Creative Focus: BEST SPOTS

Best Spots are selected by Adweek editors from commercials breaking on broadcast and cable television. Call Nancy Sobel at (212) 536-6453 to submit reels or to order this month's collection.The Best Spots section is compiled by Mark Lang.AMERICA'S HEALTH NETWORKThree guys on why a pug has been misbehaving: Skipper needs to be 'fixed,' says one. 'Boil some water. Snippety-snip.' The mutt hasn't been seen since. A better solution: Call the veterinarian on the America's Health Network for advice.Title DogAgency: DDB Needham, New YorkExecutive CD: Mike RogersArt director: Michael FurlongCopywriter: Ken ShuldmanAgency producer Robert ParkerProduction company Bedford FallsDirector: Ray Lawrence__________________________________________________________________AMERITECHIn this tongue-in-cheek spot, the telco equates its 30-day return policy with renting a baby. The rental parents find the kid cute and sweet--until he helps destroy their car. The baby is returned within the month, and, hey, the same deal applies for wireless phones.Title: BabyAgency Cliff Freeman & Partners, N.Y.Exec. CD Arthur BijurArt director Taras WaynerCopywriter: Kevin Roddyency producer: Nick FelderProd. co. Johns + Gorman FilmsDirector Jeff Gorman__________________________________________________________________BMWAs a hawk swoops in for the kill, a dove spots a Beamer convertible and lands in the passenger seat. The driver puts the pedal to metal. The smaller bird is saved by the 'ultimate freedom machine.'Title: DoveAgency: Fallon McElligott,03MinneapolisCreative group head: Bruce BildstenArt director: Dean HansonCopywriter: Mike GibbsAgency producer Rob van de Weteringe BuysProduction co.: Blink ProductionsDirector: John DownerEditor: Sam Sneade, Sneade Editorial__________________________________________________________________BORGESS HEALTH ALLIANCEWith microscopic pictures of moving cells and flowing arteries, the spot reels off some grim statistics: Heart disease kills more women than breast, lung and ovarian cancers. The tagline: 'It's time to re-examine the myths in women's healthcare.'Title: CardioAgency TraverRohrback, Kalamazoo, Mich.Creative director Joe ClipnerArt director: Scott OsborneACD/copywriter: Bill HahnArt director/prod. Tracey EllenbergProd. co. Tony Kaye & PartnersDirector: Jonathan Barnbrook__________________________________________________________________BUDWEISERLoaded down with four jumbo cups of Bud, a lone fan at a baseball game watches a home run hurtling at him. Cries of 'drop the beer' echo through the stadium, but our hero can do no such thing. The baseball hits him in the head, and he's last seen being wheeled into a hospital, still clutching the suds.Title Left FieldAgency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, S.F.Creative directors: Jeff Goodby, Rich SilversteinArt director: Todd GrantCopywriter: Steve DildarianAgency producer: Taryn HollandProduction co. Radical MediaDirector: Frank TodaroEditor: Tom Muldoon, Nomad Editorial__________________________________________________________________COORSWhen an older fellow picks up a cowboy's guitar, the young whippersnapper derisively asks, 'You play?' Yup. The first man is Les Paul, guitar legend, and he teaches the dude a thing or two.Title Guitar PlayerAgency: Foote, Cone & Belding, S.F.Exec. CD/copywriter: Paul WolfeGroup CD, art director Claude JacquesAgency producer: Rob ThomasProduction co.: Propaganda FilmsDirector: Andy MorahanEditor Roger Harrison/Cutaways__________________________________________________________________DIRECTVHairy men gather in front of a friend's TV set to watch the big game. Testosterone is in the air, but Heidi is on the tube. Uh oh. The friend subscribes to the wrong satellite television service.Title HeidiAgency: Campbell-Ewald, L.A.CD, copywriter: Lance MaldArt director: Mike ConboyAgency producer Betty MeadowsProduction company: HSIDirector: Tom DeCerchioEditor Rye Dahlman/Rye Films__________________________________________________________________ESPNThen there were eight: In this Fargo