Xerox Updates Its Iconic 1977 'Brother Dominic' Super Bowl Spot for Our Digital Age

In 1977, Xerox made what remains one of TV's most popular ads, more than 30 years before social networks revolutionized media consumption. The spot aired during Super Bowl XI and starred a monk named Dominic who discovered a not-quite-miraculous way to produce 500 copies of a painstakingly handwritten manuscript. Nearly four decades later, Xerox vp of global advertising Barbara Basney still regularly receives requests to air the above spot as the Big Game approaches. "Everyone wants to do a 'best Super Bowl commercials of all time,' and they call us asking for permission," she said. Yet Xerox has changed dramatically since Brother Dominic first graced American screens. This week, the corporation officially split into two companies by spinning off business services division Conduent. With a new campaign, Xerox now wants to further distinguish itself by paying homage to the ad that made its name synonymous with the copying machine. Creative agency of record Y&R New York set Dominic's tale in the present day to illustrate Xerox's new tagline/brand platform "Set the Page Free" by telling the story of a company long defined by ink and paper adapting to an increasingly paperless world. As the spot makes clear, Xerox has moved far beyond the classic, bulky 914 copier that caused such a stir at Sterling Cooper in 1962 and into a network of digital documents translated into 35 languages with one click in an app. "Through the lens of the original 'Brother Dominic' spot, we are looking to show what Xerox is today," said Basney. Y&R similarly saw an opportunity to show, rather than tell, viewers about the company's range of contemporary products. "For us, this was a way to go back and simplify the message by refocusing on [Xerox's] core capabilities," said Y&R New York chief creative officer Leslie Sims. "It's almost like, 'Xerox is back.'" Many of the business decision makers in this campaign's target audience are old enough to remember the first spot. But both Basney and Sims said the new ad proved surprisingly effective when tested in seven countries, even among younger viewers who appreciated the juxtaposition of a decidedly old-world lifestyle with modern devices that transcend the most basic human divides like those of, say, religion. "It's what we've always done: help the world communicate and work better," said Basney, adding, "There's a common thread between the old and the new." Initially, Y&R only joked about remaking the 1977 classic. But it wasn't long before both client and agency sought out Allen Kay, the former Needham creative director who developed both the Dominic campaign and the New York MTA's post 9/11 "If you see something, say something" tagline. According to Sims, Kay shared tales of his time in the ad industry trenches and the Super Bowl spot's unexpected popularity as the agency updated his best-known work. "[Brother Dominic] was the first commercial that got people to request to see it again on TV," Sims told Adweek explaining the project's appeal. "It was the first viral ad, you could say." Unlike its predecessor, the new "Brother Dominic" is not a Super Bowl ad. Xerox will air 60 and 30-second versions of the spot on TV in the U.S. while making paid digital and social media placements internationally. It will also work its new "Set the Page Free" platform into company marketing, communications and events throughout the year. CREDITS Client: Xerox Campaign: "Brother Dominic" CMO: Toni Clayton-Hine VP, Global Brand, Advertising and Media: Barbara Basney Agency: Y&R New York Chief Creative Officer: Leslie Sims Creative Director: Fern Cohen Creative Director: Margot Owett Executive Producer: Mathieu Shrontz Associate Producer: Larissa Ananko Executive Producer/Head of Music: Lauren King Music Producer: Deb Oh VP, Account Managing Director: Britta Dahl Account Director, VML: Seth Galena Account Supervisor: Arantza Urruchua Account Executive: Susan Akinyi Executive Vice President, Brand Planning: Chip Walker Production Company: The Corner Shop Director: James Rouse Executive Producer: Anna Hashmi Producer: Benji Howell Director of Photography: Joost Van Gelder Editorial Company: Work Editorial Executive Producer: Erica Thompson Producer: Jamie Lynn Perritt Editor: Art Jones Music Company: Woodwork Music Music Producer: Andy Oskwarek Composer: Joseph Reuben Postproduction Company: Framestore Executive Producer: Dez Macleod-Veilleux Producer: Sophie Harrison Lead Artist/VFX Supervisor: Gigi Ng VFX Team: Giulia Bartra, Julien Desroches, Liz Yang, Raul Ortego, Matt Pascuzzi, Akira Thompson, Callum McKeveny Color Correction: Steffan Perry Audio House: Heard City Engineer: Eric Warzecha

Super Bowl Commercials

Xerox Updates Its Iconic 1977 'Brother Dominic' Super Bowl Spot for Our Digital Age

Y&R remakes the 'first viral ad'

Patrick Coffee

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Patrick Coffee