Carat + MTV launch mockumentary for Bayer

Picture 209.pngIt's not often that one gets to put the words T.W.A.T on a police-style van and hurtle around the streets of Western Sydney, but that's exactly the situation that Carat and MTV's creative team found themselves in when they teamed up to deliver a web film or Bayer, and their product Canesoral Duo, from the trusted makers of Canesten.

Canesoral Duo treats a sensitive and embarrassing ailment - Thrush - and is targeted at 18 - 24 year old females. Carat knew PayTV was very important to this age group and narrowed down the channel selection to MTV - knowing that a partnership with this brand would fit synergistically with MTV's fresh, honest yet 'edgy' style.
 
Carat decided to totally change the way the brand acted in the media and collaborated with MTV to deliver a cut-through on-air and online campaign that would resonate with the savvy MTV demographic, based around an MTV-created 'mock-u-mentary' entitled 'The Hostage'.

Taking the form of a 4 minute web film, The Hostage, which was filmed in a real Australian suburb, sees the TWAT (Thrush Weapons And Tactics) team come to the rescue of Patricia, who has been taken hostage by Thrush. Judy and her TWAT team steam in, take charge and save the day, rescuing Patricia with the dramatic help of a motorcycling Pharmacist. 

The 'Over-the-Top' comical parody was shot 'cop-show style' in an effort to remove the stigma attached to Thrush and encourage 'talkability'. It was scripted and produced, in line with strategic objectives and ASMI guidelines, in close collaboration with Carat and Bayer.  

The Hostage will launch online on mtv.com.au late June before being filtered onto a myriad of online video channels. In addition, the piece will be supported by an online portal within mtv.com.au, which will carry more product and mock-u-mentary information to encourage interaction and participation with the brand. 

"Bayer have made a brave move into the viral arena and the final result is a timeless content piece created by MTV, a brand that is credible and innovative in the eyes of our target audience, and will intrigue whilst entertain and create talkability," said Craig Cooper, Business Manager Carat Australia.

Bayer National Marketing Manager, Nick Stabback, said "The MTV spot gives us the opportunity to build awareness with a new audience in the format that they appreciate."

Vanessa Zuppicich, Director, Creative, MTV Networks Australia added, "MTV's Creative team has done an excellent job applying the MTV irreverence, innovation and sense of humour to a difficult product category. Carat and Bayer, the dream media agency and client, trusted us to create a humorous piece of communication that speaks directly to our audience."

Carat
Business Managers:    Craig Cooper/Christina Pilkington
Engage Director:    Tim Flattery
Jonny Cordony:    Digital Manager   

MTV
Writer & Director: Nick Hansen
Producer: Vashti Rosenberg
MTV Creative Services Manager: Kate Davitt
Production Company: Maxitone Studios
DOP: David Knight
Stylist: Howard Steeves
Art Director: Sam Crothers
Editor: Nick Hansen
Sound Design: Michael Sutherland
MTV Director, Creative: Vanessa Zuppicich
Account Manager: Eliza Giddy

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43 Comments

Finbarr said:

Oh dear.

"It was scripted and produced, in line with strategic objectives and ASMI guidelines."

Strategic objectives + cop show cliche = crap.

Ted said:

Naked. Sphere. And now these muppets.

Anonymous said:

@finbarr I'm glad I wasn't the first one to mention it

Ben said:

hmm,

this is about as contrived and unfunny as that extreme Skipping thing that came out a while ago, cant remember who it was for milo, or wheatbix or something?

this also proves to me that the aus MTV creative department is weak as poo compared to those of north america, europe, even asia, like the stuff being produced fro MTV2 an so on.

also to state the obvious, this is just a bad imitation Reno 911


Josh said:

That was terrible.
Definitely sounded like a script that was pre-written by the client.
But I can sympathise for the people who worked on this as I know how it feels.

Jen said:

That gave my thrush in my eyes.

Adam said:

"Engage Director"
is this a joke?

Tracy said:

A touch agonising. Branded entertainment and Thrush aren't exactly a natural fit are they?

Dave said:

stick to putting crosses in boxes

Craig said:

"was filmed in a real Australian suburb"

Groundbreaking!

PC said:

Wow, what that is 4 minutes of my life I will never get back... crap.

Anonymous said:

almost as awesome as the lynx anti soap squad.

Anonymous said:

C'mon guys, let's make thrush cool!

Anonymous said:

well done for trying really hard...

Anonymous said:

The agency who has Bayer as a client should feel pretty pissed off. It's decent media opportunity that's been wasted on some second rate in-house creatives.

Anonymous said:

"engage director" - hilarious!

When will media agencies (and clients) realise that what looks like an efficient production + media buy - actually means third rate creative output, (normally 'value added') masked by overpriced media?

