Ad of the Day: Paul Giamatti Battles a Family of Movie Buffs in His First Ads Ever

Acclaimed actor Paul Giamatti makes his on-screen commercial acting debut—and jousts with a family of know-it-all movie and TV buffs—in CenturyLink's amusing "Hollywood Insider" campaign from Arnold Worldwide. Known for his roles in American Splendor and Sideways, Giamatti channels his earnest, harried screen persona in a series of commercials—directed by Speck and Gordon of Furlined—touting the client's Internet service and interactive Prism TV offering. Giamatti is seen pitching the service in a family home, in the kind of setup you've seen a hundred times before. But in a cool and fresh conceit, the family—schooled by CenturyLink content—ends up turning the tables on him, and critiquing his acting. In the 60-second spot below, "Movie Titles," the family engages in Film Theory 101, likening Giamatti's CenturyLink pitch to Italian neorealism and film-noir: "CenturyLink asked us to amplify their message of simplicity and honesty, while being humorous and personable," Arnold executive creative director David Register told Adweek. "This idea did both, especially with Paul in the role of the lovable, put-upon celebrity, who is really put to the test by this family of experts." In the next clip, Giamatti gets some unsolicited hair and makeup advice: Frankly, he's rocking the "crazy-uncle look," even in that natty suit. "The family rehearsed a lot," said Register. "Paul pretty much just nailed his delivery." Well, in the ad below, the family disagrees with that assessment: Finally, we get an improv scene—scripted, of course, since this is, after all, a commercial: The actors are all veteran improvers, and during the shoot, "sometimes the banter or critique would just keep on going," Register said, "heading totally off script. And although it wasn't all usable, it was extremely funny to watch, given how game Paul was to playing off any critique thrown his way." Indeed, Giamatti acquits himself well throughout, providing a likable foil for the family's verbal assaults. The campaign also scores by cannily tapping into certain cultural truths. "We're becoming these ravenous devourers of all things entertainment," said Arnold global chief creative officer Jim Elliott. "Thanks to franchises like TMZ, IMDb, Entourage, Us Weekly, Vanity Fair, Inside the Actors Studio and all sorts of 'making of' and 'behind-the-scenes' programming, we're also becoming students of the industry itself. We're becoming armchair film critics. We're becoming 'Hollywood Insiders.' " With that concept in place, "the thinking became, maybe CenturyLink's high-speed Internet and interactive Prism TV services are accelerating that phenomenon even faster," Elliott said. The campaign got an unexpected boost during Sunday night's Academy Awards telecast when Chris Rock name-checked Giamatti shortly before the ads aired in target markets. "It's a beautiful thing when marketing and culture collide like that," Elliott said. There are also some bonus videos, without Giamatti, that will post to social. See those here: CREDITS Client: CenturyLink Pat Glavin, VP of Marketing Spencer Lange, Director, Marcom Strategy for Consumer Products Rachel Zucker, Manager, Marketing - Planning & Analysis Heather Verzwyvelt, Manager, Marketing - Planning & Analysis Agency: Arnold Worldwide Global Chief Creative Officer: Jim Elliott Executive Creative Directors: Wade Devers, David Register Creative Director: James Clunie Associate Creative Director: Matt McGowan Copywriter: Arthur J. Warren Account Managers: Sasha Hartman, Simran Sudan Planning: Vaughn Allen Project Manager: Cyan Dana Producers: Bill Goodell, Tia DeMelis Assistant Producer: Alissa Feldbau Business Affairs: Lisa Mercier Talent: Paul Giamatti, David Barnes, Ann Carr, John D'Leo, Lily Silverstein Production Company: Furlined Directors: Speck and Gordon President: Diane McArter Senior Executive Producer: David Thorne Executive Producer: Jay Wakefield Director of Photography: Jeff Cutter Line Producer: Greg Schultz Editorial: Bug Editorial Editor: Andre Betz VFX: Brickyard Sound: Soundtrack Group, Boston Sound Engineer: Michael Secher

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Ad of the Day: Paul Giamatti Battles a Family of Movie Buffs in His First Ads Ever

How CenturyLink makes you feel like a 'Hollywood Insider'

David Gianatasio

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David Gianatasio