send-up, two border guards, a Canadian and an American, investigate the death of a hockey player. The prime suspects: the surviving teams in the chase for the NHL's Stanley Cup.Title: Murder CityAgency: Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore.Creative directors: Jerry Cronin, Vince EngelArt director: Rob PalmerCopywriter: Jeff BitsackAgency producer: Cherie ApplebyProduction co. Food Chain FilmsDirector Marc Greenfield__________________________________________________________________THE GAPActors Lukas Haas (keyboards) and Dave Arquette (trumpet) improvise in this sparse ad for The Gap's easy-fit jeans. The tagline: 'It's definitely easy.'Title: David and Lukas 2Agency: In-houseSr. VP marketing: Michael McCaddenCreative director: Lisa PriscoArt director: Carl ByrdAgency producer: Leigh DonaldsonProduction co. Palomar PicturesDirectors Mark Seliger, Fred Woodward__________________________________________________________________GLADEDripping leaves, rippling streams, blooming flowers and happy kids fill this colorful spot. The ad pitches a variety of air-freshening products and ends with the line 'Created by nature, captured by Glade.'Title Captured by GladeAgency Foote, Cone & Belding, ChicagoExec. CD Geoff ThompsonClient CD, copy Chuck RudnickArt director: Lauren WatsonExec. producer Laura GlennProduction company A&R GroupDirector: Michael Cuesta Jr.Editor Cara Meiselman, The Looking Glass__________________________________________________________________LIFESAVERSThe rain forest is alive with Lifesavers' tropical-fruit candies dancing to a Caribbean beat. A frenzy of color, the ad serves up candies in exotic flavors, like pina colada, banana and mango melon.Title: Ooh La LaAgency Foote, Cone & Belding, N.Y.Group CD, art director Sam GulisanoCopywriter Phil GuthrieAgency producer: Phyllis LandiProduction company Santiago Inc.Director Santiago Suarez__________________________________________________________________LITTLE CAESARSAfter successfully cloning a sheep, scientists celebrate with a pizza. But the pizza box is placed on the clone button, and, before long, sheep are flying through the air with the greatest of ease.Title CloningAgency Cliff Freeman & Partners, N.Y.Chief creative officer Cliff FreemanExec. CD Arthur BijurArt directors, copywriters Roger Camp, Michelle RoufaAgency prod. Maresa WickhamProd. co.: Johns + Gorman FilmsDirector Jeff GormanEditor Livio Sanchez/Mad River Post__________________________________________________________________LYCOSA Himalayan sherpa guides viewers through this ad for Lycos, an Internet search engine. A happy guy, the sherpa calls himself the 'big yak daddy.'Title SherpaAgency Bozell, N.Y.Chief creative officer Jay SchulbergCD, copy Rodney UnderwoodACD, art director Mike ThomasAgency prod. Jean-Claude KaufmannProduction company Cucoloris Director Danny Ducovny__________________________________________________________________MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLIn a series of quick cuts, the spot shows how difficult it is to be a big-league catcher--a player who takes foul tips off the mask; calls pitchouts, pickoffs and pop-ups; and tags runners coming in spikes first. Don't tell Mike Piazza that 'baseball isn't a contact sport.'Title: MikeAgency: Lowe & Partners/SMS, N.Y.Chairman, chief creative officer: Lee GarfinkelCreative group head, art director Alan ChalfinCreative group head, copywriter Scott GraysonAgency producer Anita SmithProduction co. Crossroads FilmsDirector: Jason SmithEditor Doug Walker, Filmcore__________________________________________________________________NEW YORK LOTTERY-TAKE 5Putting to win, a golfer concentrates on holing a 20-footer. But the ball stops three feet short. 