Tourism Australia today launched “Transformation”, a new advertising campaign being rolled out in 22 countries around the world. Baz Luhrmann, known for his movies Moulin Rouge and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, was responsible for the television and cinema commercials set in New York, Shanghai and Western Australia.
Original music for the New York commercial, Billabong, was composed by Sydney composer and song writer Elliott Wheeler, from sound and music boutique Nylon Studios.
The music for the New York spot was composed and recorded within a 48 hour timeframe in early September. Film directors Baz Luhrmann and Bruce Hunt called Nylon Studios on a Friday night a month before the launch, asking for a demo to be completed by the following Monday. Elliott composed two pieces on the Saturday before recording them with a string ensemble from Sydney Symphony Orchestra on the Sunday morning.
Once the creative team had chosen one of the tracks further work included the addition of multiple layers of piano tracks to create a a signature sound for the main piano melody, and careful sound engineering and mix by Wayne Connolly. Encouraged by warm response to the soundtrack, Wheeler has written an extended version with lyrics recorded by Abby Dobson from Sydney band Leonardo’s Bride.
“We wanted to use strings, but not on such a scale that we’d be dictating to the audience what they were meant to feel, so in the end we went with a much smaller chamber ensemble. We put a lot of energy into finding a balance between the intimacy expressed in the dialogue, and the grandness seen in the cinematography.”
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Are these real? They seem a bit edgy by huge fast food corperation standards.
Bleublancrouge sent them to us as real, not spec, ads stating "Published: November 2007" - just not specifying where. Perhaps in edgy teen magz?
I just find it hard to believe that BK would approve ads that embrace Pimps, Hookers, and Drug Dealers as customers, take on the Catholic Church, and suggest that you pleasure yourself even though they're talking about Whoppers not wankers. Not to mention the whole drunken bar thing.
Exactly. And I doubt very much this is another case of misunderstanding words, like the McDonald's "I'd hit it" banner. Then again, this may just be for an individual Burgar King store run by someone who doesn't have to worry about maintaining a pristine image.
I suppose that's possible, but don't you think that individual franchises still have a contractual agreement with BK regarding corporate image and do's and don'ts in advertising?
Having gone to Bleublancrouge's website, now I'm not so sure.
They've done some pretty interesting work for BK. One TV ad shows a cow
and bull having sex to the tune of Love, Love, Love, I want to mount you baby... and then the tag line says: The Whopper Jr.® Is On Its Way.
And then there are the ads where men are in relationships with cows...
On their BK client page, they note that the brand now boasts a personality all its own and an attitude unique in its category. You can say that again.
Well, there ya go. Burger King has been flirting with the older crowd - as in teenagers to thirtysomethings - since the mid to late eighties as I recall.
As for the "adult" McDonald's ads, there's the mistake "I'd hit it that Wendall mentioned, the burger who doesn't want to be objectified and the ultra-creepy "my wife smells like hamburgers so that makes me horny" 2004 super bowl ad. In short, they're doing it wrong.
Well, I suppose Bleublancrouge is doing it better, but the ads in which the guy is in a relationship with a cow creep me out. The screwing cows ad with the Whopper Jr. tag and the music is funny.
Guys you were right, these ads we're not approved. Just got an email from head honcho. Thus removed.
Boo. Couldn't they have just marked them as spec to begin with? Ugh. It's like every year there has to be some Wite Out incident. Perhaps that is the term we should coin it...seems appro too. ;)
Yeah, BK might be looking for an older crowd, but I still didn't think they want to tell potential customers to come in late at night when you can join the Pimps, Hookers, Drug Dealers, and drunks, nor do I think they want to alienate all of their potential Christian customers.
The "edgiest" big companies like BK seem to get is emarassing use of slang that's either incorrect or five-plus years out of date.