From Sid Lee NY comes this spot for Dewar’s Whiskey, featuring a hulk of a man who greatly resembles U.K. murderer and mass criminal Charles Bronson, even sporting Bronson’s trademark mustache. Perhaps it’s no coincidence then that director Isaiah Seret seems to borrow a lot of filming technique for this ad from the 2008 biopic Bronson, which starred actor Tom Hardy as the deranged but lovable psychopath.
Of course, it’s hard to advertise your brand of scotch as the choice of crazy violent people, so Sid Lee aims to give their “Drinking Man” character an incongruous tender side. Nothing drives the ladies crazy like a man who routinely pets doves between beating people to death in bare-knuckle boxing matches. While the spot goes very out of its way to portray the character’s tender side, it also discredits his believability. What, the man I’m supposed to admire chases people on bicycles and has a peace tattoo on his chest? It’s this sort of hypocritical hyperbole that made the peace sign/”Born to kill” helmet-wearing protagonist of Full Metal Jacket a walking punchline.
As the sexy lady at the end argues, it’s “the most interesting blends that make for the strongest character.” So remember, if you want to appeal to your local tavern’s supermodel clientele, say one thing but do the other. Credits after the jump.
Agency: Sid Lee New York
Managing Partner: Lukas Derksen
Creative Director: Dan Chandler & Dan Brooks
Art Director: Jean Daniel Petit
Copywriter: Nicolas Paget
Account Director: May Aboubakar
Account Supervisor: Karim Tubbeh
TV Producer: Catherine Dumas
Art Buyer: Dana Klyszejko
Digital Producer: Oscar Pere
Director of Strategy: Sophie Ozoux
Social Strategy: Marissa de Miguel
Production Company: Pretty Bird
Director: Isaiah Seret
Executive Producer: Ali Brown
Director of Photography: Bridgitte Pugh
Music: Stimmung
Photographer: Mackenzie Duncan