Publicis Mojo Sydney launches three short films for Coca-Cola’s Burn to run across Europe
Coca-Cola Europe will soon reveal the first pieces in a body of work by Publicis Mojo, Sydney that will form the building blocks of a substantial community marketing programme for its energy drink, Burn. A portfolio of three short films, ‘Ride’ (directed by Garth Davis),’Playground’ (directed by Glendyn Ivin) and ‘Peepshow’ (directed byJonathan Hill), kick off the integrated programme.
The films will beactivated online with strategic seeding in over 65 community channelsand will feature in Burn-branded social media spaces and an online hub.The work will be rolled out in 43 European markets starting 22 July with a hub at www.burn.com.
Mojo’s programme marks a major cultural step-change for Coca-ColaEurope in the way they approach marketing communication. “The crux ofour approach was to involve pre-existing communities in the creationand distribution of the key campaign assets, rather than the brandlaunching it on its own,” said Micah Walker, ECD Mojo Sydney.
“These communities, where energy plays a real role in fueling creative expression, can then if they wish, share, interact with, or even embellish the overall idea with various assets the brand provides.”
The series tells the stories of real-life characters from the skate, music, and snowboarding communities. ‘Playground’ and ‘Peepshow’ are pure lyrical documentary, shot in urban Philadelphia and Quebec City respectively.
The Garth Davis-directed ‘Ride’, shot in Mexico City, is a piece whose gritty reality is heightened by flaming trails that the skaters leave in their wake, a metaphor for their fierce creative expression. The riders, who were literally on fire, were coordinated by LA-based skate guru Steve Berra, who hosts the most influential online blog in the skating community.
Davis said, “We went for a deeper, more compelling to ne than the high-octane energy most competitor brands do in their advertising. And one of the great mistakes you can make is to over-romanticize skateboarding. Skaters smell it a mile off and will hate you for it. So this was all about doing the stunts and fire for real and really respecting the skaters, yet keeping a surreal, cinematic feel so they felt original.”
The production approach, a creative collaboration between Publicis Mojo and Exit Films with London’s Rumpus Room involved in digital strategy and execution, was similarly unconventional in that nothing was traditionally scripted. Each film was shot on 5D and the three directors were given freedom to interpret a ‘fierce’ attitude and creative expression without storyboards or pre-determined narratives.
Davis enjoyed the process, saying “It’s so nice when a story plus agency allows space for the passion of the director to shine through, and genuine expression is reached. These days it’s very, very rare.”
“The films were as pre-conceived as they could be,’ said Mojo ECD Micah Walker. ‘We knew what the spirit of the idea was and we’d found the appropriate talent together, especially in the documentaries. We just had to let the film makers shape the stories on their own to keep them credible and authentic. Burn’s most influential audience are in large part creators themselves – performers, writers, documenters, editors and publishers within the communities we’re speaking to, so it was critical our films were the kinds of things they could appreciate. They had to be fresh.”
The integrated programme will also feature filmed content created in grassroots, cross-community projects designed by Mojo and activated by Coca-Cola’s local European markets.
CREDITS
Publicis Mojo, Sydney
Chief Creative Officer – Craig Davis
Executive Creative Director – Micah Walker
Creatives – Ian Williamson, Andrew Ostrom, Ruth Bellotti, Kirsty Gavin
Production – Pip Smart, Corey Esse, Ali Dunlop, Lisa Vermaak
Strategy – Graham Ritchie, Simone Ellis, Will Davie
Client Service – Simon Ludowyke
Exit Films, Melbourne
Music Supervisor – Karl Richter at Level 2 Music
Sound Mix – Jason Murphy at GAS
‘RIDE‘
Director – Garth Davis
Producer – Karen Sproul
Editor – Jack Hutchings at The Butchery
DOP – Grieg Fraser
VFX – Colin Renshaw – Cutting Edge
‘PEEPSHOW‘
Director/DOP – Jonathan Hill
Producer – Allison Lockwood
Exec Producers – Garth Davis and Karen Sproul
Editor – Rohan Zerna at The Butchery
‘PLAYGROUND‘
Director/DOP – Glendyn Ivin
Producer – Allison Lockwood
Exec Producers – Garth Davis and Karen Sproul
Editor – Peter Scriberras at The Butchery
DIGITAL
Digital Partners – The Rumpus Room, London
Creative Lead – Tomas Roope
Production Lead- Steve Wyles
Technical Lead – Kentaro Yamada
Social Media Strategy – Jessica MacCormick
STILLS
Photographer – Ben Stockley
Retoucher – Innes Robins at Electric Art
96 Comments
Why didn’t Publicis Mojo use Publicis Digital?
