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. AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION Kids pick on Gerald and tape "Kick me" signs to his back. But Gerald's been investing once a week, every week, starting at age 8. At 35, Gerald has the dweebiest yacht in the harbor, and the un-dweebiest babe. Title: Dweeby Gerald Agency: McCann-Erickson, San Francisco Creative director: Dave Tutin Art director: Kevin McCarthy Copywriter: John Mattingly Agency producer Jim Bernasconi Production co.: RSA Director: Alan Van Rijn Editor: T.G. Herrington, Mojo AMERICAN EXPRESS Jerry Seinfeld decides to change his ways-which means deciding ways to spend his change. He drops coins into a fountain, a toy jockey and a rocket ride. But after blowing the cash, he needs his AmEx card to buy a 20-cent stamp. Title: Stamp Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, New York Creative head Rick Boyko CDs David Apicella, Ted Barton Art directors Chris Mitton, Dave Laden Copywriters: Chris Mitton, Dave Laden, David Apicella Executive producer: Gary Streiner Production co.: Propaganda Films Director: David Kellogg Editor: Chris Franklin, Big Sky BUD LIGHT At a bar, four guys laugh about how they fooled their wives by using strategically placed stuffed torsos to fix a car, sink and furnace. Unfortunately, Eddie blows the gig-his extremities were placed under a lawn mower. Title: Handyman Agency: DDB Needham, Chicago Chief creative officer: Bob Scarpelli Group CD/director: Dave Merhar Creative director: Mike Oberman ACD/art director: Mark Gross ACD/copywriter: Bill Cimino Senior producer: Bryan Sweeney Production co.: Celluloid Studios Editors: John Murray, Glenn Martin, Nomad ESPN SPORTSCENTER Heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield proctors the network's day-care center. He reads from the Rumble in the Jungle book, teaches kids how to go to the body and provides nutritious meals (raw eggs in a glass). And the best joke is easily missed: A bathing beauty walks by carrying a "nap time" sign. Title: Kids Center Agency: Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore. CDs: Vince Engel, Jerry Cronin Art director: Rick McQuiston Copywriters: Candice Neary, Jerry Cronin Agency producer: Dan Duffy Production co.: radical media Directors: Rick Le Moine, Steve Miller ESPN SPORTSCENTER Watching tape of a Ken Griffey Jr. home run, anchor Kenny Mayne works on his catchphrases. The evolution: "It's never iffy if it's Griffey" to "It must be a homer Simpson because the pitcher just went 'Duh'" to "I am the most popular player in all the land!" to "Yahtzee!," Mayne's signature home-run call. Touch 'em all, Kenny. Title: Yahtzee Agency: Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore. CDs: Vince Engel, Jerry Cronin Art director: Rick McQuiston Copywriter: Jerry Cronin Agency producer: Dan Duffy Production co.: radical media Directors: Rick Le Moine, Steve Miller E*TRADE This clever ad opens with a shot of a mansion. "Your investments helped pay for this dream house," says the VO. "Unfortunately, it belongs to your broker." We learn that, for $14.95 a trade, anyone can invest online. "If someone's going to make money off your money, it ought to be you." Hear, hear. Title: Mansion Agency: Gotham, New York Chief CD: Lynn Giordano Art director: Bruce Kramer Copywriter: Michael Jordan Agency producer: Wendy Brovetto Production co. Bedford Falls Director: Mark Piznarski Editor: Jim Rubino GLAZED PRETZELS As her hidebound boss demands coffee, Lois the secretary wields a pair of scissors. She cuts his tie and suspenders, then draws a cup of joe on his forehead with her lipstick. "Indulge yourself and get away from it" is the tagline. How much glaze is on these pretzels? Title: Boss Agency Cliff Freeman and Partners, N.Y. ECD/art director: David Angelo ECD/copywriter: Arthur Bijur Agency producer: Maresa Wickham Production co. Tool of North America Director: Erich Joiner Editor: Charlie Cusumano, Mad River Post ISUZU "Go farther," implores a Field of Dreams-like voice. Our hero takes the command to heart, climbing mountains and crossing deserts. "Go farther." The Rodeo is on a raft now; the dude's poling across a lake. "Too far." Can you say, "Niagara Falls, slowly I turn . . ."