To be FRANK

Trying to keep teenagers off drugs is like trying to herd a room full of cats – you speak two different languages, they don’t care anyway and you’re fairly sure they think you’re a tool. Despite this, FRANK’s managed it. The talking to teens part, not the cat herding. Though he could probably do that. He’s that good.

For the uninitiated, FRANK is the national drugs information service provided by the Department of Health, the Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Offering friendly, confidential advice on drugs, 24 hours a day throughout the year via a helpline on 0800 77 66 00, or online at www.talktofrank.com, the service has been around for nearly six years and has received over 2million calls.


Central to the popularity of the service is the exceptional advertising campaign from the trendy peeps at Mother London. The latest £2.2m TV, radio and online advertising onslaught follows on from last month’s cannabis reclassification from a C to B class drug. Focusing on the mental health harms associated with the drug, the £2.2m TV, radio and online advertising campaign is part of an ongoing awareness programme targeting 11-18 year olds. The TV spot takes in inside the head of teenager called Simon after sparking up a joint. Whilst at first the bonce pad looks like the best party you’ve never been invited to, it soon turns sour with the arrival of gatecrashers paranoia, panic attacks and …erm … what was it … oh yeah, memory loss.

Much like the previous ads Mother have created for the service, the spot successfully manages to be entertaining and non-preachy whilst still being genuinely informative. With smart direction from Stink’s Ne-O, we think the piece is an absolute winner – and nicely backed up by a strong online presence from Profero too - http://www.talktofrank.com/cannabis.aspx

‘Cause we like the campaign so much, we thought we’d showcase a couple of the other standout spots from the past too.

PABLO

Following the investigative exploits of Pablo - The Drug Mule Dog, this TV spot was the spearhead of the new £1million campaign covering online as well. Devised (again) by the cleverheads at Mother, the spot flits from situation to situation with the inspired choice of Peepshow's David Mitchell as the voice of Pablo. Speaking of the campaign, Sarah Graham, FRANK spokesperson and addictions therapist, said: No animals were hurt in the creation of this ad - unlike in the cocaine trade. Some young people may perceive cocaine to be a harmless party drug but they don't realise the destruction it causes. Users can suffer serious harm to their mental and physical health, while the cocaine supply chain also harms people and the environment. Humorous and witty without talking-down, the spot is a definite winner in our books.

BRAIN WAREHOUSE

Using the concept of a ‘Brain Warehouse', a place where cannabis damaged minds can be swapped for new models, this ad from 2006 follows a curious shopper, relentlessly pursued around the store by a (somehow even more sinister than normal) mobile-phone-esk salesman. Using an empty shop as the location, Stink London's Neil Harris creates a disturbingly imaginable, if not feasible, portrait of the future, but cleverly forgoes any overtly sci-fi imagery. Disconcerting yet effective, this spot certainly lingers in the mind.

A New HYDEing Place

Parisian residents Mr Hyde have recently launched a new media arm of their prestigious company and way to find new directorial talent in the form of ‘Hyde Tube’.

The Hyde Tube concept comprises of a database of work as well as a global short film festival ‘The Eyes Awards’ which will be held in Paris, London and New York respectively.

The Hyde Tube talent bank aims to put advertising agencies, record companies, and brands directly in touch with directors, animators and graphic artists who are willing to direct commissioned works.

If a client decides to work with one of the directors, The Hyde Tube will put them in touch with a production company or affiliate studio that will oversee the production until the films completion and delivery.

Interested!?!? Of course you are! Now look here.

We were so interested that we spoke to the lovely Amelie Couvelaire from Mr Hyde to fill us in on their new venture:

How long have you all been working on Hyde Tube?

We have been working on it and searching for directors for 6 months.

Where did the idea come from?

Agencies and commissioners search more and more talents. Clients want to see a lot of things, they want to have a big choice.


Is this just an extension of Mr Hyde – or is this Mr Hyde adapting the business model of the production world?

The Hyde Tube is an online short films festival. It is not an extension of Mr Hyde but a new way to approach directors and commissioners. We tried to create a new tool, a big quality data bank where you are sure to to see every time new films and new directors. We think our business is too conventional and static. On The Hyde Tube, directors are free, they don't have to sign exclusive contracts. If a job comes to us via The Hyde Tube, Mr Hyde or an affiliate production or studio will produce the film. The idea is to have favored relationships with directors and studios from around the world and work with them to produce very creative films.

