Directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks for agency Merkley+Partners, this modern wintry love story takes place in the middle of a severe snowstorm as a boy tries to convince his father to drive him (in his Mercedes-Benz C-Class with 4MATIC all-wheel drive) to meet his first date at a movie theater. When they arrive and go inside, as expected, the theatre is totally empty. Despondent, the boy walks past his father and back out into the storm, his first date having not materialized. But then, heroically, through the heavy flakes of snow, the lights of an approaching Mercedes-Benz GLE appear in the distance.
The online :90, which has a :60 version for TV, is driven in part by the song “Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan. Originally sung by Billy Joel in 1997, it was also covered by Adele in 2008. The version in “Snow Date” was performed by the group Sleeping At Last.
Credits
Client Mercedes-Benz USA Agency Merkley + Partners Andy Hirsch, chief creative officer/chairman; Eddie Van Bloem, group creative director/copywriter; Saks Afridi, group creative director/art director; Alex Kobak, sr. producer; Gary Grossman, director of broadcast production. Production Biscuit Filmworks Noam Murro, director; Simon Duggan, DP; Shawn Lacy, managing director; Rick Jarjoura, exec producer; Jay Veal, line producer. Postproduction Work Editorial Stewart Reeves, editor; Sari Resnick, editorial producer; Erica Thompson, editorial exec producer. VFX MPC New York Chris Bernier, 3D lead; Rob Walker, lead compositor; Ashley Burns, shoot supervisor; Sophie Hogg, VFX producer; Camilla De Biaggi, VFX exec producer; Justin Bruckman, VFX managing director. Music “To Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan; music supervision by Sleeping At Last. Music Supervision Venn Arts Jonathan Hecht. Sound Design Brian Emrich, sound designer. Audio Post Heard City Phil Loeb, mixer.
Violence against women is rooted in gender and relationship models based on control and emotional dependence: this is the starting point for the development of the awareness-raising campaign “Getting Ready,” ideated for Sephora Italia by creative agency LePub and directed by Juul Op den Kamp.
Psychological violence manifests itself through constant and repeated behaviors aimed at controlling and subduing the partner. When we talk about gender-based violence, the focus is often on the physical side. However, not enough is said about the first signs of abusive behavior, especially from a psychological point of view, which are mostly subtle.
The objective of LePub and Sephora Italia’s “Getting Ready” campaign is deliberately simple and direct: to encourage awareness of what are called “Early Signs,” being the first signals of gender-based violence. Taking care of one’s outward appearance, the way one dresses and wears make-up, are powerful means of expressing one’s identity and are often the subject of abusive controlling behavior. Sephora believes in the right of every woman to be able to express herself freely and has once again decided to turn the spotlight on this issue through a campaign with a strong emotional impact.
“The topic addressed in this campaign is a sensitive one, unfortunately of a tragic relevance that cannot leave us indifferent. Signs of violence must be scrupulously observed, properly recognized and promptly interrupted. It starts with a comment, continues with an insult and finally culminates in a concrete act, a dramatic phenomenon that we are forced to read about every day in our newspapers. This is why it is absolutely necessary to act and talk about it: if our message reaches and supports even one... Read More
