by Mandy & Jon (@mandyldewaal) Remember when you were younger — much younger — and had a different perspective of time? When you’re 13 or 14, a day seems long, a week may feel like forever, and bad times can make time drag even more. New York-based global agency, Droga 5, plays with the concept of time in its TVC for Clearasil.
It goes like this: A teenager with a mop of curly hair peers into the bathroom mirror and moans, “This pimple is going to last forever.” The face in the mirror that looks back at this human, navigating an awkward age, is completely clear, save for one obvious spot.
“Aw, com’on!” pipes up the animated tube of Clearasil standing next to the washbasin. “Clearasil Ultra works fast,” it continues before describing how the face wash for teens quickly clears up pimples [infographics appear on the mirror the teen is looking into]. “Besides,” declares the Clearasil tube. “Acne won’t last forever. Just like your mom won’t walk in on you forever.”
This statement sets up a series of funny plot lines which begins with the teen’s mother barging into his room [holding a basket of laundry] while he’s watching something rather compromising on his PC. When mom sees her son hurriedly shutting his computer and defensively resting his arms on its cover, she dramatically declares with a gasp: “Stephen!”
The ad continues with momentary vignettes from Stephen’s future that are awkwardly interrupted by his admonishing mother. The final scene in this montage shows Stephen, now well into his 60s, sitting in a wheelchair in a futuristic, sci-fi-like apartment.
A robot bearing his mother’s head [a la ‘Mars Attacks‘] enters, and chides him by simply vocalising his name in that reproachful tone parents do so well. Poor Stephen gets quite the surprise and slams the book into which he’s been peering shut.
The result is a delightful little movie that mirthfully shows that the bad things about being a teen don’t last. It does so while effectively communicating Clearasil’s product benefits in an entertaining and amusing way.
It’s the kind of ad you’ll want to spend time watching more than once. Which, of course, is a good thing for Clearasil.
Read more:
- Droga5 Lightens Up Acne Cream Category With Comic Spot for Clearasil at AdWeek.
Roll credits: [courtesy of AdWeek.com]
Client: Clearasil/Reckitt Benckiser
Campaign: Let’s Be Clear
Spot: “Interruption”
Brand director: Deb Ebile
Brand manager: Elyse Goldweitz
Agency: Droga5 New York
Creative chairman: David Droga
Chief creative officer: Ted Royer
Group creative director: Tim Gordon
Senior copywriter: Ryan Raab
Senior art director: Dan Kenneally
Chief creation officer: Sally-Ann Dale
Executive producer: Adam Perloff
Global chief strategy officer: Jonny Bauer
Strategy director: Will Davie
Senior strategist: Danielle Travers
Senior data strategist: Lily Ng
Head of communications strategy: Colleen Leddy
Communications strategist: Bryn Little
Social strategy director: Tom Hyde
Senior social strategist: Calvin Stowell
Social manager: Maureen O’Brien
Group account director: Olivia Legere
Account director: Megan Gokey
Account manager: Ashton Atlas
Production company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Aaron Stoller
DOP: Bryan Newman
Executive producer: Holly Vega
Producer: Mala Vasan
Editorial: Mackenzie Cutler
Editor: Erik Laroi
Assistant editor: Brendan Hogan
Executive producer: Sasha Hirschfeld
Post-production: The Mission
Executive producer: Mike Pardee
Producer: Ryan Meredith
Sound design: The Ski Team
Sound: Lounge
Mixer: Chris Afzal
Mandy de Waal and Jon Pienaar are writers, and are the co-founders of Jo!Ma Media — a company that creates kief content.
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This is a very funny commercial! I am quite sure anyone named Stephen or Steven will have to hear people say their name and then gasp in horror! Stephen is a well-respected pillar of the community who still has to hear his forever laundry doing mother say his name that way!