PRODUCTION NEWS
Product: 1-800-ANIMALS
Objective: To launch not only a new line of stuffed animals, but a whole new type of toy featuring a voice technology new to the marketplace. When ordering, the DRTV buyer can record a 10-second personal greeting over the phone, which becomes part of the animal itself. The spots had to sell the benefits of buying for birthdays, holidays, and special events -- not the technology.
Production Challenge: The client followed our recommendation to do short-form spots for this product rather than an infomercial. For both budgetary reasons and storytelling reasons, the 2-minute, 1-minute, and :30 second versions provided ample time to sell their product.
The client wanted a celebrity as their advertising spokesperson. They believed, as we did, that creating a charity tie-in whereby a portion of sales went to an animal rights organization was an excellent way to attract a celebrity. The 1-800-ANIMALS spots featured Florence Henderson as spokesperson. Since our crew was experienced at accommodating the special needs of a celebrity, the shoot went smoothly. We planned a tight schedule and kept to it.
We shot enough footage in two days to create several versions for special occasions. We shot in a home that had many different set-up options and we used a large cast to create different looks. Production economies like these helped keep costs down while our experienced director and crew kept the quality level high.