I Want to Thank the Academy

Apologies once again, loyal readers. We intended this year to provide full coverage of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Award for Best Commercial. We find it particularly important to do so, given that the Best Commercial Emmy is probably the most pointless of all Emmys, and not particularly important in the world of advertising, either. Due to its irrelevance, it doesn't earn a whole lot of coverage.

While it seemed like a good idea to review the nominees in advance of the awards ceremony (August 29), we failed to realize that this prize is actually announced as part of the Creative Arts Awards, which are held a week in advance of the major awards. So we already know who the winner is. If you don't already know who won, then before you read on, consider yourself SPOILER ALERTED.

Two years ago, I explored the question of why they present an artistic award for commercials in the first place. So I won't bother with that for the time being; let's just get to the non-winners.

First up is the perennial nominee, Coca-Cola (they won the Emmy last year), and their spot entitled "Finals" (campaign by Wieden + Kennedy ad agency; spot produced by Rattling Stick). It's also one of the nominees I never actually saw on TV. But with such quality filmmaking, you wouldn't want to risk overexposure.



Coke is pretty well-known for putting out spots that are visually compelling and have nothing to do with the product, or even with establishing any specific brand image. This one seems to fit that mold, except for the subtle (and perhaps unintentional) message that the caffeine in Coke provides such a powerful stimulant that just a whiff can arouse even the most sleep-deprived collegian. (Or maybe they're implying that simply the sound of a Coke bottle opening provides the necessary stimulus, good news for all the college students who drink Coke from glass bottles at their desks.)

Next up is a commercial I saw many times and quite like, it's for Nike and titled "Human Chain" (Wieden + Kennedy, again, is the agency and the production group is called Smuggler).



I can't really think of much to say about this, just good classic advertising. It's for an athletic shoe/apparel company, featuring a variety of athletes, catchy music, compelling visuals (including a clever and well-executed filmmaking gimmick), and a subtext that's inspirational without being sappy or offensive. And I like it a lot. Probably would have been my vote, but the Academy felt otherwise.

This next one was also aired pretty often (after premiering at the Super Bowl), and is perhaps one of the most popular of the nominees, at least among friends of Drink Moxie. The title is "Game" (campaign courtesy of BBDO New York, spot produced by MJZ).



Probably the best use of star-power among the nominees (Betty White and Abe Vigoda are so popular with the kids these days – and I wish I meant that ironically). It's well-made and worth a few chuckles, but essentially a one-trick pony. If it weren't for White and Vigoda, and there were just some anonymous elderly actors in their place, would it be anything? Are the cameos alone worthy of the nod? Apparently they are, but not enough to take the statuette. (The follow-up to this spot, featuring Aretha Franklin and Liza Minelli, is arguably funnier.)

The next one is for Audi, and again it's one I never actually saw on TV. I continue to wonder why some of these ads are produced – at significant expense (see last week's Mad Men) – and so limited in their release. (To be fair, they may run on channels that we at Drink Moxie don't watch that often.) Maybe some agencies find that the quality of an ad does not necessarily translate to repeat watchability. It could also be that a good number of these are 60-second spots, which don't fit well into normal programming schedules. Anyway, this one's called "Green Car" (from agency Venables Bell & Partners, produced by Hungry Man).



Smart and funny, but is it too soon to be making light of the contemporary environmental movement? Especially when the sale of hybrid cars is so closely attached to wealthy people's sense of self-importance at doing something good for the world? (I mean, you could ride the bus, but a bus pass just doesn't make your yuppie friends jealous enough -- plus, have you seen the people on the bus?) But I digress.

This next one's called "Anthem" (the agency is TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, which takes the Emmy for Best Use of Backslashes; it was also produced by MJZ). If it weren't for the subtle disclaimer at the beginning, it wouldn't be apparent until the end what the ad is even for.



Interesting that it more resembles the Coke or Nike spots than the previous MJZ one (the Snickers spot), and has a similar set of characteristics to the "Human Chain": compelling visuals, catchy music, and a simple, subtle, yet inspiring message. But is there something a little "different" (to use their word) about applying such a wholesome, uplifting message to an alcoholic product? What is it trying to imply? Were all these people drunk while making these elaborate messages? I don't really get it, but maybe that's why (or because) I don't drink vodka.

So we've seen all the losers, and now here's the one that emerged from the pack. And there's really no surprise. Not only is it an elegantly-composed, smart, funny, and altogether enjoyable piece of filmmaking, it has achieved that rare distinction of transcending a simple piece of advertising (I know, I know, advertising is never "simple") to become a true pop culture phenomenon, possibly in the same league as "Tastes Great/Less Filling," "Where's the Beef," and, well, the Old Spice Song. It has made a household name of Isaiah Mustafa (formerly "known" for a few TV bit roles and his career playing American pro football in Europe) and has "gone viral" with a web series. So let's all thank Wieden + Kennedy and MJZ (both with other nominees; this was the winning combination) for adding "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" to the list of contemporary cultural icons.



There's more to this particular ad than meets the eye, of course, and I promise there will be future analysis of the historical evolution of men's fragrance advertising (the ongoing effort that we refer to as the "Old Spice Project") as well as a feature about fear of effeminization as a marketing tool in men's products. But for the time being, let's be superficial.

What makes it so good, at least as far as the Academy is concerned? Is it the sharp writing? Is it the surprise of witnessing the hidden talent (or not-so-hidden, according to some of our female readers) of a heretofore unsung star? Is it the brilliant one-shot cinematography? The fact is, we just don't know what they're looking for when they select a "best commercial" for the Emmy.

Commercials, as an art form, suffer from the same stigma that television used to (and in some ways still does). Because they are made to have market appeal (hence the word "commercial"), their artistic value is assumed to be compromised. Sort-of an "original sin" of creative advertising. So when the Academy of Television Arts (emphasis added) and "Sciences" (irony added) decides to honor a commercial, is it doing so because it stands out as an artistic endeavor, independent of its effectiveness as a marketing tool? Judging by the other nominees – essentially, short films with some limited paid air time, and in many cases little to do with the product or the brand – you might think so. But does the selection of this particular spot show that there is some consideration of the marketing effectiveness of the campaign? Or is it more a recognition of the fact that in today's world of entertainment, TV has to break into the ethersphere of web culture to be recognized as something truly great? Or was it simply the best of the bunch based on its merit as a standalone piece of filmmaking? Or can anyone even tell the difference among all these different perspectives any more?

Here's hoping that next year, they award the Best Commercial Emmy as part of the major awards ceremony, where it belongs (or doesn't, but it would be fun to see it there anyway). In the meantime, enjoy the telecast on Sunday (7pm, NBC). Maybe they'll show a few good commercials in there.