Manager: Adrienne Fadjo
Production Company: Los York
Managing Director: Dexton Deboree
Executive Producer: Sue Lee
Director: Win Bates
Director: Seth Epstein
Head of Production: Melina Osornio
Senior Producer: Jake Hibler
Line Producer: Scott Ludden