Not since Spider-Man 3 has James Franco come off as so unlikable (Kiran tells me he was the exact opposite in Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Generally, having a celeb brag about his accomplishments without a hint of irony doesn’t exactly go over too well in advertising.
We get it: Franco has a beautiful house, is able to make tons of money from a variety of sources, has four attractive young women hanging out in his house at all times, and can tell mathematicians they’re wrong and buy their love by giving them blazers. But, does he have to be such a conceited ass about it? Is agency Cheil USA trying to market the Samsung Galaxy Note to the annoying pretentious crowd? Sure, I guess an iPad will make you look like a conformist, albeit a hip one. But, is saying the Samsung Galaxy Note will turn you into a smug celeb that much more of a draw?
The thing is, even when Franco is called upon to play a prick, he has the talent to do so without sacrificing his charm and remaining tongue-in-cheek (see teen rom-com Whatever it Takes for proof). I don’t know if it’s the writing or what, but this spot just makes want to punch him in his pretty little face. Of course, that’s how I react to most people who talk incessantly about their ability to multitask. Credits after the jump.
Agency: Cheil USA
Chief Creative Officer: Lars Bastholm
Group Creative Director: Adam Wohl
Producer: Teresa Wakabayashi
Account Executive: Dongkwan Kim
Senior Planner: Chris Hong
Production Company: SXM
Director: James Franco
Executive Producer: Thomas Bannister
Producer: Larry Laboe
Director of Photography: Bruce Thierry Cheung
Post Production: Click 3X
Post Producer: Jon O’Hara
Editor: Edward Einhorn
Editor: Erin McCaffrey