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Winner Story
Super Bowl: The Next Big Thing by Sovereign Media
Did you know about the new alternative fuel, H2O-powered cars? Neither did we. Sovereign Media was challenged to produce a Super Bowl commercial spot for an unconventional client. Rounding up aircraft and high-powered vehicles was no easy task for a small team. Watch now to see why Sovereign Media took home three 2023 Gold Awards in Commercials: Craft – Best Videography & Cinematography, Editing, and Professional Services.
We sat down with Charles Landers at Sovereign Media to discuss the process of producing this massive production for JChandler Law.
What inspired the creative direction for the commercial?
The venue certainly influenced the creative direction.
We normally advocate more persuasion and benefit detail, but a Super Bowl airing presents local advertisers with a few unique opportunities. The most obvious differences are that viewers are more engaged with the commercials and they expect to be entertained or impressed. If the viewer is convinced they are watching a huge national ad, but then it turns out a local advertiser pulled it off, that can be a decent branding win in and of itself.
Even better, the Super Bowl context justifies over-the-top techniques that can make viewers extremely curious. Ideally, viewers will feel compelled to know what’s coming next; they just can’t look away. Thus, the brand and message may be absorbed and retained for ages.
When brainstorming for the most zeitgeisty topic for that year’s Super Bowl, we felt viewers were primed for a bombshell revolution in alternative cars. A practical and efficient hydrogen or water-powered car was nearly unbelievable, but if presented credibly and earnestly, it would be just plausible enough to hook the viewer.
Aesthetically, our creative direction was somewhat derivative, since we were specifically disguising the spot as a national car company ad. Though to stand out as something new in the auto space, we did aim for a slightly more vibrant look and created a couple specific shots we had never seen before. Some aspects of the look were also dictated by the lenses needed to compress certain shots. In some instances, this was done to keep aircraft farther away from people and cars than they appeared to be (for safety and to ensure regulatory compliance).
Tell us about the team that worked on the commercial spot.
The team mix is a little unconventional for a sometimes-full-service ad agency (we also produce some writing & production-only commercial projects, plus occasional short film or movie projects), and we’re quite small. Though we do have a great model to scale up to any size commercial or film as needed. A few of us have substantial work backgrounds on major studio movies, but those skills and experiences aren’t always the most critical in the current era of commercial production.
There might be one stand-out characteristic that allows us to accomplish high-ROI client results and high production values on relatively aggressive budgets. At the top of every project are multi-disciplinary creatives who have mastered the entire process, from strategy/messaging to physical production to finishing and placement. This matters in several important creative dimensions. It’s not just that the director and producers can operate the gear themselves or build a set, though those are valuable tools.
First, from the inception of the creative process, the writer understands every implication, potential pitfall, or potential opportunity that the script might present, whether from a marketing or physical production angle. That allows us to aim a lot higher without added risk or unknowns, and it prevents us from having to abandon great ideas due to practical concerns.
Second, when there is a problem to be solved or a last-minute opportunity to be capitalized upon, there’s no need to wait on a committee of decision-makers to mull it over or to query specialists. We’ve had numerous big successes that most producers or directors would never attempt, if only to avoid the hassle that typically ensues when posing questions or asking for approval from a small bureaucracy.
Clients are also a part of any commercial team, even when they don’t participate directly. Choosing clients who are well-adjusted people and who are willing to trust you is important. Especially once you over-deliver for them, they will typically grant you free reign to do what’s best on their behalf.
And of course the cast members really served the commercial well. The on-screen drivers and pilots performed admirably, and the lead actor, Andrew Heaton, totally embodied the character we sought. Heaton has a national following and doesn’t typically perform as an actor in commercials for other agencies, so we’re thrilled that he works with us when there’s an appropriate role.
How did the concept of the commercial evolve over time?
The theme, surprise reveal, and transition to a traffic accident or injury message were fairly complete from an early stage, but the techniques to get there were less so.
The potential theme of “breaking the water barrier”, a la the sound barrier, made sense and added attention-getting value. Originally, the water-powered car was going to race a jet, and the aerial element of the spot would have been less extensive. The idea of the hero car driving through a wall of water was only practical, and story coherent, with the use of crop dusters with the ability to dump a full liquid tank.
We were concerned that a crop duster version of the spot might create too much risk of failure or budget overruns. To be safest for the car driver, the water needed to be dispersed adequately, but also dense enough to read well on camera. The timing and positioning had to be precise and repeatable. Too far, too close, too high, too low, too soon, or too late from the car or either airplane would blow a shot, resulting in another set of aircraft landings, dyed water tank refills, and take off processes. Then factor in the wind, lighting variables, or mechanical issues. Our crew is lean, but turboprop airplane engine time is costly! People sometimes imagine crop dusters to be like ultra lights, but they are substantial and expensive aircraft.
Our writer/producer/director, Charles Landers, is an airplane pilot and ultimately became confident it would work on-budget after planning with the on-screen pilots. Landers also handles our more complex visual effects tasks and obviously considered alternatives, but he preferred practical effects for most of these shots. One savings was found by only using two actual aircraft (three are shown) thanks to visual effects. Ultimately, the aircraft pilots were able to repeat flights within 4 or 5 feet of their designated 3D position points and with excellent timing precision.
Once we informally storyboarded the spot with crop dusters included, very little changed. The final ad is extremely close to the shot-by-shot blueprint.
Why did you enter the Davey Awards?
We’ve received plenty of awards over the last decade, but we often felt the recognition was somewhat mitigated by the sometimes-inconsistent quality of winning pieces. Upon a quick review of the Davey Awards, it appeared the past winners were laudable; among them were genuinely impressive works that were also likely to have been effective ads for the advertisers. We just thought it would be meaningful were we to win a Davey.
Are you crafting unconventional commercial spots like Sovereign Media? The Davey Awards accepts projects across all areas of video including commercials, non-broadcast, branded content and more. Enter your work before the Early Entry Deadline on May 31st to take advantage of preferred early pricing.