“What does Mother Nature’s garden look like? This isn’t a question you get to answer every day,” said Thinking Machine’s Matthew Docter when describing the process of creating this two-spot campaign for agency Brunner and client Vespyr Brands (Cold-EEZE and Defend-EEZE).
“Words like natural, fantastical, and other-worldly were used more than once!” added Jason Docter. “We knew we had the chance to create something unique, and both the agency and client agreed. They were super supportive and excited about pushing the idea from start to finish.”
Inspired by the surreal structures of Las Pozas, Matthew and Jason Docter, aka the directorial team the Docter Twins, worked closely with production designers Jorge Vujosevich (Mexico City) and Justin Trask (Los Angeles), as well as post house PS260, to create a mystical, enchanting world that playfully balances reality and imagination.
Shooting on a stage in Mexico City, the set build required massive amounts of practical plants and flowers watered daily, while the art and production teams finalized details. “It feels like anything is possible in Mexico City. It’s an inspiring place. Creativity is everywhere. We’ve all seen plenty of commercials for cold remedies before. This couldn’t just be one more that nobody remembered. We had to do something that was going to stand out in a big way,” said Brunner’s creative director Kevin Corfield.
The lush setting is completely unexpected for a pharma ad, which was precisely the agency’s plan. “Our client was on the same page from the outset. Do something that stands out for the category,” added Brunner’s CCO Rob Schapiro, which was music to the Docter Twins’ ears.
Brunner’s sr. producer Emily DeShantz said, “Witnessing the evolution of comedy in the scripts was especially enjoyable. Between the bits our team wrote and the improv from the talent (who may never eat ginger root again), we ended up with a laundry list of edit options. It all came together with an extremely talented editor, JJ Lask of PS260, who managed to fit the bonus laughs into only 15 seconds.”
The Docter Twins also worked on original music for the campaign with their composing partner, Christian Moder. “Being able to creatively influence a job from start to finish is rare,” adds Jason. “We’re very grateful to the Brunner team for the opportunity.”
This is the “Two Mothers” spot for Defend-EEZE. The Docter Twins are alums of SHOOT’s 2008 6th Annual New Directors Showcase.