'Close enough' the announcer yells, as the golfer celebrates his 'victory.' Two numbers win in New York's Take 5 lottery game.Title: GolfAgency: DDB Needham, New YorkExec. CD: Mike RogersCreative director: John StaffenArt director Gary RozanskiCopywriter: Thom BaginskiAgency producer: Eric HermannProduction co.: A Band ApartDirector: Charles Wittenmaier__________________________________________________________________NEXTEL WIRELESSLeaving his local calling zone, Bob phones Pete on the wireless. Too late. Roaming charges, in the form of a guy with a money-sucking machine, stop Bob cold, leaving him broke. The point: Nextel has no roaming charges.Title: CheckpointAgency: Mullen, Wenham, Mass.CD/copy Edward BochesCD/art Amy WattArt director Carol FoxCopywriter Tom CookAgency producer: Sarah MonacoProduction co. Reactor FilmsDirector Steve Chase__________________________________________________________________RACK ROOM SHOESAt a rural gas station, two Thelma & Louise types meet a couple of hidebound truckers who don't know when to shut up. In the end, one woman walks over to the 18-wheeler and, with her 3-inch high heel, punctures the rig's front tire.Title: TruckerAgency: Headquarters, CharlotteCD/art director: John BooneCopywriter: Ron HueyAgency prod. Nancy Dickerson SandersProduction co.: Steifel & Co.Director: Peter Kagan__________________________________________________________________RELIASTARSome hardy souls takes a polar-bear plunge into an ice-covered lake. Don't be afraid to take risks is the message from the financial-services company.Title: The PlungeAgency: Clarity Coverdale Fury, MinneapolisCD/art director: Jac CoverdaleCopywriter: Jerry FuryAgency producers Chris Wong, Jenee SchmidtProduction co. Red Motel PicturesDirector: Jeth WeinerichEditor: Charley Schwartz, Fischer Edit__________________________________________________________________SATURNOn a cold morning in March, Saturn workers gather at the plant to watch, on video monitors, the cars they've built arrive in Japan. As the Saturns roll off the ship, we learn that the hardships were all worth it.Title: MonitorsAgency: Hal Riney & Partners, S.F.CDs: Dave O'Hare, Steve SweitzerArt director: Kevin KehoeCopywriter: Mimi CookAgency prod.: Victoria WaldockProduction co.: Dektor/HigginsDirector: Leslie DektorEditor: Keith Salmon/Lost Planet__________________________________________________________________SPRITEGrant Hill's agent tries to get his client some extra work. We see Hill acting in a soap opera, hawking his new book ('Polite Like Me') and singing. But the NBA star wants none of it; instead, he offers the agent a Sprite--and the light bulb goes on.Title: AgentAgency: Lowe & Partners/SMS, N.Y.Chairman, chief creative officer: Lee GarfinkelCreative group head: C.J. WaldmanCreative group head: Todd GodwinArt director: Jason GaboriauCopywriter: Steve DoppeltAgency Producer: Laurie LeokumProduction company HKMDirector: Michael Patrick JannEditor: Ian Mackenzie, Ian Mackenzie Editorial__________________________________________________________________TACO BELLShaq is suffering from TNS, the neck-bending result of eating too many tacos. GM Jerry West, Laker teammates and Shaq's agent are worried, but now, Shaq, a notoriously bad free-throw shooter, can't miss from the line. Tacos to go, please.Title: Shaq Taco NeckAgency: Bozell, Costa Mesa, Calif.Chief creative officer: Harvey HoffenbergCreative director: Jon ParkinsonArt directors, copywriters: Chris Brown, Yvonne DeSantiHead of production: Scott Seltzer ProducerBob Belton: Production co. GMS ProductionsDirector: John LandisEditor Livio Sanchez/Mad River Post__________________________________________________________________TWIXA man unknowingly drops his Twix on the sidewalk. A Boy Scout returns it to him. 'You deserve a reward, son,' says the man to the smiling kid. But no reward is forthcoming. The tagline: 'Two for me. None for you.'Title: Good ScoutAgency: DMB&B, St. LouisGroup CD: Carole ChristieCreative director: Ron CrooksArt director: Diane PittmanACD, copy: Gordon RobertsonAgency producer: Pat CollinsProd. co. Backyard ProductionsDirector: Rob PrittsEditor: Bob Mori, Red CarCopyright ASM Communications, Inc. (1997) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED National

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Creative Focus: BEST SPOTS - APRIL

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