There’s plenty of talent in that Melbourne office, why not use it?
Wow.
Well done, Publicis Mojo!
woa. well done.
Another short film…..
i’m jealous
Well worth the wait scouse. Well done mate.
Sk8ers = sick!
Perfect example of great branded content.
3 great films
RIDE is fucking amazing. Garth is an incredible filmmaker. No-one does this kind of gritty, dreamy stuff like he does.
But surely that jump between the two 20 story buildings isn’t real? Jesus Christ, if it is then, just, wow.
Wondering why Mojo needed to brand the work with their name though? Bit ego-wanky to me.
As usual, some amazing visual work by Garth Davis.
Honestly though, this concept is so derivative of the work done by Spike Jonze for UNKLE’s soundtrack video ‘Heaven’ with the Lakai crew, and Jonze’s ’07 film ‘Fully Flared’, mixed with his classic video for Wax and ‘California’, that it makes you wonder why a talented and original artist like Garth would take on a concept that owed so much to the creative work of another brilliant director . . . or why Mojo would present this to Coke as a unique branding opportunity.
http://mediablips.dailyradar.com/video/youtube_heaven/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPT7q825gwI
Good point why didn’t they use Publicis Digital in Melbourne? Politics getting in the way again. Oh Mojo..
Look, if we wanted to be pedantic, Spike Jonze would have been ‘influenced’ by Jonathan Glazer’s ‘Odyssey’ spot for Levis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfYmwaf89UE
However, Jonez captures the very essence of urban skateboarding. For all it’s filmy beauty, the Mojo ‘thing’ just looks like a middle-aged advertising man’s view of the same thing. Shoot in bright sunlight, lose the addy wank and it looks far better.
Oh, lose the ‘thing’ from the title. You’re not a Spike Lee Joint, you’re the world’s biggest sugary water company and an ad agency.
Really good. That is all.
Chief Creative Officer.
Didn’t we all get into advertising so that we wouldn’t have to put up with the bullshit of corporate structures?
I know I did. And it’s also why I got out of it.
12.12 PM You’re derivative. Of a douchebag.
11.53 PM They’ve probably branded it because they’re not acting in the capacity of a traditional ad agency but an entertainment business and, like a movie, all involved get credit. Maybe.
Glendyn’s film is perfection. True artist.
Awesome
11.06 another jealous wanka. what are u working on… another 30sec?
Big, big fan of these. A lot of talented people on these credits. Wish I was one of them.
Simon A
12:46
The depth of your vocabulary is only matched by the dearth of your imagination.
You do seem to be rather familiar with feminine hygiene products, however . . . which explains a good deal.
Awesome
Entertaining and full credit to the client
Brilliant. Playground and Ride were the best, great to seem some excellent film making from local talent.
This is the level of intricate genius you need when you launch a me-too product into an already cluttered marketplace.
I seem to remember that when the iPhone launched, we were all talking about the product, not the marketing.
Winner: Best use of Flame.
Playground is so, so wicked. Well done everyone.
Why does it even matter who they’ve used as a digital partner?
Seems silly to bring that kind of thing up on here.
I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life than the fact that everyone who is criticising these films has not produced anything near that quality. And is under the age of 27.
Gotta agree with 12:12 – it’s derivative, formulaic and adds nothing new whatsoever. People will like it but people, generally, like crap.
One star *
11:06 AM,
“Another short film..”
That’s like saying “Another 30 sec TV spot”.
If it’s good, it’s good. If it’s shit, it’s shit.
Our industry is waaaaaaaaaay too hung up on media.
Pretty sure lot’s of films had been made before Hitchcock came along and just did the same old 90 min crap.
Well, the kids on fire ‘thing’ will, according to the release, be seen by a few million of them.
The law of averages says that a few morons will, undoubtedly, set themselves on fire and film it for the internet – seeing as it looks awesome ‘n ting.
(Or jump into oncoming traffic – on fire – as you do.)
This will be followed, immediately, by one of the largest lawsuits in history.
Just wondered if anyone thought of all this before they made teenagers on fire look sexy.
