Director Bruno Bossi and producer Kirsten Clarence of Egg Films are a busy team.
They’re finishing a commercial for C Track vehicle tracking systems conceptualised by
Fishgate. Looking at the result so far it’s refreshing to watch an ad that’s so easy to
take in. A simple, clear message beautifully presented. But that doesn’t mean it’s simple
to produce and I can see why they’re so busy.
The shoot involved helicopter shots, sweeping landscapes, tracking car shots and drive-
bys through forests and city buildings – and quite a few prayers for the weather to hold
out.
After getting the go ahead they had just a week and half to prep before filming. Yet
even with little time the only thing they could not control was the weather.
The Big Guy may have answered their prayers in a different way though as the dramatic
sky shots and misty forest scenes rock the ad. The CGI, which involves some very
complicated tracking and lighting, was so masterfully handled by Cape Town’s
Blackginger that it doesn’t intrude and does just what Bossi intended – it adds to the
intriguing conceptual hook, seamlessly.
The idea is that, with C Track, your car is always visible. Interpreted by Bossi, nothing
can hide it – not trees, bridges, tunnels or buildings — and these mysteriously vanish as
the car goes by. Simple and intriguing, no doubt it will stand out from the clutter on the
tube.
I leave Egg wondering whatever happened to those single-minded briefs? In today’s
marketing world the pressure is on to get as much information across as possible, only
to the detriment of the communication. There’s only so much a viewer can absorb and,
with the incredible variety of channels and programmes, the TV remote is wielded like an
executioner’s sword. This ad reminds me just how important it is to be simple and
engaging so that the remote stays put.
Here’s to the brave marketers, agencies and production companies who embrace single-
mindedness.