The history of Mr Hyde is steeped in Short films – is this the sort of work we can expect to see?

The Hyde Tube brodcasts all kind of creative works : shortfilms, music videos, idents etc... The only restriction is that the film or clips shall not exceed 3 minutes and has to be an original creation.

How many directors can we see?

Today, we have around 100 directors online. If it's a success, hopefuly more and more. We want to offer a big choice but also Quality. It's the big difference with other websites that show videos online. We are inviting every director to submit his work.

Can anyone watch the work?

Absolutely. It is for everyone. No login, no password. It is at the same time a website for general public and a great tool for professionals that are willing to discover and work with new talents.

Is this a place where we can finally see the marriage of FMV Directors, Illustrators, Short Film directors, and all the bits in between?
Yes it is. You can see all types of films on The Hyde Tube. Live action, 2d, 3d, mix media, papercut, animated pictures etc etc..

When can we go to the festival? And can we come!!?
We will let you know as soon as the date is determined, and you are more than welcome!
It will happen end of the year in Paris, London and NYC.

We of course are super excited about the upcoming festival, and will keep you all updated upon when and where you can get the scoop.

Thanks to Amelie Couvelaire for the short notice interview!

NewsReel 13/02/09

Ib drawn to Draw

Directing talent Ben Ib has recently signed to top production company Draw Pictures. Ben’s creative background in short films, digital shorts, live music visuals and VJ work formed the foundations for his ever-increasing success in the music promo world. He has worked with a huge range of artists including Kylie, Robbie Williams, Paul McCartney, Goldie Lookin Chain, Roni Size, Razorlight and Jamelia. His style ranges from high end visual fx to lo fi comedy, his commercial work with the likes of Sunsilk adding yet another string to his directing bow.

Most recently, Ben has completed a promo for trendo-band the Ting-Tings that can be found, along with his other work, here. He’s also one our talented Ones To Watch for January, so basically he’s A BIG DEAL!

Three new Troublemakers

The clever people at Troublemakers.tv have obviously been scouring for new talent recently, as they have just signed three new names to their roster. The talented trio are – Flink (Niko Tziopanos and Timo Schaedel), Kirk Hendry (who’s recently completed short ‘Round’ is, in the words of the Troublemakers themselves, a must see!) and Mato Atom.

Check out the whole shebang on the company’s website - http://www.troublemakers.tv/

Sky Gets Operatic


Following on from our branded entertainment feature from a couple of week’s ago, clever agency Cake has collaborated with Sky Arts, the English National Opera and leading figures from the visual arts – Werner Herzog, Sam Taylor-Wood and Dougal Wilson - to launch Sky Arts Opera Shorts.

Cake has teamed up with each director to create for Sky Arts a three-minute short to accompany a popular aria from the 2008/2009 ENO season. The three films have been produced in order to celebrate Sky Art’s six year sponsorship of the ENO and both organisations commitment to widening the appeal of opera.

Each dealing with a different aria (Sam Taylor-Wood chose Vesti la Giubba from Pagliacci, Dougal Wilson opted for Largo al factotum from the Barber Of Seville, and O Soave Fanciulla from La Boheme was the choice of Herzog – with this sort of knowledge we should be on Universit Challenge), the pieces vary wildly in interpretation. The Reel’s top choice has to be Mr Wilson’s b/w hairy masterpiece, but that might just be because we love the man and everything he does. To check them out for yourself, check out www.skyarts.co.uk.

…And Finally

Not really Reel territory we know, but the combo of ‘The Best Comic Ever’, a much anticipated blockbuster and 8-bit graphics is too good to miss. Following on from the mouthwetting viral campaign (see here and here), Watchmen fever continues with this brilliantly dated beat-em-up. Filling all Double Dragon/Final Fight reminiscers with untold glee, the game not only makes a top Friday timewaster, but also is totally ‘on brand’ for the comic’s universe. God we hate ourselves sometimes.
http://www.minutemenarcade.com/uk/

...And finally finally

Wondered how they got the freaky kids from the Cadbury's ad to wiggle thier brows with such vigor? Wonder no more...