If we’re being really pedantic it’s pretty much this from the early 2000’s:
http://bit.ly/9U13ly
There’s another one from the late 90s I can’t remember the name of.
Point is, skateboarding and fire is nothing new.
I am jealous i didn’t make it but at the same time its pretty boring and feels like any other skate,snow, surf video from the last five to ten years. Back to my sales aid.
Well, looks like the little urchins have already tried setting fire to their boards.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyhooOa06LU
Just wait till they douse themselves in petrol after seeing this one.
These are awesome. No question. Skateboard on fire rule.
I’m pretty sure this is the clip they showed the client.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ-zuBncPxo
Come on guys.
Nice. Bit it’s no “whale shagging a submarine”.
Sooooo. To be considered any good by some on this blog it seems you must.
Choose a medium that nobody has ever used before.
Invent a new form of extreme sport.
Avoid using one of the basic elements of earth, wind, fire or water, unless personally approved by Spike Jonze.
Just so I know the brief.
No.
Do something original.
Preferably something that hasn’t been shot before.
And try and avoid skateboarders.
You see, they’re what we think kids do. Based on mine, they sit upstairs all day with their Playstation 3s, emerging only for food and grunted conversation.
Only advertising people think kids are ‘EXTREEEEEEEME !’
All right stop collaborate and listen. Mojo is back baby!! ….
Like it or not, it seems like y’all have watched the entire thing. Job done.
Well done guy. Beautiful films.
I love that hot chocolate ‘board on fire’ clip. awesome.
Agree with 12:12
There are some smart people at Mojo but there is to much referencing of other peoples work.
Why not spend all that time looking for stuff that you think other people haven’t seen on your own original thinking?
pointless
That Playground is def.
Word.
12:12 and 3:39 are on the money. These are good and the clients will love them. But…
Oh here we go…
Another friggin’ pom comes over here, takes our job, steals all our beer and eats all our fish using money from LAFHA. Then just to rub it in, he makes a bloody great film.
Nice one IAN!
Well 3:02. Let’s base all energy drink ads on your monosyllabic, agoraphobic kids. That makes sense.
Why are all the comments about the skating one? I think the bloke with pens is the best one, and I think it’s completely original. Well done.
2:04 Your comment made me want to set myself on fire. My mum’s gonna sue.
i reckon ride and playground are great…
and who friggin cares if its some abstract youtube reference or clip? besides whats wrong w advertising referencing from other artforms anyway and when hasnt it?
the point is they’ve come up w an interesting and well produced take on a well trodden product and tough client. schweet!
WOW. Congrats to all at Exit and Mojo for selling this in and then pulling it off.
The films are beautiful and interesting and, as far as I can tell, don’t include bullshit shots of the product being consumed.
To the negative voices on this blog, are you fucking serious? Just because one of your Award school mates sent you a youtube link to Fully Flared 2 years after it came out doesn’t make you an authority on anything other than ‘having seen this cool video once’.
Anyone who works at any serious level in this industry knows how hard it would have been to convince the client of this route, and then maintain the spirit of the idea throughout production, resisting the inevitable pressure to put in a packshot, a ‘consumption moment’, or even a logo.
Fuck off back to your mediocre retail POS briefs you never-were’s and stop stinking up the joint while the artists and agency enjoy their deserved moment in the sun.
3:39pm,
But you just referenced a comment from some one else (12:12)!
Why not spend all your time thinking up something original to say?
Ask yourself this: Would you want this work in your book? Ummmm. YES.
But how much of a ‘creative idea’ has gone into them, sure the dudes on skateboards on looks pretty awesome, but really the creative involvement must have been this: ‘Okay the idea is skateboard dudes doing tricks on fire’ tell that to the awesome director and he really makes it good.
The other two were pretty boring really, just a snowboard doco – could have been on a sports channel.
Seen it before:
http://www.fantasycheatersleague.com/blog/?p=444
Ride is sick.
$50 bucks says the product will be gone in 12 months.
Entertainment isn’t selling.
There have been many ideas lambasted on this blog (and others) for “referencing” other ads, music videos or art projects.
Most of them go on to win awards.
If (and it’s a big IF) they are done well or better than the original reference.
Sony Balls. Honda Cog. The Big Ad. VB Man parade. Star Wars!
Even that Navy stuff recently.
The fact is. Reference gets work made. “A bit like this, with a touch of this.”
It’s the same in movies, music, art and any other creative field.
