New work for Claussen pickles: POLAR BEAR SHOWDOWN

This the fourth video in our “Journey to the Claussen Pickles” series that we shot with director Sam Cadman.

I think we shot over 20 different people in total over two days.

That’s one thing i love about this approach to shooting commercials. You get to shoot so many different versions and try out so many different things vs shooting that rigid thirty second TV spot with just one idea. Also, you get better at it as you go. By day two we were flying through these, filled with confidence.

Think about it. So far, we have cut four minute videos from just two days of shooting. That’s eight minutes of content people!

I, and many others, have shot just one :30 commercial in a similar time frame.

I’m not sure where the idea of a slightly menacing skating polar bear came from, I think it was Sam our director, but i loved it. And he proved very useful. A nice visual bit.

So, on the second day of shooting we came up with the idea of a showdown between Sir Edwin and the bear. I think the polar bear was actually played by a crew member who played ice hockey.

NEW ESCAPE POD WORK FOR CLAUSSEN PICKLES, PART 3.

This one is called “CLIPPING IN” for reasons that will become obvious. I love this one. It just makes me laugh every time.

Muchas gracias a director Sam Cadman of STATION films here (he did TRIGGER HAPPY TV you know!).

This gag was his idea and I love it. It’s just silly. Sam knows what he’s doing. He has that uniquely English dry sense of the absurd and he’s not afraid of anything. And his beard is polar dude.

Thanks also are due to editor Graham Metzger of HOOTENANNY. And Sean Halvorsen. These were not easy to cut. You guys rock!

And of course we have to mention our compadres at BURN CRASH REPEAT who did the graphics and who are fast becoming our secret weapon.

And thanks to the shopper who was brave enough to get in the dogsled and risk taking the extremely hazardous northern approach to the Claussen Pickles summit. I love when he asks Sir Edwin if he’s steering the contraption.

More new work for Claussen pickles

LATEST WORK FOR NEW CLIENT CLAUSSEN PICKLES.

Claussen pickles are easily the best pickle in the American supermarket.

I was not a pickle connoisseur. So I was completely fresh to this category.

And Claussen pickles are demonstrably better than their competition. They look better. They taste fresher because they are fresher. It’s all good here.

There’s just one tiny problem.

Claussen pickles are in a different section of the supermarket than where you might automatically – and not unreasonably – shop for pickles: the pickle shelf.

Claussen pickles are the only pickles housed in the deli chilled section area. Because they’re chilled to keep them fresher. So you have to go slightly out of you shopping way to find them. But they’re worth it.

So we thought we’d point this anomaly out in the advertising.

We shot this in a lovely grocery store in Jersey City, New Jersey. And yes those are real actual bona fide average people.

But the huskies are totally fake!

It was directed by Sam Cadman of Trigger Happy TV fame. Sam was a joy to work with and a fountain of ideas. Thank you Station Films.

These were edited by Graham Metzger at Hootenanny Chicago. Who had a baptism of reality advertising fire. Thanks for all your and Sean’s efforts and patience and ideas.

And thanks to Greg and all at Burn Crash Repeat in New York for the kick ass graphics. Once again.

Gratitude too to Ben Kay and Dave Trott for their help in casting our talent, Roger Barclay. He used to be an officer in a British Army cavalry regiment you know.

Great job Roger. You were perfect. Thanks man.

And of course, none of this would have been possible without the cool folks at Claussen.
Gary Berger, Lynne Strickler and Heather Fries.

Thanks so much. This was a lot of fun to do.