Ad of the Day: This Lovely HP Commercial Has the Year's Most Perfect Soundtrack

See Jane fret. And struggle. And begin to lose focus and confidence. As she rises through the professional ranks, she loses touch with her childlike creative side and becomes stuck in a workaday rut. That's the setup for 180LA's and director Lance Acord's lovely 60-second film "Jane," which ushers in a new campaign called "Go Make Things" for the Sprout by HP all-in-one desktop platform. (This is also the first major creative initiative since former Visa executive Antonio Lucio joined HP's Personal Systems Group in May as chief marketing and communications officer.) Early scenes show our heroine as an imaginative youngster. She draws designs on dolls' faces, plays outside while wearing a fanciful butterfly headdress and dons an active volcano costume for science class. As time goes by, however—through college and beyond—her spirit gets worn down by the white-collar grind, and she grows listless and uninspired. Jane's spark is reignited when her young daughter draws on a doll's face—and the two begin various projects on Sprout, such as creating a butterfly headband using the system's 3-D scanning capabilities. The writing is strong. The vintage scenes are convincing. And the soundtrack, a cover of Supertramp's "The Logical Song," is an inspired choice. It fits the scenario to a T, with its lyrics contrasting the "clinical, intellectual, cynical" grown-up world with a simpler time when "it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle … beautiful, magical." The words are even more poignant here, as they are sung, in direct and affecting fashion, by a children's choir from the Silverlake Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. (Check out the behind-the-scenes clip below for more on that.) Overall, the ad does a fine job of conveying Jane's youthful elation and adult frustration without laying it on too thick. There's a lot going on in the relatively short spot, but the pacing is perfect, and the strong visual storytelling builds to a satisfying conclusion. For an overstressed creative audience—grinding out PowerPoint presentations when they yearn to create artistic masterpieces (or at least better corporate materials)—the scenario is extremely relatable. Plus, the product isn't oversold. We're shown a few things it can do, watch it improve an important aspect of one person's life, and we're out. Awesome! Most important, we do believe that Sprout by HP helps Jane see things in a new light, and can perhaps do the same for us. CREDITS Client: HP and Intel Campaign: Spout by HP Length :30, :60 Spot: "Jane" Client Credits: HP Chief Marketing Officer: Antonio Lucio Vice President, PPS Worldwide Marketing, Consumer PC : Vikrant Batra Worldwide Communications Director: Matt Cowling Worldwide Marketing, Creative Sprout: John Randazzo Product Marketing Manager, Immersive Computing: Stephen Miller Client Credits: Intel Chief Marketing Officer: Steve Fund Vice President, Global Creative Director: Teresa Herd Marketing Director: Cassio Tiete Senior Marketing Manager: Elizabeth Lin Agency: 180LA Chief Creative Officer: William Gelner Creative Director, Copywriter: Zac Ryder Creative Director, Art Director: Adam Groves Head of Production: Natasha Wellesley Executive Producer: Erin Goodsell President, Global Chief Executive Officer: Mike Allen Account Director: Mike Slatkin Account Managers: Danielle Tisser, Nicole Stokman Chief Strategy Officer: Mike Harris Head of Strategy: Jason Knight Planning Director: Anne Heuer Planner: Andrew Zakim Business Affairs: Loretta Zolliecoffer Production Company: Park Pictures Director, Director of Photography: Lance Acord Executive Producer: Jackie Kelman Bisbee Executive Producer: Mary Ann Marino Head of Production: Anne Bobroff Producer: Caroline Kousidonis Production Designer: Jason Hamilton Casting Company Director: Dan Bell Shoot Locations: USC, Menlo Club, Leo Carrillo State Beach, Hawley House, Los Angeles Editing Company: Exile Editor: Kirk Baxter Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver Producers: Lauren Pullano, Tobie Louie Completion, Special Effects: Mill Senior Executive Producer: Sue Troyan Producer: Kiana Bicoy Colorist: Adam Scott 2-D Lead Artist: Steve Cokonis Recording Studio: Eleven Sound Mixer: Jeff Payne Assistant Mixer: A.J. Murillo Executive Producer: Suzanne Hollingshead Producer: Dawn Redmann Music Company: Agoraphone Producer: Dawn Sutter Madell Song: "The Logical Song" Writers: Roger Hodgson, Richard Davies

Brand Marketing

Ad of the Day: This Lovely HP Commercial Has the Year's Most Perfect Soundtrack

180LA's tale of paradise regained looks and sounds amazing

David Gianatasio

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David Gianatasio