Ad of the Day: Southern Comfort

It's a fine line between comfortable and inappropriate. Southern Comfort walks that line once again in its new 60-second spot from Wieden + Kennedy in New York, following up its already-legendary Speedo-clad beachgoer (who should get some love in another beach town next week) with another curious character—a mustachioed man who treats himself to a luxurious shampoo, drink in hand, at a salon. Director Tim Godsall of Biscuit Filmworks, who directed "Beach," is back at the helm here, once again turning a scenario that should be supremely awkward into a celebration of personal style and iconoclasm. Our hero—caught in a time warp of sorts, in this aging salon, with Lou Johnson's "The Beat" from 1971 playing on the soundtrack—couldn't be more at ease as he lies back and lets the hairdresser soap up his mop of graying hair. Halfway through the spot, he takes out his glasses for a peek at a fetching lady across the way, then leans back again, closes his eyes, rests a glass of Southern Comfort on one leg and crosses the other one over, revealing a large snakeskin boot. The brand says this campaign is all about getting consumers to 'be their awesome selves.' " And indeed, not giving a damn what anyone thinks—to one's apparent unending benefit and enduring happiness—is as good a strategy as any for booze, and a pointed one for this particular unusual liqueur. This guy continues that positioning nicely. As uncool-cool guys go, he isn't as iconic as the beach man—whose literal swagger allowed for a richer narrative—but he's certainly memorable. You wouldn't want him to spend hours in your salon, perhaps, but he's more than welcome to have 60 seconds on TV. The tagline remains, "Whatever's comfortable," and is rendered again on a little red flag—flapping, as though in the breeze, in the guy's drink. A 30-second version of the spot is launched on ESPN during Sunday Night Baseball and will launch globally across key Southern Comfort markets this summer. The campaign also features print, out-of-home, point of sale and digital, also all running globally. More TV spots in the campaign, focused on Southern Comfort Lime and Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry, will break later this summer. Check out some new print work below the TV spot. CREDITS Client: Southern Comfort —TV Spot: "Shampoo" Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, New York Executive Creative Directors: Scott Vitrone and Ian Reichenthal Creative Director: Jimm Lasser Creatives: Nick Kaplan and Jeff Dryer Producer: Orlee Tatarka Head of Business Affairs: Sara Jagielski Head of Content Production: Lora Schulson Account Team: Toby Hussey, Molly Friedman Digital Strategist: Marshall Ball Strategic Planner: Ben Alter Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks LA Director: Tim Godsall Executive Producer: Holly Vega Line Producer: Rick Jarjoura Director of Photography: Darko Suvak Editorial Company: Mackenzie Cutler Editor: Gavin Cutler Assistant Editor: Ryan Steele Post Executive Producer: Sasha Hirschfeld VFX Company: The Mill Head of Production: Sean Costelloe Senior Producer: Charlotte Arnold Producer: Orlaith Finucane Lead Flame Artist/Creative Director: Jade Kim Nuke Compositors: John Mangia, Sabrina Tenore CG Artist: Emily Meger, Laurent Giaume, Ari Hwang VFX Supervisor: Peter Smith, Peter McAuley Song: "The Beat" Artist: Lou Johnson Music Supervisor: Andrew Charles Kahn Music Supervision Company: Good Ear Music Supervision Mix Company: Sonic Union Mixer: Steve Rosen —Print + OOH + POS + Digital Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, New York Executive Creative Directors: Scott Vitrone and Ian Reichenthal Creative Director: Jimm Lasser Copywriter: Dave Canning Art Director: Cyrus Coulter Account Team: Toby Hussey, Molly Friedman Project Manager: Yann Samuels Art Buyer: Molly Dowd Photographer: Dylan Coulter Digital Strategist: Marshall Ball Brand Strategist: Ben Alter Retouching Agency: Portus Imaging Retoucher: Carolyn Winslow

Brand Marketing

Ad of the Day: Southern Comfort

W+K trades the beach for the salon and another exceeding comfortable gent

Tim Nudd

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Tim Nudd