Cadbury's Eyebrow advert, the unseen truth from HappyToast on Vimeo.

Before anyone says - yes we stole this shamelessly from B3TA. We love B3TA. All hail B3TA.

Bowl of Soup(er)

Apparently there was a little sports match in ol’ Yankeeland over the weekend, with the year’s most expensive advertising space being filled up with potential award-winners and product-shifters. As we’re dedicated folk, The Reel have cast an eye over every last one of the blighters in order to present their pick of the bunch.

Chris’ Picks

With the recession growing big bloody sharp teeth, and generally biting all and sundry across the globe at the moment, it’s no surprise that the Superbowl ad breaks were peppered with job site and career focussed ads. Admirably the creative teams behind the ads were also not prepared to let the executions stand in the background, or simply just ‘be there’, the ads for career-centric brands such as job giant Monster.com were this years most interesting and entertaining of the bunch.

Monster

“Double Take” for Monster.com was a cracker and represents the purest form of TV execution genius, as the teams at BBDO and Epoch Films respectively crafted a simple, great idea and squeezed it into 30 seconds. Creative types everywhere, take note; we think this is almost perfect.

The Ladders

Fat-cat jobsite The Ladders.com also tapped the bulging vein of comedy for their 100k-jobs-only Superbowl outing as Fallon Minneapolis and MJZ Los Angeles switched lithe antelope for skidding office chairs and got a bunch of burly Crocodile Dundee types to snare them at high speed. How we guffawed.

Coke

This year also saw some clever re-treading of the boards from drinks giant Coke as the brand chose to riff the 1980's classic Superbowl ad 'Nasty Joe Greene' with Coke Zero’s new spot 'Mean Troy'. A couple of disgruntled marketers hijack this unfolding pastiche just as the cutesy kid is just about to selflessly dish out his tasty sugarless beverage to a knackered football star Troy Pomalu. A greatly crafted tongue in cheek homage from CPB Miami and Company films Los Angeles that unfurls the 80's cheese and adds a bit of needed modern humour.

As the original is just shy of 30 years old some of you fresh-faced young-o’s might not have seen it… so here it is in all its cheddar wrapped glory.

Jamie’s Picks

Hulu

Right, hands up anyone who watches 30 Rock. OK, put your hands down and click on this ad ‘cause you’re gonna love it. Next, hands up who loves the Baldwins. Hmmm, we’d have thought Shark In Venice would have turned you on to this particular acting dynasty, but nevertheless put your hands down and click away to see the avuncular Alec Baldwin proving yet again why he’s the best of the bunch. Anyone left? Shame on you. Your cultural know-how obviously isn’t up to speed – but clicking on the ad should help you on your way to Hulu enlightenment. Combining many a Superbowl staple (celebs, comedy, off-kilter sensibilities), this cracker of a spot from Crispin Porter & Bogusky and Pony Show Entertainment had us from ‘TV Star’ and actually provoked an unprecedented laugh-out-loud moment – impressive considering how mushy our brains are!

Coke

As is their want, Coca-Cola made quite an appearance in Superbowl ’09, having high profile ads scattered throughout the game for their various concoctions. Two of the stand-outs were Nexus’ gamer-tastic ‘Avatar’ and Psyop’s nature filled wonder ‘Heist’.

The plausibility that a relatively hot chick's online avatar is a hulking murderous green Orc straight fresh from butchering people from World of Warcraft is a compu-dork sweaty late night dream. Even more geek-arousing is that the said brutish Orc / hot chick is tamed by an ice cold coke rather than the flaming sword of Zinthar' and looks rather up for a date! A neat mix of quality post work and esoteric games-playing gags which gently nuzzles your happy part of the brain, the spot gently reminds us that things are better shared.

If The Italian Job, Gone In Sixty Seconds and Ocean’s 58 have taught us anything it’s that with a little teamwork you can nick just about anything. Taking their cue from such movies (and a tot of inspiration from the plucky buggers in A Bug’s Life), this conniving group of creepy-crawleys cash in all their freakish favours in order to grab a taste of fizzy pop. Brilliantly animated and with a rousing ‘Peter and the Wolf’ score, this spot was bound to get the snack-filled Superbowl viewers off their sofa in search of a ice-cold beverage.