Original “never-seen-by-anyone but-what’s-in-your-head” is very difficult to sell and even harder to produce.
That’s why, when it happens, and it does happen.
It’s truly rewarded. And rightly so.
Of all the ads I’ve seen today, and I’ve seen quite a few, these are the ones I will remember and talk about.
It got my Mojo going. Fucking awesome- well done all.
the thing that most people seem to be missing which is kind of the real triumph apart from the fact the films are beautiful and pretty interesting is that its an aussie agency doing work for a huge european client. that’s something worth celebrating. nice.
Amazing stuff guys really really good.
5:07, you forgot Schweppes Burst as well, that needed the same flame retardant suit the guys in the film are wearing because of “stealing” from slo mo, or balls or water, or whatever, fuck it, I’m bored with the point I was making.
Lighten the fuck up, it’s great. Ozzie you rock, always have.
Exit, once again, very nice.
Blogger, once again, tools.
short film or music video? – this is an old spike jonze video re- done no?? I have seen this before, but I think it was better by Spike the first time round.
I don’t know what it was selling but they’re completely fantastic and brilliant. Branded content where the brand isn’t the content can turn down the radio when the pictures are playing. I don’t know if its clients, or advertising, or everyone getting used to forcing things down throats but this gives hope – at least until we take a bite of the next product loaded, non sensical, over written and under funded client driven shit sandwich destined to be berated on this blog by those who made it . viva le advertismo
Garth = Legend.
Skate boarding use to be an outsiders thing to do, now its so mainstream, the flaming skate boarders are so slick, its a slicked up version of Spike Jonze, no wonder he turned down the offer to treat them. ( a little birdie told me that one)
Looks a bit fake but awesome film anyway.
“The films will be activated online with strategic seeding in over 65 community channels and will feature in Burn-branded social media spaces and an online hub.”.
Sounds ropey to me. How exactly will be people be made aware of this content?
What’s the plan there?
Job half done I reckon.
uh, it’s seeded within places they already are. idiot.
Hmmm. Product is called ‘Burn’. It is aimed at yoof.
Solution is to show yoof, in the form of skateboarders.
On fire.
In what conceivable way is this not an enormously over-produced, cliched pile of pretentitious poop?
If this was presented as a 60 spot with logo you’d slag it off.
Just because it is three minutes with no logo doesn’t make it any less stupid.
Flamin’ skateboarders.
The three stages of advertising/entertainment in the ‘new-media’ age.
First, there’s an original idea, done by a talented visual artist who works outside of commercial control, usually with an alternative musical artist who has underground appeal.
Next, it’s a rehashed version of the same idea, co-opted by a commercial client trying to establish street credentials, who, with help of an ad agency selling the idea as their own, ropes in another visual artist, talented enough to execute the idea well, but also marginal enough to be willing to sell his talent and his soul for a chance at mainstream recognition, and of course the money it will bring. They start with a ‘branded content’ approach, maybe even a ‘viral’ distribution, to disguise the fact that the idea is completely derivative of the original work, and to try and cover-up the smell attached to corporate sponsorship.
Lastly, it’s the feature film, usually made by an up-and-coming visual artist, that rides the phenomenon into the ground with a script that has no real story, except for the visual appeal of the original idea, now long forgotten. The whole megillha has been so distorted by the drive to make a buck, as opposed to having anything original to say, that there’s nothing left creatively, and no real point to the exercise other than what the producers can rake in from the first weekend’s box office receipts . . . before the word gets out that the whole thing is a shadow of something that once was worth watching.
Stand by for an announcement of a new picture in development, “Wheels on Fire” . . . there’s real danger on the streets, and it’s coming to a theatre near you.
. . . as if.
Not so idiotic 10:55…
Lovely videos, but I think the distribution strategy lacks punch.
If I was the client I’d be wanting far more than a spray and pray seeding strategy.
If, as an industry, we’re going to make films, we need to market those films – just like a film company would.
I. Make the film.
2. Advertise the film.
The stuff ogilvy does for coke is better. And 2.04 is right, there are people suing everywhere for trying to jump out of giant coke bottles and failing.
Fuck you haters. None of you have anything even close to this on your reels. Go back to your wobblers you repellent neuseating shaft lickers.
if anyone on this blog can stand behind a comment like the one above, that ogilvy’s coke bottle is better than any one of these films, put your name to that. Go ahead.
