Late last month, Anomaly teased a sequel to its 2014 online ad for Johnnie Walker Blue Label, directed by Jake Scott and starring Jude Law and Giancarlo Giannini, entitled “The Gentleman’s Wager,” an ad that preceded the agency snatching the Johnnie Walker account from BBH last December. The teaser followed the agency’s 90-second anthem ad “Joy Will Take You Further” by a little over a month. Yesterday, the agency unveiled the full-length version, which is almost twice as long as its predecessor, at an event hosted by Jude and Giancarlo in a villa outside Rome.
This time around, Law is racing against the clock for Giannini’s Delahaye 135S classic racing car, with the pair joined by actress/singer/director Zhao Wei. Law helps to stop Wei when he sees her car broken down on the side of the road. While this initially may seem to hurt his chances of reaching the finish line on time, it’s ultimately among a series of movies that underscores the line, delivered by Wei near the spot’s conclusion that “A little gratitude can go a long way.” Despite the excessive runtime (it’s really way, way too long at around 11 minutes in length), “The Gentleman’s Wager II” is a definite improvement over its predecessor, thanks in no small part to its lack of a song and dance scene. If you liked the initial effort, there’s even more to enjoy with the sequel, which sets up the possibility of a third installment with its closing scene.
“I’m thrilled to be in the driving seat for the second Gentleman’s Wager film,” Law said. “Being back on set with Giancarlo and also having the opportunity to work with the talented Zhao, was an absolute joy. That coupled with being behind the wheel of the Delahaye 135S racing car, driving through the rolling hills of Italy and out to Monaco, well… I consider myself a lucky man!”