Lifestyle

VIBE

I see this as a playful, oddly comedic, sometimes dark, and always an extremely human story. Everyone can relate to something or someone or something in it. We’ll remain highly cinematic throughout, playing with light and shadow as well as camera movement to highlight or detract the viewer’s attention on what is emotionally important. We’ll move from our more grounded scenes into a more fluid, fantasy state, weaving moments of elegantly theatrical magic into our authentic real-world scenes.  

And we’ll create delicious, unexpected in-camera magic that feels visceral and emotive, rather than created on a computer. These will be surprising moments that will stay with our viewers long after they finish watching. It’s fresh, bold and full of dynamic energy.

Food/Beverage

CASTING

SANDWICH ONE AKA: SANDY: She’s hot for the new Heinz Mayo. She’s in her mid-30s, never married, and has only known one mayo her entire life. She longs for even the lightest schmear of the new mayo on her BLT. She’s not ‘easy’, but she knows what she wants and how to get it. She’s been known to wear blue eyeliner when the situation calls for something more daring. She can be trendy but never cliché. She’s spunky and likes to dance to Coldplay. 

SANDWICH TWO: Early-30s. He’s a good guy, not too boisterous. He’s dependable, like the kind of guy that would show up with a six-pack to help you move. He’s super curious about the New Mayo in town as all his buddies have talked him up and how awesome he is. He’s got a wife at home and a little baby-bruschetta on the way.

Comedy

INTRODUCTION

The other day I was multi-tasking so hard, I lost my phone in the house and I had to use another phone to call my phone to find it. The good news is I found it... in the fridge. The bad news is... it was next to my glasses. 

Technology helps our lives run more smoothly. With it, we can do anything from transfer money to different bank accounts to tell our spouse to, “Please pick up toilet paper (heart-emoji-poop-emoji).” But sometimes, you really just need another human with an opposable thumb and a live brain to help you find your fridge-phone.

Life can get complicated, messy, and hectic. We need to utilize technology to help make it easier, but we can’t lose sight of the human connection which is often the missing link when what’s supposed to help us, makes us crazy. This is where Charles Schwab comes in. They’ve brilliantly figured out a way to combine the best of both worlds in order to make our lives better in the present and ultimately help us in the long-term with our investments with the assistance of the Schwab Intelligent Portfolio. The use of high-end technology is there to make you money, but you can talk to a person whenever you want, to make you sane. With these films, we’ll reveal some small, all-too-human moments everyone can relate to that will make the corners of our mouths turn up with a bit of a chuckle, and a lot of identification.

Fashion & Beauty

INTRODUCTION

Denim.

It’s the go-to answer to that universal question, “What should I wear today?”. 

It’s what makes us the most comfortable and the most at home.

It makes us feel…  like ourselves. 

Pulling on your favorite jeans is like wearing a second skin—it may be covering your body but it’s really comfort for your soul. 

A good pair of jeans can stay with you through many phases of life. They become a part of us, with each pair telling a unique story. As the ever-present witness to our lives, they’ve been through as much as we have. Maybe that’s why a good pair of jeans seems to have its own personality, whether that’s well preserved or beat up and full of holes? Whatever stage your denim is in, it’s a reflection of your history and your identity. 

In this campaign, we’ll take a look at individuals’ stories via the request, “Tell me about that pair of jeans you’ll never forget,” asked by an off-camera, omnipresent voice. Our answers will be from our talent in the form of cinematic non-linear sequences filled with nostalgia and romance. Our overall narration will be genuine, provocative, intimate, joyous, and above all, deeply human. This is how denim becomes an allegory for life.

Automotive

CINEMATOGRAPHY

The car will gleam. 

It will glow… 

It will become fully alive.

Light is our key element and it even becomes its own character in these films. We will use light as an illusion as well as illuminate the many modern features and nuanced details of the car. Our use of light will be so expertly done, that even if the Lexus were to stand perfectly still, we will create the illusion of movement and the sensation of speed and sportiness. We can create an impression of movement at the highest speeds and full-on energy without the car ever moving an inch or leaving the studio. Our treatment of light will also emphasize all the minute details and bring touches of visual poetry leading up to that ‘golden moment’. We’ll see the car in silhouette, its exquisite curves, and luxurious interior features, all in crystal-clear definition.

We’ll also use the light as the source of emotion and sensation. Depending on how we manipulate it, we can create very different moods: seductive and sensual, mysterious and covetous, warm and safe, or bold and dynamic.

Whether we come from daylight or a more muted ambiance, in all our films, we move on to something golden. A clever play of light changes the images and takes them visually from more relaxed energy to one brimming with excitement and an influx of energy.

Comedy

DIRECTOR’S APPROACH

They say good artists borrow and great ones steal. And this, my Franz, feels stolen. Like from an overheard conversation at a party. But then again, how could it be? There were zero occasions this year. Speaking of occasions... That’s all anybody wants to do right now- see their friends and celebrate one of the many canceled milestones we missed this year. 

People want to revel in the notion of a return to normalcy, which is another reason these spots are so great. We see people having fun IRL and not on a screen. They’re celebrating together. As Franz. Franz for life. Franz before foes. Franz Kafka. Ok, maybe not the last one, but coming up with Franzia wordplay is something I could do all day long. See? Fun! 

Each vignette offers something for someone to connect with. Everyone from a rancher in rural Mississippi to a midwestern millennial groomsman, to a freakin’ astronaut will have a scene and character to relate to in this spot. Whether it’s the character’s emotion, the reveal within the scene, the nostalgic feeling we all share right now, or all of the above. 

We want to portray the brand as welcoming, joyous, accessible, fresh, and upbeat. We’ll reveal the product in varying and surprising ways that enhance the world instead of taking you out of it. We’ll take good care and spend time on the different ways to incorporate the FRANZIA box into the stories and make sure every glass poured looks gorgeous, mouthwatering, and appealing in every shot.