For their latest campaign for Coke Zero, Zulu Alpha Kilo, along with social media agency Dare, found real hockey stories online using social media and retold them with Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos. The newly released second film in the series, “The Trade,” tells Shawn Warford’s story of being traded from the team his father coached.
At the beginning of the spot, Stamkos (as Warford) enters his father’s office and is told he is being traded. “You can’t trade me, I’m your son” he replies, followed by an annoying and completely unnecessary voiceover intrusion proclaiming “That’s going to be an awkward car ride home.” Between the terrible acting and gratuitous VO, this is where, if I wasn’t paid to write about it, I would stop watching this ad. To be fair, it does pick up a little bit from here, thanks largely to Bob the zamboni driver.
Bob explains why Kevin Wheeler gives the team exactly what they’re looking for and is the perfect trade. He goes on to enthusiastically extoll the virtues of the team’s new addition at length. A fed up Stamkos asks for the new jersey, which is when the spot slows down to tell us this is his “Moment Zero.” In the first game with his new team, he goes on to score five goals, each dedicated to exacting revenge for a different moment his father pissed him off. “It’s a moment he wouldn’t trade for anything,” says the annoying narrator in what is supposed to be the payoff. At least they (eventually) used Stamkos for what he’s good at (scoring goals) after what felt like an eternity of Stamkos struggling through what he’s terrible at (acting). I understand and appreciate the social engagement the “real hockey stories” angle brings to the table, but next time let’s have a higher ratio of hockey to stories. Or get a hockey player that can act, if such a person exists. Credits and the first installment of the “Moment Zero” campaign after the jump.
Credits
Title: Moment Zero – The Trade
Client: Coca-Cola
Brand: Coke Zero
Launch Date: Oct 25, 2013
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
Executive Creative Director: Shane Ogilvie
Writer: George Ault, Ron MacDonald
Art Director: Ari Elkouby, Simon Tuplin
Broadcast Producer: David Isaac, Melanie Lamberston, Tara Hall
Strategic Planner: Shari Walczak
Account Team: Kristina Hayes, Niki Bartl, Laura Robinson
Social Media Agency: Dare Communications
VP & Director of Social & Innovation: Ian Barr
Account Director: Beth MacGibbon
Associate Creative Director: Chris Obergfell
Social Content Strategist: Chris Campaner
Client: Coca-Cola Canada
Clients: Shane Grant, Michael Samoszewski, Diego Moratorio, Mark Ferris, Jennifer DelVecchio,
Shannon Denny
Media Company: UM
Director, Connections Planning: Petra Moy
Supervisor, Connections Planning: Cynthia Steele
Production Company: Partners Film
Executive Producer: Gigi Realini
Director: Neil Tardio
Line Producer: Todd Huskisson
Director of Photography: Matthew Woolf
Sound Design: Apollo Studios
Lead Sound Engineer: Harry Knazan/Daenen Bramberger
Voice Over Talent: Earl Mann
Original Music: Apollo Studios
Editing House: Panic & Bob
Editor: John Evans
Online Engineer: Barry Potter
Colour House: Notch
Colourist: Jason Zukowski