? Title: Whisper Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco CDs: Jeff Goodby, Rich Silverstein Art director: Greg Bell Copywriter: Ron Saltmarsh Agency producer: Cindy Epps Production co. Steifel & Co. Director: Craig Henderson Editor Jim Hutchins, Nomad JOHNSONVILLE FOODS A football eerily turns into a bratwurst in a bun, then back to a football, brat, football, brat. Finally, a voice: "Coincidence? We don't think so." It's a cool way to remind people that tailgating at the big game is an incomplete pass without brats on the barbie. Title: Grill On Agency Clarity Coverdale Fury, Minneapolis CD/art director: Jac Coverdale Copywriter: Kelly Trewartha Agency producer: Jenee Schmidt Editor: Charlie Schwartz Music: Echo Boys KRAFT MIRACLE WHIP A dog decides to make its master a sandwich. Cold cuts and fixins fly out of the fridge, and the mutt dices peppers, onions and tomatoes ˆ la Benihana. But say it ain't so: The Miracle Whip jar is empty. Fido drops the sandwich into the cat's dish. To hell with no-fat mustards. Title: Bad Sign Agency: J. Walter Thompson, Chicago Group CD: Mark Silveira Art director: Craig Schwartz Copywriter: Jeff Martin Agency producer: Lisa Muzik Production co. Coppos Films Director: Craig Gillespie Editor: Bill Marmor, Crew Cuts LITTLE CAESARS The VO: "Once every millennium something happens so profound, it changes everything." Indeed, Little Caesars has enlarged the size of its pizzas. Good news: Now, Uncle Ed can come to dinner. Bad news: Ed gives new meaning to the words "banjo scene from Deliverance." Title: Uncle Ed Agency: Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York ECDs/art directors/copywriters: Cliff Freeman, Arthur Bijur, David Angelo Agency producer: Maresa Wickham Production co.: Crossroads Films Director: Mark Story Editor: Charlie Cusumano, Mad River Post MERCEDES BENZ M-CLASS Yes, we've seen this idea before: describing the smoothness of a vehicle's ride by showing absurd events in the back seat. Here, a woman polishes her nails, a dog balances a ball and junior says, "Here's your scalding-hot cup of tea, Grandma." It may not be a bris scene, but we laughed. Title: Smooth Ride Agency: Lowe & Partners/SMS, N.Y. Chief creative officer: Lee Garfinkel EVPs/CGHs/art directors: Randy Saitta, Andy Hirsch EVP/CGH/copywriter: Marty Orzio SVP/producer Rachel Novak Production co. Propaganda Films Director: Simon West Editor T.G. Herrington, Mojo NIKE On the comeback trail, Broadway Joe is looking to run some drills with "the fastest guys in the game." He makes a few phone calls; no one can come out and play. So Joe laces up his Zoom Air shoes and hits the backyard with the local kids. He wails on them, throwing rocket pass after rocket pass. "Still got a few bullets left in the old gun," says the veteran QB. Title: Namath-Day 4 Agency: Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore. CDs: Vince Engel, Jerry Cronin Art director: Michael Simons Copywriter: Jamie Barrett Agency producer: Colleen Wellman Production co. radical media Director: Alan White NISSAN ALTIMA At a Nissan plant in Tennessee, Johnny Cash sings the Laverne & Shirley theme song while workers and robots on the assembly line mesh ergonomically. Words can't express how great it is to see and hear JC on vocals again. Title: Assembly Line Agency: TBWA Chiat/Day, Venice, Calif. CDs: Lee Clow, Rob Siltanen Art director: Craig Tanimoto Copywriter: Eric Grunbaum Agency producer: Kelly Waltos Salmon Assistant producer: Cheryllynn Carter Production co.: A Band Apart Director: Charles Wittenmeier Editor: Angus