Between the blog and YouTube it’s amazing you ever get anything done. Oh that’s right, you don’t get anything done. Gen Y, get off technology and pick up a pen, do something real. Fact is the product is called ‘burn’ it’s an energy drink. You don’t have to trawl through years of you tube footage to get to skaters on fire do you? If so, you guys are wasting more time than I thought.
My favourite is the snowboarding chicks, I never knew girls went that hard, they seriously fucked themselves up. And they’re hot. Awesome.That’s something you don’t see every day.
9:52
We don’t ‘pick up pens’ anymore, we use keyboards, and in case you hadn’t noticed, that’s precisely what people do on this blog. With their words, sometimes repugnant, frequently homophobic (9:16 seems to feel that ‘shaftlickers’ are ‘repellent and nauseating’), but occasionally sage, insightful, and dare we say clever, they discuss, attack, analyze, reflect upon the PR for any and all in this industry that is posted on the site.
By ‘getting anything done’ you seem to mean using ones writing to sell product, but just maybe there are those of us in this community who feel that getting something done can also mean being a part of a debate about what constitutes good, original ideas, and what is just more repetitive, recycled, reworked grist for the commercial mill of products that exist for the sole purpose of making money for the corporations who create them, and while providing jobs for everyone from the manufacturers to the marketeers, do very little else to further the course of ideas, or to provide anything that is essential to our lives.
For myself, I find it very interesting, and on no small level ironic, that CB has provided a space for individuals to anonymously critique not only the work of the ad community in general, but the very nature of advertising itself.
We’re grateful, Lynchy, even if some of your readers, writers, consider these efforts a waste of time.
I said ogilvy stuff is better. I was being sarcastic. I really liked these films. Especially the third one.
Everyone will love these except Coke shareholders.
Sorry 10.58, I didn’t realise that you, Alex Bogusky, would even read this blog. I am truly humbled. You Have single handedly done so much for this industry and you are a true advertising genius. Again I appologise. Sir.
Adam, generally speaking, in today’s business landscape, the biggest shareholders are CEOs. They’re also the hardest to please.
They do this time and time again – slap a logo on it and job done.
Shame your football team isn’t as good as you are Mr Williamson
3:31
Apology accepted, but remember that satire is not an easy art to master, and when you get it wrong, as is so often the case, the evidence is there for all to see, leaving you nowhere to hide really.
You know the feeling, the expectation of a laugh followed by that deadly silence. Leaves you feeling all naked and vulnerable.
On the other hand, I do applaud any attempt by an account executive, like yourself I’m guessing from the clumsiness with the language, or even a planner to try his, or her hand at creative writing, just to give some sense of meaning to your lives after a hard day at work on the client’s hind parts.
So keep at it, because it’s not always talent and creativity that win the day. Sometimes just the sheer audacity of hope can carry you through to a place you never thought possible.
So what does Burn do?
It burns like a Mutha Fucca! That’s what. En fuego, baby! It’s even hotter than a Red Bull, and boy does Coke want some of that action! 4 Billion Euros a year from a little mixture of Taurine, Guarana, Ginseng, Caffeine, and a butt load of sugar!
So bounce off the walls, little party people, ’cause if you thought that a Coke was the high you needed to get you through your childhood and on too pubescence, then this stomach acid will blow your adolescence and tender young adulthood right through the roof.
Nine out of ten dentists recommend it, for frequent return visits, and we understand its popularity is growing with oncologists as well.
Drink up, Gen X,Y, and Z, ’cause skateboarders on fire think it’s sooooo hot . . . and the world’s largest drink manufacturer learned long ago that with the right marketing, like ‘branded entertainment’, they can sell you lot anything.
Congrats to the AMAZING Producers who pull it all together. Nice one Karen & Alli 🙂
Playground is genius. Beautifully shot. Beautifully edited. Really inspirational short film. Well done to all involved. Very very jealous.
I love Peter Sciberras. Best Editor Ever!
xx
Yeah, go Pete!
11.21. Small man syndrome?
10:21. Too clever . . . by half.
My brother is a skater , I showed him the Burn commercial, he said”this is cool – http://www.galembo.com/DAMn_Phyllis-Galembo.pdf“ Burn is not!
We both liked the smokey beginning though, but the rest I of the film we lost interest in.
You are fooling yourselves. Skaters don’t listen to that lame hipster crap. Nor do they watch it. Nike Fully Flared burned this up years ago.