Andrew said:

Mmm...talk about being sold a steamer.
If Pay TV is so important, why is it only going to appear online? How does a media agency justify that? One can only imagine the artistry involved in selling Bayer such a soft and squishy turd. Why don't they use their powers for good not evil?
I guess on the flip side we should be grateful.
They've just proved they need creative agencies after all.

Anonymous said:

holy shit, that is truly fuckin awful. sometimes I wonder how the fuck this stuff gets made?

Anonymous said:

thankyou MTV for making thrush so 'dope'.

Anonymous said:

It's like being Dr Who, but your latest transformation is into a small, cute girl and your Tardis has landed in Fred West's Basement circa 1991 and broken down. And he's run out of lube and has to use rancid marmite.

wtf said:

"why a media agency should never touch a creative script in any way shape or form?....ladies and gentlemen, I give you exhibit A..." (4 painfully punishing minutes later)..."thank you and we rest our case."

Anonymous said:

How can anyone make something like this and walk away happy?

Let alone post it here for all to shoot down...

I'm sorry but that was a complete waste of time, energy and my life.

Anonymous said:

Does anyone know how to get spew out of a keyboard?

Anonymous said:

the futures shite, the futures content

Mick said:

depends on how acidic it is

Advertalert said:

Well I thought it was quite hilarious, I laughed the whole way through and so did my friends. It was meant to be a comedy and on that level they certainly delivered. Some of things I see on ABC (ie The Chasers) with what I expect is a much bigger budget I consider non funny stupid tv with idiots. This was just an ad and as far as ads go this was funny. It isnt designed for nit picky painful people who dont have any sense of humour. It will work well in Australia I think.

Janelle said:

T.W.A.T should be tattooed on the foreheads of the criminals responsible for giving my eyes and ears thrush.

Anonymous said:

It's funny how you've all got enough time to watch this, then even more to comment on it... I guess the global economic crisis has hit you guys hard so while people such as this are out there trying something new and [gasp] working, you're all sitting on your fat arses having a good bitch.

Anonymous said:

"Engage Director" - not a joke or being pretentious, Engage is the name of the content creation division of Carat.

Jim Henson said:

The comments here are fantastic! Ha ha ha. You lot remind me of those two old muppets at the back of The Muppet Show. So easy to flame and mouth off about this but too pussy to be accountable (hello anonymous). Dinosaurs.

I didn't think this was an amazing thing, but I laughed in a couple of moments. The guy on the bike was pretty funny.

Jim


Lilly said:

This spot cracked me up! I can't believe everyone's being so hard on it... pull the pole out of your bum holes people - at least these guys are doing something entertaining and different.

Dave said:

Yawn... so many constipated critics. This is piss funny.

Anonymous said:

Oh. TWAT for thrush. I get it.

If anyone knew the history of Bayer during World War 2 and what they did to live patients I'd say this ad is well overdue Karma for them.

Karlie said:

I think this is really funny! Great response to what must have been a pretty difficult brief. I don't know what all the negative people above are banging on about to be honest. My friends and I all got a good giggle out of it.

Anonymous said:

7:37, no need to bring up the holocaust here. Well... maybe.

Anonymous said:

The people at Carat 'in their bottoms' have a great media strategy. Blog after the immediate rush and make it sound like some people actually liked it. NO IDEA.

Anonymous said:

a brave solution to the problem. not very funny, but thanks for choosing the path you did. so close to being great but proof that great comedy is far from being easy. get us next time!. great comedy is hard and often born in people. give them a break. they tried:)

Anonymous said:

WHY!! WHY!! WHY!!! would you do the 'rescue squad' idea again?????

Don't tell me, this one's a different take, a different story line.......well, I can't comment on that - I didn't even get to the end of it.

Anonymous said:

Please, compared to most of the garbage on TV this is quite funny, especially for a category that usually does SUCH boring stuff. This blog is sooooo boring with the same old bitter and twisted comments. EVERY and I mean EVERY PIECE OF WORK on here gets soooooo SLAMMED. The negative comments are becoming such a cliche. What I find brilliant is seeing the same work that gets destroyed on here go on to win major awards around the world. Then it gets NO comments from anyone. Let's face it, people generally have more energy to be critics than to praise.


Anonymous said:

I think the ad was fine. It isnt an easy subject for sure, but the old ads I have to admit I would turn off straight away as they were very bland and didnt keep my interest. This ad has a story line and is funny in parts, it does keep you looking for the outcome. Not poetry in motion but it gets the message across and it is light comedy. There are a whole bunch of other ads that appeal to me much much less.

El Gordo said:

Seriously.

Its not a brilliant ad - I'll give you that.
But can anyone here point me to a thrush treatment ad that sucks less?
...-Didn't think so.

And Ben, MTV Creative department is actually not bad, some of their stuff is even great.

Michel said:

Where do all these negative a-holes come from?

Its an ad. Not great, not bad. Get over it.

Anonymous said:

not funny. just sad. cheap lines that I suppose are meant to pass for humour.

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