This three-minute plus digital short serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating impact that engaging in smartphone social media activities while driving can have on human lives. Directed by Frederic Planchon of Anonymous Content for BBDO NY, Close To Home shows us how one seemingly incidental glance at a smartphone can yield deadly consequences.
The short is part of a multi-media campaign that includes :30 spots, online teaser ads, a longer-length companion digital piece and a 3D virtual reality simulator ( which was created by Reel FX), all designed to capture a more lifelike experience of what’s at stake when you glance at your phone while driving. The different components will run on AT&T’s social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in addition to one of the :30s that will run on TV.
This latest initiative marks a new wrinkle in the “It Can Wait” campaign launched five years ago. For years, AT&T has been focused on curbing texting while driving, but a recent survey found that 7-in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving, sparking the campaign to evolve to include other forms of smartphone distractions including social media, web surfing, video chatting and email.
Credits
Client AT&T Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Greg Hahn, chief creative officer, NY; Matt MacDonald, executive creative director; LP Tremblay, Erik Fahrenkopf, sr. creative directors; Grant Mason, creative director/art director; Kevin Mulroy, creative director/copywriter; David Rolfe, director of integrated production; Julie Collins, group executive producer; Dan Blaney, executive producer; Melissa Chester, music producer. Production Anonymous Content Frederic Planchon, director; Eric Stern, exec producer; Paul Ure, producer; Jody Lee Lipes, DP. Editorial Work Editorial Rich Orrick, editor; Adam Witten, Trevor Myers, assistant editors; Erica Thompson, exec producer; Sari Resnick, producer. VFXThe Mill New York Sean Costelloe, exec producer/head of production; Nirad “Bugs” Russell, line producer; Gavin Wellsman, VFX supervisor/2D lead; Krissy Nordella, 2D lead; Michael Smith; Chris Sonia, Keith Sullivan, 2D compositors; Heather Kennedy; Sungeun Moon, Yoon-sun Bae, Marco Giampaolo, 2D assists; Yili Orana, Corey Langelotti, 3D; Jeffrey Lee, pre vis artist; Charlotte Carr, editor; Clemens den Exter, designer; Aline Sinquin, colorist. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, After Effects, Baselight, Final Cut) Music Grooveworx Dain Blair, exec producer; Brian Emrich, sound design; Rob Simonsen, original music composer. Audio Post Sonic Union Steve Rosen, mixer. Motion Graphics & Titles Polyester.
To celebrate the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II, the Vienna Tourist Board is launching an intergalactic premiere. The “Waltz into Space” mission will send Strauss’s masterpiece “The Blue Danube” into deep space.
For decades, “The Blue Danube” has been considered the unofficial “Anthem of Space,” famously immortalized in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Yet, surprisingly, this iconic Waltz by the famous Viennese composer was not included on either of the Voyager Golden Records--a collection of humanity’s greatest achievements, including a selection of 27 songs, that was sent by NASA to reach potential extraterrestrial life back in 1977.
On May 31 2025, Vienna will be setting the record straight in a campaign by agency Jung von Matt DONAU that amplifies its reputation as the city of music. In collaboration with the “Wiener Symphoniker” (Vienna Symphony Orchestra) and the European Space Agency (ESA), “The Blue Danube” Waltz will be broadcast to the farthest reaches of the universe, creating a timeless musical bridge between humanity and potential extraterrestrial life.
“The Blue Danube”, performed by the “Wiener Symphoniker” in Vienna at a special concert at Vienna’s MAK Museum on May 31, will be digitized and transmitted via the European Space Agency’s deep space communication facilities at Cebreros, Spain. The signal will continue indefinitely, traveling at the speed of light, and will surpass Voyager 1 in about 23 hours and 3 minutes.
To create awareness ahead of the mission, Jung von Matt created this humorous film that speculates on why “The Blue Danube” was not included on the Voyager Golden Records. The story revolves around the mission director (played by Adam... Read More