Audi

Honourable mention - God, we love Jason Statham here at The Reel. He's just great. From being a baldy, Anglo-American head-kicker in The Transporter to being a baldy, cockney head-shooter in Crank to being a baldy, we-don't-know-where-he's-supposed-to-be-from-and-neither-does-he head-runner-over in Death Race he's just the best. So that means we love this Superbowl Audi spot. Cause Jason Statham's all over it. It does a thing like that some other car ads have where decades flash past - but it does it loads better because those ads don't have Jason Statham and this one does. Nice idea, nice direction, nice post work ... blah blah blah .. who cares about all that, it's got Jason Statham in it so it's brilliant. Did we mention we're big fans...

NewsReel 06/02/09

Director Samuel Bayer Joins Boutique Shop aWHITELABELproduct.

Since his storied directorial debut in the ‘90s, Samuel Bayer has done the monumental: he’s accrued dozens of prestigious awards and directed memorable spots for a wish-list of clients such as Nike, Visa, Converse, VW, Coca-Cola and Mountain Dew, and music videos for artists Green Day, Justin Timberlake, The Strokes, The Rolling Stones and Metallica, to note only a few.

And after spending the majority of his career at HSI, Bayer shifts gears and joins former colleagues Annique DeCaestecker and Ellen Jacobson-Clarke, and their partner Oliver Hicks, at bicoastal shop aWHITELABELproduct.

“I’ve rarely been as pumped up about the business,” Bayer says. “I have a great relationship with Annique and Ellen, having worked with them for years. I like what WHITELABEL represents. It’s a boutique with an eye on where the business is going, focusing on cross platforming directors in to other mediums.”

Bayer was honored recently as part of a David Bowie retrospective at MoMA, with his “Heart’s Filthy Lesson” video for the artist (now part of the museum’s permanent collection), and Kodak honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. He is pursuing projects on the Big Screen as well, and is slated to direct the feature Brilliant, a diamond heist film in development with Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson.



Clemens Signs to Draw.

Helen Clemens wins at Country Music Awards Australia - and signs to Draw Pictures UK.Helen Clemens (pictured centre, below) wins 'Best Music Video' for Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson (left and right) "Rattlen' Bones" at the Australia Country Music Awards.

Helen hails from Sydney and has a diverse creative background in music promos. Having directed Australia’s number one artists such as Sneaky Sounds System, Josh Pyke and Kasey Chambers, she also brings with her a wealth of creative knowledge, flair and insight from a broad variety of film and post-production design.After graduating from the University of Sydney, Helen established herself as a video artist installing huge projection works for Roskilde Music Festival 1999 & 2000 and has designed digital installations for numerous live music concerts and fashion catwalk parades.

Helen moved into working as lead vfx designer on dozens of commercials for director Michael Gracey in the UK for clients such as Expedia and McCains, and on UK music promos such as Natasha Bedingfield 'Unwritten' and Charlotte Church 'Say My Name'.

Check out Helen’s reel here!

Disqo Gets Designer Touch from Joe Lovelock.
Disqo, London’s first post-centric digital production company, is strengthening its client offering with the addition of a designer, Joe Lovelock (headshot attached), who has extensive experience in brand identity, marketing and web design.

Lovelock’s appointment further diversifies Disqo’s existing post-production and web expertise by introducing non-video-based design experience. Lovelock previously worked as a designer and art director for Global (formerly known as GCap Media) where he created brand identities and marketing material for radio stations like XFM and Capital, plus sponsorship campaigns for brands such as Nivea. Lovelock is a multi-talented designer with a spectrum of creative experience spanning photography spells at The Independent and The Times, animation, print and web.

Lovelock’s addition is strategically timed to coincide with an extremely busy period for Disqo. The company is currently in the finishing stages of a complex and wide-ranging project for Lexus and CHI; and is also liaising with heads of TV at various London agencies to establish pioneering discussion forums regarding issues inherent in digital production.

Ben Leyland, Disqo’s creative director, said: “Joe’s branding and design experience will add a fresh perspective to our team which, until now, mostly consisted of people with video and web based talent. His addition means we’re now even better placed to meet the demands of clients who need to go beyond the one-off digital production commission. He’s an enthusiastic guy and we’re sure he’ll bring loads of new ideas to the team.”

