Grammy-winning artist Alanis Morissette and UScellular have come together for the brandโs biggest campaign to date, underscoring the irony of cellular phones–which ostensibly are designed to connect us but often serve to disconnect us from each other in real life.
Referencing Morissetteโs hit song โIronic,โ this :60–from The Martin Agency, and directed by Dan Opsal of Hungry Man–shares the many ironies of modern-day phone usage. For instance, when a family is asked to observe a phone-free meal at a restaurant, a girl notes that the menu has to be accessed via smartphone.
However, the ultimate irony is a positive one–UScellular, a phone company, asking us to curtail phone usage, promote positive digital health and come together as people, refusing to be distracted by technology to the detriment of personal relationships.
Credits
Client UScellular Agency The Martin Agency Danny Robinson, CEO; Jerry Hoak, chief creative officer; Ashley Marshall, executive creative director; Allison Rude, group creative director; Elliot Nordstrom, Allie Nordstrom, creative directors; Elizabeth Daniel, sr. copywriter; Blair Seward, sr. art director; Marisa Perazzelli, strategy director; Allie Ballard, sr. strategist; Nicole Lederman, executive producer; Arielle Blais, sr. content producer. Production Company Hungry Man Dan Opsal, director; Kim Dellara, partner/exec producer; Franchesca McDowell, exec producer; Buzzy Cancilla, unit production manager; Christopher Hoggard, production supervisor; Eric Topp, 1st AD; Rob Topp, 2nd AD; Damian Acevedo, DP. Editorial Arcade Ali Mao, editor; Lucas Ferreira, assistant editor; Ellen Lavery, producer. Color Grade Royal Muster Roslyn Di Sisto, sr. colorist; Thatcher Peterson, exec producer; Diane Valera, producer. Post/VFX Shape and Light Cara Lehr, managing director; Jade Fuller, Michelle Andre, producers; Emily Irvine, creative director/Flame lead. Sound Sonic Union Rob Ballingall, mixer/sound designer; MK Valentino, exec producer; Gina Petrarca, producer.
Tom Tagholm of Various Films directed this moving piece for the U.K.โs Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) out of creative agency MullenLowe UK.
Focused on adult social care, the public service film delves into the world of care providers and how they connect with those they help. We feel how gratifying it is to assist people in daily tasks, the value it brings to their lives--and to the lives of those who provide this special care.
Itโs a special career for people who might not have previously considered the role. Itโs about a fulfilling job that fulfills lives. Thereโs a shared, reciprocal energy that emerges from working together in this way.
Capturing this dynamic and doing justice to this human story grew out of the creatives and filmmaker spending an extended amount of time in this world--long before any scheduled lensing. At this juncture, there were no cameras, just getting to know those involved--sharing tea and chatting, driven by a curiosity about life.
And this facilitated down the line the capturing of real human stories--trying not to get in the way of the natural rhythms of these special relationships as they unfolded. The mission was to recognize and capture all this--and in some cases uncover the significant moments and feelings inside of an apparently normal day. At the same time, the role of adult special care providers isnโt sugarcoated. There are challenges on both sides of the relationship. Yet there is a magic to the seemingly mundane, practical beats in a life--getting from point A to point B, answering emails, shopping, the daily tasks where the connection felt the most vivid and inspiring. One such task was seeing a man in a kitchen, cutting an onion for the first time, experiencing the joy of cooking.
The... Read More