What does mom want her kids to do most this Mother’s Day?
She wants them to “do nothing”–which is your best way to stay safe during the pandemic.
And the preferred choice for doing nothing is to stay at home, plant yourself on the couch and watch TV–specifically the offerings on the Sling TV streaming service.
For this Sling commercial, The Martin Agency turned to real moms in quarantine across the country to spread a simple message–chill out and veg on TV, shelter in place to stay free of COVID-19. Moms insist. And you better listen to their rallying cry, “Do nothing for mom.”
Technically, you don’t even need to sign up with Sling TV to follow mom’s orders this year. With the streaming giant’s “Happy Hour Across America,” Sling is offering free access to its platform every night from 5pm to midnight.
CreditsClient Sling TV Jay Roth, chief marketing officer; Alfredo Rodriguez, VP, Sling marketing; Mike Ribero, general manager, brand marketing; Dave Scheur, sr. brand manager; Helene Ruozzi, sr. brand marketing lead. Agency The Martin Agency Karen Costello, EVP, chief creative officer; Jerry Hoak, EVP, executive creative director; Sean Riley, SVP, creative director; Rushil Nadkarni, art director; Jacob Pankey, copywriter; Tasha Dean, SVP, head of integrated production; Brett Alexander, SVP, executive content producer; Arielle Blais, content producer; Chris Mumford, president; Leslie Evers, director of production. Editorial Super Joy Danny Reidy, editor; Gary McHatton, assistant editor; Brian Creech, head of production. Sound Rainmaker Bob Arno, sound engineer.
Filmmaker Natalie Johns Creates Spec Gun Violence Prevention PSA
Her social media feed is filled with frustration and “prayers” for families torn apart by yet another mass shooting as filmmaker Natalie Johns is engaged in the morning ritual of negotiating school attendance with her 4½-year-old. Between laughing and arguing with their daughter, the Johns think deeply about the prospect of waking up without her--deeply enough to feel an inch of what it might be like to lose her--a feeling profound enough inspire her most personal commitment to date as a filmmaker.
“Gun violence should not be a normalized part of life in America,” she noted. “I felt it was worth putting my whole heart on the line to deliver this message.”
The director invited her long-time collaborator and cinematographer, Bill Kirstein (Mean Girls, Happyend), to capture their family’s experience over several mornings in a spec PSA. She wanted to capture her own joy and truth as a parent with a view to inspiring action from the deepest love she has known.
On the third day of filming, Johns received an email from their daughter’s preschool notifying parents of a lockdown that had occurred due to a gunman outside the school. The children, aged 2-5, were gathered in a small bathroom for an hour, singing songs with their teachers while the man was apprehended by law enforcement. This was the family’s first narrow escape from tragedy.
“The coincidence of filming this PSA and experiencing my family’s first lockdown was both shocking and surreal. I simply could not wrap my head around it,” said director Johns.
Even more terrifying for Johns was discussing the incident with other parents who had already experienced several lockdowns with their older children. This reality is all too common and far too... Read More