And Finally!

Thanks to our pals at the Media Foundry and Stream Worldwide, The Reel team was treated to a quiz of epic proportions last night. We came third. It was a set up. That still makes us in the top 3 at music quizzes in London. Which also means the world.

Are we content? - Part 2

In part two of our branded content feature we interview two experts in the field - DigForFire Founder/ Exec Producer Natalie Johns and Head of Stink Digital Mark Pytlik to see what they had to say on the matter.

REEL - Why do you think that branded content / shorts etc. are more relevant or more common now than they were 5 years ago?

MP - It's mostly because consumers now have a degree of control over how they receive their content, which has forced traditional advertising to adjust. This has levelled the playing field a bit -- it's no longer good enough to make advertising that's nice enough as far as ads go. The new benchmark is brand-led content that's every bit as entertaining as a music video, a television program, a film or a video game because it's competing with all of those things for consumers' attention.

NJ - The advancement of technology kick-started demand for content. Sophisticated platforms and dynamic delivery methods, as well as access to broadband allows you to watch what you want, when you want it and quite simply, now that we can take 5 mins out to view a clip that was recommended without waiting ages for it to stream or stop-starting, its just more accessible.

It’s not only a simple way to consume our news, information and entertainment but with so much more available these days, it’s the easiest way to get the bite sized chunks that our schedules allow. The ability to share or recommend something you liked watching propels content circulation. What you watch is another extension of taste.

With an understanding of all of this, brands realize that creation of content is a more effective way to reach a targeted demographic with measurable results via easily accessible audited viewership data.

REEL - The idea of big directors working on a piece of branded film / content would have been considered crass and no go area a few years ago. Why the change?

MP - I don't know if I agree with you! BMW Films came out in 2001, and consumers responded positively to it because the branding was subtle in relation to the spend. I think then, as now, the whole crassness issue is in direct proportion to how salesy the content is; maybe you notice a change because clients have increasingly learned how to make content that has a lighter touch.



NJ - There is a lot more freedom with content online – we are still able to push the boundaries both creatively and editorially. There is room for big ideas with content and even the big directors want to have a bit of fun with it. Its not that its not serious business, it’s just less formulaic and more expressive. There is a lot to be said for being able to truly interact and engage with your audience online. There is an open dialogue with audiences online that does not exist on other platforms/distribution channels and this dialogue is intriguing.

REEL - Do you think that directors are now more savvy and more open to the concept of branded content?

NJ - Yes, I think they are – but then everyone who makes a living with the moving image these days is. The directors who understand their audience online, the ones that are part of the culture they cater to, offer a really unique experience with branded content.

MP - Yeah -- I think this generation of artists is generally more open to subsidization from brands; I also think there's a whole subset of directors who want to work with brands but not necessarily on traditional 30 second ads.

REEL - Is it the other way? Is it that brands / clients themselves have become more savvy and open minded about how the public perceives them?

MP - Well, it's both. Cue all the cliches about brands needing to be more 'conversational', etc. There's still a disconnect between what brands say they want to achieve and what they actually achieve, but that's because we're in the middle of an idealogical changeover that's probably going to need a lot more time to resolve itself. A lot of bad messaging is just the result of tension between what the brand thinks it should be doing and what has worked for it in the past.

NJ - Certain brands always seem to be in touch and concerned with how the public perceives them, but generally, the increase in branded content online is reacting to research, statistics and a new understanding of how content is consumed online. The idea of branded programming in general is not new. What’s new is merely the change in format (from TV to web & mobile) and the increase in output to meet the demand.

REEL - Do you think that the less a brand has to do with its work, or rather the braver they are with the director, the stronger the outcome?

MP - Depends on your definition of 'stronger'; if we're talking strictly creatively, then, generally, yes. It's certainly easier for a brand to cut through with work that enjoys more freedom than your average ad, anyway; people tend to talk about things that are different.

