Brand MarketingAd of the Day: Skype Crosses Continents in Family SpotsLong-form work by Pereira & O'DellBy Sam Thielman|July 10, 2013ShareBy Sam Thielman|July 10, 2013Share When I left Uganda, it was in the middle of the night," says Denis, the newly minted Pennsylvanian in "The Impossible Family Portrait," perhaps the most effective spot in Pereira & O'Dell's series of three new ads for Skype, which is tapping directly into what makes the brand so important to so many people. It's interesting—advertisers tend to eschew the first-generation immigrant experience because it can be controversial both politically and among people who inevitably feel misrepresented. But Skype is wise enough to recognize and embrace its role as the lifeblood of intercontinental families (full disclosure: including mine), and so the immigrant experience becomes hugely important. Kudos to these guys for having the guts to go with that. "The Animal Family Portrait" is loads of fun in a totally different way. Here, it's about adorable quadrupeds rather than emotional bipeds. So, it's a more upbeat take ("This is what happens when Americans raise 'roos!"), but the point is essentially the same: Skype allows for a connection deeper than wires and lenses. It's dangerous to tell people that your product has a spiritual dimension, but the agency and the directors, Gregory Mitnick and Nat Livingston Johnson, make the point delicately and well. The final spot in the trio is "The Growing Up Family Portrait," and it's the least effective, possibly because the stakes seem a lot lower (and possibly because people in Los Angeles are intrinsically unsympathetic. It's true—leave the TMZ and you're suddenly a person again), but it's still cute. CREDITS Client: Skype Agency: Pereira & O'Dell, San Francisco Chief Creative Officer: P.J. Pereira Executive Creative Director: Jaime Robinson Creative Director: Jonathan Woytek Senior Art Directors: Tim Delger, Brett Beaty Senior Copywriter: Katie Brinkworth Art Director: Arnau Bosch Copywriter: Chris Ryan Designer: Leila Moussaoui Vice President, Client Services: Gary Theut Account Director: Ivy Truong Account Supervisor: Ali Forgeron Assistant Account Executive: Kelsey Towbis Project Manager: Katie Shesgreen Vice President, Strategy: Nick Chapman Vice President, Media Strategy: Joshua Brandau Strategy Director: Justin Cox Associate Strategy Director: Jasmine Summerset Media Strategist: Liz Wood Vice President, Production: Jeff Ferro Senior Integrated Producers: Erin Davis, Victoria Whitlow Senior Broadcast Producer: Elisa Moore Interactive Producer: Kathy Zembera Print Producer: James Sablan Producer: Bill Spangler Business Affairs Manager: Xandra Ess Production Company: Station Film Directors (Peking): Gregory Mitnick, Nat Livingston Johnson Executive Producer: Caroline Gibney Producer: Sarah McMurray Artist: John Clang Crew: Eric Axene, Shadi Best, James Burger, Anne Curran Conrad, Travis Drennen, Tonya Martin, Sean Moser, Ryan Moriaty, Mario Sanchez, Elin Tew Editorial Company: Umlaut Films Editor: Jessica Congdon Assistant Editors: Peter Geiger, Michael Pavoni Colorist: Ivan Miller Executive Producer: Gina Locurio Producer: Kelly Gibbs Music: "The Impossible Portrait": Original Composition: Human "The Animal Family Portrait," "The Growing Up Family Portrait": Original Composition: Future Perfect Sound Mixing: One Union Recording Sound Mixer: Matt Zipkin Executive Producer: Lauren Mask Digital Production Company: Uncorked Studios Adweek Adweek