Creative: 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. california dept. of health services/tobacco control section The threat of cancer, emphysema and death doesn't seem to faze young smokers. But, says the VO: "Now that medical researchers believe cigarettes are a leading cause of impotence, you're going to be looking at cigarettes a little differently." And the smokers watch the butts go limp in their mouths. Hey, this tack might work. Want some subliminal advertising? The lead babe in this spot looks like Lorena Bobbitt. Title Gala Event Agency Asher & Partners, Los Angeles CD/art director Bruce Dundore Art director Tris Caserio Copywriter Jeffrey Stamm Agency producer Michele Essayan Production co./edit Palomar Pictures Director Breck Eisner Music Brian Banks, Ear to Ear citra With big-band music and great editing, this ad is an ace. A ball-shagging truck breaks down out on the driving range, and golfers zero in on the helpless driver--who makes a hilarious mad dash out of harm's way. "Nothing like a day on the range to make you thirsty," says the VO, calling Citra "the soda with a curiously crisp citrus taste." Isn't that Fresca? Title Ball Shagger Agency Goldberg, Moser, O'Neill, S.F. Creative director Brian O'Neill ACD/copywriter Paul Carek Art director Terry Rietta Agency producer Paul Golubovich Production co. Coppos Films Director Craig Gillespie Editor Bob Spector, Bob & Sheila's Edit World Sound Stephen Dewey, MachineHead espn/wnba Dressed in orange and white, the colors of the WNBA basketball, the WNB-Ays funk band sings: "Monday night. Monday night. All is right on Monday night. Monday night. Say Monday night. Ain't it right on Monday night?" Hard to forget when the WNBA airs on ESPN. Care to guess what the title of this spot is? Title Monday Night Agency Wieden & Kennedy, New York CD/copywriter Stacy Wall Art director/director Young Kim Agency producer Steffi Bender Production co. Maelstrom Director Emily Dennis, Mad River Post Music RTG Music footaction/adidas This attitude ad offers Adidas-wearing pole vaulter Lawrence Johnson in action. "How come you haven't heard of him?" asks the VO. "He's not a sprinter Sprinters may get the glory, but deep down they're just pole vaulters who are scared of heights." Title Scared of Heights Agency DDB Needham, Dallas CD/art director Carl Warner CD/copywriter Jim Hord Agency producer Kimberly Grear Designer Linzi Knight, Red Rover Production co. Voyeur Films Director Marcus Raboy Editor Andy Ames, Panic & Bob Music JSM fox network/mLB Climbing to the top of a large stepladder, a dude grabs a hanging rope and launches himself. Crashing into a wall, he goes thud! Yep. That sounds like Baltimore's Brady Anderson hitting the outfield fence. It's a hilarious, twisted way of promoting "the sounds of the game" on Fox. Hey Oriole fans, can you say, "Wait till next year"? Go Yanks! Title Rope Agency Cliff Freeman & Partners, N.Y. Creative director Cliff Freeman ADs Taras Wayner, Roger Camp Copywriter Kevin Roddy Agency producer Liz Graves Production co. HKM Director Noam Murro Editor Ian MacKenzie, MacKenzie Cutler hefty onezip Locked in a OneZip bag, a gingerbread man makes a run for it. But, crashing into cakes and bags of flour, the cookie can't escape his plastic prison. Two elderly bakers watch the mayhem. Great effects. Title Gingerbread Man Agency DDB Needham, Chicago Chief creative officer Bob Scarpelli Creative director Don Pogany CD/art director Adam Glickman CD/copywriter Craig Feigen Executive producer Greg Popp Production co./animation ILM Director Robert Caruso Editor Alan Chementi, Western Images Composer Cary Haun, Elias Music heineken A golfer hits ball after ball, smashing glass objects along the way. In the path of destruction: a car windshield, picture frame, chandelier, computer screen, lamp, neon sign, stoplight and a huge building, which comes crashing down. "And you wonder why Heineken also comes in cans," reads the super. Simple yet funny. Title Golf Agency Lowe & Partners/SMS, New York Chief creative officer/copywriter Lee Garfinkel ECD/art director Gary Goldsmith Producer Teri Altman Production co. Propaganda Films Director Lloyd Stein Editor Eric Johnson, MacKenzie Cutler Audio producer Jun Mizumachi, Howard Schwartz Recording Hewlett-packard "Scenario #1": Some kung-fu guys need new uniforms, so the grand poobah--after discovering that the Uniform Hut's server has crashed --phones in the order. Bunny outfits arrive in the mail. More phone calls bring kilts, doctors' scrubs, ballet tutus. "Scenario #2": H-P e-business technology keeps the Net server up and running. Title Kung Fu Agency Saatchi & Saatchi, S.F. CDs Steve Silver, Curtis Melville Art director Joe Kayser Copywriter Rob Jamieson Agency producer Carol McCarty Production co. Tool of North America Director Erich Joiner Editor Eric Zumbrunnen, Spot Welders Composer David Livingston, DV8 mastercard We've all been there--in a line behind someone who wants to write a check, but the clerk needs approval from the supervisor. In this spot, a debit card lets a guy avoid the curse of Aaaaaaaal. Nice twist in a cookie-cutter campaign. Title Paint Agency McCann-Erickson, New York Deputy CD Joyce King Thomas Art director Jay Gnospelius Copywriter Michael Towell Agency producer Pam Buckner Production co. Tate & Partners Director Baker Smith master lock Gilbert Gottfried's ranting comedy is an acquired taste. People love him or hate him. Put Best Spots in the former category. In this ad, he provides the voice of a Master Lock, challenging "Grandma Nature" to take her best shot. Grannie does, and Gilbert's got a comeback for each meteorologic indignity. Title Lock vs. Nature Agency Cramer Krasselt, Milwaukee Creative director Neil Casey Art director/producer Dave Hoffman Copywriter/producer Pat Pritchard Production co. Morrison Productions Director Hobby Morrison Editor Steve Morrison, Cutters milwaukee brewers As a parking attendant struggles to keep cars in line, watchful Brewer manager Phil Garner says to his pitching coach, Don Rowe: "The guy's struggling. I think he's done." So Garner heads over: "How do you feel, Hank?" he asks. "I'm good for a few more, skipper. At least let me get that station wagon." But all Hank gets is the hook in this clever ad. Title Hit the Showers Agency Kohnke Hanneken, Milwaukee CD/art director Rich Kohnke CD/copywriter Dave Hanneken Art director Mark Fairbanks Copywriter Rob Franks Agency producer Darlene Stimac Production co. RYP Filmworks Director Bob Purman Editor Jerry Reidel, Independent Studios nbc With attendance down in her Thursday-night pottery class, the instructor blames NBC's Must-See-TV lineup. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. The results? A Veronica's Closet bra/gravy boat and an ER bedpan/Noah Wylie tribute. No mention of Seinfeld, though. How soon they forget. Title Pottery Class Agency/production co. In-house CD/copywriter/prod. Ron Hayes CDs John Miller, Vince Manze, Jim Vescera Art director Alfred Sole Copywriters Wendy Miller, Sean Hood, Louis Venezia Producer David Landau Director Jeffrey Fleisig Editor David Harris nike tennis In a championship tennis match, players, line judges, ball boys and ball girls all die with great theatrics. "Sudden death tie-breakers. Another cool thing about tennis," reads the super. Title Sudden Death Agency Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore. CDs Jamie Barrett, John Jay Art director Arty Tan Copywriter Jamie Barrett Prods. Beth Harding, Tieneke Pavesic Production co. Foodchain Director Mark Greenfield Editor Kelly Morris, Joint nike training In this moody ad, a boy places a soccer ball on the kitchen table, takes a steak out of the fridge and squeezes the meat, its bloody juices cascading onto the ball. He goes outside and, when the local dogs get a whiff, gets chased down the road. The super reads: "What are you getting ready for?" Title Meat Agency Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore. CDs Hal Curtis, Chuck