NJ - Dig For Fire just completed a project with Coca-Cola which was a great working example of being given a task, but really being chosen as a trusted filmmaker and being left to lead on the artistic front. I believe the project was the first of its kind for Coca-Cola. The brief from Coca-Cola was to tell the story, as we viewed it, of the Corporate Social Responsibility work that the company is doing in Tanzania, set against the culture of music in the country. Dig For Fire was offered access to the various initiatives The Coca Cola Africa foundation is involved in, but completely left to choose the music, editorial and creative approach to the end product. We were also able to invite filmmaker friend Vincent Moon (of internet fame, Le Blogotheque, Take Away Shows) to participate in the project. Everything, down to the duration of the content and how it was presented online was open to discussion and we took the lead with direction throughout. Coca-Cola asked us to work with their interactive marketing agency Mediatronica to ensure the content was distributed across the platform to reach a global audience and to ensure that they would have the analytics to accurately assess the success of the concept. The content is almost void of branding, and at no point were we pushed into editorial changes. It made for a very honest and engaging series of films which we hope will be seen by more than two million people around the world.



REEL - Do Directors now have to have more skills to work on a branded content piece?

NJ - Directors have more access to information. In my opinion, its more about being a filter for that information, building a reputation and becoming a trusted source. Asking a director who creates commercials to create a piece for the internet is just creating a long advert. You can smell it a mile off.

REEL - Is the director as the auteur affected by this process? i.e. A branded short will obviously have input from the brand in a way that a standard short or feature would not – as brands are more protective over their interests than a standard financier.

NJ - Well, the truth is, a financier would have some say over the script and the cast – it really varies. But it comes down to reputation and trust with a director. There will always be some compromise from both the director and the brand, but with experience, respect and a willingness to understand each others perspective, a happy medium can normally be reached.

REEL - Do you think this is a trend that will continue? Do you think commercial television / moving image will lean more towards branded content in the future?

NJ - Yes, definitely. Audiences or “consumers” have not depleted, they have just changed their habits. Brands understand that mass marketing is no longer effective, and the consumers that they are trying to reach now belong to communities and networks. Branded content is a way to tailor communication to reach niche audiences.

MP - Oh hell yes. There's no doubt.

NewsReel 30/01/09

Got news? We love news! Send it to us on editor@thereel.net.

Jason Zada gets Tooled up

Bicoastal Tool has recently signed internationally recognized director Jason Zada. With nearly two decades of experience working with both the advertising and digital content sides of the business, Zada had developed an impressive multiscreen storytelling ability that allows him to create unique work for nearly any product, client, or audience, and to deftly transfer a message across all mediums, from television to the web to print.

Check out more on the website - http://www.toolofna.com/

TBWA starts ’09 with a digital influx

TBWA\London has shown it’s clear digital leanings this week with the hiring of digital planning guru Indy Saha, and senior digital producer Daniel Polanco. They will spearhead the agency’s digital offering as it embraces the global TBWA\ Media Arts concept.

Saha starts as group planning director from Agency Republic, where he was head of planning. He began his career at JWT, before going client side at adidas, followed by a move to Xbox where he launched the Xbox 360 and several games including Halo 3 before joining several Agency Republic, one of the most digitally literate outfits in the UK.

Polanco joins as Head of Digital Production after a recent stint freelancing at Tribal DDB. He has 10 years experience working with companies like W&K, Play, Red Bee Media, BMB, Amnesty International, The Viral Factory and Grand Union. A consummate strategist in all things digital, his client list is second-to-none and includes Nokia, Foster’s, Coke, Abbey, Xbox and Comic Relief.

http://www.tbwa-london.com/

…And finally – a bit of dead Aard fun for Friday

Here at The Reel we often get sent branded games that … well … err on the side of shonk. However, imagine our delight when we were sent the link to this little doozy from Aardman Animations.

A companion to the (frankly brilliant) Wallace and Gromit short ‘A Matter Of Loaf and Death’ that aired on BBC One on Christmas Day, the game encourages players to try to run the ‘Top Bun’ bakery successfully as things get more and more hectic. Based on the antics in the new film, the player takes control of Gromit as the orders begin to pile up. He must make sure the dough enters the right ovens, receives the correct topping, bakes in the correct time and is placed in the van before it starts to burn. A variety of bakery upgrades and challenging demands tests your limit across eight levels.

Surprisingly addictive due to the level-up system at the end of each stage, we’re sure this will help you on the long road to Friday hometime - http://www.wallaceandgromit.com/game