The Best Work You May Never See: Baltimore Examiner Doesn't Get Wet In "Rain"May 05, 2006 -- People walk briskly along a city sidewalk as the rain pours down on them. Clearly, they weren't prepared for a storm as virtually every person has adopted a newspaper as a makeshift umbrella. The exception to the rule is a man who's getting pelted by the raindrops.

The Best Work You May Never See: Dentsu Deploys Humor In Toronto Jewish Film Festival's "B-Ball"May 05, 2006 -- We open on a pickup game of basketball, in which inner city youths are going at it. However, the outdoor playground competition comes to an abrupt halt when another kid—an African American dressed in Hassidic garb—interrupts the flow to ask into the game.

iWork: Web Completes Dentyne TV SpotBy Millie Takaki
May 05, 2006 -- "Lucky Guy," a television spot for Dentyne, gives viewers quite a bit to chew on—so much so that they have to head for the gum maker's Web site to see alternate endings to the commercial.

Crowning The New Kings: Jake SchreierFive emerging directors take center stage.
By Kristin Wilcha
October 21, 2005 -- It's been a heady year for Jake Schreier. Since signing with Plum Productions, Santa Monica, last September, the New York University film school graduate has directed spots for Comcast, Heinz, Pontiac, and Budweiser, and seen a short film he directed, Christopher Ford Sees A Movie, screen during Res Fest 2005. Not bad for someone who just celebrated his 24^th birthday while on a McDonald's commercial in Paris.

Crowning The New Kings: Peter LydonFive emerging directors take center stage.
By Kristin Wilcha
October 21, 2005 -- "When you've directed a whole lot of different kinds of things like I have, bringing that into commercials isn't a difficult fit," says director Peter Lydon, who recently signed with bicoastal/international Hungry Man. "What's nice about the commercial world, from my point of view, is when you do a telly [television program] thing, you sign on for six months, and all your creative energies go into that. And the nice thing about commercials is you're more creative more of the time because the turnaround is quicker; you get to move through different genres and styles—you get to play, and I like that."

Crowning The New Kings: Randy KrallmanFive emerging directors take center stage.
By Kristin Wilcha
October 21, 2005 --

"It was the most mind-blowing thing to be walking around, and see Schneider at craft services," relates Randy Krallmam, who directs via bicoastal HSI Productions. He's referring to the shoot for a campaign promoting HBO's Entourage, which featured original excerpts from the show, followed by screen tests by a motley crew of celebrities from '70s and '80 sitcoms and movies, repeating the exact same scene. The roster of D-list celebrities included Pat Harrington—Schneider from One Day At A Time—Erik Estrada, Jimmie Walker, Gary Coleman, Pat Morita, Zelda Rubinstein and Estelle Harris. The campaign, out of BBDO New York, comprised four spots: "Studio," "Liquor Store," "Coffee Shop," and "Swimming Pool," which all aired over the summer on HBO. "It had an element of The Surreal Life," says Krallman. "The people were really sweet," he notes, except, perhaps Coleman. Krallman jokes that based on the diminutive actor's attitude, he scrapped his plans to do a Nick Broomfield-style documentary a la Tupac & Biggie about Coleman's rumored feud with Emmanuel Lewis.

Crowning The New Kings: Brian Lee HughesFive emerging directors take center stage.
By Kristin Wilcha
October 21, 2005 -- "Comedy has to have a little element of fear," says director Brian Lee Hughes of Reginald Pike, Toronto. "I like to set up something very familiar and innocent, and do this thing called corruption of innocence," whereby a seemingly normal situation is skewed, often to comedic effect. Case in point: "Sales Clerk," which Hughes directed for the Clean City Task Force of the Toronto Board of Trade. The client-direct spot features a pregnant woman browsing in a baby store. A clerk comes over, remarks on the cuteness of the outfits, and then blows his nose—without benefit of tissue, getting snot all over the floor. He walks away without explanation, leaving the expectant mom in horror. A super appears—"What makes littering any more acceptable?" followed by the campaign's tag: "Can the litter." In "Bloody Zit" for Mac Frosters, out of Bos, Toronto, a teen couple faces each other; the girl lovingly strokes the boy's acne-peppered cheek, drawing blood. Instead of concern, she leans over and licks his face. His latest efforts, "Jackhammer" and "Lumberjack" for Burger King, out of Communications Bleu Blanc Rouge, Quebec, tout the immense size of the new Angus 'Shroom and Swiss burger. It's so big is needs to be eaten sitting down—a voiceover explains you need to sit down to enjoy the burger, and you just might never get up. In "Jackhammer," a seated construction worker attempts to use his jackhammer from the chair, which, because of the vibrations, scoots off the cliff of the construction site with the worker still in it—he lands below, unharmed.

Crowning The New Kings: Ben GregorEmerging Directors Take Center Stage
By Kristin Wilcha
October 21, 2005 -- "I've got a dirty secret. I used to be a planner," jokes director Ben Gregor of Godman, London. "It is quite a change," he says of his of 360-degree career turn. Gregor, who began directing spots two years ago, was previously a planner at Fallon, London. "I think working there was great," he says. "I got to see some great work being made, and I think the main thing I learned was that I actually wanted to create stuff."

Agency UpdateBy Kristin Wilcha
May 27, 2005 -- Creatives Frederic Raillard and Farid Mokart—a.k.a. Fred & Farid—are opening an agency in Paris called Marcel, which will be backed by the Publicis Group, but operate independently with Fred & Farid serving as co-presidents. The award-winning pair had been creatives at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco….

Red Car Dries Off For PanasonicDecember 17, 2004 -- CLIENT