The “Goodness from Grit” campaign from agency Venables Bell & Partners tells the incredible untold story of the SIMI Winery’s fearless leader, Isabelle Simi. A woman pioneer in Sonoma Valley, Calif. winemaking, she overcame personal tragedy to successfully lead and grow her family’s winery through Prohibition, opening the company’s first tasting room in Sonoma Valley in 1934 when most other wineries were foundering after a decade of legalized temperance. She continued to develop the business and set its course for over 70 years. “Goodness from Grit” celebrates the connection between hard work and excellent wine by chronicling Simi’s challenges and ultimate triumphs that led to the success of the SIMI Brand today. It’s a timely message for those who share her spirit, and also cuts against a category that is defined by cliches of leisure and luxury.
SIMI and Venables Bell collaborated with MJZ director Nick Ball and two-time Academy Award-nominated (Atonement, Anna Karenina) cinematographer Seamus McGarvey to craft Simi’s story with the same attention to detail she poured into every bottle of her wine. The centerpiece of the campaign is this four-and-a-half-minute film which features an original cinematic score written, recorded and produced in Melbourne and Berlin by music house Stare Crazy.
Credits
Client SIMI Winery Agency Venables Bell & Partners Paul Venables, chairman; Will McGuinness, chief creative officer; Gus Johnston, creative director; Ryan Hoercher, associate creative director; Aisha Hakim, sr. art director; Megan VanDagens, art director; Alyssa Lee, jr. art director; Marisa Valente, jr. copywriter; Dani Saputo, sr. designer; Hilary Coate, head of integrated production; Sasha White, sr. producer; Jenna Van Deventer, producer; Livia Biedermann, associate producer; Michelle Spigner, strategy director; John Principe, social & content strategist. Production Company MJZ Nick Ball, director; David Zander, president/exec producer; Emma Wilcockson, exec producer; Natalia Mussolana, producer; Seamus McGarvey, DP; Matias O’Donnell, production designer; Sol Montalvo, wardrobe stylist; Max Morales, 1st assistant director. Production Services, Chile Labhouse Finishing & VFX Method Studios Jesse Bradstreet, VFX supervisor; Scott Boyajan, exec producer; Hiltesh Solanki, CG supervisor; Laura Duncan, producer; Matt Welch, lead Flame artist; Cecile Tecson Broas, Cody Edwardson, Kelly Bumbarger 2nd Compositor: Chad Buehler, Alex Gitler, Flame artists; Matt Conway, Ed Mustaros, matte painting; Bradley Morris, Julie Jaros, animation; Kendrick Khoo, Sudipto Nath, Santosh Kumar k Modeling Artists: Sachin, Ilamkar, Abhishek Soni, Avijit Biswas, texture artists; Rick Fornek, rigging; Aswathi S, production coordinator; Kartiki C. Patil, production manager. Editorial Stitch Editing Leo King, editor; Chris Wilson, assistant editor, UK; Lawrence Ng, assistant editor, L.A.; Angela Hart, managing director, UK; Mila Davis, managing director, L.A. Music Stare Crazy Final Mix, Longform Stare Crazy Sound Design RNDM ORDR Sound Design Henryboy Bill Chesley, sound designer; Kate Gibson, exec producer. Telecine Postworks Peter Doyle, colorist; Eric Waldorf, Katy Gilmore, Brian Woos, color assistants; Patriciana Tenicela, finishing producer. Casting Fenner Casting (Santiago), Saigon (Buenos Aires)
Each year, over 300,000 volunteers power the American Red Cross, responding to an average of 65,000 disasters nationwide. This holiday season, BBDO New York has launched a poignant American Red Cross campaign to increase donations for disaster relief while spotlighting the critical role volunteers play in their mission.
The centerpiece film in this campaign--"Shelter Mom" directed by Anthony Frattolillo via production company One Free Play--tells the story of a family seeking shelter after a devastating natural disaster.
In a powerful twist, the PSA reveals how dedicated and selfless American Red Cross volunteers really are--in this case a mother separated from her family while helping other families in a time of need. The closing message drives home the call to action: “They’re relying on her. We’re relying on you. Please Donate.”
Given all the recent events, this spot really hits home, especially for certain members of the creative and production team. Director Frattolillo and his family had to evacuate from the California forest fires in 2020 and spent time in a shelter. And BBDO New York creative director Greg Gertsner had to evacuate in 1999 during Hurricane Floyd as overflow from a raging nearby river reached his family home.