Wall, Rock, Paper, Scissors OCEAN SPRAY "That was some first date," a woman says. But she means the date sucked. She clutches a red-grapefruit juice, a drink that's "refreshingly honest." Is the time right for Adweek personal ads? Title: Date Agency: Arnold Comm., Boston Chief creative officer: Ron Lawner CDs: Alan Marcus, Jay Williams Art director: Margaret McGovern Copywriter: David Lowe Agency producer: Paul Shannon Assistant producer: Chris Jennings Production co.: Johns+Gorman Films Director: Jeff Gorman Editor: Robin Burchill, Consulate Editorial RED WING SHOES After a stormy night in "Kenyon County," a road-crew worker arrives home at 5:30 a.m. The exhausted fellow starts to take off his work boots, but the overhead light flickers and dies. A power failure may put the guy back on the road, but this spot succeeds because it has a power all its own. Title: Thunder Agency: Initio, Minneapolis Creative director: Paul Chapin Art director: Dave Damman Copywriter: Ed Prentiss Agency producer: Kris Wong Production co.: Red Motel Pictures Director: Jeth Weinrich SATURN Meet crank-maker Maria Yanna, one of the reasons Saturns are "peppy." It takes unusual people to make unusual cars, we're told. Would you buy a car built by a wacko? It's a risky campaign. Title: Maria Yanna Agency: Hal Riney & Partners, S.F. Creative director: Dave O'Hare Agency producer: Damian Stevens Production co.: Wild Scientific Director: David Wild Editors: Lou Angelo, Bob DeMaio SPRINT The people in this ad take the promotional themeline, "Speak freely," literally. "It's not the dress that makes you look big, it's your hips," says one. "Sure she thinks you're cute, you're rich," says another. It's phone service as sodium pentothal. Title: Speak Freely Agency: J. Walter Thompson, New York and San Francisco CDs: Richard Fisher, Bryan Birch Art directors: David Sciascia, Nancy Fava, Lisa Reinfeld Copywriters: Linda Clasen, Winifred Donoghue Agency producer: Jeremy Besser Production co. Bednarz Films Director: Jeff Bednarz TWIX An immigrant arrives in New York in the early 1900s. He finds out his new country is the land of opportunity, the land of freedom and the land of . . . sharing. Uh oh. The dude's on the first boat out-he'll share his Twix with no one. Title: America Agency: DMB&B, St. Louis Chief creative officer: Charlie Claggett Executive CD: Ric Anello Group CD: Carole Christie CD: Ron Crooks Art director: Diane Pittman ACD/copywriter: Gordon Robertson Agency producer: Gail Campbell Production co.: Backyard Productions Director: Rob Pritts VISA CHEQUE CARD Two woman are seen together in 47 B.C., 1231, 1823 and 1997. Of course, past-life posterperson Shirley MacLaine is one. The joke is familiar-when Shirley asks if she can pay with a check, the woman asks for ID-but this spot, unlike others in the campaign (that would be you, Bob Dole), is a clever use of celebrity. Title: Shirley MacLaine Agency: BBDO, New York Chief creative officer: Ted Sann Executive CD Charlie Miesmer Senior CD Jimmy Siegel ACD/GCD/copywriter: Peter Smith Agency producer: David Frankel Production co.: Headquarters Director: David Cornell Editor: Karen Kortessis, Crew Cuts VISA PLATINUM With the Platinum card, you could rent a villa in St. Barts. You could wile the long, tropical days sharing gourmet meals with Nastassia Kinski. Not likely to happen as our daydreaming stud finds out, but you could rent the film Cat People, in which Nastassia turns into a panther after having sex with her brother. Title: You Could Agency: BBDO, New York Chief creative officer: Ted Sann Executive CD: Charlie Miesmer CD/art director: Rick Hanson Sr. CD/copywriter: Jimmy Siegel Agency producer: David Frankel Production co. Headquarters Director: David Cornell Editor Kristy Jacobs, Crew Cuts

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Creative Focus: Best Spots - September

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