McBride Art director Tim Hanrahan Copywriter Jerry Cronin Agency producer Ben Grylewicz Production co. Satellite Films Director Jhoan Comitz Editor Adam Pertossky, Rock, Paper, Scissors Philips On an oil rig in the middle of nowhere, a man gets a call on his cell phone--his wife is about to give birth. "This is all your fault. I can't do this," she says, screaming. While he says useless things like "If it's a boy, I want to name him Angus," she is cursing out the world. Finally, she says: "You know that diamond watch we saw the other day? I want it. I want it bad!" Every day, Best Spots thanks the stars above that females have been naturally selected to propagate the species. Title Birth Agency Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG, N.Y. Creative director Ron Berger Group CDs Rich Roth, Phil Silvestri Art director David Leinwohl Copywriter Sean Looney Agency producer Sid Rothberg Production co. HKM Director Michael Karbelnikoff Music MachineHead planters nuts Munching cashews in the woods, three city slickers see a beaver. "It's a cat," says one, "a brown cat." It's a marmot," says another. They feed it, and the beaver carves Mr. Peanut in a nearby tree. It's not exactly nutty, but the spot is funny enough. Title Nutty Beaver Agency Foote, Cone & Belding, S.F. Sr. CD/art director John Colquhoun Sr. CD/copywriter Roger Feuerman Agency producer Laura Benjamin Production co. radical.media Director LeMoine Miller Editor Chuck Willis, Crew Cuts Sound design Sacred Noise Powerbar harvest "When they said I couldn't make it, I did not listen," says a woman, running at full speed. "When they told me I was a dreamer, I could not hear them. Well, here I am. And I have the energy and I will catch the bus." Not just for athletes anymore, PowerBar can help even the weakest survive the day. Title Bus Agency Citron Haligmann Bedecarrƒ, S.F. CDs Matt Haligman, Kirk Citron Art director Bob Pullum Copywriter Aaron Stern Agency producer Rob Sondik Production co. Fahrenheit Films/Mathew Brady Films Dir. Jason Farrand, Mathew Brady Music Gary Remal Malkin, Remal Malkin Group Salomon smith barney This thinking person's ad poses some good questions: "What will happen in Cuba after Castro?" "Will you ever say, 'Fill 'er up with hydrogen?'" What will replace television?" Each query is answered evocatively, and the filmic visuals are stunning. It's an intriguing way to sell financial services. Title Cuba Agency McCann-Erickson, New York Deputy CD Jonathan Cranin Art director Dan Miyahara Copywriter Pete Jones Agency producer Sally Hotchkiss Director Alex Proyas southwestern bell/Pacific bell Wrapped in just a towel, stud boy is shaving when the phone rings. Running down the hall, he doesn't get there in time. Turns out a couple of biddies from across the way are goofing on him. Southwestern Bell's Call Return service could catch the women in the act. Title Getting Ready Agency DMB&B, St. Louis Chief creative officer Charlie Claggett ECD Ric Anello Group CD Greg Sullentrup Creative director Brad Ashton ACD/art director Tony Gaudin ACD/copywriter Anne Strudell Broadcast producer Michele Morris Production co. Jon Francis Films Director Jon Francis Editor Michael Bartoli, Filmcore Composer Chris Neilman, MachineHead u.s. unwired digital pcs Trapped alone in an elevator with a bomb about to detonate, a man gets instructions to defuse through his cell phone. "Is there a blue wire below the timer? Pull it out," orders the bomb-squad guy. The man pulls. "Still going," he shouts. The bomb squader says: "It's OK. One last step " crackle static the line goes dead. VO: "Need a phone with longer batteries?" Title Bomb Squad Agency Lawler Ballard Van Durand, Birmingham, Ala. CD/copywriter/producer Steve Saari ADs Stephen Jones, Kevin Davis Production co.Minus 30 Films Director Jim Zoolalian Editor Scott Young Music Groove Addicts

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Creative: Best Spots - June

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