MISKO IHO

INTRO

When you are a kid, the last thing that goes through your mind is wanting to eat
something that’s healthy for you. You go for the food that is tasty and fun. It doesn’t
matter if vegetables help you grow or that fruits give you energy; you just want to
enjoy the fine things in life.

This project reminded me of when I was young and would refuse to eat at all costs
anything that looked as if it had fallen off a tree because to me it used to look “too
natural.” However, a mother always knows better. She knows that she has to find
the perfect balance between keeping her young ones healthy and giving them a
drink that they will fully enjoy. Tang therefore is the perfect mix between the
natural and the taste kids have always loved. Our campaign, just like the drink it
represents, will be a fun one.

The key to success lies in the comedy of the situations that will show how Tang can
be both delicious and natural at the same time. Let’s get started then!

EXECUTION

All of the different versions of the campaign have one element in common: They
have Mom trying to conceal the secret ingredient of the new Tang. This makes for
some very fun and memorable situations. In order for the spot to generate an
impact, the comic element has to be very precise. In the three versions we should
present a very stylized world, a world so perfect that it could only come from a
commercial. However, there’s something that stands out: Mom. We want to have a
down-to-earth mother who we can easily identify with. This Mom has a few tricks
up her sleeve, and the new Tang is one of them. This very charismatic mom can
break the fourth wall and talk to the audience as if she were an old friend. She
stands out from the stylized design of the kitchen. Through her naturalness conveys
her motherly wisdom and what she thinks is best for her family.

Since we are dealing with comical situations, the comic timing is of essence. What do
I mean by this? Well, first of all we need real actors whose sole presence can make
us laugh. Secondly, every small action counts. The little details are very important.
How the characters look at each other, the slight glances, the pauses in their speech,
will give the piece the visual humor needed to make the script work. It’s as simple as
this: the characters react naturally to the quirky situations they face…That’s where
the comedy of our spot lies.
CHARACTERS

The way in which we construct our characters is essential if we want the piece to
achieve its fullest potential. This is a piece that relies on visual humor for its success.
Therefore it is crucial that the selected actors help us in achieving this goal. I believe
the family members should be highly capable of making us smile through their facial
expressions. The way they react to the situation while drinking Tang will give the
comic effect to the piece.

We simply cannot afford casting characters that look as if they were taken out of a
Getty Images catalogue. We want characters whose personality is immediately
present the moment we see them. They are tridimensional and fully capable of
transmitting what they are feeling at that exact moment.

I want this family to feel unique. We are not going for a cartoonish look, but in order
to construct from what was presented in the script, their look should be stylized.
I’m talking about little details that add color to the characters like having the young
girl wear bright colored dresses and a ponytail. Maybe our Dad is reading the
newspaper as is expected of dads in commercials and Mom’s clothes have been
soiled a bit while cooking. The boy on the second version could be drawing a
spacecraft while waiting for his dinner in order for us to show that he is quite a
smart fellow. These small actions add depth to our characters and make the
situation visually more engaging.

Without a doubt the mom is our hero character. I imagine her as young woman, very
modern, very easy going and charming. She is pretty, but in no way a model or
wearing excessive makeup. We should convey by her looks that she is someone who
takes her health, and that of her family, very seriously. We need to cast an actress
who can project warmth and a sense of fun at the same time.

Our characters should be memorable; they should feel like real people who just
happen to be facing an offbeat situation.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Our spot should be visually attractive from the very first shot in order to catch the
audience’s attention. The production design will help us achieve this goal. The script
mentions that this looks like your typical commercial. I want to play with this idea.
This by no means implies that we should go for something generic. I want our
production design to feel magical. Yes, this is not a typical kitchen for a typical
family…It is a fun kitchen! We can easily see that we wouldn’t necessarily find this
kitchen in our neighbor’s house, but this is what makes it unique. We should have a
very alluring color palette that makes our hero product stand out. If we contrast the
color of Tang with the rest of the kitchen, we will be able to emphasize its natural
consistency.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Comedy demands a very constrained approach to camera technique in order for it to

work. We don’t need too many shots to tell this story. If we do move the camera, it
should only be done to emphasize a comedic aspect like when on the third version
Mom starts speaking directly to the camera. The lightning will be soft to contribute
to our stylized aesthetic and it will be especially useful when shooting our product
being poured into the glass.

SOUND DESIGN

The music present has a very important purpose: To emphasize the humor of the
piece. The music should be designed with the sole purpose of contributing to the
comic effect. The music will also be very useful when the characters taste their Tang
drink. By adding music to this part we will heighten the dramatic effect of how
delicious Tang is.

DRINKING SHOT

Just like Tang, our drinking shot should feel natural, no slow-mo, no added effects,
just our characters enjoying its delicious flavor. The reactions our characters convey
are very important in order to show how tasty the product truly is. As I mentioned
previously, I want the lightning to be soft, especially during the pouring shot so the
beverage shows its natural quality.

When children like a drink, they don’t zip it delicately. If they truly like it, they are
going to chug it off the glass immediately. This is a very clear way to show the
beverage is certainly tasty. Unlike the general aesthetic, of our spot, this drinking
shot doesn’t have to be perfect; it’s not your typical commercial drinking shot. Our
kids will drink Tang just like they would in real life and they’re simply enjoying the
flavor.

PRODUCT SHOT

I would like to propose an in-situation product shot in which we see the Tang
package on the table next to a jug and some glasses of Tang which have already been
prepared. We see the kid’s hand reaching for one of the glasses ready to take a zip.
HUMOR

The humor of our piece is in the little details, those little details that make a great
difference: The silences, the stares, and the dramatic pauses that turn the situation
into something funny.

For example, I’m thinking that in the first version, when Mom is having that little
struggle with the omnipresent narrator, we could have them in a game of back and
forth in which they are attentive as to interrupt the other.

In the second version, the humor will come from the way in which the young boy
looks at his mom, maybe making faces while she’s not looking, and changing back
when she turns around.

For the third version, when Mom breaks the fourth wall, she can grab the camera
and frame herself in a better angle before revealing her secret to the audience.

As I mentioned previously, we need to cast great actors that will be able to pull off
this visual gags that will make our spot stand out.

Thank you for inviting me to give you my thoughts on this great project. I believe we
can craft a very fun and memorable spot. Please feel free to contact me so that we
can compliment our ideas and achieve the best possible piece. Greetings!