NEW YORK “Something for the ladies” includes a little beefcake and a lot of Archers, a British schnapps brand, in a U.K. cinema spot created by Mother.
Bryan Buckley of Hungry Man directed the 60-second spot, which was shot in Brazil over the course of a week. Its international cast of stereotypical “Dream Men” (the title of the commercial), such as a lifeguard and a cowboy, describe how they mix an Archers for a lady.
“I always mix a lady’s Archers in a long glass,” says a James Bond-type as he plants a bomb on a car. “Then I pour in lots of schnapps,” says a lifeguard as he dashes off to help a swimmer. The logo and the “Something for the ladies” tagline appear at the end of the spot.
“It was shot in Rio [de Janeiro], which gave us a great ability visually speaking,” Buckley said. The crew was able to shoot landscapes ranging from a beach to desert plains without traveling too far. Casting for the “perfect men in the world” took three weeks and was done in London, Los Angeles, New York and Brazil. “We were really looking for the best characters who could combine acting and looks,” Buckley said.
Two TV spots accompany the cinema ad, which broke in mid-November. One spot presents a bartender stripping down to his underwear as he pours an Archers. The other shows a bare-chested man rescuing a lamb from an oncoming truck.
Buckley said the tongue-in-cheek beefcake nature of the spots worked because it was all done in fun. He added that the work was a response to typical beer ads showing scantily clad women. “Women have been battered [with those images] for so long, it’s nice to be able to strike back,” he said. “Just once, it’s allowed.”
London-based Mother personnel on the campaign included creative director Mark Waites, copywriters Caroline Pay and Kim Gehrig, and art director Gualter Pupo.
Mother Creates 'Dream Men' for Archers' Ladies
