C(l)a keyhole story
After six years, a commercial finally finds its client thanks to Sat 1
A commercial finds its client after six years thanks to Sat 1Incredible stories are written in advertising life, and they could easily come from the realm of fairy tales - if they weren't true. One such story is Budweiser's "Whassup" campaign, which mutated from a private silly video to a global award-winner. The development of a Swiss TV commercial, which was created six years ago without a commission and now advertises Berlitz language schools in Germany, has a high potential to fall into the story category "se non è vero, è ben trovato". In 1996, the two AY&R creatives, Iwan Weidmann - now a CD at Grey - and Max Emmenegger - now a director - had an idea for a language school commercial. Only the client was missing. According to Weidmann, a production in the USA offered "the opportunity to shoot the commercial with minimal financial outlay, as the set of a production in a neighboring studio was just perfect for it". And because the producers had no objections to the use of the external location and there were plenty of actors on the site, the duo realized the commercial at their own expense after an improvised casting.
In it, a hotel guest tries to explain to a chambermaid that he has forgotten his key in his room and can no longer get in. As she doesn't understand his language, he switches to a somewhat dubious sign language, which causes things to go awry. The two advertisers were equally unsuccessful in selling their strip. For six years, the commercial, with the randomly chosen Berlitz logo as the sender, could only be seen on the showreel of Emmenegger's Max Films.
As chance would have it, four months ago, the commercial fell into the hands of an employee of the Sat-1 program "The funniest commercials in the world" and she asked the makers for permission to broadcast it. But the coincidences were not enough: the advertising manager at Berlitz Germany saw the program and was so enthusiastic about the commercial that she immediately wanted to book it for Germany. But nobody at Berlitz Switzerland knew anything about the commercial. Thanks to the broadcaster, Berlitz and Max Films found each other after all. "For six weeks, it has been showing on
n-TV shows in a humorous way what unexpected consequences speechlessness can have abroad." Luca Aloisi
In it, a hotel guest tries to explain to a chambermaid that he has forgotten his key in his room and can no longer get in. As she doesn't understand his language, he switches to a somewhat dubious sign language, which causes things to go awry. The two advertisers were equally unsuccessful in selling their strip. For six years, the commercial, with the randomly chosen Berlitz logo as the sender, could only be seen on the showreel of Emmenegger's Max Films.
As chance would have it, four months ago, the commercial fell into the hands of an employee of the Sat-1 program "The funniest commercials in the world" and she asked the makers for permission to broadcast it. But the coincidences were not enough: the advertising manager at Berlitz Germany saw the program and was so enthusiastic about the commercial that she immediately wanted to book it for Germany. But nobody at Berlitz Switzerland knew anything about the commercial. Thanks to the broadcaster, Berlitz and Max Films found each other after all. "For six weeks, it has been showing on
n-TV shows in a humorous way what unexpected consequences speechlessness can have abroad." Luca Aloisi
