Some things are best left unsaid. JWT NY and Director Jack Cole of Pulse Films London tapped Absolute and Lead Flame Artist Daniel Morris to send this message with a hilarious :30 promoting the secret flavor of Stride Gum's new Mega Mystery brand. The spot opens with an enthusiastic young man sitting before his webcam, sending an anxious message to the outer world proclaiming that he had decoded Stride's new flavor. Just as he is about to reveal the secret, however, the hapless gum-chewer is interrupted with a trio of ostrich-riding, business suit-wearing jockeys bursting through his walls to intimidate him into silence, sending one of the giant birds to peck him in the chest. The spot ends with an ominous warning to other would-be spoilers: "Don't reveal the secret flavor of new Stride Mega Mystery! Or we'll find you."

Morris and his team used various methods to tackle the spot's demanding post requirements. To give the first shot a webcam look, they down-converted the portion of the footage that is supposed to be viewed through the young man's webcam by running some of it through QuickTime and adding effects to make it appear to be lower quality than the rest of the spot. Since Cole shot the ostriches and their jockeys separately against a green screen, Morris had to comp the shots of them together with the young man to create their various interactions. Morris carefully constructed the effect of the ostriches smashing into the bedroom, combing numerous explosion plates and painting them frame by frame and modifying the walls to make them look more stable.

Credits:

Client: Cadbury Adams USA
Spots Title: Webcam
Air Date: March 2010

Agency: JWT NY
CCO: Harvey Marco
ECD: Tom Christmann
CD/AD: Justin Owen Katz
Copywriter: Conor Sheridan
Director of Production: Joe Calabrese
Senior Producer: Owen Katz
Production Manager: Michelle Gordon

Prod Company: pulse Films London
Director: Jack Cole
DP: Magni Agustsson
EP: Roz Houchin
Producer: Jo Dillon
Line Producer: Rhun Francis
Production Manager: Mike Levelle

Editorial: Final Cut NYC
Editor: Stephane Dumonceau
Assistant Editor: James Bird
EP: Stephanie Apt
Producer: Laura Lamb Patterson

Telecine: The Mill
Senior Colorist: Fergus McCall
Assistant Colorist: Sal Malfitano
EP: Derek Macleod
Producer: Claudia Guevara

Post/Effects: Absolute
Lead Flame: Daniel Morris
Flame: Pheng Sisopha, Aneillo Zampella
Combustion: Krissy Nordella, Betty Cameron, Warren Paleos
EP: Sally Heath

Audio Co: JW2, New York
Engineer: Andy Green
Asst. Engineer: Craig Caniglia
Producer: Greg Tiefenbrun

Shoot Location: London

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